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"Hmm... You still look a bit sad, amatus. Was I not distracting enough, tonight?" Dorian asked after kissing Mahanon and dropping his chin on his chest.
"You are always very distracting, and you know it," Mahanon teased with a fond smile, tightening his arms around Dorian's waist.
"Damn right I am," he laughed. "But seriously, if something is troubling you, you know you can talk to me, right?"
The Inquisitor sighed and briefly closed his eyes before looking up at the ceiling. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just... worried about Cullen..."
Dorian shifted to settle more comfortably next to him, kissing him on the shoulder and running his fingers soothingly over his chest, silently urging him on.
"Did you know templars here are forced to ingest lyrium? That's how they gain their resistance to magic, amongst other capacities."
"I heard a few talks about that, yes."
"Well, apparently, it has a cost, as does everything. It gets them highly addicted to the substance. And if they stop taking it, the pain either drives them mad or they die fairly quickly."
"And I'm guessing our esteemed commander is trying to stop."
"He already has. He admitted to stopping after severing his ties with the Order."
"But... that was a long while ago, wasn't it? He certainly doesn't look mad. Nor dead."
"He is very strong-willed. I respect his decision, but I can see it is taking its toll on him, at times. And I wish I could do more to support him and help him in his endeavour."
When no other answer than a thoughtful hum came from Dorian, Mahanon buried his face in his lover's soft hair and closed his eyes again dejectedly.
"I apologise, I did not wish to bring up another man's name while we were in bed."
"Oh, you can bring him to bed with us anytime, love!"
Mahanon blinked. That was certainly not what he had expected to hear.
"What? Have you seen the man?" Dorian added after lifting his head and seeing the incredulous look on Mahanon’s face.
"I definitely have," Mahanon chuckled embarrassingly. "Does it not bother you?"
"Does it bother you that I find Cullen very attractive? I mean, out of everyone we know and have met, I can count on one hand those who don't end up with a crush on him at some point."
"Very fair point. And we are extremely lucky to be considered as his friends. He is even more adorable once he lets his guard down, isn't he?"
"That he is. I very much enjoy our chess games. One of the rare moments he allows himself to relax and to show us the man behind ‘the Commander’."
“And what a fine man that is.”
Silence filled the room for a few minutes, then Dorian softly kissed his lips. "Shall we go see him?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Now?" Mahanon frowned.
"Of course."
"I don't think he would be interested," the Inquisitor started explaining slowly. "From what he told me, he has never been interested in anything more than friendship. From anyone."
Dorian scoffed. "Please. Have you seen how the man looks at you and hangs onto your every word? He loves you, and not just as a dear friend or even as a ‘holy Herald’, that much is obvious. Besides, not all relationships have to involve sex."
Mahanon lifted a playful eyebrow. "That coming from you?"
"Do not mistake me for Iron Bull, thank you very much!"
Mahanon laughed heartily this time. Then he took a deep breath, and decided, "Yes, alright, let's go see him."
"Now we're talking!" Dorian was out of the bed in the blink of an eye, rummaging through the wardrobe for outdoor night clothings.
Mahanon couldn't help joining him, hugging him tightly from behind and kissing his neck. "Thank you. I love you."
"Of course you do," Dorian replied cheekily, turning his head to give the elf a quick peck on the lips. "And I love you even more. Now put this on before we freeze to death."
The Inquisitor was nervous by the time they reached Cullen's door.
"Wait, but what if he's sleeping?" he whispered.
"Do you honestly think Cullen would already be asleep?"
"I would hope so... But no, I don't think he is..."
"Then knock already, I'm turning to ice here!"
Mahanon smiled. Hothouse orchid indeed. He hesitated for several seconds, then knocked gently. "Cullen? It's me," he added as a reassurance.
Immediately, they heard hurried shuffling behind the door and a panicked voice approaching.
"Inquisitor? Is everything alright?"
As soon as the door opened, Mahanon raised his arms placatingly. "Everything is fine, I apologise for startling you. There isn't any danger."
Cullen let out a relieved sigh and relaxed his stance, then frowned when he noticed Dorian next to Mahanon. "Why the late visit, then?"
Mahanon cleared his throat and his eyes briefly turned to Dorian as well before settling back on Cullen. "I just... We just needed to talk to you."
"Privately," Dorian specified in a drawl with a teasing half smile.
Cullen watched them intently before finally stepping aside. "Alright, come in."
Unsurprisingly, he had clearly still been in his office space before they knocked, and was even in his full armour.
"Do you truly never sleep?" Dorian asked lightly.
"There are more important things to do."
"Like running yourself ragged?" Mahanon suggested worriedly.
"And don't even dare going for the 'I'll sleep when I'm dead' joke, because that wouldn't be even remotely funny," Dorian added when Cullen opened his mouth to answer.
Cullen crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes in defiance, head held high. "Is that what this is about?" he asked Mahanon. "You... what, thought you could just bring a mage to put me to sleep? Sorry to disappoint, Inquisitor, but magic doesn't work on me, in case you have forgotten."
"Of course not. I thought you had more faith in me than to imagine I would stoop so low."
Cullen's shoulders sagged and his arms fell back by his sides as he looked down, contrite. "You're right. My apologies, Inquisitor."
Mahanon reached instinctively to him, squeezing his arm gently. "Please, none of that. This isn't a formal visit." He smiled encouragingly when Cullen looked back up at him.
"I have to wonder though," Dorian's voice interrupted contemplatively. "Once your system has purged itself entirely of the lyrium, will magic affect you once more?"
"There is no precedent, I cannot know what might happen, nor if it is even possible to purge all the lyrium in my body." Cullen gave the Inquisitor a pointed look, understanding he was the one who filled Dorian in on his predicament.
Mahanon felt the need to justify himself. "I did not break your trust, this stays between us for as long as you wish it. I trust Dorian, and I needed to talk about it because I was worried for you. This is actually part of why we are here. I want to help you in any way I can. We both do. It pains me greatly to see you suffer alone. I wish you would rely on us more, share your burdens with us."
As Cullen blinked at him in puzzlement, eyebrows drawing slightly together, Dorian carefully stepped closer as well.
"Would you let us take care of you tonight?" the mage added softly.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but as I have told you before..."
"No, I know, Cullen," Mahanon interrupted. "I understood and I respect that. That is not what we meant. If I'm not wrong, you enjoy both our company, and you care about us. We care about you too. Deeply. And we would like to offer you anything you wish, in any form you'd like."
"And yes, even if it's just to talk," Dorian reassured him. "But let us be there for you and relieve you of some of the weight on your shoulders."
Cullen opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking at the both of them in turn.
"I... am unsure how to respond to that…"
At least, Mahanon thought, he didn't look annoyed. Genuinely baffled at the proposal, for sure, but perhaps not entirely against the idea, since he hadn't thrown them out yet. And the elf was fairly certain that even in his exhausted state, Cullen could pick the both of them up at the same time and literally throw them out himself.
Right that instant, it probably wouldn’t bring Cullen any comfort to know how much they would actually enjoy that.
"Again," Mahanon tried encouragingly, "please remember that we are here as your friends. Just as I trust you to confront me on Inquisition-related matter, I trust you to say no if we are crossing any unwanted boundaries."
Dorian daringly brought his hand to Cullen's other arm, a slow and questioning movement which the commander's tired eyes followed.
"Quite frankly, it's unfair how you can still look so effortlessly handsome when you haven't slept in Maker knows how long," the mage said with a flirtatious smile.
One could always trust Dorian to bring levity to any situation, and indeed, that seemed to aid Cullen out of the spiral of his thoughts. His gaze turned hard on Dorian, but still, there was no venom there and he made no movement to get away from the both of them.
"You know quite well how much I detest when people comment on my appearance. And yet, I can't seem to be able to bring myself to hate you for it right now, or to ask you both to leave." He let out a humourless laugh before declaring, "I must indeed be truly exhausted."
"Then let's get you to bed. Nothing untoward, I promise," Dorian added quickly. "But you need to rest."
In agreement with Dorian’s words, Mahanon started tugging gently on Cullen's arm as he backed up towards the ladder leading to the commander's chambers. "We can cuddle and talk once you are lying down, how does that sound?" he offered.
"I would have assumed that to sound unappealing, but it doesn’t, actually. Why is that?"
Dorian laughed. "Cuddling is a magic word, isn't it? No amount of lyrium can protect you against that one," he joked with a wink.
Cullen sighed wearily as he started following Mahanon towards the ladder. "Please stop talking about lyrium."
"Ah, apologies. I admit that wasn't very tactful of me. Is there something I can do for your forgiveness?" Dorian asked earnestly, and a playful glint appeared in Cullen's eyes.
"I believe I have been promised cuddles, and I expect ones of the utmost quality. The Inquisition requires nothing less."
Both Dorian and Mahanon laughed.
"What the Inquisition needs, the Inquisition shall receive," Dorian announced regally with a formal bow, bringing Cullen's armoured hand to his lips while never taking his eyes off the commander.
"The Inquisitor approves of this particular decree," Mahanon added playfully, enjoying the display before starting his climb up the ladder. His smile widened fondly when he heard Dorian’s ceremonious voice under him.
“After you, my lord Commander.”
As soon as Cullen reached the makeshift bedroom after him, the elf approached him slowly and carefully took one of Cullen’s hands in both of his. "Is this alright?" Mahanon asked quietly as he lifted it and rested his fingers over the gauntlet’s clasps.
Cullen was unresisting, studying Mahanon’s face with a look of serious contemplation, and Mahanon's heart jumped when he nodded. It spoke volumes about how much Cullen sincerely trusted him.
Dorian let out a soft hum behind Cullen as he joined them. He reached up to Cullen’s shoulders, but instead of helping taking the armour off, Mahanon watched as he threaded his hands through the fur. Dorian’s eyes widened in amazement and delight.
"How can this be even softer than I ever imagined it to be?"
Cullen chuckled, then silence fell between them for a while as Dorian and Mahanon took out his armour piece by piece, slowly and meticulously, almost expecting the commander to ask them to stop and leave at any time.
But he never did, and soon the man was standing in his under armour garments.
"I'd rather not smell of sweat. Allow me a moment for a quick wash and a change of clothes," Cullen said as he moved towards his chest of clothes and started undressing the rest himself.
Dorian and Mahanon couldn't resist watching his bare back, enraptured by his muscles as he folded his shirt. Once the man reached for his trousers, they looked at each other with winning smiles and turned out of a common accord towards the bed, allowing him a modicum of privacy.
"This is going to be a tight fit," Dorian observed. "Give me a second." With practised hand movements, he lifted up the bed effortlessly and rearranged it so that one side rested against the wall. "There! That way, we will at least have support on one side."
Mahanon wrapped his arms around Dorian's waist and pressed close against him as he whispered in his ear, "I love watching you cast magic."
"Oh, I know, amatus. And I enjoy how you look at me as I do," Dorian replied smugly, as though the elf's words hadn't just made him noticeably shudder. Mahanon laughed fondly as Dorian turned around in his arms. The mage's deft hands went up to cup his face gently, and closing the distance between their lips with a smirk, he continued in a murmur, "Don't think I don't have many thoughts on the way you grip your bow as well."
Mahanon captured Dorian's lips greedily to stifle the moan that rose in his throat. The man laughed pleasingly into the kiss and responded in kind, his arms enveloping Mahanon's neck to press him even closer with a hand caressing the back of his head.
They separated when they heard soft footsteps approaching them. Mahanon dropped his head on Dorian's shoulder, embarrassed.
"Sorry, we got a bit sidetracked..."
"Don't stop on my account," came the surprising answer. "I'm sure you know you make quite the fetching pair."
Mahanon looked up at the commander with wide hopeful eyes as Dorian laughed again. "So we have been told! Enjoying the show, perhaps?" he asked in a low voice.
A pensive Cullen tentatively crossed the last steps towards them. One hand reached up to Mahanon's face, his thumb brushing his bony cheek before tugging him down for a kiss. A chaste peck of the lips that left the elf half bewildered and half wanting for more, but Cullen had already turned towards Dorian and was pulling the other man for a kiss as well. Mahanon watched rapturously as Dorian licked his own lips when they parted, no doubt chasing after the commander's taste.
Mahanon swallowed audibly and willed himself to stay very still, waiting for Cullen to get his thoughts in order and hoping with every fibre of his being that they were positive.
"This is all very... strange," he finally uttered in a puzzled voice.
"Too much?" Mahanon prompted gingerly when Cullen didn't elaborate.
After a brief consideration, Cullen shook his head. "Not in a bad way. So far. However, you should know that in all likelihood, this is the most I will be able to do."
"You are already giving us so much more than we dared hope," Mahanon reassured him, trying to convey his awe at the turn of events.
"Listening to the two of you, one would think you spent quite a lot of time thinking about me," Cullen joked.
"Oh, we do, my dear,” Dorian admitted shamelessly. “Why, tonight, we were even in bed when we talked about you."
"Hush, Dorian. Don't make him uncomfortable. We were only talking."
"Sure, but we were naked," Dorian clarified with a wink directed at Cullen.
The commander huffed an exasperated laugh with a shake of his head before changing the subject. "So, why did you move the bed?"
"Oh, right. Cuddles!" Dorian exclaimed and quickly divested a layer of clothing. He then crawled onto the bed, settled under the covers and turned to rest his back against the wall. "Oof, that's freezing!"
Cullen turned his gaze to the Inquisitor, uncertain.
"You should go in the middle," Mahanon suggested. "If that's alright with you."
"Well, don't leave me hanging there, I need some body heat!" Dorian had his arms outstretched and was waving Cullen over. "There you go," he enthused as the commander approached the bed and lifted the cover. "Now get in and put your back to me."
Mahanon watched as Cullen obeyed. The man nodded when Dorian asked if he could put an arm over him, and Mahanon wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him as the two men dearest to his heart looked up at him expectantly while wrapped up around each other.
He committed the image to memory and quickly shed his first layer of clothing as well before sliding under the bedsheets and pushing his back against Cullen. He sighed contentedly when he felt the man's arm curl around his waist and he grabbed it to tighten the embrace and intertwine their fingers.
"How is that for a quality cuddle, my lord Commander?" Dorian asked in a cheeky tone.
Cullen's responding chuckle rumbled against Mahanon's back and into his ear, eliciting a shiver along his spine. "It appears you weren't exaggerating your mastery, and it shall greatly benefit the Inquisition."
Mahanon awoke when he felt something move next to him. Upon opening his eyes, he realised it was Cullen. He noticed they had shifted during the night and Cullen was on his back with Mahanon now facing him, but Cullen was still trapped between him and Dorian and looking slightly perplexed at the two men sleeping on his shoulders.
"Hello. How are you feeling?" Mahanon asked.
Cullen watched him silently for a few heartbeats before replying softly. "I'm... alright, I think. This is surprisingly less awkward than I thought it would be. I might not be opposed to some cuddling, it seems."
"I am very glad to hear that," Mahanon smiled.
"As am I," came Dorian's sleep addled voice from the other side of the bed. "I could definitely get used to waking up to the sight of two of the most handsome men on Thedas."
Cullen sighed. "I will need a larger bed."