Fenris allowed himself that moment to take pleasure in his victory before he turned to face the blonde mage.
Anders had moved to face him, brown eyes looking at him in equal parts question and suspicion. "I suggest you give me your version of what happened here tonight elf".
Fenris raised an eyebrow at the suddenly firm tone and places his hands on his hips. "So even though I mean nothing to you, what I say does?" Fenris knew that despite the fact he was an abomination Anders had always struggled with guilt for the things he had done. Perhaps he should feel guilty as well for using that knowledge against him, but at that point he didn't care. He fixed dark eyes on the mage and saw the change in emotion there, knowing that he had hit a nerve.
Anders opened his mouth to reply but Fenris cut him off, "Don't bother Anders. That comment hurt, more than you realise. You see me as nothing but unfeeling and malicious, in fact I doubt you've ever considered that I could even be anything else".
Anders had dropped his head, "I'm sorry Fenris".
"I do not want your sorrow" the elf snapped back in his deep voice. "Words mean nothing Anders. You have two choices, you can show me that you are sorry, or you can get out of my house". Fenris was taking a risk, with Anders in such turmoil he should keep him in his reach for as long as possible, but the comment that had been so easily thrown out during the argument had stung more than he cared to admit.
Anders said nothing, but simply began to walk towards the door. With every step he took Fenris could feel the anger stirring inside him and as the mage went to move past him he gripped his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. "Coward" he said quietly.
As Anders struggled the grip merely tightened, leaving the mage unable to get away from the elf. Being this close to Fenris, the smell of him filling Anders' nostrils, brought back memories of them laying together earlier that night and the mage had to struggle to keep his breathing even. Fenris, it would seem, could easily bring out basic animalistic needs in people. Their love making had been quick, not gentle, but far more pleasurable than lying awake alone at night longing for somebody to come back to him. Maybe that was it, maybe it was the security of thinking that despite his temper, and his rough exterior, the elf would not abandon him as easily as Hawke would.
Thinking of Hawke brought his mind back around to the argument minutes earlier, there was something so seriously wrong that the same night she came back the whole relationship between them could unravel in so little time. She was holding something back, and he did not know what it was. He wondered whether he was willing to wait for it.
He looked down at the hand ensnaring his wrist, and noticed for the first time the red scrap of material that wounds its way around the elf's bare arm. There was something in the way that the elf stared at him, knowing that the material had caught his attention that gave away there was a greater meaning that he did not comprehend behind it. Anders took a deep breath and slowly raised his gaze, looking back into those dark, exotic eyes. Their faces were mere inches apart and Anders closed his eyes. The torment running through his mind was torturous, and he wished it would stop.
"Yes", he said simply, "I am a coward, but not for the reasons you would think". He sighed, "The way that I acted towards you tonight, the things that I said while I was arguing with Hawke, they were shameful, and they never should have been said. You were there when she couldn't even be bothered to tell me where she was going. You …" Anders realised that he was babbling and forced himself to stop, suddenly realising what it was he wanted. "Fenris?" he questioned.
"What?"
"When are you going to let go of my arm?"
The elf gave out a low chuckle, "Not until you promise me you won't leave".
Anders pretended to mull his situation over, fixing the elf with a suggestive smile. "You mean to keep me here forever?"
"At the very least," the low voice countered, "It will take you at least that long to make tonight up to me".
Anders leaned into the elf, savouring his scent as their lips met. There was no crashing, animalistic need this time, just slow, tender kisses. Anders felt Fenris release his wrist and swing his hips around so that he could meet the mage's body, pulling Anders toward him as he did so. Anders moaned slightly as the elf wrapped his arms around him, trapping him in a vice-like embrace. He broke away from him as best as he could and leaned away from the elf's kisses, "Fenris?" he questioned again.
The elf smiled at the questioning tone. "What is it Anders?"
"I promise. There is no need for you to keep any kind of physical hold over me. I am yours".
Fenris bit his bottom lip and, taking his lover's hand, pulled him towards his chambers. Bad luck Hawke, he thought. Getting past Anders' defences and stealing him away from the woman had proven to be easier than he thought, even if it hadn't gone exactly the way he thought it would. What had started out as nothing but lust and the desire for something that could not be his had developed into something far stronger than he could even have imagined.
He could see Anders looking at him with a worried expression at him having been so quiet for so long. He smiled at the blonde man warmly, "Just what I wanted to hear" he said quietly, running his hand through the mage's thick hair. The warm smile gave way to another, more suggestive one as he pulled Anders past the doorframe, and he buried his face into Anders' neck to make his intentions even more clear. Once they had both cleared the doorframe he kicked the door shut behind them, savouring the thought of losing himself in the other man's arms for many nights to come.
