Char: Iron Bull & Val'Aishlym, mentions Dorian & Val'Aishlym

Summary: ... delicate situations... tiresome...

Sprout: Enter The Bull

Augmented Determination

Bull would be lying if he said nothing changed after their little trip to the Fade. Bull grunted as he threw back his drink. There was something….dark…hooded about the Inquisitor. He hadn't commented on what he had saw – Bull didn't expect him to neither. He himself hadn't let anyone what he really saw – just let them know what he didn't see and what he had preferred to see. Bull looked up when he noticed someone sit down across from him. Well…speak of the devil. The inquisitor sat there, staring down at the table.

His expression was blank as usual. Bull wondered if he had ever expressed any emotion. He didn't remember seeing the elf react at all in the Fade how he expected him to. Maybe he hadn't seen anything represented or maybe it was just spiders after all and he wasn't afraid of them.

"You want to ask me what I saw," he mumbled. "You're dying from curiosity, aren't you?"

"You're starting to scare me with the creepy 'I know what you're thinking' shit. You sound just like – what's his name – Cole." Bull took a sip of his drink and eyed the elf warily as said elf laughed. The laugh was hallow – didn't sound like he was amused. It just sounded like he needed to make some sort of noise. "Yeah, you're right. I am dying to know. You know I didn't see no damn spiders…" Bull shuddered. "I saw…a bunch of the people I had to kill – The Tal'Vashoths…"

"I saw arcane warriors," the elf pushed some of his hair behind his ear and stared down at the table. Bull perked up. Well that was unusual. He didn't take the elf to be afraid of arcane warriors. "I was almost over it…until that…" he shuddered. "They used fire magick…"

What was with him and fire anyway?

Maybe he should have suspected his fear would be something dealing with fire – the elf avoided anything to do with it and seemed to tense whenever he was around it – in the hall, at campsites, in the field…anywhere, he would tense and glance at it with shaded eyes.

"W-"

"I can't." the elf cut Bull off. Bull frowned as he stared at the silent elf archer. Did he mean he couldn't bring himself to speak more or did he mean it was something he couldn't tell him?

"You know…if you talk about it, it'll probably make you feel better," Bull tried. The elf snickered.

"You? Telling me to talk it out? A bit hypocrital, don't you think, after making me beat you with a stick."

Bull threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. "Touché." He took a sip. "Talk about it with the other elf, then? Solas?"

"Hmmm…" Val'Aishlym seemed to brush off his question, staring up at the ceiling now.

"How about a drink – take your mind off this shit for now?" Bull suggested. He could tell the elf needed some sort of distraction.

"Sure." He mumbled.

…

..

.

The elf had been hanging around him more than before – not that he wasn't thrilled about the attention. He didn't know exactly where he stood with him…which was frustrating in more than one way. He'd brush close to the elf, the elf would either not notice or didn't know what it meant. Either way, it was frustrating as shit. The elf…was not something he was used to. He was used to being able to predict people, knowing what the hell it was that they were thinking – Well not on Cole's level. He was a people's person, of course.

"You okay over there Tiny?" Bull's gaze snapped up from….where ever he was looking at to regard Varric. The dwarf was standing near the fire giving him a somewhat worried look, his eyebrow cocked. Bull waved his hand dismissively.

"You've been rather distracted lately, what's on your mind?" The dwarf walked over to him and sat down.

"The usual – vints, demons, ben-hassrath….et cetera, et cetera…"

"Doesn't seem like the usual to me," Varric raised an eyebrow. "You spaced out mid-fight. Call me crazy but…normal thinking doesn't usually let you daze off while a sword is being swung at your face." Bull snorted. He looked around then turned his attention to Varric.

"Thoughts about the Inquisitor." Bull shrugged. Both Varric's eyebrows raised.

"Oh? What kind of thoughts? Anything I can use in-"

"It didn't go that far yet," Bull laughed. "I'll tell you when but not just yet. But yes, me and the Inquisitor."

"An item?" Varric asked, surprise clear as day in his voice.

"Yes and no…." Bull crossed his arms. "It would seem he is interested in….but then again….he doesn't seem all there."

"What do you mean?" Varric frowned. Bull raised an eyebrow.

"Please tell me you noticed how odd he acts. I know I don't know much about the Dalish…but this can't be how they all act?"

"I met a few Dalish from a few different clans…." Varric crossed his arms. "They're not the same at all. In fact, they're almost completely different people. I'm sure Solas would probably back that too – well actually…maybe not…." Varric hummed.

"Why can't Cole read him?" Bull asked with a frown.

"The kid said he could only hear people who needed help."

"Really?" Bull furrowed his brow. "Maybe the Inquisitor isn't as trouble as I thought he was."

"Hmmm." Varric looked up. "As troubled as a guy with the entire weight of the world on his shoulders…." He looked at Bull. "I'm pretty sure no one actually asked him how he was holding up so far…how the incident in Haven affected him. He could be bottling up his emotions and we all know how badly a bottle being forced open can end….."

"Hmmm…" Bull crossed his arms. "I might have something in mind to help…"

"If its anything juicy, relay the details to me," Varric winked. Bull laughed.

"I'll make sure you're the first to know."

"Be careful, though, Tiny." Varric frowned. "If what you say is true…Sunshine might not respond….too well….or sanely…"

Bull nodded. He already knew that.