"This is weird… Why is this weird?"

He glanced down to the woman at his side as she spoke. She was right, this was weird. He couldn't get his shoulders to relax, and the stiff immobility of them was causing an ache down the center of his back. He also didn't know what to do with his hands, when had he ever worried about what to do with his hands?

She had offered to join him on his patrol of the battlements, something new to do he supposed, not that he was complaining. After their talk, and other far more entertaining things, the day before he was hardly going to pass up the chance to get her alone again.

Not that he had any ulterior motive to wanting her alone; it was just nice to spend time with-

"Cullen?"

His thoughts broke off at the sound of her voice and he blinked at her. "What?"

She laughed and drew to a stop, her eyes assessing him a moment before her smile widened. "You're blushing."

"Am I?" Now that she mentioned it he could feel the telltale heat rising over his face.

Andraste preserve him, one would think he could handle being around her without blushing.

He took a deep breath and reached up to scrub at his neck. "You're right… this is far more awkward than I had planned."

"So you had something planned?" Her smile had taken on a decidedly amused edge and he felt his face heat even further.

"N-No! Of course not!" At her raised brow he plowed on. "Not that I haven't thought… I-I mean…" He trailed off and tugged at the back of his hair in frustration. "I'm very bad at this."

She laughed again, the too loud sound of it bouncing off the stone around them. As it faded she looked around then stepped closer to him. "I think I know what will help." She reached up to his shoulders and tugged him down until their lips met.

It did help, almost immediately, and his hands moved automatically to her jaw, tilting her head up so that he had better access to her. The feel of her mouth against his did something to settle the uncertainty in him, though he wasn't sure why.

As his hands dropped to smooth over her arms and settle at the small of her back he wondered if it was because she felt so right against him. He had held back from her for too long, knowing that he didn't have to now… It was almost too much to believe.

He pulled back from the kiss instead of deepening it, as part of him desperately wanted to, and let himself grin down at her even as she asked him if he felt better.

"I do. We should… continue the patrol."

"Of course, Commander."

He reached for her hand automatically, capturing her fingers in his before resuming their walking.

They were silent for several minutes as they made their way through another abandoned room, and he took the moment to mentally assess what they might use it for before walking out the other side and pulling the door shut behind them.

They had made it to a still slightly crumbled part of the battlements, the way blocked from continuing on, and stopped at the abrupt drop off that the tumbling rocks caused. It was where they were supposed to turn around and go back, and he started to say as much to her when she flexed her hand in his and distracted him completely.

"You know. I've never done this."

"Gone on patrol? That's a bit hard to believe seeing as I've seen you doing it."

He laughed under his breath and lifted their joined hands. "No, this."

She seemed genuinely confused by the statement, her lips tilting slightly as if she thought he was telling a joke. "Really?"

He shrugged and offered her a smile. "Not since I was a little boy being lead around by my mother or my sister. When would I have? Templar training doesn't really give time for casual strolls with sweethearts and since…." He shrugged again.

She stared at him a moment then gave a nod. "I guess that makes sense, but if this is your first time you really should get the full experience."

"The full experience?"

She nodded again and pulled her hand from his so that she could tug at his glove. "You know, I've been wondering about your hands since we met."

He watched her remove the leather and flexed his fingers uncertainly as they hit the air. "Have you?"

"Yes. I've wondered if they would be smooth or rough, or if they will be a little too pale since you always have them covered, but that not the point at the moment. The point is that you can't really know what it's like to hold someone's hand unless you do it skin to skin." She pushed the glove into his belt then slid her hand over his until they were palm to palm, her fingers laying flush against his before sliding to hook between them. He focused on the feel of it, the way her skin was warm against his and the way the callouses she had from her staff caught at the ones from his sword.

He wondered if it should be unpleasant, especially with how he could feel the hollow between their palms grow hot and start to verge on humid, but it wasn't. He rather thought he would enjoy doing it more often.

He tangled their fingers more tightly together and used the point of contact to tug her forward, his free arm wrapping at her waist and capturing their joined hands between them as he kissed her.

She smiled against his lips, chasing after him as he pulled away to kiss him again. When they did finally break apart she tilted her head and ran one of her linked fingers over his knuckle. "Well, what do you think?"

He didn't understand the question at first, his attention preoccupied with her mouth and the way he could just see the tip of her tongue as she bit it between her teeth a moment with her smile. "What do I think of what?"

She gave a dramatic roll of her eyes and chuckled at the question, her hand pulling his up so he could see them. "Of hand holding."

"Of course, right." He cleared his throat and willed himself not to blush again. "I-I like it."

Her smile widened and she dropped their hands so they hung beside them. "Good to know."

He started walking, tugging her along with him so that their hands stayed connected and their arms bumped against each other. "Maybe you can… I mean you should come with me on my patrol again some time."

He felt her fingers shift and folded them into his before leading her back through the door to the abandoned room. When they were enclosed within it she reached out with her free hand to wrap around his arm and lean into him. "I would very much like that."

He smiled down at her and took a moment to kiss the crown of her head.

So would he.