Work Text:
Cullen glanced over the various reports on his desk, sighing at the mess. He was embarrassed by the unkempt documents. His desk was usually very organized when it came to his work, but the last few days, the last week had him distracted. Between the battle in the Arbor Wilds, the aftermath and spending time with Aurelie, he had fallen behind on his work. He wanted to be with her as much as he could before she had to leave- he was still afraid she wouldn’t come back, and that he’d be alone once again. So, he performed his duties as commander from the war room and answered letters from her office, just to be close with her. Sometimes, he wished the war never had to end, if it meant they didn’t have to lose one another.
He shook his head, reminding himself how upset Aurelie had gotten the last time he spoke his doubts. She was strong, and powerful… Maker, she had killed a handful of dragons. There was no way she wasn’t coming out of this alive. Cullen looked around the room for a moment to ensure he was alone before pulling open one of his desk drawers. He stared at the small box that had occupied the space for the last few months, his heart skipping a beat as he thought about what it implied. He hesitated before he reached for it, closing his desk as he thumbed over the velvet. He checked, like so many times before, to see if the contents were still safe.
Inside was a simple silverite band, nothing extravagant, save for a small inlaid piece of summer stone. It had cost Cullen a month’s wages to commission Harritt to make it, and another chunk of gold to keep Dagna quiet on the matter. Why he had yet to ask Aurelie… he tried to blame the war, but he had several chances.
Unsure of himself once more, Cullen distracted himself with his work. He placed the box in his coat pocket and focused on the several unanswered reports from the Western Approach. Many were from his second-in-command, Rylen. The water supply had been secured- good news. The bandits in the area were driven back- more good news. Soldiers from Southern Orlais were a week away from Skyhold- Cullen sighed, relieved. He tapped his foot as he struggled to come up with a reply to the situations. He leaned back in his chair, turning to gaze out the sliver of window. He stared at the horizon and got lost in his thoughts again, wishing his duties away.
“Cullen?”
A familiar voice cut through his daydreaming. Cullen snapped his eyes open before turning to find Aurelie entering his office. She was smiling, and in her hands was a small box, wrapped in parchment. He raised a curious eyebrow, his heart racing as he rose to greet her.
“I was hoping you’d stop by.” He spoke. Aurelie chuckled.
“Even after all the time we’ve been sharing?” She teased. Cullen sighed, before becoming distracted by what she carried. She noticed, and crossed over the short distance to his desk. “A little birdie told me that it was your name day last week.”
Cullen froze, unsure of how to respond. He hadn’t meant to hide the fact from her. It was inappropriate to draw attention to it when there was so much at stake. He wouldn’t see the Inquisition suffer so he could celebrate. Finally, Aurelie placed the gift on the desk. He widened his eyes and shook one of his hands in refusal.
“You didn’t have to-“
“I wanted to.” Aurelie argued. “You…you’re important to me.” She finished, and he noted the small blush on her cheeks. After a moment, he reached out to the small box, grazing his fingers over the small strand of ribbon. “Before you open it, I should explain.”
“Did I ever tell you how I got my scar?” Aurelie acknowledged the faded silver cut that ran over her eyebrow. Cullen shook his head in denial before she continued. “When I was young, just learning…teaching myself how to use daggers, I did what any stupid kid does and smacked myself in the face with the blade.”
She eyed him again, and he had to hold back his grin. It was hard to picture Aurelie ever being bad at her craft. She was a skilled duelist, and as long as he knew her, and not so much as ever dropped a knife, let alone cut herself with one.
“One of my brothers told me that it meant the blade was now lucky, because its first blood was my own.” She pulled a doubtful expression. “I think it was made up bullshit to make me feel better.” She explained.
“But I believed it, and kept the knife with me wherever I went.” Aurelie took in a long breath, glancing to Cullen again. “When…when I went to the Conclave, I thought I had lost it.”
Cullen reached a hand over to hold one of hers, comforting her as she brought up the subject. He knew it was still hard for her to talk about, even with knowing what had fully transpired. She smiled at his gesture.
“When Cassandra gave me my belongings back, I found it had finally broken.” He frown was unsettling- he never liked it when she got upset, no matter the circumstance. He wondered where she was going with all this information.
“What did you do with it?” he asked when she didn’t say anything for a few moments. Aurelie’s grin widened, this time sticking as she continued to speak.
“I kept the pieces for good luck.” Finally she scooted the wrapped box closer to Cullen. “That is…until you gave me a better one.”
Cullen watched as she dug into her pocket to retrieve the coin he had given her months ago. He was surprised to see her still carrying it, the object so readily available. She nodded at him, and he pulled back the paper on the gift, pulling off the lid when it was free. He felt his heart jump at the sight within. In the center atop a bundle of fabric was a broken dagger tip; the edges dull from age and use. On one corner, there was a small hole where a thin strand of leather was looped through for wear. Cullen instantly understood the gesture, and felt an overwhelming sensation wash over him.
Never in his life did he expect to find this, find her, especially within the Inquisition. Thinking on his past mistakes he believed his karma wouldn’t allow for such happiness. Yet, over the last several months, he found solace in Aurelie. She had given him a new purpose, supported him in his decision to stop taking lyrium. She loved him.
“So?” Aurelie’s tone was expectant. “What do you think?” She had rounded the desk to stand near him as he gazed over the object. He glanced up to see her eyes wide in anticipation.
“I…don’t know what to say.” He was being honest.
Aurelie’s smile softened and he wondered how he’d ever repay her. It was something he always struggled with- she was assertive and always spoke her mind. It made it easier for her to share her feelings with him, to show her affection in other ways. Keeping up with her was a challenge; she deserved more- she deserved everything. Cullen snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Aurelie shift away a fraction. He moved his hand much quicker than he meant to catch her arm. To recover, he pulled her in for a hug, sighing when she wrapped her arms around his torso. She rested her head against his chest, and he leaned to rest his chin on the top of her head.
“Thank you.” He finally added. “I’ll treasure it.”
I’ll treasure you, he wanted to add. Instead, he pulled away a fraction and waited her to tilt her head back before claiming her lips in a soft kiss. She smiled against him, shifting her hands so they rested on his shoulders. After a moment, he ran his tongue against her bottom lip, hesitant to deepen the kiss. It was the middle of the day, and any number of soldiers could walk in at any moment. He wasn’t about to let himself get too carried away. When he pulled back, Aurelie was now looking at him with a hazy look, her lips hanging open a little as she breathed.
“You know…I love it when you kiss me like that.” She explained in a soft voice.
“How so?” Cullen was curious now. Aurelie’s grin was bashful.
“Slowly… it’s…”
A knock at one of his office doors pulled them out of the moment and Cullen groaned. Even if he knew this was bound to happen, he didn’t enjoy being right. Aurelie frowned as he stepped away towards the door. At least his soldiers had the decency to knock. It was something they must’ve learned after interrupting him and Aurelie one too many times. He opened the door to find a scout holding a large bundle of reports, eager to set them down. Again, he thought about how much work he had and the backlog of reports still sitting untouched on his desk. Ignoring this new batch would set him back for at least another week. Cullen glanced back for a moment to Aurelie right where he left her, leaning against his desk. She was idly twirling her fingers through her hair, exposing her neck. It was a simple gesture, but one that had his heart pounding.
“Leave us.” He dismissed the soldier without another moment’s hesitation. Cullen hoped they understood- he was not to be disturbed. He secured the door and locked it in place. Aurelie watched him with curious eyes as he paced to the other doors, making sure they locked as well.
“Where were we?” She mused, her smile coy. Her hands rested back on his shoulders as he stepped in front of her once more. Cullen placed his hands back on her waist, pulling her back into his embrace. Aurelie tilted her chin up to brush her lips against his, a quiet hum escaping her when he finally kissed her.
“Right about here.” He replied against her mouth.
The kiss stayed soft for a few moments, longer than Cullen thought it would, considering the tone she held before. Again, he brushed his tongue against her lips, sighing when she parted them to him. She tilted her head into the kiss, willing it to become more passionate as their tongues explored each other’s mouth. Her hands tugged at his shoulders, fingers gripped tightly in the fur of his coat. He responded by squeezing his hands around her waist, propping her up onto his side of the desk.
The chair squeaked against the wood flooring as he pushed it away with his foot, startling Aurelie out of the kiss. Cullen took the opportunity to kiss down the side of her face, loving the taste of her neck. She mewled, and he continued, biting gently against her collarbone. Her hands began loosening the straps of his armor, and he pulled back to observe her. She was becoming better at the task, her deft fingers unlacing the metal from his chest. Before she continued, he pulled the cloak from his shoulders, tossing it onto the desk beside her.
Aurelie slowed her movements, taking her time with the armor on his arms, her fingers barely grazing the laces on his bracers. The way she would peek up at him as she undressed him made it difficult to hold back, but Cullen willed himself to let this pan out slowly. He needed to get better at something as well. She removed his gloves next, tracing a few nails over his palms. A shiver sparked down his spine and he wondered how she could turn simple touches into something so stimulating. She seemed to notice his intrigue and raised his hands to her lips, kissing each digit before leaning up to his mouth once more.
Her mouth molded around his, her teeth scraping gently against his bottom lip. Her hands stayed busy as well. She pulled his tunic out from the waistband of his trousers before raising it up, a palm resting against his abdominal muscles. A finger gently outlined them as they continued to kiss, but as she trailed lower, Cullen couldn’t help but moan. Aurelie smiled against his lips, pulling away to glance at him.
“Slow is nice.” She prompted, reminding him of what she said earlier.
Cullen sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he caught his breath. She was right- her hands were soft as they continued to slide up his torso under his shirt, pulling the fabric up with them. He opened his eyes in time for her to pull the garment over his head, it joining the rest of his gear on the floor. Aurelie’s gaze drifted down his body, and he raised a brow at the way she sucked in breath. He wasn’t always confident in himself, but when she ogled him like this, it had him leaning down to capture her lips in a searing kiss.
Her hands met his waist, and he reached up to start unclasping her blouse. It took him a long few moments before he could open all the buttons, and Aurelie laughed softly as he threw the fabric to the ground. Underneath, he found her thin breast-band, her chest expanding in delightful ways as she took in large breaths. Cullen kissed down her neck again, leaning her back a fraction to slide further down. As he traced his tongue against her sternum, he inhaled sharply at the feel of her fingers on his stomach. She was moving them down in gradual slides, before pulling at the buckle of his belt.
With his trousers lose, her hand slid across his torso again, her fingers pausing to brush against a hipbone. Cullen tried to ignore the way it awoke his arousal, but as he kissed against the hem of her band, she hooked a few fingers into his breeches. Aurelie twisted her hand beneath the leather, and he went still when she cupped him through his smallclothes. He could feel the warmth of her palm along his length, causing him to become that more hard.
“Keep going.” He encouraged, catching her satisfied smirk for a brief moment.
He leaned over her as she squeezed, bracing one hand on the table while his other gripped the flesh of her waist. Aurelie moved her hand again, this time trailing up to the band of his smalls, slipping her fingers past the fabric. Cullen shuttered when she trailed her nails against his erection, and had to rest his head against her shoulder when she wrapped her hand around him again. It was soft, and pulled a heat from him he wished he could live in. Slow was good, but he still jerked against her when she took time to start a pace.
He found himself kissing along her neck again, but it only spurred her movements on instead of distracting her. Aurelie pumped faster, lifting her head to kiss his chin, before flicking her tongue over his scar. Her lips were still hot from their earlier embrace, and he eagerly kissed her. He was close- she wasn’t stopping. Her free hand squeezed against his waist and he thrust into her hand. It nearly toppled her over onto the desk as his orgasm came suddenly and harsh. She slowed her hand, and he felt the wetness cover him as he rode it out.
Cullen struggled to steady his breathing as she pulled her hand away, wiping her palm against her thigh for a moment. He could feel his legs shaking from the energy spent, but wasn’t about to collapse in a heap of his own pleasure. She deserved to feel just as wonderful as he did now. Before she could say anything, he kissed her, hard this time, lowering her so her back was flat against the desk. She was kissing him back, her hands wrapped around him with her hands flat on his back, pulling him closer. He trailed away from her lips, sucking on the skin of her neck until a small red spot formed. Her breathing increased, her chest heaving upwards against his.
With one quick moment, Cullen tugged at her breast band, throwing it behind him. He ran his tongue lower, a trail of his saliva dampening the skin above her breasts. He cupped one in his hand, brushing his thumb over a pert nipple. She arched into his touch, her breath shuttering. He dipped his head down, wrapping his lips where his fingers had just been. He sucked, smirking when she moaned louder. He trailed his free hand to the hem of her trousers, unhooking the metal bracers so he could push his hand further down.
He continued to kiss her chest as he copied her earlier movements. He ran a few fingers across her smallclothes, pausing to savor the dampness he felt through the fabric. He pressed against her a little harder, moving his head down to kiss her sternum. Aurelie continued to fill the room with soft moans, encouraging him to move faster. He rubbed his thumb over the sensitive nub he knew and dipped his tongue into her navel. When she bucked her hips up, he moved his free hand to her waist to tug at her waistband. Cullen slid the trousers down her legs slowly, his fingers catching her smallclothes at the same time.
“Why do you wear these?” he breathed, motioning to her boots. The damned things had too many laces, and he only loosened them a fraction before tugging them off her feet. He was finally free to pull the rest of her clothing away from her, Aurelie leaning up on her elbows to watch him.
“To frustrate you.” She teased, voice breathless.
Cullen kept himself crouched near her feet, and wrapped a hand around one of her ankles as he looked up to her. Without a word, he kissed the skin there, moving his lips up inch by inch until he met her knee. She relaxed back again as he parted her thighs, pressing his lips against the pale skin. He leaned back for a moment to hook her leg over his shoulder before advancing, running a hand back over her sex. She was wet, and Aurelie scooted closer to his hand the moment he pushed his fingers past her folds. Cullen didn’t spend too much time stimulating her with his hand. As she let another groan loose, he replaced his hand with his mouth. He ran his tongue along her folds, savoring her sweet taste. He didn’t do this enough, but as her cries filled the room, he thought about doing it everyday.
He leaned up further, curling his lips around her clit. Aurelie took a sharp breath in, her hips writhing against him. He gripped her hip with one hand before trailing his other up her leg, pressing his fingers below where his mouth was. He teased her and smiled when his name became a chant on her lips. Already, Cullen found himself hard, her pleasure feeding his own.
“Cullen!”
Aurelie’s voice was loud as she clenched hard around his fingers. He had to pull his head away quickly as she clamped her thighs together, thrusting her hips up as she came. Cullen stood, breathlessly watching as she climaxed, amazed by the sight. He had done that- he wanted to do it again, forever, until the end of his days. He moved his free hand quickly to his trousers, pushing them far enough down so that his hardness could slip free. Aurelie relaxed just enough to wrap her legs around his thighs, and looked up at him. Her eyes were dark with desire, and Cullen took little time adjusting himself at her entrance before sliding in.
A groan escaped him, slow and guttural at her slickness, and the way she pulsed around him. Aurelie reached to him, and he obliged, folding his body over hers as he chose a slow but meaningful pace. He pressed one hand into the desk below, the other sliding around her to hold her to his chest. As he thrust, he could feel the desk moving, the creak becoming louder as his movements quickened. Aurelie seemed to ignore it and kissed along his chest, mumbling words of affection. Her breath was hot as it fanned across his chest, igniting the fire within his gut.
All the build-up had Cullen already on edge, especially when Aurelie whispered she was close. He was glad to hear it, for once. He could feel himself losing energy, and lost his rhythm. He managed another well-placed thrust before Aurelie shuttered against him, her walls clamping down around his length. He met her orgasm a moment later, pressing his forehead to hers before claiming another hard kiss. It softened as he relaxed, but felt his knees shaking.
Without much thought, he pulled back, tugging on her arms so she’d collapse onto the floor with him. Cullen breathed a laugh as Aurelie snuggled up to him, their bodies warm and slick with sweat. After a moment, she shivered against him, and he tugged at the cloak that had been discarded on the desk. He wrapped the thick cotton and fur around her shoulders, smiling at the sight of her in it. It was large for her lithe frame, yet suited her personality well.
“Maker, that was…” Aurelie trailed, bringing her hands to her lap as she paused.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she felt at the fabric, Cullen raising his brows in confusion. What was wrong? Aurelie’s hand disappeared into the pocket of the coat, and Cullen felt his throat close up when she pulled out the velvet box. Her eyebrows jumped at the sight, a gasp leaving her lips parted. Never did he think it would happen like this.
“Cullen?” Her eyes were skeptical, as if she was having a hard time believing it as well. He gathered his thoughts, breathing out before taking the box from her. He held her hand in one of his, running a thumb over the back of her knuckles. Her lip was already quivering as he spoke.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now.” He blinked hard, thinking this was his karma catching up to him. He had nothing of a proposal planned, but he figured it should be more romantic than a post-coital accident. She deserved flowers, a well-cooked meal… anything but-
“Yes.” Her voice cut through his thoughts and he snapped his eyes up to hers. She was holding back tears, her other hand pressed to her mouth as her lips quivered. Cullen gulped again.
“I haven’t even asked.” He tried to ignore the fact she had already agreed. Aurelie laughed through her nose, leaning closer to him as he opened the box.
“Marry me.” He asked in simple words. “I know I have no title, and nothing to offer but-“
Aurelie kissed him, softly this time, interrupting him. “I said yes.” She reminded.
Cullen took in a large breath as she smiled, the tears now flowing down her cheeks. He felt his own emotions welling up, but he was getting ahead of himself. He pulled the ring from the compartment and placed it on her right hand, sighing at how it fit perfectly. Only then did he catch her in his arms, holding her tight against his chest as she happily wept. Now, Cullen found himself looking forward to the end of the war. It meant that, after Aurelie defeated the threat she would be his- and he would be whole.