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Skyhold's horizon was the widest Evelyn had ever seen, on top of the world as the fortress was. She could watch clouds rolling over the Frostbacks, storms headed for the south of Orlais after gathering momentum in the lowlands of Ferelden. She could sit for hours and stare while thunderclouds formed to the north, from their quiet beginnings to their loud and impressive ends.
And the sun was breathtaking. Whether it was high in the sky, warming the peaks, or dipping below the far-off horizon in the evening, Evelyn loved to watch its passage.
But it wasn't just to witness the light creeping across Ferelden intent on reaching Skyhold that found the Inquisitor on the battlements near the Commander's office early in the morning. It was to hear the sound of his quiet "Good morning," in the tone that he used only when they were alone. It was to see the look on his face when he realized she'd come to surprise him before the events of the day made them too busy to sneak off together. It was to feel his arms around her in the quiet, unseen before the fortress began to awake.
The door to her left creaked and opened, and she turned in time to see his eyes brighten and his lip curl up. "Good morning," he said softly.
"Commander," she greeted.
There was a momentary pause in Cullen's approach, and a little disappointment in his voice when he asked, "Is this an official visit?"
"Not at all," she replied, and beamed as she stood from where she had been leaning against the railing to go up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
His smile returned as he put an arm around her waist. "Good."
When she shivered, it was due to his closeness. And the cold. But mostly, Cullen.
"How long have you been out here?" the former Templar asked immediately. "Eve, you're freezing! You could've knocked. I would have—"
"It's fine, Cullen," she interrupted. "I haven't been here long, I promise."
"Long enough to catch your death, probably," he argued, his hand rubbing over her back. "You don't even have a cloak!"
"I have you," she pointed out.
Some of the worry receded from his face to be replaced by his soft smile. "You have me now, but what about before?"
"Anticipation kept me warm."
Cullen laughed, a sound that Evelyn loved. "Anticipation," he repeated, lifting the fur that was perpetually draped across his shoulders and wrapping it around her. "Of what?"
"Of this," she replied, and tugged him closer for a kiss.
His sigh as he sank into the kiss was another of Evelyn's favorite sounds, and she lost herself for a bit in his arms, warmed from the inside out.
By the time the two parted, people were beginning to shuffle through the courtyard below. It was past time for the Commander and the Inquisitor to get to work for the day. Evelyn turned back to Cullen to remind him of this, but found him looking only at her.
"Lovely sunrise this morning," he observed, even though his back was to the colors rapidly tracing their way across the expanse of sky to the east.
She smiled up at him. "Yes, it is," she agreed.
"Maybe we should... meet again here tomorrow," he suggested. "As long as you can find a cloak to wrap up in."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Commander," Evelyn said, unwrapping herself and setting the fur back over his shoulders. "I'm very warm."
"Tomorrow then?" Cullen called as she slipped out of his arms and headed for the stairs.
Evelyn turned and ran her eyes over the glorious sunrise and the gorgeous man standing in front of it. "I wouldn't miss it."