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Cremisius Aclassi was sitting in the Herald’s Rest, listening to one of Rocky’s stories, when with the corner of his eye he noticed Maryden picking something up. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she took a bite of a peach she was holding, and…
“Whatever your face is doing right now, stop it. You’re making Grim uncomfortable,” Krem turned his head to see Dalish taking a sip of her beer, while Grim just snorted at her comment.
Krem just took a swing from his own tankard to hide the redness that he was sure appeared on his cheeks right then. As he glanced in Maryden’s direction once more, ignoring the Chargers’ chuckles, this time he noticed a familiar, large hat disappearing behind the stairs. Feeling a smile tug at his lips, Krem finished his beer, before focusing back on Rocky.
About six months had passed since Cole had came back from a trip to Redcliffe with Varric and the Inquisitor. Right away Krem had realized that something about Cole had changed then. He still had had his uncanny ability to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. He still had been the same curious young man that tried to help everyone around him. On the same day the Inquisitor had mentioned that Cole had started learning how to be human, and that was probably the difference Krem had picked up on. After that, whenever the warrior had caught Cole petting cats, or leaving fruits or books for people around Skyhold, he couldn’t help thinking that Cole had been doing a rather good job of everything so far.
During these six months, a lot had changed between them, too.
For quite some time Cole had been rather successfully trying to play matchmaker for Krem and Maryden. It had taken Krem an embarrassing amount of time to pick up on that, but after finding a couple of gifts, and a few chats with Maryden, during which they had realized what Cole had been doing, he had to admit that Cole’s plan had been quite clever. Krem definitely hadn’t needed help on that front, he knew how to flirt with people he was interested in, but after he had ended up asking the minstrel out for dinner one night, and later had kissed her after walking her to her room, he had decided to thank Cole for giving them another reason to talk.
The thing was, after Krem and Maryden had gotten together, Cole hadn’t stopped leaving small gifts for them. Krem also had no idea when or how exactly had it happened, but at some point Cole had started spending more and more time with them, and their relationship had… changed.
If they had been eating together and Cole had happened to be nearby, Maryden had always asked the rogue to join them, and Krem would bring him a plate of food he thought the other man would enjoy. One day when they had been sitting outside, Krem listening to Maryden sing, Cole had been listening as well, but from afar, and as soon as the warrior had noticed, he had asked Cole to sit with them. Soon, instead of just observing them in silence, Cole had started to join them without a prior prompting, explaining that he had felt how happy they were whenever he was near. Krem had noticed redness spreading across Maryden’s cheeks at the comment, and he was sure his own face had probably been equally flushed.
It had been during one of such occasions when Cole had suddenly leaned in and kissed Maryden, successfully cutting her off in the middle of a song. Krem had just sat there, speechless, and before he had managed to wrap his head around what had just happened, he had felt Cole’s warm, soft lips against his.
It had been a very enlightening day overall, and a beginning of something truly amazing.
“His hands were gentle. Was she smiling? I should have pulled him closer. Closer. Warmth.”
Krem turned his head to see Cole standing next to him, head tilted slightly.
“I had enjoyed it as well,” the rogue said after a second, and Krem could hear Stitches and Skinner snort at the statement, but he was not going to dignify their antics with a response. “Maryden would like you to go to your room now. I would, too.”
Rocky just raised his tankard in answer. “You definitely shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
That was how Krem ended up following Cole out of the tavern, and when the other man opened the door to their shared room, the minstrel was already putting away her lute and taking off her vest.
“It is so good to see you here, my dear,” Maryden smiled as she walked up to them and wrapped her arms around Krem’s shoulders first, pressing her body against his, before kissing him deeply. The warrior wrapped his arms around her waist right away, and then she broke the kiss in order to press her lips to Cole’s next.
“Do you want to lie down?” Krem asked the other man, who was now touching his forehead to Maryden’s. “You must be exhausted after a trip to Crestwood.”
“We could get food and drinks,” Maryden suggested. “Does that sound good?”
Cole blinked a few times, looking first at Maryden, before turning towards Krem. “Yes. I want that.”
Soon, all three of them were lying on the bed, with Krem in the middle. Maryden was curled up on the warrior’s left side, one leg thrown over both of his, fingers of one hand tangled with Cole’s across Krem’s chest. Cole was snuggled against the warrior’s right side, head pillowed on his shoulder, nuzzling against warm skin. Krem couldn’t help himself, he kissed the top of the other man’s head, and instantly heard Cole let out a happy hum at that.
“Soft. Warm. I really needed this. Good thing the Chief gave us a few days off,” Cole murmured against Krem’s shoulder, hand squeezing Maryden’s. “Yes. The Iron Bull saw you watching Maryden. And me. He wants you to be happy.”
“Well, I want both of you to be happy,” Krem told them, feeling the smile on his face widen at Cole’s comment. He had to remember to buy a bottle of the Chief’s favourite ale the next time they went to Val Royeaux. “Which is why I also asked the Inquisitor if we could have a few days just for ourselves. No trips, unless absolutely necessary. Just us.”
“That sounds amazing, love,” Maryden said, and the expression on her face was calming and reassuring. She was so beautiful. “It truly does.”
As they fell silent, Krem tangled his fingers in Cole’s hair, and then kissed Maryden’s forehead, basking in the closeness of the two people he loved and feeling happy.