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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere	By : TheStarvingArtist Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 7181 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE. This is a work of fiction, and I make no money from it. This fic contains dialogue from the game.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Author's Note: Hello everyone! This chapter was going to have smutt in it—alas, the smutt will be soon to follow once I can finish writing it... Have some snogging instead!
Also, for anyone concerned with me portraying Bull's romance as out of character (because someone's going to bring up the BDSM, I already know it), I'm going a little bit differently with it, but not by much. There is more to BDSM than ropes and whips, it's just often characterized with them, and given Rio's past with Johnny, tying her up is probably a good way to make her shut down, and no one's happy then. Bull's romance is also about satisfying a need, and that's what I chose to explore *nods*
(Will there be scarves in their future? Maybe, very distantly, when Bull helps Rio live in the moment rather than burying herself in her past and fretting about an uncertain future. For now, enjoy this bit leading up to sexytimes =D)

Review Replies:
Rhino: Your reviews always bring such a smile to my face, you have no idea =D I spent like an hour at the computer trying to decide the first time. I was romancing Bull at the time and read over the consequences carefully before I chose the Chargers. (I was still also a little upset at the Arishok that dueled me back in Kirkwall, so I didn't feel too bad about it)

***This fic contains many quotes and much dialogue straight from the game.***

Chapter Thirteen
It's Only Meddling If You Get Caught

The night's drinks were well underway when Dorian and Rio entered the tavern, Rio's arm over his shoulder as he helped her over to an empty chair. Several of the Chargers grew quiet, Krem and Bull starting to get up before Rio waved them off, hopping over to plop herself in an empty chair on Bull's other side. Leaning back, she sighed deeply, eyes drifting closed as she muttered a curse, almost jumping when a shoulder nudged her gently, pulling her out of her thoughts to see Bull looking down at her.
“What happened?” Krem asked as Dorian slipped across the tavern to get a damp cloth, chilling it in his hands with a simple ice spell, as he wandered back, slapping it on Rio's knee as she grit her teeth.
“Someone,” she said icily, looking at Dorian as she shifted to hold the makeshift cold-pack in place on her leg, “dropped me during practice.” Bull watched her gingerly stretch her leg.
Dorian sat on the end of a bench and sighed. “Well, what did you expect?  You're a bit heavier than you look, you know...”  Her eyebrows shot up at that as her mouth fell open.
Bull roared with laughter. “Maybe you shouldn't trust a Vint to catch you,” he said, nudging her shoulder again, trying to get her to smile just a little bit as she frowned at him."
“Yeah, well, unless you're offering to be my partner, I'm kind of stuck with Sparkler if I want to practice my lifts,” she said dryly, ears flicking again as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
Krem looked up curiously as Rio grumbled, leaning down to tug her loose pant leg up to inspect the damage. “What sort of practice?” he asked, frowning as he saw the growing bruise that crept up the side of her knee where she'd landed. “I didn't think practicing magic would really involve catching or carrying someone...”
“Oh, don't you know?” Dorian said with a growing smile as he looked to Rio, who shot him a look as she adjusted the cold cloth on her leg. “Our dear Inquisitor is quite the lovely dancer.”
Several interested gazes fell to her as she felt her face grow hot, looking down at her hands as she tried to ignore them, mumbling, “It's just... something I do in my spare time...”
“Nonsense!” Dorian said, waving off her objection as she looked up at him, shaking her head just a little. “You should see some of the things she can do. The Orlesians could really learn a thing or two,” he added with a grin as she frowned at him. “She does these tight little turns and walks on the tips of her toes like it's nothing! What did you call it, Rio?”
“It's ballet,” she said softly, leaning back in her chair as she sighed. “A kind of dancing... Not classical, of course, but... it's a good exercise when you're tired of magic casting... Though it really helps when your partner actually catches you before you hit the ground like they're supposed to.”
“I couldn't help it!” he said, smiling at her with that charming smile as a couple of the Chargers chuckled. “I was so distracted by the sudden grace and poise of my good friend, I forgot what I was doing.”
Her frown deepened at his words, Dorian's smile slipping as he was taken by surprise when she started to get to her feet. The look on her face was enough to dampen the high spirits around them suddenly when she flung the rag in his face, turning to leave with a sharp, “Don't mock me, Dorian, I'm not in the mood.” He sputtered an apology, but it was too late, she was quickly limping for the door, letting it slam behind her as the other patrons turned to see what was going on.
Rio ignored the looks she got from the people still milling about as she limped towards the stairs, managing to get herself up them and into the great hall again before Dorian caught up with a frown, placing a hand on her shoulder, even as she tried to shrug him off. “I said I'm not in the mood,” she said over her shoulder, ears lowering as she frowned at him.
“Yes, I get it, I made you angry,” he said quickly, stopping her retreat as he stood in front of her, “just... hear me out.”
Despite her best intentions to continue storming off angrily, she found herself looking at those soft grey eyes and giving in, just a little, as her arms folded over her chest, still frowning at him. “Fine,” she said, her voice a little colder than she meant as she looked at her friend. “Then talk.”
“I wasn't making fun,” he said as she watched him closely, her eyes guarded. “I meant what I said—you dance beautifully, Rio.” Taking her hands in his when she started to argue, he gently squeezed her fingers as he said, “Let me finish!”
She stopped trying to interrupt him as she sighed, looking at him patiently as he continued. “I know that it's been years since you've danced like that, but despite what you've come to think about it, I couldn't see a flaw in what you were doing. I meant it when I said I was distracted, because whenever you dance, you start to lose yourself in it, and you... become more...” Smiling a little at her, he saw the doubtful look in her eyes as she blushed, shifting under his eyes. “I honestly didn't mean to drop you... and I didn't realize you wanted to keep something like that hidden.”
Rio's gaze was embarrassed, looking down at her feet as she sighed again, shaking her head a little. “I... don't mind the compliments, Dorian,” she said after a little while. “I just... I don't like drawing attention to the things I do...”
Dorian chuckled softly, turning to slip her arm around his shoulders as he helped her lip through the nearly empty hall, headed towards her quarters. “I think you might be surprised to find how receptive people would be to learn that the Inquisitor has passions and desires like everyone else...”
Rio's eyes rolled, scoffing softly as he opened the door, nudging it with his foot as they started to make their way up the stairs towards her loft. “It's not really a passion anymore, Dorian,” she said as she hopped up another step, slowly lifting her right leg as she tried not to wince. “More like a hobby, if anything.”
“Mmm,” Dorian hummed as they neared the top of the stairs.  “Perhaps you should let others see it and judge that for themselves.”  He smiled as she tried to shrug it off, helping her up the last step.  “Really, though!  You let yourself slip and get lost in it. And, for a moment, you aren't the Inquisitor, or the Herald. It's suddenly more than just a dance. The rest of the world could cease to be...but the dance. That's all that matters.”  He couldn't help chuckling. “If that's not passion, then I don't know what is.”
Rio frowned more as she slipped herself into her chair, sighing as she started to undo her footwraps slowly. “Yeah, well... Until this bruise goes away, I won't be doing much of that...”
Pulling up a chair to sit beside her, Dorian's gaze was apologetic, managing a gentle smile as he saw the dark bruise along the side of her leg, and then lower, more bruises along her calf and ankle. He couldn't help wincing as she carefully flexed her toes, stretching the muscles carefully before moving to the other leg. Tossing the wraps aside with a clatter, she worked over her lower legs carefully, grabbing the small basket with salves and clean bandages as she tended to the marks where her footwraps had chaffed, her toe-caps leaving dark lines across the tops of her feet. She didn't complain, though, simply spreading the salve and carefully bandaging them, pulling a pair of socks on as she sat back for a moment to relax.
When she got up again, limping over to the trunk at the foot of her bed to gather her nightclothes, Dorian couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips, watching her pull out the blue silk top and hunting deeper for the other pieces she needed. He waited until she was almost elbow-deep in the trunk before he said, “Would you do it if a certain Qunari were to be your partner?”
Her reaction was almost immediate as she jerked back like something bit her, turning to look at him as her eyes grew wide. She sputtered for a moment before she caught the smile spreading across his face, her look turning almost dark. He didn't even try to duck from the bundle of dried herbs that she threw at him before pulling out her bottoms and a pair of rolled up leg warmers. “You are incorrigible,” she said as he chuckled, pulling the loose leaves out of his hair and watching her slip behind her changing screen in the corner. “It's never going to happen.”
Smiling to himself, he gently twirled the elfroot between his fingers, watching her faint outline before he asked, “Why not?”
“Why not what?” Rio asked, unwrapping her sash, only half-listening to Dorian.
“Why is it never going to happen?” he asked. “Just... humor me.”
She sighed deeply, flopping her sash over the screen's frame. “Well, for one thing, he's Qunari.”
“Ah, but he's not technically a part of the Qun anymore, if memory serves,” Dorian said, smiling as he realized he was definitely enjoying watching her.
Drawing into herself for a moment, she peeked around the screen to frown at him. “Are we also forgetting the reason he's not? Like he's really going to forget that little detail.”
He waved her concern off, smiling at her still. “Like he would really blame you for making that decision,” he said, quirking a brow. “You still tried to save the dreadnought. You refused to give up without a fight, and you almost gave your own life for them, that's got to count for something.”
She simply frowned, slipping back behind the screen. “Besides, Dorian... I come with baggage, and not just the 'by the way I'm trying to save the world' kind, but also the 'I don't know what I'm doing' and 'I'm an emotional wreck most of the time' and 'I still have nightmares about giant spiders' kind of baggage. Trust me, no one wants to babysit me and call it a relationship...”
“You're too harsh on yourself,” Dorian said, smiling as she simply gave a disgusted noise that would have done Seeker Pentaghast proud. “Personally, I think it would do you good to at least talk to him. A good... discussion can really help to clear the air... Or, if you'd prefer, I could speak to him about it, to help discretely make your desires known,” he added, chuckling when he heard her stumble before she peeked around the screen to glare at him.
“I swear to whatever god you hold sacred, Dorian, I will kill you myself,” she said, frowning deeply as he simply laughed. “I mean it, Dorian!”
He sighed deeply, rolling his eyes as she ducked behind the screen once more, her leggings joining the other clothes as she started to dress in the soft halter-style top that Josephine had given her. “I'm just saying,” he said as she fiddled with the hooks behind her back where she couldn't see, “I've seen molasses move faster. If you’d just talk to him about it...”
Frowning to herself as she managed to get the first two hooks done up, reaching for the third, only to undo the top one again, Rio sighed. “I just... We aren't...” Taking a breath to steel herself as she stilled her hands. “We're not like that, Dorian.” Peeking around the screen as she shifted to make sure the fabric at least covered most of her chest, she started to ask for his help when she caught his look, frowning right back. “We aren't. It's a terrible idea.”
His brow raised at that, his smile turning to a grin as he said, “Oh? So then you have thought about it!”
“What?” Rio said, her eyes growing a little wide before shaking her head quickly, stammering, “N-no! Of course not! I—just—no, Dorian! He's a Qunari, and it would end horribly for me! There would be lots of ugly crying, my feelings would be trampled, just, no. It would be horrible. Now get over here and help me do up my shirt.” She could see the gears starting to turn as he watched her struggle to finish hooking her nightshirt in the back as she said, “No. Stop thinking that, right this minute!  No! I MEAN IT, DORIAN!” she shouted after him as he leapt from his chair to run for the stairs.
Swearing under her breath, Rio grabbed her sleeping shorts, struggling to yank them on quickly, tugging the hidden ties closed and knotting them with shaking hands before rushing after him as fast as the bruise on her leg would let her. He had a pretty far head start through the door, his laughter following him as she struggled to catch up, the door slamming against the wall as she pushed through the door.
Thankfully, very few people were in the hall to witness her mad-dash after Dorian, only a couple of guards and a tired-looking Varric, who jumped out of the way when she came through, trying to figure out which way Dorian went. Hearing his voice just outside, she bolted that way, telling herself she just needed to reach him, to stop him before he said anything and made anything awkward.
She was caught off-guard when she sprinted through the doors only to slam full-force into Bull instead, knocking the wind out of her as she bounced off his bulk and stumbled back. She hit him so hard, she thought she'd just smacked into a stone wall, blinking the stars from her eyes as strong arms caught and steadied her back on her feet, looking up at him as she tried to make the world focus. A torch flickered nearby, illuminating him with such clarity as she felt her heart leap in her chest. “You should be more careful, Boss,” he said with a half-smile, his voice a soft rumble as she stared up at him.
His chuckle made her face burn as she instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, fighting to suppress a shiver. She could feel the warmth coming off him and tried to shake off the urge to lean into him a little, as she murmured, “S-sorry, Bull, I was after...” Her voice trailed off as she spotted Dorian over behind the tavern, grinning cheekily at her as she felt her indignation rise, lunging to get around Bull again, even as he grabbed her arm to stop her.
“Woah, now,” he said, trying to hold pull her back gently as she wiggled against his hold. “You're already hurt enough because of him, no need to be adding 'slipped down the stairs'...”
“I'm fine!” she hissed, still frowning at where Dorian was leaning calmly against the wall, examining his fingernails as he grinned, rather proud of himself, “I'm just after a Vint that won't take a hint!” As though she heard him, he looked up, and she could easily make out the smirk as she bristled again.
Pulling her back towards the main hall, Bull shook his head, “Come on, boss. You should be resting that leg of yours, anyways. It still looks pretty bad...”
“I-I'm fine,” she managed to say as she let herself be dragged back inside, even as she shot a dark look at Dorian before the doors closed behind them. “I don't need help getting to bed...”
“I know you're fine, boss,” he said, giving her a look as he nudged her back across the length of the hall. “But I wanted to talk to you about something, so might as well...”
Her heart twisted painfully in her chest as she struggled not to show it, ears flicking uneasily as she struggled with the urge to run again. Steeling herself carefully, she managed to hop up a few steps, finally taking Bull's hand when he offered it to her to get up the last few steadily. “O-oh?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “What about?”
Bull chuckled at her, helping her over to sit in the chair by the fire, making sure she was comfortable as he straightened up. “Oh, I think you know,” he said, his voice low as he looked down at her, leaning with one shoulder against the fireplace, studying her closely.
Shifting in her seat, her cheeks turned a soft pink as she blinked in slight confusion. “Um... Well, no, I'm... not sure exactly what you mean...”
He marveled as she tried to keep her eyes on his. She was practically an open book of anxiety. He could read every emotion on her face. Even when she broke eye contact, looking down at her hands as she tried to keep herself from fidgeting, he could almost see her thoughts. She was clearly struggling with herself.
I already know what he's going to say, she thought to herself as her ears lowered, looking away again. I'm a kid, I'm not his type, I'm too high-maintenance... I'm brash, irrational, childish... Who in their right mind would want someone like that? Biting the inside of her lip, she glanced at him before forcing herself to look away again, taking a deep breath as she tugged at a loose tie on her sleeping shorts. Doesn't mean I don't want him, she thought after a moment, her face turning red again as he cleared his throat, getting her to look at him again with those blue-gold eyes.
Bull had to hold back the urge to grin wolfishly as she finally looked at him again before he said gently, as though he were speaking to a frightened animal, “You want to... ride the Bull. But I don't think you know what that means.”
She blinked slowly several times, her neurons failing to fire for several minutes as she tried to comprehend what she heard. That couldn't be right... Those words... didn't come out of Bull's mouth... But he was grinning... Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed to finally find her voice. “I, u-um... I...” Pausing for a moment to clear her throat and swallow heavily, she took in a deep breath as she frowned. “...You lost me, Bull... I want to what?” He was quite patient as he repeated himself, watching her as she slowly nodded.
She had heard him right the first time.
Well, shit... she thought as she tried hard to process the words to find a response. Fear of rejection was slowly fading, though a new kind of anxiety took its place in her chest as she struggled to keep breathing. “I... I-I see... And... uh... that means... what, exactly?”
“Well,” he said with a chuckle, “I could show you, but I'd have to pin you to the wall first...”
A hundred emotions hit Rio all at once, and she was up and out of her chair before she realized what she was doing, her legs carrying her across the room, up the sofa, over the railing, and down the stairs before Bull had time to so much as call out to her, throwing the door wide as she ran. She didn't know where she was going now, just that she had to keep going. Things were going too fast, too strange, and she couldn't process, not here. She didn't have a clue what she was going to do, she just knew she couldn't stop, not yet...
She didn't stop until she'd wrenched open the door to the barracks. She limped inside, tears causing her vision to blur. Dorian looked up from his wineglass, grey eyes going wide as he took in her glassy eyes and shaking form. He stood, crossing the room quickly as she choked on a sob.  She dropped into his arms as he got close enough. His hands caressed her mostly-open back as she buried her face into his neck.
Gently patting her back as she clung to him, Dorian looked to the scout he'd been enjoying drinks with, one pale brow raising on that tanned face as he watched Dorian comfort his friend. They exchanged a couple of looks before the elf smiled, waving his hand in a “It's fine” gesture, sipping his wine as Rio slowly calmed down again. Smoothing her hair back, he couldn't help the small sigh that escaped. “...Was it really that bad to hear?” he asked gently.
She didn't answer for a few moments before she sniffled, shaking her head as she murmured, “N-no...”
“I see,” Dorian said, waiting for her to elaborate as she held tightly to him. When she didn't continue, he cleared his throat gently. “So... what did the Iron Bull say?”
“I don't wanna talk about it,” she said miserably as Dorian pulled back to offer her a handkerchief, ears drooping as he turned her towards a chair to sit.
“Come on, Rio,” Dorian said, sitting in a chair of his own as she wiped at her tears. “Don't make me beg...” When she looked up at him, he couldn't help offering her a small smile. “Please... tell me...”
Her eyes flickered to Than, whose bright blue eyes watched them quietly as he leaned back in his own chair, sipping his wine. Waving his hand, he smiled, “Oh, by all means, don't mind me. Please, continue.”
Rolling his eyes, Dorian sighed, smile slipping a little as he said, “Please, Than... Just... give us some time...” Looking from Dorian to the teary-eyed Inquisitor, Than sighed, starting to get up as he set his glass down.
“Fine,” he said softly, rising from his chair, “I guess I'll go see if the others have something for me to do for a while...” Looking pointedly at Dorian, he added quietly, “You owe me for this...”
He simply nodded at that, watching him go, the door closing behind him before he turned to Rio, who was looking from Dorian to the door before she said, “I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?”
Shaking his head, he gave a comforting smile as he watched her slowly relax as she realized they were alone again, waving off her concern as he said, “No, it was nothing... Don't worry about it... Now, are you going to tell me about it, or are you going to make me cluck at you like a hen?” When even that failed to bring a smile to her face, he felt the niggle of concern grow deeper, moving his chair closer as he leaned in, taking her hands in his as he carefully matched her gaze with one of his own. “Please, Rio... Did he actually turn you down, is that it? I know you were worried about that, but he would have to be blind and stupid to do that.” She shook her head a little, black-tipped hair falling from her braid as she did so, looking away. “Then what happened?”
Biting her lip, she stared down at her hands in his, drawing comfort from his warm hands as she murmured, “He... um...” Clearing her throat, her face turned even more read as she said softly, “He... offered to let me... 'ride the Bull'...”
Dorian lost his composure for a moment at that, choking on the laughter that bubbled up as he caught the exasperated look on her face. “I'm sorry, Rio... So, when he... offered... what did you tell him?”
At this, Rio shifted even more uneasily, her eyes looking anywhere but at him as she swallowed, biting her lip as she gave a few um's before she finally said, “I... didn't?”
His confusion grew as he frowned just a little. “Wait... What do you mean you 'didn't'?” He watched her face carefully as she gave a strained smile before realization dawned on him. “...Maker's breath, Rio, please tell me you didn't just run out on him...” Her smile faded as she gave a small nod, Dorian's groan filling the empty room as he rubbed over his face in frustration, muttering, “Of course you did...”
“Well, what was I supposed to do?!” Rio wailed, tears filling her eyes again as she looked at him.
“Not running away would've probably been a good start,” he said dryly, watching her lip quibble, hanging her head in her hands as she started to cry.
“I couldn't help it,” she said between sobs as he tried to comfort her gently, debating if he should help his friend, or just let her deal with the consequences.
Her sigh, deep as her misery, hit him squarely in the chest. He reached for her face, wiping away her tears and turning her to face him. “Well, what do you want?” he asked, watching her emotions swirl on her face as she tried to think about it.
“I... Well, I guess, I... want a relationship... But like...” Taking in a deep breath, she let it out in a shaky sigh, sniffling again. “I don't know... I just know I don't really want to be just a piece of ass or something... I've had plenty of that to last me the rest of my life...”
“Well, is that what Bull wants?” he asked, grey eyes searching her face as she frowned at him.
“I don't know,” she said with a slight shrug. “I couldn't really tell... I didn't really stay for the Q-and-A afterwards, I just... needed to get out of there...” Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she groaned, “God damnit... I really fucked up this time...”
“Well, maybe a little,” Dorian said, trying to be helpful until she shot him a dark look, chuckling. “Why don't I talk to him? That would clear things up very nicely, I could help mediate so there is no additional confusion, I could find out what he's looking for, see if it matches up with your intentions, and help you get out of this quite-awkward stage...”
She blushed darker, looking down at her hands as she struggled to say something else. Biting her lip, she finally said, “There's... another problem...”
Frowning, Dorian shrugged, “I’m afraid I don’t see the problem... If you want a relationship with Bull, and he wants one, then where is the issue?”
“Because he’ll want—“ Rio started to wail, barely stopping herself as she heard a creak from the floor above them, her hand clamping over her mouth. She was appalled with the terrifying thought that someone was listening in, her ears lowering as she looked to Dorian. Sighing, he got up to check it out, tromping up the stairs to find three scouts perched near the top of the stairs, including Than.
Narrowing his eyes at them, he breathed, “Not one word of this to anyone...” Waiting until they each nodded solemnly, he paused, pretending for a moment to test the floorboards before turning to head back down the stairs, finding Rio frozen in her seat as she watched him. “Must just be the old floorboards,” he said, offering her a small smile as he gently patted her shoulder, watching the tension slowly melt away. “I'll have to speak to Cullen about getting them replaced... Now, you were saying?”
She nodded just a tiny bit, blushing as she shifted in her seat. Chewing on her lip, she said quietly, “I'm just... concerned about... you know...”
After a moment of silence, Dorian managed to say gently, “... Well, judging by the very pleased reviews from the ladies at the tavern, I don’t think you have to be worried about his... erm... performance... If you're concerned about size, I'm certain he has already taken that into consideration...” She was quiet for a few long minutes as he waited for her to say something, frowning a little as he said softly, “Have... you never...?”
“What?! Of course I have!” Rio almost shouted, looking away from Dorian again as her cheeks burned red. At his look, she frowned deeper, folding her arms over her chest and kept her eyes on the floor. “I just... It... was never really that great...” He quirked a brow at that, making her frown as she said, “I was in a relationship with Johnny... How well do you think he did at sex?”
He couldn't help the slight wince at that as she looked away, letting her gaze fall to the table beside her as he said, “Johnny? The oily fellow with the terrible attitude, lost escaping Haven? That Johnny?” She didn’t even answer as her ears lowered, trying hard to hide the shame on her face. “Oh, Rio...”
“I know,” she said quietly, tugging the tie out of her hair and working her fingers through the messy hair as her hands shook. “Trust me... I know...” Her sigh was quiet as she rubbed her face gently, eyes drifting closed. “Just... don't tell anyone... It's hard enough having people know I was with the weasel, I don't need it spreading around that I was only ever with him...”
Smiling as he reached out to pat her hands gently, he nodded. “It's all right, Rio. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone.”
Blue-gold eyes looked at him uneasily, frowning before she said, “Promise you won't say anything? Especially not to Bull...”
“Cross my heart,” Dorian said, smiling. “I shall not tell a soul.”
* * *
An hour later, after having calmed Rio enough and made sure Bull was back in the tavern, Dorian escorted Rio back to her room, making sure she was tucked wearily into bed before he turned his sights back to the tavern below. Before he could return to his initial plans, he needed to get things straightened out first.
Inside, he found Bull back in the corner, looking perhaps a touch more sullen than usual, nursing an ale alone as most of the patrons had gone to bed for the night. Sidling up to him, he cleared his throat, waiting until Bull looked up with one raised eyebrow, frowning, “Come on. Let's take a walk.”
It took a little bit of convincing to get him out of the tavern, but soon, they were walking along the battlements. Standing there and looking out over the moonlit valley below, Dorian took a slow breath in before letting it out again. “I wanted to talk to you about something,” Dorian said, receiving only a grunt from Bull in response. “... It's about Rio,” he added as he felt Bull's gaze on him.
“What's wrong?” he asked, frowning as Dorian turned to look at him. “Did she hurt herself running down those stairs? I thought she was going to break her neck, she bolted so fast,” he said, frowning as he fixed Dorian with a dark look.
Holding his hands up in a placating gesture, Dorian managed a small smile. “It's all right, Bull, she made it down the stairs okay. She's fine... A little shaken,” he added with a chuckle, “but fine. She and I had a nice long chat about it and everything...”
“I see,” Bull said, still frowning as he listened to Dorian. “So then what's this about? I assume it's not good if she's sending you...”
“Actually,” Dorian said with another chuckle, “She... didn't send me... In fact, it's rather imperative that she not know I'm the one that told you what I'm about to say...” Bull's good eye narrowed at that, making him smile just a little bit more as he sighed. “You kind of scared her,” he said. “Did you really say that? About 'riding the Bull'?” Bull's dark look made him laugh all the harder, grinning from ear to ear.
“Not a word,” Bull growled, shaking his head a little as Dorian chuckled. Grunting loudly, he shook his head firmly, turning away. He wanted to kick something, maybe crack a skull open... Gritting his teeth, he hissed, “I knew I messed something up!”
“No! No, it wasn't you,” Dorian said, shaking his head a little as he turned to lean against the cold stone. “Well... not entirely you... It's... complicated.” Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes as he shook his head. “She does like you, Bull... An awful lot...”
Bull threw his hands in the air, growling, “Then what's the problem?”
Shaking his head a little, Dorian ran a hand through his hair, eyes closing. “Again, you didn't hear this from me... but the short answer is that Johnny is the problem.”
Bull's good eye narrowed a little as he frowned deeply at Dorian. Now there was a name he hadn't heard in a long time, and it left such a bitter taste in his mouth, he couldn't help cringing as his lip curled into a sneer. “Johnny? That sniveling, greasy piece of nug-shit we pulled from her world?”
Dorian nodded and continued to watch Bull. “I don't know all of the details, mind you, but I believe he treated her badly.  Very badly.  Bad enough to scare her away from...physical relationships.” His voice softened with empathy. "She's never been with anybody else."
Bull went very silent and very still at that as Dorian watched. He thought he saw something flicker in his eyes, like a storm brewing just beneath the surface, but it was gone as quickly as he noticed it. “I see,” he said, his voice soft. “I had a feeling...”
Reaching out, he sighed, patting Bull's arm as he felt the tension lying beneath the muscles, like a bowstring pulled too tight. Shaking his head, he looked into Bull's face. “I think it'll be just fine, Bull... I wanted to give you a heads-up, and... maybe tell you to give her tonight to think about things... She'll come around pretty quick, I think you'll find...”
“I get it,” Bull said, nodding after a moment. “It's going to be okay...”
Smiling at that, Dorian gave his shoulder an encouraging pat, “Good, good... Her confidence is slowly building up... Just need to let her make the decision, set the pace... This'll be good for her...”
* * *
The next day, though, Rio proved a good deal harder to find when Bull eventually decided to look for her. He started with the rotunda, only to find out that she'd long-since skipped away after brunch with Dorian. He followed the clues to the garden, and from there, found that she'd only passed on through after checking on her slowly growing herbs in the pots before she wound up the stairs, crossing through the back halls and slipping down through the kitchens.
At last, a guard came forward and said she'd been spotted along the battlements a while ago, but no one had seen where she went after that. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised that she chose somewhere high up and isolated to try to be alone, debating with himself whether he should go after her or leave her be before he crossed the bailey again.
Climbing the ladder to the top, he looked around, relieved when he found her there, stopping to watch her from where she sat on a bench with her back to the ladder. Her legs were crossed in front of her as she hummed softly to herself, long hair catching in the soft breeze, loose today. Tiny flowers were tucked in the waves, red and white blossoms dotted the light gold, evidence that Cole had been by already. He eyed her posture, taking in the straight back, shoulders back and down, almost relaxed, taking deep, slow breaths, holding each one for a few moments before she let it back out. She wore her light jacket just off her shoulders, face tilted just up, taking in the warmth of the late-afternoon sun.
He almost turned to go back down the stairs, to leave her in peace, but her ears twitched, turning as she said, “Damnit, Than, really, I'm fine!” Spotting Bull instead, though, her eyes went a little wide, cheeks turning a soft red as he took those last few steps, chuckling. “Sorry, Bull... the guards keep... checking on me...”
“I figured,” he said, carefully closing the distance as she eased herself to her feet, sighing. “Still hurting from your fall?” he asked as she sighed, shrugging a little.
“Yeah...” she said, stretching her leg a little as she straightened up, turning to lean against the waist-high stone barrier, looking up at Bull as she managed a small smile. She was looking better, though she looked more tired, she didn't look like she was going to bolt at least, still smiling at him as he crossed the floorboards to join her.
“So...” he started to say, watching her carefully as she took a deep breath, looking away. “... About last night—”
“I didn't mean to run away,” Rio said quickly, glancing back up to Bull. “I just... I let my anxiety ride me until I couldn't think straight, and...” Shrugging a little, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as her eyes closed. “My god, I'm an idiot...”
Chuckling, he shook his head a little, “Yeah, well, boss... I might've come on a little strong...” Shrugging one shoulder, he glanced at her as she gave him an apologetic glance, hair spilling over her shoulders as she looked at him. “And no one's going to make you do anything you don't want to...”
Looking away, her ears lowered a little as she blushed, chewing on her bottom lip as her eyes flicked away. She was quiet for a long time, to the point that Bull started to straighten up to turn away before she looked at him again, “And if I did...” Clearing her throat, she shifted uneasily, face turning more red as she toyed with her sleeve. “If... I did... want that...”
Bull watched her, slowly smiling a little as he leaned against the battlement. “Are you sure you know what you're asking?” he said, her gaze lifting to meet his. “I mean, are you... really sure...?”
Rio blushed a little, shrugging just a tiny bit as she turned towards him. “I like to think so...” she murmured quietly, “but you know me, all snap decisions and brash action...” He chuckled at that as she smiled. “I suppose I should ask what it is I should know about, just so I can say that I made an informed decision for once...”
When Bull took a step towards her, though, Rio struggled to keep herself in place, swallowing heavily as he stood just a foot away as she took in another breath. “So... If I wanted more than just... a r-ride...” A snort escaped her as she tried so hard not to laugh, coughing as she tried to wipe the smile from her face. “I'm sorry, I just...” Clearing her throat, she made every effort she could to keep herself from laughing at the rather comical mental image that she couldn't quite shake.
Bull simply smiled down at her, letting her collect herself as many times as it took as she slowly calmed herself again, running a shaky hand through her hair before a breeze caught it, playing with the loose strands. He would be patient for her; he would hold himself back to give her the time she needed...
Coughing awkwardly as she blushed, she looked up at him, trying to compose herself again. “Would... W-would it be... just that, or...” Her voice trailed off as he felt himself starting to grin at her awkwardness, laughing out loud at the way she suddenly frowned, punching him in the arm with what little strength she could muster as she cried out, “Oh, come on, Bull!”
Chuckling as he looked down at her, that smirk still on his face, he had to resist the urge to ruffle her hair again. “All right, I'm sorry, boss... Please, continue.”
Rio frowned still, ears lowering as she ran a hand through her hair, absently tugging a couple of flowers out in the process. Sighing softly to herself, she let her gaze fall to her feet again, shifting uneasily. “What I want to know is... if it would just be like a casual thing... or if it would be more...” She shrugged a little as she managed a small smile at him. “Just 'cus, ya know, not that great at 'casual'...
Bull couldn't help chuckling as he shook his head, “Yeah, I kind of got that impression when you ran away from 'casual'...” His smile faded a little when he saw that miserable look cross her face again, trying to get her to smile again as he nudged her again. “Hey, you're the one that ran...”
Sighing softly, she shook her head a little as she started to massage her temples in slow circles, taking in a deep breath. “I know... I'm not all that great at this, as you can see...” She took in a fortifying breath as she fought the urge to turn and run again, slowly pushing back the rising panic. “I don't do casual, because I get too attached for that... And I don't really like the idea of getting hurt, ya know...” She swallowed heavily, managing to look at Bull, letting her gaze lock with his as she thought, Bit too late for that, though...
“Well,” Bull said, edging just a little bit closer to her as he returned her gaze steadily, “it would really be up to you, boss, for where this is gonna go... If you want it to end at 'just a ride',” he added with a slight grin, “then that's where it will stop. If you want more...” His hand reached out to lightly caress her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing her shell of her ear as she shivered. “...Then we'd explore that together... If that's what you want...”
* * *
Dorian pressed close into the window in the library, watching them through the spyglass he'd borrowed from one of the scouts as he tried to get a better view of what Rio and Bull were doing. Groaning softly to himself, he frowned. “Oh, come on, you two...” he muttered impatiently to himself.
To his left, Varric was also watching them through his own spyglass, chuckling, “Relax, Sparkler... Let Squeaks have some time to be her stubbornly awkward self before he tries to sweep her off her feet...”
“This is taking too long!” Dorian said, huffing slightly as the dwarf glanced up at him.
Solas looked up from where he was working on a new fresco, glancing up at the second floor where the two men were plastered to the glass. “Has there been any change?” he asked absently, smiling a little as Dorian grunted in reply.
“Just talking, it would appear...” he said, shaking his head a little. “And she keeps laughing at something...”
“Oh, hush, Dorian!” Varric said with a smile, nudging Dorian when the mage grunted right back. “They're doing just fine. Let the Inquisitor enjoy herself a little...”
Snorting softly at that, Dorian adjusted the focus of his spyglass as he said, “I would enjoy it a lot more if they'd just...” His voice trailed off as he gave a soft gasp, watching as Bull stepped closer to Rio, reaching gently up to her face. “Yes... yeeeeeeees.... yeeeeeeeeeeeeesyesyesyes!” he cheered at last, stepping back from the window as he punched the air triumphantly, grinning from ear to ear.
Varric chuckled as he continued to watch them. “Well, that only took them forever...”
Solas couldn't help the small sigh that escaped, shaking his head. “Suppose this means I ought to pay up,” he said, frowning. It had been a silly wager, but at the time, it had seemed like a sure enough thing that he hadn't thought he could lose...
Dorian turned with a grin, leaning down over the railing with a smug look on his tanned face. “You bet your elven ass, you're gonna pay up!”
Varric chuckled as he watched the couple across the way, nudging Dorian as he said, “Looks like the lovebirds have company...”
Turning quickly, Dorian couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled in his chest, watching the pair with a grin on his face. This day was getting better and better...
* * *
Rio shivered at the feel of Bull's fingertips sliding through the buzzed sides of her head, before slipping into the long stripe of hair that fell down her back. His thumb traced gently over the line of her ear as her eyes drifted closed with a sigh. Teasing the point, he smiled, listening to that happy murmur as he chuckled, making her eyes flutter open to look at him. “So, tell me, boss,” he said softly, watching her swallow heavily as she looked up at him with her wide, innocent eyes, “what do you want?”
Blinking a few times, she chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, his gaze following the movement as he rumbled low in his chest. Swallowing again, she smiled just a little as she murmured, “I... want you...”
Without warning, he dipped his head, claiming her mouth under his as she gasped into the kiss, her eyes drifting closed. Her lips were soft and warm beneath his as she slowly relaxed in his embrace. As one hand slid into her hair, the other rested on her hip, pulling her close against him as he slowly deepened the kiss. He rumbled low in his throat as he let her lead the kiss wherever she wanted and was not disappointed when she hesitantly leaned into the kiss. Her hands slowly slid up his chest as she brought herself up to the balls of her feet, nearly desperate for that kiss.
After languidly enjoying the kiss, he forced himself to pull back, breaking the contact as her eyes fluttered open to look up at him, the gold in her eyes glinting in the bright sunlight. He found himself transfixed for a moment before he came back to his senses, a grin crawling over his features as a blush started to creep across her cheeks as she lowered herself back to the ground, looking down at her feet. Reaching out, he gently turned her face up towards him, delighting in that small smile that played across her lips as he leaned in for another kiss.
“Chief!” Rio heard Krem shout up the ladder, squeaking as she turned to find Krem already halfway up. “Got a report from one of your old contacts, the one down south,” he said, barely holding back the grin at the sight of the Inquisitor's red face and the chief's slight groan before he nudged his lieutenant's shoulder.
“Damnit, Krem! I was busy!” he said, though there wasn't much threat in his voice as he noticed Rio fighting back what sounded like giggles.
The Inquisitor, feared leader of the Inquisition, slayer of bandits and protector of the people, giggled behind her hand as she tried to hide her grin. He would be damned if it wasn't one of the sexiest things he'd seen, her eyes glittering, face pink, hair loose and tumbling around her face... Damn, what he wouldn't give to have seen it months ago...
“All right, Krem, I'll be right there,” he said, grumbling at the thought of returning to business as usual, at least for now. Waiting until he was back down the ladder, he turned to Rio again, smiling as she fidgeted nervously, tucking her hair behind one pointed ear as she chewed on her lip.
“So... just to be clear,” she said softly, almost afraid to look at him as she was suddenly all nerves again, blushing all the way to the tips of her ears, “was this a, uh... a 'I appreciate the offer but no thank you' or a... um...”
Her face got more red when he gently cupped her chin, lifting her face towards his one more time to steal a parting kiss that pulled a sigh from her before he pulled away, fingers lightly tracing her jaw as he smiled down at her.
“More like... I'll see you later, boss,” he said with a grin before he turned to head back down the ladder to see what this all-important report had to say.
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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere