Work Text:
Cullen closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Trev had a few errands to make and decided to take the women with her. Why in the name of the Maker, did she need Vivienne, Cassandra, and Sera to collect elfroot and Paragon’s Luster?
He was scheduled to meet with Bull regarding his report in 20 minutes…
So he sat there in his office on this tiny, tiny chair that not only hurt his backside but also made him afraid to move. Hurt butt? OR fall and hurt butt ...and break the chair?
He chose to be still.
“Daddy, here is your tea cup! Aaannnd I’m going to serve you a snack.” Cullen couldn’t help but to smile at the little girl bouncing happily from the round table to her toy box. Kayla just turned four a week ago. Josephine, Maker bless her, bought her an Antivan tea set that she absolutely loved. Damn tea set. Cullen scowled. Kayla’s brownish gold curls sprung up and down merrily around her round light brown face. Honey-colored eyes twinkled in innocent wonder.
His honey-colored eyes.
“Thank you,” he said as he watched her set up his “snack” which was imaginary something. He decided to just relax and let her take over. He could think over Bull’s report in the meantime.
Multi-task it.
His thoughts regarding the last lead they had on Solas’ spies was cut off by a series of taps on the door. “Commander? I’m coming in.” Dorian. Not “Commander, may I come in?” But “I’m coming in.” Dorian peeked his head inside the office before opening the door fully. Seeing the little girl, he smiled and squatted down on his knee, “Commander Kayla! Come here!” She smiled and ran into his open arms.
“Uncle Dorian, you sit here!” Kayla scrambled away from him and ran to the chair opposite Cullen’s.
“Um, my dear child, although I would love to, I can’t. I just wanted to speak to your father briefly. Commander-“
“Sit!” Both Cullen and Dorian looked at the little girl in shock.
“Kayla! What- no-no. Don’t start-“ Cullen knew that look. Kayla poked out her lip and squeezed her eyes shut as if she was going to cry.
Raising his hands up in surrender, Dorian said, “Okay Kayla, I’ll sit. But I can’t stay for long.”
“Kayla…” Cullen looked sternly at Kayla’s supremely smug face. As she proceeded to set Dorian’s side of the table Cullen and Dorian exchanged a look.
“You insisted on barging in.”
Dorian shook his head in shame and looked behind him at the little girl pulling more stuff out of her toy box. “My dear, I don’t drink tea, I drink wine.”
Cullen glared at Dorian in disgust.
“Daddy’s juice is on his table.” Cullen covered his face with his hand to stifle a laugh when he looked at Dorian’s totally shocked (and slightly impressed) face.
Tap, tap, tap.
“What.” Cullen called out to whoever was at the door.
“It’s me.” Bull.
Kayla’s head snapped up and she rushed to the door Bull’s voice came from.
Opening the heavy door, Kayla smiled when she saw Bull. “Uncle Bull, you sit over here!”
Kayla ran behind Cullen’s desk and pulled out another small chair. Damn.
Bull looked at Cullen and Dorian suspiciously as he walked inside. “Nuh uh, Kayla. I came to talk to your father about-“
“Sit!”
Shocked again, Cullen tried to stand up but didn’t realize how difficult it would be from such a low position. Instead he tried to give Kayla “the look”. Kayla smirked as Bull sat down, somehow, on the little seat.
Defeat.
Kayla gave him his cup, saucer, and snack and returned to the toy box.
“I read the report you sent to me Bull. What do you think about the new lead?” Cullen, Dorian and Bull began to discuss the report when Thom Rainier walked in. “Commander I wished to discuss Bull’s report on- what are you…doing?”
“Mr. Thom!” Kayla grinned in delight. “You sit here!”
“I uh…”
“Sit!” The three other men yelled in unison.
Thom watched as Kayla grabbed another seat from behind Cullen’s desk. Then he sat down.
The table was silent as the men looked at one another. Cullen crossed his arms and smirked. “You guys want to finish discussing this or what?”
Kayla busied herself as she pretended to refill their tea cups. The men sat around the table and mumbled “thank you” as she buzzed around the table.
20 minutes later the men stopped talking when they heard loud banging at the door.
“Come in!” Cullen tried to lift himself out of the death seat to get to the door.
Fail.
Varric and Cole walked in. They both smiled at the sight of the other four men sitting at the round table on tiny, tiny chairs.
“Kayla, you threw a tea party without inviting your most favorite uncles?!” Kayla beamed.
“You sit here Uncle Varric!” Kayla pulled out another small chair from the back of Cullen’s desk.
“Where the fu-, what the fu-“ Dorian was sputtering in astonishment. “How?”
Varric sat down happily at the table when he noticed the other guys staring at him, “What?! I Like tea parties!”
Cole nodded in agreement
“You sit here!” She pointed to Cullen’s desk for Cole to sit on top of and proceeded to give them their dishes once he got settled.
Cullen rubbed the back of his neck and surveyed the men in his office. Each who sat down obediently to the four year old Commander who was now rummaging in her toy box. He shook his head as all the guys laughed. Throwing his head back he let out a loud laugh as well.
Kayla ran over to her daddy to give him a hug. She loved to see him smile and laugh. No "work face".
They rubbed their noses together. “I love you.” He kissed the top of her head as she settled into his lap.
“I know daddy.”
His ears reddened slightly when he caught the eyes of the men who were looking at him respectfully. He cleared his throat, “Now, about that lead...” The meeting must go on.