Chapter Text
There weren’t many things William could say he enjoyed while growing up more than looking through stacks of books. An avid reader since the moment he figured out how to spell his name, he’d spent hours upon hours in the family library at Ostwick reading every title he could get his hands on and coming up with creative ways to reach the ones that were too far out of reach. Those he didn’t read, he memorized the titles, occasionally skimming the first page or two, and spent hours upon hours wondering what other treasures he would find trapped away between the covers when opportunity to read them finally came along. This continued even after his family sent him off to the monastery to train. Between classes, after training, occasionally even after curfew he would sneak down to the library. Through the years, he learned so many things…
Some shocking and unexpected historical anecdote about the Nevarran king and his mistress…
A recipe for the most delicious pastry Thedas had ever known, and for which the top pastry chef in all of Orlais swore he would kill to get his hands on and the Marquis who paid for that to happen…
The most effective military strategies throughout history dating back to the Second Blight…
While not quite as large as the library back home, nor with as wide ranging a list of subjects, the shelves in Cullen’s office still overflowed with tomes. Almost from the moment of their arrival, Will made it a habit to spend a part of each day ‘checking in,’ but in reality, sorted through the volumes at hand. He never tried to hide that fact; his old friend knew him too well for him to be successful at hiding it. And yet, the commander never tried to dissuade the activity either.
For the past few weeks, though, Will had been doing his best to sneak out with a volume to read – at night before sleep or when traveling throughout Thedas. So far, he’d gone through a dozen and he was fairly certain his friend was blissfully unaware of the fact his books had been missing.
At least, until the day he walked in to find Cullen waiting for him, heavy tome in hand. The glare his friend gave him would have sent Will retreating had it not been for the fact he needed to update the commander on the red lyrium they’d found in the Hinterlands.
“What is this?”
Will’s attention was caught by the book that Cullen twisted back and forth in his hand. “A…book?”
Cullen rolled his eyes and slammed the tome onto the corner of his desk before stalking around to sit. Cautiously, William moved further into the room.
“I am well aware that it’s a book,” Cullen retorted. “What I want to know is why you put it here in place of Brother Genitivi’s Tales of the Destruction of Thedas.”
“Whatever do you need the good Brother’s dusty old tome for?” Will countered, walking over and placing the Tales on the desk in front of Cullen. He ignored the scowl thrown in his direction and instead moved around to get a glimpse of whatever it was Cullen thought he…
Oh.
“You-you can’t be serious!”
The former Templar snorted. “You know me better than that. I am always serious.”
Lifting the offending tome – and Will now fully understood the hint of pink still staining the man’s cheeks, neck and ears – he took a quick step backwards as Cullen lunged for it. “Yes,” Will replied mildly as he fought the twitch at the corner of his lips, “you always were serious. But I assure you, I had nothing to do with this.”
“That I don’t believe for a moment.” Pushing to his feet, Cullen stalked back around Will over to the wall of shelves. “Explain to me then why it was in the exact spot where the Tales were kept?”
His eyes were drawn to the space between books on the third shelf where the book had once stood. “I… Cullen, you know I wouldn’t do such a thing!”
“Do I? It’s been…what, ten years? Twelve? Since we last saw one another? You could have changed since then. An no one knows what books are out there better than you.”
The twitch gave way to a lopsided grin. “Well, that’s high praise coming from you.”
“Quit changing the subject!”
“I can assure you, I did not, under any circumstances, replace Brother Genitivi’s Tales of the Destruction of Thedas with a copy of Hard in Hightown!”
For a moment, the room was completely silent. In the end, he would never know who started to laugh first, but it hardly mattered. What began as a small squeak or chortle ended up with the two warriors bent over at the waist before falling to the floor laughing so hard they could not stand. Time had no meaning…at least until one of Leliana’s messengers entered to discover them sitting there, faces red, holding their stomachs.
“Commander, Sister Leliana asks that… Oh, p-pardon me…”
They turned around and were out the door almost before either man noticed their presence. It set off a new round of laughing that lasted nearly as long as the first.
When their amusement finally waned, leaving both men weak and wheezing, Cullen sitting with his back propped against his desk and William with his against the wall and bookcase, Cullen groaned. “I am never going to hear the end of this, am I?”
Snickering softly, Will had to clear his throat before he could speak. “You are most welcome. It will do your stuffy reputation no end of good, and you know it.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.”
Running a hand through his hair, Will ventured, “So, who do you think really did put that book on your shelf? Or, do we have a security breach that needs closing?”
“Maker only knows. Probably Sera or Dorian, if I had to guess.” Pushing to his feet, Cullen rose and walked over, offering his hand to William who took it.
As he dusted himself off, Will considered that for a moment. Hmmm. Snatching the scandalous book, he opened it to the fly page… “Or, perhaps the author himself?”
Behind his desk again and straightening his papers, Cullen darted a look over at him. “What was that?”
Will set the book on his desk, turning it so Cullen could see the signature. The giggles snuck out the moment Cullen’s cheeks went red. As the former Templar slammed the cover closed, he growled, “Get on with you! We’ve a perfectly good library for you to borrow books from!”
Biting back another wave of full-blown laughter, William turned to exit the office. He’d just reached the door when Cullen called after him, “And don’t think I don’t know this was your doing!”
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Cassandra told me about her…book.”
Will froze momentarily before looking back over his shoulder. Rather than a worried look, however, he gave the man his widest grin. “What would you do without me, huh?”
He managed to yank the door closed behind him just in time to keep the book from hitting him in the head…