InsaneJournal

Being that this was Dorian’s first Valentine’s Day (and prior to being here in Vallo, he’d never even heard of this ridiculous holiday before), he wanted to do something fun and special for Atreus - it was technically a first for both of them, after all. So he told his beloved to keep the evening free, and set up Skyhold’s throne room for just the two of them - the Serault glass, mystic and eccentric hues and the glass itself works of art that the Inquisition did quite a bit of work for, had velvet curtains pulled over it so the room was pitched into darkness. Being that Skyhold had taken a turn into modernity while still maintaining its original aesthetic, it was easy enough to set up speakers and a projector which was now playing a film called Fantasia, casting the images onto the far wall - he didn’t know what it was about, but it involved lots of animals prancing here and there so he thought Atreus might like it since he strongly identified with that sort of thing.

With their indoor, homemade movie night Dorian also made indoor, homemade chocolate fondue - plenty of lush strawberries to dip, and other cut-up fruits, plus some cake in square pieces that he hadn’t made (the cake was from a bakery) and some marshmallows. It was a sweets explosion but eating lettuce on Valentine’s Day didn’t seem particularly romantic - he wasn’t certain if all of this was romantic either, but nestled in plenty of cloudlike blankets and pillows, eating dessert while watching a film, well. It certainly felt that way.

“I have a gift for you too,” he made sure to tell Atreus, twirling the skewer over the pot of hot dipping chocolate, having just speared a strawberry. “It’s not just this and a sugar coma, I promise you.”

Atreus was almost certain that they would have frowned upon him just falling asleep right here in the middle of the cloud of pleasure, taste of strawberries, chocolate and Dorian on his lips, but he was still struggling to talk himself out of it. He hadn’t known what to expect - neither of them were proficient in Valentine’s Day, it was a learning experience - but he’d been told to come in easy to remove trousers (check) and he added the smile on his face.

He’d also come with flowers, and some gourmet chocolates that were said to be the best Vallo had to offer, and with a bottle of wine he knew would be appreciated.

But now he’d experienced the Valhalla level of pleasure that involved dipping foods in chocolate, and he never wanted to leave. “Mhmmph-” He finished the piece of fruit in his mouth before trying to talk again, from his comfortable cloud haven. “There’s more? I promise this is more than enough, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have a meal again that doesn’t involve dipping food in chocolate.”

“Who says you have to?” Dorian quipped, leaning in to taste chocolate off of Atreus’s mouth, pressing a kiss there - because he was quite a fan of the taste as well and since today seemed to be a holiday set aside for consumption of sugar (candies, truffles, cupcakes) he would indulge while he could. The flowers and wine were lovely touches too - he’d appreciated those, and had uncorked the wine so they could drink it while celebrating in their seclusion. “And, oh - it’s just a little something. I didn’t pick it out here. It arrived from home - and it’s something I want you to have.”

He’d get to that in a moment, however. First he wanted to come to a good stopping place with the fondue - but he was quite addicted to and fascinated by it, so that part might be easier said than done. A good thing not every day was Valentine’s Day, otherwise he’d be as big as a house by giving in to his sweet tooth. “There’s also a dessert called Marie Du Lac Erre's Sweet Ruin. It’s an Orlesian thing, they import chocolate from the jungle of the Donarks, which lies north of the Anderfels,” he said. “I’ll have to see if I can replicate it for you someday.” It might not turn out exactly the same, but he’d try.

Atreus was nowhere near ready to give up on the melted chocolate, which was evident by the way he dove right back in. If they ever had to leave Vallo, chocolate would be in the top five of things he’d miss, and Valentine’s Day seemed to hit that nail right on the head.

And it was especially welcome, after the week they’d both had fighting turkeys. Angry turkeys. Laying on a bed of pillows and blankets made the scratches and smaller injuries he’d sustained feel like they were years away now, and Atreus leaned back with a happy sigh and pleased expression. His hand reached out for Dorian, almost subconsciously, inviting him to enjoy the moment as well.

“You’re going to bake for me too?” Okay, so maybe he sounded a little amused. Impressed, but amused. “I’m going to hold you to that. Even if I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, it might be the sugar high, but gifts, chocolate, a bed of pillows? This might be my favorite holiday.”

It wasn’t surprising that Valentine’s Day was potentially Atreus’s favorite holiday - truth be told, it was getting up there for Dorian too. They couldn’t keep the throne room as the cloud bedroom, obviously, but it was nice for the time being. Decadent, and nice - which may be why he liked it so much; he’d always enjoyed the finer things in life, food and clothing and everything else that came with growing up in that figurative ivory tower. He’d evolved since the Inquisition, and realized that many of his viewpoints required a fresh perspective and correction - but regardless, he liked tasty things.

Atreus included, of course. Dorian sank back into the current heaped Cumulonimbus on the floor, snuggling up close to his beloved. “I wonder which one comes next?” he mused. “Something for the onset of spring, perhaps? We had a couple of those in Thedas. One was called Wintersend.”

Unsurprisingly, it marked the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Not as bleak as the ‘are you still alive?’ welfare checks people did at the turn of the new year.

Dorian’s musing reminded Atreus just how long he had been in Vallo. A year. He’d arrived just after Valentine’s Day last year, in time for a freak snow storm that had made him assume it was his own fault. But he’d been pulled from Hel on Midgard and settled here where it was relatively quiet and peaceful.

Even with angry turkeys.

“I remember Wintersend being mentioned after I arrived,” Atreus murmured, nodding. “We have similar - Walpurgisnacht celebrates Freya,” his voice faltered just a little at mentioning her, but he continued on anyway, “--And the coming of the spring. Ostara is before that, it’s like-- Um. Easter, which the Barns did a celebration for last year. That’s another with more chocolate to it.” Atreus didn’t hide the fact that his eyes twinkled with that admission. “The covens will definitely do something for spring, they had a festival-- Oh and then there was Leprechaun day. If you wanted green beer.”

“Green beer?” Dorian’s finely groomed mustache twitched a little, when his mouth quirked upward in an amused half-smile. He’d noticed the inflection change when Atreus mentioned Freya, but he wouldn’t dwell on it - the pain and strife she’d caused Atreus and Kratos had no place in a day like today. Instead Dorian swished his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair, a fond gesture. “So many holidays. Makes it hard to get anything done around here.”

He was teasing, naturally - because Dorian liked parties and celebrations about as much as the next person. Especially when he got to dress up for them, put on a particularly gaudy outfit and strut about. What, it was fun for him.

“I’ll look forward to the chocolate and the oddly-colored ale, then,” he decided. “You’ve been in Vallo for awhile.” It was an observation he tacked on, thoughtful in his tone. “And you’re happy?”

Atreus laughed and leaned into the touch, shrugging against the backdrop of comfort. He immediately felt better - the comfort that Dorian’s touch provided was something he’d gotten used to, but it made stress and worries seep away and he wasn’t here to question that.

Even if his boyfriend was asking him loaded questions. You’re happy? It was a simple question, with a simple answer that never felt as simple as it should’ve been. Yes, of course, especially in times like this with Dorian, or when he was spending time with Torunn, or out getting coffee with Shiro, or tending to the animals with Matthew.

Those were the times he could forget home, for a while. He closed his eyes and smiled a little. “I’m happy. I’m realistic to know I might not always be happy, we might not always be happy with how Vallo is, but--” He leaned up to give Dorian a kiss. “Right now it’s kind and I’m going to stick with happy.”

Dorian took that kiss and added another, hand resting against Atreus’s cheek, thumb stroking the bone. “No, I suppose you’re right,” he acquiesced, since he’d learned long ago that perfection in all things was just not possible - it was expected of him, of course, and he’d been disappointed when he couldn’t live up to that. But it just couldn’t really happen; he had also learned to stop expecting it, and chastising himself when it wasn’t that way all the time. Because there would be instances where they cursed Vallo (turkeys, anyone?) or maybe even got into little spats with each other too - however, they’d work them out because they both wanted this and that was what was important.

“And it’s not as if you have to be happy and perfect all the time either,” he added. “I wouldn’t expect you to be. Just as I know you wouldn’t expect it from me.” There would be days when all Dorian wanted to do was lock himself in the library and not do much of anything - gloomy, cloudy days that felt like the sky often looked in Tevinter. It was comforting to know he didn’t have to be ‘on’ all the time.

He held Atreus’s chin for a moment and kissed him again before pulling back, just to find the small box he’d hidden amongst their blankets and dipping chocolate. “But here, perhaps this will add to the festivities,” he said, handing over the gift. Inside was the Pavus family amulet, his birthright attached to a long golden chain - two golden snakes intertwined and set with aquamarine, yellow topazes, and a large diamond at the place where they were joined.

“The family amulet’s a bit much, I realize, so you don’t have to wear it - I just...wanted you to have it. Because you’re my family now.”

He’d worn it during meetings and appointments at the Magisterium, as if to make it known why he was there and what his birthright was - a lot of sitting around and listening to old men drone on and on about the glory days of the Imperium, over a meal and often not. Magic was as natural as breathing for him, but the posturing and the politicking - that had been stifling. He didn’t feel stifled here.

When Atreus took the amulet, it was with soft and careful hands, despite the scars, tattoos and calluses that adorned them, it was like he was holding something precious. And he was. It was not anything like his style, of course, Dorian already knew that, but the idea behind it was the important part.

And also he liked snakes, so there was appreciation on that end, too.

Atreus looked down at it for a while, eyes roaming over the entire special piece, and he smiled before bringing a finger over the gemstones. This meant a lot to Dorian, clearly, and Atreus was solemn in the way he thought about that - not wanting to make a joke, or to lessen the impact in any way. If it was important to his lover, it was important to him.

When he looked back up at Dorian, his own eyes were searching, a little unsure. “Are you-- sure? I mean, giving it to me. This is special, and it looks really valuable. It’s just-- a lot.”

“I’m sure,” Dorian confirmed, gently, a lot gentler than he usually was - no flippancy, or snark or bite to his tone. He wasn’t trying to cover up anything, like how he felt, and he wasn’t ashamed. His birthright didn’t mean the same things here as it did in Tevinter - he looked at the amulet as something that was a part of him, a representation of how far he’d come, and not something he needed to use to throw his weight around.

No one cared about his bloodline in Vallo - it was so refreshing, he essentially thought he could deal with just about anything else this place threw at him since he wasn’t being judged or knit-picked over or expected to perform.

“Besides, if I were to - well, you know. Vanish,” he added, not really wanting to dwell on that but being realistic and recognizing there was always a chance it could happen, “...you’ll have a piece of me with you always.”

Not that Dorian expected Atreus to rot alone forever if he disappeared, but it was comforting knowing he was leaving something behind in a sense. Just a little (shiny) reminder.

Atreus frowned, but not in a way that was unhappy with the gift, just Dorian’s words of potential disappearance. Even if he knew it was practical - even if he thought of it himself - he still didn’t like it.

But he did like this token of appreciation, and was already thinking up one of his own, something from his world that he could craft for Dorian. It’d have to be a little more opulent than Atreus normally went for, but the possibilities were rattling around in his brain, even as he was leaning in for a kiss. “I’ll take good care of this piece of you, promise. But--”

Now his expression was a little more heated, a little more playful. Atreus climbed over a few pillows on all fours, leaning over Dorian. “What do we do with it while I’m fucking you in the middle of the throne room? Surely it can’t be safe just… sitting out?”

Oh, hello there. Dorian chuckled throatily, gladly being the caught prey and letting Atreus climb over him while he was on his back, a meal dragged into the depths of soft pillows and their blanket nest. “I’m quite certain as long as we remember to grab it when we’re done, it’ll be just fine,” he said, fitting Atreus in between his knees nicely - good, grand, like the very last puzzle piece locking into place to complete the picture.

Right before Dorian pulled him down and kissed him back. A few times, words coming out around those kisses. “Of course, if your brain is mushy after fucking me in the middle of the throne room - well, that’s understandable too.” He was willing to risk it, anyway.

It was well worth the risk. “Happy Valentine’s Day, amatus,” he added, and then he was perfectly fine with having nothing else to say after that anyway.

Atreus was laughing when he lowered himself again, slow and steady like a hunter with a perfect line of sight. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ástvinur.” It was really all that was needed to be said from both of them before mouths and minds were otherwise occupied.