the night that keeps our secrets
[ cullen rutherford x inquisitor!reader ]
author’s note: him!!! beloved!!!! loml !!!! i am so fucking soft for this guy you have no idea. anyway - the one where its the inquisitor, whose head is heavy under the weight of a crown they did not ask for. angst, comfort, alcohol mention
word count: 1568
The battlements were quiet that night.
Torchlight shone faint in the darkness. The range between the dying embers had grown long and sparse where a sentry was not required. Absolute darkness reigned wholeheartedly, where repairs to the old crumbling masonry had not yet been completed. Only the starlight kept you company here, on this stretch of stone that had become yours and yours alone. Moonlight illuminates the heart you allow to bleed on your sleeve in the presence of no one but the Maker, Andraste, the Elvhen gods of old.
Skyhold was at peace, after such a harrowing win. A raging celebration had cloaked your base from the stables all the way to Leliana’s aviary - a collective exhale, finally, breathed new life into not only the Inquisition itself, but those supporting the cause you had, once upon a time, questioned on your own. It was infectious, this taste of victory, especially when the road to get here was long and cruel and tedious. Roaring fires have calmed to kindling now, the rest of the Keep not too far behind for the night.
There was still much to be done, but this night provided a vital respite that no one seemed to oppose.
It was a calm thing, at such an hour so late. The pathways up into the depths of the stronghold were occupied by the occasional pair, group, lone survivor stumbling to bed in their own corner of the castle.
Your time was your own, now - and by the way Bull kept sliding rounds of Maraas-Lok your way - it was a welcome thing, slipping away from your friends. Dawn was fast approaching, and you hoped to at least have your head about you when the time came to greet it. Sleep sounded a welcome way to temper the evening, but - exhausted as you were - it would never stay for long. So, here you came. Slipped away through the shortcut passages that were less traveled, less well known among those that weren’t under your direct chain of command.
Not many knew to look for you here. Save Cole, because he was Cole. He watched over you, here at Skyhold. Out of sight, always, but without a doubt, at your back nonetheless. Leliana, of course - the Nightingale was spymaster of the Inquisition for a reason. And, finally -
“Oh, I - there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”
Cullen.
So lost in your thoughts as you were, with your gaze tipped up, up, up, towards silver-lined clouds wisping over bright constellations and velvety darkness alike. The steady breeze gliding over your skin had a calming effect this evening. Gentle as it was, a natural balm to any sleepless night, especially on the worst ones. You hadn’t realized this serenity had been broken by heavy footfalls on stone, and, hidden by the wind swirling past, was the familiar rustle of the fur cloak he never went without.
“Didn’t I leave you fast asleep in my quarters?”
Weiterlesen
