A/N: Friendly Translation: Quies mei amor: Quiet my love
He dozed, going between watching the fire and listening to it. Propping his head up with his hand or leaning it on the back of the chair. He was acutely aware of Hawke sleeping soundly on him. He really should put her in bed, but he was loath to move. The popping of the dying fire finally got him to move.
Careful not to wake her he laid her in his bed. It was closer and more comfortable. He was amazed how deeply she slept when he placed her under the covers. He watched her for a few minutes before finally turning away to get ready for bed.
He normally didn't wear anything but tonight he made an exception, it helped control the baser urges of her being so close. He'd found loose fitting linen sleeping clothes in one of the wardrobes. He wore the pants but couldn't stand to where a shirt to bed. It reminded him of being restrained, not a pleasant memory.
Still wanting to be close to her he laid down on top of the coverlet arms folded behind his head. Even he fell asleep though, it had been a long day.
Still mostly asleep he became aware of Hawke whimpering beside him. Unthinking he moved underneath the coverlet pulling her onto him. She stirred along enough to wrap her arms around him, laying her head back on his shoulder. Her touch once again connected them. He frowned when he felt sorrow and pain.
"Quies mei amor." He repeated over and over in Arcanum.
He kept repeating it, along with trying to send peaceful emotions her way. Love mostly. His love. He could feel the energy cycling between them and relaxed when she quieted and peacefulness replaced whatever had been causing her distress. He buried his nose in her hair, that was his last conscious thought before falling back to sleep.
Unknown dreams mixed with pleasant thoughts woke her early the need morning. This was not unusual as she woke just before or just after dawn most days. It was a slow and gradual process. First aware of the warmth under her, smooth skin and the hum of lyrium. Lyrium? She thought Where am I?
Opening her eyes she was face to face with a still sleeping Fenris. For someone who claimed to be a light sleeper he barely stirred when she shifted, mumbling something then rolling over to face her. Waking when she brushed her fingers across his cheek, he grasped her hand without opening his eyes.
"I thought I was going to sleep alone in the guest room."
He enjoyed the soft sound of her morning voice. "Roll over." Was his answer.
she laughed but did as he asked. Wrapping an arm around her he pulled her so that his hips were against her rear and her back at his chest, then he buried his face in the back of her neck.
"I was tired." he said when he finally answered her question "And I wasn't ready to let go."
"Like now?" she sounded happy, he was glad of it.
Her answer was his humming into the back of her neck and a squeeze from his arm. Perfectly content to remain in bed with him she began to trace the lyrium veins down his elbow to his hands. He relaxed his arm for her to manipulate it.
She ran her finger tips over the veins going down each finger on the palms of his hands. It was all very similar to what Hadriana used to do except it was very loving, none of it hurt though he did feel it distinctly. The ache came when she stopped touching not when she started.
While he dozed he let her shift however she wanted as long as she didn't try to remove herself from his grasp. She traced the lyrium up his forearms to his shoulders. Delighting when they flared to life for brief instances, which caused him either to shiver or goose bumps.
He tensed momentarily when she touched his neck, he found it was easy to relax knowing it was her. He hummed contently. It was an enjoyable experience when the person doing wasn't doing to cause pain. He jerked when she trailed down the side of his torso.
"Don't." he warned.
She couldn't help but giggle. "You are ticklish."
Her response was a gruff, growl. "I won't." she nuzzled his neck in apology "not unless you tell me it's okay." She knew what it was like to hate feeling vulnerable and being ticklish made you feel exposed.
He caught her hands when they got close to his stomach. Despite all of this being innocent and loving it still was arousing and he was working very hard to keep under control.
"Fenris?"
"You are teasing me. You are making it hard to remain a gentleman."
"Oh?"
"Hawke." Came the warning voice again.
Flashing a wicked grin she pushed him on his back and straddled his hips, gently setting herself on top of him. He inhaled sharply and barely suppressed a moan. The shirt she wore hung off her in all the right ways, slipping off her right shoulder leaving it bare as well as a good portion of her chest. He felt her knees on either side of his rib cage, much to his surprise they were bare. She set his hands on her knees.
"Before you speak." She stopped him "There are other more innocent things we can do."
"This is hardly innocent." His voice tight, he was working very hard to control himself.
She rubbed his hands. "I can leave."
"No." she felt his grip tighten "you cannot."
He closed his eyes while running his hands up the top of her thighs and down the sides. She knew what she was doing was equal parts good and mean. She knew they both craved physically affection even though she knew neither was ready to go that far yet.
He slide his hands up the sides of her rib cage and back down over her stomach, avoiding more sensitive areas. He felt a deep scar over her lower abdomen. Frowning he pushed her shirt away to reveal a nasty and deep scar running from just below her hip diagonal towards the opposite leg. It was the width and length of a standard long sword going in from an angle.
"What is this?" he asked feeling the scar tissue.
She face grew darker when she followed his gaze. Her own hands tracing it. "A gift from a Templar. He said he was doing the world a favor by sterilizing a mage with a fiery sword." He gave a short laugh, "I did worse to him. I don't think they ever found his body."
"He sterilized you?" he asked the very idea of it filled his with disgust and rage.
"Damaged beyond repair. Mother was heartbroken, she keeps forgetting I can't have children." She looked down "I understand if that makes me undesirable." Her voice one of acceptance of something she could not control.
"No, Theresa, that doesn't make you any less desirable to me. Look at me." She'd never heard him speak so softly before.
She slowly lifted her face to meet his eyes. She nearly started crying when she saw the love there. Reaching up he tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear.
"You are ma aureum. " Fenris placed her hand over his heart. "I promise I will never leave you."
She knew he spoke the truth. It was all she needed to hear to know that no matter what happened she would be all right.
