Anders had never been a light sleeper, however, if he was correct an ogre had just gone clattering into Hawke's house. He quietly slipped out of the bed he was provided and grabbed his staff. He immediately missed the soft sheets and silky feel it afforded his skin. It had been forever since he slept in a bed and the one he currently had been occupying reminded him that cots were not beds.

Thedas rumbling let him know who it was before he even glimpsed her. "Easy boy, mummy's been drinking. She's just a little uncoor... Uncooward... Wobbly." He spied her from the shadows of his doorway. She was half sitting half lying on her beloved pet in front of the fireplace. Her hands ran lazily through the dogs fur humming softly, obviously basking in the heat afforded from the fire and her mabari. Thedas didn't seem to mind, lying his large head on his front paws.

One glance into the foyer revealed aforementioned ogre in the form of a bench lying on its side and what appeared to be her left shoe dangling from its laces. Affection practically infused him when he spied her bare foot.

Her snore only made the warmth spread to his toes.

After a very short and surprisingly Justice free debate he exited the shadows and moved towards the unconscious woman. Thedas lifted his head as Anders grabbed her arm, bringing it to rest on his shoulder while sliding said arm down to support her back. "I'm just putting her to bed. She'll wake up in a horrible state if I leave her here." He brought his other arm under her knees and lifted.

Thedas huffed, curling inwards to make up for the loss of his mistresses body heat.

Siri not so eloquently protested the movement, incoherently grumbling into his chest. She took a deep breath as he moved towards the stairs that led to her room. "'M I dreaming? You smell really good." She slurred. Anders steadfastly ignored her hand which was now drawing invisible shapes on the side of his neck. "Of course you're dreaming sweetness. Go back to sleep."

He placed her feet on the floor just outside her bedroom, he didn't trust himself to go in there, especially with him literally carrying her. "Go on, your bed's right there. You can rest now." Maker she was distracting with those fingers, why hadn't she stopped?

"But... I'm dreaming... Doesn't that mean I'm already asleep?" Her head drooped a bit and she started listing to the left. His body reacted before he could stop himself. Her shoulders met his chest and his hands steadied her hips. She smelled like sex and ale, but her hair still smelled like Hawke, lilacs and vanilla. It took a considerable part of his willpower to set her aside him and give a gentle push towards her bedroom. "Trust me and get some rest." Maker that pert little rear of hers fit so nicely against him. His hands remained on her hips to steady the rather wobbly woman.

Siri was usually a very graceful person, although understandably not at her best at the moment. She turned in his hold so she was facing him. "Thank you." She mumbled, with the softest smile he had ever seen. Before he could react she had stepped or, rather more accurately, fell forward her breasts bumping up against his chest as her lips descended on his. His surprise was evident and Siri wasted no time in taking advantage of that as her tongue met the pliancy of his own.

Anders moaned, locking his arms around her, before tilting the angle of their kiss and surging forward. She responded with a little keen, more than accepting his lead. The rogue snaked her fingers to the tie at the back of his head, her fingers finally sinking into his hair as said tie fluttered to the floor.

Oh she was so soft now, always demanding and hard in combat but she melted to him perfectly. Her sweet lips sent a spark through him and his cock pulsed in need. Sweet Maker he had to have her. The rasp of her nipples against his chest was torture as his arms slid from her shoulders to wrap around her waist pulling the rogue closer. She moaned as their hips aligned, rubbing his now very obvious erection. His tongue invaded her mouth, mimicking the movements his hips and legs were just begging to do. He had to get inside this woman, heart, body and soul.

It was actually Hawke who ended the exchange falling back to her door frame.

Sanity returned in a rush, at least for Anders. How was he going to stay away now? Now that he knew what she tasted like and what she felt like curled around him. A soft laugh caught his attention, he glanced over and the fire in her very inebriated gaze did little to strengthen his resolve in fact he felt it weaken. Anger was quick on its heels, she had promised. "Have to be dreaming. You'd never touch me otherwise."

The anger died with those words. It was replaced by guilt and a profound sense of longing. He lifted his hand to her face and knew he was playing with fire. "Love, I long to touch you every minute of everyday."

"Ha! Woulda already done it." His heart broke a little when she stepped away from him and towards the bedroom. He was about to turn away when he heard a quiet voice, one he immediately associated with her soft smile earlier. "But I'll wait for you."

She was curling up on the blankets when he got his last glance. Anders went back to his room closing the door an leaning heavily against it. Ignoring the slight tremors he slid his hand into his trousers and knew on the first stroke he would not last long. His tongue darted out licking his own lip. He could still taste her and heavens what would she taste like in other places? He brought his free hand to his mouth stifling the moan that accompanied the thought. Would her skin be as soft as he thought it would? The mental image of her legs wrapped around his waist as he pushed into her tight wet heat. His own teeth dug into the skin on his palm. He was so close, the pressure building within him was reaching a breaking point. His treacherous imagination assaulted him with the possibilities. He could almost taste the sweat on her skin as she rode him into oblivion. Could practically feel the weight of her legs wrapped around his waist as he drove himself inside her while he sweetly suckled on her breasts.

As his seed spilled against his own fingers he ignored the sharp pain in his palm and the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

'Anders, you must wake.'

Groaning the apostate cracked one eyelid. 'What?'

'What is this sensation? I believe it is a ... Smell?'

Anders yawned heavily but the subsequent inhale revealed something glorious. He chuckled. 'That my dear friend is bacon.'

A sense of extreme discomfort and the same curiosity he had shown earlier washed over Anders. It almost perplexed him the normal things that might trip the spirit up. It was truly an odd experience to feel uncomfortable about food. 'What is bacon?'

Anders tried to hide his amusement but they were one and the spirit bristled in offense, rather than make the situation worse he explained, 'It is a food. Rather good one at that. Mostly served for the first meal of the day.'

'Are we to partake in the first meal?'

Anders had no hope of hiding his mirth when Justice sounded almost hopeful. 'We shall see.' After a more than satisfying stretch, he pushed his upper body off the bed to feel a stab of pain in his hand. One look at the teethmarks and everything came rushing back. Anders did his best to suppress his thoughts, Justice did not need to know about that...

'I was... Present during the evening...' Came the almost guilty reply.

'And you didn't interfere? Why not? I thought she was a distraction?'

'She is!'Anders felt the spirit flare momentarily. 'However, I can feel her frustration with me. It is,' the spirit settled but still struggled with his next words. 'Her anger is only due to things I do not understand. Your body requires concepts I am unfamiliar with. All people are constant in the Fade. We do not require resources to exist. We do not consume. It is true we have talked on this matter before, but your resolve was strong. I ... I did not understand the need for nourishment on a physical level. Your kind is strange. But her devotion to you is palpable. It pleased her to feel our flesh. I allowed it.'

Shock froze the mage, his shirt dangling from his fingers. The pull of so many thoughts, so many possibilities yanked in sixteen different directions. One thought he could not suppress was the hope that maybe... 'Freedom?'

He almost felt the spirit hold the thought and the wave of guilt that swept through him was not his own. 'I never intended to cage you, Anders, only to grant you my strength. As long as our cause remains true we can spend more time with your Fereldan. She is good for you and you are still my friend.'

Justice actually paused at the flood of joy from the mage. 'It was never my intent to chain you.'