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Maker help her, she doesn't mean to think of Bull that way, honest she doesn't. Sure she was a bit fascinated by him when he first joined her forces, but it wasn't anything untoward. It was hard not to be curious about someone like him. Since joinging the Inquisition she had seen a lot of new things, but none of them like Iron Bull. The Iron Bull, as he liked to be called.
He was huge, first off. Bigger than any warrior she had ever seen, and his horns, they held a certain fascination for her. When she talked to him she sometimes found herself staring at them rather than meeting his eyes, or, eye rather. Up close they looked a bit worn, battered. They were covered in scratches, most likely form some glorious battles. His skill in battle was another thing that caught her interest. Sure, she was good with a sword, but Bull was something else. His was a strength that could put most Templars to shame. Sometimes she idly wondered what Cullen was like in combat, she doubted he just charged in wildly like Bull did.
But she did try to keep her mind on Cullen. He was a good man and a good fighter, not to mention a good advisor and an important part of the Inquisition. It was clear that he cared for her as well. He was as attentive as he could be with all of the work he had to do. He reminded her of the men from her own home, she had grown up around Templars and knights, and Cullen was just the sort fo man her family would have wanted her with. Actually, in some ways Cullen reminded her of her father, a bit old fashioned but kind.
That Cullen was such a good man only made it hurt more when her mind wandered. True, her actions were entirely proper, but her thoughts often took a sharp turn when it came to Bull. She would be resting after a long fight, and she would begin to think of him. His armor, or lack thereof, left little to the imagination, but imagine she did. Watching him in battle was amazing, his huge form moving unbelievably fast as he swung his huge axe over his head. His upper body was littered with small scars, and she found herself wondering if the lower part of him was marred as well, or if his legs were hairy like the other men she had seen undressed. Once or twice she thought he caught her staring, but if he did, he never made any mention of it. In fact, in all of their conversations, he pointedly avoided flirting with her, something she knew he normally did with abandon, either out of respect for her entanglement with Cullen or simply due to lack of interest. It did not, however, stop him from speaking quite candidly about the more scandalous aspect of Qunari life, and his...detailed, very detailed, descriptions of sex only fueled her imagination more.
It ate her, every mission Bull came along on she spent half of the battle focused on him, half naked, covered in the blood of enemies, soaked in sweat...and smiling. After every fight he would always have the biggest grin, and when he turned to smile at her, it made her breath catch in her throat. She was always the one who turned away, reminding herself of Cullen.
It all came to a head one night on the Storm Coast. They had just finished clearing a number of very, very, large spiders from a nearby cave, and now the party was gathered around a fire, resting before the long trip home.
“So tell me big guy, is it true Qunari don’t marry at all?” Varric queried through a mouth full of roasted ram.
Iron Bull nodded. “Yeah, we have friends and we have lovers, but we don’t do the whole strict monogamy thing like you guys have here.”
“So, just lots of one nights stands huh? Doesn’t sound too bad.”
“Not really,” Bull paused and his brow furrowed as he searched for a way to explain. “It’s more that we all have our own sorts of relationships. Some people are monogamous sure, and some just have a string of short romances, but others have long term relationships with multiple people at a time. The Qun says everyone has a role, a job to do, that means everyone can fulfill a different need for other people as well.”
Cassandra made a face like she smelled sour milk. “It does not sound very romantic.”
Bull shrugged. “Sometimes it isn’t. Sex is sex, sometimes you want sex, sometimes you want more. The problem is when people get confused about what they want and how to ask for it. I think you might know something about that.” He smirked at the dark haired woman.
Cassandra flushed with anger and stood up, tossing the bones from her plate into the fire and walking to her tent without another word.
Varric stifled a laugh. “Good job Tiny, you pissed her off.”
“To be fair, that isn’t that hard. But really you shouldn’t pick on her,” Evelyn interjected.
Bull nodded. “Yeah well, there’s plenty of others to pick on when it comes to their sex lives.” He looked Eve straight in the eye as he replied, and she could feel her face turn red.
Varric waited for a “And with that, I am off to bed. See you kids in the morning.”
That left Eve and Bull, staring at eachother in the light of the fire.
“I think we need to talk Boss.”
“Yeah Bull, I guess we do.”