I actually have an ocarina. It's awesome. If you don't know what an ocarina is, obviously you have missed out on the fantastic game known as Ocarina of Time.

The first part just didn't work in Ellia's POV, so I went to Cullen's. Sorry.

Only not. xD Enjoy~~this chapter took extra work to finish. I forced myself because I love you all.

Trying to draw out the awkwardness as much as possible. Teehee.

[Cullen's POV]

He was in his office, as usual. He took a moment to straighten his posture from leaning over his desk, reading the reports on them over and over. He rolled his shoulders back, easing the tension in them. His head was throbbing, his body aching from the lack of lyrium. He sighed, deciding he would take a walk on the battlements, knowing it would do him good. He made for the door on his right, as the battlements to the right would be less populated by soldiers doing their rounds, where if he needed to stand and stare into the surrounding mountain range he would be able to do so without (much) interruption.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky, already behind the mountains to his left as he walked out of his office. The usual sounds of Skyhold were growing quieter as everyone began to settle in for the night, the frigid mountain air filling his lungs as he made an effort to stand up straighter as he walked. He passed by a couple of soldiers on duty, mindlessly returning their salutes. His body felt heavy-sometimes he wondered why he always wore his full set of armor, then he remembered that he was always ready for an attack, his thoughts flickering to Haven, then Kirkwall, and even the Circle in Ferelden…

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard a low, melodic sound. He was on the far battlement, behind the now complete stables, and the sound was coming from his left. He started; he wasn't sure if the sound was really there, as he knew the sounds from the tavern usually carried all the way to his bedchamber above his office. He sighed, hoping it wasn't a soldier slacking, and began to move in the direction he heard the music. As he walked, more shadows fell, and Skyhold was cast in the amber hues of the setting sun. Instead of the music getting quieter, it grew louder as he grew closer. It was a very beautiful sound. He saw a figure sitting on the battlement wall, and prepared himself to give a lecture. As he drew closer, however, he saw who it was.

Ellia sat on the wall of the battlements, her eyes hardly open as she blew on an ocarina gently. He always had a problem forming coherent sentences around her, but finding her alone, playing a musical instrument-he hadn't expected this at all. She always caught him off guard, her forest green eyes staring up at him innocently with sly smiles and a quiet word of encouragement. Here she was doing it again, not even noticing him; her hair was down, like it had been the other night when she stumbled into his office in the dead of the night, breaking down in front of him as she tried to retell what happened at Therinfal Redoubt. She had smelled of dawn lotus and soap; a scent that had lingered on him all night, leaving him unable to concentrate on anything after he had bade her goodnight at her door. She had smiled at him, making his stomach twist, before saying good night back. This evening she wore a sleeveless tunic with a skirt that had an exceptional amount of folds; green seemed to be her favorite color, as the tunic and skirt were both different shades of green, making the tattoos on her face seem a bit bolder than usual. As the thought 'Maker, she's beautiful' crossed his mind, immediately after it was followed with 'this woman will be the death of me'.

He watched her, captivated by her serene beauty. The song she played sounded sad, no doubt as it probably held some meaning to her that she wouldn't share. Suddenly her eyes turned to him, and she jumped, the song stopping suddenly as she almost fell over the edge of the battlements; he rushed forward and grabbed her, pulling her down to safety beside him.

"C-Cullen!" she stammered, grasping his arms tightly, her face an enjoyable shade of pink.

"Ellia." He replied, his voice lower than he had intendeds.

"You startled me." She breathed, and he chuckled.

"I figured as much, when you almost toppled over the edge of Skyhold."

"I wasn't about to topple over, thank you." x

"As you say, Inquisitor." He said, amused, slowly releasing her. She backed away almost instantly, clutching the small ocarina to her chest, looking rather embarrassed.

"I uh…um…" she seemed unable to meet his gaze. He shifted uncomfortably.

"I apologize, Inquisitor. I didn't mean to startle you." He offered, and she looked up at him.

"It's alright." She said, letting her arms drop to her sides, still holding the small instrument tightly. "I just didn't think anyone could hear me play over here…"

"You play beautifully." He said honestly, and even in the growing darkness of the day, her face seemed to blush perfectly at his praise. "I didn't know you did play."

"Oh, it's nothing…" she said, trying to wave it off, but he raised an eyebrow at her, smirking slightly, making her shift her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Okay it's not nothing. I picked it up when I was little and I just haven't ever stopped." She paused, grimacing. "Varric says I should definitely be a bard, but that'd mean I'd have to deal with stupid nobles all the time." Cullen allowed himself to laugh lightly at that.

"So you play while you're out in the field?" he asked, leaning against the battlement wall, and she smiled, still looking a bit embarrassed about it.

"Yeah…I can't help it." She admitted. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with that." He said gently, and she laughed lightly, her eyes twinkling as she held his gaze.

"I guess not. Still, I hadn't expected anyone to come over and nearly scare me to my death." She joked, and now it was Cullen's turn to feel abashed. He immediately went to rub the back of his neck, looking away.

"Well, I needed a change of scenery, so I decided to go for a walk…"

[Ellia's POV]

Damn you Cullen, being perfect and cute and so…perfect. The man simply knew how to catch me when I wasn't expecting it. Whether it was on purpose or accidental had yet to be seen.

"How are you doing?" I asked gently, realizing his walk was probably also an escape from thinking about lyrium. Cullen sighed, shooting me a glance.

"I'm alright. Nothing I can't handle." He said quietly, sighing as he stood up straight from leaning back on the battlement wall. The strength in him; I guess I had always assumed he was strong as hell, but when he yanked me off the wall to keep me from falling, I had definitely been surprised by how strong he was. I had seen him shirtless, and I had seen his built frame, but to feel that strength being used on me…

"Good. You let me know if you need anything." I said, keeping my thoughts from going any further than where they were already heading. He gave me his signature smirk, and I bit my lip. Creators be damned that they create someone so beautiful that I couldn't have.

"I will. Thank you for being concerned." He said, inclining his head slightly.

"You know, Cullen, I would be more than thrilled if you would join me on my excursion to the Exalted Plains." I said, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"I wish." Cullen did sound wistful, as the thought seemed to be entertained in his mind for a short minute. "Unfortunately, I can't plan troop movements or keep the recruits in line if I'm out in the field."

"I know." I let my shoulders drop, giving him a sad expression, "It was worth a shot, asking though." I said, tucking my ocarina into the pocket of my skirt.

"I do appreciate the offer though." Cullen said, and I smiled at him.

"I guess Blackwall will have to suffice." I said, gesturing to the battlements, silently asking to walk with him. He smiled back, silently accepting my offer as we began walking back towards his office. "Blackwall is my mediator between Dorian and Solas. The two bicker like children, only instead of fighting over toys it's over slavery, the Fade, spirits, and other such mage nonsense."

"You seem to have grown quite close to Dorian." Cullen said, probably a bit stiffer than he meant to. I knew about the rumors flying around Skyhold (no doubt thanks to Varric and Sera) so I immediately groaned.

"Oh Cullen." I said, rolling my eyes in his direction, "Dorian likes men."

"But you and….he what?" Cullen seemed completely shocked at this news. I smiled sympathetically at him.

"Have you not noticed how he tries to flirt with you?" I asked as we entered his office, and Cullen coughed uncomfortably. "Oh my goodness, you haven't." I said in awe, and Cullen's ears turned red, his lips a thin line.

"I…had assumed…" he seemed unable to put it into words, and I met him with a level gaze.

"Contrary to the rumor mill that Varric and Sera circulate here in Skyhold, I don't sleep with everything that moves." I said dryly, not feeling very amused.

"I hadn't thought that-I-Maker's breath, forgive me." Cullen just didn't seem able to speak coherently tonight.

"Take a deep breath." I said, folding my arms over my chest. Cullen did just that, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Then he looked at me.

"I know better than to believe the rumor mill." He said evenly. "Just you and Dorian, you definitely seemed closer than…well…your other companions." He added carefully. I sighed; he had a point.

"I greatly enjoy Dorian's company, this is true." I admitted. "And if our flirting constantly puts stock in rumors, then I guess that's our fault." I waited; Cullen didn't say anything immediately. I took his silence as an opportunity to assess my commander's office; there was a hole in the roof, I knew that, and the dirt and broken boards and debris from when we had first moved in had simply been pushed into the corner. Cullen had two bookcases by his constantly messy desk, overflowing with books; there were also stacks of books on the floor besides them. I was certain he slept above his desk, the ladder leading to the upper 'floor' gave me a clue as I knew he didn't sleep in the main keep: there was no way of telling if that area was any cleaner. Outside of the walkways of his soldiers coming and going, the office was a mess. "Cullen, you need to let us clean your office."

"It's alright, it doesn't bother me." Cullen responded with a wave of his hand. I scowled at him, and he simply laughed. "So, the Exalted Plains?" he asked, his eyes still crinkling in a smile as his hands rested on the pommel of the great longsword he wore. I sighed.

"Yeah…the civil war seems to be on hold, and it's too quiet, according to the scouts." I walked over to his desk, picking up a report; the report was on the Hinterlands, and I had cleared that area before Haven fell. I set the report back down, turning to face Cullen. "Apparently there's a lot of undead and demons running around, so we're going to go check it out."

"Sounds like blood magic." Cullen said darkly, also walking over to his desk to pick up a different report. I swallowed; Cullen was standing awfully close, so close I could smell the coffee and the scent of the mountains around us that he seemed to carry with him wherever he went.

"It probably is." I agreed, sighing. I licked my lips absentmindedly, thinking maybe now would be a good time to ask…if there ever was a good time, considering how the world was probably ending and all, what with Corypheus and-

"Ellia? What's wrong?" Cullen's voice brought me back to the present, in which I realized how close he was, I could see the crow's feet lining his eyes, his beautiful amber eyes searching mine, I could feel his breath on my face and I felt the yearning in my chest, to stand on my tiptoes to reach up and press my lips against his but-

"Can I talk to you? Alone? I mean, we're already alone, but um…you know what I mean." it came out sounding squeakier than I had hoped, and Cullen blinked.

"Alone? I-I mean, of course-" and before we had a chance to say anything else, the door opposite of his desk slammed open, and we jumped away from each other as Varric barged in unceremoniously.

"Your Inquisitorialness! There you are." Varric seemed completely oblivious to the beginning of a serious conversation that probably wasn't going to happen for another month now, at the earliest. "Sparkler thought you'd be here."

"Sparkler?" Cullen asked, confused. I rolled my eyes.

"Dorian." I explained, and Cullen acknowledged that with a sigh.

"Come on, I finished that book for Cassandra, you said I'd get to be there when you gave it to her." He said, holding up a tightly bound mix of papers. I looked apologetically at Cullen.

"Varric, could it-"

"Come on! You're leaving for the Plains tomorrow right? Now is the perfect time to give it to her." Varric still seemed oblivious to the glower he was receiving from Cullen, and I sighed in abject defeat.

"Alright, just give me a moment." I said, giving Varric a look that said 'give me a moment alone with Cullen you oblivious dwarf'. Varric bowed dramatically before backing up out of the door.

"Very well, Twinkle-Toes. Hurry up." He closed the door behind him, and Cullen chuckled.

"Twinkle-toes?"

"He gives everyone a nickname." I said, exasperated. I turned to Cullen. "So about um…what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Yes?" his feigned innocence was driving me nuts. Or maybe it wasn't feigned, and he really didn't know, or I was just incredibly awful at this flirting business. I suddenly found it hard to put what I wanted to say into words.

"I um…well…I'll see you before I leave tomorrow?" I took the coward's way out, and Cullen gave me his atypical smirk.

"Of course."

"Well I'll see you tomorrow, we can talk about it then. If you want." I added hurriedly. Cullen chuckled, making my stomach flutter wildly.

"Very well, we'll talk about it tomorrow." He said quietly. After a second, he coughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You…might want to catch up to Varric." I flushed.

"Right. Good night!" and I rushed out of his office before I could embarrass myself further. I ran into Varric inside the rotunda with Solas. Varric had the smuggest look on his face.

"Getting cozy with the Commander, hm?" he asked, and I walked up to him, punching his arm. That only made him laugh and Solas couldn't help but smirk knowingly as well.

"I hate you both." I growled, feeling my face get hot; that only made Varric laugh harder. "Ugh come on. Let's go find Cassandra."

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