Modern Thedas AU

[aban_aqun]

When Bull arrived at the party last night, he hadn't actually been intending to crash. He didn't even get that tipsy, but by the end of the night he was too tired and too loose to really want to make the trip. Sera let him sleep on the couch and he'd been out like a light.

Still, he has the habit of waking up early. When he does, he puts away the fold-out bed and makes sure the living room looks more or less normal. After that, he shuffles into the kitchen to start poking through the cabinets and fridge. He figures it'll be a while before Sera crawls into the light of day, but he could stand to make some breakfast for whoever happens to be around.

Especially if, like Sera says, her roommate is actually around. Bull hadn't seen anyone new at the party, but then, he hadn't spent a lot of time wandering around. He tended to settle somewhere and let people come to him; it's easier on his knee.

He finds enough in the kitchen to make a sweet bread. He's impressed Sera has yeast and wonders absently if it's from his visit a few weeks ago; he'd come over to bake something for her, he can't remember what now. Doesn't matter. Two hours later, there are two braided loaves cooling on the stove top and the kitchen smells pleasantly of caradamom. Bull starts coffee after that and debates cooking more. He knows how much Sera can put away when she's hung over.

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[aban_aqun]

Bull smiles as Dorian takes in the kitchen. "No, Krem lived with me for a while, but he has his own place now."

He kind of misses having the company, but Krem has plenty of reasons to want to live alone, not the least of which being that he is finally, tentatively, starting to date and having a massive Qunari roommate is not always conducive to that. Bull doesn't mind: he's still an excellent wing man when Krem needs it.

He nods to the pegs on the wall where Dorian can hang his helmet and his jacket, if he wants. Bull shrugs out of his own to leave it there.

"Had to remember how to cook after he moved out," he quips. "Krem does the menu at the cafe."

[bestdressed]

Just his friend, then. That's an interesting tidbit to file away for later. Both helmet and jacket are removed and hung up quickly enough, and Dorian runs his fingers briefly through his hair to put it back in order. He'll follow Bull's lead when it comes to shoes. His boots are easy enough to slip off.

"If he was responsible for the curry today, perhaps I've made dinner plans with the wrong man," he teases. It had been a true taste of home, unlike anything he's eaten since leaving Tevinter. He drifts closer to Bull as he talks, far enough into his personal space as to be clear in his interest, yet not quite bold enough to touch. "But then, I haven't so quickly forgotten your sweetbread. You've set expectations high, Bull."

[aban_aqun]

Bull laughs quietly. "I'll try not to disappoint. Want to help or just observe?"

The way he asks suggests that there is no wrong answer - if Dorian would rather sit at the little kitchen table and hold conversation from there, Bull is just as content to do the work himself. He turns on a few more lights so the space over the counter top is bright.

"Did Sera get any of the bread or did you hoard it?" He looks over with a grin and lifts his eyebrow. Dorian seemed quite enamored with it and Bull wouldn't be surprised if the only evidence of its existence had been the lingering scent of cardamom in the air.

[bestdressed]

"I'll help," Dorian offers, surprising even himself. But he wants to see the process up close, and more than that, wants to be near Bull.

As they talk, Dorian quickly removes his jacket, hanging it near Bull's, and then joins him by the counter. "Because I am a considerate friend and roommate, she got a loaf to herself," he sighs regretfully. "Not that she deserved it. She ate so quickly that I'm not certain she actually tasted it."

But Bull's smile is quite charming, and Dorian can't really be annoyed. He smiles back a moment later. "What will we make today?"

[aban_aqun]

"Are you tired of curry?" he asks with a wry smile. It's an easy enough dish with so much room for variation, and it's a taste of home that Bull indulges in fairly frequently. He checks to see what he has to work with before he rattles off a few possibilities.

"Butter chicken, lemongrass curry with shrimp and rice. If you want something hot, we can do lamb in chili curry."

Bull's gotten better at adjusting spice levels for people that aren't used to the punch chili peppers can pack. But Dorian's from the north, and Bull can't help but wonder where his tastes fall.