Cullen awoke to a shaft of early morning sunlight hitting his face. He almost panicked when he opened his eyes, because he had not woken up in his own quarters. But a brief look around assured him he was safe. They weren't his quarters, but they were hers. The previously mentioned sunlight streamed in through the tall glass windows and illuminated the room well enough for him to clearly see the woman soundly asleep on his chest.
Cullen took the time he had before she awoke to appreciate her. He ran his hands through her thick black hair. When they'd first met, it had been short and choppy, but it had since grown in length and now reached halfway down her back. He slipped his hand from her locks and moved it to cup her cheek. Maker, he loved her. He loved her pointed ears that would twitch when she was confused or agitated. He loved her slightly upturned nose that would scrunch when she focused her energy in battle. He loved her impossible green eyes, that were laced with the lilac of magic. He loved the way her Vallaslin of June framed her face in white ink, and drew a line from her bottom lip, all the way to the middle of her throat. A line, he thought to himself, that he loved tracing with his finger. He loved that despite all the battles she endured, her mocha skin stayed soft and warm. He loved her laugh and her kindness, her bravery and her wit. He loved hearing the way she spoke, hearing the way she sang, and the way she leads her troops with a rallying call. He loved her when she was alert and smiling at him, and he loved her when she was sound asleep, cheek smooshed up against his pectoral. But most of all, he loved that she was still here.
She'd left to fight Corypheus, and had come back to him. It hadn't been just wishful thinking fueled by his subconscious. She'd returned to him, relatively unscathed, and in one piece. Cullen took a deep breath and the scent of her filled his lungs as he closed his eyes and curled his body around Alya's. She had yet to awaken, and if she was awake, Cullen was relatively sure she'd say something along the lines of "we defeated a crazed god the other day. We deserve the day off" anyway, so he figured going back to sleep for a few more hours wouldn't hurt.