Anders blinked blearily at the nightstand, his Christmas presents greeting his gaze before his eyes focused on the time. After caring for only one patient, he had forgotten how tiring his work schedule could be. Not that lying around for a month helped those matters any. He shifted his new journal, a hefty leather-bound thing inscribed with his name Douglas gave him as a Christmas present. The old dime store notebook sat tucked away in the drawer, stuffed with ranting and thoughts of a helpless lover refusing to leave the side of the man he loved.

He smiled as he hand lay upon the soft leather, recalling the instructions to inform when a replacement was needed. Anders took it as another indication he was being invited to stay. The thought had made the other gift easier to accept; a picture of the two of them, smiling in their tuxedos while guarding their hinted or secret 'I love yous.' The first day he saw this house, and slept in its beds.

He chuckled as he recalled only ever sleeping in the other room once. Why did he doubt that was the plan? The thought Douglas had probably planned on him moving in one day, to that room, relationship serious yet awkwardly celibate made him chuckle again. A freckled hand rubbed across the empty bed beside him, and Anders sighed, but not with disappointment. In fact, he had come to expect it these last weeks since Douglas had managed to leave the room. Like the gate had finally been unlocked and he was loath to come back. In fact, Anders was usually the one to drag himself here at night, jaw cracking with yawns, unable to continue the day but preparing for the next. Later, he would find Douglas' back pressed against his, and by morning, they were up to start together. Except the weekends, Douglas let him sleep then.

And Anders was grateful, but not as much today. He was immensely happy to have a couple more hours sleep and find his boyfriend had not relapsed, but yet, it was the twin's birthday, and he had no intention to laze the day away. He would have liked to eat breakfast together like they did during the week, but Douglas would have eaten by now. Anders wondered what he might be up to. The pool would be done. The gym maybe?

Douglas had been working out more, and it had been hard for Anders not to laugh when he was far more relieved to see the man aggravated the light workouts had proved too much in the beginning. Anders tried keeping him from swimming at first, just to be sure if the heart had a fit, Douglas wouldn't drown. Irrational maybe, but he just wanted some reassurances that the thing wouldn't act up after all its stresses. Fenris and Fellon had even kept an eye on him in the gym. If that was more of a motivating factor to get back in shape, Anders was not sure. Douglas was irritated by it all even though he was expertly ignored. Now, everyone was content to let him be. Let him work his jock ass off, Anders wasn't above begging if he thought it was necessary. Let this stop being something they took from him.

Douglas might have been less than pleased with the results, but Anders wasn't. Out of the room, working out, taking on duties at home, easing back into working. The only thing Anders wished was that he had started some of this before, staggered the resuming of activates, but as it seemed to be with his man, Douglas just dove into everything he did. All or nothing.

Anders wondered what everyone else was up to for the day. January 14th displayed on the in room calendar on the desk meant it was doubtful Douglas forgot. Of course, it did make Anders curious as to what Douglas was more apt to forget, to change the calendar or his own birthday. Anders could only concluded the answer was a resounding neither; he couldn't see the man forgetting either of those things. Not because it was a his birthday, but more accurately an important date. Anders knew that he was more inclined to forget his own birthday before Douglas would which reminded him of the night they met. Anders wondered if he should tease him, that he already got his birthday kiss.

Although he might be crazy to pass up another kiss like that, especially now. Just thinking of it made him flushed. This time when he sighed it was disappointed, and he quickly cleaned up and dressed to go down. As he approached the pool, and thus the gym, he was cut off by Fenris coming the opposite way, bright red cord bound around a dark wrist. Anders looked at it, but knew better to question it, having noted its appearance before.

"He is not here." Fenris practically growled at him, unbudging from the frame.

Anders glanced past him, Fellon quite obviously occupied in one of the hottubs. With Isabela perhaps. "Can you narrow it down any further than that?"

"Not here." With that, and no longer a secret, Fenris pulled open the door and went into the pool area.

Anders rolled his eyes, turning back toward the interior of the house and leaving Fellon to wrap or unwrap his damn presents, whatever the case may be. The kitchen seemed a lost cause, but he could at least take stock of a potential meal. Maybe if he grabbed something quick, they could do something about lunch together. First though, he at least had to find Douglas.

He wandered toward the library and paused when he heard voices from the office on the other side. Those two baritones were unmistakable: Varric and Douglas. Even lowered he could tell they were up to something. Birthday plans maybe? He smiled and knocked softly before letting himself in. The whispering stopped immediately. He looked between the two looking guilty as hell. "What is it?"

Varric cleared his throat. "We're just trying to come up with a good story."

Anders smiled in confusion. "For what?" Douglas never let on he was a writer in any way.

Douglas straightened. "For my absence."

"Being ill isn't enough?"

"No one wants to. Party with an invalid."

Anders looked between the two of them. "Or be ruled by one." That definitely got a reaction. Shock mostly. Anders could even read a tinge of fear, he had seen it enough lately.

Douglas sat forward. "What?"

Short blond locks curtained Anders' face as he looked at the ground, shaking his head. "Nothing. Just something Fellon said." Anders moved forward. "I didn't want to interrupt, just wish you a happy birthday."

Anders stopped short when Douglas pulled away from him. Those blue eyes started searching as Douglas asked, "What did he say?"

Was it the fact that Douglas would probably know or the fact that he didn't want to lie the real reason he didn't? "I don't know. Something about you being the heir, and he the king. It was nothing, really. At least nothing of sense."

"Why would he say that?"

Why did he get the impression he was being interrogated rather than being asked simple questions? "I was tired of being a complication, and I wanted to know why I was. Bianca isn't. I don't want to be either."

Varric chuckled, "You don't know Bianca."

Douglas rolled his eyes at Varric, smothering his amusement especially since Anders looked less than pleased.

Anders grumbled, "That's not what I meant. You're getting married."

Douglas rolled away even further, and Varric leaned closer. Anders was a bit bewildered by the reaction. Varric asked gleefully, "Is that what this is about? Are you proposing? Is that why you talked to Fellon?" The man fired of his questions like any good reporter.

Anders was taken aback. "What? No!"

Douglas looked relieved, slumping slightly in his chair.

Anders bristled at the expression. At least Varric had the decency to look disappointed as he leaned back in his chair again. Anders demand, "Why would I when I can't get a straight answer from anyone in this house? How would I even know if your answer wasn't a lie?" He turned from the room, cursing it and himself for not just leaving when it was clear they were not having a normal discussion.

Anders had barely made it out in the hall when Douglas yelled after, "Anders, wait!" He paused a moment, letting his boyfriend catch up and ask, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Douglas leaned in for a kiss, Anders rolled his eyes, "You've had it already, remember?"

When Anders went to start walking again, Douglas grabbed him. Just as quickly, Anders was released. The pained expression wasn't easy to misread, especially after the other man apologized. "I shouldn't have grabbed you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Douglas." Anders wished he'd grab him a lot more, but he bit his tongue. Douglas swallowed down his protest, still shifting uneasily. Anders sighed, "I'm sorry too. I didn't come to upset you, just hoped for plans."

"Like what?'

"I don't know. Food? Some time? Doesn't the birthday person usually decided that stuff? Your brother seems to be enjoying his; I thought we might too."

That got those blue eyes to look up again though they obviously didn't care for the information. "What he does is his business, but I want to know what he told you."

"He didn't tell me anything, just left me with more goddamn riddles." Again though when Douglas relaxed, Anders angered. "So no, I am not looking to complicate you further."

That brought back the dejection. "That's not why I would have said no."

Asking or not, that still hurt. "What? Then why?" Anders asked as Douglas went to go back in the office. Anders wanted to grab him too, to finish this conversation, because he was getting away. This was not how Anders saw this day going, shut out and hurting once more.

"You do not need some broken thing, Anders."

With that, the door cut off any response he could have come up with.

Anders cracked and made himself some breakfast, but he was starting to feel a little guilty for picking on a fight on a "holiday". Or that's what it felt like he did to him. The office was empty though when he went to look, the whole house was. Even the entry felt like a huge void now that the trees were taken down. Golden Sassy had only got to sit on the tree a week before she was packed away.

That left outside, and the pool. He risked peeking through the pool door again, and the party had seemingly moved on, but he could hear music from inside. He only knew one person who worked out in this gym. Moving past the pool, he slowly opened the door to find Douglas alone on the weight bench. Anders paused to fume a moment, concentrating on the song since he had heard it before.

Rally round tha family! With a pocket full of shells

They rally round tha family! With a pocket full of shells

Anders recognized the song now, "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine; Nate used to listen to it a lot. He let the door click behind him, clearing his throat to hopefully not startle the other man. "You know that is decidedly unwise even completely healthy."

Douglas was as quick to respond as he ever was, obviously knowing the man was there announced or not. "It's not the first time, and they were busy."

"I would prefer if you didn't. I don't want to find you dead under the thing next time I have to hunt for you."

Douglas ignored him, pushing through a few more reps before setting the bar in the cradle. Grabbing a towel he had left close by, he sat up, wiping at his face and arms with a towel. "Well, it might be one of the few ways I would get to die in peace."

For a moment, Anders just stared at him before he shook his head and left the man to trying to kill himself. Douglas sighed. "Anders."

"What?" Anders tone reflected his mood, not at all amused and edging back to pissed.

"I appreciate your concern, but I know my limits. This is not my first time in a gym."

That got Anders to turn around. "No, you did. Just because you did something for decades doesn't mean you can jump right back to it now. Do you do it when that happened?" A finger pointed at the other man's chest.

Douglas rolled his eyes, standing up. "I was 13, and I took up swimming. Someone doesn't want me to drown though." Blue eyes stared pointedly at the somebody as Douglas moved past the other man to the door.

"Well, forgive me for giving a shit. I just asked someone be around when you did." Anders huffed back ready to stomp back through the house, but Douglas did a turn he wasn't expecting, making Anders pause once more. He was heading for the backyard, sweaty and half clothed in mid January, still cold even by Kirkwall standards of weather. "What are you doing now?"

The door to the exterior clicked behind Douglas without an answer.

Anders growled, stomping after him, beginning to believe that Douglas was less a mama's boy and just a shit who needed constant mothering. Even clothed in his usual long sleeves and pants there was a nip in the air. He pulled up short when he saw what Douglas was doing. A lit cigarette in the other man's hand. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Since always, Anders. I own a nightclub."

"That doesn't make sense. I've never seen you do it before."

Douglas sighed, "I have a very occasional cigarette when I am stressed."

"Those won't help. They are a stimulate."

Douglas snorted. "You know, I always believed people who said that just never tried it." He turned to look at Anders then. "Am I right?"

Anders' jaw jutted forward. "Or maybe a doctor just knows what he is talking about."

Douglas smirked, turning back to look over the outer pool and garden. 'They aren't the only ones who say it."

"Well, I would rather you would smoke the pot if you must."

Douglas made a gagging sound. "That shit stinks. Makes me nauseous."

Exasperation was clearing setting in as Anders seemed just as lost as he ever had been to figuring this man out. "And this is better?"

"You know, you are kind of making this pointless."

"Again, I'm sorry for my concern over your bad habits."

Douglas smirked again with a snort of laughter, "Baby, I am a bad habit."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Douglas swallowed, looking at Anders before shaking his head and putting out the object of concern. "There. Happy?"

Not remotely. At the moment, it felt like an appeasement to get him to drop the last question. "Should I bother to complain about the weather and your attire?"

"No."

Anders stared at Douglas. Something changed this morning, and he had a feeling it had something to do with that talk with Varric. "Well, I won't waste my breath."

This time when Douglas called after no one gave chase or bothered to stop.