"Anders…I-" She grinned mischeiviously. "How long will it take before I drive you mad?" Anders leaned forward quickly, brushing his lips against hers. Her breath snaked over his bottom lip and he moaned into her mouth, barely mindful of the others just down the hall. She brought her hands up to the leather thong holding his hair in place and with a gentle tug let his hair fall below his chin. She carded her fingers through the silky strands as her tongue darted into his mouth and massaged his, he shivered.

His hands glided down her arms to her waist as he pulled her tightly against him,, savoring the feel of her soft curves. He pulled back slightly, their hair huffing between them as he rested his head on her shoulder once again. "This will be a disaster," he murmured quietly before inhaling deeply and relishing the scent of damp soil and evergreen. "But I can't stop, I can't live without it." She tightened her grip in his hair a moment, shocked at his words. "We could die at any moment, but I don't want that to happen before I tell you how I feel." He lifted his head and gazed deeply into her light green pools.

She smiled, "I feel the same."

"I thought… with Justice, this part of me was over." He frowned and gripped her arm tightly looking just past her at the wall, unable to confess to her directly. "I can't give you a normal life." I'm from a different world. Our standards of normalcy are completely different. "Because of who I am, you'll be hunted if you are with me, hated, the whole world will be against us." He declared softly. "But I can't… I can't turn you away."

"I don't want you to." She smiled brightly.

The visible relief in Anders' eyes stole away Jennifer's breath. She brushed her lips gently along his before pushing back. He grinned crookedly and Jennifer fought not to faint dead away. "I suppose we should get back." Anders cleared his throat. "They may end up sending a search party for us if we don't hurry along."

Jennifer snorted with laughter and handed Anders back his leather thong. "You should wear your hair down more, it suits you."

Anders offered his arm to Jennifer. She curtsied, taking his arm and smiling. He released her arm as they neared the end of the hallway, Anders kissed the top of Jennifer's hand. "I am a lucky man." He mumbled quietly and Jennifer snickered as they entered the main sitting room.

"I thought I was the one interested in a late night snogging…" Isabela jested, looking leeringly at Jennifer and Anders.

Jennifer blushed deeply and waved her hands in front of her. "It's not like that! We didn't do anything! We talked that's it!" Anders had blushed as well but did not offer up any explanation. Jennifer looked pointedly at him before he found his left boot to be extremely fascinating.

"Ugh…On with the story… please?" She whined pleadingly at Varric, and he obliged telling tales well into the early morning. When his last tale was finally done, Jennifer yawned and smiled. Isabela had left earlier, claiming that the drink was too weak and she needed something stiffer. Garrett had escorted her back and had yet to return. Sebastian had left as well, claiming we was to sing in the morning sermon the next day and needed his rest, offering to escort a dreary Merrill to her hovel within the alienage. The others had left one by one, leaving Jennifer and Anders. She blushed when he made to leave and blurted, "Stay with me tonight!" Oh jeez… Jennifer what is WRONG with you?!

He paused and turned back only a step away. Her face with a bright crimson and she shifted nervously from one foot to the next. What am I doing?! He's an older guy! I shouldn't be doing things like this. Holy crap balls… He stepped forward and without ceremony Jennifer grabbed his hand and tugged him up the stairs. When they entered her room she did not turn towards him, but still held onto his hand, looking down at her feet.

Anders stepped closer again, running his hand up hers to her arm, his fingers dancing along her shoulder as he cupped the side of her face and turned her towards him. Her eyes said everything and he smiled. "This wouldn't be your first time, would it?"

She felt awful. Anders was a good man, and she had meant every word, but here mere feet from the bed and mere inches from him- she was scared. Terrified. Filled with hope but not daring to admit it all the same. I don't love you…the words flooded her mind. She blinked warily and chewed on her bottom lip. "No, it's just- nevermind. It doesn't matter now."

"A secret for a secret?" Anders smirked. "Justice doesn't approve of my obsession with you. He believes you're a distraction. It is one of the few things in which he and I disagree." He curled his finger along her ear sending a shiver through her. "When I was in the circle, love was a game. It gave the Templars too much power to know there was something you couldn't stand to lose."

"The man I loved before you, broke my heart in so many pieces, I'd given up. I'm afraid it will happen again." She stepped back, hesitance clearly marking her features.

"Please, it would kill me to lose you." Jennifer shook her head, not daring to speak. "No mage I know of has ever dared to fall in love." He stepped closer once more, cupping her cheek and trailing his fingers along her neck down to her collar bone. "This is the rule I will most cherish breaking." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting herself onto her toes and closing her eyes gently.

Slowly they made their way back towards the bed, when the crook of her knees hit the downy mattress she reached back and laid upon the mattress their lips never separating. His gentle hands glided down her sides and back up, shifting the dress to where it grazed just below her hips. She let her shoes fall onto the floor with a muffled thump and brought her legs to wrap around his, arching her back slightly, the rough texture of his trousers brushing delightfully against her small clothes.

When he finally pulled back it was to remove his coat and shirt. The buckles bothersome and lengthy to unlatch. Jennifer ran her cool fingers up his stomach, the thin silky curls of hair that lead from his chest to below his waistband tickling her fingers, he groaned and braced himself on his arm and lowered himself once more to meet her lips, she nibbled softly on his lower lip before gently taking it into her mouth and sucking. He moaned as he separated her legs with his, she tilted her head back and sighed as he sat back on his feet and ran his hands along the outside of her thighs. Goosebumps dotted their way along her skin. Higher and higher his hands roamed as he caught the dress pulling it over her head, laying her bare before him. His eyes roving over her curves, desire flickering in their amber pools. "Maker… you're gorgeous."

Her body flushed deeply and the flames in the fireplace heated her naked form. When he lowered himself again, he kissed her jaw, then nibbled on her ear, before trailing kisses down her neck and shoulders to the valley between her breasts. There he savored each mound, taking the pink buds into his mouth until she squirmed with pleasure. His hands danced down her stomach and his kisses followed, and he reveled in the soft skin tightening under his menstruations. She purred happily, soft moans escaping her throat as he placed lips and fingers along her exposed flesh, when he reached the juncture of her thighs he lifted her legs and alternated kissing a path from her calf to her inner thighs, when he gently dragged his fingernails along the outside of her hips she gasped. "Holy crap balls, you are really good at this."

He chuckled lightly and breathed over her soft curls. "I've had many years' experience."

When he breathed over her curls once more, her hips bucked involuntarily and she groaned. "It shows." She panted breathlessly.

She was wound tightly and when he pulled the flat of his tongue over her glistening bud, she fisted the sheet and curled her toes to hold off her release. When he inserted his finger she bit her lip and shivered, he continued with tongue and finger and when he curled his finger inside her, rubbing that special spot deep within her, she came hard, her walls tightening around his and quivering with a need for more.

Her body tingled and she panted heavily as her orgasm subsided. He massaged her thighs and legs, rubbing his cheek along her calf and smiling. "It's nice to know I still have some useful talents." He crawled over her body and kissed her deeply, his tongue flavored her taste and a taste that was solely Anders.

He brought her legs up, resting them on his shoulders as he looked down at her. "Are you sure, love?" He asked, and her girly bits squealed in delight at the endearment. She nodded running her nails along his chest. He groaned lowering himself to kiss her once more before he glided deeply inside her. She arched her back, exposing her neck which Anders took full advantage of as he thrust slowly into her, pushing himself all the way in before retreating, only to repeat the process.

Her muscles were tight around his and she moaned with each thrust as it hit that same special nub within her. Over and over he pounded, while his hands roamed over her eliciting sensations that had her squirming and panting and pleading with Anders to go faster, deeper… deeper. Anders braced himself on her legs, pushing on her thighs gently as he thrust into her, with each thrust, deeper and deeper and when she came, her breath hitched, her muscles clenching around him, he groaned deeply his thrust becoming more erratic, his member swelled within her and as he lowered himself to kiss her, he moaned loudly into her mouth, and releasing himself inside her. He pumped once then again milking himself and lengthening the pleasure of release.

-ooo-

Jennifer didn't know how long time had passed as Anders laid on her, still locked within her, a comforting weight. When he finally looked up he smiled before rolling to the side, pulling her with him. She laid there on his chest her finger drawing small circles down his stomach. He kissed the top of her head and leaned down to her ear. "I love you."