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Exalted Plains
As they cross Orlais back toward the Frostbacks, a message arrives for the Inquisitor, diverting them to the Exalted Plains. The civil war between Gaspard and the Empress has seen the land war-torn again, ravaged by soldiers and by mages. Bull has been here before, and if he had a choice, he would not be here now.
But he doesn't. This is where the Inquisitor is and so this is where he will be. Their first order of business is to rid the ramparts of demons and spirits and to burn the dead.
Bull hates the close quarters of the ramparts. He can fight in them - he can fight almost anywhere - but he doesn't like it. It reminds him of battles and ambushes in city streets. Qunari didn't use ramparts like this no dug-in fortifications.
The smell of dead and decaying bodies and fresh blood, the sound of far-off skirmishing keep Bull hyper-vigilant and alert. As best he can, he keeps his state to himself. The Inquisitor doesn't need to be preoccupied with him, nor does the rest of the party.
After they set camp between the river and the ruins of Ville Montevelan, Bull sits apart, lost in the sound of the water and a battlefield far away.
But he doesn't. This is where the Inquisitor is and so this is where he will be. Their first order of business is to rid the ramparts of demons and spirits and to burn the dead.
Bull hates the close quarters of the ramparts. He can fight in them - he can fight almost anywhere - but he doesn't like it. It reminds him of battles and ambushes in city streets. Qunari didn't use ramparts like this no dug-in fortifications.
The smell of dead and decaying bodies and fresh blood, the sound of far-off skirmishing keep Bull hyper-vigilant and alert. As best he can, he keeps his state to himself. The Inquisitor doesn't need to be preoccupied with him, nor does the rest of the party.
After they set camp between the river and the ruins of Ville Montevelan, Bull sits apart, lost in the sound of the water and a battlefield far away.

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Instead he merely smiles a little more, and keeps at his work.
A little more time passes before he makes it up to Bull's knee, pressing his heated hands around it through the fabric of his pants. This part in particular will be much easier without them.
"All right," he says, playfully admonishing, "time for these to come off. But don't get any ideas."
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He shifts his weight down, bending his leg just slightly at the knee as Dorian's hands find their way back to it.
"You'd have to do all the work," he teases quietly.
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With Bull's trousers removed, it's far easier to do what he needs to with his knee. He rubs around it slowly at first, letting the heat sink in down to his bones, before he begins to massage carefully, patiently, at the thick scarring. This part takes the most time, naturally, as it's the worst injury of the lot, but Dorian is in no rush. He's glad that Bull still allows this, still trusts him with this, after his untimely remark earlier. He won't disappoint him.
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When he feels himself drifting too far, Bull forces his eye open again, intent on staying awake until Dorian joins him beneath the blankets.
"Thank you," he murmurs. He wants to make sure he says it on the off chance that he does fall asleep. Which is entirely possible once Dorian breaks out the horn balm.
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It's sweet how Bull refuses to nod off, though, despite how much he clearly wants to. Finally finished with his leg, Dorian gathers the horn balm and shifts up the bed close enough to press a kiss to his brow.
"Feel better?" He asks, trailing fingers lightly from Bull's temple up to the base of a horn. "How would you like to do this? Your head in my lap?" That's how Dorian prefers it, anyway, finding it both intimate and practical.
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Slowly, he slides forward and waits for Dorian to settle the way he'd like before resting his head in the mage's lap. He looks up at Dorian and there's something on the tip of his tongue that he swallows back. Dorian wouldn't understand, so there's no point in saying it in the first place.
"You put a scent in it when you make it. What is it?"
Bull has to admit, the balm Dorian makes is more or less identical to what he'd had when he lived on Par Vollen and Seheron. Stitches had done the best he could with what he knew, but it was never quite this good.
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He scoops some of the balm into the palm of one hand before he smooths it across the Bull's left horn near the base, taking care to rub it thoroughly into each groove, and especially where it meets his skin, as he's told him before that's where it tends to itch most. Dorian is slightly gentler there, as he had been when massaging Bull's leg, but as he works his way further up along the horn itself his hands become firmer as he uses both hands to work the balm into the ridges of growth. The smell of clove wafts strong and spicy from his hands, and now from the Bull's horns, made smooth and slick and fragrant.
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Bull's eye drifts shut again as Dorian works the balm into the dry, cracked skin right where his horns erupt from his skull. One hand drifts back, careful not to interrupt Dorian's work, so that Bull can loosely drape it around the mage's back. It isn't long before he's drifting off in Dorian's lap. The weight of his head settles more on Dorian's legs now that he isn't making any effort at all to hold it up.
He sleeps through the application on his other horn but starts to wake when Dorian stops. Bull forces himself back to consciousness, vaguely aware that he has Dorian pinned under him. It probably wouldn't be a hassle for the mage to free himself, but--
"Sorry," he says, still groggy. "Didn't mean to drift off."
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It's quite sweet, actually, that Bull falls asleep as Dorian works the balm into his horns. It's an immense show of comfort and trust, and it makes something in Dorian's chest twist in quite the opposite way to how he'd felt not long ago. He covers the right horn as diligently as he'd done the left, though this time he works from the top down. Bull wakes eventually when he gets to the base, slick fingers rubbing soothingly over the skin there.
"It's quite all right, Bull," he says quietly, a smile in his voice. "Now's the time for that, anyway." He lets his fingers drift a little down Bull's face, following the firm line of his jaw. There's nothing he wants more right now than to curl up at Bull's side and drift off as well.
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He moves over more on their combined bedrolls so that Dorian has room to actually settle in next to him. Bull keeps his eye open, intent on staying awake at least until Dorian is at his side. He likes likes watching Dorian's evening routine.
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He twists his hands together, rubbing the excess of the balm into his skin. Not its intended purpose, but it does serve as an effective moisturizer for him as well. He removes the rest of his clothing swiftly down to his smalls, tossing everything into a bit of a haphazard pile atop his other belongings. He thoroughly rinses his face of the day's dirt and sweat and his makeup, and then there's a scrub for his teeth. There might be another step or two at times, depending upon his needs, but tonight he forgoes any extra. He meets Bull's eye with a quirk of his lips, and then moves to lay down with him, pressed to his side and within the crook of his arm, a position that's become usual for them.
Strange to think of this gradually becoming normal.
His head rests between Bull's shoulder and chest, and a hand wanders low on his belly, tracing idle, aimless patterns into his skin. Lips press to Bull's clavicle as Dorian tilts his head up, eyes still open. Before the adoring look in them can give him away, Dorian flicks a finger and extinguishes the lantern, plunging them into semi-darkness, only the campfire still burning outside their tent filtering a sliver of light through the front flap.
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Bull breathes a quiet sigh as Dorian settles against him. He welcomes the familiar weight of Dorian's head on his shoulder and he slides his arm around the mage to keep him close. The flickering lamp goes out with Dorian's gesture and for several long moments, Bull lays there without completely relaxing. He listens to the sounds in the camp outside, the river not far away. He'd been so lulled just a moment ago and the darkness makes things shift in his mind. Bull tries to push it aside and he twists carefully. Since Dorian has known him, Bull has slept on his back. But now he manages to get on his side, half on top of Dorian but in a position that keeps his weight braced so that he won't crush the man he's holding against him.
He buries his nose in Dorian's dark hair and makes himself breathe deep and slow. Even if he can't quiet his mind, he can quiet his body. He listens to Dorian breathe ans closes his eye. "Is this alright?" he asks after a moment, realizing the position might not be comfortable for Dorian.
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"It's all right with me," He says slowly. "But it doesn't seem particularly comfortable for you." How is Bull going to keep his weight braced like that all night? Dorian can't help but notice that all the loose-limbed relaxation he'd managed to bring Bull with the massage and horn rub down has dissipated like so much smoke now that the light is gone. Bull is tense again, too awake. A stark contrast to how he'd been dozing off in his lap not so long ago. Both Dorian's hands rub soothingly up over Bull's chest in wide, gentle circles. "Don't you want to sleep?" He wonders softly. There's one thing that he still hasn't done that might help.
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"I want to sleep," he confesses quietly, allowing himself to sound as exhausted as he feels. "I don't know if this place will let me."
Usually, having another body near his own helps keep the worst of the memories and nightmares at bay. But the Veil is apparently thin and everything about this place brings him back to Seheron.
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Without any rush, Dorian slides a hand further over Bull's belly and between his legs, fingers brushing over his smallclothes until he finds the shape of his cock--not difficult--and cups as much of it as he can in a gentle palm. Kissing the corner of Bull's mouth, Dorian makes a soft, pleased noise as he strokes him languidly through the fabric. Masturbation before bed is a time-honored method of inducing sleep and relaxation, as Dorian well knows, except that with him here, Bull doesn't have to do it himself. He just has to let Dorian take care of him, as he's been doing all evening.
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Before long his cock is hard beneath Dorian's gentle insistence, but Bull's mind has already shifted to other comforts. It takes nothing for him to roll onto his knees, to push close between Dorian's thighs so that he as more than just Dorian's hand to rut against. As sudden as the shift is, Bull remains tender: he braces his weight on his forearms and one hand gently frames Dorian's head.
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"You're supposed to let me do all the work, remember?" Dorian huffs, though it's undeniably fond. But in truth, whatever works for Bull at the moment works for him. Bull is warm and heavy and laying over him close enough to kiss his cheek, at least, with the way the qunari has his face buried in Dorian's hair like the scent of it is tethering him to this moment. "Just let me--here," the mage fusses, getting his hands between them to ease Bull's cock out of his smalls.
He keeps a loose grip around the warm, thick flesh as he guides Bull to rut against his stomach and his silk-clad cock. He hadn't really been intending to include himself in this, but it's impossible not to become aroused when so much about this plays into his own desires. Bull's hard cock slides against his with only a thin layer of fabric separating them, and Dorian can't help but make a soft, wanting noise.
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Dorian's voice, soft as it is, sends heat sinking through him. Bull works his hips steadily, falling into a now-familiar rhythm as he seeks relief from-- something. From the thoughts plaguing him, from a restless mind searching for something to be worried about. He is here, with Dorian, and they are as safe as they can be.
He just has to be here.
"Dorian--" Bull's voice is quiet and heavy and he speaks his lover's name like a question. He needs to hear him.
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It feels, at long last, like something equalizing between them. This is not an indulgence on either of their part, but a necessity for both.
"Bull," he replies, equally quiet but lighter, earnest. Relieved, almost. He's hard beneath the smooth silk of his smalls, and Bull's hot, heavy cock leaks onto the warm tan skin of his stomach as he ruts against him in a way that borders on demanding, desperate. "I'm here, I'm here," he assures, and lets one arm loop over Bull's shoulder to settle a hand at the back of his thick neck, gripping there to ground them both. Whatever you need, he nearly whispers, for you, anything. "Keep going," he breathes instead, reassuring and encouraging.
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The way he moves is demanding but not particularly hard or fast. Bull nuzzles Dorian's neck, he kisses him there almost like an apology. He thinks, if he could, he would just push into him. But this-- this is more than he could ask for, and Dorian is giving it to him without questioning why Bull needs it and without offering judgement.
He lifts his head just enough to catch Dorian in a kiss, pouring his gratitude there.
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Some part of him wishes, too, that Bull could just be inside him. But he isn't nearly stretched enough, and somehow he doubts either of them have the coordination for that now, deep into this almost trancelike state as they are. He makes a soft, needy sound against Bull's mouth when he kisses him, opening up to him at once, receptive and welcoming. Maker, he just wants to make this man happy. The feeling twists in his chest, complex but comforting. Nothing else matters right now.
"Bull," he whispers, "do you want to put it between my thighs?" he offers. If he knows Bull and his stamina--which he does--it will take him quite a while to reach completion this way. Not that Dorian would mind that; he's almost blissfully content like this, just rocking together and feeling Bull above him, around him, smelling cloves on his skin. But he knows that Bull likes it that way, and might find that it satisfies a particular urge.
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Reluctantly, Bull pushes himself up so that Dorian can actually move. He knows he should find their oil but his mind hasn't quite caught up beyond need. He looks down and his hand brushes over Dorian's thighs as the other braces his weight. He eases back more, letting Dorian take initiative more than he ever has before once they've gotten this far. He looks to Dorian for direction, for encouragement, and he follows it almost without thought.
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"Use plenty on your cock," he asks fondly. "And then come here. I want you on top of me again." He doesn't want to give up that feeling, and there's a perfectly comfortable way to do it. Dorian lays down on his side rather than his back, pressing his thighs together tight. It's interesting--and humbling--that the Bull is so quietly receptive to his instructions, when normally after they both decide what they want he's content to take the lead. He's putting himself entirely in Dorian's hands, and Dorian won't give him any less than his best, just as the Bull always does for him.
When Bull is ready, Dorian guides him to lay over him much as he had been before, though he takes the Bull's oiled cock in hand himself and guides it to the thick muscles of his thighs, making a soft, appreciative noise when slides smoothly between them. He hopes that he's giving Bull what he needs.
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His lips drift over Dorian's cheek and his neck as he finally falls into a rhythm that feels easy and natural. Even in the thick of things, Bull is thinking of Dorian; he tries to adjust his position just so, making sure that every time he thrusts into the tightness of Dorian's thighs, he also rubs past the mage's cock. He won't have him neglected, not when Dorian is giving him so much comfort.
Everything feels easier now that he's able to rut the way he needs to, chasing pleasure to silence the earlier frustration and uncertainty.
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Bull's cock is hot between his thighs, the friction slick and perfect. The way Bull fucks him is needy, but not rough. There's clearly something about this that is satisfying him, that meets the needs of his body and his mind. He doesn't know if he's ever seen Bull quite like this.
It occurs to Dorian, as he's gasping and moaning under Bull with each grind of that huge cock against his own, that he isn't just providing Bull with pleasure, but with genuine release; like this, he doesn't need to worry about anything. Dorian is taking care of him. Dorian is making sure his needs are met. Dorian whimpers, tilts his chin up with Bull nuzzles at his neck, giving him room to kiss there, to nibble, to bite if he so wishes. The sharp sound of Bull's thighs against the back of his own is loud within the tent, and Dorian encourages him. "Yes, oh Bull, that's so good," he gasps, bracing a hand against the bedroll to grind back against him on the next thrust in. "You're so good for me."
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