You know I said it in a prayer like a war cry

[kremdelacreme]

WHO: KREM and basically THE ENTIRETY OF SKYHOLD
WHAT: Krem is coming back from his private mission in Antiva and fulfilling some promises.
WHEN: 18 Wintermarch and onward
WHERE: Various places about Skyhold
NOTES: Attractive shirtless men?

He was stiff, sore, not exactly moving well, but when he finally mounted the stone bridge leading into Skyhold, damned if the smile on Krem's face wasn't as brilliant as the glare of sunlight on the snow. It was damned good to be home. He'd held up a hand when one of the front gate guards offered to run inside and inform the Iron Bull of his return, letting them know that he would be seeing Bull himself, as well as most anyone else that needed to know he was home.

As soon as all was said and done and the appropriate parties warned (Except for Cullen, Cullen could be just as surprised as everyone else) the toys would be collected, loaded en mass into the catapult, and seconds later, there would be stuffed toy nugs in a large variety of different fabrics hitting the ground with squeaks bordering on deafening in volume from the sheer amount of them. There would be enough for every child in the hold, plus a good portion of the adults that might come along and pick them up.

-Training Ring-

It was time for drills now. He had the ring to himself, most people were off and occupied elsewhere, and someone had set up a practice dummy at the edge of the ring that would make the perfect partner for a bout of shadow boxing.

Anyone that had ever witnessed Krem's drills before knew that sound: the maul swinging through the air fast enough for it to be faintly whistling, occasionally thudding down into the dirt. But if they approached, they'd immediately notice a difference. Where was Krem's armor?

Bracers on, boots grinding into the dirt, gauntlets on, but other than a pair of comfortable breeches, Krem wasn't actually wearing his armor. In the late afternoon light, the muscles of his arms, back, shoulders, and chest were gleaming faintly with sweat. He'd been at this for a little bit now, and it had warmed up just enough that he actually could break into a sweat as he trained. He was still trying to get used to his center of gravity changing, and as such was moving more carefully than usual. It lent a sort of grace to his movements that wasn't usually present.

If anyone wanted to come and spar with him now, they would have to get his attention first. He's entirely focused on the mild ache of his muscles, and moving to compensate.

Comments

[kremdelacreme]

"You are terrible at reading intent in people, you know," Krem sighs, stepping past Sam and snagging his hand in passing, pulling Sam along behind him. Maybe he would explain why he didn't like to be prodded in such a way, if asked. But for now, he just walked slowly enough for Sam to actually get the hint.

[el_tybs]

That has comment certainly has Sam canting his head to one side a bit. "Really? Normally I'm pretty good at noticing it." Not that he was bragging, but generally he was decent at reading other people. Krem was just... a bit harder to get sometimes.

Having his hand grabbed and dragged towards the armory certainly was easier to get, a small smile pulling at his lips as he quickened his steps to walk evenly with Krem. "Guess I kind of got used to intent being expressed a bit more verbally with our talks." There had been no visuals to react to during those times, so he might have been a bit rusty.

[kremdelacreme]

When Sam drew level with him, Krem let his hand relax, leaving his fingers hooked around Sam's.

"But you can't see the face I'm making like that. Shouldn't it be easier face to face?" he asked as he mounted the steps leading up to Sam's quarters.

[el_tybs]

"I've got a decent imagination. It wasn't hard to tell when you were practically frowning at the crystal, or when you had that certain smug smile on your face," he says with a chuckle, letting Krem lead the way. "But it should be. Just... think I'm still in a bit of shock that you're actually here and not just talking to me over a stone."

When they reached the top of the stairs and Krem started to slow, Sam grins just letting him look around for a bit. Eventually Sam gives Krem's hand a tug and tilts his head to the other set of stairs. "I'm up at the top."

He wasn't exactly nervous in bringing Krem to his room, but something about it all had his pulse increasing. The space wasn't very large, mostly rail that walkway to look over the forges, a large window surrounded by plants facing the courtyard, and a sectioned off area that pretty much just fit his bed and a dresser.

[kremdelacreme]

Krem lets go of his hand at the top of the stairs and moves around the open space with his arms crossed, scanning around it and glancing toward the partitioned area hiding Sam's bed. He takes up a lean at the railing overlooking the forges, looking up at Sam then smiling faintly, keeping an eye on the shadows that the low-burning fires in the forges threw on the walls. Best to be aware of whoever might decide to come in and occupy the smithee for a while.

"Warm up here," he comments thoughtfully. "'s nice. Easy to sleep up here even with the through-traffic downstairs, I imagine." He turns to lean over the rail with his weight supported on his elbows.

Quiet as he tended to be, most people would be hard-pressed to figure out what was going on behind that mostly neutral little smile on his face. Right now, for instance, he's trying to figure out when would be a good time to make good on his promise to tell Sam what the endearment he'd given him meant. Provided, of course, that Sam hadn't already gone around to the very small Tevinter population here and asked them what 'amatus' meant.

[el_tybs]

Sam hums in agreement to some of what Krem says. "Bit too warm at times honestly. I can get away without wearing a shirt sometimes when it's particularly sweltering, which usually happens when we're working all of the forges at once and for long hours. The noise isn't terrible though. I wouldn't recommend trying to sleep while work is being done unless you like the sound of hammers, hissing and whatnot."

Taking to leaning on the rail himself, Sam cants his head a bit, a small smile forming. "I bet the temperature in here is a lot more to your liking." Krem wasn't the biggest fan of the cold though he dealt with it in a sort of silent suffering kind of way. Course in Emprise he hadn't been completely silent, but then again it was freezing there. "You're always welcome to come up here and crash if you need a place to warm up. Just... mind the plants. Sina would have your head if something happened."

[kremdelacreme]

"If it does get too loud while you're trying to sleep in here, you've got permission to take over the bed in my quarters," Krem offers in turn, taking it upon himself to lean his shoulder against Sam's arm. He muses, not for the first time, over how the hell he'd even found someone so very...very Sam. From his face to the amount of shit he could put up with, there is a hell of a lot to admire about the mage at his side. And all of this stemming from one rather silly conversation involving flexing.

"You really are something else, amatus," he says quietly, mostly to himself as he looks out over the forges, turned with his elbows up on the rail, fingers laced together in front of him. "I won't even look sideways at the plants. She'll have no reason to take my head, or any other part of me."

[el_tybs]

"Does that include or exclude when you're using the bed?" Sam's trying his best not to let the smile on his face turn into a wide grin as he asks that, leaning back some against Krem as he ducked his head a bit closer to look at the Charger better. He's very aware that could earn him a punch in the arm, but it would be well earned regardless if that was Krem's only response.

Perhaps another day when there was noise he would have missed the comment with how quietly Krem says it, but with just the sounds of forges burning below the words come out quite clear. For a moment he doesn't say anything, rolling one particular word in his head and wondering about it, much like the last time it had been said. "What does that mean?" He asks, but doesn't press. So far he's figured it is a nickname or something similar that he's being referred to as.

[kremdelacreme]

Sam is right in his prediction, and the punch is just hard enough to ache but otherwise won't leave a mark. The question makes Krem's head fall forward, ears turn pink, but he clears his throat and straightens up, then reaches a hand over to curl his fingers almost shyly around the other's.

"Closest translation I can think of in common's uh. Beloved. Or something like that."

[el_tybs]

While he does expect it, it has been some time since Krem's been around to do that so the pain is a bit sharper then he remembers. "Ow," he says lightly in the midst of laughing, pulling back a bit so he has room to rub at the sore spot.

Shoulders still shaking a bit with silent laughter at the reaction, Sam goes to say something else, but stops at the feel of Krem grabbing his own hand. Looking at the Charger, Sam's laughter is quick to die down at the way the other is now standing. It's hard to tell in the light but did Krem's ears look a tad darker?

Beloved.

It's Sam's turn to blush and for a moment all the mage can do is stare a bit wide-eyed at his boyfriend. Right? That's what they definitely were if Krem was calling him that? After a bit more silence Sam works on turning his hand over so that they're more holding hands.

"Or something like that," he repeats leaning over and lightly bumping his head against the side of Krem's affectionately.

[kremdelacreme]

Krem nudges right back at that, and he lets his hand rest in Sam's, the corner of his mouth twitching up at the mage's larger hand around his darker one.

So close together, it's easy enough for him to turn and nudge his nose against Sam's cheek, letting out a gentle huff of a laugh as he wrinkles it. "You need to shave."

[el_tybs]

At being told that Sam huffs in amused surprise before breaking out into a fit of soft laughter. Shoulders shaking with mirth, Sam turns his head so that their foreheads are pressed together instead. "If you say so... amatus," he says, testing out the word, a bit curious to see how Krem would react to hearing it said back to him.

[kremdelacreme]

Krem's head falls again and he can't help but laugh, himself. It sounds ridiculous coming from Sam, but he'll take it in stride.

"You really haven't got the right accent for Tevene," he points out, then cants his head just enough to be able to press his lips to Sam's. It's mostly chaste, but it lingers when Krem starts to pull back. "Might have to teach you later."

[el_tybs]

Sam pouts playfully at being told that. "I suppose I don't-" he starts to say, but he quickly trails off when Krem leans up to kiss him. It's simple and short, but nonetheless pleasant judging by the wide grin returning to Sam's face.

He might have leaned in to give Krem one, but stops short, instead blinking at the suggestion. "You're going to teach me Tevene?" He's a bit skeptical on that, but also a bit eager.

[kremdelacreme]

"I could. Imagine how many nationals it would offend to hear it coming from some uncultured Southern mage." He chuckles some at that, clearly not serious. He leans up to offer another kiss, quicker and lighter this time around, then nods toward the partitioned area that was Sam's bedroom. "Come on, I wanted to show you something. And it's getting warm."

[el_tybs]

Uncultured Southern mage. That has Sam raising a brow, but by the smile it is clear that he gets that Krem is only playing and making fun of what the higher ups in Tevinter probably do say about the south. "Oh, well, then you certainly should teach me then."

At the offered kiss Sam eagerly accepts, a bit giddy at the amount of kisses Krem has been giving him. It's curbed slightly when Krem motions towards his bed and mentioning that he had something. It was getting... warm? It probably being the thing Krem wanted to show him. "What is it?" he asks, following behind Krem as they go.

[kremdelacreme]

Once they're out of sight and settled in, Krem waits for Sam to have a seat before starting to work at the buckles of his armor, dropping pieces to one side until he was down to his undershirt. It's less bulky than usual, as he was no longer wearing the leather binder underneath everything else. He presses his lips together, pulling the lower one in between his teeth briefly, before he finally reaches back to seize the back of the shirt and peel it off over his head.

So here he is half-naked, looking more than a little apprehensive but keeping his arms down. The scars are there, but they're barely visible after having taken the time to see Adelaide beforehand. He'd had a gift for her that he hadn't wanted to melt, anyway, so visiting her first just made sense.

[el_tybs]

At first Sam doesn't give it a second thought when Krem starts taking off his armor, chalking it up to the warmth of the room for the man wanting to get out of them. It's when it's clear that Krem isn't planning on stopping at his undershirt that Sam starts to fidget, eyes darting around as he's not sure if he's supposed to be turning around like all the times in Emprise. At the look Krem is giving him though and the way he bites his lips, it dawns on the mage that this was probably something else that Krem was going to trust him with.

When the shirt is gone though Sam doesn't look right away, eyes staying focused on Krem's face, though eventually he does look. At first it's just a slow sweep over the expanse of skin, eyes narrowing in curiosity when he notices the barest of lines on either side of Krem's chest, and while he hadn't planned on staring, he cannot help but do just that as he tries to figure this-

"You don't have to wear the binder," he says all of a sudden, eyes widening a bit and looking up at Krem's face. "That's why you-" Went north, he finishes in his head.

[kremdelacreme]

Krem wants to make Sam stop staring. Then he wants to encourage him to look, now that there wasn't anything to avert his eyes from. There was no more reason to worry, but...he can't blame Sam for Worrying to begin with. Up until now, that was really all the other man could do. Now though, it isn't necessary.

"And you don't have to worry about if I'm sleeping in it," he adds with a crooked, rather unsure smile.

[el_tybs]

He cannot help but give an amused huff at the joke, looking down and shaking his head at it. "I suppose I don't," he says in agreement, looking back up with an equally unsure smile on his face. What was he supposed to say or even do?

"This is why you went north after Emprise? This is why you sounded tired and uncomfortable when we talked when you were coming back?" He still glances though mostly keeping his eyes on Krem's face, not sure how big of a deal he's supposed to be making out of this. "... how does it feel?"

[kremdelacreme]

"It's...I don't know. My balance is a little bit off for training exercises but that's easy enough to compensate for." Krem shrugs, though the motion does cause him a small bit of discomfort. He might have been to see a healer, but it's a deep muscular ache that'll stay with him for a while yet. Sam's lack of reaction besides the questions is actually rather comforting. This isn't a huge thing even though it was at first.

"I didn't want it to cause anyone some kind of issue so I kept it to myself. The most it'll do now is slow me down for about a month until I'm completely healed. I'll need more food, mostly red meats, Lady Adelaide said. Easy enough. So...yeah. Now I'll be able to actually walk around without a shirt and not be stared at for it."

[el_tybs]

If there's one thing he's learned being with Krem it's not to make a big deal during times like this. It was best to take it slow and calmly, let the man settle into things and set the pace, and not feel like he was being crowded or pushed.

Sam hums lightly at the mention of balance as well as hearing about the healing period - if Adelaide said it would take that long then it would, regardless of healing. He smiles lightly, noting the interest Krem has in walking around without a shirt since that has probably been something he's wanted to do for a while. Course when he says that no was going to stare Sam cannot help but grin widely at that.

"Ah... I still think you're going to be getting a lot of stares, Krem. You're... kind of hard not to look at." Like seriously, it was honestly a bit hard not to look since he was standing right in front of him. "You're very attractive..."

[kremdelacreme]

Krem snorts. Of course Sam would say something like that completely earnestly and both mean it and sound like a shy child. He reaches out and drags his fingers back through Sam's hair, then withdraws only to take a seat at his side, his hands resting on either side of him.There are things he wants to do, things he discussed with Sam, teased him with or mentioned in passing, but now that he's here, he can't bring himself to do anything but lean his shoulder against Sam's arm, feeling a bit awkward and more than a little frustrated with himself.

"You really do think that, don't you?" he says quietly, looking down at his feet with his brow furrowed some. He was sort of used to compliments, but they all seemed rather token, or occasionally patronizing. But not when they came from Sam. They were rare coming from him, when it came to his physical appearance, and Krem doesn't know how to feel about it. Flattered, yes, but this is one of those instances that his emotions are conflicting with the baser parts of him. The parts that want to hold Sam down and do obscene things to his face, and maybe the rest of him if he had the chance.

[el_tybs]

It's still new to actually see Krem without any sort of covering, armor or cloth likewise, but the weight against his arm is the same. It's still the same person sitting next to him. At the question Sam glances down before sliding his hand over to lightly wrap over the top of Krem's. The same hands that would easily punch him in the arm, sew squeaking nugs or run fingers through his hair.

"I really do," he says back just as quietly, turning just slightly so that it was easier for him to lean forward and set his head against the side Krem's again. For a moment Sam is quiet, but eventually a small smirk pulls at his lips and he turns his head so he's facing Krem's ear better. Which is when he recites that one line in a mimicking tone that Krem used numerous times on him that had him taking a moment for himself. Complete with breathy little moan.

[kremdelacreme]

The color in Krem's face brightens substantially at that, and his hand tightens down on the edge of Sam's bed briefly.

"Damned unfair," he murmurs, in spite of knowing that it's payback for pulling the same things on Sam over the sending crystals. His free hand comes up and shoves gently on Sam's face, though after that, and a moment of thought, the hand in Sam's slips away and eases over his leg, fingers resting near the inseam of his trousers. He was still having a hard time believing that Sam had said that, or done that. The other man is stupidly handsome, not that Krem would actively admit it, at least not to his face.