The door opened slowly and Cullen appeared, wearing a soft-looking nightshirt and fitted breeches. He had a bit of parchment in his hand and the light from his room leaked in a long strip across her face. "Diana?" he asked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Nothing. I just - I saw you were awake and, uhm," she paused. "I needed to talk to you, if… if you're not busy."

"Oh," he said, his eyes softening. He opened the door a bit wider, then motioned to the room inside. "Did you - do you - want to come in? Or, if you would prefer, we could speak in my office. Whatever you wish. The office would be… proper, I suppose, but-"

Her heart fluttered strangely. "No, no, this is fine," she said, stepping past him and entering his quarters. His room was large; there was a bed and a small sitting area. Bits of his history were everywhere. His trademark fur was hanging on a post of his bed and his armor was on rack in one corner. It smelled like him, too, clean and warm and woodsy.

She sat on a long, plush bench in the sitting area and her hand nervously fidgeted with a tufted button. Cullen sat next to her, their knees almost touching as he angled his body to face her better.

In the gentle flickering candlelight, she studied him for a moment. His curls were a bit messy, as if he had been running a frustrated hand through his hair for the past hour. She had the sudden urge to touch them, to run her fingertips down the stubble on his jawline. Diana swallowed hard.

"I wanted to - to apologize," she stammered. Cullen looked confused, but didn't say anything. He waited for her to continue, as patient as always. Diana took a deep breath. "I've been avoiding you and I think you know that. I was… I wanted to make sure that I… that I enjoyed spending time with you because I genuinely like your company. I was worried that it might be because you - you make me feel better. Not that one thing can't coexist with the other, but I was worried that I was using you to, uhm, make myself feel better. You - you do make me feel better! But I, I'm just really - Maker, I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

She gave a small, sheepish laugh, still fidgeting with the sofa. Cullen reached over, slowly, to take her hand from the sofa. He held it, gentle and warm, in his two large palms. Diana wasn't sure if she was breathing.

Cullen said something she didn't hear.

"Hmm?" she questioned, her eyes snapping to his face as she realized she had missed something.

He smiled slightly. "I asked what you found. About whether you genuinely enjoy my company or not."

"Oh," she said, her eyes drifting from his face to where her hand was clasped in his.

Before she could answer, he spoke again and his voice was strained. "I should make sure you understand something first," he said, clearing his throat. His knee touched hers. A lightning bolt shot up her thigh. "I… I genuinely enjoy your company, Diana. I don't watch over you because I feel obligated to do so. I don't seek you out because you nearly sacrificed your life for Thedas. I do it because… because you're in my thoughts, always, and I tell you things I don't speak of to anyone else. Maker, Diana, I don't know how you can't see that you have this - this power over me."

His voice started out steady, but was nearly shaking with emotion at the end. His hands trembled as he held hers. Cullen took a breath.

"I didn't plan for this," he continued, his voice quiet and steady again. "I didn't know I'd find you in Holmfirth and I didn't know you would… Diana, the restraint I struggle to have in your presence…."

"The restraint?" she echoed quietly, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

Cullen shook his head, still gripping her hand like it was the only thing tethering him to the room. "I know you're hurt and I know it's partly because of things the Inquisition expected of you - things that… that I, as the Commander, expected of you. It's too much for me to hope that you would… that you could… return the feelings that I have for you."

Her breath caught in her throat. Diana stood, heart hammering. Go. Go, leave. Run.

The voice urged her to the door. She opened it, night breeze washing over her. She was thoroughly overwhelmed with thoughts. Cullen had feelings for her.

Did she... have feelings for him? She knew she liked him very much. He understood her, protected her, helped her. Offered her nothing but support and care, friendship and honesty.

Silently, Diana closed the door to his quarters, still inside his room. She turned, looking back at Cullen. He was still sitting on the bench, but his head was in his hands. He looked destroyed. He had also apparently not noticed that when she closed the door, she had remained inside of his quarters.

Her feet moved on their own, floating her over to where he sat. She kneeled in front of him, then reached with a shaking hand to comb a golden curl back into place. "Cullen," she managed, voice quiet and trembling. Her palm slid from his hair, shakily but tenderly gliding down his cheek.

He caught her hand, pressing her knuckles against his mouth desperately. "My lady," he breathed quietly, his eyes finally lifting to meet hers.

There was a fire in them, an intensity that made her breath catch and her heart skip a flaming beat. Wordlessly, he seemed to ask her for permission and wordlessly, she gave it.

Cullen moved slowly, straining to be deliberate and careful. His hands came to cup her face as she kneeled before him. He lowered his face to hers and pressed a shaky kiss to each cheek, his warm breath washing over her skin. For a moment his amber eyes flitted to her lips, but he seemed to think better of it and instead began to lift his head and pull away from her.

Diana moved, feeling bold. She pushed off of the floor slightly, so that she was rising as he was lifting his head. Her palm found its way to the back of his neck, gently tugging his face back down to hers.

He seemed to know what she wanted. Cullen's arms came around her, one gripping around her shoulders and the other curving around her waist, pulling her up slightly from her position on the floor into a tight and close embrace.

Their mouths met in a hard kiss that felt like it had been waiting patiently, dormant for months.