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“I’m sorry, but we’re not even a day’s ride out of the city and you want to risk an inn?? Oh no, no no no. I just got done with almost dying every five seconds and I’m not gonna lose it to some twit who recognizes our - rather recognizable - band of bumbling fucking baboons!”
“Relaaax, Lacklon,” Roland crooned. “Nessum’s nearly to the Nevarran border anyways.”
“But we’re not in Nevarra! We’re right outside the doorstep of a palace belonging to the Tevinter Divine that just went to all kinds of hell! And I will mention wasn’t exactly easy getting out of there but now you want to-”
Miriam turned on her heel. “Lacklon. I have a contact there. It’s fine.”
The dwarf huffed and threw his hands up in the air. “Well, why didn’t you say that?!”
“You didn’t really give her the chance.” Qwydion helpfully piped up. “As soon as the word ‘inn’ came up you started going off.” She chuckled nervously.
“Well, might I point out,” Lacklon started, “That we’re not exactly on a hot streak of not-getting-betrayed lately, so how about we just sleep in the dirt for a few days?”
Miriam narrowed her eyes. She turned back around and strode ahead on the road, quickly gaining ground away from them. Qwydion gave Lacklon a face that held such a myriad of emotions he didn’t even know how to begin to describe it, and then rushed after her.
“Ouch.” Roland winced and said once they were out of earshot. “You should probably apologize for that.”
Lacklon huffed again but despite his best efforts to stay angry about their impending doom, being alone with Roland was doing funny things to his stomach.
“Yeah, well-!” Lacklon cut himself off and harrumphed. “Okay, fine, maybe that was too far- BUT, it doesn’t change that we’re all gonna get immediately betrayed, arrested, and then tortured before our impending horrible, painful death at the hands of some fucking ‘Vint’s.”
Roland leaned down a little bit to better meet his eyes. “Mmm, but~” He smiled and Lacklon knew he was up to something. “Don’t you want to rest your head on something soft tonight, O Great Lord of Fortune? You’ve had such a long day.”
Heat rose to Lacklon’s face and he looked away. He was teasing him, that bastard. And the implication of whether the ‘something soft’ was a pillow or him was…unclear. Lacklon glanced up and Roland was wearing a wide grin. Unclear intentionally, probably. Prick.
“Alright, fine. But when you’re the first to die I’ll tell you I told you so.”
Roland chuckled and stood back up straight. “Ahh, I look forward to it.” He looked pointedly back down to the dwarf. “So it’s a date, then?”
Lacklon bristled and walked faster.
Even though he had given in, Lacklon’s nerves weren’t soothed and in fact just got worse the closer they got to the inn. Qwydion had seemingly gotten her comically large glares and glowers out of her system and was now cheerfully walking alongside him.
“I mean, aren’t you one of those Fortune Lord guys? They specialize in all the disguise and voice-changy stuff, right?” she said with special emphasis coming in the form of gestures.
Lacklon’s shoulders stiffened even further. “Yeah, well, I never really got into that part of it ‘S not really my area. I just like pretty things.” Like gold. And infuriatingly charming humans.
Qwydion frowned, but then it transformed into a cheesy smile. “Well, I can see why! You’re just so absolutely lovely as you are!”
“Thank y- Wait, is that supposed to be-”
“Ahh, look, we’ve arrived!” Roland said, slightly louder than necessary.
Miriam looked back at the group and thought a few seconds before sighing.
“Look, just…don’t be stupid, alright?”
Qwydion nodded emphatically and hurried in after her.
The interaction in the inn was a little strange, but only because innkeep obviously knew something was awry.
“Did you do anything this time?” the innkeep asked.
Miriam glanced to the side and then back to her. “If you haven’t heard of anything, then it’s best to believe we haven’t.”
The innkeep gestured to the party as a whole, gaze lingering on Qwydion. “Same party you can through here with, minus a few.”
“Right, we came through with some friends, and now we’re traveling back,” Roland put out. “Simple travelers on our way home from our simple journey.”
She looked unconvinced, but shrugged. “Well, we don’t want no troublemakers in here, but I can offer a few simple travelers a couple rooms. Want ‘em?”
And so Lacklon soon found himself in a room alone with Roland feeling absolutely mortified. Neither of them had addressed…all of it. Being chased by angry Tevinters and being in constant fear of death didn’t leave much room for sappy conversation.
As soon as they got into the room, Roland looked it up and down thoughtfully before eventually shrugging.
“Not bad,” he said, nonchalant. He strode to the far side of the room and began undoing his armor onto the bed. The one bed, Lacklon noticed.
Lacklon stood awkwardly at the door as he watched Roland remove his gloves and drop them on the sheets, leaving his hands bare. Hands he then promptly placed on his hips. When Lacklon tore his eyes off the whole…hands and hips thing, he saw the human staring at him with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.
“What?” Lacklon asked, suddenly defensive.
“I could be asking you,” Roland began, pointing one of his fingers at Lacklon. ”The same thing.”
Lacklon suddenly decided the nightstand lamp was very interesting.
“Yeah, well, I uh…the thing is, Rolls, I uh… kind of expected to die. And yet here we are. Very not dead and I have no idea what to do because I didn’t plan for this far.”
He heard a few steps, a soft rustle, and then Roland’s voice coaxing him.”Come here,” he said, his voice soft. And against Lacklon’s better judgment, he tore his eyes away from the lamp. Roland was sitting on the near side of the bed with his hands spread and wearing a gentle expression. Lacklon walked forward a few paces until he was a couple feet in front of him. Damn his stupid handsome face.
Roland rolled his eyes and leaned forward, until a hand of his snatched Lacklon’s bracer and yanked him closer.
“Whoa, hey-”
Roland’s other hand wrapped around the back of his head and Lacklon had a mere moment to process before Roland’s mouth was on his again. The kiss sent warmth through him and he pushed back into it, enjoying all the points of contact he had.
When they broke apart, Roland’s hand slid forward to cup his jaw. “Well, if nothing else, we can start with this. And someone seems more relaxed already.”
“Yeah, well, not my fault kissin’ you is nice.”
Roland smiled knowingly. “I know.”
“We should. Though.” Lacklon started, fiddling with his hands. “Like actually talk, I mean/ About feelings…and stuff. I guess.”
Roland chuckled in agreement. “Yes, but how about in a moment, when my lips are not preoccupied with something much more important?” Roland’s thumb brushed over Lacklon’s bottom lip and sent sparks through his chest.
“Hmmph. Sweet talker,” Lacklon grumbled, attempting and failing to stop the corners of his mouth from quirking upwards. Roland drew forward again and Lacklon prepared, but the human just kissed the tip of his nose and leaned back with a bastard grin.
“Alright, what’s this you wanted to talk about, then?” he asked.
“Wha- Hey! That’s not fair, you can’t just-” Lacklon’s brow furrowed. “I thought you were going to kiss me!”
“Ahh, I know, but you seemed so intent on moving on to this that I figured it best to oblige.”
“Hey, no. You nug-humping little- C’mere.” Lacklon tried to reach him, but the blasted human’s torso was too long. Roland was trying to hold back his laughter as the dwarf half-climbed onto the bed.
“What happened to talking, then?” Roland said.
Lacklon grabbed his collar and yanked him back into a kiss - a proper kiss this time. Their armor clashed together and Lacklon almost fell from the precarious position, but it had him satisfied. So he let go, and stood back up.
“There,” Lacklon said. “Now we can talk.”
Roland sat up with a smile. “Alright, we can talk.”
Lacklon blanched. “Oh. Well. Shit, uhh…I was kind of hoping that you would- I uhh…I don’t really - what are you doing?”
Roland had his hands wrapped around Lacklon’s forearm and was gently undoing the buttons to it. “Helping you out of your armor,” he said without looking up.
Lacklon felt heat burning at his face. “Why uh…why are you doing that?”
Roland shrugged. “I wish to,” he said plainly. Lacklon’s first bracer fell off and Roland moved onto the next one. Lacklon watched patiently, dumbfounded as Roland’s dark hands gingerly undid the second one until it too fell off, leaving his sweaty forearms bare.
Roland rubbed the sections of now bare skin. “Look,” he said seriously. “I don’t care what we are or what you want to call us. But you make me very happy and I would be honored if you would let me be at your side - both on the battlefield and as your companion.”
“Yeah, well, uh, you make me happy too, Rolls. So, I guess yeah, what you said.”
“Aha!” Roland exclaimed, and pointed a finger to Lacklon’s chest. “I knew it! You are in love with me.”
Lacklon grunted and averted his eyes. “Shut up.”
Roland raised an eyebrow and grinned. “I could…or you could make me,” he said with a wink when Lacklon looked back at him.
The dwarf’s face flushed and he sputtered, to which Roland began laughing again.
“How about we actually get out of our armor first, then? We should be resting for tomorrow in any case.”
As it turns out, that task proved more difficult than first thought, due simply to being eager and stubbornness from both parties. Roland tried to finish his job, but Lacklon wanted to also help him out at the same time, causing a lot of ”That’s not how it’s taken off!” “Shut up! Armor’s armor, and I know armor.” “This is delicate Orlesian craft!” “Fancy armor, then!” and general clashing as they both tried to ‘help’ the other simultaneously.
Eventually, when done, both their clothes were rumpled and Lacklon’s ponytail was barely doing its job, with stray strands of hair going everywhere.
Roland put his hands on his hips and huffed. “That was entirely more difficult than it needed to be.”
“Yeah well, maybe your fancypants Orlesian whatever is stupid,” Lacklon retorted.
“Ugh, come here,” Roland said with a roll of his eyes, and settled himself in front of his dwarf. “Your hair’s a mess,” he said, sliding Lacklon’s ponytail out. Lacklon grumbled as his hair settled around his shoulders.
“It wouldn’t have been if your stupid chestplate had cooperated.”
“Yes, it’s all so terribly awful and out to get you, you poor man,” Roland teased, running his hands through Lacklon’s hair. Lacklon couldn’t decide if he was more angry than he was enjoying the feeling of Roland’s fingers. After a few seconds of stewing, he sighed and leaned forward into Roland’s chest.
“I believe we should lay down,” the human said.
Lacklon nodded against his torso, but made no move to actually do so. Roland smelled like sweat, but nice sweat. When did sweat start to smell good? He was somehow alive, in love, and sweat smelled good. The world’s upside down and everything is nugshit.
“Lacklonnn~” Roland nudged.
The dwarf groaned but stood back, feeling empty as Roland’s warmth left him. Roland walked over to the bed and drew back the covers. He laid on his side, beckoning Lacklon in, to which Lacklon happily obliged. Human beds were too tall, but he managed eventually,
“Happy now?” he asked, disgruntled, once he was pushed comfortably into Roland’s front. Despite his natural inclination to grumpiness, he was happy to be back close to him.
“Mm, very,” Roland replied. His arm came up to rest his hand on Lacklon’s cheek, where he brushed a strand of stray hair away from his face.
Lacklon felt stupid, and vulnerable. But he was also happy.
“Get some sleep, love.” Roland whispered. “Unless? Is there anything you’d like to do?”
Lacklon thought for a moment. He regrettably drew away for a moment to blow out the lamp on the nightstand. Once he’d nestled back into the comfort and warmth of the sheets, he looked at the moonlit figure of Roland.
“I s’pose I could kiss you again. If you wanted.”
Even in the dark, he could see that smile, and he felt Roland’s fingers dusting across his cheek.
“I believe I could do that.”