"Hello, Zevran." Dorian smiled, standing behind the counter with hands folded in front of himself. "We heard you had fun yesterday."

"Oh, did you?" Zevran smirked, and that damned song started playing. Imagine me and you, I do. "Okay so yes you did."

Following Dorian's gaze, Zevran turned to see a new picture adorning the wall. Zevran and Nyla on a tandem bike, his arms extended with a frustrated stare and a quirked eyebrow. The caption read 'The fuck did I just witness?!'

"My girlfriend looks so happy!" Zevran laughed. "Yes! That is totally a 'the fuck did I just witness' face. How did I get so precious?"

"Unfazeable." Emily scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh no," Zevran chuckled, pulling a big pink flower from his pocket and reaching over the counter to tuck it behind her ear. "I was fazed. You should have seen Leliana's outfit. Now, from Anders I could expect such transgressions, but from her it was just fucking... wrong. Anders must have bartered something to get her into that."

"Describe it to us, in great detail," Dorian leaned on the counter.

Zevran showed pictures; he did not expect Dorian to scream with laughter and begin texting them to himself. Oh well, that was going to probably haunt her. Serves her right for wearing it.

"Look at those thighs." Emily cleared her throat and started looking busy. "I mean, what?"

You ready, honey? I'll be there soon.

Si, amor. I will be out front.

Are you excited?
I'm excited.

Yes!

"Coming with?" Emily spoke playfully, "Or you busy?"

"Busy. Girlfriend is picking me up." Zevran smiled with a nod. "We are taking bachata classes today."

"Bachata, now?" Emily turned out the lights. "That is very sexy."

"Mmm hmm, we have been taking classes for a few weeks now." Looking at the wall, he saw a picture of himself and Nyla cuddling in his tattoo chair; it made him happy, seeing their contented faces, legs entangled, arms tight around each other.

Dorian came from the back room, ready to go. "Alright, quit making moon eyes at your cuddle picture. Get your ass off the counter, and out the door."

"Girlfriend is very pretty," Zevran spoke, just to lay it on thick and make them gag. They thought they could tease him about her, however, it was impossible to shame the shameless. "She has really big-"

"We know, Zev." Emily pressed her palms against his back and shoved. "Get off. The counter."

"… eyes."

"Look at those shoes!" Dorian clasped his hands together, "Butterflies! They're so gay! I love them!"

"Yes," Zevran lifted his legs to give Dorian a better view before he hopped down. "Girlfriend likes buying me things." Slinging his satchel over his shoulder, Zevran followed them out the front door. "Have fun, say hi to everyone for me, and drink several more drinks for me."

"We will do no such thing," Dorian preened, resting an arm around Emily's shoulders. "You will simply have to show up for your own social engagements. Come on, Em. We will drink enough for ourselves and maybe somebody else, but not Zevran."

"Wow!" Zevran chuckled, watching them walk away. A few minutes later they drove by, honking the horn and waving with wide smiles. Zevran wiggled his fingers at them, and took his phone from his pocket.

Out front, amor!

I'm coming, just
Sorry, greenlight, now redlight. I'm like 5 blocks away.
Sorry I'm late, the traffic is being a DICK… 4 blocks.
You mad at me? 3 blocks.
Aww, cmon pumpkin
We're still going to get there on time I promise. 2 blocks.

Nyla could see him from half a block away. She sped up, slammed on the brakes, slammed the car in park, flung herself out of the car, and ran to her love, lying prone on the ground.

"Zev!" Her heart could stop, her hands trembled, breathing became a challenge. "Pumpkin?" Her skin crawled, her arms and legs felt like jelly, and she fell to her knees, touched his cheek. Not again. "Zev?"

Leliana?
Hey.
Hey Leliana.

Yes, I'm here.

You busy?

Not especially. What's up.

Will you come over?

No, we're going to stay in tonight.

Okay.

"Who's that?" Anders spoke from the sink, where he washed their dinner plates. "I'm guessing by the three-text nagging it's either Zevran or Nyla."

"It's Nyla. She's inviting us somewhere. She gave me an address and just said to come over. I don't feel like going out."

"Me neither. I still want to know what shit she's trying to drag us into."

"It looks like… she's… at a hospital?" Leliana furrowed her brow and handed the phone to Anders. "Am I wrong?"

He dried his hands and took the phone from her outstretched hand. Double checking the texted location he tilted his head at her, "She's at a hospital."

"What the hell ? If something is wrong why the fuck-"

"She isn't good at communicating shit when she's flipping out, remember?"

"Oh shit." Leliana's hands flopped onto the table.

"Shit!" Anders met her wide eyes with his own

Leliana sat back in her chair and palmed her face. "Shit!"

"Fuck!" Anders grabbed Leliana's phone.

"Fuck." Leliana ran to her room to get her shoes and jacket.

Nyla, where specifically are you?

This ER here.

What's going on?

They took him. I don't know.

"Something happened to Zev," he called out, slipping on his shoes. "Leli, honey, grab an extra sweater. For Nyla. It gets cold in there."

His own memory of waiting to see Leliana came back to him. Cold, lonely, afraid, waiting for anything. A verdict, a status, a friend… anything. Anders and Zevran had been so beside themselves, Nyla did the talking; something told him he would be talking this time.

We're coming, it's going to be okay.

Okay.

"Please hold still, Mr. Arainai."

"Nyla?" Blinking rapidly, everything around him remained an off-white blur.

"Just be still for a few more moments, Mr. Arainai."

So he laid still, his eyes refusing to focus on any one thing, his head aching, pounding, he groaned. He didn't feel safe, but the authoritative voice seemed to know what he should do. Attempting to shift his arms, he couldn't, as he seemed to be constricted.

"Hold still, Mr. Arainai."

That voice again, saying the same shit. With a nauseating sensation of pressure in his head, he couldn't see, and all he wanted was his fucking girlfriend. "Have you seen Nyla?"

"Please be still, Mr. Arainai. You're almost done."

Okay whatever but where the fuck is Nyla? Despite their preference for him to be still, they moved him. Please stop that, he wanted to say, instead he groaned; nauseated, with a nagging, almost intolerable pressure in his head. She makes everything better.

A bright light shone in his eyes, one after the other. Mother fucker. It didn't help the persistent pain in his head, the nausea, or tell him where his girlfriend was, so he swatted it away. Moving is bad.

"You'll get to see her soon, Mr. Arainai. Almost done. Hold still." a voice spoke and light flashed in his eyes again.

Why did every authoritative voice insist he needed to hold still, and then move him?

"Where is Nyla?" Managing to zero his gaze on a digital clock high on the wall for a moment, he cringed at the light. "When can I see Nyla?"

"Shortly after we're done."

The answer only satisfied him briefly, and more questions arose. Done with what? How long is it going to take? Zevran tried to look at the clock again and the pressure in his head intensified, he clenched his jaw, pained moans slipped from him. A distant voice spoke.

"He's in pain."

It's happening again. Nyla chewed her thumbnail, her leg bounced nervously.

It's happening again. Her mind spun in unbridled panic, and she knew of nothing other than Zevran being safe in her arms could make it stop.

I could have been there sooner. Those annoying red lights, though; less of an annoyance, more of a detriment, she should have run them. Fucking red lights.

Looking at the door, she wondered if they were almost there. I shouldn't have texted them. Now her friends were going to see the mess. Zevran would have reminded her; your friends love you. This relaxed her a little.

I should call Fergus. But, then again, what the hell could he do? 10pm, he's probably asleep anyway. Her mom, would know exactly what to do. I want my mom. She hopped up and paced. It's happening again.

"Grab the… Leli grab the thing behind you." Anders pointed to the back seat.

"What fucking thing? " She snapped.

"The hoodie! Calm down, honey."

"Oh." She snatched it from the back seat, closed the door, and walked hastily alongside Anders. "She's always wearing layers, she's probably okay."

"No, that's Zevran." Anders chuckled, "how do you get them confused? It's so funny."

"I guess it's up to you to keep me straight then." Clasping his hand, for comfort and to slow his long legs just a little, they jogged through the sliding glass doors.

"There she is. You go to her, I'll figure out what's up. It's going to be okay." A kiss on Leliana's hand, he let her go and went to the front desk.

Nyla sat in a chair by the furthest wall; bright red dress, high heels on the floor beneath her chair, reclined lazily with her head on the back of the chair. Affect flat, she stared at the television, thumbing her phone absently.

"Nyla?" Leliana spoke softly, and Nyla sat up straight in her chair. "You okay?"

"We were supposed to go bachata dancing." Nyla's lips trembled, forehead wrinkled; it took every ounce of control to not curl up in her lap and cry. "He's supposed to be okay."

"I know." Leliana draped the hoodie over her shoulders and rested a hand on her back. She glanced up to see Anders speaking with a nurse on the other side of the check in window. "Have you called Fergus?"

"No." Nyla nibbled her index fingernail.

"You should." Her eyes flicked nervously toward Anders, burning to know what happened. "Don't you think he would want to know if you're going through something?" Nyla occurred as fragile, and hanging on by a thread.

"Oh god." Nyla scrubbed her forehead, reeling with panic. Going through something? Nyla's leg bounced. Tongue numb, lips trembling, she wiggled her toes, stroked the tops of her thighs with wide palms in a smooth, repetitive motion. Deep breathing. In the nose, out the mouth. She shook her hands and arms. He's not dead. He's not going to die.

"Damn it," Nyla whimpered with trembling breath. I want him back. She stared at her toes, wiggling them against the carpet, prompting her heart to slow with deep breathing. "Oh my fuck."

"Hey," Anders kneeled in front of the two women. "They're moving him to the ICU soon."

"What does that mean?" Nyla's heart leaped, "I know what that means. It's that place they take them when… the… oh god." She shook her hands again, flexing her fingers. "I forget what that means."

"It's okay, Nyla, listen." Anders spoke calmly. "It means you can visit soon."

Pressing palms to her cheeks, she squeezed her eyes shut. All she could see was Zevran tethered to a stretcher; rushed away from her, leaving her alone with arms hanging limp at her sides and staring after him in abject horror. Pumpkin, no. Please don't leave me.

"What happened?" Leliana asked, "What did you find out?"

"They were doing tests." Nyla looked at Anders with wide eyes.

"Can you hear this right now, Nyla?" Anders kept a steady and relaxed voice, encouraging her to be calm.

"Of course, yeah," she nodded, breathing deeply in through her nose, out her mouth.

"Perfect. Keep breathing like that, just a little slower. There's a really small crack in his skull near the occipital lobe, that's here," he turned, pointing to the back of his head.

"Mother fucker," Nyla breathed.

"Listen, tiny," Anders rested a palm on her shaking leg.

"Fuck you," she whispered hastily, nibbling her thumbnail again.

"His brain is bruised, that's the worst of it. He's going to be okay, just… maybe headaches, his eyes might be a little fucked up, he might be confused. Just for a bit."

"What the fuck is a bit?"

"It takes as long as it takes."

"Okay. So we don't know what's happening." Nyla looked over at Leliana, who wept silently into her hands.

"No, everyone's brain is different, but they're optimistic. They did the things, they know the science. It's going to be okay." Anders sighed deeply, and sat back on his heels. One woman sobbing, the other one feral, one of his best friends with brain damage; he could manage this.

Closing her eyes a moment, Nyla pressed a palm to her heart. 'It feels like my heart is constricted. Wrapped in chains.' 'So break them.'

"I need to call Fergus." She picked up her phone, swiping and tapping, confusing her to an unreasonable degree. "Oh, jesus christ."

"I got it, Sketchy." Anders took the phone from her, and as if it were the most simple task in the world, he found Fergus' number and hit call. "Just put the phone to your head."

Standing, she strode to the window and paced.

"Yo, sis bitch, how was bachata?" Fergus playful voice chimed in on the second ring.

"You sleeping?" Moments of silence made her nervous. "Am I bothering you?"

"What's wrong, pup?" All play ceased, and she had his attention.

"Do you remember Zevran?" She struggled, unsure of where to begin.

"Of course," he spoke patiently; of course he remembered the man she lived with.

"Someone assaulted him." Resting a hand on her pounding heart, she almost couldn't speak for the tears. She continued, her voice at a whisper, "He has brain damage. I'm so scared."

Moments of his little sister's gentle weeping and sniffles sounded through the phone, and he could not believe this could happen to her again. It seemed anyone she got close to, with the exception of himself, just seemed to find a way to prematurely shuffle off their mortal coils. "Is he going to be okay?"

"They're optimistic."

"I'll be there in a few hours. Send me the address of where you are, text me if he gets sent home and I'll go there instead. I'm going to make a few calls, and I'll grab a late flight out."

"Kay," she whispered. "Thanks."

"Want to talk more?"

"No," she looked over at Anders and Leliana; he held her as she wept. "I want to go wait for them to let me see him. They said they're moving him to the ICU now."

"That's a good sign. See you in a few hours?"

"Thanks. Love you, bye."

The pain had subsided at some point, and he opened his eyes, the world still a blur; there were no bright lights shining directly in his eyes. Thank. Fucking. God. He let his eyes flutter closed again, feeling sweet, painless relief.

An obnoxious and uncomfortable thing rested over his mouth and nose, and he turned his head to shake it off. A firm hand held it in place; a little more pleasant, as he no longer felt suffocated by it. Something compressed his finger and he shook it off with a satisfied sigh. Something began to beep. The fuck is that? The thing returned to his finger, the beeping stopped, and the hand released the thing on his face; suffocating. Fuck this. He turned his head to get away from it. What is this chaos? Short tubes in his nose followed by easy breathing. A breath of fresh air, silky, dark hair between my fingers, plump lips in a sweet smile just for me; 'We belong together.' 'I know.'

"Nyla?" He whispered a desperate plea long gone ignored; she makes everything better .

"I'm here, honey," a soft cadence found him, and he felt suddenly alert, eyes popping open to see a blur of dark hair, big dark eyes and pale skin.

She didn't touch him, only hovered close by, and he reached out to her, a hand on her smooth, wet cheek; he wanted to see her, and he tried to blink the blur away. "Found you," he crooned, dry lips in a small smile. "I kept telling them you are supposed to be here."

Reaching up to rest her hand on his, she cooed, "I'm here, baby."

Eyes wandering the room, he couldn't quite puzzle out where here was, or why they were there. This room certainly wasn't his room. Too bleak. Not enough color. "Where are we?"

"You're in a hospital. Someone hit you in the head."

He could feel her tears dripping down his wrist, and he blinked to see her to no avail. "Can't see you."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Lots of things," he smiled, somehow finding it within himself to be facetious; her weeping told him he wasn't at all humorous, or perhaps she desperately needed a little levity.

"The last thing you remember, pumpkin."

Pausing for thought, he remembered, "Buying matching butterfly shoes."

She didn't have the heart to tell him that was over a week ago. "Do you remember going on a tandem bike ride?"

"Oh, god no," Zevran giggled, stroking her cheek idly with his fingertips. "Let us never do that."

"I promise." She smiled, taking his hand in hers. "Anders and Leliana are here. They would only let one of us in for now. They don't want us to overstimulate you."

"Zevran likes to be overstimulated," he smirked. "Also like babies. Do we have babies yet, amor?"

"No," She chuckled, sniffled. "But in light of recent events, I am open to discussing it later."

"I miss seeing things. You are usually prettier than this mess I am seeing now."

She smiled; he didn't make a whole lot of sense, but he at least seemed relaxed. "I do look like a mess right now, pumpkin."

"Nyla is so cute when she is a mess." His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and he looked over at her again. "I know you are here because Zevran is, but why exactly is Zevran here?"

"They're monitoring you. Someone hit you in the head."

"That must have sucked, amor," he spoke sadly. "This is no good. I should have done something else entirely."

She giggled, sniffled. Wires everywhere, monitoring him; reminiscent of Alistair, but at least Zevran spoke to her. "Yes, why would you choose that? Silly pumpkin."

"I do not remember my rationale." Staring pensively at the pretty blur in front of him, he sighed in agitation. "Something beeps again. I hate the beeping."

Nyla reached over and adjusted the apparatus on his finger, the beeping stopped.

"Nyla fixes everything." He clenched his jaw with a pained groan; none of this shit made sense, and he felt like crying. "Head hurts. I wish to go home, amor."

"I know, sweetheart," she wept silently, resting his hand gone limp next to him. Reminiscent of her time in the hospital, she pressed the call button, and spoke to the nurse. "He's awake again and in pain."

"Be right there."

"What? Ow… tell her to never speak again," Zevran cringed. "Jesus fuck."

"I'm here honey," she reached out and pet his hair.

He groaned and grimaced, turning his head with a hiss. "No touch!"

"Okay, it's okay," she whispered, doing her best to sound like she wasn't crying, reaching for him intermittently, just to pull her hands away. "I love you. It'll be okay."

Nyla went to the fridge hungry and lightheaded with no appetite for anything. Reaching out with a trembling hand, she picked up a can of whipped cream, shook it up and squirted some in her mouth. It reminded her of their sexy food hijinks, and she started crying again. Putting the can back, she retrieved a bag of broccoli florets. After three minutes in the microwave on high, she dumped them on a plate and ate them at the counter.

The front door chimed, as Fergus entered. "Are you crying at the counter over a plate of steamed broccoli?"

"Yes," Nyla chuckled, pressed her palms to her eyes, weeping harder. "Oh god."

Pulling her into a hug, he patted her back, "There there. I'd cry too if all I had to eat was plain steamed broccoli."

Nyla sniffled, chuckled, calming after a long hug. "Zevran bought it for stir-fry. Did you find anything?"

"Surveillance tapes of the entire thing from two angles. Dorian was very cooperative and reassured me that Zevran's job is not in jeopardy."

"Okay fine but, is the man they arrested the same one as on the surveillance?"

"That is being investigated. The one they did arrest said he got the phone from someone else, but he had no answers about who he got it from. My guess is that, yes, they have him in custody."

"Fucking, good." Nyla pulled away from him and ate some broccoli. "I want to see him ruined, Fergus. I want his life ruined."

"People like this ruin themselves, eventually," he sighed, laying his keys on the kitchen table and pulling off his jacket.

"I personally, with my own two eyes, want to see him ruined. And I want to see the surveillance, do you have it?"

"No, pup." Sitting at the table, he rested his chin on his fist. "You just need to relax and let me handle it. Are you really just going to eat steamed broccoli?"

"I just needed some food, I don't care right now." Picking up her buzzing phone she answered, "Tall asshole."

"Tiny Sketchbook Girl."

"Fuck you."

Anders chuckled. "Anyway. How's it going? Has he been able to sleep yet?"

"He has been sleeping quite a bit since yesterday. He's remembered more but doesn't remember the incident, and still can't see very well. He's pretty coherent most of the time but he still has these confused spells, so I put a motion detector in our room."

"Ah. Fucking fuck. So depressing."

"Turns out Dorian had surveillance of the assault." Nyla sat at the table and leaned on her elbows, ran fingers through her hair.

"That's fucking dark. Do not watch that."Anders grew silent waiting for her response.

"Okay." Her voice quivered.

"Nyla."

"Yeah?"

"Do not. Watch that."

"Okay, Anders, I won't," she sniffled. "Also Cass fired me today."

"Whaaat? That's balls. Total balls. Did you tell her what's going on?"

"I told her family emergency." The sound of a motion detector beeped and Nyla dropped the phone in front of Fergus. She ran through the house, into their dimly-lit room, and found him sitting on the edge of the bed staring at nothing and blinking sleepily.

"Hey." Sitting next to him, Nyla caressed his bare back and cooed, "What do you need, honey pumpkin? Let me get it for you."

"Something to eat," Zevran yawned.

"Yeah? What would you like?" Nyla smiled, so glad to hear him speak, "I have broccoli."

"Pineapple and bacon pizza?"

"Done."

He tilted his head at her, a blur in front of his eyes. "Can't see you," his lips pursed, he felt a strong desire to weep.

Nyla reached a hand up, stroked his cheek and spoke gently, "Like this, honey. Remember? Tilt your head back a little. And then..." she pressed a gentle palm to his jaw, guiding his head, "Now?"

"There you are," he chuckled tearfully. "Think I can paint like this?"

"It'll pass," she smiled, tears slipping down her cheeks. "You won't have to."

"Crying for me, amor?" He could see her being strong for him, hurting for him, being with him, and he couldn't help crying with her. This was partnership and devotion, and no matter what fucking happened, he would always be okay with her by his side. "When this passes, I will go on all the tandem bike rides you want, and you can sing all the sappy songs you wish to sing."

"Will you sing them with me?" Nyla grinned happily.

"No."