He thought she looked beautiful, despite being covered in maleficar blood and her hair being matted with the grit of abominations. Apparently her mabari believed so also, jumping upon Marian and unknowingly forcing her into the dirt, only to begin coating her face with war hound spittle as each enthusiastic lick came one after the other.
Her reaction was to laugh, which Fenris didn't mind. Her laugh was clear and strong, like chantry bells on a sermon day, and pierced his heart to cause a warm swirl to grow within his chest. Maker did he love Marian, and yet despite this love he had he still hurt her, leaving her for 4 horribly long years in a quiet want. He had been scared at the time, being in love was something he had never experienced before, a new feeling that left him vulnerable and exposed. Exposed to Danarius. Exposed to memories of a past he didn't wish to reopen. Thus he did what he felt would protect the both of them. He left.
Although that did little to help in the end. His nights were haunted with thoughts of her and memories of that one night on a constant repeat. His nightmares were a split between Danarius capturing him or Marian being slaughtered in the crossfire of the eventual fight between the magister and his former slave. Each day that passed the tension between himself and his emotions would increase as he fell for Marian more with every glance she made his way, or every frown that would pass her face as she concentrated on her bows aim, every time her tongue would slip from her mouth at an enemy. Every time she would tuck small bits of hair behind her ears. Every time she moved. Every time she spoke. Every time she laughed. Further in love he would fall.
Eventually though, he was found by Danarius. He felt his nightmares slowly creep upon him, and when Marian was offered a reward to turn him over, the lyrium in his veins froze. She had glanced up at the magister, her eyes containing an ice within he had never seen on her before, and she spat on Danarius' robes. An impressive feat considering her distance that caused the frozen lyrium to warm to an almost scorching heat. The duo had fought, side by side, against Danarius' thugs, shades and demons, until they finally reached the maleficar himself. Marian had shot an arrow through his arm, causing his focus to be lost, and Fenris was there in a second, his hand tearing through the magister to grasp and tug his heart out, crushing it within his own hand, then throwing it at the corpse of his former master.
"I thought it would be smaller, and black." She had joked upon seeing the crushed remnants of Danarius' heart. Fenris wasn't listening, in a lyrium fuelled rage he had stalked towards his so called 'sister' and raised his arm, lyrium flaring with full intention to slay the only blood relative he had left for her betrayal. Marian had seen. She herself gripped his arm and shook her head.
"Let her live."
That was all it took. His sister was spared, and he was finally free from his past. Relief flooded through him and all his fears holding his feelings for Marian at bay retreated into nothing. The emotional recoil of it all caused him to stagger, Marian had quickly been at his side to catch him, looking at him in concern. Him of all people. He had hurt her, caused her so much pain, could never support her in her darkest moments and yet she was still supporting him, and even worried for him! Had she been as worried for him as he to her for the past four years? He just didn't know.
"I-I think I need some time alone."
Marian, maker bless her, had given him one of the pure smiles he so craved over the past 4 years, said her goodbyes and left without complaint. The rest of the day had Fenris thinking of her and the possibility of a life shared between the two, if she would have him back. Finally he could no longer bare the uncertainty sheltered in his mind and sought out Marian in the cover of night. She was reading by the fire of her home when he saw her, a warm orange glow enveloping her.
"Hello Fenris," she placed her book on top of the fire mantle, and turned to face him. "How can I help tonight?"
He can't fully recall what was said. A discussion upon his newly earned freedom, perhaps a word or to cast to his sister? What he does remember, in clear detail, is pressing Marian against the wall, and her lips hot on his own as she gently bit down on his lower lip before pulling back to whisper in his ear "You remember I like a bit of force." then being turned against the wall himself. This night was special, truly a thousand times better than the last they shared together. This time he had stayed, and he hasn't left her side since.
"Fenris, Fenris!" Marian calls, drawing him from his thoughts. She is on the ground, one hand attempting to push her hound's face, and in turn erratic tongue, away from her own face. Her other hand is stretched out towards him. She turns her head away from her hound and for a moment he can see her flushed face, and those blue eyes of hers watering from laughing to hard. "Just as I would love to drown from dog spittle at the moment but, we have an errand to run- if you count running away from Kirkwall an errand that is." Her fingers flex as he grips her hand and lifts her up. The hound whines, but a pat to the head from Marian calms her.
"Ah, thank you, if it were not for you I surely would be drowned in mabari spittle."
"Indeed. Sometimes I wonder how you survived before we met."
"Ah," he glances at her again at the sound to see her maker blessed smile. "I've just grown so accustomed to you, that's all. If you were to leave all of a sudden, surely, I would find myself dead in a week of your leaving. You truly are my knight in enchanted armor Fenris."
"Well," he coughs to try and cover the blush slowly creeping up his neck towards his cheeks and ears, and slips his bloodied hand within her own. "I suppose that means I will have to stay by your side permanently then." Her hand is soft against his, and his own smile forms at the sensation of the cooling touch on his markings.
"I guess you will have to then." She agrees. Silence follows as the two begin walking again, war hound bouncing at their heels. Fenris is content in admiring Marian by his side as he walks hand in hand with her. After all, despite being covered in maleficar blood, her hair being matted with the grit of abominations, and now a thick coating mabari slobber gracing her face, she was still so beautiful.
So, so beautiful.
