A/N: Once again I thank you all for reading and the lovely reviews! I would really love to reply to each but life is so crazy right now I can barely get these chapters posted. Also, be warned that this chapter contains yet more smut. Seriously, if the last chapter was too racy for you, skip this one. ^.^

It could not be said strongly enough how much Anders hated the Deep Roads.

Sitting disconsolately on the stone floor of their makeshift campsite, he cast a bitter glance over at where Hawke was chatting animatedly with Sebastian. Just three weeks ago he was safe…well, maybe not safe, but at least above ground in Kirkwall. Now he was down here, having rescued two of the idiot sons of some dwarf, all because said idiot sons thought following Hawke's example was a good idea.

The big Fereldan had come tromping into the clinic and had announced that he needed Anders' Warden skills to help with the rescue of the dwarves. The healer had every intention of refusing, but then Hawke had told him that Fenris had been there when Yevhen had asked them to go, and that when the dwarf had pressed them for a commitment he had agreed. Later, Fenris had grumpily acknowledged this to be true. So now Anders was here, again, in the taint-ridden, darkspawn-infested, Maker-forsaken Deep Roads.

Varric had been pressured into accompanying them by the Merchant's Guild, of which Yevhrn was a member in good standing. Sebastian was here of his own free will, either because of some romantic, and nonsensical, adventure fantasy or because life in the Chantry was just that boring.

Isabella had flatly refused to come, and so she and Merrill had stayed behind. He was sure they were busy getting drunk at the Hanged Man and doing unspeakable things involving magical plant life to one another.

Anders cast a morose look at his lover, standing just a short distance away and engaged in watching Hawke trying to talk Sebastian into sparring, mostly because the big warrior wanted to show-off for Emerys and Merin. He wished Fenris would do unspeakable things to him. In fact, right now he would settle for having speakable things done to him, because since they had come down here there had been exactly nothing done to him at all.

Which was why, although he had not previously thought it possible, he hated the Deep Roads even more than ever before.

Hawke had apparently goaded the priest into a practice bout, having kept at him about the need for a hand to hand weapon when quarters were too close for the bow. As they faced off against each other Fenris leaned his shoulder against a nearby stone abutment, watching them fight with his arms crossed and one foot casually resting against the other ankle.

Anders drank in the sight of him hungrily, thinking it was unfair that anyone could make leaning look that sexy. Of course, Fenris made anything look sexy. Which was normally gratifying, but in his present, frustrated state was just irritating.

With the seven of them, plus Hawke's mabari, all traveling and sleeping in close quarters his reserved elf had been keeping his hands, and everything else, to himself.

Back in Kirkwall they had achieved a…balance of sorts. In public, although he wasn't exactly demonstrative, Fenris was always near the healer if he could help it. In his own reticent way he was very devoted, and to those who knew the elf at all it was obvious that there was something between them; and for those who knew him well that was remarkable in itself. In private he still wasn't what anyone could call romantic, but he was an ardent lover, and he allowed Anders to indulge in a great deal more kissing and caressing than the healer would have previously thought possible.

It was something that went beyond the physical contact though. Anders had always despised being alone; the time he had spent in solitary was the most diabolical thing the templars could have done to him. That was the main impetus behind him accepting a Fade spirit into his head, but the manifestation of Justice was so alien it only made him lonelier than before. That loneliness was what had driven him to Hawke, in part, because despite his faults Hawke was solid, his presence was such that whenever he was in the room he was so definitely there.

Now he had Fenris, whose markings and lack of memories set him apart from his own kind as surely as having a spirit in his head. And at night he lay with his head against the elf's chest, listening to the beating of his heart and knowing that he was no longer alone.

He didn't know which of the elf's many hang-ups was keeping him at arm's length now, but it was throwing the balance of their relationship off. In fact, after a mere three weeks it was starting to seem unreal, like something that had happened in the Fade. If it weren't for the constant puppy eyes the Tevinter sent his way he might have started to believe that nothing had ever happened between them and that just wouldn't do.

He wished he and Fenris had stayed home like Isabela, or that the pirate had at least come along. Despite his downtrodden mood, a small smile touched his face when he thought of what a help she might be in this situation, and what a help she had been to him already.

It had not escaped his notice that every time they ventured out with Isabela she would find an opportunity to get Fenris away from the group and say something teasing, shooting Anders wicked looks all the while. The rest of them could never overhear what she said, and Fenris would always growl and brush her off, but then later that night he would suddenly have a new technique he'd want to try. His repertoire had grown in leaps and bounds, and Anders felt like he should pay off her bar tab at the very least.

Thinking of the irrepressible pirate not only made him smile, it was also inspirational. If she were here, stuck with her lover in this sexless underground, she wouldn't just quietly accept that, so why was he?

Thus far in their relationship he had let Fenris take the lead, for obvious reasons. But by this point in the relationship he felt like he could take enough initiative to at least tell his lover that he wanted, no needed some kind of physical contact.

He felt confident enough that the worst that could happen would be that the Tevinter would get annoyed and continue to not touch him until they were home. But based on the looks the white-haired elf kept throwing him, he didn't think he was alone in his frustration.

Since it had taken over two weeks to find the dwarves it was likely to be another two weeks or more before they made it home again and he knew he would never last that long. So as he sat there admiring the lanky form of his lover, he began to formulate a strategy to break down the elf's resistance. One that he vowed to put in place that very evening.

His first assault was launched against the ears.

Anders loved, absolutely loved those ridiculous, delicate, pointy, erotic ears. As for Fenris…if anything was capable of reducing him to a helpless puddle of jelly it was when the healer kissed, stroked or nibbled on those ears.

The healer began by coming up with a few random, innocuous comments that he merely happened to speak right into the elf's ear, in a just slightly breathier tone than normal. That earned him a few raised brows and assessing looks, as if Fenris were trying to decide if he were doing it on purpose. Then later he made a comment about elvhen ears in general, punctuating his statement with a casual stroke of his finger along the outer shell. That brought a little growl and a harder stare, but he didn't miss the shiver that the elf tried to suppress.

Even that little success made him feel better; confirming the connection between them. Also, he had to admit he was enjoying this game; it had been a long time since he had set out to seduce someone, and he had forgotten what a thrill there was to be had in each incremental victory.

On to the second assault; bringing attention to his own assets.

Although he wasn't sure what had attracted the elf to him in the first place, there were one thing he was certain that Fenris liked about him; his hair. The Tevinter was always the one who loosed it from the tie that held it back in a ponytail. Every night Anders would fall asleep to the feeling of those slender fingers carding gently through his hair.

So as he sat next to the Tevinter he absently pulled his ponytail loose and started untangling it with his fingers. He leaned forward so that the firelight glinted off the reddish-gold of his hair and finger-combed the strands in slow repetitive strokes, allowing a relaxed and dreamy look to come over his face. Fenris had been sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands resting on his thighs. Out of the corner of his eye the healer watched a gauntleted hand clench into a fist as he put on his little display.

He counted that as another gain, and for the rest of the evening he left his hair down.

As they lay down to sleep that night he noted that Fenris had placed their bedrolls so that they were touching, rather than just near each other as he had been doing. The elf had been sleeping in his armor, which was a good idea while in the Deep Roads but did not make for a cuddly bedtime companion. Tonight, however, he pulled off one of his gauntlets as they lay there, and reached out in the darkness to stroke the healer's hair. He ran his fingers over the stubble on Anders jaw, and the blonde turned his head just enough to press a kiss into that lyrium-lined palm. He couldn't see Fenris' face, but he heard his deep sigh as he rolled onto his back to sleep.

Anders curled up under his own blanket, resigned to another night of nightmares, but giddy with the progress he had made regardless.

Since they were retracing the path they had taken on the way down, the area was still clear and the days were fairly uneventful. The next night they had decided to set up camp near an underground stream they had found on the way in. Fenris had slipped away to bathe, fastidious as ever and relived to have a chance to get clean again.

After judging that he had given the Tevinter enough time to finish his ablutions, Anders left the others at the camp and made his way around the bend in the stream. He arrived just as Fenris had finished donning his armor again. The elf looked up when he heard the healer approaching, and at the sight of his little half-smile and the damp white hair slicked back against his head, any thought of what he had planned for his third assault went straight out the window.

He crossed the distance between them rapidly and reached out to pull Fenris in close. By the eagerness with which the elf leaned up into his kiss he was reassured that he hadn't been alone in his frustration. Strong, slender arms wrapped tightly around him and they stood there devouring each other, completely forgetting the proximity of their companions until the approaching voices of the dwarven brothers broke the spell.

Fenris stepped back with such obvious reluctance that Anders felt no compunction about resorting to simple begging.

"Fenris, I…I am so desperate for you right now I'm willing to rut up against your leg like Hawke's mabari. Don't make me go another two weeks without touching you, please."

Although his answering words were cautious, the elf's voice dropped into that register that told Anders a good shagging was imminent and he immediately started to get hard.

"We are not alone, and this is a dangerous place to go wandering off."

Sensing victory, Anders was at his most persuasive as he leaned forward to say into Fenris' ear.

"Just a short way back there was that little stone room, remember? We already cleared it of spiders on the way in, I can sense if any darkspawn are near, and it is close enough that we could shout for help if we needed to."

He punctuated his argument by drawing the elf's earlobe into his mouth and sucking on it, and when Fenris groaned he knew he had won.

The room Anders had spoken of was close enough that they made it there in no time, in spite of the fact that they could barely keep their hands to themselves or travel in a straight line the entire way. It made Anders feel like a teenaged apprentice again, and the fact that he could get his self-contained lover worked into such a state had his heart pounding in his chest and made him feel as if he could do impossible things.

He felt bold and reckless, and wanted to see how far he could push. Isabela wasn't the only one with a list of kinky tricks at her disposal, and if Fenris was willing to learn new things, Anders would be more than happy to play teacher.

There was a crumbled pile of blocks in the corner that had once been a table, or an altar, or something similar. It still had a smooth stone surface that was only slightly askew, and it was just the right height for what Anders' had in mind.

So as Fenris quickly unfastened his robes he began nibbling at the elf's ears again, slipping a hand down to unfasten the leggings and palming him on the way. As he did so he murmured,

"So…this forced abstinence has given me such wicked thoughts. If you'll continue to indulge me, there's something that I'd like to do for you."

The Tevinter was busy trying to remove his armor with an apostate tangled around him, so he only spared him a questioning glance. Anders helped him undress as best he could without removing his lips from those ears. Once they were both naked the healer started backing them to the rockpile in the corner. Indicating the slab of stone he said,

"Just…here, I just need you to lean over and lay here so that you are on your stomach."

Fenris stiffened a little and wariness came into his eyes as he regarded the blonde man. He licked at his lips and then spoke in a hesitant voice,

"I do not wish to be taken. I…I am not yet ready for that."

Hearing those words, Anders felt a jolt go down his spine as if Fenris had used the 'electricity trick' on him. Not yet ready implied that the Tevinter had been thinking about a time when he would be ready. That was a thought so delightful Anders was almost willing to just cradle it in his arms and run off to have a private wank with it somewhere.

But he was a man on a mission here, so he put that thought away for later and said in a reassuring tone,

"I wasn't even thinking of that. I have something else in mind that I promise you will enjoy."

The white-haired elf still looked uncertain.

"I do not wish for you to use your magic either."

Anders just smiled lasciviously at him,

"I swear the only magic I work here will be with my tongue."

That brought a spark of curiosity into those jade eyes. Slowly the elf moved toward the rock surface, casting a glance around the room as if he had just noticed where they were.

"We are really not far from the camp. If you are your normal noisy self they will be certain to hear us"

Anders did not want his lover to start thinking now that he was so close to getting what he wanted. So he stepped up behind him and wrapped him in his arms, using his height to advantage so that he could suck on the pointy tip of one ear. Within moments the Tevinter had relaxed back into his grasp, tilting his head back and gasping.

The healer gently pushed Fenris forward across the stone so that his weight was supported on his chest and stomach. He could feel the tension in the elf's body, and when he knelt behind him he could see that enormous cock, which had been fully hard before, was softening.

Anders wanted to reassure him quickly, so as he ran his hands up the back of his thighs he leaned forward to nuzzle at the large sac between his legs. He kissed and licked, taking them in his mouth and humming, feeling Fenris slowly relax.

Continuing to do that until the elf was once again making sounds of pleasure he let his hands drift further up so that he was grasping that firm ass in his hands. He licked his way upward, and as he pulled the cheeks apart ever so slightly his tongue darted in to lap at the puckered ring of muscle.

That made Fenris start and cry out,

"Wha…"

His exclamation turned into a load groan as Anders determinedly laved at his entrance. This particular trick was something the healer had once been very good at and one that he enjoyed doing, and it didn't take very long before Fenris was arching his back shamelessly to give him better access and pressing backwards into his tongue.

The elf was struggling not to cry out and losing the battle, as his moans got louder and louder. When Anders reached between his legs and started stroking his erection the moans turned into a full-throated roar that echoed off the walls and made Anders' cock twitch in response. He kept circling his tongue and pumping his fist until finally Fenris shouted,

"Ah..ah..Anders!"

His legs jerked and his whole body shuddered as he came, his markings flaring so brightly the healer had to squeeze his eyes shut. Anders continued licking until Fenris put his hand back and gently pushed him away, weakly turning to his side as he did so.

At this point Anders was achingly hard, and he reached down to finish himself off but he was stopped by a gravelly "No."

Fenris stood on trembling legs and pulled the healer up to his feet, then pushed him into a sitting position on the stone while he dropped to his knees in front of him. Anders barely had time to think about what was happening before he was swallowed up by that hot mouth. He was already so close to the edge that he was lost almost instantly, curling forward over the elf's head and burying his hands into that soft hair.

When Fenris straightened up and kissed him they were both still shaking and sweaty and he could taste himself in the elf's mouth. Anders didn't trust himself to speak, because who knew what nonsense might come pouring out of him, so he just kept kissing him until finally Fenris pulled away.

Those beautiful green eyes regarded him with something that had to be affection, and the elf looked as if he might say something but then shook his head a little ruefully and leaned forward so his forehead was pressed against the healer's. They stayed like that for a long moment and there was a hint of laughter in his voice as he finally rumbled,

"I had thought I would be able to keep you from doing foolish things, but it seems to be working the other way around."

~~~
They arrived back at camp to find that Emerys and Merin were cooking dinner, Sebastian was kneeling away from the fire and muttering softly to himself, Varric was polishing Bianca and Hawke was nowhere to be seen. None of them looked up when they entered except Varric, who was wearing a shit-eating grin as he said to Anders,

"Hey Blondie, I don't know what you did but the sounds you pulled out of the elf were quite inspirational. Lucky thing I have Bianca to keep me on the straight and narrow. Otherwise I might be on my knees praying like Chantry boy, or off somewhere having a conversation with my hand, which is what I suspect Hawke is doing."

Fenris made a grumbling sound and ignored him, going to retrieve his whetstone from his pack. Anders sat down next to the fire and tried to look innocent instead of smug as he replied,

"I have no idea what you are talking about. We were just scouting. You know, making sure there weren't any darkspawn sneaking up on us."

"Yeah, and I'm the Grand Cleric."

He was saved from any further reply by Hawke's return. The warrior walked right by and ignored him completely as he started talking to the brothers. Varric threw Anders a speaking glance and went back to polishing his crossbow.

When Fenris came back he sat down right next to the healer, close enough that their legs were touching. He looked down at his hands for a moment, and then titled his head so that he was gazing up at the healer through a fringe of white hair. He spoke softly enough that no one else could hear,

"I have been thinking about when we return to Kirkwall…I do not like you sleeping at the clinic. It isn't smart for you to stay in the place where everyone knows to find you. So…it would be best if you were to come stay at the manor with me."

Taken completely by surprise, Anders just stared dumbly at the elf. The fact that the intensely private elf would invite him into the only personal space he had…it put such a lump in his throat that he was having difficulty speaking. He was quiet for so long that Fenris must a taken it for a rejection, because even by firelight Anders could see a flash of hurt in those green eyes. But then the Tevinter straightened and gave him a challenging look, and his voice was pure velvet as he said,

"I see that I will have to convince you."

So Anders held silent, because even though his answer was already a yes, he desperately wanted to be convinced.