A/N: Takes places shortly after the end of Act II. Hawke, Isabela and sometimes Varric have their own business ventures with Hawke's growing notoriety as Champion.
What is taking him so long? Anders wondered. Douglas and Isabela had gone to talk to one of their contacts in the main bar area of the Hanged Man leaving the mage with Fenris and Varric, but the two rogues had been gone much longer than a simple conversation should have allowed. Anders started drumming his fingers impatiently on the table in Varric's room. The noise from the bar sounded like there was quite a crowd going, and he could have sworn he heard Isabela's laugh and Douglas' chuckle, another indication to the mage their serious business was over.
"Anyone else want to move this party outside?" Varric asked. "It doesn't seem like Hawke and Rivaini are coming back."
Anders didn't even answer, but sprang from his seat at the invitation. There were a couple of chuckles from Hawke's other friends as Anders left the room, but he ignored them. Thanks to Varric's need to embellish everything Douglas Hawke did, the man practically had a fan club at the Hanged Man. Ever since it had become a known fact Douglas liked both women and men, the attention had doubled, even though the reason they knew the rogue liked men was usually standing right next to him. Not that that stopped them of course, the man was a rogue, surely he couldn't be serious about just being with one person they reasoned, and said it right in front of Anders too. The man was too blasted gorgeous for Anders' own good, and the mage's lover did not make anything better by flirting with just about anything with a pulse, practically encouraging more attention. Mostly it was initiated by the other person, and the responses were playfully returned, but if Douglas saw something he liked he wasn't afraid to say it which highly irritated Anders. Ugh, when did the roles reverse? Anders use to be the flirt, his lovers the ones cringing and seething, but maybe he would have still been jealous if any of his lovers actually flirted with anyone else.
Anders stopped two steps from the bottom of the stairs, scanning the room, Varric and Fenris passing him to move to the bar. Isabela was of course in her normal spot surrounded by four men, but not Douglas. He was on the opposite side of the bar, a younger blond man leaning in to whisper in Hawke's ear causing a sly smirk to spread across his lips at whatever was being suggested. Anders' eyes narrowed, and he didn't stop the glare when Douglas noticed the mage watching him which only seemed to encourage the smirk. Douglas' lips were close enough to the other man's ear his breath would have been caressing it as he whispered something back, and was confirmed when the other man shivered, but Douglas' eyes never unlocked from Anders'.
Anders started to storm over and tear them both to shreds, but Varric stepped in front of him, cutting him off. "He's working, Blondie," Varric said in a serious tone. Anders looked down at the dwarf, who jerked his head in Isabela's direction, "I recognized the men surrounding Rivaini as we made our way over, seems she's is working counter as a distraction. The blonde Hawke is with is their boss' son, who happens to like only men." Anders looked over at the bar, and Isabela was laughing and flaunting what she had, but she glanced for an instant at Anders with a gaze of 'don't fuck this up' before looking at the man closest to her with bedroom eyes. Fenris had moved to the other side of the bar, keeping a wary gaze on Isabela's "friends".
Anders looked back at Hawke who was looking at the blonde in front of him, and Douglas slowly shifted his weight over his hips drawing both blond men's attention down. Anders did not like the idea of sharing his view or being the one banished to the other side of the room, and it must have shown on his face because Varric suggested, "Maybe you should go home."
The mage considered it, but said, "No, I better not, my imagination would probably be one hundred times worse. Besides, if this goes bad, they look like they could use the help."
"Alright, but try not to be the reason it does go bad. I don't want Corff adding more damages to my tab," and the dwarf walked over to the bar to join Fenris.
Anders resigned himself to a corner between the stairs and a fireplace trying to keep an eye on both the working rogues, but it was hard to turn his focus on Isabela when his lover was practically making moves on another man right in front of him. Norah had brought him a drink, compliments of Varric, which he sorely need when he watched Douglas reach up and finger one of the younger man's long, pale, golden locks in appreciation. Douglas shifted his weight again, dragging his teeth across his bottom lip, before flashing a dazzling smile. Something the other man had said caused the rogue to laugh, his glacial blue eyes sparkling in merriment. Several more minutes passed with the two men talking as Douglas continued his suggestive moments, and Anders was starting to feel like he was being slowly tortured, his drink nearly gone as his lover flirted shamelessly in front of him. The younger man reached out to touch the rogue, causing Anders to jump out of his corner to incinerate the bastard but Hawke expertly avoided the contact by smoothly grabbing the hand and bringing it to his lips for a brief kiss and a smile before stepping back out of reach to lean against a table. Douglas' hips were jutted forward suggestively as he leaned back on his hands in front of his mark while chatting casually.
Anders' anger boiled, burning his cheeks and ears, and Varric sent the mage another drink to cool him down. For a moment the mage was glad he wasn't the only one to watch Isabela's back, because he was about to claw out the other blonde's eyes so he would never see Anders' man again and then demand Douglas change professions. The rogue looked down demurely, casting the angle of face toward the floor with a shy smile, but looked back up behind heavy lids in invitation. Anders gripped his drink so tight he was afraid the glass was going to shatter in his hand, sending the shards into his palm, and the mage set it down on a table. The younger man advanced quickly, and once again Anders went to cross the room to throttle him, but froze in his tracks when Douglas evaded the advance and switched their positions so the mark was bent over the table and the rogue was leaning over the blonde's back. Anders was a split second from spontaneously combusting in rage, his only thought now of murdering Hawke as he was leaning into the offered backside, whispering something as one of the rogue's hands moved across the man beneath him. The only thing that saved Anders' lover from being a pile of ash on the floor was the mage catching Douglas shoving something in his pocket opposite the group of men before releasing the man beneath him and straightening into a standing position. The younger man pushed up from the table, looking back at Hawke with lust glazing his eyes.
Douglas smiled, and jerked his head toward the bar before leading the way and ordering two drinks, allowing the younger blonde to press in behind him. Corff placed the drinks in front of the rogue, something slyly slipping from Douglas's palm into one of the glasses before handing it to the other man who was too focused on Anders' lover's backside to notice anything. The younger man took the drink, and Douglas continued his flirtations as the other man was starting to become affected by the spiked alcohol and it wasn't long before the mark slumped against the rogue.
Isabela laughed loudly, "Looks like your man can't hold his drinks," and Douglas was looking down at the blonde in concern, holding him up so he didn't completely fall to the floor.
One of the men nearest Isabela said, "Shit, I guess we better get him home before the boss finds out he was drinking." The men dispersed from around the pirate as she pouted her goodbyes, collecting the blonde and leaving the tavern.
Douglas smiled widely at his accomplice, an indication he had gotten what they needed, before finally turning his attention to Anders and crossing the floor to his fuming lover. The rogue frowned slightly, "Why didn't you go home, love? It's a bit hard to work when I have you over here in the corner looking like you are going to blast me to bits."
Anders growled, "I am going to blast you to bits, is this what you do when I am not around?"
Douglas sighed, "This is my job, love. They weren't suppose to be here tonight, and I had to find out when the kid's blighted father would be home, and what better way to do that then under the pretense that I didn't want us to get caught in the act? Otherwise, I would have picked the little shit's pocket ages ago, and been back in Varric's room before you had missed me."
"As if that makes it all better!" Anders shouted.
"Maybe we should continue this at home," Douglas suggested.
"Yes. Home. Now."
Douglas called over to his friends, now all in Isabela's regular spot, "I got to go home now. I think I'm about to get a spanking," and he laughed.
Anders growled again, "Keep it up, you just might."
Douglas looked back at Anders in shock before a smirk spread across his lips, "Promise?"
Anders leaned in close, whispering against the rogue's ear, "Or maybe you would rather I prove right here you are mine, once and for all?"
Douglas swallowed, remembering the night when he had claimed Anders in this very tavern and whispered back hoarsely, "As good as that sounds, it would be bad for my business. I have to seem available even if I'm not."
"Then move your ass," grabbing the declared body part before he nipped the lobe of the Douglas' ear roughly. Anders then swiped his tongue across the ear, sending a small jolt of magically electricity through the mage's lover for the first time. Douglas took a sharp intake of breath, and stared at Anders stupefied as the mage took a step back. "Move," and the two men left without another word to return home.
