This happened: vanamiya . tumblr post/123930115533/serah-pounce-a-bell
I apologize for my English (I'm serah-pounce-a-bell, btw).
Originally posted on Tumblr here: serah-pounce-a-bell . tumblr post/123948128144/breadsticks-a-fenders-one-shot
Fixed some mistakes and here we are (also posted on AO3).
Breadsticks.
...
Anders wondered what was he thinking when he decided that listening to Hawke was a good idea. Because it wasn't, it never was.
Especially when it involved his love life. His nonexistent love life.
"C'mon Anders, Aveline and Donnic turned up just fiiine. Have a little faith in me!"
"You broke Donnic's leg and made the woman carry him to my clinic"
"It's not my fault that all the ambulances in the city were busy!"
If the police reports and Varric were to be believed, it had been his fault. Somehow.
Still, there was the mage, sitting at a table for two inside a pretty homely antivan restaurant, nothing fancy, and he had just gotten his paycheck so if everything went wrong he could just call Justice and have a nice dinner. Maker knew the man needed it and he did promise Cousland to take him away from work more often (in exchange, the one getting the worst out of Justice's ramblings was his boss from then on). And Anders could take whatever leftovers home for Pounce so there could be no bad scenario unless his date was against mage rights.
But Hawke wasn't stupid like that.
"Fenris might look a little grumpy but that's just him, nothing to do with you"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, in any case, do worry if you see him anything but grumpy"
So he waited. Thankfully, the table already had a basket with fresh baked breadsticks and their smell filled the mage with warmth. Anders ate one as casual as possible, remaining calm. There was a candle on the table too but he paid it no mind. Grumpy people never liked him at first but they also were the kind of people that always stayed the closest. He did share a place (and a cause) with Justice, and Pounce, despite disagreeing in many things and fighting over many more. And Nathaniel and Velanna, old coworkers, texted him almost daily (a fact they would deny any day).
Grumpy people did not worry him at all.
"So, Hawke, how will I recognize this mysterious man?"
"Fenris' an elf. And not any elf. The most stunning elf you'll see in your entire life"
While Anders did not share Hawke's cute elf fetish, he had to admit he was right.
The mage stood up when he saw the elf walking in through the door. It had to be him. Fenris. White hair, dark as chocolate skin and where those tattoos? How much did they cover? Anders smiled, raising a hand to get his attention and when the elf moved his head, he saw them: big green penetrating eyes. Praise Andraste for this creature and for reminding Anders to shave decently that morning.
"You must be Anders, Hawke spoke of you".
And his voice. Goodbye paycheck, hello spicy shimmy. Maker bless Garret Hawke.
"Yes, and you're Fenris, right? It's nice to meet you" And even nicer to see you. Please, keep yourself in check, Anders, he thought offering a hand. The elf accepted it slowly, almost unsure, and Anders noted his fingers were calloused and raspy. Imagine them on your naked back while he repeats your name over and over aaand the loneliness is officially affecting me.
The next five minutes were full of Anders trying (and succeeding!) to not look desperate, flashing his best smiles and showing the right amount of interest a person like Fenris seemed to accept. It had not been an easy task but he got the elf talking: Anders learned he was from Tevinter and worked with Aveline and Donnic most of the time, along Hawke in occasion, doing whatever needed to be done, mostly manual labor and helping the slaver's victims of the Alienage.
Fenris also seemed to like most animals to some extent, which meant he could eventually meet Pounce and not end with a face full of scratches. The way his Adam's apple went up and down was hypnotizing, too. Maker bless breadsticks.
"So, what do you think of mage rights?" It was no secret to his friends that Anders was very active in the social rights scene and Fenris had been pretty good so far, so the mage considered that time appropriate for the question, it would be important if future dates were to be arranged.
And besides, if Fenris liked to spend his time helping other elves then he surely would...
"Mages are evil and people need to be protected from them".
Andraste's Knickerweasels!
"Sorry, I have to go home right now immediately, my cat is calling me" muttering with a forced smile pasted on his face, Anders stood quickly. "Oh! I'm taking the breadsticks with me, you hateful fool".
"Excuse me?"
"I'm the mage that healed your friend Donnic's leg!" He screamed, filling his pockets with breadsticks and metaphorical hate. Hello Paycheck, my old friend.
"Hawke set me up with a mage? Fasta vass!" Fenris spat the word out and he would have steeped on it if he could.
"And me with a handsome mage hating elf! Good thing we didn't even order because I would've asked for your beautiful eyes as a side dish to your vass".
"Leave it to a mage to not make any sense and still ruin everything in less than half an hour".
"Leave it to you to have that perfect face and still make me want to punch it. I'm leaving".
Anders stormed out and walked until reaching the bus stop, two streets down, failing to notice the rain beginning to fall. A car passed in front of him and he was almost splashed with if not for someone who grabbed him by his coat, moving him out of the way.
The fact that it had been Fenris should have been more surprising.
"Thanks", he said offering a wet breadstick. Fenris took it and looked at it intensely. "Stop that, it's not going to eat you. It's supposed to be the other way around actually".
"What do you expect me to do with it cold and wet?" Fenris grumbled. Anders snorted, raising a finger and setting the tip of the stick on fire. The elf was not amused.
"Better?"
"Do you find yourself funny?", Fenris asked, throwing the stick on the street. "Doing magic outdoors and setting whatever you like on fire? This is how your kind starts. And let me tell you how you all end, doing blood magic and losing yourself to demons. Or to me" He finished with a menacing smile.
"Really? Blood magic? Not all mages are stupid enough to resort to that! And those who do generally have good reasons to".
"Oh, yes, greed and power are the best reasons, just ask anyone from the Imperium".
Right. Fenris was an elf from Tevinter, of all places. Anders tried to relax, the least he could do was end thing peacefully, and the elf was Hawke's friend too after all.
Before he could say anything, Fenris continued, looking at his feet as he spoke, "Blood magic is really the root of most problems".
Anders froze on the spot, "go on".
"What?".
"I agree with you on that, so continue, please".
Fenris lifted an eyebrow and smirked. Anders lost whatever control he had over his mouth and kept talking. "Say, how about we call for a cab and raid Hawke's kitchen? You know, for setting you with a mage and me with, well, you. I'll even make breadsticks so we can eat in front of him and his dog".
"Do you know how to make them?"
"How hard can it be?"
"Well, you can eat them along my vass".
"Oh, Maker, did I really say that?"
"Certainly. Now, I do not see you calling for any cab".
Anders had been trying to take his phone out of his pocket the entire conversation but the breadsticks and Fenris' cocky (and attractive) attitude were on the way. When he finally managed, he was giggling, laughing at himself and how ridiculous he was. He still caught sight of Fenris' blush, though.
Next time they would eat at the restaurant. Or maybe watch a movie. Yeah, next time.