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Anders had warned Fenris he’d be doing a few house calls in Lowtown on his way back home in the evening. He had promised not to leave too late - partially because he could hardly make his patients stay up late waiting for him - so it was around dinnertime when he closed up the clinic and set out to Lowtown.
When he reached the open air, he found the most miserable drizzle falling down from grey skies. A drizzle more befitting of an equally miserable Ferelden than Kirkwall, to be honest. But it was nothing he wasn’t used to, and it wasn’t even raining hard. He would only be out for short bits to hop over to his next patient.
It took longer to get through his house calls than he had anticipated though.
Susie had so much trouble getting up, Anders had to call encouragements to her for over ten minutes from outside her door before she was finally on her swollen feet and waddled over to open the door for him. After he checked up on her and her unborn baby he promised to send Fenris over the next day to put her bed on blocks, so she would be able to get up easier for the remainder of her pregnancy. She still had over a month to go but the size of her belly was worrying, and most definitely a handicap.
Llorelyn only just got home when Anders was about to give up knocking on his door, and he fiddled with his keys for ages before managing to open the door. The check-up on his foot was done within seconds, and Anders would admit to be mildly put-off while telling him he’d better come down to the clinic himself next time.
Granny Marra opened the door for him fairly fast, but upon seeing him she started talking immediately without letting him in. Anders tried to interrupt her, but she didn’t seem to hear - selective hearing that; her ears were just fine - so once more it took far too long before he finally could get in and out of the rain.
Needless to say, he was drenched and frozen to the bone when he finally got back to the mansion in Hightown.
It had been Hawke’s idea for Fenris to get a lock for the mansion’s front door. Right now, Anders was softly cursing Hawke for that, standing outside in a slow but stone cold drizzle, fumbling for the key.
His fingers were refusing to cooperate by now, too cold to bend to his will. He couldn’t use magic to heat them right in the middle of Hightown, but he couldn’t get inside when he could barely hold the key, let alone insert it in a tiny hole.
A conundrum that was predictably solved by Fenris quietly swinging open the door from the other side.
Anders’ teeth were chattering and he wasn’t sure if he could even feel his fingers anymore. Fenris didn’t need to say ‘fool mage’ in that admonishing, slightly disappointed tone of voice for Anders to hear it loud and clear. The puppy eyes did the trick even without sound.
So he didn’t say anything when Fenris put a hand on the small of his back and lead him inside, up the stairs to the bathroom. He stood guiltily to wait when Fenris gave the sturdy plumbing a few well placed blows so it would start up, activating the heating rune with a touch so the luxurious - if somewhat damaged - tub would fill up with hot water. The only sounds were the clanking protests of the pipes and the chattering of Anders’ teeth, and he was afraid to toss words into that abyss of silence. Fenris had a short fuse for anything, but if it came to Anders failing to take care of himself he had the terrible habit of reacting with disappointment rather than anger.
It was so, so much worse.
Fenris had some trouble peeling Anders out of his soaked robes, even if Anders tried to be helpful. It was simply that he had grown warm enough to start shaking as a leaf at every movement that made the wet fabric pull on his skin, an the fact that such soaked fabric might as well be glued to him.
But Fenris did manage, of course, and unceremoniously lifted Anders to put him in the tub. Anders sunk down immediately to let the hot water come up to his chin, no matter if the heat felt like it was setting his ice cold skin on fire.
He watched hopefully while Fenris undressed and joined him, sitting across of him in the tub so their legs entwined.
Still no word was spoken when Fenris took Anders’ hand, holding it under the water surface while starting to massage heat back into the cold fingers one by one.
It took a while, but when Fenris had done both hands and moved on to Anders’ feet, he finally dared to relax. He sighed deeply, sinking back against the side of the tub to give in to those hands that did their very own type of magic.
Fenris knew how to massage, alright.
“If you get sick from this foolish behaviour, you shall heal yourself first, before any of your patients.”
Anders winced slightly at the quiet admonishment. Of course Fenris had been watching him, waiting for him to give in.
“Yeah... don’t worry, I will.”
“After we finish our bath, we shall go to bed to curl up together, and you will sleep in with me tomorrow morning. You are in dire need of rest, and even more so now.”
Anders nodded meekly, knowing Fenris was right. It was easier when Fenris ordered him these, and perfect when Fenris was right. It was hard to argue with Justice how he needed his rest when his body was still capable to keep going. Fenris, however, had already proven to Justice long ago that he had a better understanding of what Anders needed than the man had himself most of the time.
Only when Fenris released is grip on the second, now appropriately warm foot, the tension returned. Anders on his side of the tub, Fenris on the other side. Anders felt guilty and exhausted - probably more guilty because of the exhaustion, because normally he would happily stand his ground, but cold sapped the life out of you as surely as a bloodletting.
Guilty, so he knew he had to do something to make up for it.
Anders pushed from the side of the tub, ignoring Fenris’ questioning look, and squirmed until he managed to turn around. He slipped lower into the water and leaned back against Fenris’ chest, feeling awkward and far too large for his lover, but determined to cuddle now.
Fenris seemed appeased by the gesture, arms coming around him to hold him close and keeping him from sliding further down.
“I didn’t mean to worry you,” he said softly, and he could feel the slow inhale in Fenris’ chest, the acknowledgement of his apology while Fenris made sure to remain calm. It had been a very long time since Fenris had gotten angry with him now, after all.
“I know.”
A kiss was placed on his neck, and Anders let out a sigh of his own, holding Fenris’ hands where they were holding onto him.
“So will we at least get make up sex out of this?” Anders joked weakly. He knew he had won with that one when he could feel the low chuckle reverberate through Fenris’ chest beneath him.
“Well, I do want to make sure my mage is warmed up well. Might as well be thorough.”
Anders’ hands remained on Fenris’ while they slipped down his body, and he let out a slight laugh that was more like a giggle than anything. “Yes, better be thorough, Love. You don’t want your mage to remain cold on the inside, do you?”
Fenris would have him eat those words later, crying out in passion while they splashed half of the bathwater out of the tub and onto the floor. But hey, it was definitely worth it for the make up sex.