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Cole liked to stare at people, that was one of the first things Cremisius Aclassi had learned about him.
As it turned out, before they had started spending time together, Cole had been watching Krem quite often, which had been quite a surprise for the warrior. It had taken Krem far longer than he would have liked to realize that had been the case, and what made the situation even more embarrassing was that it had been the Altus who had commented on the situation first. They had been sitting in the Herald’s Rest that day, celebrating finishing another job, and the Chief had invited Dorian to join them.
The mage had been enjoying his second tankard of West Hill Brandy when he had said:
“Looks like you might have an admirer, Cremisius.”
Krem had turned his head to follow Dorian’s line of sight, and only then had he spotted Cole sitting at the top floor of the tavern, legs swinging back and forth, eyes barely visible from behind his shaggy hair and the long brim of his hat.
“He’s been starin’ at you ever since you sat down, I think,” Rocky had muttered before drinking some more beer. “I don’t think I’ve even seen him blink yet.”
Krem hadn’t talked to Cole much at that point. The rogue had always disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared, which made it difficult to catch him, especially since from what Krem had heard, making people forget him was one of Cole’s skills.
Right after the Inquisitor’s party and the Chargers had came back from the Storm Coast, the Inquisitor, Bull, and Dorian had went to talk to the Inquisitor’s advisors, since the alliance with the Ben-Hassrath had no longer been an option, while the Chargers, along with Cole, had been sent to the tavern to sit down and unwind. Krem had had a feeling something had been wrong, but he knew Bull would talk to him sooner or later, so he had decided to let it go and went with the others to the tavern. That day had been the first time Krem had talked to Cole for longer than just a few seconds.
It certainly had been an experience that left an impression, and the warrior had finally found out why Bull was so uneasy around Cole sometimes. However, Krem had ended up caring about the strange young man surprisingly quickly after that, and he had also found out that Cole liked him as well, so when their relationship had evolved, no one had been surprised. Well, no one except the Inquisitor. It had been an interesting conversation, to say the least.
Now, four months later, they were lying in Krem’s bed, one of Cole’s long legs thrown over both of Krem’s, fingers loosely gripping the material of Krem’s shirt. The warrior couldn’t help smiling, enjoying the warmth radiating from Cole’s body.
Cole, as it quickly turned out, was a lot more tactile than Krem had initially expected. Not that he was complaining, of course. The first time the rogue had hugged him was just as awkward as it was charming, and after Cole had decided that he enjoyed the closeness, they were hugging a lot more often. Seeing how happy all the cuddling made his boyfriend brough Krem a lot of joy.
“Soft. Content. How is he so warm? All the covers are still on the floor. Should I get more blankets later? I would like that. And you’re very warm, too.”
When Krem opened his eyes, he found Cole watching him. The rogue’s hair was in an even bigger disarray than it usually was, there were pillow creases on his face, and he looked so soft and comfortable that the warrior wanted to kiss him. So he did just that.
“I thought you wanted to sleep in,” Krem muttered against Cole’s lips.
The rogue broke the kiss, before rubbing his eyes with one hand in a way that was just too adorable. “I tried, but you were very loud.”
“Sorry,” Krem pressed a kiss to the side of Cole’s head, and the other man just sighed contentedly, his lips brushing against Krem’s shoulder.
“Don’t be. You’re happy. Bright. It’s nice.”
Krem had no idea what Cole meant by that, not really, but he decided not to think about it too much. Instead he focused on the feeling of Cole’s arms around him, and the way he snuggled closer. It made Krem want to bring in more blankets after all, so that they could stay in bed longer, together, not caring about anything else.
That was when he remembered that the day before he had promised Rocky and Skinner to meet them for drinks. There were still a few hours left until the evening, but he already felt like leaving the room would be a struggle. He was so comfortable, and Cole was so warm… wait. Would Cole like to join them? Maybe he could ask.
“I would like that. You’re glowing when you’re with them.”
Krem knew what Cole meant, and yet he felt his cheeks redden at the way the comment was worded. The Chargers were his family, the most important people in his life, and he was overjoyed by the fact that his boyfriend wanted to spend time with them, and that the Chargers accepted Cole as well. Each of them went out of their way to make Cole feel included in whatever they were doing at the time, be it an invitation to drinks or to a training session. They also continued to tease Krem mercilessly about his new relationship, which could be irritating, but was also heartwarming at the same time.
“Rocky promised to bring some weird snacks to annoy Cabot, so that will be fun to watch. There will be plenty of foods for you to try, if you want to. Maybe cookies, too.”
“You’re thinking about the chocolate cookies one of the cooks bakes,” Cole blinked a few times, looking thoughtful. “She always smiles when you ask about them. Could I have one, too?”
Feeling giddy, Krem ran one hand through Cole’s hair. “Sure. We’ll get you some cookies first, and we can go to the Herald’s Rest right after.”
“Can we bring some for Sera, too? And for Grim?”
“I don’t see why not. Marina always gives me enough to feed a small army.”
A pleased smile appeared on Cole’s face then, and when he pillowed his head on Krem’s shoulder once more, snuggling even closer, the warrior sighed, content. Maybe they could stay in bed for a while longer.
