Chapter Text
During their (her) first teasing flirtations, Cullen had been easily flustered. There was something about the way Anwen approached him that made him uncertain about what she was actually seeking. He remembered their first meeting in the Valley of Sacred Ashes, the way she'd looked at him was already hungry; predatory. Varric had teased him later about her lingering glances as he'd helped a wounded recruit from the field. She'd asked about whether he'd taken vows of chastity and he'd been put completely off balance. Every time, in fact, that she had asked him questions about his intimate history he'd been unable to keep the flush from his cheeks. He was no innocent, but she was just so....aggressive.
He hadn't failed to notice that the sarcasm and levity she aimed at her other advisors and companions never contained the same pointed sexual barbs as the ones meant for him. Others she joked with as equals. Him she liked to see blushing. She seemed to like especially when he attempted to keep up with her banter and was eventually forced to admit defeat when she took it that one step further. He found after their first night together - that too-abrupt encounter on his desk - that her competitive nature extended into the bedroom. Often enough she would start with playful teasing, he would reciprocate and then she would take it to a place he couldn't quite bring himself to follow. Once, emboldened by wine, he had responded to her provocations with a single playful spank to her rear. He realised at the spark kindling in her eyes that he had started down a road he wasn't prepared for. As usual he'd wound up on his back, her hands on his shoulders as she rode him mercilessly to intense, near-simultaneous completion. He had a tendency to come away from their nights together feeling...outpaced. Not that he was complaining exactly. Often enough (for him) their loveplay was tender and soft, especially after a particularly hard day or when one of them had suffered an injury. Any time her prodding struck a nerve she was appropriately apologetic, and despite his stammering he was tickled by her humour. Not to mention the amazing pleasure she was always happy to give him and the moments afterwards, wrapped up in each other, sweating and kissing gently. All the same after a few months Cullen decided it was time for him to find a way to start down that road. He was a strategist, after all. He relished a challenge.
Eventually he was forced to concede to himself that even the best strategists often needed allies. Unfortunately for him, given Skyhold's remote location he had few to choose from. Given the delicate nature of the operation ahead of him he knew what his options were. Sera might have information that would be useful to him, but the asking would be literally unbearable and there was no way he could trust her to be discreet. Josephine or Leliana would likely be able to find such information, but while Anwen's closer companions were so often out in the field (that is, away from him) the spymaster and the ambassador were almost constantly underfoot. He wasn't sure he could endure that. Dorian was a possibility (Tevinter culture being what it was), and he knew that if he pressed the issue the mage would be as sweet as fresh butter during any...consultation, but that afterwards the commander would never live it down. Really he knew his best option and while he didn't look forward to actually confronting this learning experience, the reward afterward was too sweet to even think of giving up. With a heavy sigh, Cullen pulled a bottle and two glasses from a cupboard in his upper quarters and carried them down to the office to keep in his desk. For whenever he built up his courage enough to ask.
****
From the knocking on his door, Cullen knew who was standing on the other side. He called for them to enter and was slightly gratified to see The Iron Bull grumbling as he maneuvered his way in the door. Sideways, head bowed down to let one horn through, a step, then tipped the other way for the other horn before straightening up. There ended the gratification. When the Bull stood at his full height Cullen had never felt so small in all his life. After sending a runner to find him, he expected the Qunari (Tal-Vashoth now, he supposed but would never say) to open with "heard you wanted to see me, Commander", but instead...
"Hope you'll excuse the intrusion. I need to ask for a minute of your time."
Cullen was surprised, but didn't show it. "Of course, captain. How can I help the Chargers?"
The Bull came closer and that *small* feeling increased even after he was seated in the chair Cullen gestured at.
Sitting, The Bull is still close to the eye level of a standing human. Cullen couldn't help but get anxious.
"I'm actually not here on behalf of the Chargers. It's personal. I'm here for the Boss."
Cullen's eyebrows rose and his mind raced. Why would she send The Bull to speak to him? Was something wrong? Was Anwen safe? Had something happened while she was in the field?
"Relax, Commander. She's fine. Strictly speaking she doesn't know I'm here."
"Oh. But then...?"
"Hey, I said I was here *for* her, not that she sent me. She'd thank me, though, if she knew. You might not."
Cullen didn't know what to say, but The Bull continued anyway.
"I've seen you ride. You're pretty good at it. Trained for a long time in the Order, right?"
"Ride? Sorry, did An...The Inquisitor want you to talk to me about horsemanship?"
"The Boss didn't want me to talk to you at all, remember? You're good with the men in the training field, too. A good balance of stern correction and concern for their progress, but human, you know? A little personal touch."
Cullen nodded uncertainly. "Thank you?"
"You're welcome," he said in that drawl of his. "You should think about applying those qualities to...other areas. Of your life." He cleared his throat pointedly. "Of the Boss' life."
"OH." The realization hit him like a maul in the chest.
"Yyyyeah. You know," he said grinning. "Your lives *together*."
"Y-yes. Well..."
"But you have no idea how to do that."
"Maker's breath. You're going to tell me, aren't you?"
"And you're going to pour me a drink, aren't you?"
Cullen stood and fetched that bottle from his cupboard and both glasses.
"Pouring a drink for myself might be more of a priority, if it's all the same to you."
He poured for both of them, they both drank and he poured again.
"So listen, you grew up training, living in barracks, right?"
Cullen nodded warily.
"So you know what soldiers are like. We talk. We talk about everything," he drew the word out.
Cullen scrubbed a hand along the back of his neck. "Oh I know. I was expecting talk and gossip. I knew SHE would
talk. I was just hoping I might not have to hear about it so *directly*."
The Bull shrugged his enormous grey shoulders with a grin.
"You'll be grateful for it, afterwards, I promise you. I know it's going to kill you to have this whole conversation, what with the whole blushing virgin schoolboy thing you have going on. I can see why she likes you."
Cullen raised an eyebrow. "Did she say that? The blushing virgin part?"
"No, it's just part of your whole thing with her, isn't it? Maybe you really can't help it. Either way it drives her crazy. In a good way."
The Commander snorted a laugh and shook his head.
"She's not unsatisfied, if you're worried about that. It's just that...When you're together, she plays the brat, right? She'll tease you and challenge you and you try to play along and end up backing down, because she just keeps pushing. So it seems like she really gets off on being in control, right?"
"Right," he tries to keep his voice steady, but *Maker* he's mortified. He'd really been planning this on his own? What was he *thinking*?!
"Well it's just like riding a horse, Commander. Sometimes a good horse knows where it needs to go and it can get there without much leading, and that works for the horse and the rider. But sometimes, even if the horse knows where it needs to go, taking the reins winds up getting you there faster or better, right? Better for you, better for the horse, everyone's a little bit happier."
"Listen, I'm really *not* the blushing virgin everyone seems to think I am," Cullen begins.
"Well, the blushing is definitely true," Bull teases.
"Everyone knows about what men talk about -or do- in barracks. I'm thirty years old, for pity's sake! . If she's talked to you, you know that I've tried and she's stopped me every time. So if what she wants is more...leadership. I just need to know how to do that without going too far."
The Bull made a sound that was half laugh and half sigh.
"So many people are like this. I tried to tell her, if she wants to get her ass smacked more, she just needs to tell you! If you want to smack her ass, but you don't want to cross a line, just tell her!" He downed the rest of his second drink and poured a third, topping up Cullen's glass at the same time. "I can't tell you how many people do this to me, honestly." He put on a dreadful imitation of a woman's voice: "'Oh Bull you talk about crazy sex all the time how do I get my boyfriend to have crazier sex?' and I say something like 'I dunno, tell him you want to eat his asshole and if he's into it do it, what's the problem?' 'Oh Bull that's too much, can't YOU tell him for me?'" He sighed again, this time clearly for effect. "This isn't my preferred way of getting involved in a couple's sex life, you know. You never want to do it the fun way, just want a giant sexy messenger."
Cullen felt heat rising in his cheeks and that *small* feeling intensified in a strangely pleasant way he was not at all prepared to deal with at that moment. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"I suppose I would have thought...that would take some of the fun out of it? 'Oh darling, would you like me to boss you around in bed?'"
"It can," Bull admitted. "But better to dull the mood for a few minutes first than ruin it later by breaking a boundary."
"Uhm, did she..." he began as The Bull lurched up out of the too-small chair (and he tried not to stare at the huge hand splayed on top of his desk) "she didn't really ask you about that, did she? That specific..."
The Bull smiled lasciviously. "The crazy sex part, basically. The ass eating?" He turned to leave. "I think answering that would be violating the boss' privacy. Besides..." he glanced back over his massive shoulder "Then I wouldn't have gotten to see that expression right there. I'll give you this: she *did* say that she likes the way you use your teeth."
Cullen knew the blush was spreading across his face, and shifted uncomfortably behind his desk, grateful when the Bull finally made his awkward exit, grinning ear-to-ear.