A/N: Cullen gets a late night visitor. Pre-relationship fluff.
...-...
"Cullen."
Cullen slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling of his room. While he hadn't been too close to falling asleep, he hadn't been too far, either. Rather, he'd been in a sort of in-between phase, where his aches and exhaustion hadn't been able to reach him. Now, however, a dull throb in the back of his head and a slight ache in his shoulder were coming to life, reminding him that he was still alive, still without lyrium, and still sore from Bull throwing him over the qunari's shoulder in a sparring match.
"Cullen. Are you still awake…?"
Had it been anyone other than Finley, he would have been barking orders to get out of his tower unless the archdemon was upon them.
However, it was her voice drifting to him from the ladder leading up to his room.
Turning his head to the side, he could just see the top of her head poked up into his room, her orange hair looking almost gold in the moonlight coming in through his ceiling.
"Yes?" He offered when he heard her take in a breath to call his name again.
She started to pull herself up into his room, but paused, just a few inches higher. "Can I come up?"
"Let me get a shirt on," Cullen mumbled, sitting up in bed and swinging the covers back. Thank the Maker he slept in his pants.
"It would probably be better if you didn't."
He paused, already half standing, to see Finley rounding the bottom of his bed. She stopped when she was standing beside him, eyes narrowed in the moonlight. "Bull said he hurt your shoulder."
"He…" Cullen frowned, reaching over and rubbing at the spot that ached without meaning to. "I'm fine. Just a little sore."
Her fingertips were already ghosting across his skin, and it sent a shiver through him. A part of him whispered that he should complain of aches in other places, just so he could feel her touch longer.
Knowing her, though, she'd call his bluff the second he tried.
And besides, that sort of behavior was hardly appropriate, especially when she was just trying to be kind.
He caught her hand and gently pulled it away. "If I thought I needed healing, I would come to you." Even in the moonlight, he could see the skepticism flicker across her face. Ducking his head down a little closer to her, he gave her hand a squeeze before letting her go. "I promise."
"You had better," she replied, looking him over once more before reluctantly turning and heading back toward the ladder. Cullen had to fight the urge to ask her if she'd like to stay. Maker, but he needed to get over this foolish crush before he did something stupid.
"Cullen?"
He blinked out of his thoughts. She was already half out of sight on his ladder, fingers drumming against the top rung as she waited for him to answer. "Yes?"
"I…I would be sad. If something happened to you."
Before he could answer, she'd disappeared downstairs. He heard one of his doors open softly and then shut, and he was left standing alone beside his bed, his heart not sure whether to dive or soar as his mind raced, wondering just what had prompted her to say such a thing.