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It had started during one of their weekly chess games in the courtyard, not too long after moving the entire Inqusition to Skyhold. Cullen had his hands clasped under his chin, looking over the board, when Dorian decided to bring up the subject.
“I did not know you could sing, commander. Quite a talent you have kept hidden from us, hm?”
Cullen didn’t say anything, choosing instead to move a piece on the board, but Dorian saw that the ex-templar’s ears were quite red. “Now, now. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I…I was just joining in.” The blush was spreading all over Cullen’s face while the ex-templar rubbed his neck, and Dorian found it endearing.
“Come now, Commander. You have a talent, bask in it. Check.”
Cullen’s blush deepened, but Dorian did notice a small smile forming on his face.
————
“So where did you learn how to sing like an angel, commander?”
This time, they were sitting Cullen’s quarters, the commander at his desk with his reports and Dorian on a rather comfortable chair – which Cullen had to acquire for his room after Dorian’s tenth complaint about the wooden stools – with a book in his hand.
They had formed a decent friendship after a rocky start, and while Dorian wanted to have a deeper relationship with the commander, friendship would have to be enough. It never stopped Dorian from being flirtatious, though.
Once again, a blush appeared on Cullen’s face. “Maker, you are never going to let it go, are you?”
“Why, of course not. I like learning about our mysterious commander, all dashing and handsome and so very secretive.”
“Oh,” Cullen said, looking at the table instead of Dorian. “I, um. I was taught by my mother, actually. She used to sing whenever she cooked or cleaned, and she taught me to sing before I joined the Order.”
“Oh ho! You need to sing for me, sometime. I would love to hear it.”
Cullen was now red as a tomato, and Dorian wanted to kiss him right then and there. “I want to sing for someone I…desire,” he said, and Dorian felt his stomach drop.
They resumed their activities in silence.
————
With the Lady Inquisitor out on some important inquisitorial business, Dorian finally found some time to organize the library – all of the books had been in a terrible disarray when they first moved them into the Skyhold tower, but at the time they had been tired and wounded and it was acceptable (Dorian was just happy that they had saved the books).
Now, however, it needed to be fixed.
The tower was empty when he arrived; Solas was out with the Inquisitor (Lavellan liked to have Solas around, and Dorian decided not to pry) and Leliana was someone in the hold, but not even the researchers were present. The silence was quite eerie, but it would give Dorian the chance to work in peace and quiet.
He had been organizing the books for almost an hour – and cursing in Tevene to whomever messed up their order – when he heard footsteps from the lower floors. One of the researchers had to have returned, so Dorian didn’t pay it any attention.
“Dorian?” Cullen’s voice reached him, and Dorian looked down from the banister in surprise. Why would Cullen be here?
And he wasn’t alone. Leliana, Josephine and the bard from the tavern – Maryden, he believed her name was – accompanied the commander, each of them holding an instrument.
When Cullen sucked in a breath, it took Dorian only a few seconds to figure out what was going on.
Cullen’s voice filled the tower, like liquid gold to Dorian’s ears. The ex-templar was singing one of the songs from the tavern, no doubt taught to him by Maryden.
He rode upon the golden plain,
The brave and comely knight.
Dorian was speechless, just standing there and listening to Cullen sing.
Beneath the red and fading sun,
The elven stand was swift undone,
The choice of song was a tad weird, but Dorian could honestly say that it didn’t matter.
And there remained, on bended knee,
That grave and mournful knight.
By the time the song ended, Dorian had stepped down to the ground floor, looking at a blushing Cullen. For once, the mage was speechless.
Cullen was looking at the floor, rubbing his neck – the trio of ladies were silent behind him, with Josephine sporting a large grin. “I wanted – I wanted to…Maker. I wanted to sing for someone I desire,” Cullen said, and looked at Dorian before stepping forward and kissing the shocked mage.
It was a quick, chaste kiss, but to Dorian it was lovely. Behind Cullen, Leliana and Josephine were looking on with smiles (Maryden was plucking the strings, completely uninterested in the scene in front of him).
“Thank you, amatus,” Dorian said. “Now let me show you something I like to do with the one I desire.”
Cullen’s smile was like sunshine.