Cullen could hardly believe that any of this was happening--had she not talked him out of his brief panic, he might have still thought it was a dream about to turn nightmare. His cheeks burned hot when she pressed her lips to his forehead, and he was laughing awkwardly as he turned back to the table. This time he grabbed her hand and took a big swallow of wine.
"I am... beyond words, happy to have you here Lioriley. The Inquisitor could not have found a better helping hand than yours. And of course... selfishly, I hope you wish to stay for quite some time."
Lioriley looked down at their joined hands, her thumb absently rubbing along his knuckles. "I will not leave you again, Cullen." She smiled brightly when she looked back up into his eyes. "The Inquisition needs aid and I am happy to assist. I will remain until and if I am no longer needed — but I will not go without you, and will find a means to remain by your side." Somehow or another.
"Until then, my dear, I think we will work wonders together." She finished her glass. Laughed. "Also, I fear I drank a touch too much in my nervousness."
He noted the tint to her cheeks and the tips of her ears, then tried to recall if the Circle mages had ever been offered alcohol in the tower. If she'd been drunk around him before... he couldn't recall. But that also could have been his own memories disappearing--a time best forgotten.
"I will not leave you, either." Cullen gripped her hand tightly. "Someone needs to watch you when you drink too much--for your own safety, mind. I worry you may expend yourself even more than usual if you are not careful."
She hadn't. Lioriley never drank in the tower and rarely drank after she left. Tiny as she was and with no tolerance to begin with, well, one glass of a fine wine apparently did her in.
She giggled. "Oh, I would not dare do magic while intoxicated." She insisted. "But I am glad you are here. I hope this is not — I am not making a fool of myself."
"Of course you aren't." She was... cute. The way her skin turned darker with the flush of her cheeks, her giggle. "I don't think you could ever do anything foolish. Not in my eyes, at the least."
Maybe it was the wine that he'd drank far more of than her--half the bottle gone, and her having only had one glass for herself--but he squeezed her hand again. "I want you to be able to... let loose around me, like you couldn't before." For her to be free, to express herself however she pleased without worry. As if he wasn't being a hypocrite by asking that of her when he was so full of nerves his stomach churned with each word he spoke.
A sweet sentiment, and one that nearly had her tearing up. Lioriley gripped his hand tight. She never wanted to let go.
"I feel safe with you, Cullen, so I think that should be easy enough to do." She admitted, just a little bashful as she glanced away. "I have a silly request, but there is something I always wanted to do, if you would indulge me." She looked back. "Will you dance with me? I know there is no music here and perhaps I read far too many tales of knights and princesses and fancy gatherings, but..."
Cullen's heart could have burst from his chest when he heard her request, and he was standing and holding a hand out to her before he even realized he was doing it. "My lady, I would be honored to have this dance."
And it was the truth. Even if his cheeks burned as he realized he had no real clue how to dance. But for her, he would try.
She giggled again as she took his hand, curtseying politely despite the way she wobbled before she stepped closer. He was so much taller than her, but that didn't matter as she insistently set his other hand on her hip and her own on his shoulder, holding their joined hands up and out slightly.
"Just like that." She beamed, taking a few slow steps.
Cullen couldn’t help but smile at the way she looked at him, the way she stood and seemed to stumble a bit. He supposed her size would make her a bit more susceptible to alcohol than he was.
He followed her arm until he saw where their hands met—and he was just drunk enough to begin to hum.
“I like this view,” he said during a gap in his humming.
"The view?" She asked, squinting over to the thin windows that overlooked little beyond the courtyard and the mountains in the distance if one leaned in close, then looked back up to Cullen.
"Yes." He chuckled, despite the awkwardness of the situation and the feeling that he could have been more clear--or that he was being far too corny and that was why she had initially missed his flirtation.
But.
"I apologize for not being more clear. You're beautiful, Lioriley. I am glad that I can say such things to you now without... impropriety."
Lioriley never knew when people were flirting with her — it was hardly Cullen's fault.
Her flushed cheeks grew to a darker red still, fingers squeezing around his and her head ducking slightly. "Words cannot express how much that means to me, coming from you." She murmured. "I almost wish we did not have to end this night at all."
Alas, they would have to eventually. It was growing late, the sky dark and pinpricked with stars. "We should do this again, though. If tomorrow is not too soon..."
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"I am... beyond words, happy to have you here Lioriley. The Inquisitor could not have found a better helping hand than yours. And of course... selfishly, I hope you wish to stay for quite some time."
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"Until then, my dear, I think we will work wonders together." She finished her glass. Laughed. "Also, I fear I drank a touch too much in my nervousness."
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"I will not leave you, either." Cullen gripped her hand tightly. "Someone needs to watch you when you drink too much--for your own safety, mind. I worry you may expend yourself even more than usual if you are not careful."
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She giggled. "Oh, I would not dare do magic while intoxicated." She insisted. "But I am glad you are here. I hope this is not — I am not making a fool of myself."
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Maybe it was the wine that he'd drank far more of than her--half the bottle gone, and her having only had one glass for herself--but he squeezed her hand again. "I want you to be able to... let loose around me, like you couldn't before." For her to be free, to express herself however she pleased without worry. As if he wasn't being a hypocrite by asking that of her when he was so full of nerves his stomach churned with each word he spoke.
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"I feel safe with you, Cullen, so I think that should be easy enough to do." She admitted, just a little bashful as she glanced away. "I have a silly request, but there is something I always wanted to do, if you would indulge me." She looked back. "Will you dance with me? I know there is no music here and perhaps I read far too many tales of knights and princesses and fancy gatherings, but..."
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And it was the truth. Even if his cheeks burned as he realized he had no real clue how to dance. But for her, he would try.
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"Just like that." She beamed, taking a few slow steps.
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He followed her arm until he saw where their hands met—and he was just drunk enough to begin to hum.
“I like this view,” he said during a gap in his humming.
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A beat. "Oh! Do... do you mean me?"
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But.
"I apologize for not being more clear. You're beautiful, Lioriley. I am glad that I can say such things to you now without... impropriety."
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Her flushed cheeks grew to a darker red still, fingers squeezing around his and her head ducking slightly. "Words cannot express how much that means to me, coming from you." She murmured. "I almost wish we did not have to end this night at all."
Alas, they would have to eventually. It was growing late, the sky dark and pinpricked with stars. "We should do this again, though. If tomorrow is not too soon..."