Dragon Age One Shots

Leaves, Cullen & Barris

"We have too many trees," Cullen growled, backhanding the sweat off his brow. The leather of his work gloves left a sticky trail across the sun-kissed skin and he blinked at the work piling up around them. Literally.

A damn chuckle broke from behind the old walnut tree, Delrin scraping the rake through the yellowing grass. He already had a good-sized pile of autumnal foliage crackling under the rake's fingers. Each pass was only adding more.

"What do you intend to do about it?" Delrin asked, pausing in his own work to try and clean up the garden. He lifted the hem of his white t-shirt up to dab the sweat percolating off of his recently shaved head. How that man wasn't cold in such a light outfit was beyond Cullen. First sign of a fallen leaf, he broke out his flannel and wasn't dressing in anything else until May flowers.

"Chop a few down," he said, lifting his head to gaze at the miniature forest that cropped up behind them. It was a wonder any grass grew at all for the leaf canopy blocking the sun.

Delrin smashed his arms around his latest leaf mass and walked it over to the master pile. It was nearly as tall as a ten-year-old child. "You know she'll just plant more," he chided Cullen as if his deforestation plans were real.

"I know," he sighed, taking in a purifying breath. The sticky tar scents of summer faded at last. Only the woodsy scent of tree bark, crumpled leaves, and the occasional bonfire churning out smoke drifted through the air. It was the perfect time of year...if one ignored all the yard-work.

Cullen moved to raise back up his rake when they both heard Serena shout, "No!" clear as day. The men moved to action, fearing she was in trouble, but she was the one who came bounding to them. She was bent over as if trying to chase something that their eye could hardly follow.

Zipping faster than a fly, it streaked over the grass and towards them. Serena looked up, seemed to come to some conclusion, and shouted, "Look out!"

At that moment their master leaf pile they'd been growing all afternoon exploded. Dead foliage bounded into Cullen's hair and mouth, his filthy gloves struggling to wipe him clean.

"What the...?" he began, fearing the leaf pile itself became cursed, when two tiny paws, a little black nose, and the biggest, happiest brown eyes he'd ever seen stuck halfway out.

"It's a puppy!" Delrin exclaimed, dropping to a knee to scratch along the unexpected dog's chin. It promptly rolled onto its back, inviting Delrin to give a good itch to her belly. The back leg began to go, inviting Cullen to join in. But he had another issue to solve.

"Serena..." he turned to the woman racing up to them, "do you know whose dog this is?"

"Um, yes," she bounced on her feet — never a good sign — and bit her lip. "Ours."

"Ours?"

"We get a dog?" Delrin cried in excitement. The pup was already washing his face clean in kisses, the grown man rolling around on the ground with her.

"Wait a second," Cullen began.

"Before you get all huffy, she was all alone and I couldn't just leave her there. She needs a home. What's wrong with expanding the family a bit?"

When she used her pleading eyes on him, Cullen was a goner. His head crashed to his chest, a sigh rumbling up his gut, "Very well. Was there anything else new you wanted to show us?"

"Just these," she picked up a box from her satchel, shaking it back and forth, a frown rising on her lips, "but they're awful."

"What are they?" Delrin asked. He rose from the ground with the pup greedily snuggled in his arms. After yanking off his gloves, Cullen scratched the girl's head getting puppy kisses over his wrist for it.

"Cookies from the Dalish," Serena said, picking up a grey blob with what looked like gravel inside. "Dear Maker, I have no idea why anyone would want one. They're like chewing on dirt filled with worms, then someone kicking you in the knee for good measure. I'd rather suffer an impacted tooth than eat another."

Cullen picked up one of the disgusting clumps and sniffed it. His entire face puckered tight, the stench more reminiscent of the stink weeds he pulled up. They were truly vile.

Big brown eyes rolled up to him, a stub of a tail whacking into Delrin's side. "Do you want one?" Cullen asked the pup with tongue lolling out.

With a smile, he placed it into the greedy chompers. Razor sharp puppy teeth began to chew when the dog paused, its adorable face crinkled, and the mouth opened. Half-chewed dalish cookie plummeted to the ground, the goo looking more like cat barf.

"Guess she doesn't like them either," Serena cooed, petting her new baby.

Laughing, Cullen rubbed the pup's head and buffeted the fallen ear. "We'll have to get you something good to eat. After all, you're one of the family now."