What you've probably all been waiting for. Romance time! ...Sort of. Enjoy and don't forget to review!
Chapter 11
"You make me feel like I'm livin' a teenage dream, the way you turn me on. I can't…something, something don't ever look back, don't ever look back. My heart stops when you…la la la something or other teenage dream tonight."
It was music that I missed the most from back home. Not Hawke/Amell Manor which I'd gotten into the habit of calling home, but the 21st freaking century where we had cars to ferry us across the city and plumbing. My god I missed taking hot showers. And toilets. You really don't understand the sheer majesty of pipes and flushing and sewage treatment plants until you have to take a shit where thirty other people have already.
But what I really missed was music.
I quietly sang the chorus, the only part I sorta remembered from when it was repetitively played on the radio, under my breath as I took in Feynriel's dreamscape. Now that I thought about it, the song seemed oddly appropriate for the setting. Huh, no wonder Katy Perry jumped into my head.
"My heart stops when you look at me, just…just damn. What came after that?" I muttered to myself.
I looked around the illusion that was Feynriel's mind while trying to find a word that rhymed with 'me' that would eliminate the mental block in my mind. See? Bee? Goatee? Guarantee? Cucumber tree? Cucumbers didn't grow on trees, so that wouldn't make sense. Wait, what did cucumbers grow on? Bushes?
I shook my head to get rid of that distracting train of thought before I walked into a pillar or a floating box that littered this section of the Fade. It must be moving day in the spirit world, I mused with a raised eyebrow as I carefully stepped around the wooden concussion waiting to happen to some poor, unsuspecting bystander. Damn, the Fade made just as much sense as a cucumber tree. I could never find my way around this place.
The Fade and I never got along. It was comparable to my relationship with computers: everything is all fine and dandy until it gets sassy and makes my life a living hell just because I wasn't patient enough or I did something incorrectly and it would tell me my problem in the most frustrating way. Error 451. Please address our website for solutions. But the problem is with the internet, I can't access the website if I have no internet. Well, you're fucked now, huh bitch? Goddamn you technology! And then I bought a new computer.
The Fade worked in a similar way. As only computer whisperers could make the touchy piece of technology work, only spirits and demons knew how to control the Fade. Mortals, visitors in the obscurest mall of America, could only walk on the path presented to them and if it led into a trap, well then your error message was your head being bitten off. Mages were just a tad bit better off because demons liked mages. What they liked better than mages were young mages. And what they liked best were young mages who had enough angst swimming around them to float a boat. A boat full of demons.
My metaphor was quickly derailing so I went back to my previous train of thought on what rhymed with 'me'.
"Cease that infernal humming, mortal. It is becoming quite annoying."
Huh, and I thought I almost managed to ignore Anders' less tolerable half who had done nothing but glare at me as soon as the Keeper completed the ritual. Justice even found fault in my breathing too loudly. Technically, one didn't have to breathe in the Fade since it was our spirits that were transported and not our bodies, but habits, especially vital habits, were hard to break. Justice just glared more at my flippant explanation and channeled Fenris's grumpy disposition. That's probably when I began singing.
"Not a fan, Justice?" I asked.
"Of your inability to stay silent? No."
"Touchy," I muttered while rolling my eyes. "Can you bring Anders back out? He appreciates my sense of humor."
"No."
I finally turned around and resisted the urge to put my hands on my hips and instead pointed an accusing finger at Justice who wasn't amused by my gesturing, or amused by anything really. The spirit was really quite boring. I ignored my gut's reaction to the blue veins that littered Anders's body and the glowing terminator-like eyes that were narrowed in annoyance.
"No? No to what? Letting Anders come out and play or him liking my sense of humor?"
"Must we dawdle? I can feel Feynriel's mind straining. We have to move quickly."
I didn't move. It was more out of wanting to piss the spirit off rather than me not caring about the teenager's fate. He would be fine for another minute or two.
"Changing the subject, Justice? I thought it was demons who liked to dodge questions, not noble spirits," I drawled sarcastically.
"I do not like you," Justice answered.
"Well, at least you're honest about that."
"You are very annoying."
"True," I quipped.
Justice had a constipated look on his face. "I do not understand Anders' obsession. It is dangerous and unwise. He should focus more of his attention on the plight of the mages and not on mortal…pleasures."
The hell did that mean?
I could feel my eyebrows recede into my hairline. "Mortal pleasures? Is Anders's Mage Underground actually a secret brothel? You know, that would kinda make sense. He disappears at odd hours of the night and comes back exhausted with his clothes dirty and rumpled. It's hard to come up with a slogan though with that name. I'm thinking a play on words with 'under' and 'underwear'. Any thoughts, Justice?"
Justice glared at my flippant question.
"How do you know about that?"
I shrugged off my mistake. Right, Anders hadn't told anyone about that in case it accidentally leaked to the wrong people. And by people I meant Templars.
"I'm a genius."
I swore that Justice snorted. It was a disdainful snort, but it was just so human of a gesture that I couldn't help but smirk.
The staff in Justice's hand twirled lazily about. I stared at the motion automatically recognizing it as a habit of Anders when his mind was elsewhere. It worried me. The two were more symbiotic than I thought.
"I am beginning to understand," Justice uttered cryptically and tapped the end of the staff against the illusion of the Gallow's floor. "Come, we have idled enough. The boy is in danger."
I nodded in agreement instead of making a smart-ass remark.
Then I realized that the spirit never answered my question.
I know that I mentioned it before, but I really hated the Fade. My disdain was doubled when my back collided with the extremely solid, dream wall and I groaned in pain as I slid slowly down. Ow. Ow, ow, ow.
"Get up! I cannot banish the fiend on my own!"
Oh, don't worry about me, Justice. My back isn't broken or anything. I wasn't just hurled clear across the room by a ten foot tall Pride demon who was pissed off because we sent his prey running into another corner of the Fade. Now I was going to have spirit bruises.
My mental bitching was cut off when Justice suffered the same fate as me and landed two feet away. Justice's glare in my direction quieted my sarcastic quip before I could say it. I leaned my head against the wall and smirked tiredly in rebellion.
"This is not working. I foolishly did not think the stronger demons would find the boy's mind so quickly."
"Can't you just," I waggled my fingers in the imitation of magic at the steadily approaching demon who chuckled at our defeated positions.
Amazingly, Justice seemed to have understood my reference. My mannerisms must be growing on him. It. Whatever.
Justice nodded. "I could." Huh, I wasn't expecting that. "It is a spell of great magnitude, however, and would require much of my energy. If it does not work I will be helpless to defend you." And there's the catch.
I cocked my head to the side and gave Justice a shit-eating grin that hid my nervousness. "The princess is in another castle. I can take care of myself."
Justice stared at me silently with those glowing blue eyes. Slowly, he nodded even though I knew he didn't understand my abstract reference.
"It is decided then. Stand back, mortal."
He didn't have to tell me twice. I scurried to the side as the spirit of Justice stood with all the grace of an ancient soul. The blue veins that cracked Anders' skin opened wider until his entire body glowed the brilliant blue of lyrium and chills pricked my skin as I felt a tremendous amount of magic channel through a single focus, namely the arm that Justice held before him. His fingers were clenched and something began to form in his hand but it was vastly becoming too bright to see. I threw an arm over my eyes to block the blinding magic, but still miniature suns burst beneath my eyelids even as I buried my head into the crook of my arm.
A wave of mana poured seductively over my skin and I carefully lowered my arm when the brightness faded.
"What? What are you doing?" The Pride demon rumbled in fear.
It took a moment for the dots in my eyes to fade, but I soon saw what had the demon cautiously backing up. The blue mana that soaked into Anders's skin was steadily leeching into his hand in a clear outline of a fearsome sword. Soon all the mana transferred into the sword that looked more solid by the second.
Justice's voice boomed in the Fade and I resisted the urge to cover my ears. "You are a spirit of injustice. Your sins have been weighed, demon, and my blade shall render your sentence. Prepare yourself!"
Pride didn't manage two steps before Justice raced forward with his radiating sword raised high. With a mighty slash, Justice tore the demon in two. Holy shit! When did Justice subscribe to Badass Monthly? As soon as the parts of the demon hit the ground, the Fade began to eat away at the body until nothing was left except for the panting possessed mage who still gripped the sword with both of his hands as if afraid he'd topple over if he loosened his hold on it.
Carefully, I stood up and walked over to Justice who didn't notice my presence until I put my hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"Are you alright?" I concernedly asked.
It took a moment for Justice to speak around his panting. Sweat dripped from his brow onto the floor. Damn, when he said it would take a lot out of him, I didn't think he meant it would almost kill him.
"Belegthôlion is a dear friend of mine, but I mistook the energy needed to summon her from a body not my own."
"That was awesome, but I think you need a break, man."
Justice tiredly agreed. "I think you are correct, mortal. I shall retreat for now. Tell Anders I apologize for not being able to keep my word."
"What?"
Suddenly, the sword disappeared and I reached out to catch Anders's body before he could topple over and brain himself on the floor. Anders was by no means heavy, but he was all deadweight at the moment and we both fell to the floor with his head thumping me soundly on my chest. Groaning, I sat up and maneuvered Anders until his head sat comfortably in my lap. I peered at him curiously, noting that there weren't any blue cracks in his skin that usually gave away Justice being in charge. Just to be sure, I thumbed open an eyelid and saw only amber; no trace of lyrium blue. Gently, I closed his eye and leaned back on my hands as I glanced around the room.
"Well, aren't we a sad, rescue party?" I mused to myself. "Hawke could do a hell of a better job."
"Referring to yourself in the third person is the first sign of craziness."
I jumped as the voice emitted from my lap…which didn't sound creepy at all and I glanced down at Anders who tiredly smirked up at me.
I smiled like a fool. "That ship has already sailed. Glad your back, Anders. I can't play hero by myself."
His friendly smirk faded a bit into thoughtfulness. "We're still in the Fade?"
"Did the floating bookshelves give it away?"
This time his face melded into a frown. "Justice was supposed to stay until we left the Fade, and I can barely feel him."
I shrugged. "He said he needed a nap, so now you're stuck with me."
He cocked an eyebrow. "May the Maker preserve me," he drawled.
I jostled him with my thigh in retaliation and it was then that Anders must have realized he was sprawled across my lap as a giant blush crept across his face.
"Help me up, Hawke," he said in an embarrassed rush.
Shaking my head, I leered playfully down at the upside-down mage. "I'm quite comfortable here, Anders. In fact, think we can rescue Feynriel just by sitting?"
"Hawke."
"Oh, fine."
I sat back up and braced my hands beneath Anders's shoulder blades, idly feeling the smoothness of his honey colored hair that drifted across my fingertips, and gently pushed the ex-Grey Warden up until he could sit by himself. My arms stretched toward the sky to pop my aching back before I jumped to my feet with a surge of energy I didn't know was in me. Idly, I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders. I reached a hand down to Anders who clasped it warmly in his own and stood up without much difficulty. Good, it looked like some color was coming back into his skin. He really was too pale, I noticed, getting him out from underneath Kirkwall was fast becoming a main concern on my list right underneath 'Save the Fucking World' because having tanned mages obviously deserved second place.
"So what happened?"
Anders' question drew back my focus from my skewed list of priorities I was mentally rearranging. I cocked my head in question.
"You don't remember the light show? I've still got damn spots in my eyes."
Immediately Anders put on his 'concerned healer' expression and took a step towards me. "Are you all right? Do you need-?"
I shook my head. "Nah. I'm fine. Just complaining 'cause I can. Hey, some women find that adorable," I defended myself when Anders shot me an amused/exasperated look.
He hummed underneath his breath in agreement or him just humoring me so that I'd shut up…I didn't know which so I just crossed my arms over my chest and walked to the open door out of this section of Feynriel's mind. I heard Anders jog up behind me to keep pace.
"So tell me what happened."
"Hmm?" I questioned as I contemplated which door led to the other demon that would try and coerce the vulnerable teenage boy into allowing a possession of his body and therefore access to a very dangerous skill set the boy owned: mind control. "Oh, right," I muttered to myself as I chose the door on the other side of the room. If I remembered correctly, there was a desire demon behind those doors and that kind of demon favored persuasion over pummeling which was vastly preferable right at this moment.
"I mean, what happened with Justice disappearing? He shouldn't have done that. It's very odd."
"You know what else is odd?" I chimed in after finally tuning back in to what the Healer was saying. "It's odd that Justice doesn't like my singing; called it 'annoying'. He just doesn't have an ear for music."
"Hawke."
I peeked over at Anders who finally tired of my dodging of his question and outright glared at me.
"Fine," I sighed. "We were fighting the Pride demon and we weren't doing so hot so before we got flattened into pancakes…hot, manly pancakes," I added in case there was any confusion to my masculinity, "Justice did this weird mumbo-jumbo stuff that summoned this badass sword and he chopped the demon in half. Literally. It was pretty freaking sweet."
I could tell that I was grinning stupidly throughout my entire explanation because I was gesturing with my hands which I only did when I was particularly excited about something. Anders did not look as impressed with my story as I was. In fact, he looked quite confused.
"What?"
Slowly, he shook his head. "I did not understand a word that came out of your mouth. Repeat what you said but this time in words that actually make sense. Sweet? Hot? Are we talking about the previous event or biscuits?"
Damn it, now I wanted biscuits. Since we were in the Fade, could I imagine myself up some sandwiches? It probably didn't work that way. Did I mention that I hated the Fade?
I was going to have to teach him 21st century slang because Anders cut out half of my word bank with his 'forbiddance' of what I thought to be common idioms. I thought a bit about what I would say and retold Anders what happened. He nodded his head in deep thought.
After a minute or two of silence, he spoke. "I suppose Justice used up too much energy to stay manifested in the Fade and is merely resting. I'm relieved it wasn't something more serious."
"Oh, and he's sorry for not keeping his promise or something," I remembered and commented idly.
Anders quickly looked up from his pondering state. "What did he say? Did he tell you? Did he say anything about the promise?"
I held up my hands in surrender to his rapid-fire questions. "Whoa, whoa. He didn't say anything except to tell you he's sorry. Geeze, Anders, take a breath."
The mage did as I suggested and I absently followed the movement of his chest as he took in a deep breath of air and slowly released it.
"You're right, I apologize."
My eyes flicked up to his face from his oddly distracting chest and smirked a bit. "Is it some sort of secret? Something that you don't want me to know?"
"It's nothing, Hawke."
"A dirty secret? It's a dirty secret isn't it? Has to be or you'd tell me. You'd tell me, right? Anders, it's not nice to keep secrets from your best friend. I'm hurt that you don't tell me everything."
The annoyed mage narrowed his eyes at me. "You really want to know what I had for breakfast this morning?"
"Pssht, that's no secret. I already know that since you ate it at my house. I need something juicier."
"For the love of the Maker, Hawke, do shut up."
"…It's a dirty secret, I know it is!"
"Shut up, Anders," I grumbled as I stalked down the side corridor towards the demon that awaited us in the next room.
"How did you manage to do that?"
"I don't know, alright! It just happened. People do that sort of thing all the time so stop looking at me like I'm a moron or something."
"But I can't see how! You have it with you all the time!"
"It's not like it's attached or anything, okay? I made a mistake. It happens. Rarely, but I do make mistakes sometimes."
"Hawke, it's not like forgetting to put on a hat. I cannot believe you did this."
"I lost my sword, alright! There, I admit it, you happy?"
"Ecstatic," he deadpanned.
Petulantly, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the stone of the hallway to pout. Just because I made a little mistake didn't make me incompetent. Forgetful? Yes. Putting us into a dangerous situation with me unarmed? Also yes. Stupid? Okay…maybe a little bit, but I honestly forgot to pick up my blade after the Pride demon knocked it loose from my hands from the battle beforehand. I wasn't a natural born swordsman and I wasn't used to carrying anything on my person at all times besides my wallet which I didn't even need for this timeline. Besides, I usually forgot that too. And my house key. Some days I was just lucky to walk out of my apartment wearing pants.
Anders rubbed his forehead and sighed as if my forgetfulness pained him physically. "Fine. It's alright. We'll just go back and get it and when we do please try to remember that swords belong in sheaths and not on the floor."
I grunted in rebuttal and made to turn around, but as soon as I did the door, which led to the chamber Feynriel and the demon were supposed to be in, burst outwards in a fiery explosion. Quickly, I plastered my front to the wall with my arms covering my head to prevent any pieces from skewering us. I hoped Anders had the same idea as me. Small pieces of wood pattered harmlessly at my side and I looked up from the safety of my forearms when wood stopped clattering against stone. Carefully, I shook myself and brushed stray shards from my clothes and armor. I whistled lowly in appreciation at the effective battering ram a large fireball could cause and admired the half melted debris that littered the hallway. Impressive amount of force. It was difficult to adjust energy, mass, and acceleration simultaneously so although I was nearly turned into a pin-cushion I admired the neat bit of magic.
"Hey, Anders. There's motivation to learn some fire spells. If you could do that then we wouldn't need Varric to pick locks to get into places. Fireballs are less subtle, I admit, but look like a hell of a lot more fun." I turned my grinning head towards the mage. "What do you thi-? Anders!"
My playful bout instantly transformed into shock. Slumped against the wall with sweat branding his brow, Anders clutched his side that bore a proudly standing piece of wooden shrapnel buried in his abdomen. Red stained my hands as I furiously tried to staunch the bleeding before my movement to the mage's side even registered in my brain.
"Shit. Shit, shit, Anders c'mon. Where's that fancy healing magic of yours? Let's save the dramatics for another time, huh? Oh, wait where's your staff? Where…oh there it is! Here you hold that tighter there and I'll just reach over…"
"Hawke."
I was beginning to notice a pattern with my babbling and its increase with Anders' proximity. As usual, I audibly clicked my teeth shut and worriedly looked over the ashen Healer. Alright, maybe tanning mages would really have to move up the list, they really didn't look good that pale. Kirkwall would have the damn-most tanned mages anyone had ever seen if I had anything to do with it. Shit, now my own damn thoughts were beginning to babble incoherently. I couldn't help it though, I tended to ramble when I was nervous or worried and I was both in this situation. Why wasn't Anders healing himself?
"Hawke," Anders wheezed. "My…magic it-." Anders coughed as his breathing stuttered. A thin line of blood dribbled from his lips. Internal bleeding wasn't a great sign.
"Anders, shut up. Less talking more magic healing stuff," I ordered as I circled the protruding piece of wood with my gauntlet covered hands. Anders hissed in pain as I put more pressure onto his wound. "It's alright, everything's fine. Barely even a scratch," I whispered with hollow hope. I would have to pull the thing out before Anders worked his magic, but the mage had to work fast or he risked major blood loss. From what I knew of healing magic, which was very little and should never be seriously taken into consideration, it could speed up the reproduction of blood cells but couldn't actually create new ones.
"I have a…piece of wood sticking into…me and not the good kind; I can tell…it's more than a…scratch."
My eyebrow rose skeptically and I was forced to repeat his halting sentence in my head a few times just to make sure that I heard correctly. "Sexual jokes, seriously? Now?"
His chuckle was pathetic as he wheezed for air. "It seemed to work…for you."
I thought back to when we were traipsing through the old slave tunnels and my attempt to diffuse a tense situation. "I was dangling over a very long drop. Completely different set of circumstances."
"My…apologies. I'll stick to dirty limericks."
The gentle rumbling of my chest from laughter seemed to calm the mage down. Around his light brown eyes, those laugh lines crinkled as he smiled and the furrowed brow seemed to lighten.
"Besides, you're being a big baby," I continued without turning on my brain filter. "This little thing is barely six inches long; you can complain when it's bordering on ten and you didn't even get a drink first."
It was silent for a minute while the both of us processed that statement. I felt a flush creep onto my cheeks as Anders just stared at me with his mouth open slightly in response.
"…Are we still talking abo-?"
"Shut up, Anders," I hurriedly rushed. "Can we fix this thing or not?"
The Healer looked quite amused by my hasty –poor- change of subject but thankfully let our deviated conversation slip off the deep end into the category of 'never bring up again'. Or at least I hoped so because that's where I buried it.
Anders headed back into safer waters although I was sure that if we were in a less dangerous situation he would continue making me suffer for my stupid comment. "As I was trying…to say." He stopped to cough for a second and more blood flecked his chin. "Something's wrong with my magic," he said once Anders got his breath back.
Wrong? The hell does that mean?
"I may have something to do with that."
My head whipped around fast enough to cause whiplash when I heard the sultry voice come from behind me. Desire demon. Not as powerful as a Pride demon, but a whole lot more clever and quick. Definitely quick. Before I could blink, the mauve temptress glided before me and knelt gracefully down to my level, her horns and eyes aflame with dark, powerful magic. All demons essentially looked similar due to embodying the same sins, but this one looked…familiar. Recognition lit up my eyes.
"You," I rushed out in a wary breath and took one hand from Anders's wound to grab at empty air where a sword hilt should have been.
Her chuckle sent shivers up my spine as she realized my predicament. "Oh, yes, my pet. I'm so glad you remember me because I have such delicious plans for you that were unfortunately interrupted the last time we met. But now," she laughed shrilly, "now you're trapped in my domain."
Two clawed fingers came up between my eyes and lightly tapped. My eyes felt incredibly heavy and I wanted nothing more than to sleep. I was…so…tired. Just wanted to rest. Sleep.
"Hawke! No!"
The yell followed me into oblivion.
The purpose of an alarm clock was to drag you kicking and screaming from dreams with the most annoying sound producible by man, so if that was the case then my alarm clock must have been made by the Devil himself. I groaned heavily as I reluctantly came back into consciousness. I refused to open my eyes even though the alarm repeatedly attempted to rouse me I instead stretched lazily on my back underneath the sheets. My hand escaped the warmth of blankets and rubbed the sleep from my eyes that were grittier than usual. I must have been sleeping really hard. Funny that I don't remember what I was dreaming about, I usually did.
My alarm continued to blare comparable to a high-pitched fog horn, but I would move from my comfortable cocoon when I was damn well ready to. I hadn't felt this well rested in ages it seemed and no alarm clock was going to rush me. Slowly, my eyes finally opened to greet the white plaster ceiling idly tracing coincidental patterns as I scratched my bare stomach with my fingertips over the blue and white striped sheets. Pale sunlight drifted through half-closed blinds from the window and warmed my legs nicely and created interesting slats on the large king-sized bed. It was going to be a nice day outside.
Wait. Hold on. Something was off. I crinkled my nose in thought as I tried to figure out what had my instincts firing in alarm while my brain struggled to catch up. I groaned. It was too early for this sort of thinking.
Suddenly an arm, male by the sleek muscle and coarse hair on it, glided across my field of vision and slapped across the wooden nightstand to my left until it hit the intended target and turned off the offending source of the noise. It rested there for a moment before it retreated back to somewhere on my right, but not before long, thin fingers stroked my chest. A hum of appreciation followed the movement and I heard the bed creak and moan as I assumed the owner of the arm shuffled around. I couldn't move. I was frozen in complete bafflement even as the arm returned and grabbed me by my left hip to drag me closer to the radiating wall of heat to my right. It took me a second to realize that I was naked. It took even longer to register that the man who snuggled his face into my shoulder was just as bare but was more…enthusiastic about that fact if the poking into my thigh told me anything.
Wait, wait, wait.
There was more shuffling around and a blurry face appeared above me. I blinked a few times to try and bring the man into focus, but it was useless as he moved in closer. His lips were a little dry and chapped and settled over mine in a chaste close-mouthed kiss that seemed to be more intimate than I cared to analyze at the moment. Stunned and hopelessly confused, I didn't kiss back and instead stared wide-eyed trying as hard as hell to understand how I got into this situation. The mystery man didn't seem to mind my lack of participation and pulled back gently with my lips clinging to his for a second as if they didn't want him to leave. My breath came in light pants as if I just climbed a flight of stairs. Finally we disconnected and he leaned back enough for me to get a clear look at his face.
It was his smile, his gentle half-smile that made me realize who he was before anything else.
"Good morning, love," Anders greeted in a sleep-heavy voice.
Thanks for reading! If you have any comments or questions I would be glad to hear/answer them.
)*(Sailor Elf)*(
