Moonpriestess30: I'm glad you're enjoying the ride! It gets reaaaalllly Fenris heavy from here on out!

I am officially 15 chapters ahead and impatient as fuck, so you lucky buggers will be getting two chapters a day this week mon-fri.


Chapter 46 - It's the little things.

Makatza returned to the study a little blind-sided. 'I think it's safe to say that she's not worried about what I'm doing,' she says stiffly. Fenris raises a brow and tilts his head, 'she was... at an angle,' Makatza starts to explain what she meant with her hands before shaking her head and wrists frantically. 'Let's just say that they're busy... experimenting,' she stifles a giggle and breathes in deeply. 'So looks like I'm free for the afternoon at least,' she smiles. 'What were you thinking about for lunch?'

'I had actually not thought that far,' he admits. The whole thing of him coming over had been nothing more than spontaneous on his end. It had been a few days since he saw her and the last time it was in passing while he was with Hawke on an errand.

'Oh well if you like you can help me bake some bread while I feed the pups some food and then we can have lunch here?' She suggests.

'Bake? I have not baked before,' he says a little warily. 'I would not like to ruin anything.'

'Don't be silly, it's easy. I'll teach you,' Makatza smiles making his heart skip for a fraction of a second. She motions for him to follow her and wanders into the kitchen with a couple of pups crying at her toes for more food. She snaps at them with a growl and they settle under the table. 'Sorry, they don't understand really understand me unless I talk canine, they're getting there but they're still young,' she excuses herself. 'You'll need to take your armour off. You're wearing a vest yes?'

'I understand taking my gauntlets off but the rest of it?' He asks as he begins to undo buckles, he notices that she's wearing her collar as a belt again.

'You're bound to get covered in flour, believe me,' she laughs as she begins to take her belt off and wrap a pinny around her waist instead after she hung her collar on a chair. 'Do you want a pinny?' She asks holding out the apron for him, he gives her a look and she grins. 'Oh don't be embarrassed,' she laughs as she winds it around his hips and ties it up at the front, she tries not to think about how close he is to her at that moment.

'It is hard not to be when the apron is covered in embroidered flowers and butterflies,' he points out feeling a little emasculated, 'also knowing that if any of our friends were to see me like this I would be the butt of any and all jokes,' he adds.

Makatza giggles and shakes her head. 'Then you'll just have to make them feel jealous won't you. Besides, that's my pinny and I think it's pretty. I'm wearing Orana's, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't fit you so you're stuck with mine,' she reveals. 'Okay, first thing's first, we need to wash our hands and I need to put my hair up because no one likes a stray hair in their food,' she muses to herself as she looks around for something that she could use. After locating a bit of string that was used for the flowers she tied her hair up into a messy bun. She pffts her fringe out her eyes and tucks it behind her ears. 'Okay, we ready?'

'As I will ever be,' he says trying not to smile at the mess she had piled up onto her head. He leans over and shakes his head. 'I am sorry but that is going to fall out at any moment,' he chuckles as he pulls out the bit of string that she had tried to use. 'Here,' he says as he displays his skill in braiding and swiftly neatens her curls into a plait.

'Thanks,' she says smiling sweetly at him after he finishes. He was right, she could feel it slipping the moment she had done it. She asks him to gather a few ingredients from the pantry while she fed the pups and opened the back door so they could wander here and there, hopefully staying out from under her feet. She grabbed a recipe book and opened it to the right page, she didn't really need one but it would be nice to teach him properly.

'I cannot find yeast?' He says as he brings back the other things she had asked for.

'It's in the jar that says yea- don't worry, I'll get it,' she says realising that he couldn't read and she was making a huge blunder. She nipped into the pantry and grabbed the right jar before coming back out and overcompensating with her next words, she was an octave higher than usual. 'So what do you want to try?' She asked.

Fenris folded his arms and leaned against the counter as he looked away from her. 'You know, do you not?' There was an awkward silence that was only broken by the pups eating noisily.

Makatza felt her cheeks flush a little. 'Oh... um yes,' she mumbled as she looked over at him. He was looking at the far side of the kitchen and his expression was neutral. 'Does anyone else know?'

'No... I do not think so,' he says quietly rubbing his mouth with his hand dismissively.

'It's nothing to be embarrassed about!' Makatza said quickly as she grabbed his arm. 'Please, don't feel asham-'

'I am not ashamed... I simply...' he says abruptly wanting to snap at her. He inhales deeply and takes a moment as he reminded himself to whom he was talking to. 'I did not want you to think of me any differently,' he admits. 'I have come to find that I care what you think of me...'

Makatza moves in front of him and takes his hands although she could feel him resist. 'I think that you are incredibly intelligent and slightly grumpy bastard,' she says with a little teasing. 'Nothing will ever change that,' she smiles. 'In all seriousness Fenris, the only reason you cannot read is because you've not been taught. That's it. I know that you would pick it up quickly and writing too,' she nods. 'If you like... I could try to teach you?'

He looks at her surprised and relaxed a bit, 'you would do that?'

She nods and bounces a little on her toes in her excitement. Her enthusiasm made him smile ever so softly as she begins to chatter at him like usual. 'Of course, I mean if you want me to, it would be really easy to do. Honestly you'd probably be reading and writing in a month, I mean you pick up languages so easily I swear you speak at least three or four. Though I could ask Aveline if you would rather her teach you-'

He interrupts her with a kiss, holding her hands tightly in his as he leans down and gently catches her lips with his. It was in no way planned but he couldn't think of another way of expressing what she meant to him at that moment. It was only a delicate, soft intstant but it spoke volumes as he pulled away. She was clearly shocked and her eyes were closed for a couple of seconds before she looked at him, her cheeks erupting in blush. 'I would like you to teach me,' he said clearing his throat as he felt a little embarrassed.

'Yeah... yeah..' she said after a brief pause. 'Yes, I can do that,' she nods clearing her own throat with a little cough. She looked at their clasped hands and bit her lip as she let go of his fingers. 'I would like that,' Makatza says smiling, her mana was beating frantically with her heartbeat and she could see his lyrium flicker. She ran her hands over her pinny in an attempt to calm herself then she decided to just own up to her faffing. 'You caught me off guard there,' she laughs lightly admitting that she wasn't expecting a sign of affection.

'Would you rather I did not do things like that?' He asks concerned that he might have overstepped a boundary and made her uncomfortable.

'Oh, no I don't mind,' she says quickly. Then she thought that didn't sound sufficient, 'it was a lovely surprise and well, my wolf side is suggesting things,' she says going pink as she picks up the flour and attempts to distract herself.

'I will ask you to expand on that later,' he promises. 'As well as other things that I have heard,' he adds making her feel slightly nervous. She nods and smiles at him as she starts to make the dough, he takes an interest and so she shows him how to make his own. As she promised the flour started to get everywhere and the slight breeze from outdoors wasn't helping at all. They had made the dough and were starting to clean up when there were noises from upstairs. 'Has Lady Amell left?' Fenris asks as the rather clear voices got louder.

'Uh huh, with Orana so I'm thinking that they think the house is empty!' Makatza says raising her own voice as she couldn't concentrate. She was washing a bowl as she spoke and Fenris was putting things away into the pantry. 'Um, your oven works right?' She asked as she cleared her throat trying to do things and getting distracted.

'Yes, my kitchen is functional,' he nods taking off the pinny and grabbing his armour. Makatza tried to use a flour covered hand to block an ear as she attempts to take off her own apron. Failing in doing so Fenris quickly does it for her and then roughly straps his armour on.

'Grab the bowl!' Makatza says just loud enough for him to hear. 'It can rise at yours,' she whistles at her pups as she grabs her collar and bag on the way through to the foyer. She'll wash her hands later. Trailing flour the pair exited the house leaving the rather loud and clearly pleasurable noises behind them. Fenris was adjusting his gauntlet as he left and they both gave each other a look as the door shut behind them.

He holds the bowl in the crook of his arm and shakes his head, 'does that happen often?' He asks.

'More than I care to admit. Normally I shove my headphones on,' she giggles. The puppies bounded ahead, they had grown well and were long legged and bright with bushy tails. She snapped at them to stay close to them and they reined themselves in a little bit jumping closer. 'I really must get them collars,' she muses to herself.

'I do not have any other belts I am afraid,' he says as they start to walk.

'Belts?' She asks.

'Yes, I made your collar from my belt, once I had removed the pouches,' he explains. 'Did you not know?'

'No!' Makatza says in horror. 'I've been wearing it this entire time and nobody said anything! For fucks sake, I could have had an entirely different collar made and you could have had your belt back, no wonder you've been without one, that must have been difficult,' she apologises.

He shakes his head, 'I have learned to adapt, I do not wish to have it back,' he assures. 'I will simply make another when I find some decent leather,' he says as he pauses to allow a pup to run by as they made their way to his house. She grumbles but doesn't press the issue as they go into the manor, she takes the bowl from him and wanders into his kitchen putting his oven on to warm and the bowl inside to rise. She starts to wash her hands free from the flour after putting her bag down on the table. Makatza turns to face him now she was clean, he chuckles lightly. 'You have missed a spot,' he points out.

'What? Where?' She looks over her hands and arms, 'they look clean to me,' Katza is confused and gives him a look with a raised brow. She was desperately trying not to think about how he kissed her gently earlier though it was right at the front of her mind. She had expected Fenris to be heavier with the desire like Sebastian, a little more forceful but he had turned out to be the opposite. It didn't matter, every touch made her hormones do a backflip and her inner wolf howl at the end of her chain. It was like he was afraid of doing something wrong.

'No, you have some on your- right here,' he says grabbing the damp cloth that she had used and softly began to clean the side of her face where she had tried to block her ear with her hand.

'Ohh! That's cold,' she giggles trying not to move as he brushed it over her lobe, 'watch the ear!' She says sharply and high pitched as he tried to hold her hair back and catching the tip. She flushed red and her pulse spiked, 'Fenris!' She scolded making him chuckle. 'You know exactly what that does!'

'It was an accident,' he says firmly with a smirk. One last sweep around the side of her face and he had managed to remove all the dough. 'How long will the bread need?' He asks as he steps back and begins to remove his armour now that they were inside.

'Hmm, an hour? Then we can beat it back and bake it? I grabbed some apples if you don't want to wait that long,' she said as she looked inside her bag. She had swept the side of the desk into it, there were books and pencils just in case he wanted to try to read or write. 'What would you like to do while we wait?' She asks ignoring her inner wolf who was mentally suggesting things that would take a little over an hour. 'We could spar or I could start teaching you if you want.'

Fenris leans against his counter, sparring would mean close contact and with his slip earlier he was sure that if they did get that close he would be tempted to push it even further and while that was a pleasing idea he didn't want to rush anything. 'I wish to talk about what I heard earlier,' he says after a moment or two.

Makatza felt her stomach drop, it was almost like she was in trouble. 'Okay... um, do you want to sit down or something?' She asks, he nods and walks out the kitchen assuming that she would follow, she could hear her pups racing around on the top landing as they explore. She growls a little warning to them as they pass and they make sure to watch what they're doing. He had lead her upstairs into the bedroom that he mainly used, there was a bench or chair to sit on. 'Mind if I just sit on the bed?' She asks, that bench looks really uncomfortable.

'Not at all,' he replies as he twists the chair to face her and sits down.

'Okay, go ahead, ask me,' she says sitting down and crossing her ankles and looking at him. He seemed to almost shrink in his seat, he had clearly never confronted this issue before. Makatza tilted her head and simply waited for him to speak, she couldn't rush him. This was going to be difficult enough.


Hey hey hey, if you love what I do, drop a review!

ALSO a KISS? Uninterrupted? What am I doing?!