He hadn't woken up in Hawke's bed since that night. That same night when he'd left him sleeping to pull on armor. He had almost left entirely, but something had stopped him. Something about seeing Hawke's sleeping face, so utterly relaxed around him, and with a smile curving those wide lips. He couldn't have just left that, and so he had waited for him to wake. And then everything had fallen to bits as he waited. What he had remembered rolled through his head until it broke into pieces like the logs in the fire as they turned to ashes.
He'd heard Hawke then, and he'd fought back frustrated tears. As they'd talked, he felt himself fighting to keep them from just falling. As he had left the room and started down the stairs to the rest of the empty house, he lost that fight. He'd spent time lingering in the foyer that night, getting himself under control before he went back to the lonely mansion.
But that was awhile ago, and as he stared listlessly up at the ceiling, he wondered if he'd be able to walk down the stairs again. This time the bed was empty, and no memories were haunting him. As he gave in and pushed himself into a sitting position, he noticed that Hawke was nowhere to be seen. It was the middle of the day already, judging by how much light was coming in, and he rolled his shoulders a little. It had been nice the night before, curled up against the other man again, even if all they were doing was sleeping. Kirkwall was so much colder than Minrathous already, and he'd soaked up all of the heat the Fereldan had offered.
His gaze traveled the familiar room again, lingering on the low fire for a moment before touching on the bookshelf and the desk in the opposite corner. There were a number of letters there, no doubt from women trying to make him court their daughters. If only they knew that he had no interest...then again, it would have been hilarious to see them fall all over themselves just to have their daughters told that he was never going to be interested because they had a set of breasts and a vagina.
He allowed himself an unamused chuckle at the image of several females completely unhappy faces, then tossed back the covers so he could see his legs. They were left bare, and his torso was covered by one of Hawke's dressier shirts, entirely too large for his small frame. One at a time, he tried to move his legs, to bend them at the knee, with no response, then further down, to attempt his toes with no luck. A frustrated sigh escaped him and he leaned forward to maneuver himself so he could drag himself to the end of the bed and sit up against one of the posters in the corner. It got him closer to the fire and he held the pole tightly to keep himself firmly upright. He didn't know how he was going to manage to live if he couldn't get around.
As if his thoughts had summoned help for that particular thing, Hawke seemed to appear and fill the room. Before he even opened his mouth to speak, the man was just larger than life, with a smile that could eat his heart and spit it out without trying. Leaning on the poster, he watched as Hawke came over and knelt down next to him rather than making him look up.
"I have a surprise for you downstairs." His voice was cheerful, and somehow just made his mood sour even more.
"Unless it is a way to make my legs work as they once did, I'm sure I'm not going to like it." His own tone was almost scathing and he regretted it before he was even done speaking.
"Well, not quite. But I'm sure you'll like it." He moved away then, and brought back a pair of familiar leggings. When he moved to help put them on him, Fenris snatched them away.
"At least let me dress myself if I can do nothing else," he grumbled, shifting again so his back was leaning against the post. It was interesting doing anything since they didn't move, but he forced them to move by using his hands. Thankfully, his blush at Hawke's watching him wasn't obvious because of his skin tone and he forced his legs into the pants with some effort. "...stop staring. Turn around." He'd managed to get them to his upper thighs at least and he glanced up as Hawke did as he requested then proceeded to squirm his way the rest of the way into them. Perhaps, for a little bit, he'd invest in looser pants just so this wasn't quite so ridiculous. "...I'm dressed."
And he was sure that he was flushed. But Hawke made no mention of it as he spun and lifted him out of the bed. It still startled him and he lifted his hand to hold onto his shoulder as if to steady himself.
"Anyway, about your present. It's sort of a new thing, especially for people with a condition like yours." A condition like his...an injury, more likely. He hadn't even told Hawke just how it had happened, since he was almost sure of the cause. So, he was quiet, letting the man carry him down the stairs that would surely break his neck if he tried to get down them himself. "Oh come on, smile a little. I got up extra early to just find one for you!"
Forcing a smile onto his face for the over-exuberate rogue was probably one of the harder things he'd have to do during the day. "Thank you...for the effort."
"Say thanks after I give it to you. Silly elf." He was startled as Hawke nuzzled his nose into his hair and curled his fingers into his shirt a little. Then he was set down. In a chair that moved. It was only when Hawke moved away from him that he looked down at what he was sitting in.
"It...has wheels." Giant wheels, on either side of him, and it had moved when Hawke had set him into it.
"Of course it does. You didn't want to be carried around by me for the rest of your life, did you?" That familiar, lop-sided grin was on Hawke's face again, and this time the smile on his lips was much more real, and even a little smaller than the one before. "Now that's what I like seeing."
The kiss dropped on his lips was familiar too and he sat back a little bit before absently touching the wheels. "I...thank you. Truly." And he meant it, even as he started moving forward just a little bit. Gripping the wheels tightly out of sheer panic, he realized that touching them was the reason he moved and he relaxed just a little. "I think though, it might take some getting used to."
"Well probably, and until you get used to it..." He was aware of him moving around behind him, and lifted his hands as the wheels started to turn without his help. Apparently, Hawke was going to push him. "Just until you get the hang of it."
"I'll endeavor to make it quick...so you do not have to cater to me."
"Oh don't worry about that. I rather enjoy it actually." And so saying, Hawke spun them around, causing him to grip the unmoving arms tightly. He heard a dog barking and he glanced over at Aether, who had taken his customary spot by the fireplace. Trying to focus on the dog was simply making him dizzy though and he squeezed his eyes shut tight.
"You are going to make me ill, you madman!" The sharp words caused the spinning to stop abruptly, and the soft laughter from behind him showed him how unrepentant the rogue was. Warm hands squeezed his shoulders lightly.
"Would you like to go into Hightown to get the hang of it? I'm pretty sure the square in front of the chantry will be fairly empty this time of day." The idea had merit, and he nodded a little. Soon they were moving again, and his hands were folded in his lap. He did reach forward to get the door at least, then sat back when they got into the sun, one hand lifted to cover his eyes for a moment.
"...are you sure I won't stand out too much?" He meant of course, the tattoos, but Hawke was apparently not even thinking about them.
"Well as much as a chair with wheels will stand out I suppose." He was beginning to wonder if Hawke was forcing the cheer or not and when they passed through the archway to get in front of the stairs leading to the chantry, they stopped, and the Fereldan let him go. "All yours Fenris. I'll keep you from running into anything, don't worry."
"Don't worry...of course not." Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hands to the wheels and pushed them to move himself forward slowly. It really was a lot different and he slowly worked his way toward the chanter's board. The sister standing next to it glanced at him, then away, and he took it in good stride as he quietly worked through just moving it one way. He was sure the turns would make him spin nauseatingly until he understood how to work it, and he was thankful for Hawke's silent presence in case he decided the stairs looked like a fun obstacle.
Finally the Orlesians had done something right. And he had to admire Fenris's determination with it as well. The warrior was getting the hang of pushing himself around and he paused again as he turned slowly. Somehow, it was very unnerving to see a proud warrior LIKE Fenris reduced to learning how to move again. But he supposed that the heavy sword he usually swung around was good for something - it wasn't taking him much effort to get it to move.
He let his mind wander a little as he kept his eyes on Fenris. He still had questions for him, ones that the other male probably wouldn't like answering. Like about the new tattoos, or how he had found him. He wanted more reason to kill the bastard. But, his thoughts veered a little. In remembering them, had Fenris forgotten the ordeal of his few days with his previous master? He certainly hadn't talked about him at all, but that wasn't unlike Fenris. He was a very private person, both when they had met and to this day. The only time he'd opened up had been on a night long past, and even then, it hadn't been about anything really.
He'd let Hawke in to a point. And he relished that little bit of openness. Even if it had just been his pleasured face, his moans as he was taken gently, and then harder only from his begging. Each and every arch into his hands was worth it, each little flare of the lyrium brands delighted him. He'd taught Fenris in that one night that his ears weren't a source of pain, but something he should like to have nibbled on for pleasure. Even those normally bare feet hadn't escaped him. He'd found out, purely by accident, that he was ticklish, right on his arch, where his foot actually didn't touch the ground. For a few minutes, he hadn't let up, and he'd dodged the lean limbs that had kicked out at him to try and get him away. Apparently, Fenris hadn't known he was ticklish either, and he had been breathless and clutching him when Hawke had finally moved back up.
A wave of sadness hit him, and he stepped a little closer and aside as Fenris rolled backward instead. He was ticklish, but now he couldn't even feel his feet. He'd never laugh like that again until tears were in his eyes from mirth, not from the same cause. A dirty joke perhaps, but certainly not from something so personal. He stifled the sigh that was going to escape him and pasted on a smile when Fenris looked up at him to tell him he'd had had enough practice for one day. "Of course!"
Taking hold of the chair again, he neatly spun him around once again and headed back toward the estate so he could branch off toward the market district again. He wanted another pie to help make Fenris forget the experience. They couldn't erase the week and a half spent racing across the country, but they could dull the experience and make it a very dim memory.
Days passed by almost agonizingly slow. But they got into somewhat of a routine. Fenris agreed to not try to go up the stairs leading to his old mansion, instead to stay in Hawke's estate. The man still insisted on taking him upstairs every night and he couldn't really complain since it was certainly more comfortable than where he'd tried to sleep the first night.
He had managed to push himself into the library and lever himself into the wing chair closest to the corner, facing the door, tipping over his own wheeled chair as he settled into the soft leather and dragged his feet up and onto it. Not even ten minutes later, Hawke had strode in and righted the chair first, then picked him up despite protests and with a simple "Oh shut up will you?" The words had been enough to make him slack-jawed the entire way up the stairs, and he'd only managed a token protest by the time he was laid in the bed. He'd gotten a look for that one too, and when he'd squawked at having his leggings removed almost instantly, he'd finally been told to be quiet for the rest of the night or there would be inventive ways of making him be quiet practiced.
The threat of that alone was more than enough to make Fenris keep his mouth firmly shut as the blankets were drawn over him, and since then, he'd merely waited at the foot of the stairs for Hawke to be ready for bed. Though, he'd been scolded for that too, though not quite as harshly, for falling asleep against the banister.
He spent time gazing at the books in the library, silently wishing he knew how to read better then casting aside the fanciful notion. Pushing himself backward out of the room, he sighed softly and twisted around. Sandal was again playing with Aether and he briefly thought of stealing the job to give his arms a rest. But he knew he had to get used to it. Anders hadn't come up to check on his condition, but he hadn't felt anything in his legs since the day he was rescued. He'd known it the second he'd lost control of his ability to stand that something had gone wrong with what Danarius was doing to him. Usually his ma... He had been so careful. But that time, the barking had distracted him. And he couldn't tell Hawke about it. There was just no way.
Shaking his head at the thought of having the dog with him, he moved to let himself out of the estate, silently moving toward the chantry. again. He had two areas to be. One area he could practice rolling around pillars, the other he could look at the chanter's board and lament that he had nothing that he could do on it.
Today, he was surprised to see Sebastian at the board, pinning up the day's notices for the very short chanter nearby. From the way she was looking at him, he wagered that it was less for his height than it was for merely looking at him. Pushing himself a little harder, he managed to stop right next to Sebastian, which thankfully caused the chanter to return to chanting incessantly. Sebastian finished his task then smiled to him to show he hadn't been ignoring him.
"Fenris, what a nice surprise. I dinna think I've seen ye since we got back." Sebastian's brogue was definitely easy on the ears and he found himself smiling a little in return.
"Hawke has been keeping me on a tight schedule...I sleep when he sleeps. And Maker forbid if I'm not there when he's ready to." The smile on his face belied any threat from Hawke in any manner though and Sebastian nodded as he turned the chair for him so they could move the other way. The prince knew better than to just push him, and just aid him gently.
"A real stick in the mud, aye?" Fenris gave him a nod with a soft chuckle. "Well, escaping sounds like fun for a day. Would ye care to stop by the markets anywhere?"
"Stairs tend to be my undoing, I'm afraid." And there was the hint of resentment. Being captive in a larger area was still being a captive.
"Then I shall be your re-doing, my friend." There was a pat on his shoulder and the two of them headed for the Hightown marketplace.
He wasn't too surprised when Sebastian picked him up, chair and all, to carry him down the stairs. An archer would definitely have a lot of upper arm strength, and he tried to not at all be alarmed when he did it for the second time and set him down. "See? Ye arena restricted just to the area surrounding the Chantry. Just ask the chanter to come and get me and she will."
"I will have to remember it. Or force you to carry me down to The Hanged Man just to escape one day." That got a light-hearted laugh that was still rare from the archer and he was content to just spend a couple of hours with him browsing the wares, and though he felt uncomfortable with it, he still allowed him to buy a couple of things under the assurance that he'd be paid back later.
When it came time to head back up into the estates, he was almost disapponted. He stayed quiet about it though and let Sebastian handle the stairs for him once again before they got fully up. "Thank you for today. I really do appreciate it."
"As I said, ye ken that any of us would be willing to help ye get around. All ye have to do is say the word."
Fenris nodded, though he silently disagreed as he pushed himself toward the Hawke estate again. If he wanted help, there were two people to ask. Sebastian of course, and Hawke. He would never dare to ask Anders, though, the more he thought about the mage, the more he had to thank him.
Despite now being sure that the memory block would have dissolved on it's own, the mage had been instrumental in making it disappear even faster, and for that, he was grateful. The less time he spent as a simpering, pathetic slave, the better off he was. So perhaps, in a couple of days, he would ask Sebastian to take him down to the undercity. If he was at all lucky, Anders would accept the apology and hopefully look at his legs to see if the case truly was hopeless.
The door opened for him, and he saw Orana standing there with a smile. "Master Hawke said I should keep an eye out for you," she murmured, leaning down to help him with the packages that were on his lap. He'd gotten used to seeing her around more, and when she finally stopped calling him master was when the two of them got on just fine. A small part of him hoped that this is what his sister would be like when he finally did meet her, and he smiled very faintly at the thought. "I'll tell him you're home."
She didn't wait for a reply, and Fenris merely nodded, watching her trot off with his purchases as he moved over to where Aether was sitting so he could pet the dog. The loud sound of footsteps on the stairs made him look up and he smiled to Hawke as he saw him again. "You skipped out on me," came the teasing voice.
"I needed air...Sebastian walked with me for awhile."
Wisely, Eorwyn did not comment on the walking, merely laid his hands on his shoulders to rub at them. It was a welcome gesture even and he leaned back to rest his head against the other's stomach. "I am...growing very bored."
"Well it's not really surprising, is it? You used to frolic around like you were a Dalish." There was a humorous lilt to his voice, and Fenris lifted a hand to smack one of the ones on his shoulders.
"I do not frolic." His voice was stern and there was a soft laugh behind him. "I mean it."
"Of course, of course. You just practice your choreography." Once again, he was teased, but this time, he laughed over it. He couldn't tease like that anymore. It almost made him sad and as the human leaned down to hug him around the shoulders, he had the feeling that he knew. "..somehow, we'll get you walking again Fenris. I swear to you."
He closed his eyes at the soft assurance whispered in his ear, the warm breath causing a shiver to run down his spine. Even when he was an invalid, and Hawke wasn't trying to do anything but be kind to him, that velvety voice had more than enough power to leave him wanting more. Indeed, as his lips brushed over the shell of his ear, he had to stifle a groan that would have revealed more than he wanted it to.
Mostly because he just wanted so much. He wanted to turn to Hawke and beg him for more already, and he'd barely touched him. He wanted his touch to erase what he had felt when he returned to Danarius's, that vile, flesh-burning acid touch that he couldn't seem to get rid of no matter how much he scrubbed. And yet he didn't want Hawke to touch him like this, when he couldn't even move for himself to respond. It only solidified the idea that he wanted to see Anders as soon as possible, and briefly, he thought of the cellar that connected the estate to Darktown, just outside of Anders' clinic. He was sure he could get down there even without help, and Hawke would never know. It would certainly be a nice surprise to him if he could manage to walk again one morning instead of having to be carried. Or even just shift in bed to hold him better without his legs being left behind.
His hands curled more firmly around Hawke's as he thought about it, staring at the waving fire. It seemed that his short time away had broken down all the barriers they had before. Even if he was still afraid of forgetting anything he might remember during a night with him, he was slowly starting to think it was worth it. Even if there was pain involved, the pleasure far eclipsed it, and Hawke would always be there if he needed it.
It was interesting at best, he thought, as he tried to maneuver his way down into the cellar without any help at all. He'd waited until Hawke had gone out to take care of something for his mother, and until Orana was busy with a meal with Leandra in the kitchen before trying. Getting down the stairs was going to be the interesting part. He winced a little at the sound the chair made as he slowly moved down the stairs and hoped, for just a little bit, that his arms would hold out until he made it to the bottom. They were the only things keeping him and the chair from tumbling into the darkness and possibly breaking his neck.
Each little sound made him twitch a little and by the time he got to the bottom of the stairs, he pushed around the corner of the vault and just sat there for a moment, both to catch his breathe and to see if anyone was coming. After just a few moments, he nodded a little and shifted so he could get the next door. He was hoping that Sebastian had gotten his letter to meet him in the cellar from the Darktown entrance and he paused as the knob in front of his hand slowly turned without his touching it. Backing away, he prayed it was the archer and not some thief, because he really didn't want to end up leaving a body in the basement.
When the door swung open to reveal the archer, he breathed a sigh of relief and inched forward a little. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to try another flight of stairs," he intoned quietly, giving the rogue a smile.
"I dinna ken how you managed the first one without breaking yer neck. Now what is this about?" He seemed more curious than anything, and that was thankful.
"I was wondering if you wouldn't take me down to Anders' clinic. I ... have to speak with him, and I don't want to ask Hawke." He got a knowing look in return, then a nod, and he slumped a little bit in his seat. "...don't ask questions."
"I have but one. Do ye want the chair or not?"
He was thankful for that and shook his head some. "I think it'd be easier if we left it, if you don't mind."
A shake of his head was the only answer, and Fenris lifted an arm up around his neck as he was easily picked up and carried down the next flight of stairs. He was blessedly quiet though, and it was something Fenris appreciated whole-heartedly. Too many people would babble to fill the quiet but that was precisely why he'd chosen Sebastian for this. He wanted time to just think of what he was going to say to the mage when he saw him, and as they came into the dusky light of Darktown, he said a quiet thank you.
"Dinna mention it," was the light response as he was taken to the clinic and gently sat on the bed. "I'll get Anders then take my leave for awhile."
He simply nodded and let his fingers absently worry the coarse sheet he was sitting on. If he could get the mage to agree to try after he apologized, then perhaps he could walk home instead of being carried. He heard the sound of a raised voice and twisted to look at the door in the back of the clinic. He was sure that Anders certainly wasn't happy about having him, and before the clinic was even open. He watched the door open again, and saw Anders briefly, lacking that ridiculous coat of his, before Sebastian let himself out of the small room and made his way to where he was sitting again.
"He'll be out in just a moment. I'll be outside if ye need me." He received a squeeze to the shoulder then was left alone. Casting his gaze back at the closed door again, he took a deep breath to steady himself. While he wasn't sure that he wished to reveal everything to Anders, he knew he couldn't keep living the way he was. He'd end up going insane and hating himself for it.
Turning his head a little, he heard the door open and the angry strides of the healer coming toward him. When he was close enough he raised his gaze to see the mage's mouth open, possibly to deliver some sort of scathing greeting, and he cut him off before it could happen. "Let me begin by apologizing. The night in the carriage...I was not thinking. I merely reacted. After...what Danarius had done to me, the last thing I wanted was a mage near me and even you have to admit that you were...very close."
"Well you didn't have to hit me like that! A shove would have sufficed and it was what I was expecting!" Even with the apology, Anders' voice was annoyed and his eyes followed him as he paced back and forth.
"Had it been any other day, I would have likely done just that. After that though..." He shook his head a little, taking his eyes off of Anders to gaze at the ground instead.
"What the bloody hell could have been so bad that you'd need to slug someone that was trying to help you?" Finally, he'd stopped pacing and was frowning down at him, arms folded across his chest.
"Before I tell you anything...I want your assurance that you will tell no one else. Even if they ask you and bring you kittens." He refused to look up again, and even as he heard the grudging agreement, he kept his eyes on a crumble of dirt on the floor. As he started telling him everything he remembered, he didn't look up once. Even when he told him of the rapes and heard the disgusted sound, he couldn't bring himself to look up and see the horror on his face. Of course he knew it was bad, and the absolute last person he had ever wanted to tell was the one he was talking to, but he knew that if he told him, then perhaps it would make it easier for him to forgive that reaction.
When he got to the part of the rage demon, just before his rescue, he was aware that Anders had stopped pacing and was looking at him. He described everything that had happened before he finally saw Hawke, then fell quiet. The silence that ended his recitation drew on, and he finally looked up to see Anders scowling at him.
"You said...it punctured you, then he shocked you. And that's when your knees buckled." Fenris nodded, a little confused. "Well no bloody wonder you can't walk. Here, lay down on your stomach and don't get all tense at me. If you want to walk again and save all of us some grief, you'll do as I say."
And so he did, shifting so he could lay face down on the bed. He couldn't feel what the mage was doing, but he knew somehow that his legs were being lifted as well. The feeling of cold air on his back told him that Anders had lifted the shirt he was wearing and was prodding around his lower spine. "Was it around here...?" Fingers were prodding to the left of his spine and he shook his head.
"The other side." It was humiliating, but he let the healer do as he pleased, affirming it when he questioned it again. Then there was quiet, and he continued to lay there as he was poked and prodded at. He mentioned where he couldn't feel the touch and rested his head against his arms, and soon, though he felt the magic more than anything, Anders was trying to help him.
Despite their differences, he knew. More for the sake of everyone else than for himself. He wouldn't reject the help though, and closed his eyes as the cool magic flowed through him. It was different than Danarius's magic completely. Anders felt like a cool refreshing spring in the middle of summer, gentle and peaceful like the sound of a lute being played in a meadow to no one but the animals. Danarius's was entirely different. It felt like lava, raging through his veins, setting him on fire even as it melted him. It was agonizing and he much welcomed the feel of Anders to him.
"I think that's it for the day...here, sit up." A firm hand gripped his arm to turn him to sit straight again. "Now try to move your legs...at all." There was a frown on the healer's face and he had to quell the hope that rose up to clutch his throat as he tried to kick one leg out. It moved a little, then fell back. "Again." And again he tried., getting a similar reaction. But he was just happy to see his toes moving a bit. "Blast it all. I thought I'd gotten it. I'll have to do some reading tonight. Come back in the morning and I'm sure we'll get that settled for you."
"..thank you Anders." Not mage, not abomination, just Anders. Because now he truly deserved it. Even just the slight movement was enough.
"Well..don't try to stand on them just yet, and don't push it. I don't want you straining something that I have to fix later." He moved away and Fenris let out a soft sigh, gazing down at his feet and still looking at his toes as they moved just a little. He was trying to move his entire foot, but something was better than nothing.
Soon enough, he heard Sebastian coming back in and the sound of the two of them talking. He turned in time to see them sharing a kiss and quickly looked away again. It was none of his business what the two of them did when they were alone or in company that didn't care about their preferences, and he found himself almost happy that the mage had found someone and was going to stop obsessing over Hawke.
"Ready to go home?" There was a smile in Sebastian's voice and he nodded, shifting so he could be picked up easily.
"Like I told him..he needs to be here tomorrow morning...perhaps when you're done with your prayers you could bring him again?" Anders was holding the door for him already, and Fenris was sure he didn't like seeing the man holding him.
"Of course...and I might not have to carry him around after that, right Fenris?" There was a smile on his lips and he nodded in response. "Then we'll see you in the morning, Anders. And try to get some rest tonight?" There was no response, and apparently Sebastian wasn't expecting one as he left the building and made his way back into the cellar.
From his view over his shoulder, he could see Anders lighting the lantern and shook his head a little. He was starting to agree that he worked too hard, and for very little reward. He was quiet as they trekked the damp cellar back to Hawke's estate, and he heard a very quiet 'uh oh' from Sebastian when they got to the last staircase.
Raising his gaze, he saw Eorwyn standing there, arms folded over his broad chest. "...I'll explain it to you tomorrow Hawke. I promise."
"You'd better. I was having a fit looking for you in the cellar. I thought you'd fallen and gotten yourself hurt!" The 'worse' was implied and suddenly he was being transferred to Hawke's arms instead. "And you can go out the front door this time Sebastian." The humor was back in his voice and he leaned his head wearily against the broad shoulder. The man's mercurial moods were going to be the death of him, and he watched Sebastian picking up his chair to carry it upstairs. He was set back in it, with Hawke none the wiser of his slightly improved condition and he pushed away from them, a faint smile on his face. He heard the other two talking and relaxed as he pushed himself in front of a fire. Soon, his legs would be his own again, and he would surprise Hawke by walking in the very door that he was seeing Sebastian out of.
The evening had passed better, according to routine, and like a good chantry brother, Sebastian showed up just after eight bells to take Fenris out. Once again, he managed to get out without telling Hawke, and the two of them deviated into Lowtown at Fenris's request. The archer looked a more than a little amused at Fenris's 'gift' for Anders, and was repeatedly told to shut up without even saying anything.
Soon enough they were in Darktown again, and this time, the chair had come with them. If what Anders was going to do worked, then he'd leave it here, just for some patients that might need it. He all but ordered Sebastian to stay outside with the present and he got a laugh as he pushed into the clinic and moved to sit by one of the beds. He could see Anders had noticed him already and he carefully shifted himself to the bed again. "Do you want me as I was yesterday then?"
"That would be ideal, yes." And still the mage continued with what he was doing as he squirmed into a position so he could work on him. He didn't even realize when he came closer until his shirt was flicked up again, causing him to shiver.
"Let's hope this is the last time you have to visit me for this," he heard him mutter, and he closed his eyes as magic flowed through him again. This time it was more centered, lingering around the area that was no doubt afflicted. It didn't travel as far up his spine or down his limbs, and he wondered if yesterday he'd been slightly unfocused. Either way, he was sure that Anders was trying his hardest to help him, and it only made his gift more worthwhile.
The muttering behind him didn't seem to stop, and it took him a few moments to realize that the mage was chanting under his breath as he worked on him. Tingles slowly spread through his lower extremities, as if they'd been asleep and were only just waking up and he fought the urge to try and move them to dispel the tingles. When the magic receeded, he glanced back and saw Anders sitting next to the bed and rubbing his eyes. "You didn't sleep, did you?"
"What? Nevermind that. Sit up and see if you can stand." A lump formed in his throat as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Anders only assisted him by shoving his legs down and making his feet touch the floor again and he hissed a little from the touch. "It..hurt?" There was a bewildered look to the mage's face with the question and Fenris shook his head.
"It is not pain. It feels as if...as if they have been at rest for too long and do not want to wake." There was an amused quirk to his lips as he took a breath and tried to push himself to his feet. He wobbled almost comically and gripped Anders's shoulder firmly to keep himself up.
Despite it feeling like there were thousands of needles being shoved in his legs, he felt like laughing. Then crying, and then possibly hugging the mage until he couldn't breathe. He settled for the first option, starting soft as he shuffled one foot forward a little. "You did it.." The sheer elation in his voice gave Anders enough reason to smile, and the taller human stood.
"And now I don't expect to see you until you cut your heel open again, got it?" There was even a smile on his face as Fenris took a few steps unaided, then bounced from his heels to his toes and back.
"Just a moment." Faster than he thought would have been possible, he moved to the door and took the small bundle that Sebastian was holding from him, smiling at the way he looked mildly surprised to see him moving upright again.
Going back to the mage, he held out what was a little ball of moving fluff. It uncurled slowly into a striped orange and white thing with four tiny pink feet and a little pink nose with two perky ears as it looked around the clinic. "I thought...you would like a companion." Any other time, he would have laughed at the way Anders' mouth was hanging open. Any other day he would have snapped at him to shut it and take the damn cat. But today, as the mage very gently took the kitten from his hands, all he could do was smile at the adoration that was obvious. "You could...consider him my payment."
His only answer was a nod and he was amused that the mage was nuzzling the kitten soon after. "I'll take my leave then...And Anders?" A soft hm was his only acknowledgement. "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."
And with his step light, he made his way out of the clinic and past Sebastian again. A quick glance back only confirmed that the rogue had gone inside and was locking the door shut again. The smile on his face scared away some Carta members that were thinking of going after him as he quickly moved to a lift that would take him to Hightown, and he all but ran back to the Hawke estate, delighting in the feel of cold stone beneath his feet. Even if it was stomething stupid to like, he'd missed it. Missed being able to feel the slight burn in his legs as the muscles were exerted.
Pulling open the door, he was greeted by a growling mabari that suddenly shut up, as if curious to see him walking again, and knelt down to hug him around the neck. "No hard feelings, I promise." His words were quiet in the dog's ear, and he was knocked over onto his back as the thick, wet tongue started slurping at his face. His laugher must have traveled into the house because soon Aether was being pulled off of him with a reproach that made the dog whine.
Looking up, he saw Hawke frowning at the dog for knocking him over and pushed himself up again before moving forward. The frown disappeared as his arms wound around the trim waist, and he heard the intake of breath as the rogue's mind caught up with what his eyes were seeing.
"Standing." A single word, then another, "Walking?" All he could do was laugh again, and he leaned up to give him a kiss, right on the doorstep where everyone could see them. He finally felt like he was home again, and for the moment, home was here, not in a drafty mansion that held ghosts of times past.
