Title: You Don't Have To Be Sick To Be Tired
Author: Daisy
Fandom: Dragon Age
Setting: Anders' Clinic
Pairing: Anders/Ethan Hawke
Characters: Anders, Ethan Hawke, Sahir Nadeer (OC), Isabela
Genre: Romance/Humor
Rating: T
Chapters: 1/1
Word Count: 2024
Type of Work: One-shot
Status: Complete
Warnings: Fluff, mentions of hospital ick
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Ethan Hawke and Sahir Nadeer
Summary Honestly, sometimes even Anders wonders how aware of his attention-seeking ways Ethan is.
AN: Somewhat inspired by a prompt on a Facebook group I'm in. Thought it might be fun to write some fluff with these two. Can be read as a companion to Medical Anomaly.
You Don't Have To Be Sick To Be Tired ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The deep, dramaticized moan at the head of the clinic nearly shook Anders from his spell. Blue magic swirled around his fingertips, prickling against his palms, as he forced himself to focus on the elven child on the cot before him. Of course, being ignored only fueled the infuriating groans of 'agony', finally spurring Sahir into action.
"Ah, Ethan, Isabela, welcome. Is there anything I can do to help while Anders finishes up with his patient?" The sweet little elf asked, timid as always when Isabela's eyes nearly had him feeling like he was standing around in his smalls.
"Sahir, sweetie," Isabela, despite holding up the bulk of Ethan's weight, was still all curves and coiled sexuality as she spoke. Sahir thought she looked like a snake, ready to strike, "I think all poor Ethan needs is his 'daily injection', if you catch my drift." When the man before her glanced around, as though for a needle or something, she gave a deep, genuine laugh from her belly, shaking her head, "No, no, dear. The kind only his lovely doctor-boyfriend can give him when all good little nurses are at home and in bed."
Going red, Sahir sputtered and fidgeted, indeed 'catching her drift', nearly leaping out of his skin when a familiar, almost otherworldly hand clamped down on his shoulder. Giving a startled shriek, he turned, Anders' kind smile meeting his own look of abject horror.
"U-uh… Anders, I… Th-think you forgot to take c-care of Hawke thi-thi-this morning." He managed, eyes on the filthy floor as he excused himself almost too quickly. Practically in a puff of smoke the rogue was gone, and Isabela offered a scheming grin.
"Poor thing's got a fever and apparently has been moaning pathetically for the last four hours. I thought I'd be a good friend to our darling Hawke and bring him to the only doctor he'll ever need." As she spoke, her expression grew more and more wicked. Ethan added his own long-suffering, pitiful moan and Anders chuckled with a soft sigh and slow shake of his head. Rucking up his sleeves to his elbows, he held out his arms as his lover gave a weak little cough.
"Come here, Sunshine, let me take a look at you."
"I think I'm dying, Anders. You'd best have a long, slow examination so you never forget me."
"Oh, come, now. I might not charge for my services, but I'm the best healer in Kirkwall. Give me some credit, love." Chuckling again, the elder male carefully took his bulky lover in his arms and helped him to the cot at the back he usually slept on.
"I'm heading back to the Hanged Man, boys. If you need anything, just call, or send dear, sweet little Sahir." The woman would never tire of bothering the sweet little elf. With a wave and a grand flourish of her hips, Isabela was gone. If Anders was honest, he was glad he didn't need to treat her, as well. Another little cough brought his attention back to the 'sick' man lying before him, and a fond smile worked onto his lips.
"Tell me, dearheart, what symptoms you've been having, hm?" Those aquamarine eyes turned to his and he felt his stomach flip. It took longer than he would have liked to school his expression from lovestruck to clinical interest.
"Well… I woke up with an awful headache," Ethan began, his voice a tad strained, "My throat is scratchy and sore, and I've been coughing up gunk a good majority of the day. All my bellyaching seemed to raise Bodhan's curiosity. He says I have a fever."
"A fever, chest congestion, coughing, a sore throat and a headache?" That tone was reminiscent of the one he used for his patients.
"Yes, Kitty Cat." Came the soft response as he tried to make himself look as pitiful and pathetic as possible.
"It sounds like you have a cold, possibly some allergies. You're definitely not dying, love. Let me see if I can do anything for your headache, and I'll get you some chamomile and elfroot tea to help your through and let you sleep."
It always amazed Ethan how good at this his lover was. He'd tried picking up some healing magic and accidentally made Carver's broken nose worse (Carver had been sure that he'd done it on purpose, though). That blue glow returned and as those hands focused on his head, tingling fingers pressing in gently around his temples, he smiled softly. Careful thumbs followed his prominent cheekbones, tracing his tattoos, and he sighed contentedly. The ebb of cool magic lapping at his pain seemed to chase it away like wisps of smoke in the wind, and while his head swam somewhere between the fade and this world, he offered a lazy grin. Even when the glow subsided, the eldest hawke found himself being pet more, fingers trailing his angular face while a look of love claimed the elder's face.
"Do you feel better, Kitten?" Voice soft and low, Anders crouched beside the cot, letting his nimble digits dip down a pointed chin and along the corded muscles of the other's neck. Tactile as ever, he was silently thankful that Ethan loved being touched as much as he loved to touch him. Watching the younger man lean into his hands, he smiled sheepishly when the other murmured that he smelled like elfroot and blood. He had had to do an emergency amputation earlier…
"The headache is gone, and I don't feel quite so miserable. But you don't have to stop." He whispered back quietly, barely heard. That made Anders blush slightly as he brought one hand up to cup the other's cheek, the other tugging slightly at the collar of his lover's shirt.
"I would love to keep touching you, babydoll, but I have work to do and we both know once I get started, I won't be able to stop." Adoration clear in his voice, he brushed his thumb over a blush slash before removing his hands completely. Leaning in to kiss the blonde's forehead, he smiled at him.
"I wouldn't mind…" A hint of a naughty smile rested comfortably on Ethan's lips as he watched the taller stand and shake his head.
"I have other patients, lovely, and I need to make you that tea for your throat." He apologized gently, "Perhaps I will come lay with you once the clinic closes."
"Do you have to?" Ethan put on that pathetic face once more, whining a little.
"I do, rosehip." He replied fondly, leaing in to kiss him again, swiping some stray hair from that handsome face. Tilting his head to catch those lips with his own, he pulled back with a little smile as the strawberry blonde shook his head and pulled back, "Sorry, love… But we can't, not right now. Plus, you're still sick. We should be careful."
"Mn… Alright…" Eyes following the other when he moved away to start his tea, the younger mage closed his eyes and lay back to nest, occasionally coughing. Anders brought him over a small pot to spit in, when he coughed up the gunk in his chest, his cough beginning to lessen once he'd been given his tea. Soon enough, he found himself drifting in and out of sleep, listening to Anders putter about, taking care of his little flock.
Occasionally, he felt hands on his body; magic-coated ones tracing the tattoos on his brow, thumbs on his cheekbones, fingers on his cheeks and neck. It left him smiling, even if he wasn't sure if he was dreaming them or not.
At one point during his bi-hourly visits to the back of the clinic, Anders noted his poor Hawke shivering, even his teeth chattering despite the light sheen of sweat on his skin. With a soft frown, he decided (with some help from a deep voice in the back of his head) to unclip the chain on his chest, sliding out of his coat, leaving him in a stained white shirt and his pants. Gently placing the open coat on his lover like a blanket, he delighted when the larger man's shivering slowed to a stop. Ethan rolled onto his side, then, and the elder couldn't stop himself from gently pulling the tightly woven braids from the other's hair. The clinic wasn't quite as busy, so he allowed himself some time to luxuriate, gently carding his hands through the soft, wavy blonde locks, massaging the younger male's scalp. He seemed to enjoy it, smiling in his sleep, and Anders quietly hummed to him as he pulled up a chair. Memorizing the feel of soft, fine stranders over his knuckles, he sighed contentedly, relaxing much more than he'd thought possible. Staying like that for what felt like seconds but really stretched on for over an hour, he only moved when he was needed once more.
By the time he was able to close down the clinic for the night, the strawberry blonde could feel the way his weary bones drew him to the back, to Ethan, and to sleep. Trudging back like he was wading through thick mud, he sat on the edge of the cot and kicked off his boots. Laying back and drawing his thin blanket over them, he rolled onto his side and gathered up his sick lover against his chest. Even if Ethan was a muscled, strong man, he enjoyed spooning close against his back. Petting a bulging shoulder like he would a cat in his lap, he fell asleep rather easily.
It wasn't until the morning had nearly gone past that Anders finally pulled from the Fade, blearily blinking awake, about to panic until he felt a warm body against him and saw the steady motion of his shoulder rise and fall with even breaths. Letting out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he started up those gentle pets once more, letting smooth, lightly scarred skin ground him. It seemed Ethan had dressed down to his smalls in the middle of the night, but it was no problem for those excited hands, rubbing gently at hardened muscle and perhaps even teasing places he knew were sensitive. Unable to help himself, he began to pepper the blonde's shoulders and neck with kisses, enchanted by the lazy way the man rolled and began to kiss him back. It dragged on, long and slow and sweet, before the younger finally spoke.
"Mm… You certainly know how to wake me up, Kitty Cat." He murmured, their lips still connected.
"We're both lucky, on that regard. I had such a hard time focusing yesterday. I just wanted to come back here and cuddle you." Came the fond response, a stray lock of hair being brushed back as the kisses resumed. Rolling to better press into his lover, the blonde sighed happily.
"I feel so much better. Perhaps tonight we can sleep in the estate?" Waggling his eyebrows, it only earned a chuckle from the elder.
"You really should rest some more… But I think I'll take the day off, anyways, to be sure you're well. Can't have you dying on me, right?"
"Mmn… No, you certainly can't. I think Varric would have your head, for starters." Chuckling, he settled down into more kisses. And, then, Anders decided to really spoil Ethan.
"You're beautiful, Ethan," He breathed, thumb carefully traveling over kiss-swollen lips, "I don't know what I did to deserve you." Leaning in to kiss his nose, eyelids, forehead, and finally his lips, he continued, "It's so hard, sometimes, to concentrate when I know I could be touching all of your soft skin, kiss and taste every inch of you until you're quivering, slowly take you apart knowing I'm the only one that can put you back together again…"
The soft whimper these words caused made Anders chuckle.
"Did you want that Daily Injection, lovely?" An eager nod spurred him to action. It was safe to say nobody dared go into the clinic that day, the noises leaving it keeping even curious children away.
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