Amber had decided that the time had come to start acting a little more like a noble. So, after taking some time to get used to Adia and Fenris being back together, she chose to throw a party. Invitations had been sent out to all their friends, and even Carver had been asked to come as they celebrated their family coming together again. All except their little brother had said they would attend, the Templar sending a note that "business of the Order" would keep him occupied that night. Bodahn, Orana, and Amber had been busy all day with cleaning and cooking, while Adia just did her best to stay out of the way. It was now almost time for their guests to be arriving, but while the archer and Elf were relaxing on the couch, Amber was pacing the sitting room looking worried. Adia cocked an eyebrow at her sister, leaning lightly on Fenris. "Amber, you're going to wear a hole in the floor. What's wrong?"
"Anders should have been here almost an hour ago... He said he was going to close the clinic up early, but..." The mage ran her hands through her hair. "Oh Maker, he can never turn anyone away."
"Isn't that why you like him?" Fenris pointed out. "Because he cares more about the refugees than himself?" Amber stopped pacing and frowned at him.
"Yes, but..."
"In all fairness, the clinic was here before us," the redhead reminded her. "But if you're that concerned, why not just go down the cellar and poke your head in and see what's going on?"
"You know, I keep forgetting about that cellar entrance, even after giving him the key," she said with a sigh as she headed off, Shadowfade trailing after her.
"Does that cat go everywhere with her?" Fenris asked. Adia nodded, making sure her sister was truly out of the room before reaching for the wine bottle, not a huge fan of drinking from cups.
"Always has. Shadow's like a dog... Only smaller... And smarter sometimes I think." Diego whined for a moment from his spot in front of the fire, lifting his head.
"Oh you know I'm teasing, old boy," the redhead said with a giggle. "Shadowfade is just smarter than most other dogs. I still love you more." She patted her lap for him to come over, which he immediately did. The Mabari plopped his head into her lap, tongue lolling out.
"I prefer your Mabari over any cat," the Elf stated, scratching the hound's head. "Apparently he thinks you and I are a good match as well."
"I could have told you that years ago, but you didn't want to listen," Adia teased, leaning into him and smiling playfully as her nose touched his. However, the mood was broken not a moment later by a scream from the cellar. Diego took off barking, the rogue and warrior following close behind. "So much for a quiet night..." Adia quipped, letting the wine bottle shatter on the floor. She bolted down the hallway after Diego, pausing to gather her bow and arrows, and skipped down the cellar stairs three at a time. Fenris was right on her heels, grabbing his sword on the way down. They reached the cellar and saw that the trap door was open, and heard the sounds of fighting and spells going off. Diego and Shadowfade were staring down the ladder to the ground, growling and hissing.
"What's going on?!" Fenris wondered, voice catching as he saw the scene. The color drained from Adia's face as she quickly assessed the situation.
"Either the Carta is trying to collect rent... Or the worst thing that could ever happen to the Clinic is going down..." She jumped over the animals and slid down the ladder, turning with her bow nocked back and ready for action. Amber was standing in front of four Templars, having just shocked all of them. Two lay dead at the clinic doors, which were both smashed to pieces. Anders was lying behind Amber, covered in blood, a dagger sticking out of his torso.
"It's the Champions!" one of the Templars yelled.
"We were told they would not interfere!" another shouted.
"Kill them if they resist!" the third ordered.
"Bastards!" Amber screamed, fire wreathing both her hands. "You will not have him!" Adia wasted no time in firing an arrow at the first Templar, landing it in the visor slit of his helmet, and smirking as he dropped.
"You attack our friend and think we wouldn't get involved? To the Void with you all!" She rolled next to her sister, shouting for Fenris to get the healer away. The Elf quickly got to the blonde's side, looking down at him for a moment before picking him up and hauling him back up the ladder. The sisters made short work of the remaining Templars, and then Amber whirled around, chest heaving and eyes nearly glowing from all the magick she was using. Adia grabbed her twin's shoulders and gently shook her. "Amber. Calm. Down. Take a deep breath and calm down. Please..."
"They... Anders..." Amber grabbed the redhead's arm, fear bright in her eyes. "Where is he?! Is he all right?!"
"Get up here, both of you!" Fenris called down.
"He's going to be all right, we'll take care of him," Adia reassured the mage. "Now come on" The archer dragged the brunette up the ladder, and Fenris slammed the trap door shut and bolted it closed. Anders was lying on the floor, and Amber crawled over to him, her eyes wide as she gently shook his shoulder.
"Anders... Love, please... Tell me you're all right," she begged softly.
"Can't do that..." he whispered after a moment. "Hurts too much..." The healer coughed and winced, hands reaching for the blade embedded in his gut. Fenris quickly stopped him by latching onto his wrist.
"Do you have any magick?" the warrior wanted to know. There was an uncomfortable silence as the blonde took a shaky breath and sighed heavily.
"...No..." he finally answered.
"Don't do that, you'll just make it worse," Adia warned as she kneeled over him, trying to determine the extent of the damage. Seeing as how there was blood all over his clothes, it was a bit difficult. "I don't know if Merrill knows any healing spells. The best I could do is a hack stitching job..." She looked up at Amber. "How about you?"
"I... I'm not very good..." the red-eyed girl replied. "Remember when you were hurt... I let Anders lead on where the magick needed to go..."
"Can you at least make sure he doesn't bleed to death when we pull that blade out of him?" Fenris asked, making eye contact with Amber.
"I... I think so."
"Please just..." Anders began, before a pained gasp escaped his lips. "Maker, get it out!" Adia smirked down at him for a moment before ripping a piece of cloth off the bottom of her sister's robe.
"I wonder how many times you've heard that in your life." She made to press the cloth against him, looking at Fenris and Amber. "Someone pull..." The Elf wrapped his hand around the hilt and looked like he was about to pull, but then paused. The twins saw... Something flit across his face for a moment.
"Fenris..." Amber asked, a nervous edge in her voice.
"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" Adia wanted to know.
"I…" He shook his head, and then quickly yanked on the dagger. It slid out with a sucking sound, and Anders screamed. Amber immediately put her hand on his side and closed her eyes, and they saw blue wisps of magick around her hand. Adia in the meantime put more pressure on the wound to keep the bleeding under control.
"You're doing great, Amber."
"I hope so..." Fenris held the mage down, but he still tried to thrash around. "Stop moving, Anders!" The archer looked at Diego and motioned with her head towards the door, and his ears perked up.
"Go find the others. If you see Merrill first drag her back here if you have to." He took off running. After a few minutes, Amber sat back, looking tired. Fenris was still trying to stop the healer from moving.
"Amber, fetch a needle, thread, bandages, and water. Go!" he ordered, once again meeting her gaze. She nodded, seemingly in a daze, and ran upstairs.
"Make it stop..." Anders whimpered. "I can't..."
"Maker's ass, what did they do to you? Are you hurt anywhere else?" He nodded, eyes closing as he grit his teeth. Adia sighed and began to strip his jacket and shirt off. "Oh, I feel so dirty..." she half-teased. "Undressing my sister's lover..."
"It has to be done, Adia," Fenris said, switching his grip on the mage as necessary. When he was stripped to the waist, they both saw bloody indent marks on his chest that extended across to his back. Fenris ran a hand over them, and Anders whimpered again. Adia heard the stairs creak, a surprised shout, and then Amber was back, kneeling next to her.
"What are those?!" she demanded.
"From a mace... It looks like they stripped him of magick and then... Started beating him..." the Elf said, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat.
"For the love of..." Adia started, but shook her head and kept her mouth shut. She took the supplies from Amber and wiped the blood off the dagger wound, then threaded the needle and handed the bandages to Fenris. "At least we can get you back together." Amber held him again, keeping his hands back as the rogue stitched the wound closed and Fenris bandaged his chest.
"Sorry..." Anders said softly after a few minutes. Adia didn't pause in her stitching, but raised an eyebrow.
"What in Andraste's name are you sorry for?"
"Couldn't run... Fast enough... They came right... For me..."
"Shh, it's all right," Amber told him, stroking his hair. "You'll be all right..."
"Blades hurt..."
"Nothing to be sorry for, Anders. It's fine. You've patched us up enough times." Adia grinned sheepishly at him, knotting the last stitch and biting the excess thread off. "Any other really deep ones?" The healer shook his head and closed his eyes.
"We need to get him off the floor," Fenris suggested.
"No moving..." Anders mumbled.
"Well you can't stay down here with the rats and spiders, Anders," the archer gently chastised as she move to grab him under his shoulders. Just then the stairs creaked again, and Aveline's unmistakable voice reached their ears.
"Holy Maker!" The Guard Captain thundered down the remaining stairs, shock clear on her face. "What happened?!"
"Oh you know, same old same old," Adia quipped as she tried to lift the healer. "Give us a hand." Aveline very firmly moved everyone out of the way and just picked up the mage like he was a child. When he was settled as well as he could be in her arms, she fixed a confused look on him.
"Do you actually eat anything, Anders? Or are all mages this light?"
"Just me... I'm special like that..." he mumbled, sounding like he was falling asleep. The warrior redhead proceeded up the stairs, shaking her head.
"Maker, he still has that damn humor even now..." Adia looked at her sister and Fenris as they both blinked at the scene.
"...Isabella is right. She's like a woman shaped battering ram. I feel like less of a person now."
"I heard that!" came Aveline's sharp retort. The archer started giggling, and then gently shoved Amber towards the stairs.
"Go up with her. We'll be there in a second." She wasted no time in following Aveline and Anders, Shadowfade at her heels. When they were alone, the rogue turned to the Elf and put her hands on her hips. "...Why did you hesitate?" Fenris was leaning against one of the pillars, clicking his gauntlets for a moment.
"Are you sure you want the answer?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't. I'm not mad, I just want to know."
"For just a moment, I saw him not as Anders, but as just another mage. A mage that could become like the magisters you helped me defeat. And I... I thought that maybe the world might be better with one less mage in it. But he saved your life. And he's saved mine on occasion." He rolled his eyes. "So I couldn't just watch him die." Adia walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning up on her toes and giving him a kiss.
"Fenris, I'm not expecting you to change your views on mages overnight. You've come a long way from the bitter man I met six years go." They smiled at each other.
"Due in no small part to you, my dear rogue. Your tolerance for magick and those who wield it is... Astounding. Is there nothing that fazes you with regards to that?"
"Not really," she answered with a shrug. "I grew up with it, and my experience with magic wasn't like yours. Father and my sister showed me that mages are people, just like you and I. And just like normal people there are those who do bad things that reflect poorly on the other mages."
"There is some truth to that," Fenris admitted as he headed for the stairs. "For all the arguments your sister and I get into, she isn't a bad person. Just a little temperamental." Adia followed him, linking their hands.
"If it helps, your arguments amuse the hell out of me." He turned and raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding her choice of words.
"I'm sorry, they amuse you?"
"They didn't use to. When you and Amber would get into it I was always afraid you'd just get tired of it and leave for good. But I see humor in everything. You and Amber go at it and all I see is an old couple bickering over who ate the last slice of pie."
"I prefer not to think of your sister and myself as a couple. She and Anders are more than welcome to each other, and I'll just keep you." They made it upstairs and into Amber's room, where Aveline was holding down a still-struggling Anders while Amber tried to get a clean shirt on him.
"For the Maker's sake you ass, stop squirming!" Aveline reprimanded.
"I'm cold!" Anders whined.
"I'm trying to get you warm," Amber tried to explain.
"No, you're trying to get me dressed," the healer countered with a lopsided grin. Aveline threw up her hands in frustration, and Adia cocked an eyebrow at the scene.
"My goodness, just strip him naked and put him in front of the fire. He'll warm up," she told him. The healer immediately stopped squirming, smiling broadly.
"I like being naked. Will Amber be there too?"
"Adia! You're not helping!" Amber said as she blushed.
"He's delusional," Aveline added with a sigh. "I blame it on blood loss. Everything he's asked or told, he gives the most truthful response. It's like a child..." Adia's eyes lit up as a devious grin crossed her face. When she spoke next, her voice was high-pitched like a child's.
"Oh really?! Anders, what's your favorite color?"
"Orange, like tabby cats," came the quick reply.
"Oh no..." Amber whispered, knowing this wouldn't end well. Adia crossed the room until she was standing next to the blonde.
"Anders... What do you think of me?" He looked up at her for a moment/
"I like Adia. You're nice, and funny, and you help mages. But you have awful taste in men." Fenris raised an eyebrow, and Adia looked between the men.
"Oh? Then what do you think about Fenris?"
"Adia, no!" her sister tried to stop her.
"No, let him answer," Fenris remarked.
"Let me have my fun or I'll get someone to smack me with a lightning bolt again and chase you around the house with my shocking fingers," the archer teased, wiggling her fingers at her twin. Amber grimaced as she thought back to the morning after the fight with Danarius. She'd come down from her room to find Shadowfade stuck to the library ceiling, fur standing straight up and hissing. Diego had been whimpering and trying to hide behind a potted plant. Sandal was clapping and laughing, his hair also standing straight up. Adia had turned from the middle of the room, holding her hands up. Sparks of electricity danced off them, and the archer had proceeded to chase the mage around the house for quite a while as she proclaimed about showing her "how real mages shocked people". Amber was in no mood for a repeat performance of that.
"Maker preserve me..." she sighed.
"Fenris is a brooding jerk," Anders stated with a frown. "He hates mages just because we exist and because his master was an evil man. But he likes Adia, so he's not all bad." He finally let Amber get the shirt on him, and she sat next to him, stroking his hair. Adia laughed and shook her head as Fenris rolled his eyes.
"Now for a tough one," the rogue said. "What about Amber? What do you think about her?" Her sister shifted uncomfortably, but Anders broke into a huge grin.
"I love Amber! She takes care of me and Justice, and helps at the clinic. Her eyes are pretty, and she hates Templars too." Adia seemed satisfied.
"Well good, I'm glad to know that. Now stop diddling my sister when I'm in my room. The light shakes." The red-eyed mage's mouth fell open as she turned crimson.
"Then stop being in your room so often," Anders shot back.
"Find somewhere else to do it."
"The kitchen's no good, the other rooms aren't made up, the sitting room is too public, and Sandal wanders into the library too often."
"This is actually amusing," Aveline spoke up, trying to hide her smile.
"I hate you all..." Amber said softly, hanging her head.
"I do it because I love you," Adia explained. "But I'm done. Unless Anders wants to share anything else with us?"
"Perhaps we should ask a relevant question?" Fenris pointed out. "Such as, what happened?" Adia shrugged and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Relevant questions are boring. But... I guess it would make sense. So what did happen down there?" Anders' mood changed quickly, and he curled in on himself a bit as Amber pulled him carefully into her lap.
"They broke down the doors to the clinic, saying I was a blood mage and needed to come with them. My patients wanted to fight, but I told them to run. The Templars used a Holy Smite before Justice could manifest, and it disrupted him, but we got two of them. Then they attacked me. I tried to fight back, but they just held me down and hit me with their maces. Then they hauled me up and... And one took a dagger and stabbed me. I fell, and that's when I heard Amber scream." He was shivering at this point, and Amber just held him, horrified at what he'd been through.
"I'd ask how they knew about you, but it's not like you hid what you were doing down there really well..." Adia brought up. "Did anything else happen?"
"One of them ran away when they started beating me. I don't know why..." The healer grimaced. "That beating hurt worse than the Joining."
"The what?" Aveline wondered.
"Joining. For the Wardens. Stupid ritual thing they do. Make you drink darkspawn blood so you'll be tainted." His tone changed again, and it sounded like he was back to the child-like answers.
"...They make you..." The archer paled at the thought. "Ugh...I'm gonna be sick. That's...ew..."
"Why do they do that?" Fenris asked, stepping closer to the bed.
"So you can sense darkspawn. So you can kill an archdemon if it wakes up. Except you're not supposed to survive that, but Elissa did."
"Who is Elissa?" Now the Elf was very curious. Anders never talked about the Wardens, or at least not to him.
"The Queen of Ferelden. My Commander. We were friends in Amaranthine. Her, and me, and Justice, and stick-up-his-ass Nathaniel, and drunk, smelly Oghren."
"You have some odd names for your friends," Adia snickered.
"Says you. Just wait till you meet them one day, then you'll see that I'm right." Immediately the broad, devious grin was back on the redhead's face.
"Do you have names for your friends here?"
"Adia!" Amber tried to stop her, but to no avail.
"Varric takes care of the names this time," Anders answered. "Except for Aveline. I agree with Isabella on her name."
"And just what does that whore call me?" Aveline asked as she raised an eyebrow. Without missing a beat, the healer replied:
"Lady Man Hands" Adia stepped back from the Guard Captain and hid behind Fenris, eyes wide. Amber moved her arms protectively around the blonde.
"That bitch-born whore! My hands are very lady-like!"
"Oh Anders... I think you should try to at least lie a little..." Adia told him.
"Why should I lie? Everything is easier when it's the truth."
"I doubt your Commander would like knowing you spilled Warden secrets, love," Amber reminded him.
"Psh, it's not like I told you the biggest secret they have." The temptation was too much for Adia.
"What's the biggest secret they have?"
"That after you're tainted, you only have thirty years to live, and then you get to go to the Deep Roads and fight darkspawn till you're dead." Silence descended on the room like someone had slammed a door, and Amber's eyes went wide. Fenris saw that there was no longer a need for them to be there, and gently pushed Adia out of the room. Aveline followed the couple, still seething.
"Oh man..." the younger Hawke said with a whistle. "He's... I wonder how hard they hit him on the head." She frowned a little, and then looked at Aveline. "...I think you have very pretty hands"
"Save it, Adia. I need to do two things now: One is figure out if someone turned Anders in, or if it was a regular patrol. The second is to go kill Isabella... Why didn't we let the Arishok take her again?"
"Because you wanted to be the one to exact punishment on her," the Elf reminded her. Adia shrugged and blushed a bit.
"She got to know the Champions of Kirkwall and she's fun to have around and you know you'd be sad if you didn't have someone to blame for everything."
"I suppose you have a point," Aveline conceded. "But I should get back out there and see what I can find. Guess the party's postponed?"
"I think so... For now anyway. We'll plan it for later." From downstairs came the unmistakable bark of Diego, followed by Merrill's voice:
"Hello! Anyone here?" Adia gave a relieved sigh.
"Ah! Just the Elf I wanted to see," she said as the Dalish came up the stairs. "Merrill, odd question: How much healing magic do you know?" She looked confused.
"Um... None, Adia. It's the last thing a Keeper learns, and... Well, you know... But, what do you need a healer for? Is Anders busy?"
"...It's Anders who needs the healing." Merrill's eyes went wide.
"Blessed Creators, what happened?"
"Templars," Fenris answered. Now her hands were over her mouth.
"Oh no, is he all right? I mean, he's obviously not since he needs healing. But what did they do to him? Is Amber all right? Was she hurt?"
"They beat him pretty soundly," Adia revealed. "I think he has brain damage or something... Ask him a question and he tells the truth. It's amusing actually. But Amber's as all right as can be expected. She wasn't hurt, but she's worried."
"I told you, it's the blood loss," Aveline said. "I've seen it before at Ostagar."
"Should I see if I can help?" Merrill wondered.
"It couldn't hurt to try," Adia told her, taking the Dalish back to Amber's room and knocking on the door.
"Come in." The two girls went in, and Amber looked up and smiled softly. Anders had her head in her lap, and seemed to be asleep.
"He seems fine," Merrill mentioned, looking confused again.
"How about now?" Amber wondered as she tugged his shirt up to expose the bandages. They hadn't wrapped the stitching too tight, and the line of thread could be seen underneath the linen. Merrill's hands flew to her mouth again.
"That's awful! Those... Horrible shemlen!" Adia raised an eyebrow at her friend and smirked.
"Such language, Merrill! I didn't think you were capable of that!"
"It's not a swear word. Not like Isabella or Aveline use. It just means- Oh... You were making a joke..." Even Amber started giggling.
"Merrill can't swear," Anders mumbled. "She'd try and just make huffy noises..."
"Would you mind if she looks over Anders?" Adia wondered.
"That's fine," the elder Hawke agreed, easing him off her lap. He grabbed for her hand, which she took. Merrill very carefully ran her hands over the wounds, tears in her eyes. She shook her head, pressing lightly on the stitches. Anders sat upright suddenly, eyes fully open, and she rocketed into the furthest corner.
"Andraste's flaming knickers!" the healer shouted, arms wrapped around the wounds, as Amber pulled him back down. He lay there for a moment, catching his breath. "That was an awful wake-up call..."
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Merrill apologized, still in the corner. Adia had jumped back when the Dalish had moved, and looked perplexed.
"What the heck just happened?"
"I was trying to be careful, but I think I pressed too hard...
"Sorry..." Anders told them, gritting his teeth in pain. "I just wasn't expecting it to hurt so much... Not used to this, remember?"
"You scared all of us," Amber gently chastised him. Merrill came out of the corner and stood by the redhead once more.
"His magick is gone, so I guess the Templars did something to him? As for the wounds... I can make a poultice for the worst one. Maybe it'll heal a bit faster?"
"Is his magic going to come back?" Adia asked, a bit of fear in her voice. If they lost their healer now…
"Eventually..." Anders told her.
"Give it a day or so," Amber added. "Holy Smite is made to make sure we can't fight back when they bring us somewhere... It's not a pleasant sensation itself, either."
"I'll never understand how people can treat each other like this," Adia said with a sigh as she shook her head. "Is there anything I can get you two?"
"No, I'm all right," her sister assured her.
"Maybe some water?" the healer asked.
"I'll start getting the poultice ready," Merrill told them as she left the room.
"Adia... Thank you," Amber said softly.
"You're the best sister I ever had," Anders added with a quick smile. The archer gave her twin a hug.
"You know I'd do anything for you." She returned the blonde's smile. "And you're the best brother I've ever had. I'll go get your drink." She headed down the stairs, hearing more voices. Fenris was talking to Varric, who looked shocked. They both looked up as she came over.
"Birdie! What in Andraste's name happened? Elf said that Templars attacked Blondie's clinic."
"They did. Beat him pretty soundly too. If you want some good stuff for your story I'd get up there and start asking questions. Anders can't lie." She smirked, and the Dwarf arched an eyebrow.
"Oh? And is Fire-Eyes going to let me... Interview him?"
"I wouldn't risk it, Varric," Fenris warned. "She's got enough to worry about without you writing some warped story about her and her mage."
"Killjoy..." Adia told him with a pout.
"My stories are not "warped", Elf," the storyteller countered. "They are perfectly reasonable embellishments."
"Then by all means, wander upstairs and become a target. Amber's tried to char me for less..." Adia chuckled and patted the warrior's shoulder.
"Varric has a better chance of getting out unscathed just because he's Varric. Besides, who else is gonna tell our story?" With that she skipped off to the kitchen.
"I think you take a certain amount of joy in seeing how far you can push your sister. You're not as innocent as you appear," Fenris stated as he followed her. She turned and gave him a mockingly hurt face.
"You wound me, Ser Elf. I would never intentionally push my sister!"
"Hah! I've known Qunari who were subtler than you with your teasing. You like to see much she'll let you get away with."
"No, I like to see her smile. For all my pushing, I know the end result will be her either laughing or smiling. I know when to push and when not to. Had Anders' injuries been any worse I wouldn't have said the things I said and been as serious as you."
"I still don't know how he wasn't dead from all that..." The Elf sighed. "Though I suppose he's dead to a point anyway..." Adia paused in filling a glass to stare at him.
"What do you mean dead?"
"If you believe what he said about the Wardens," Fenris said with a dismissive wave. Truth be told, he didn't blame the mage for not telling anyone before.
"He's never lied before... I don't know why he'd start now," Adia pointed out with a shrug. "I'm sure we'll get him to talk about it once he's back in his right mind."
"I suppose so." Fenris chuckled a bit. "So I'm a brooding jerk, am I?"
"Well, he left out handsome, and kind, and you have an incredible laugh and pretty eyes," the archer said as she set the glass on the counter and walked over to him. He tapped her nose with the tip of his gauntlet.
"Your eyes are much prettier. They remind me of the deep waters of the ocean."
"Don't stare too long, you might drown," she teased with a giggle.
"I'll take the risk," he replied, kissing her softly. "Though not in the actual ocean. Slaves aren't taught to swim, either." The redhead returned the kiss and sighed happily.
"I can teach you to swim if you want."
"I'd like that. You taught me to read, after all. And I imagine that seeing me shirtless will do wonders for you as well." She got a goofy grin on her face.
"I like it when you're shirtless... The first time I saw that I almost drooled on myself... Why I just told you that I have no idea." She frowned at her own honesty, but Fenris just chuckled.
"Maybe whatever Anders has is catching... But I had a feeling it was something like that. The look on your face that night was... Almost my undoing." They had been caught by one of the local gangs one night on the way to his mansion, and Adia had taken a sharp blow to the head. He'd gotten her to his place and into his bed, and that's where the temptation had started…
"Oh? Now I have to hear this," Adia broke into his thoughts. He could hear the smirk in her voice, so he sat down and clicked his gauntlets together as he thought.
"Seeing you lying there, so beautiful, so perfect... I just wanted to wrap myself around you and never let go. And then when you woke up, and I saw the lust in your eyes... It took every ounce of self-control I had not to pounce on you then and there... A move I now fully regret." He smiled, and she straddled his lap, laying her hands on his shoulders and leaning in to touch their foreheads together.
"You were ready to pounce on me even though I had just suffered a massive head injury? My goodness you Elves are strange people." She was grinning from ear to ear.
"I was willing to bet you wouldn't have said no," he added with a shrug. "And if I'd thought your injuries were that severe, I would have brought you to Darktown first."
"Oh yes, that would have gone over well. Walk into Anders' clinic with me unconscious. I think he would have tried to fry you as well."
"I can handle him well enough." She wiggled teasingly on his lap.
"Do you think you can handle me?" He grabbed her waist firmly with both hands.
"I've done fine so far." He kissed her, hands moving to cup her face. Adia squeaked and smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Room for one more, or is this a private party?" Isabella's voice reached their ears. Adia gave a startled yelp and fell off Fenris' lap, looking at Isabella from the floor, face all flushed and flustered.
"Oh... Um...H-hi!" The pirate was leaning against the doorframe, arms across her chest, looking amused.
"So, Merrill managed to stammer out something about Templars before darting upstairs. Mind filling me in on the gossip?" Adia regained her feet and straightened her clothes, a little upset at the interruption.
"Ah… Yes. Anders' clinic was attacked. They beat him up pretty good. Merrill's trying to help with some of his injuries." The dark-haired woman looked worried.
"The great healer was injured? Must've been some fight if they even got the better of that old stick-in-the-mud Spirit."
"According to him and Merrill he doesn't have any magick left. He's pretty drained and they beat him like a redheaded stepchild."
"Oh, and not even the good kind of beating? Those Templars take themselves way too seriously. Guess it's up to me to cheer them up!" Now the smile was back on Isabella's face, and Adia looked confused.
"Cheer them... Up? How would you cheer them up?"
"The Templars, or the mages?" the Elf wondered.
"Friends first Fenris, then I go from there," Isabella clarified. She flashed Adia a grin and a wink. "Come on, one look at me and everyone will be smiling. You certainly were, sweet thing."
"...I was emotional!" the archer shot back, turning bright red and sticking her tongue out. "You are a wicked woman."
"Of course I'm wicked. Makes it more fun that way." The pirate sauntered off, hips swaying. Adia stared at her for a bit before shaking her head and smiling sheepishly at Fenris, who looked amused.
"Maybe Anders was right... The kitchen isn't a really good place."
"Then did you wish to retire to your room? Or wait until your guests leave?" The redhead smirked and pushed him up against the wall, giving him a nice, deep kiss before breaking away and retrieving the glass of water from the counter.
"I'll let you decide that." She heard a feral growl only a moment before he tackled her, the glass shattering on the floor.
"I no longer need to hold back, remember?" She let out a yell of surprise and squirmed under him with a giggle, bringing her face up to his and gently nipping at his lower lip.
"I was counting on that." He pulled her into his arms, stood up, and walked into Adia's room, locking the door behind him.