There were many things that were being added to Cullen's list of favorite things.

Most of the things being added to this list involved Tessa somehow.

The newest thing added was seeing her get ready in the morning.

They were both morning people by nature and it was a joy to just watch her go through her routine. For once, they were in no hurry and Cullen was content to just sit in bed and watch her.

She was using the tiny mirror he kept for himself in the corner and she was struggling to put her hair back into its usual braid.

Cullen, meanwhile, was admiring how endearing she looked right now.

The Inquisitor was only dressed in her leggings and her breast band, leaving most of her torso and her feet bare. The muscles in her arms and upper back were well defined from her years of whirling a staff around and Cullen could watch them move all morning as she tried to tame her hair.

The pale morning light streaming through the hole in his ceiling caused her slightly tan skin to glow. The blonde streaks in her hair stood out more than usual as the sunlight made her hair shine. It reminded him of the wheat fields of Honnleath and he found himself thinking of home.

Home…

Home wasn't Honnleath anymore. Home was Tessa.

He had not felt this relaxed or happy in years, and it was all because of her. He knew he could never be the hopeful boy from Honnleath again, but she made him into a person that boy wanted to be, scars and all. And that made her home.

Cullen propped himself up on one elbow and he held back a chuckle when Tessa cursed her hair again and pulled it out of the braid she ruined. She started to run her fingers through it and Cullen decided to finally get out of bed. He pulled on some pants and padded over to her.

"Need help?" he asked, trying not to chuckle.

Tessa huffed and tilted her head back to pout up at him. Maker, she was adorable when she pouted. "And what do you know about hair, Commander?" she teased.

Cullen smirked. "You would be surprised," he retorted, pulling all of her hair back over her shoulders. He was still amazed at how soft it was. It wasn't the corkscrew curls that Cullen was used to seeing on his own head or his siblings' heads. Tessa's curls were smooth and loose and they easily slipped through his fingers. Cullen knew he could just play with her hair all day if he could.

"Then by all means, help away," she said, rolling her eyes.

The little boy from Honnleath came up in Cullen's mind again and he barely had to recall how to braid hair. He did it for his little sister all the time when Mia was helping their mother with chores. Mia's bullying and Rosalie's large, pleading, brown eyes won him over and he learned in the end.

Rosalie's hair was far curlier than Tessa's, so Cullen didn't have any difficulty getting the braid started and his fingers began to move on their own. He remembered how Branson used to make fun of him for doing something girly, but Cullen's protectiveness of his little sister won over his pride then.

He remembered the song Rosalie would hum whenever he braided her hair and the melody was slowly drifting into his mind. It was a hymn that their mother used to sing to them when they were children and Cullen found himself remembering every note. He started to hum as he worked and he found himself not wanting to pull his hands away from her hair when he was done.

He looked at their reflection in the mirror and he almost laughed aloud at Tessa's stunned look. "Yes, Lady Trevelyan?"

"Why have I never heard you sing?"

Oh…Cullen was expecting teasing about being able to braid hair, not a question about singing.

"I don't know," he honestly answered. He had sung along when everyone knelt at her feet in the mountains, but he couldn't recall a time he would have around her before or after that. That specific hymn had helped Cullen get through so much in the past and he was swept up with the emotion then.

Tessa turned and she started to trace patterns on Cullen's chest and he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. "We need to fix that."

Cullen's heart started to feel too big for his chest as she looked up at him with that pout again. He was sometimes surprised at how much he loved her, but it didn't make him nervous like it used to. He decided to play along to her request. "And what would you like me to sing, my Lady?"

Tessa rolled her eyes as she thought of an answer. "I don't know…your favorite Chantry hymn? I'm sure they made you sing enough of those when you were training to be a Templar."

"They did."

Tessa looked up at him expectantly. "Well, what is it?"

"The song you told me you detest now because of what happened in the mountains," he answered with a smirk.

Tessa had told him that she hated that song now because it reminded her of how uncomfortable she was standing in front of a kneeling crowd.

Instead of being disappointed like he expected, her brows rose in curiosity and she tilted her head a little. "Why that one?"

Cullen leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "It…helped me through many things."

He knew he didn't have to explain.

Her fingers started to play with his hair. "Well, I would make you sing now, but we really should be on our way."

Cullen pressed a kiss to her nose before she moved her lips to his. "How did you know how to braid?" she suddenly giggled against his lips. She started to nuzzle her face into his neck and Cullen tightened his hold around her.

"Mia forced me to learn so I could help take care of Rosalie when we were children. That involved braiding hair."

Tessa pulled away a little and she was beaming up at him.

Cullen had no idea why she would be so happy to hear this. "What?"

"I'm just imagining a younger you braiding hair now. I knew you could be adorable Commander but this is too much."

A pinch to her side and him pulling away shut her up. "I'm only adorable now?" he asked with a smirk, pulling on a shirt.

"Alright, I suppose you're handsome as well," Tessa laughed, pulling on her tunic. Cullen had to force his eyes back to his hair as she buttoned up the shirt.

He had to stop thinking about how he could unbutton it faster.

Her words also caused a bubbly feeling to begin to form in his chest. Tessa wasn't afraid to tell him how attractive she thought he was. It bothered him to hear that from anyone, but hearing it come from her made it less embarrassing or unbelievable.

His comb was suddenly being plucked from his hands and Tessa reached around him and picked up the tin of hair grease he kept near his mirror. "My turn," she said, guiding him to the bed. She gently pressed on his shoulder and he sat on the bed.

Cullen sighed as she ran her fingers and his comb through his hair. He closed his eyes and leaned against her, basking in the feeling of his heart swelling as she worked. She finally set the comb aside and she rested her hands on either side of his neck to tilt his face up toward her.

"Thank you," he quietly said, leaning up to peck her on the lips.

They finally managed to make it down to his office area, where Pepper was waiting for them. The mabari was too big to carry up the ladder now and she perked up from her bed in the corner when she saw them.

Cullen smiled when he saw Pepper head toward the Inquisitor after greeting him.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Tessa said after he started sorting through all the papers on his desk.

"And that would be?" he asked, staring down his nose at another complaint about missing daggers. Again? Really?!

"I think you should move your things into my quarters."

Cullen felt like he just got smacked over the head. "What?"

Tessa began to fidget. "Well, since we're—you know—sleeping together now, wouldn't that be easier? Or is this too soon?" She pulled her braid over her shoulder and started to play with the end of it.

Cullen dropped the report and stepped toward her. "Are you sure? That will get people talking…"

"I don't care," she laughed, "They talked enough before. Why would anything change?"

He took her hands in his and let out a long sigh. The Commander would have been lying if he said he hadn't thought about it before. He had been thinking about it ever since they first started sharing a bed. It was also a colossal step in their relationship. Cullen wanted to take it more than anything, but he had to be sure it was what she wanted.

"Do you really want me too? I don't want you to think that we have to—"

"Cullen, do it for Pepper's sake," she interrupted with a playful smile.

They both looked down at the mabari, who was now leaning against Cullen's leg. Cullen had made the mistake of letting her sleep near him when she was smaller and the recent week had not been easy for her or her master, since she couldn't be hauled to the top of the ladder anymore.

Cullen looked back at Tessa and he shook his head in amusement. "Your wish is my command, Lady Inquisitor."

She sent a beaming smile his way and Cullen's heart skipped, like it did every time she smiled at him like that. "Good. Now, I'm going to see Josie. She probably has 15 letters for me to sign already."

She gave him a quick peck before walking out the door and Cullen stared at it after she left.

If someone had told him that he would be sharing quarters with the Inquisitor a year ago, he would have called them insane.

Then again, insane was normal here.