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“Could you remind me again why we needed to return to this Maker forsaken place?” Dorian grumbled, pulling his boots up onto his seat to avoid them being soaking by the disturbing amount of water accumulating in the bottom of the boat.
“We’re here, Sparkler, because your boyfriend has an unhealthy relationship with dragons,” Varric groused, picking up Bianca and laying her across his shoulders before looking at the Inquisitor. “And because her Inquisitorialness owe him one after almost getting you killed.”
“She did not…”
“I did not…” Both Dorian and Evelyn issued the denial at the same time, Evelyn following hers up with a slap at Varric’s shoulder before continuing, “Bull just pointed out that this might be a good time to test out those new dragon-slaying runes Dagna made for him.”
“There is no bad time when it comes to dragons Boss,” Bull asserted as he jumped over the front edge of the boat and pulled it up onto shore. “Let’s go find her.”
“You are far too pleased with this Amatus,” Dorian chided, but there was a small smile on his face as he followed his lover. It was almost impossible to be mad when Bull was bouncing on the balls of his feet like a child. Of course, it had to be dragons. Venhedis, why couldn’t the man get excited by nugs?
It was a thought Dorian would have again when they finally reached the dragon after slogging up several muddy slopes and more rain-slicked rocks than he ever hoped to encounter again. Because, of course, the dragon had to breathe lightning. Dorian was seconds away from making a sarcastic comment about lightning and water when he encountered first-hand the other problem with dragons. Specifically dragon teeth.
Oh, he had known the half he wore around his neck was huge and though he would never admit it, he was growing to find the weight a comfort. An unspoken reassurance that he was cared for. However, today, was the first time he’d been out in the field since Bull had clasped it around his neck. Dorian spun as he normally would to make certain the barrier he threw would catch all of his companions but when he stopped, that damn tooth continued moving. The weight of it altering his cast just enough that it left Bull vulnerable. “Kaffas,” Dorian snarled, frustrated at having to waste mana to throw a second barrier.
Knowing about the potential problem didn’t stop Dorian from ending up on his ass a few minutes later when he attempted to counter the pull of the tooth after a spin by immediately taking a step the other way. Unfortunately for him his foot hit a piece of rain-drenched serpentstone and down he went, drawing a booming laugh from Varric.
“Do we need to get you a pedestal to cast from Sparkler?” the dwarf chuckled merrily, easily dodging the small fireball Dorian flicked his way before laughing again at the string of curses Dorian followed up with.
The final straw had been when Dorian had thrown his Immolate spell, twirling his staff overhead as his fingers traced the spell before twisting the staff one more time before him, except that blasted tooth had apparently not been satisfied under his robes and the tip of his staff got caught in the chain. Both the Inquisitor and Bull had glared back at him when the spell hit a good five feet short of his intended location. The string of vehement Tevene that burst from Dorian convinced them to return their attention where it belonged without comment as he quickly tucked the dragon tooth back into his robes.
Even without comment, the dragon dropped before the heat faded from Dorian’s cheeks.
Three days later Bull woke to find himself alone in bed. Again. He had known something was bothering Dorian when the man declined to stay in his room the first two nights after they had brought down the dragon the Blades of Hessarian called Vinsomer. He figured the ‘Vint just needed some space after his ill-placed spell.
Bull understood the frustration in making such a mistake, which could have had much dire consequences than the tips of his boots being singed, so he’d been content to let Dorian work through his thoughts without intruding. When Dorian had finally agreed to spend the night with him last night he’d thought the ‘Vint was done beating himself up over it. Apparently not, Bull sighed to himself as he rolled out of bed. Guess it was up to him to convince the mage he didn’t have to be perfect.
Perfect was the last thing on Bull’s mind almost an hour later as he followed the instructions he’d been given by one of Cullen’s men on how to find his wayward lover. He had already looked for Dorian in all his usual haunts and was starting on the less likely spots, after all who played chess at six in the morning, when one of the guards had remarked on seeing two people in the garden before dawn today. The guard had pointed Bull toward a door he had never even noticed before which lead him through to the ground floor of the Inquisitor’s tower. Moving cautiously to avoid catching a horn on the scaffolding Bull had quickly headed for the stairs to his left, stopping to check each of the four rooms that the stairs led to before walking out the archway at the end of the hallway.
Suddenly perfect was back in Bull’s mind. Absolute perfection actually. Instead of finding his lover sulking Bull found him working through a series of complicated motions. Dorian had stripped to his pants and boots, his body glistened in the early morning light, a sheen of sweat lending definition to his chiseled muscles. Every once in a while when the mage twisted just right Bull caught sight of the dragon tooth around his neck.
Backing up silently into the hallway Bull leaned against the wall, hidden in shadows, and contented himself with watching the series of spells Dorian cast, each one obviously dialed back for training. To be honest he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the ‘Vint train before, which was a shame because the man was a thing of beauty. He watched his mage twirl, almost dropping to one knee with his staff spinning above him before returning to standing, the immolate spell landing harmlessly on the stone.
He might have interrupted then if Dorian hadn’t slammed the end of his staff to the ground and let out a string of curses. He could see the tension in his lover’s shoulders as Dorian repeated the same steps again, and then Bull saw it. The way his left foot slid two inches to the left and forward slightly as he regained his feet. With a frustrated growl Dorian repeated the same steps again, this time Bull noticed his foot slid a little less forward but still about the same two inches to the left. Now that Bull knew what to look for it was easy to see the cause, when Dorian spun the force of the spin caused the dragon tooth on his chest to slam into the smaller man’s shoulder.
Again and again Dorian repeated the same steps, until finally he spun and his foot stuck. Instead of a curse this time Bull thought he heard a small laugh before Dorian repeated the moves again, his body learning how to overcome the change in balance. When the ‘Vint finally stopped moving, his shoulders and upper body heaving with the results of his effort, Bull had to choke back a small growl as his eye took in his lover’s form. He took a step forward without even realizing it. Perfection might be too small a word.
Dorian spun on his heel at the sound, a fireball already in his hand before he realized who was standing before him. Snuffing the fire out with a clench of his fist Dorian let the end of his staff hit the ground as he regarded his lover. “I should have known the most secluded location in Skyhold wouldn’t be a deterrent to you.”
Bull didn’t bother to check his aroused growl this time, his gaze moving slowly over Dorian, his eye following a bead of sweat down the mage’s chest. “Now that I know what how tempting you look training you’ll be hard pressed to keep me away.”
“Yes, because I got up at this appalling hour, specifically without waking you, with the thought of enticing you.”
“Kinky,” Bull chuckled, shrugging his shoulder before taking the two steps required to pull his lover to him. “And intended or not, it was incredibly sexy.”
Dorian’s response was swallowed by Bull’s kiss as the larger man spun them around and pressed Dorian’s back to the stone wall. Dorian’s irritation melted as Bull kissed his way down his lover’s throat, pausing to nip at his collarbone before chasing a bead of sweat lower. Bull growled, his hands tightening on Dorian’s hips as the other man’s hands clenched his shoulders, the mage’s head dropping back with a groan.
Bull’s tongue traced the outline of each muscle down Dorian’s abdomen, pausing here and there to nip at skin still glistening in the morning light. As his fingers worked at the laces to his Vint’s pants Bull tipped his head back to take in the lean perfection before him. He didn’t bother to hide his growl of satisfaction at seeing his lover so undone already, his dark hair tousled from his training, his lips parted in a soft moan. Bull felt the shiver run through the ‘Vint as he finally got the laces free and wrapped his hand around his cock.
“Please Bull…”
Bull responded with a bite to his lover’s hip that had Dorian thrusting forward and moaning all over again. Waiting until he felt the tension flee the hands on his shoulders Bull softened the bite to a kiss, licking once over the darkening mark he knew would take days to fade. Shifting to blow out a breath over the tip of Dorian’s cock had his lover tensing up all over again. Tempting though it was to draw out the ‘Vint’s pleasure, Bull could tell Dorian wouldn’t last long, at least not this time. Moving one of his hands to cup his lover’s balls, Bull licked up Dorian’s length in one long stroke before taking him all the way down.
Keeping Dorian’s hips pinned to the wall with one hand Bull worked his mouth over the mage, taking the man into his throat and growling softly. Bull could hear the mage’s head thrash back and forth against the wall before a deep moan poured from Dorian’s throat. “Bull, please…I can’t…Amatus!”
Fuck, it was almost enough to have him spilling in his own pants as his lover’s fingers bit hard into his skin, his nails drawing welts across Bull’s shoulders as he poured himself into Bull’s mouth before going almost completely lax. Ignoring his own arousal Bull drew his tongue across his lover’s skin one more time, cleaning any last bit of spill before tucking Dorian back in and tightening his laces. Keeping a firm hand on his lover he stood, letting Dorian relax against him before kissing him softly.
A soft smile lit Dorian’s face as he whispered, “I might train more often with that as an incentive.”
“Anytime Kadan,” Bull chuckled before sobering, his hand dropping to lay over the dragon tooth against Dorian’s chest. “I didn’t realize it caused you problems, you don’t have to wear it when we...”
His lover’s growl might have been more impressive had he not been cradled limply in Bull’s embrace. “I so rarely do things I don’t want to Amatus.”
“Still…”
“Still nothing, it was simply unexpected the other day. Now that I know, I can adjust for it. Sloppy of me really, assuming my attacks would never need to change,” Dorian grimaced slightly in self-deprecation before a sly smile curled his lips. “Besides, I find the challenge comes with such appealing rewards.”