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Snow in Ostwick was beautiful, almost like the fairytales her parents would reenact when she and her brother were younger. It banked the cobblestone streets and rested on the russet lampposts and gave the area a warm and welcoming glow. All of the estates and homes in her neighborhood were prettily decorated and wishing warm holiday cheer and season’s greetings. Her home town was her favorite place to be, her parents only a short drive away and her twin coming to visit with his new boyfriend, Dorian. She had yet to meet Dorian, but her brother only spoke gratuitously of him which meant he couldn’t be all that bad. She’d just have to judge him for herself when they arrived at her parent’s estate later on.
Raleigh Trevelyan stood at the doors to the balcony which connected to her bedroom, snuggled into her favorite dark-cherry robe with a mug of hot chocolate between her hands. She’d spent the day wrapping the last few presents she hadn’t finished before and going very last minute Christmas shopping with her elven friend Sera who was panicking over what to get her girlfriend-not-girlfriend, Josephine, who Raleigh worked with at the Free Marches Embassy. Sera had called her at six in the morning, wailing and cursing about whether or not she should even get Josie a present, and the older girl just let the blonde rant and rave before telling her to come to her house at nine so they could go to the strip and look for a gift that Sera obviously wanted to get her. The elf had huffed and puffed over the phone, before quietly agreeing and hanging up on her friend in embarrassment. They’d ended up going to more than ten stores before they had backtracked to the very first few where Sera had purchased a ton of Josephine’s favorite scented candles and a beautiful leather-bound journal and a few new pens. Raleigh had patted her on the head with a job well done, and she even helped the younger girl wrap the presents after treating her to coffee and lunch.
Any time spent with Sera was exhausting, but very rewarding to see the bright glow in her eyes at the thought of Josephine opening her gifts on Christmas morning. She had hugged the girl and waved her goodbye when she left, being left alone with a hollow area punched through her chest as she closed the door softly.
This would be her third Christmas alone.
She had been dating Cullen Rutherford for, Maker, five years now? The two had started dating at the end of their college years and had stayed in Kirkwall where they’d attended university, before Cullen was offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for the Divine in Val Royeaux as an advisor for their military, the Templar unit. Unfortunately, Raleigh couldn’t follow because of her job at the Embassy and there wasn’t any hope of a transfer because of Orlais’s precarious relationship with the country of Tevinter, forbidding new employees outside of Orlais. They’d spent weeks talking the offer over, more than enough tears and kisses shared between the two. There had been fighting, silence, and more love-making than they’d had in the previous months.
Their decision process was unorthodox, yes, but it was what they needed in order to try and work out the most difficult decision of their relationship. Before, it had simply been what kind of furniture they had wanted for their new apartment after they graduated.
In the end, Raleigh had told him that he should go, and that she would support him with all of herself, one-hundred percent. Cullen had tried to argue that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave for the first few years at minimum, because the Andrastian Chantry had so much going on and he wouldn’t even be allowed to visit until he had been fully acclimated into the job. Raleigh had told him that it was a dream come true for him, to be a member of the Templar order and have an authoritative position over the military forces. Even though she wasn’t Andrastian, even if she didn’t believe in the Maker, she knew that this was all he had ever wanted since he was a young boy and she wouldn’t be the one to stand in the way of his dreams.
He’d accepted the job right before Christmas, and was gone on the first day of the New Year. She hadn’t seen him in three years, and it was always hardest at Christmas time.
She sighed, thinking back on the morning he had boarded his plane and left the Free Marches made her ill from the heartache, moving away from the window and setting her mug on her nightstand as she slumped slowly through her two-story home. Her parents had presented her with her father’s childhood home following Cullen’s departure so that she would have somewhere familiar to stay that was close to her parents should she ever need them. Her brother had lived with her for a year following her move back to Ostwick before he moved to Orlais with his then girlfriend Cassandra. They broke up six months ago and he ended up staying in Orlais, leaving Raleigh a little disappointed that she’d have to wait until the holidays to see her best friend. The ex-couple were still amicable friends, and Cass still sent her a card and a small gift on her birthday and she’d already received the other woman’s Christmas gift: a beautiful card wishing her a warm Christmas, and a teddy pair with an awkward curly blond wig wearing a Templar uniform, an adorable mock of Cullen because the two worked together in Val Royeaux. She might have cried pathetically while hugging it, but she had called her friend when she was more composed and thanked her for the gift.
Her phone rang as she stepped off the staircase, making a bee-line for the small device in the kitchen. Her face lit up seeing the video call from her love, quickly tapping the ‘accept’ button and waiting as the phone buffered. When she finally saw his face – was he calling her from his office? They were making him work on Christmas Eve? – he was smiling brightly, even going so far as to give her a small wave.
“Hello my love, how is your Christmas Eve going?” he asked, and she hopped up onto a barstool, letting her chin rest on her palm as she gazed lovingly through the video feed. What she would give to have him here with her, curled up on the couch, warm from the flames in her fireplace. She couldn’t even remember what he smelled like, not after three years.
“Had to take an emergency shopping trip with Sera so she could get her not-girlfriend a Christmas gift, because of course she had to wait until the day before to get her something.” Cullen laughed at the thought, and she couldn’t help but widen her smile. Maker, she loved that man’s laugh. She may or may not have a few videos saved of said dorky laugh so that she could listen to him when the distance was being particularly difficult.
“She wouldn’t be Sera if she didn’t. How are she and Josephine not together in an official capacity yet?”
“Sera thinks she’s not good-enough for Josie, and Josie wants to wait until Sera is more comfortable before coming out and telling her that she loves her. I’m not too worried about them, I’m more worried about this guy that my brother is bringing home to meet me and our parents. He’s from Tevinter, which I’m sure had Cass in a tizzy when she found out.”
Cullen snorted in response. “She was in a tizzy alright, a great big one. She barged into my office, slapping down more than a dozen photos of them out on a date, ‘What does this fool think he’s doing, dating a Tevinter-native in the heart of Val Royeaux?!’ I think she was more worried about people being rude and insensitive to them than the fact that Dorian is from Tevinter. He’s from a small collective that disagrees with the Tevinter norm and want to help Orlais create a truce with his country, to try and lesson the hostilities on both accounts. He’s a good guy, even if he is utterly in love with himself and is an ass to everyone but Damien.” When Cullen had raised the pitch of his voice to lightly-mock Cassandra’s accent, it had Raleigh in near tears from how much she was laughing. Andraste’s tits, she missed her boyfriend.
“That definitely sounds like Cassandra, spot on babe.” Raleigh adjusted the phone in her hand so that it was a bit closer to her face. She gave him a sad smile. “Have I told you that I miss you? Because I really, really do. I miss you and your dorky laugh and your smell that I can’t remember and I miss the way your face flushes and you stutter when you’re caught off guard.” She had stopped smiling, her voice taking on a more despondent tone as she went on. Her eyes were probably watering, but the holidays made her prone to emotional outbursts. “I miss getting to make us breakfast in the morning, I miss going out with all of our friends and holding hands and having them make fake gagging noises because of how sweet we are, and I miss your warmth in our bed when I wake up in the morning.” A tear slipped down her freckled cheek, no longer caring at reigning in her emotions. Cullen looked just as wanting as she did, running a hand through his hair as he took a moment to collect himself. She wanted to be that hand so much it physically hurt.
“I miss you too, love. It quite literally pains me to be apart from you. Fortunately, the situation that was keeping me from coming home should be resolved in the next few months, and my commander, Greagoir, says I’ll be able to come home sometime in the next few months. It won’t be long my dear, I swear to you. They’re going to transfer me to the Free Marches in about seven or eight months to be the area’s new commanding officer of the Templar unit, so it won’t be so long before we’re together again for good, able to live our lives as we should have been all these years.” She could hear the emotion in his voice, the excitement at being able to be with his love again. It made her smile, his optimism something she had sorely been missing the past three years.
“You’re gonna have to come home and prove it, tough guy. I’m going to need solid evidence of this so called ‘love and affection’ you keep going on and on about.” That got a laugh out of him, and she warmed at the sound. Only a little while longer and she would be able to make him laugh all the time, feel his arms around her, and she’d be able to truly breathe for the first time since his last kiss stole what air had been left in her lungs. They tell you that long-distance relationships are hard, but there had been times in the past few years where it had felt nearly impossible to withstand. She would have jumped on a plane to visit him in a heartbeat if his career hadn’t kept him constantly bombarded with work, dignitaries and dealing with batshit commanding officers who nearly ended up killing innocent civilians on a drug-induced rampage. That was a really tough time for them – she hadn’t heard from Cullen for weeks because the entire city had been on lockdown to deal with the threat and the aftermath. She had finally heard from her brother who had let her know they were all okay, just trying to get a grip on the situation before going public with what had happened. Raleigh had been a wreck when Cullen finally had the time to call her; she had begged him to come home so she could know for herself that he was really alright, and he’d spent the better part of that phone call talking her through her first panic attack since they’d first started seeing one another.
That had not a good time for anyone involved.
“No one will be able to deny my feelings for you when I see you. Anyone who can’t see how much I love and care for you must be completely incompetent and in need of some major eye surgery.” Cullen paused on his end, looking to the side as someone off-screen spoke to him. He swore, barking out an order before sighing. He looked back at his screen, eyes apologetic, and she knew he was being called away. “I’m sorry to cut this so short and on such a sad note, but the Divine’s holiday march is starting and I have to be there to tell people how to tie their shoes and count to eight.” He gave her a small smile, looking tired from the constant workload he’d been buried under. “I love you, Raleigh Elizabeth. More than anyone could ever possibly begin to understand.”
“I love you too, Cullen Stanton. Please remember to call your parents and siblings as well, their Christmas card to me told me to remind you.” She gave him a small wave as he chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Be safe, my heart.”
“Always, my love.” With a blown kiss, the video feed cut out. Raleigh allowed herself a few more tears, sitting at the island bar in her too-empty kitchen, too still and too absent of her boyfriend’s presence. She set her phone on the granite and let her head fall onto her arms, shoulders shaking from the emotions that overwhelmed her. She had to remind herself that she was only a few months away from seeing Cullen, only a few months until she could kiss his scarred lips and hold his hand for all of Thedas to see.
She groaned, rubbing at her eyes as she finished her little sob session. She jumped down from the barstool – she was only five three, and she was constantly teased about her height by literally everyone – and made her way back upstairs to start to get ready for her parent’s Christmas Eve party. It was basically a big get-together of their children’s close companions and a few of their own, listening to holiday music and sharing the cold night amongst friends. Everyone brought some kind of food or dessert, their parents provided the drinks, and they all lounged and mingled until about ten when most would return to their own homes to celebrate Christmas their own way. A few people would inevitably stay the night, planned or too inebriated to make it home in the falling snow.
Raleigh rarely listened to Christmas music anymore since it only reminded her of how lonely she was, and it wasn’t the same without Cullen there to sing along with. Yet, as she entered her bedroom, she shuffled over to her desktop and found a decent enough Christmas playlist, letting the cheery tunes settle about as she smiled sadly. She had to put on her brave and merry face for her friends and family, for this was a time of year to celebrate those one kept dearly, and she didn’t want to bring anyone down during one of the most pleasant times of the year.
She changed into a black strapless dress that ended halfway down her thighs, hugging her curves just so. She was already wearing the silver hourglass with garnet dust as the sand, a parting gift from Cullen before he left for Orlais. Her long, dark hair waved down to reach well below her waist, bangs freshly trimmed straight across for the special occasion. She felt as if the makeup she applied was war paint, as if she were preparing herself for battle. In an oddly poetic way, she was.
She was holding up black tights in one freshly manicured hand and dark crimson tights in the other when the doorbell rang from downstairs. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion, setting the tights on her bed as she padded her way downstairs. She hadn’t been expecting company before the party.
Before she could even open the door completely, arms were thrown around her neck and she near shrieked in surprise. It took her a second to recognize the familiar mop of onyx curls, and she laughed lightly as she hugged her brother back tightly.
“’ien! You’re early! I wasn’t expecting you until after the party got started.” She pulled herself from her twin, taking in his bright whiskey eyes that matched her own, the fresh spill of color on his freckled cheeks and the snow that littered his dark curls. He grinned, kissing his sister on the top of her head with a laugh.
“The plane was early and we made good time, not that we minded in the least.” At the mention of ‘we,’ Damien stepped aside to gesture to the man standing a little ways from the door. “Raleigh, my ever-so delightful boyfriend, Dorian Pavus.” Dorian stepped forward with a polite smile, his hand out to take Raleigh’s, lifting her knuckles to his lips for a chivalrous kiss. She giggled like a small child because apparently she had regressed to such a state at Dorian’s obvious charm.
“A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Raleigh. If you were anyone else, I would not be able to contain my jealously of how highly Damien speaks of you. He should only speak so highly of me, of course, but I suppose I shall make an exception this one time.” The twins snorted simultaneously, laughter emitting from the group in response. She quickly ushered them inside from the cold, letting them settle in her kitchen as she bustled about to make some fresh coffee for her surprise guests. Damien and Dorian held their clasped hands together on the tabletop, and the small notion made Raleigh’s heart ache, but she smiled and laughed at the tale that Dorian was weaving about the flight over.
“… and she had the nerve to tell me I was being obnoxious! She was the one who had brought her frothing spawn onto an eight hour flight! Maddening!” Damien had rolled his eyes and pecked his boyfriend on the cheek before taking a sip of the coffee his sister had placed before him.
“Let it be known that Dorian Pavus makes it a habit of engaging in staring contests with grumpy four year-olds.” Raleigh chuckled as Dorian gave Damien a ‘how could you’ expression, kicked puppy look in full throttle.
“I’d never!”
“You definitely did. And you lost.”
“Bullshit. Children don’t blink, that would give an indication that they’re people.” Raleigh just about lost it at the two men’s back-and-forth banter, tucking her hair behind her ear as she sat across from them with a content expression. The conversation shifted to non-toddler topics, with Raleigh even taking the time to grill Dorian on his intentions for her brother. After some surprisingly brutal questions, the Tevinter-native’s shoulders fell with a groan.
“Oh Maker, how many interrogations am I going to be put through by your friends and family? First there was your ex, which, still weird, just to let you know. Then there was your sister’s boyfriend who is an actual military leader and could probably kill me with his bare hands if he wasn’t such a kind and awkward gentleman, and now your bloody twin whose face looks so much like yours it’s giving me heartburn and makes me slightly question my sexuality.”
“Ooo, I’ve always wanted to make a gay man question his sexual orientation. Best Christmas present ever.” Raleigh teased with a wink, hands holding her mug for the sake of the warmth.
“Don’t even think about stealing him, ‘leigh. You’ve got your own man, you don’t need mine too.”
“You said that about grandmother’s snickerdoodles when we were kids but that didn’t stop me from taking your share while you were sleeping. You snooze you lose, brother of mine.” Damien stuck his tongue out at her, and she could only return the gesture in true sibling fashion.
“Any woman who is so beautifully conniving deserves a thought of a chance.” Dorian quipped with a mischievous grin, and Damien’s eyes widened with feigned hurt as Raleigh cackled, blowing a kiss in Dorian’s direction.
“Mother and Father will adore him, brother, and he won’t even have to go through a fourth torture session since they know that their only son has those who do the dirty work for them. Do beware if mother tries to hand you too many flutes of champagne or offers you her special homemade chocolate-chip cookies, it means she likes you and wants to get you full and tipsy enough to spill your deepest secrets. Expensive alcohol and sugar is her secret weapon.”
“We can’t all have Mother and Father immediately approve of our significant others on first sight. You’d been dating Cullen for a week before they were asking when the wedding was and if they could take him out to dinner. I’d been dating Cassandra for nearly a year before they finally openly admitted that they thought she was a ‘darling girl who could put me in my place’. Pffft.”
“Maybe our parents are more open to our bisexuality than we previously thought. Also, you have to remember that Cass’s parents and ours don’t get along because they didn’t want to arrange a marriage for me to marry her brother, or you to Cass for that matter.” She snickered at the imagined scene in her head. “Can you imagine what was going through their heads when you brought Cass home for the first time? They probably thought it was some sort of familial betrayal, or bad karma.”
“I had to repeatedly tell Cass that it wasn’t anything having to do with her, but you know how she is. She even tried to bake in order to appease them, and ended up ruining the oven.” Now that had been hilarious, because Cass wasn’t known for her culinary skills. She’d offered to replace the oven, anyway, and her mother loved the one she picked out so it all evened out in the end.
“Hopefully they like me, I’m not so skilled in the kitchen, either.” Dorian joked as Raleigh stood and took their now empty mugs to the sink to be washed later. “Should we get going soon? The party starts at five, correct?” Raleigh checked the time on her kitchen clock, noting it was just before four-thirty.
“We can, just let me run upstairs and finished getting ready. Damien, could you get the gifts out of the closet? I’ll only be a few minutes.” She turned her back on her brother after he nodded, shuffling around the still seated Dorian to get to the entryway closet. When she and her brother started college, Raleigh had taken it upon herself to gift all of her friends and family on Christmas Eve so they could open them then or on the actual day. When she graduated, it developed into bringing presents to her parent’s annual party, even bringing a few extra gifts in the event that there were some unannounced guests of friends so that no one would feel excluded. Raleigh herself didn’t receive gifts during the party because her parents and friends would have given them to her early to put under her tree, or they’d leave them at her parent’s estate for whenever she went over later Christmas Day. Since Cullen moved to Orlais for his job, a few of her close friends would spend the night at her place so she wouldn’t have to be alone. It was nice, feeling loved and wanted on a day that she just wanted to forget, and she appreciated her friends more than she could ever express with words.
She ended up going with the dark red tights – Cullen loved her in red, and had told her such while blushing profusely and with the stutter she outright adored – and she slipped her feet into a pair of simple black heels. She checked her hair and makeup, smoothing stray strands and reapplying her deep red lipstick, popping her lips in the mirror. She gathered all of her things: keys, makeup, cell phone and charger and her favorite black trench coat, checking her appearance once more in the full-length mirror before heading back downstairs.
Damien had just come back inside from putting the last of the gifts in the trunk of her car. “Damn, sis, you actually can look presentable when situation calls for it.” She playfully swatted his shoulder as he helped her into her coat, and Dorian held the door open for her like a true gentleman. The three of them piled into her car and made the short trip to her parent’s estate, which sat on hundreds of acres of forested land. Raleigh could guide her car through the wooded road blind-folded, and they were the first guests to arrive to the gorgeously done-up estate home. Three-floors of lights greeted them, along with numerous light-up lawn decorations and festive ribbons hanging from all of the arches. A couple of her parent’s live-in servants came out to warmly greet them, assuring them that they could carry the large amount of presents inside and that they should hurry in out of the snow. Raleigh lead the way, trying not to listen as her twin quietly tried to assure his boyfriend that his parents would adore him. She grinned at the Tevinter’s snort and small retort, ‘I know, I’m a bloody delight.’ His attempt at confidence was very convincing, to be sure.
Raleigh opened the door to a warm and cozily lit foyer, the smells of freshly made baked goods and cider filling her senses. Raleigh had brought her five-pans of fudge brownies earlier to leave in the oven to keep warm, seeing as she had a trunk full of presents to worry about. She spotted her mother speaking in low-tones to one of the serving girls, and she waved excitedly when she caught her mother’s eye. Bristol Trevelyan excused the girl back to her job before rushing over and enveloping her daughter into a snug embrace.
“Merry Christmas baby, you look so beautiful.” Her mother left a kiss on her cheek and Raleigh returned the favor, giving her mother another quick squeeze with a wide grin.
“Merry Christmas, Mama. Look at who I found left out in the snow.” She motioned to the two boys that had entered behind her, Damien’s goofy smile and Dorian’s politically polite quirk of lips greeting them.
“Damien, my baby boy! Oh I have missed you so.” She embraced her son with just as much enthusiasm as she radiated. She kissed him on both cheeks, taking said cheeks between her hands and meeting his eyes. “You are never allowed to go so long without visiting again. I will not accept this type of behavior!”
“I’m sorry, Mama. Mea culpa.” The sudden use of Tevene had Dorian blinking in surprise, and Raleigh hid her smile behind her hand. It seems someone was hiding their half-Tevinter heritage from their boyfriend.
“Ignosco tibi, Damien.” She pat his cheeks lightly, finally releasing his face as he let out a childish whine. “Now, introduce me to this strapping young gentleman who seems to be going through shock.”
“You speak Tevene? Your Mother is from Tevinter and you didn’t tell me? You let me rant and rave in my native language and you—you could understand me?” Dorian seemed out of sorts, and Damien had the shame to at least look bashful.
“I’m not fluent, unfortunately, but yeah, I could understand some parts of what you said.” He led his mother over to Dorian, smiling brightly. “Mama, this is Dorian Pavus, meus amatus. Dorian, my mother, Bristol Trevelyan.”
Their mother took Dorian’s hands in her own, smiling warmly. “Avanna, Dorian. It is so wonderful to meet you. Welcome to our home.” She kissed his cheeks as she did for her own children, the twins sharing a grin as Dorian’s cheeks colored lightly.
“Thank you for the welcome, Lady Trevelyan. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance.”
“Bristol, please – my two full-grown children are enough to make a woman of my age feel absolutely ancient. Would you like a glass of champagne? The other guests should be arriving shortly, and my husband is around this house somewhere, I’m sure.” And their mother guided the still-blushing Dorian further into their home, Raleigh coming up beside her brother and bumping shoulders with him fondly.
“See, told you she would like him. You both got all flustered and nervous for nothing.” Damien’s smile was small, but definitely warm as he watched his boyfriend and his mother interacting.
“Thanks, Raleigh. I’m sorry Cullen isn’t here right now, you deserve to have a little more Christmas cheer than anyone else I know.” He hugged his sister about the shoulders, pressing a kiss into her temple as she smiled sadly.
“I appreciate the thought, brother. Now, help me out of this coat so we can set up presents before people start raiding the place.”
With the help of the servants, the twins got the presents set up underneath the large Christmas tree in the corner of their even larger main room. The miscellaneous furniture had been removed in order to make room for their guests to stand and mingle and maybe even dance, the sitting room the next room over just as decorated the rest of the house with softly playing Christmas music coming from the numerous speakers set up around the house. Another archway led to the kitchen where countless bottles of different types of drinks sat ready to be poured by a professional bartender, multiple tables set up with some food and the dessert the Trevelyans had made. There would be more food from their company, but they lived to be prepared.
Damien had given his sister a golden garland circlet he’d made from some excess garland from the tree to place atop her hair before going to see how Dorian and their parents were holding up. Before Raleigh could think about what to check on next, the doorbell chimed lightly to indicate the first guest of the night, and she put on her biggest smile and went to answer the call like a solider going to war.
The first guests had been friends of her parents and Raleigh greeted them with warmth, ushering them into their home with season’s greetings and the like. Before she could shut the door, she heard her name called by an overenthusiastic Sera and a quietly smiling Josephine behind her.
“Hey Raleigh! Holy shite, you’re hot as fuck.” Sera gave her friend a quick hug and an appreciative smack on the ass before passing her into the home, probably to start raiding the already set out plates of her mother’s cookies. Raleigh grinned before hugging Josephine as well, careful of the covered plate she carried in her arms.
“Good to see you, dear. You do look rather amazing tonight, if I do say so myself.” Josephine’s compliments always made Raleigh blush, as they were rarely doled out and given in the utmost honest capacity.
“Thank you Josephine, you look wonderful as always. You live up to Varric’s nickname with beauty and grace.” She shut the door behind the two of them as she walked with the Antivan to where Sera was indeed already indulging in the cookies her mother’s infamous cookies, eyes on Raleigh’s brownies as her next conquest. The elf looked up at the pair when they entered the room, sparing them a wave before shoving another cookie in her mouth.
“Sera, darling, there will be plenty of cookies and dessert tonight, you don’t have to make yourself sick now.” Josephine tittered about Sera, setting the food they had brought on the table then taking Sera’s face in hands, the blonde’s cheeks still puffed out from the cookie she had shoveled in. The look Josephine was giving Sera was too soft, too personal, and Raleigh felt like she was intruding on a private moment as Josephine wiped crumbs from the younger girl’s face. Fortunately the doorbell rang again and silently slipped away to answer it. Raleigh distantly heard the elf complaining that “mama Trevelyan’s cookies are the best cookies in Thedas and she had to eat her fill before the others came because they don’t deserve shite.”
Raleigh opened the door to festively dressed Leliana, Varric and his girlfriend Bethany Hawke. Leliana greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and Varric chimed in with compliments about the decorations. Bethany gave Raleigh a small smile as they weren’t particularly close, but she politely asked where to put down the Christmas-themed cupcakes she had made. Raleigh told her to follow Varric because he was more than familiar with her parent’s estate, and the trio disappeared further in. Bethany was actually the cousin to the only other girl that Cullen had dated, Dawn Amell, but that was nearly a decade ago. She’d met Dawn’s other cousins Fletcher and Carver as well, back at the beginning of their college years, but that had been so long ago.
More and more people filled her childhood home with laughter and stories. She welcomed her parent’s close peers as well as her own with bright eyes and a wide smile. Krem and Bull followed about twenty minutes after Leliana, Varric and Bethany, both of their arms completely filled with several delicious smelling containers, with Solas following not long after with his infamous gingerbread cookies. Blackwall and Vivienne arrived, the older gentleman carrying the goodies they had brought while Vivienne looked absolutely stunning in her coat and dress. The last of her parent’s friends had arrived, and Raleigh chewed her lower lip as she waited by the front door. She had invited her intern from the Embassy to the party but he had yet to arrive. Cole was a quiet boy, often speaking seemingly in riddles when he came into the Embassy in the mornings. Raleigh had come to him with an invitation, not expecting to be hugged tightly in thanks. Apparently Cole had been fighting with his friends, Rhys and Evangeline, and would have spent Christmas alone if not for her invitation. Raleigh ended up staying with Cole as he spoke of his and his friend’s disagreement, and she encouraged him to go and speak with them instead of hiding from them, especially since he cared so much for them.
She almost missed the soft knock to the front door, opening it to reveal not only Cole, but two strangers who could only be Rhys and Evangeline. They were all holding separate baskets of baked goods, and Cole’s blue eyes were bright underneath his mess of bangs.
“I’m so happy you could make it, Cole. And these two lovely people must be Rhys and Evangeline, yes? Raleigh Trevelyan, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She motioned them to come inside, taking the excess containers from the strangers and leading them to the kitchen where the rest of the food had been spread out.
“Thank you for being so kind as to let us crash your party, Raleigh. It’s nice to be in such a lovely place as your parent’s home.”
“Thank you, Rhys, it’s no trouble at all. And don’t worry – there are gifts under the tree for you and Evangeline, too, so when we all open gifts later you’ll be able to join in.” she grinned at the shocked expressions on their faces, and she could practically feel the warmth and happiness that Cole was radiating beside her. “Please, grab something to eat and drink. Cole can introduce you to Josephine, my coworker, and she’ll introduce you to everyone else.” She pat Cole’s shoulder as she left them to marvel on their own, sneaking over to the tree with a pen so she could write their names on some of the extra gifts she had brought. She still had a few more left for anyone who spontaneously came, but she was almost positive that everyone who said they were coming had already arrived.
Solas found her kneelt beside the tree, finishing writing Evangeline’s name in pretty script on a fifty-dollar gift card that she could spend at any store, and a small white Christmas-themed teddy bear. She signed Rhys’s name to the multiple restaurant gift card present that held a black-colored version of the same bear Evangeline would get. They were general, but she had gotten sweet compliments on her gifts before so she continued to bring the extra presents every year. There were always plenty of gifts leftover, so she brought the leftover presents and donated them to the Ostwick orphanage every year so that the kids and their caretakers might have a better Christmas, too.
“I think it’s about time you joined in the fun as well, Raleigh.” Solas’s voice coming from behind her nearly caused her to drop the gift in her hand. She took the hand he offered and stood with his help, almost falling back over when one of her heels caught beneath the other. Solas let out a small laugh at her mishap, helping to steady his friend. “You’ve been bustling about making sure everything was set up and greeting everyone who came through the door. It’s time you got a glass of something and just relaxed.” He held out a flute to her, and she took it with both hands and a small smile. “I know this time of year is really rough for you, but everyone here cares about you quite a bit and would like to see you have a nice night. Now, I’m positive you have yet to greet your father and I believe I heard your mother is going to start with potty-training stories if you don’t do your daughterly duties soon.” Raleigh laughed, linking her arm with Solas’s when he offered his own, letting him guide her through the small mass of people that had accumulated.
The idea of so many people who had all come to share the holidays with them, it warmed the emptiness left in her heart by the fact that the one person she wanted to see most was working over a thousand miles away.
The night grew dark as the party went on, the entire estate filled with light Christmas music and the laughter of those who attended. Raleigh was so distracted by her friends that, for a time, she didn’t miss Cullen so much and she fully enjoyed the stories and tales swapped by all of her companions. When Varric brought up them starting a game of Wicked Grace in the study, Raleigh snorted and told him stealing money from people on Christmas was just rude, with her accusatory glance shared between the dwarf and Josephine, who played coy when all eyes turned to her. Even Rhys and Evangeline, freshly introduced to the group, seemed to be having a wonderful time as Cole started pointing out odd things about the different people who attended. The intern had an odd knack for knowing what was going through people’s heads.
A few hours after the last of the guests had arrived – and Raleigh was on her third glass of obnoxiously expensive champagne – the doorbell chimed throughout the first floor. Raleigh’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, sharing a look with her brother that read, ‘I dunno.’ She placed her flute on the top of the fireplace and headed for the front door, wondering who could possibly be left to come to the party.
When Cassandra’s smirking face greeted her on the other side of the door, Raleigh didn’t hide her shriek of joy as she threw her bare arms around the taller woman’s neck. Cassandra hugged her back just as tightly, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing her.
“Cassandra, Maker’s flaming ass, what are you doing here?” she took her friend’s hand and dragged her inside, helping dust off the snow that had gather on her coat and in her short hair. “I love the haircut, it fits you well.”
“Thank you for saying so, I was unsure of how to feel about it. I was meeting with some Chantry officials in Starkhaven and our business had concluded ahead of schedule and I’m not expected back in Orlais for another four days. So I caught the last flight of the day and here I am. I’m hoping you or your parents would be so kind as to put up with me until I can get a hotel tomorrow.”
“Oh, you know mother isn’t going to let you stay in a hotel when this estate has more available guest rooms than I have fingers. Maybe even toes at this point, they started renovating a few months back and I haven’t checked out the new wing yet. You’ll just have to put up with Damien and Dorian being all cutesy and gross, but I know you know how to handle them before things get too honeymoon.” She chattered on as she helped Cassandra out of her coat, pulling her into the main room with the brightest smile stretched across her face. “Guess who found her way home!”
“Cass!” Damien was the first to rush across from their cluster of friends to hug his ex. “It’s so great that you’re here.” He lowered his voice to where only the three of them could hear. “Mother wants to fuss over you to make sure you’re really alright after we split, so please give her something to fret over so she doesn’t think we’re both absolutely terrible, emotionless robots.” Raleigh snorted and Cassandra let out her trademark disgusted sigh, before nodding.
“Whatever you say, Damien. You were the one who cried, though, if my memory stands.”
“Sure, sure, whatever you say dear. Hey!” Damien had let out an oddly feminine squeal at having his bottom swat, Bull standing behind him with a shit-eating grin.
“No hogging the long-awaited warrior who arrives triumphant from her quest! Come here, my friend!” and Cassandra was vehemently protesting even as Bull wrapped his large arms around her and proceeded to lift her clear off the floor, which was probably disorienting for the woman who stood eye-to-eye with the average-sized man. Everyone greeted Cassandra in turn, and Raleigh introduced her to Cole and his friends. Cole told her not to worry, that her haircut looked very nice, and Cassandra blushed scarlet at the compliment – not that she would ever admit it. (Damien might have snuck a few photos of her red cheeks, but it wasn’t like he was going to tell her that. He liked living.) Leliana handed her an open beer and the night’s fun continued. Having Cassandra around made the night a little more bearable, but her mind began to wander to Cullen once more. He was in Orlais without even Cassandra to keep him company, only his other coworkers to maybe keep him from being alone on this most joyful of nights.
Eventually, it was time for everyone to start opening the gifts that Raleigh had brought. All the presents were handed out, not a single person left out of the unwrapping festivities. Raleigh got other gifts for her own friends got them to open at their respective homes, but it was nice to watch every single person’s eyes brighten at the gift they held in their hands. Raleigh found herself sitting on the arm of a sofa in the living room, the couch now littered in torn wrapping paper and some of her friends. The others were either on the floor or standing in pairs, admiring the gifts that Raleigh had given them. She’d switched to hot chocolate as her drink of choice when the champagne had started to give her a headache, smiling to herself as she watched the frenzy around her.
Damien walked up to his sister, the framed photo one from their childhood that Damien had lost in the move to Orlais clutched tightly in his hands. Raleigh had simply made a copy for herself and given the original to her brother in a smooth matte black frame. The twins were about four years old in the photo, at the lake in the forest behind their estate. Their mother had made them embrium and elfroot flower crowns and they stood in their swim clothes, smiling brightly for the camera as their father snapped another photo of his children. It was right after Damien had gotten a terrifying case of pneumonia and had been in the Ostwick hospital for nearly a month, which was why he treasured the photo itself so much.
“You didn’t have to give me your copy, ‘leigh.”
“It’s my sisterly duty to make you happy on Christmas. I knew it would make you happy and I knew it would be better if you got it in person instead of in the mail, so enjoy the memory of our messy childhood and go hug on your boyfriend enough for the both of us.”
“You know, it’s not fair that literally everyone gets to open presents and you never do. You even bring extra presents for people in case they show up unexpectedly, even if you’ve never met them. You’re the one who deserves to open gifts more than anyone else here, and you’ve been doing this selflessly for years.”
“I enjoy it, brother. It’s not a chore or an obligation, I do it because I like to. If it was a bother I would stop doing it, you know that.”
“It’s not that, Raleigh. You’ve been doing this for almost a decade, and not once have you gotten a gift at one of our parent’s parties. I know you don’t mind, but I feel like the past few years we’ve let you down because we haven’t gotten you anything.” Raleigh scoffed at the thought. She wasn’t a materialistic person; she got more joy out of being surrounded by her friends than any amount of material gifts. And if she was being completely honest with herself, the only gift she’d ever wanted the past few years would have been impossible for her to get. So she bombarded her friends and acquaintances with gifts to try and fill the Cullen-shaped void in her chest.
She was lonely, but she wasn’t going to let her loneliness get the best of her this year, dammit.
“I’m fine, I promise.”
“I brought you a gift, Raleigh.” Cassandra’s voice came from beside her, the stuffed toy fox she was holding was nearly as big as her torso. “I’ll go get it in a minute, once everything has settled down.” Raleigh sputtered, nearly dropping the mug in her hands but she managed to keep from shattering it on her parent’s freshly polished hardwood floor.
“Cassandra, you didn’t have to do that. I swear I’m okay.”
“Well I can’t return it so you’re just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. Once everyone is done opening their gifts, I’ll go out to the rental and bring it in.” Raleigh groaned, the exes’ sharing a laugh as they moved to converse with their other friends. All of her friends had made their rounds to hug her and thank her for the gifts. Rhys was open to receiving a hug from her, and Evangeline was timid but still tucked her face into Raleigh’s shoulder to hide her embarrassed smile while they hugged. Damien and Raleigh went to the kitchen to put emptied glasses and plates in the sink while Cassandra slipped out the front door. The twins were carefully placing the delicate glasses and ceramic plates into the sink and onto the counter for the kitchen staff to clean when they came in in the morning. The two were lightly bantering about something Vivienne and Solas had been discussing, not even realizing that they could only hear the Christmas music resonating through the speakers.
The estate was quiet, and it confused the siblings to no end. They dried their hands and maneuvered back into the main room.
“Hey, what’s going on in he—“ Raleigh walked face-first into her brother’s back as he stopped dead in front of her. “Damien, ow.”
“Holy shit.” Her twin whistled lowly. “That’s one hell of a gift. Couldn’t top that if I tried.”
“You better not.” Dorian jested from his spot next to the fireplace.
“What did she—“ she felt cut off from the breath that seemed to evaporate right from her lungs. She could have sworn that her heart had stopped dead in her chest, the air around her becoming tight and restricted.
The smiling face of her boyfriend greeted her in the middle of the foyer. His curled hair was tamed and was covered in the snowflakes from outside, his bright chestnut eyes crinkled from how wide his smile reached. He had his Commander’s coat folded over his arm, a snug turtleneck and form-fitting jeans outlining the body that she had only hazily dreamed about the last three years. She blinked her dark whiskey eyes to make sure that she was really seeing what she was seeing, because if this was her mind playing some cruel trick on her she was never drinking ever again.
“Merry Christmas, love.” Raleigh felt dizzy.
“Cullen?!”
His laugh seemed to awaken her sense within her, and she felt the tears pooling at her lashes as he opened his arms to her. “Who else could I be?”
The entire room erupted in cheers and wolf whistles as Raleigh let out a cracked sob and rushed shamelessly into her boyfriend’s arms. She couldn’t wrap her arms tight enough around his waist, feeling complete and whole when his arms found themselves around her shoulders, holding her to his solid chest and the steady beat of his heart against her ear. He dropped his face into her thick hair, not caring for the garland circlet that had become jarred in her excitement, pressing kisses onto the top of her head and against her temple, breathing in the scent of her for the first time in far too long.
“I can’t believe you’re here, you asshole. I thought you were still in Orlais.” She grumbled angrily into his chest, the vibrations of his laugh more reassuring than all of the video calls they had shared over the years. He was here and he was here and she couldn’t hold him any closer, but she was desperately trying.
“I’m sorry for the deception my love, but Cassandra and I didn’t want to give away the surprise before it was time.” Raleigh lifted her head just enough to spy Cassandra standing at the door behind them, trying her best to glare from a tear-stained freckled face that was flushed from the surprise.
“You knew, you lying jerkface. I thought tricking people was Leliana’s forte.”
“I can hoodwink others when the situation calls for it. Brute force is not my only talent.”
“And Leliana would like to mention she had no part in this and would like to escape Lady Trevelyan’s wrath when she remembers to be pissed you kept her boyfriend from her for as long as you did.”
“To be fair,” Cullen started, giving his love a peck on her wet cheek with a smitten smile. “I really wasn’t in Ostwick when I called you earlier. I was with Cassandra at the Chantry headquarters in Starkhaven but I had a little bit more to do before I made my way over. I think it worked out marvelously, however.” Raleigh’s attempt at punching him fell short of intimidating, and she settled for snuggling her face into his neck because she was wearing heels and could actually do so without having Cullen lean down awkwardly. Their height difference was slightly comical, especially since Raleigh only wore heels once in a blue moon and had to deal with just barely reaching her boyfriend’s shoulders. At least he hadn’t grown any taller since she’d last seen him.
Maker. He was actually here. Her mind still hadn’t fully processed that information.
“You’re such an ass. What am I going to do with you?” Probably cry some more, but she didn’t care because her boyfriend was here and she could hug him and fuck the world because her other half had finally come home.
“I’m not sure, you tell me.” And Cullen was freeing himself from her arms and he wasn’t allowed to do that what did he think he was doing, the jerk? She was shaking her head and maintained a confused look on her face as Cullen met her eyes, a shy, nervous smile gracing his features as he took her hand between his own, before taking a knee on the ground before her.
“Holy fucking shit.” Damien exclaimed out loud as the entire room started chattering loudly about what was happening in front of them. Raleigh’s mind was a mass of crying-headache and confusion. Her brain couldn’t compute the information she was receiving as Cullen smoothly pulled out a small, velvet black box from his back pocket. She stared intently into her boyfriend’s face, waiting for an explanation because apparently she couldn’t quite comprehend what was going on.
“Oh Maker above – is he proposing?!” apparently the elder Trevelyans had finally made their way to the commotion in their main room, Bristol Trevelyan’s voice carrying shrilly over the other voices of their guests. The twin’s parents and their friends were all clamoring loudly at the scene unfolding before them. Not even Cassandra had seen this extra surprise coming, her face clearly showing the shock as obvious as the sun was bright.
To Cullen and Raleigh, however, nothing else existed outside of them.
“Raleigh Elizabeth Trevelyan,” Cullen began, squeezing the hand he held in his own. “My life began the day you, quite literally, ran into me and spilled your iced coffee along my entire front in the middle of one of the coldest winters Kirkwall had ever had. You were adamant in your apologies, but I couldn’t quite get passed the fact that you were drinking iced coffee in half a foot of snow.” Raleigh had to swallow the lump that had swelled in her throat as it began to dawn on her what was finally happening. Andraste’s twisted knickers, he was really doing it. “You insisted that you pay me back, and while on any other day I would have declined and simply gone back to my apartment to change before my seminar, something inside of me told me to go out on a limb and say ‘yes.’ So I did, and it was the best decision of my entire life.” Raleigh knew she was crying like a small child, but she didn’t care anymore. She was floored with so much emotion her heart was near bursting.
“For five years, you have been the North star to my lost soul, and even from countries away the mere thought of you, waiting and supporting me, drove the doubts and insecurities away so that I may continue on until the day the Maker allowed me to return to you. The last three years have been the most painful years of my life, but I was never lonely, not once. Knowing you were on my side, knowing that you were waiting just as eagerly as I was for us to be reunited, it allowed me to get up every day so that there would be one less day to conquer until I could see your beautiful self again.
You are the strongest woman I know. The day the Divine offered me a position in the capital, I was absolutely thrilled, but I was also so very afraid for how you would respond, of what the potential unknowns could do to our relationship. Weeks after the first fight, when you were sitting beside me in our bed and telling me that I should accept the Divine’s offer – I knew in my very soul that you were the only woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You are selfless, brave and strong along with so many other amazing qualities that I could not imagine another individual maintaining with the same amount of grace and optimism as you so easily do.
I no longer am able to imagine a life that doesn’t start with waking up beside you every morning: for me, that future is no longer an option. With you, I aim to be a better man so that I may one day be worthy of your love and respect.” He finally tipped the lid of the box open, and a silver band with a beautiful diamond set in the middle of six leaves with more diamonds imbedded in the intricate design. It gleamed in the colorful lights of the holiday decorations, the sight of it taking her breath from her for the second time that night. Maybe she had a condition and should avoid all surprises for the sake of her health.
“I, Cullen Stanton Rutherford, promise to love you and stand beside you for all the trials and celebrations that we will face, and I can only ask that you allow me to make that journey at your side so that we may pick each other up when we inevitably fall.” He paused, the emotions shifting so quickly across his face, but after a moment he gave her a soft smile, holding the ring up to her.
“Will you marry me?”
She paused, the weight of the question heavy on her shoulders. “You’re such a fucking dork, you know that?” she asked him in a whisper, eyes flickering from Cullen’s hopeful face to the tiny black box in his hand. She’d be lying if she said she’d never thought about marrying Cullen, but she definitely hadn’t expected it to be anytime soon, or like, now. In her parent’s estate, her childhood home, in front of all the people she loved the most in the world, who were all waiting with bated breath for her reply. Really, how else could she have imagined it?
“Yes, but I’m your dork. If you’ll have me, that is.” She bit her lip, and for a moment Cullen’s resolve faltered.
After a pregnant pause, the smile that slowly spread on her face seemed to give Cullen a silent cue, because he stood up to meet her as she threw herself at him, near shouting ‘yes, yes, Maker – yes’ as he laughed at her enthusiastic response. He picked her up easily and twirled her around to the sounds of their friends clapping and whooping in congratulations. She could hear her mother crying in happiness and her father chuckling softly in response to the intense reaction of the proposal.
After he had put her feet back on the ground and slipped the ring on the appropriate finger, she took his stubbled-face into hands and kissed him hard. Their first kiss since his flight to Orlais was all long-awaited passion and want, anything but sweet and romantic like the proposal not a minute before. She didn’t care for the camera flashes and the wolf whistles, all she cared about was her fiancé’s lips on hers, his body pressed tightly along her front to remind her that this was all real, and that she could murder someone for the opportunity to climb the blond like a tree.
This man was hers, and she was his and this night could not have been any more perfect.
“Three cheers for the future Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford!” one of their friends – probably Bull – called out and the excited hooting and hollering seemed to intensify at the words. Raleigh couldn’t help but smile against the lips pressed to her own, shaking hands sliding down to rest at his chest.
“I love you so much.” The words were barely a whisper, lightly pressed into the lips that didn’t want to part from her own. She could probably live the rest of her life kissing this man and she would never complain. Oh wait, she did get to kiss this particular man for the rest of their lives. Score.
“I love you, forever.” Raleigh couldn’t help the snort that escaped her, leaning back just enough to stare accusingly into bright chestnut eyes.
“Dork.”
“Your dork.” He retorted, unable to keep the smile off of his face. He pressed his forehead against hers, holding her all the more tighter.
Yeah, this was her life. She couldn’t be any happier than she was in that very moment.