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Maxwell stretched leisurely and stared at the stained glass window in his bedroom, Dorian curled up next to him, another blanket on top of his form as he claimed that it was “too cold.” His eyes slowly closed again before he sat up, wide awake like he had 3 cups of coffee. He hollered in excitement and shot out of bed in a hurry, getting caught in the sheets and fell over with a loud thump .
Dorian woke up at the loud noise but sat up at the site of Maxwell falling over. He looked over the side of the bed and saw Maxwell rubbing his head as he sat up himself, sheets conveniently (or inconveniently for Dorian) covering his lap, and therefore Dorian’s view.
“Late for something, amatus?” He asked.
“A Mabari breeder is coming up today and he said he would be here early in the morning!” Maxwell stood up and ran over to their dresser, pulling out some small-clothes and pulling them on, then throwing on beige pants and an undershirt before pulling on his blue silk-patterned shirt- the one with the gold accents from Orlais. He ran over to their mirror and brushed his hair back with his fingers, frowning when the hairs would fall back over his forehead. He hurriedly threw open their shared bottle of hair product and ran it through his hair again before brushing it back. He felt hands wrap around his waist and a kiss on the back of his neck.
“You’re this excited about a bunch of dogs?” Maxwell scoffed jokingly at Dorian before turning around and kissing Dorian’s nose.
“These aren’t just any dogs, my love,” and he loved how Dorian blushed at that, “These are Mabari War Hounds, they’re one of the smartest - if not THE smartest - dog breeds in the entire world. I’ve always wanted one, ever since I was a little boy. My grandmother, who lived with us for a while, was allergic to dogs so unfortunately that was off the table. My uncle had a Mabari but he was so old I only was able to hear tales of his achievements - although he did like eating the vegetables I threw at him,” Dorian just nodded through Maxwell’s ranting, clearly he was very excited about this, “And every great leader has had a Mabari, including the Warden and the Champion of Kirkwall. Please love? At least come see them…. If you want.” Dorian smiled and kissed Maxwell.
“I will join you when I get a bit more sleep. I had a rude awakening.” Maxwell chuckled and gave him a hug, “Now go before all the good ones are taken.”
“Thank you, Dorian. Now I have to go!” He kissed him again and ran towards his boots. He shoved a foot in one and then hopped towards the stairs while shoving on the other before running down the stairs.
“Be careful! And don’t forget to eat!” Dorian shouted after the slamming door.
Maxwell grabbed an apple from a table next to his door and a blueberry pastry as he ran passed a kitchen servant, spinning to face them as he said thank you before running out the front doors. Varric looked up as he saw the Inquisitor running towards the doors with food.
“Whoa whoa! What’s the rush, Your Inquisitorialness?”
“There’s a Mabari breeder coming today! They may already be here!” He was about to shoot out before Varric rolled his eyes and grabbed him by his shirt, shoving him down into a bench, “Hey! This shirt was expensive!”
“Your mabari will still be there after you eat. And you didn't pay for it! You said it showed up randomly one day in your wardrobe.” He shoved a pitcher of water over to him as well, but was careful to make sure the water didn’t roll over the side and get on his papers, “And you better drink water too. Dorian would have my hide if he saw you skip breakfast like that.” Maxwell rolled his eyes but drank the water and took out his knife and cut into the apple, taking care to not cut himself. His pastry, however, about half of it went into his mouth in one bite.
“Varric….?” He asked after swallowing, “Do you think I’d be worthy enough for a mabari pup?”
“You’re asking me?” He chuckled before realizing Maxwell was pretty serious, “Well, kid. I’d say you’re pretty good.” Maxwell lit up and ate his muffin with less gusto then before, “I heard from Ruffles that there was a man with a box and two Mabari down near the ba-” Maxwell shoved out of the bench and ran towards the doors, “-arn.”
“Thanks Varric!!” Maxwell shouted, acting very goofy for an Inquisitor as Varric laughed and looked down at the table, one more bite of the blueberry pastry left. He picked it up and threw it into the fire behind him, the smell of burned sugars from the muffin wafting slightly.
Maxwell hurried down the steps towards the barn, hearing the faint barks and yips of the dogs and pups that the breeder has brought. He slowed down to a walk and stopped right outside the barn, kind of scared now. Would he not end up with a mabari? He didn’t know when the next time the breeder would be at Skyhold. What if they didn’t like him?
“Your Worship! Have you come to see the litter?” The breeder asked, leaning over to set the last puppy into a pen he had set up. The mother was already in the pen and the father walked over to Maxwell and asked for some pats on the head, leaning heavily against his leg.
“Yes, I have.” He bent over and pet the mabari on the head. This one had black fur with striping brindle if he remembered correctly. He had a white chin and underbelly and a few scars, possibly from battle.
“Excellent! Please, come over to the pen - watch your step.” He opened the pen’s door and Maxwell walked over and stepped in. The mother gave a warning bark before trotting over and sniffed at him, her stumpy tail wagging as he pet her ears. She had a tan body with white paws and some white spots on her body as well. One ear was white and the spot was big enough that it went over her eye, changing the skin around it to look pink. Satisfied he was only here to look she walked away. All of the pups, nine to be exact, ran up to him like he was the next best thing. The barn was filled with loud yips and growls, all the pups jumping on each other to get to him. He knelt and pet the pups as they came over, laughing as some tried to bite at his boots and jump at him, causing him to fall over onto his back. They all ran over and licked at his face, one pawed at his nose. He laughed as one tried to climb up, gently moving it away as he sat up, puppies still jumping at him.
“Looks like you’ve got yer hands full, Inquisitor!” Blackwall shouted from the other side of the barn. Six ran away, clearly interested in playing with some of the toys in the pen, a couple ran towards the noise, while three stood nearby. He took hold of one of the toys that they weren’t playing with and threw it across the pen, watching as the three of them ran towards the toy, two of the pups grabbing the toy and tried bringing it back but ended up playing tug instead. The one pup who didn’t grab the toy looked back and started to wander over to Maxwell.
The breeder and Maxwell laughed at the pup’s antics until Max felt something crawl into his lap. He looked down and saw a champagne brindle pup roll into his lap, showing off his white underbelly. He chuckled as the puppy ended up on his back in the middle. He pet the pup’s warm belly, noticing it was a boy.
“This one’s very smart, “Said the breeder, “He loves to chase things, very loyal. He barks at those who insult his mother.” He chuckled, “Not that it happens often but he is very perceptive to looks. His hearing is good, his eyesight is good, sense of smell is excellent.” Maxwell was confused as to why he was telling him all of this until he looked up and saw the pup’s mother was watching the interaction, almost like she was proud of it. He looked down at the puppy and saw he was staring back, even seeming to smile at him. He lightly pet the puppy’s nose, the fur very soft and felt like velvet. The mother came over and sat down next to him. He pet her and realized that her fur was also the same softness.
“How did you get their fur to be so soft? My uncle’s mabari wasn’t nearly as soft.”
“It’s dependent on the type of food. I’ve found that if you feed them more fish for a more round-about diet than just meat alone it makes for healthier skin, which is good for the winter months. It helps with their coat and, for those of us who prefer a more clean household, stops them from shedding as much.” Maxwell laughed.
“That will definitely be a plus for my lover, he’s not a fan of dogs.” He picked the puppy up and held him in front of his face, “But he’ll definitely make an exception for you.” The puppy licked his nose and he chuckled before kissing the pup on his head. As he looked at the pup he noticed he had a white chin and a white marking on his left shoulder that looks vaguely like the Inquisition symbol silhouette, “Well aren’t you perfect?” The pup barked and tried licking his face, paws straining against his hands to get closer.
“He seems very taken with you. And his mother approves too!” The breeder pointed and Maxwell looked over and his mom was standing now and was looking straight at him. He smiled and she smiled back before licking his face. He chuckled and kinda wiped his mouth as the mom walked away, grabbing a pup who was fighting another by his scruff and moving him away.
He heard boots walk closer and he looked up and saw Dorian standing at the pen and leaned onto them, “So, amatus, I’m assuming you found a companion?”
“He’s intelligent, quiet, very loyal, and if we feed him fish and meat he won’t shed according to the breeder.” Dorian nodded and pet the pup on his head. The pup licked his fingers and barked. Josephine walked in and smiled at the Inquisitor and Dorian.
“Congratulations on your new family member, Inquisitor. What is his name going to be?” She asked. Maxwell looked at the pup and thought about it.
“His name will be…. Dane.” Dane barked and licked at Maxwell’s face again. The Herald stood up, with the help of Dorian, and walked out of the pen. Dane snuggled up in his arms as he shook hands with the Mabari handler and motioned towards Josephine who smiled and assured them that his payment would be ready before he left. He tried to say it was a gift to the Inquisition but Maxwell insisted.
“I don’t want to get special treatment because I’m the Herald. He’s going to be here passed the Breach so I want to pay.” He relented when he was given a couple toys for the pup.
“Let’s go introduce your new partner to our friends, shall we?” Dane wagged his tail and barked at the idea.
“You know the proper terminology for a mabari and their master?” Maxwell asked, impressed as the walked out of the barn.
“I’m not that ignorant on the culture of Fereldan.”
---
As the sun went down, Maxwell had set up a place of discarded linens for Dane in case he needed to go in the middle of the night (hoping he’d use them if he needed to at least.) He brought up a couple bowls from the kitchens, one for food and one for water (He would probably buy a nicer set of dishes for his dog. He may be a Free Marcher but he was a noble Free Marcher, so he had some standards) and set a bowl with a mushed up mix of fish and meat for his new friend, petting him as the puppy chowed down with gusto.
“Please tell me our new friend isn’t going to be sleeping in the bed?” Dorian asked, lounging and reading a book on the couch. Maxwell gave Dane a rub on his head before standing up and moving Dorian’s legs out of the way before sitting down and rubbing Dorian’s feet in his hands. Dorian groaned and laid his head back on the arm-rest as Max rubbed the tension out of his feet.
“I don’t think it’d be too bad to have a dog on the bed, he could be a lovely space heater when he gets older. We can also train him to sleep on the foot of the bed.” Dorian sighed and looked over at the dog, who was currently licking up the last few bits of his food, if there was any. As the puppy looked up and saw them staring at him, Dane trotted over and put his front paws up on the couch and gave Dorian what seemed to be a pleading expression, “See Dorian? He wants to make you happy!” Dorian sighed and set the book (not so gently) on Maxwell’s lap, “Ouch!” He picked up Dane and set him on his lap.
Dane sniffed at Dorian’s clothes and started to sniff his way up Dorian’s chest, trying to be gentle as he walked forward. He sniffed at Dorian’s mustache, obviously very interested in the product that he used to style it. He gently pulled the pup back, “No.” The puppy seemed to pout before Dane stepped forward and licked Dorian’s nose.
“See, he likes you!” Maxwell laughed as Dorian squirmed as Dane proceeded to lick his entire face. The altus mage sat up and held the puppy out, the dog panting a little. Maxwell laughed and picked up his pup and kissed Dorian’s forehead as he carried the puppy downstairs so he could go do his business outside in the gardens. Dorian stood up and walked over to the balcony and watched as Maxwell set the puppy down on the grass and proceeded to try to urge it to go as he sniffed around. He praised it as he peed on Mother Giselle’s flowers, (Probably going to apologize tomorrow about that) and watched as the puppy ran around Maxwell a few times before running behind the bushes and ran out about 15 seconds later.
“Good boy! Good boy, Dane!” He picked up Dane and pet him and praised him as he walked back to their rooms, the sun finally setting and the stars came out.
Dorian shook his head and got ready for bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed into bed as Maxwell and Dane came up the stairs. Max set Dane down who ran around and did some loops around the room before finding his dog bed, which was just a giant pillow from their supplies. He circled the pillow a few times before promptly laying down and falling asleep, tired from meeting the entire Inner Circle. Maxwell smiled at the memories formed from earlier that day.
Cullen got to hold him for a few minutes, wondering if he should go see the pups before they left himself.
Nobody was surprised at that.
Iron Bull looked kind of ridiculous holding Dane, but was very gentle and even let him sniff at his eye patch. Vivienne gave him a scratch behind the ear when Maxwell brought him up to see her and Cole and Dane seemed to have a staring match as Dane was sitting on Solas’ desk. Dane’s ears were alert and he twisted his head this way and that, seeming to be confused.
“He wasn’t like this when he met the others.” Max said, watching the interaction.
“I wonder if it is because Cole was a spirit from the Fade, now turned more human. He could be sensing the energy from him and therefore trying to think about what Cole is.”
“He seems confused. He’s very smart.” Cole pet his head and Dane started to pant, seeming to smile, “There we go.” Cole picked him up and carried him over to Maxwell, who took him back, “He seems happiest with you.”
“That… helped me a lot, Cole. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Cole smiled.
Maxwell moved away from watching his dog sleep, “Well that was easy.” Maxwell chuckled as he took his discarded shirt and pants and threw them into a basket next to their wardrobe. He threw on a pair of worn pants and tied them up as he walked over to his side of the bed, “Today was fun!” Dorian chuckled and kissed his cheek.
“Are you happy, amatus?” Dorian ran a hand through Maxwell’s hair as he nodded.
“I was in shock earlier today? Like “Oh Maker, I just adopted a dog.” But I know I’ll be okay, Cole helped me with some insecurities. I’m surrounded by friends who can help - And my fantastic lover who I’m sure didn’t think he’d ever own a dog.” Dorian smiled and curled up in Maxwell’s arms.
“I think he’ll grow on me.”
---
Later that night, as Dorian and Max were sleeping, Dane woke up and looked around. He whined when he couldn’t find his mom, but then realized he had found his human, Max! He stood up on wobbly legs and stretched, yawning as he did so. He walked over to the bed and tried to jump up into it and smacked straight into the mattress with a yelp and fell onto his rump.
He looked at the bed and his ears drooped. He whined and barked as loud as he could!
Maxwell woke up to a loud noise, he squinted in the night as he saw a small form sitting near the bed. He sat up and saw that Dane was pouting at the bed, “You okay, boy?” Dane perked up and his tail started to wag, “You want up?” Dane sat up straight and his entire body started to wiggle, “Okay, but be quiet, you don’t want to upset Dorian. He gets cranky.”
Dorian was awake but kept still as Maxwell moved and picked up the puppy and set him down on the bed. Dane sniffed his way to his spot, right between their legs, and lay down again, curled up in a ball. Maxwell chuckled and pet his side before he too fell asleep.
Dorian rolled over and watched Dane open an eye and wag his tail again at his partner’s human. He put a finger to his lips and patted the space closer to their faces. Dane stood up and walked over and laid down in between their chests. He looked up and saw Maxwell smirking at him.
“Mention this to anyone - I will deny it and you will be sleeping on the couch,” he threatened.
“My lips are sealed.” Dane woofed in his sleep.