Seeking Approval

When Anders agrees to move in with him Hawke is ecstatic. However, when Leandra finds out and wants to have a formal dinner with her son's suitor he goes into a panic. Man!Hawke/Anders one-shot set in Act 2.

Author's note: Thanks to the fabulous Brelaina for betaing my late night/early morning drabble! Without her I would be shifting point of view's every other word.

"Good morning, Garrett."

Hawke would have jumped at the sound of his mother's voice, if he had not be so very tired.

All he could even manage to greet her with was a deflated, "Morning."

"So is that apostate boy moving in with us or not?"

This time he did jump. No amount of exhaustion could stop the utter shock that coursed though him in learning his mother knew about him and Anders. How did she know he was there, lying naked and beautiful in his bed? He had taken every precaution to hide the mage's presence from her.

Wait, did she know he was there? She had said nothing about his current presence. Maybe it wasn't too late to sneak him out the window.

"Wha..What apostate?" A knot grew in his stomach as he lied through his teeth to his mother. He never lied to his mother. Well, never about anything important at least, and Anders was becoming increasingly important.

"Oh please, he's in your bed right now. I saw Anders get up this morning to fetch a glass of water, then retreat back into your little...love den. Were you scheming to sneak him out of the basement before I woke? Or maybe the window?"

Love den? Did he truly just hear that from his mother's mouth? He shook his head to try and shake the words from his ears, pretending that they had never been spoken.

"I...uh...well..."

The flurry of his thoughts would simply not allow him to form a coherent sentence. Hawke's mind was being invaded by thoughts of his mother hearing their efforts in the night or accidentally seeing a glimpse of their writhing bodies through the slight crack in the door. Every prospect was more horrifying than the next.

"I just need to know whether to tell Orana to start serving for three instead of two. No need to get all red in the face."

She had said it so nonchalantly. As if her son bedding another person, be it man or woman, was not an odd thing for mother and son to talk about.

"I am not blus-"

"Oh you most certainly are, dear. And it just makes me want to pinch those cheeks of yours."

Her hands darted towards his face, but Hawke dodged the clamping claws with a swift movement of his head.

"Mother."

"Right, you are grown now, and I'm not supposed to talk to you like that. Especially not in front of your suitor, I presume?"

His suitor. What a proper word for the ragged abomination sprawled across his bed.

"If he is staying in our home, I'd like him to stay and have dinner tonight, so I can meet him properly."

"You've met him at least a dozen times, Mother." Hawke sighed in a desperate, but hopeless, attempt at getting his mother off his back.

"And of those dozen times I've spoken less than ten minutes with the man. You drag him away from me so fast you would think he had the plague."

He had something worse than the plague. He had a cock. And men laying with other men certainly did not produce the grandchildren his mother dreamed of, and deserved. Hiding his blooming affair with Anders was Hawke's way of protecting his mother from the fact that he would never be able to give her grandchildren. Stealing Anders away from her as quickly and quietly as possible was his attempt at avoiding the situation that he now was unfortunate enough to find himself in.

"Well, what if I said he was moving in?"

Hawke held his breath for the answer. She had acted calm before, but maybe she was testing him. She had to be testing him, there was absolutely no way she could be condoning this. This was all an elaborate trick, any second now she would be dragging his lover by his long blonde hair and tossing him out the door.

"Then I'd say bring him here for dinner tonight, did you not hear me before?"

She wasn't joking. Now he couldn't decide if this was a bad or good thing.

"No I heard you, I just..."

"Just what?" Leandra snapped with a tone he had not heard since he was young.

Talking back to his mother now did not seem like the best idea. True, he was a grown man, but he would not be able to bear it if she disapproved of Anders. She was his mother, after all. Better to let her meet him 'properly', show her why he loved the man so.

"Nothing, he'll be here. I..uh...have to go."

"Alright, have a nice day sweetheart."

"Hawke, calm down. She had to find out sometime."

Hawke was pacing the floor, his hands in his hair and muttering something about a 'love den'. He was indescribably adorable like this.

"If I didn't know better I would think you were embarrassed of me. Aren't you the one who said you would tell the world of us? I'm not certain, but I think that includes telling your mother." Anders flashed him a smirk, trying his damnedest to calm Hawke down.

"I'm not embarrassed of you. I'm just not exactly thrilled about talking to my mother about my love life."

Hawke flopped face first onto the bed to join his lover. Anders scooted over to him and snuggled against his side, draping a leg over Garrett.

"You've never talked about your relationships with your mother?" Anders had never had a mother to talk to. He didn't exactly know how these things were supposed to go, but he thought at least talking about it was customary.

"No. Definitely not. My mother and I have an...interesting relationship. One that definitely does not include me cooing over other men to her." Hawke sighed and turned to face Anders.

"Is that it? It's because I'm a man?"

His insecurity was getting the better of him now. All those confessions of love, all of the promises could come crashing down on him so easily, crushing him in their wake. Rejection was not something he handled well.

"Uhhh...no...welll...yes."

That one simple word pierced Anders' heart. He knew Hawke was pressured to marry and carry on the family line, which was something Anders simply could not understand. He had no family, save Hawke.

"But you said you weren't interested in women." Anders voice was quieter now, hesitant.

"I was telling the truth."

At this admission Anders lit back up. The flash of doubt quickly disappearing just as quickly as it had come.

"So your mother didn't find it even in the least bit peculiar that you didn't go out on dates?"

This idea of family was so foreign to Anders. He was confused as to what was normal and what was odd and by the look in Hawke's eye he could tell that his lover was picking up on his confusion.

"Like I said, me and mother don't really talk."

"Well, that's healthy."

Anders scoffed at how stubborn Hawke could be at times. His ability to converse with his mother seemed to be yet another thing where his immaturity prevailed.

"It's not like I lied to her about my dalliances. I told her I was going to spar with the other boys, which wasn't exactly a lie."

"Sparring? Is that what you call it?" Anders lifted his eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, not with you. It's much more than just 'sparring' with you...it's..." Hawke opted for actions instead of words, pressing his lips to Anders' in a kiss that said much more than any mere utterance could every express.

"Mmmm...well, that is nice to know." Anders nuzzled into Hawke's neck for a moment before pulling back from the tight embrace.

"Indeed. Now, robes. Off."

The look on the blonde's face was utter shock and confusion. Was Hawke really proposing what he thought?

"What? Sorry Hawke, but talking about your mother doesn't exactly get me in the mood to 'spar'."

Hawke shuffled around his wardrobe and produced a bright blue silk shirt and grey linen pants.

"What is that?"

Hawke had bought the outfit for a party that he never attended. He wore it out to the Hanged Man once or twice, but it was still fairly untouched. Perfect for presenting Anders to his mother.

"It's your outfit for dinner tonight. Your robes are filthy."

Hawke heard the faint call of his mother from the dining room.

"Hurry up, and wear your hair down. She likes men with long hair. Father had long hair."

Hawke looked on in amazement as Anders shed his robes in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Removing his robes had become like something like a ritual, even with all the clasps and laces he could remove them at a moments notice. He could feel Hawke's eyes burning on his naked flesh when he was down to nothing but his small clothes. Feeling his eyes on him, studying, yearning, it took all his self-control to not take advantage of Hawke's vulnerability. Had Hawke not been so worried he would have satisfied his desires without a thought, but there were more pressing matters at hand and that could wait.

"And don't tell her about Justice."

Anders didn't even give that comment an acknowledgment it was so idiotic. Of course he would never mention Justice. How stupid did Hawke think he was?

Once Anders had shimmied himself into the clean clothes Hawke dragged him to the dining room, practically sprinting in fear of disappointing his mother with his tardiness.

When they met Leandra downstairs Hawke's mother wore a confused look on her face.

"Go away, Garrett. I said I wanted to meet Anders. I don't recall inviting you."

Both Hawke and Anders jaws dropped at this. Anders managed to gather his composure rather quickly, but Hawke still stood there agape.

"But..."

"You are a big boy, you can occupy yourself for a while. Now leave us."

Hawke hung his head, biting his lip in worry.

"Alright...have a nice dinner, I guess."

Before he had a chance to leave, Anders grabbed his wrist and pulled Hawke to him, pressing a fleeting kiss to his flushed cheek before Hawke wriggled out of his grasp and practically ran up the stairs.

"Oh, how sweet! Please have a seat. Orana should be out in just a moment."

Leandra sat and covered her lap with a cloth napkin and Anders did the same in kind. He remembered this dance well, the Wardens often had similar gatherings that required a sort of social grace.

"Mmmm...whatever she's making it smells divine." He closed his eyes and took in the rich scent in the air.

"Orana is a gift from the Maker. You simply have to try her custard, you certainly look like you need it. You're so very thin." Her eyes ran over his lanky form, studying him. No doubt assessing whether he was attractive enough for her son.

"Well, I spend most of my coin on supplies for my clinic and usually end up sharing my meals with patients. What little food I do eat I work off with all the little excursions Hawke drags me along on."

Two plates now sat in front of them, and Anders hadn't even seen the elf girl bring them in. All he could hear was the pitter patter of her feet as she skittered back to the kitchen.

"Hmm...so you are a healer. Very selfless of you."

The smell wafting from the plates was intoxicating and it took all of Anders' willpower not to devour the meal. Leandra still had not touched it, and so he waited patiently.

"My patients take care of me and I take care of them. It's a fair trade."

Finally she took a bite and he followed suit. The meat melted in his mouth and he fought to suppress a satisfied moan. How long had it been since he had eaten something besides bread and fruit?

"What are those clothes you're wearing? Are they Garrett's? I like your robes much better. The feathers are quite dashing." Leandra gave a gentle smile at him as she pecked at her own plate.

"You really think so? There is very little I can do about my fashion sense with the clinic and all, but I do have a thing for feathers. Garrett said you wouldn't approve of having dirty birds on my shoulders at dinner."

"That boy thinks he can read minds, especially mine. I assure you he can't."

They both laughed at this, knowing how utterly oblivious Hawke could be at times. The tension was beginning to diminish between them and now was as good a time as ever to bring up the question that was burning in the back of Anders' mind.

"Excuse me if I'm being too bold, but don't you want him to carry on the line with – well – a woman?"

To his relief the woman smirked at his query. He could feel the blush on his cheeks and knew she must have noticed.

"Anders, I've known for a long time that Garrett was definitely not going to deliver me any grandchildren. He thinks he's managed to keep secret who he brings into his bed, but I'm the one who makes his bed. So I think I would know."

The sly woman winked at him. She winked. Anders was beginning to regret being so candid with the woman as he felt the fire on his cheeks grow.

"Besides I have Carver to give me lots of grandchildren. I wouldn't be surprised if I already had some floating around because of that mess of a boy."

Anders let out a nervous chuckle. Now he knew why talking about these things with his mother made Hawke so uncomfortable.

"Hawke was so worried you wouldn't approve. You should have seen him, he was an absolute nervous wreck. Although, I have to admit it was kind of adorable."

Utter adoration filled him as he thought about the man sitting up stairs. No doubt burning holes in the rug with his relentless pacing. He would be overjoyed to hear how well the dinner went. Anders was really hitting it off with Leandra, which was totally unexpected given how Hawke had spoken of her.

"Seeing the way you look at him, it's really lovely. He truly loves you. He doesn't blush like that for anyone else."

Anders lit up at this. This is what he had been waiting for. This was as close to a stamp of approval he was going to get and he was absolutely ecstatic. But he found himself wondering why he craved her approval so much. She wasn't his mother after all.

"Now, I'm probably blushing too."

Leandra let out an affectionate chuckle and smiled sweetly.

"Dear, you've been blushing all night."

Leandra reached across the table and took his cheek between her fingers, giving him a firm squeeze. Such an odd gesture, but somehow comforting. Was this what motherly love was like?

"Hawke hasn't let me do that for years. Thanks for lending me your cheek."

"My pleasure."

Both their plates had been untouched for sometime now and Anders thoughts drifted to Hawke. He'd probably pulled out a clump of hair by now from all the nervous energy of waiting.

"I'd better head up. Garrett is no doubt pouting in his room waiting for the news of your approval." Anders stood and bowed to Leandra's obvious pleasure.

"Very well, dear."

"Goodnight, Leandra."

Anders was half way up the stairs before he heard the woman call out to him.

"One more thing, Anders."

He turned around to see a stern look paint her face, lit red by the glow of the fireplace.

"If you ever do anything to hurt my baby boy I will slit your throat in your sleep."

Anders froze and his blood chilled at the threat that had come from the old woman facing him who had just moments ago pinched his cheeks with such utter affection. He had faced darkspawn, dragons, but in this moment nothing he had faced could compare to Leandra Hawke.

"Sweet dreams, dear."