killedwithlove | for insurgoaltus

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for insurgoaltus

Cole had said he would go to Val Royeaux when they next went there.

It happened sooner than anticipated. Cadash returned from her expedition in Valammar and, as Cole had predicted, Varric was heart broken, the betrayal a step beyond what he could take, even from his beloved, elusive Bianca.

Cadash promptly announced they were going as a group to Val Royeaux. Not just her and Varric, but anyone and everyone who wanted to come and sort out business. Uniforms needed making for this ridiculous ball, Varric needed a cheer up which meant new bow components, Solas was complaining about a lack of the pigments he wanted, and in the end Cadash had just yelled a lot and bundled up everyone who might want to go or be needed.

They made a long, straggling caravan trail of horses, nugalopes, dracolisks and foot soldiers. Cole, still unable to ride on his own, had hopped up onto Dorian's horse for most of the trip, wandering away and back as he was called to help.

But as they drew closer, he went quiet, cuddling into Dorian's back and watching the great, White Spire with an apprehensive gaze. He wanted to make new, better memories to wipe away the fear of his last trip to this place, but that didn't make facing it now any easier.

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"Yes, I'm talking to the horse. He doesn't mind the two of us, because we don't weight a lot, but he's walked a long way."

Ahead of them, Cadash was guiding Flopsy, her Nuggalope, into the stable to loud, startled cries.

Dorian shot an amused look over to Varric, before he clasped Cole's arm. "Well, let's make his load a little lighter, eh? Ready to get down?"

Cole nodded, twisting to slide off the horse and land on his feet. He moved to help Varric, not saying anything, just offering a hand to help him down from the height before drifting back to Dorian.

Dorian was leading the horse into the stable, trying not to laugh as the poor stablehands tried to figure out where they were going to put a gigantic nuggalope.

"I am not sure your nuggalope is going to fit, Inquisitor." He drawled, as he held out a hand for Cole. "Shall we three leave you to to wrangle the mounts?"

"She'll fit," Cadash yelled from somewhere in front of Flopsy.

"She won't," Cole commented. "But she won't mind that if she can push over a stall wall. If we stay, they'll make us try and help and we can't."

"Just pay them for the wall, Inquisitor." Dorian said cheerfully, as he handed the reins of his horse, and then Varric's, to a tongue-tied stable hand. "There you go, my lad. Here, gold coin to put our mounts in when she's done fussing."

He turned to the other two, "Gentleman, shall we make ourselves presentable?"

"Yes, but not together," Varric warned.

"No, not together." Cole slid his hand into Dorian's. "I don't want to take a bath with you like I do with Dorian."

"And I'm going," Varric promised.

Dorian beamed at Cole, before turning a mock glower on Varric. "You had better. I don't want to find you hiding in the tavern later. Cole will find you, you know."

He tugged on Cole's hand, "Come along, beautiful man. Time to get you cleansed."

"Anywhere," Cole promised. Which wasn't meant to sound menacing or threatening, but could be taken that way.

"I'm not beautiful," Cole protested, but he trotted along behind Dorian.

Dorian shot an amused look over his shoulder, as he went to claim the keys to their rooms. "Says you. You are beautiful to me, so, just deal with it."

He pocketed Cole's key, and took his, letting them know they would need to use the bathing facilities as soon as they dropped off their things upstairs.

Cole gave a small, pleased smile to Dorian. The place they were staying was grand, with private bathing areas as well as large, communal hot springs.

The door was open and waiting, their luggage being moved in. Well, Dorian's luggage. Cole didn't own anything to put in luggage.

And true to the service - the bath in the room was run, hot water beginning to steam. Oils were brought in, as was different soaps and rather large, fluffy white towels as well. Dorian tipped them well - gambling had gone well this week - and gestured to Cole.

"Right, off with those flithy things."

Cole was already wandering the room, hands brushing over objects, murmuring softly to himself and the items as he went.

"Hm? Okay." He started stripping, leaving clothes in his wake as he moved.

"You know, I hope you only remove your clothes so easily for myself and our trusted friends." Is Dorian's amused reply, as he digs through his own clothing. Simply made things are not his style, but he was prepared in this case. "I have some clean clothes you can change into -- into the bath with you, and dunk under."

"No."

He walked to the bath, stepping into the water with a soft hiss. "Just you." Then he slid under, rubbing his fingers through his hair to get it soaked before surfacing.

Dorian gave a warm smile at that, before he tutted and went to get the soaps. "Honestly, Cole ... look at the state of you. Proper bathing should not go un-done."

He took the fine smelling shampoo, and poured a generous amount in his hands, before toeing off his boots and socks, so he could keep them from getting soaked, while he gently lathered the soap into Cole's fine hair.

"Getting clean is always being undone. With sweat and dirt and dust and blood."

Cole started washing off his hands and arms on his own. He had a new collection of scratches from their travel to the city.

"Sex. Sex undoes bathing."

"Which is all the more reason to keep doing it, then. To take off the layer of all those things." He gently ran his fingers through Cole's scalp, smiling a little.

"Yes it does, but we aren't having sex right now, now are we?"

"No, we're not. I know that." He paused in scrubbing to close his eyes, rocking slightly with Dorian's attentions, giving low moans of contentment.

"Oh well good. Sooner or later we will have more sex though." He hummed softly, as he enjoyed those low moans. "Probably sooner rather than later ... but then that's what more bathing is all about, Nug."

Cole hummed instead of saying anything, pushing into Dorian's hands and then relaxing heavily into him.

Dorian grinned, as he continued to scrub Cole's hair. Then he pushed him gently under the water to rinse out the soap, and then poured more shampoo over his hands. Scrubbing into his scalp, and leaving the suds in there, before he eyed Cole's skin. "And now, I am going to have you scrub. Thoroughly."

Cole went down as he was pushed, rinsing out thoroughly and resurfacing with a soft gasp. "Thoroughly?"

"Absolutely thorougly." Dorian intoned, sweeping his hands through Cole's damp hair, and prssing a kiss to Cole's bare shoulder.

With such a thorough washing, it will undoubtedly have a rare chance to show how pale gold it really is before Cole manages to make a mess again.

He smiles at the kiss, twisting to look at Dorian.

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