Surprisingly there wasn't much of a lecture from the others when they made it back to the inn. A few looks ranging from disappointed to irritated to amused. All in all, a far better reception than the last time she had run off.
They were sent to their rooms to pack their belongings and get ready to head back to Skyhold.
Given the massive hangover and all the terrible things that came with it, Holli could see why her mother preferred to just stay drunk or high, to never come down.
Dangerous thinking. It would be safer for Holli to avoid doing anything like that again. She couldn't risk becoming her mother.
"It was a good night, though, yeah?" Sera grinned at her from across the room as she haphazardly shoved clothes into her pack.
Holli could remember some fun moments. But then one of her bruises or scratches would sting or ache, and she'd remember the fight she was a part of. She couldn't fight for shit. What the hell had she been thinking? She quickly healed the aches she could feel; it helped a little.
"Some parts of it," Holli agreed.
"And your extra aggression towards Lisha, was that because she was trying to steal your man?"
Sera sang it in a teasing tone, and Holli wanted to chuck something at her. She didn't even know if Cole was her boyfriend. Did they even call it that here? They had kissed once. And when she looked back on how they were with each other since he came here, it was possible he was as interested in her as she was in him. But he was also Cole, and Cole didn't think the same as them or see things the same way.
"My extra aggression was because Cole didn't want it, and she was being pushy," Holli said. "She was sexually harassing him."
Holli didn't want to talk about it. Cole had said she hadn't misread the situation, but part of her still worried. She was also just annoyed – she was tired and had a headache. She just wanted to go to bed. But no, she would have to spend all day on horseback as they travelled.
With their things packed, she and Sera joined the others outside. Cole was holding Sunchaser's reins, and he offered that guileless smile when he saw her. It was impossible for her not to return it. She moved to stand beside him, and he took her pack, fixing it to the horse.
Holli was a little more comfortable with Sunchaser after all her time with hers and Emil's lessons. But she still didn't feel ready to ride her alone. Or maybe she just didn't want to.
"Do you think you could sit in front today?" Holli asked Cole. "If that's okay."
He nodded, climbing up first and then helping her up. It was a lot easier getting on the back.
Hawke made sure they were all ready to go, and then they set off. He also let them know Lady Morrigan would be joining them at Skyhold later, not travelling with them.
Holli held onto Cole's waist, her hands mostly gripping his coat. She felt nervous, which was a bit of a foreign feeling. She wasn't usually nervous around him, not like this.
"You're buzzing, and – there's a little storm," Cole said, shifting so he could see her. "Because of me?"
"Not-" She sighed before just admitting it. "Sort of."
She looked around, hoping no one was listening. They did tend to trail behind the others when they rode. They appeared to be a far enough distance away.
"When we kissed last night, was it just... were you just curious? Like, was it just an experiment or something?"
"No," he said simply, but softly. "I...care for you. I feel it in my chest; it's part of me now. You – you make the world make sense, and when you smile, I – I'm sorry, I want to say it right."
"You're doing fine," she whispered, resting her forehead against his back, her arms snaking around his waist. "I care for you too."
She could practically feel his smile as one of his own arms came to rest over hers, his fingers interlacing with her own. The nervousness was gone now, replaced with a giddiness she certainly couldn't have imagined earlier this morning.
"You're mine, and I'm yours?" He asked.
Holli nodded, smiling to herself. She wanted to tell Yvette and Curtis. She wanted to pick up the phone and message them, tell them she had a boyfriend now.
Thoughts of them always lead to the memories of all the bad stuff she'd learnt in the Fade, and she tried so hard not to let it ruin this. And then the guilt would hit for even trying to discard the grief. She should be holding onto it. What if she forgot one day? How could she do that to them?
But she didn't want Cole to feel the plummet in her mood either. She squeezed him tighter for a moment, trying to mentally shake the dark feelings away.
"Holli?" He asked, concerned.
"I was just... thinking about Yvette and Curtis," she explained. "This is the part where I would hang out with them and tell them about you. We'd eat ice cream and paint our nails and talk about you."
Holli wondered if they would like Cole. He wouldn't exactly fit in their world. And the court of high school opinion could be pretty harsh. Thinking about it, would she have liked Cole if he'd been a boy at her school? Best not go there; she wasn't sure what the answer would be. She could admit to being... shallower maybe. And since Cole didn't fit the mould, he would have been someone other students would have picked on. Holli wasn't a bully, but she hadn't exactly done much to help those who were bullied either.
She liked him now, and that was what mattered. He was her friend, now her boyfriend, and she wanted it to go well. She wanted him to be happy.
Looking ahead at the others, she was fond of all of them. They were... connections that she hoped she never lost.
Stranded in a world not her own, she couldn't have asked to be surrounded by better people.
-
Holli's extra closeness with Cole didn't go unnoticed by the group. She wasn't overt about it; to be honest, she didn't think much had changed. They had always been sort of physical; Cole held her hand often and tended to hover nearby whenever she was doing anything. But a smart-arse quip from Hawke and a couple of looks from Josephine and Cullen. Bull had hinted at something as well.
She was starting to wonder if Varric hadn't just told people what he'd seen at the Winter Palace. She didn't like being the object of gossip. It had been unavoidable as the Herald of Andraste, but this was different.
At the stables of Skyhold, Cole slid down from Sunchaser, helping Holli off as well. Every time she looked at him, a smile would come unbidden to her lips, and he always returned it. He had such a cute smile.
"Lady Herald," she heard Emil greet from beside them.
She felt Cole's fingers flex on her waist where he hadn't yet let her go.
"I can take Sunchaser for you," the stable boy said.
"Thank you," she replied, stepping back and pulling Cole with her so they could get out of Emil's way. All the while Cole watched Emil intently. Weird.
"I'm just gonna visit the infirmary," Holli told Cole.
She wanted to speak to Mr Loewe. She was just going to have a little rest, have some dinner, and then she was going to finish his healing. She was confident one more session should do it. There also could be injured who might be in need of healing. While they had a few mages who could heal as well, the worst and most complex cases were left to her given what she could do.
Cole planted a kiss on her forehead, surprising her with the action. While he was quick to hold her hand, or play with her hair, or even hug her, kissing was something he seemed to approach with something bordering on nervousness. He had only done it maybe one or two times since the palace in their travels.
"I'll catch up with you later," she smiled up at him.
She made her way inside the castle after thanking Emil again, greeting the familiar faces she passed by.
Although Halamshiral had been a bit on the torturous side, they had at least accomplished what they'd set out to do. And managed to plant one more thorn in Corypheus's side.
In the infirmary there were a couple of people there, Mr Loewe among them. He perked up when he saw her. His wife was sitting beside him mending something with a needle and thread. She had a pile of clothing beside her. Her way of helping out, maybe?
"Hello, Mr and Mrs Loewe," Holli greeted. "How's it going?"
She was curious to know if there had been any change. In between their sessions, sometimes he would discover new sensations or new capabilities. And she had been away awhile; maybe he'd found something momentous.
He grinned as he pulled the blanket from his left leg. She remembered he had been able to wiggle his toe on that foot. Instead of one toe, he was able to wiggle all five; there was even some movement in his ankle.
"That's amazing," she breathed out, taking a closer look.
"I've been exercising this leg every day," he said proudly.
Holli couldn't help the smile that split her face. She could do this. She could actually heal someone who was supposed to be crippled for the rest of his life. She had done it before with recently injured, mostly amputatees. But this was different; this was a man who had spent the last decade or so unable to walk, unable to control his bowels and bladder, and unable to even feel any sensation below the waist. It truly felt like she was giving him his life back.
Holli took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Has there been anything in your other leg?"
He shook his head.
"All good. Tonight should change that. I'm pretty sure we'll only need the one more session. I'll be back after dinner to do it. Adan has been working on an exercise regimen for you. It will still be a while before you'll be walking unassisted, since it's been such a long time."
"It matters little how long it takes or what I must do; I swear I'll put in the work," he promised her eagerly.
"I didn't doubt it. I just didn't want you to get your hopes up of it being an instant thing, is all."
Holli was also curious to see how it went. What worked and what didn't. Would she manage to restore complete functionality and sensation, or would there still be dead zones? She had even been taking notes on it. Adan was storing them with his own.
Holli was excited for tonight and eager to see how it all turned out.
After speaking with him a little more, she healed the couple of patients that were there for her and then made her way to her room. Cole must have already brought her pack back; it was sitting on the desk when she got there. She had totally forgotten about it. He was so nice.
She didn't realise she was just standing there stupidly staring at it for a while until Josephine opened the door behind her. Holli nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Sorry, Holli, I was just bringing this," Josephine said, holding up the dress she had worn for the ball. It was covered in protective layers of fabric, but Holli knew what was under them.
"I can keep it?" She asked.
"Of course, it was made for you."
Holli accepted the dress. Of course she wanted to keep it. Solas had made sure it would be perfect, and it was the dress she had been wearing when Cole had kissed her for the first time.
"Thank you, Josephine."
"You're most welcome. Also, Master Harritt was asking after you. Your... project is finished?"
Holli perked up, the bike! It had to be.
Holli quickly hung the dress up on the makeshift rack she had holding the coats people had gifted her and other dresses Josephine had made her wear.
"Thanks again, Josephine!" She called out as she ran out of the room.