Under the Weather

Anders gently pushed Olivia back onto the bed, despite her struggling and protests.

"I'm not sick, Anders. Let me go," she demanded in a hoarse voice, attempting to get upagain.

"No," he simply said, keeping his hands on her shoulders so she couldn't escape. She glared at him, and he could feel her calling upon her magic, electricity charging around her hand until sparks danced between her fingertips.

"I am not afraid to use this," she threatened, sniffling. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she scowled at him. "Fine, you brought this upon yourself." Olivia moved to electrify him, but her magic fizzed away as soon she started violently coughing. Once the hacking fit passed, Anders felt her forehead with the back of his hand, frowning at her raise in body temperature.

"Not sick, huh?"

"Oh, shut it." She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Are you going to stay in bed, now?" he asked, and she still didn't look at him. "Liv?"

"Yes, I'll stay in bed," she muttered. He placed his fingers under her chin, turning her head and forcing her to face him.

"Promise me you won't leave as soon as I turn around."

"I wouldn't," she said, coughing again.

"You did it last time you were sick," he pointed out. "Finding you retching in the middle of the street wasn't the highlight of my day."

She rolled her eyes, sighing. "Fine, I promise I won't leave."

"Good." She sniffled, and Anders placed his hand on her head, healing magic flowing from his fingertips. Olivia's eyes fluttered closed and she relaxed, her arms uncrossing as she settled back against the pillows. When he pulled his hand away she opened her eyes and sniffled again, her nose sounding clearer.

"Oh, Maker, would you look at that, I can breathe," she said excitedly.

"You are mad… absolutely mad," Anders murmured affectionately, and she grinned at him, blue eyes twinkling with delight.

"It's why you love me," she replied, before another fit of coughs wracked her body.

"I'm going to make you something for that cough," he said, standing up from the bed. He made sure she was comfortable before leaning in for a kiss, her hands coming up to stop him.

"Don't! You're going to get sick, too," Olivia said. "Then you won't be able to take care of me."

"I see," Anders said with a chuckle. "Now that you've accepted the fact that you're sick, you're going to take advantage of it for as long as you can."

"Who wouldn't?" She smirked at him. "Especially when they have such a handsome healer attending to their every want and need."

"Don't push your luck, sweetheart." He lightly touched his lips to her freckled nose, and she adorably scrunched her face up, her little grimace making him smile.

"That tickles," she said, giggling.

Anders stood up straight and shot her a serious look. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

"I won't."

"You'd better not," he replied, smiling mischievously at her. "Or I might just have to punish you later—when you're feeling better, of course."

She returned his smile with a wry one of her own. "Ooh, what kind of punishment did you have in mind?" She paused to cough and sniffle. "Something bad?"

"Don't move and you won't have to find out," he said, and she laughed. Anders pressed a kiss to her forehead, brushing her hair from her face before he left to make her that potion for her throat. When he returned to their room, Olivia was seductively draped against the bedpost, her eyes full of mischief. She had another coughing fit and shot him a roguish grin once she recovered.

"Oops, I seemed to have moved," she started, nonchalantly. "It looks like I'm going to find out about that punishment after all."

Anders huffed and shook his head, smiling back at her. She was mad… completely and utterly mad… and he loved every bit of it.