hadriel_logs | but I got a girl in the war, paul, her eyes are like champagne

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but I got a girl in the war, paul, her eyes are like champagne

Who: Cecily Trevelyan and Cullen Rutherford
What: A day in the life of two (future married) people in the murder caves going about their routine.
Where: Skyhold Mark II
When: 3/3
Warnings: n/a

[ Morning spills in to their makeshift home gradually, in the way that you can notice at first and vehemently deny before rolling back over. It's little flickers of daylight at first, and eventually a veritable flood from the windows. The Inquisitor, not and never a morning person, peeks one, irritable eye at it before rolling over with a few indistinguishable mumbles. Falling back into the haze of early morning, she curls into the form of the other person sharing the bed, drawing her knees up briefly to make contact before stretching them out (for once, there is no dog at the foot of the bed).

She stays that way for as long as she can, usually needing to be coerced out of sleep than not. Sometimes it's Pup who does it, licking incessantly at her hand, or joining them in bed with particular vigor. Today doesn't seem to be one of those days... yet. ]

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[ quiet mornings are rare for cullen. between nightmares, a mabari who hasn't quite figured out how to let himself out to use the facilities, and a life spent waking up at dawn with near military precision, mornings are usually not the best for him. oh, it's nice to have some quiet time to himself and the dog. some time to get a bit of exercise in before he bathes and coaxes his future wife from bed. but sometimes he wishes he had the ability to sleep in on a regular basis.

so the mornings where he does manage to have a bit of a lie in? those mornings he basks in, relishing every moment.

he watches as cecily starts to wake, smiling as she curls into him. he carefully drapes an arm about her, thumb rubbing soft circles on the skin of her hip. there's no rush this morning. he's perfectly content to stay and watch her wake on her own terms, occasionally helping things along with a kiss to her shoulder, her neck, her jaw. ]

Cecily... [ he rumbles once she seems a little closer to the waking world, amused, voice still thick and rough with sleep. ] Time to wake up, love.

Edited (wait this icon's better) 2016-04-05 00:32 (UTC)

[ She'd never really learned how to wake like most people in the world. In her youth, she'd been roused by sharp voices and curtains throw sharply aside to let in every last bit of sun. In the Inquisition, she'd needed to be coerced into it at first by tentative workers, who seemed hesitant to rouse the Herald of Andraste, and then eventually she was strong-armed by Josephine, who realized quickly that their very-human Inquisitor would not budge on her own. Eventually, Cecily began waking on her own once she'd grown into the role and its responsibilities a bit more, though she still stayed up far too late with her head bent over letters and the table in the War Room, making up for lost sleep by occasionally nodding off during meetings. Sometimes, she'd wake later to find the room cleared and a blanket draped over her shoulders.

Hadriel is different, of course. There's work to be done, but nothing like at home. Maybe it's the many changes that have set her back a ways, lulling her more easily into falling back asleep than in Skyhold. Maybe it's the recent trauma with the wendigos which led to nightmares that made it more permissible for her to toss and turn for another hour or two.

Whatever the case, she snorts faintly in displeasure, keeping her eyes firmly shut, though she is, of course, awake. It'd be easy to slip back into unconsciousness, particularly with Cullen still here and pressing easy kisses to her skin, but... ]

No. [She mutters, lips barely moving. ] Not time.

[ Is it the medieval equivalent of 'five more minutes, mom?' We just don't know. ]

[ he chuckles. months (years, from his perspective) of sharing a bed has made him very aware of how much cecily is not a morning person. and yet it somehow never loses its charm. ]

Yes, time. [ cullen presses another soft kiss to her shoulder. ] Unless you don't want any breakfast?

[ the threat isn't much of one. whether or not she gets up now, cullen will likely end up making enough food for her as well. and, if their housemates are around, thom and dorian. it's just easier that way. though cooking is always more enjoyable when he has cecily to help or at least to keep him company. ]

[ Oh, no, that isn't okay. In response, she makes an unhappy noise before slinging one leg and one arm across him, ready to fight this decision by clinging tight to his form and trying to ground him. Let it never be said that she plays fair in love and war.

It both is and isn't strange to be sharing a bed with him every night. In Skyhold, it had been more of a luxury (in her time, anyway, while they were fighting Corypheus and the potential for the end of the world). There had been far more nights than not when they'd both had to work late, often apart, and had gone to bed separately in exhausted heaps, if at all. To be able to fall asleep and wake again at his side with the reassuring presence and warmth that it offers is... something she won't take for granted.

Even so, her leg and arm are planted firmly across him, unwilling to budge. And her eyes are still shut. ]

[ another laugh bubbles up out of him as he resigns himself to staying in bed for another while longer. it's not the first time he's put off a meal, nor the first time he's done it specifically for her. he doubts it will be the last.

still, he can't just let things lie. his fingers--gently, so lightly as to barely be a touch--trace swirls on her skin, slowly moving from her hip to the dip of her waist, to her ribcage. it's maybe a little mean, but cullen pays particular attention to the spots he knows are ticklish. it's the easiest way to get her to move, after all, and if she protests he can brush it off as a caress.

hopefully. ]

[ Oh, she doesn't want to deprive him of meals! She just... doesn't want to move. And doesn't want him to move.

At first, the little touches are welcome and she forgives the way that they occasionally make her twitch in reaction... until she realizes what he's doing, how he's doing it deliberately, and snaps out a hand to seize his wrist, one eye open and boring an amused, but warning hole into his own.

He may be stronger, but she has a lot of fight in her, even in the morning. ]

And here I thought you were going to play nice.

[ he smirks. ]

Do I ever play nice?

[ the answer is yes. yes, he does. he's very often nice and tries to be romantic because he's a giant softy. but just as often he gives her the play fights she wants because, well. it's fun. and he's got a competitive streak. and she looks absolutely stunning with determination in her eyes and a smile on her lips. and this morning is one of those mornings where he is perfectly okay with riling her up.

cullen's free hand darts to the back of her knee--she made it an easy target by draping her leg over him--and tickles her there. ]

Are you sure you don't want to get up?

[ Oh, she'll get up... Sort of. The brush of his fingers at the back of her knee elicits a sharp gasp, and then she springs forward to try and pin him down, folding her legs in the straddle, grasping both of his wrists, trying to look more annoyed than pleased. ]

You've got years on me where you've learned Maker-knows-what, and- What if I discover in a few months that you've got somewhere ticklish? I'm clearly at a disadvantage and you've been cheating.

[ It's only fair that he stop it immediately, then, and let her get back to sleep. ]

[ he's easily pinned, though he's grinning all the while. without an ounce of embarrassment, he shifts his hips beneath her and cocks his head to the side. ]

I'm sure you could find a way to distract me if you really wanted to.

[ buuut the door is open a crack to let pup in and out, and they would probably wake up thom and dorian. plus, what he's implying is like the complete opposite of going back to sleep. so that might not be the answer she's looking for. either way, he wins with that one. ]

[ Well. Color her surprised. Cecily raises both brows, adopting a lazy, amused grin as she peers down at him, not at all flustered by the meeting of their hips, but fairly disarmed by his flirtation. ]

You know, I sometimes miss being able to scare you off. [ Rest in peace, the man who so often was thrown sufficiently off-guard when she flirted relentlessly. ] Future Cullen doesn't blush or rub the back of his neck nearly so much.

[ As if to say but I still love future Cullen, she leans in and presses a kiss to the tip of his nose. ]

Fine. Fine, you win. [ She has no problem, really, with being loud or having the door open in a general sense, because she's rather fond of waking up in that particular way, but she does have respect for the other two in the house. Mustering a sleepy pout, she traces aimless lines around his chest, not yet budging. ]

You mentioned breakfast, Commander Obstinate?

[ future cullen still blushes plenty, as evidenced by the pink crawling from his cheeks to his chest. he's just learned to keep moving through it. more than two years of a relationship does a lot to wear away self-consciousness and self-doubt. ]

I was going to make some, if you'd like to join me.

[ you know. now that she's awake and all. ]

I was thinking eggs and potatoes. Maybe with some tea.

[ She hovers for a moment, as if debating whether to try and get a rise out of him now, but the Inquisitor just sighs, mellow-dramatic and hissing, and slinks off of him to one side. Once again curled against him, she lays her head on his chest and hums thoughtfully over the propositioned food. ]

That all sounds fine. [ Cecily concurs eventually, and presses a kiss to his shoulder before rising into a sitting position. She stretches her arms above her head and her legs out in front of her, shaking her head out behind her back, yawning and moving languidly, like a cat. ]

I left something out for you last night, but I think you fell asleep before you noticed. [ She smiles over her shoulder at him, amused again. ] We'll see if they've been eaten, yet.

[ for a moment, he's distracted by the way the lines of her back and shoulders move as she stretches. but he quickly gathers his wits and sits up beside her, dropping a kiss on the side of her head before he slides out of bed. ]

You did? [ he most definitely fell asleep before he noticed. hopefully it's still there, whatever it was.

cullen pulls on a pair of loose pants but forgoes a shirt, stretching and popping his back as he heads to the door. ]

If Pup didn't eat whatever it was, I may put my money on Dorian.

I did. [ Cecily says as pulls on a cotton blouse over her head. She considers a pair of soft, brown trousers that are piled next to the bed, and though she'd rather go without, she resigns to them, figuring she can always slip out of them again if the others aren't home. ] And, no; they aren't to his taste.

[ Dorian's, that is. As they head out of the bedroom, she takes an appropriate amount of time, in her mind, to appreciate the build and tone of his upper body, fingers brushing over his arm as she passes.

If their housemates are home, then they're asleep, though it isn't likely they'd sleep past her. When they reach the kitchen, there is a small plate with a few sugar cookies, nothing special, nothing beyond her simple culinary abilities. As if to show that they aren't poisonous, she pops one into her mouth, blinking at him, daring him to suggest she not eat cookies before breakfast. ]

Mmf.

[ there are no objections from him. in fact, he takes a cookie for himself, closing his eyes and savoring the taste. they're his favorite, after all.

he knows his simple tastes have frustrated some people at times, (namely josephine) but there's something to be said for simple classics like sugar cookies. cullen hums with pleasure as he chews, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. ]

It's good Dorian doesn't like these. [ more for him. and it means he doesn't have to fight anyone off for them. which he would totally do because sugar cookies. ]

Sadly, I don't think there's enough to have cookies for breakfast.

[ She can't help but smile as he takes one, chewing thoughtfully on her own and watching his expression, the way he's always seemed to find happiness in little things, and something warm and happy curls up and settles inside her. ]

He may, but I doubt it. [ What kind of cookies do they like in Tevinter? She'd never asked. She thinks of bold, rich flavors, maybe deep chocolates and caramels. ] And I never said we would have them for breakfast. I'm still very interested in the potatoes, eggs, and tea.

[ As such, the Inquisitor drifts to retrieve the kettle and fill it with water from the sink before setting it onto the stove, which she's (mostly) got the hang of. ]

Where is Pup? I'm surprised we haven't seen him yet.

[ as if on cue, pup comes bounding in from the direction of the front door, barking happily around the boot he seems to have dug up from somewhere. ]

I suppose that answers that question. [ cullen kneels down and takes the somewhat mangled shoe from pup's mouth. ] You finally figure out how doorknobs work, then? [ pup barks an affirmative. ] That's a good boy.

[ grinning, cullen scratches pup behind the ears. and when the mabari flops on the floor and shows his belly, well. who can resist giving him a belly rub? cullen restrains himself from dissolving into the baby talk most people seem to launch into around animals, but only just. ]

[ A man and his dog. The Inquisitor sighs audibly, trying to stuff away the fond smile, meeting eyes with the hound for a second before it flips over to be scratched. ]

He does not know how to use the door. [ Is what she settles on, returning to the tea. ] You know he can't.

[ Maker, she hopes it isn't true. They'll never get any privacy. ]

Do you think whoever the shoe belongs to might run in after him anytime soon, Commander?

[ pup looks at cecily and barks indignantly. of course he knows how to use the door!! ]

Don't underestimate him. [ cullen says whilst trying to hold back a laugh. ] Mabari are highly intelligent. Most of them who have been trained for war can follow commands much more complex than 'open the door.'

[ and this is the closest cullen will ever get to admitting to the fact that he's kind of sort of given up on pup being a full-time war hound. ]

And you don't need to worry about that. It's my boot. He stole it a while ago. [ it's one of his halamshiral boots that he absolutely hates. which is why he's not fussed that the dog's been stealing and burying it. ]

I know they're 'highly intelligent,' believe me. [ He seems like he knows exactly what she does and doesn't want him to do. Sometimes he'll do one... or the other. ] Do you think he could track down our godly hosts for us, since we've yet been unable to?

[ She's really looking forward to punching them in the face, one day. ]

Ah. Well, then I won't worry. [ Once the water's on to boil, she sets out gathering eggs and potatoes. ] It only looked too fancy to be yours.

[ She doesn't bother to keep the grin out of her tone.

There's a pause, and then: ]

Am I any better at cooking in the future? I'd really like to think I can improve, but it's possible I'm a lost cause. ... Maybe you'd better lie so it doesn't break my spirits.

[ he stays silent, watching her from his place on the floor, highly amused at her question and immediate retraction. something tells him this is one of those situations where it's best not to say anything. like when a woman asks if an article of clothing makes her look fat.

pup, on the other hand, is not keeping track of this conversation at all and decides 'cooking' means 'scraps for the mabari.' he stands up and, back half wagging in excitement, walks around cecily in circles.

food? food? food? ]

[ His silence doesn't bode well. Cecily just sighs, setting down the eggs and potatoes on a plate near the stove, glancing at the teapot to make sure it isn't yet boiling, and then to Pup, who has begun beginning. ]

It isn't ready yet. [ She does scratch him behind the ears, though, then at the back of his neck. ] And I'm not the best person to make you breakfast, given that my culinary skills are apparently doomed to forever fail.

[ To make herself feel better, she moves to where Cullen is still on the ground, and drapes herself over him with a noise of contentment. ]

I have too many secrets. "You can't fear the Inquisitor: she can't cook and her feet are ticklish." How will anyone take me-- [ there's a little 'oof' sound as she adjusts, crossed over him as she is ] --seriously?

[ he chuckles lowly, bringing his hands up to grasp her arms. ]

The Inquisitor hates mornings, delights in making her husband blush, and caters to the whims of a puppy.

[ grasping one of her hands in his, he presses a kiss to her palm. in moments like these he is completely and utterly content, and it shows in his voice and posture. for once, cullen is relaxed. smiling easily. even leaning back into cecily a little. ]

Truly, you are a fearsome woman.

I don't cater to him! [ She says hotly, turning her head to shoot an indignant glare his way. ] Though you won't hear me deny those other two things. Even if you're hard to fluster these days.

[ She'll find a way, though, and will enjoy the process. ]

So fearsome. [ Cecily agrees, lifting her chin slightly and baring her teeth for a few seconds in a mock-snarl. ] Though, without a monstrous throne and a set of steps from which to pass judgment, I feel much less imposing.

[ he won't argue on the catering bit. mostly because he doesn't want to ruin the nice feeling this morning is full of.

but she totally caters to the dog. she paused make-outs for the dog. if that's not catering to him, what is? ]

Perhaps we could find you one. Or build one. [ please don't ask him to build a throne. ] The fearsome Inquisitor should have an equally as fearsome place to rest.

[ he is joking. this is not serious. ]

they sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain

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