#omfgs

Marian’s eyes widened slightly and barely covered a snort of laughter as a sigh.  Settling on the ground next to the fire, she bowed her head over her lap to hide the giggles threatening to escape, cleaning her blades after the most recent battle.  There’d been little enough amusement after the escape from Kirkwall, this is absolutely going to break her.

“I wasn’t aware my tending a fire was so amusing.”  Anders quirked a brow up, a tired smile gracing his lips a moment as he glanced at Marian.  

A strangled noise escaped Marian’s throat and she took a deep breath to steady herself.  It shouldn’t be so funny.  It’d been standard going for the Wounded Coast – they’d been keeping away from the main paths, even though she desperately itched to take down all the bandits populating the outskirts of Kirkwall. Even now, she wanted to protect her city, her people.  Kirkwall had become home.  No matter how much it pressed on her shoulders and tried to drag her down, she had found something she didn’t know she needed so desperately; she had found family outside her own.  

Her heart had been heavy that she had to leave them.  She didn’t even know where Bethany was; she had to hope, with everything she had, that when she had sent Izzy to rescue her from the Gallows, that it had happened exactly as it had in her head, that both of them were safe at sea, away from the chaos that followed Marian wherever she went.  She trusted Merrill and Fenris to survive without a second thought. Aveline, she knew, would have the city set to rights in no time, rising to lead the defenses of a city desperately in need of healing.  She was fairly sure Varric would survive the end of the world and come out with the best stories.  But she missed them.  

So she felt entirely justified in finding joy in one brief moment.  

“Love, are you alright?” The concern in his voice nearly sent her over the edge.  

“Anders…” her voice cracked and she cleared her throat, not daring to look at the man who’d captured her heart so long ago.  She knew he’d be wearing that concerned expression, brows furrowed as he tried to diagnosis and heal anyone in need.  Only with a new addition.  

Deep breath, Marian. “Anders…”  That was better.  Well, it was until a giggle nearly escaped again.  Maker’s breath, he’s going to think me mad.  “Anders, have you…”  Breathe, damn it!  “Have you noticed anything different lately?”  She waved a hand in his general direction.  

She gave up cleaning her blades and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm her breathing, as she heard Anders sigh and the shift of his coat as he rose.  She refused to look up as he crouched in front her, studying his boots instead.  She leaned into his hand as he ran his fingers through her hair, checking for any wounds.

“Love, look at me.” She shook her head, biting her lip. Another sigh, a bit more exasperated.

“Hawke.”  

Marion knew that tone. Anders was in his no-nonsense healer mode.  She’d faced down Meredith.  She could do this.  She felt the familiar tingling of Anders’ healing magic brushing against her skin.

Nope.

As soon as she looked up, seeing the pulse of blue-green magic wind its way around Anders, she lost all composure and fell backwards, howling with laughter.  Seeing Anders’ open-mouthed shock and concern warring on his face just sent her into another gale of laughter.  

“Hawke, what is so…”  

Wheezing, Marian watched as Anders stared as his familiar wisp slunk down his arm and curl in his hand, responsive to his call and the perfect imitation of a glowing kitten.  His eyes grew wide, an expression of amazement and the first real unadulterated joy she’d seen from him in what seemed like forever.  Whatever grace had provided this for him, Marian would be sure to repay it in kind, tenfold over.  

Anders slowly stood, careful not to dislodge his new friend (which, Marian thought, was entirely ridiculous as it wasn’t like he could drop his wisp, but it was so damned adorable and SO Anders).  A small delightful noise escaped him as he saw another wisp from the corner of his eye. He tried to spin to see it clearly and Marian had to cover her mouth not to erupt with another violent fit of giggles, tears streaming down her face.  Anders held his other hand up to his shoulder, whereby another kitten wisp promptly settled into his palm.  He held them up to his face, their light reflecting brightly in eyes suddenly free of all the cares of late.

“How?”  Anders voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, as if he’d spook his newfound friends.  He looked at Hawke in wonder.  

“They’ve never…I’ve never seen them…why?”  His questions burbled out like he couldn’t figure out what he wanted to ask first. His mouth twitched as one of his kittens climbed his arm and settled in the crook of his neck.  “It tickles!” he exclaimed, joyously.  He gasped and closed his eyes, leaning his head toward the kitten.  A contented look crossed his face, features softening.  

“They purr,” he murmured. Anders looked at her, eyes crinkling at the corners and damp with unshed tears.  He sank to the ground, cradling the other kitten to his chest.  “Marian, they purr.”  

As he crossed his legs and watched one of the kittens explore his lap, he got a faraway look in his eyes that Marian recognized as Anders doing that sort-of not-quite conversing with Justice before he burst into quiet huffs of laughter, shaking his head, hair falling around his face.  

“Justice.”  He said with a small laugh.  “Justice did this.  For me.  He asked them.  For me.”

Marian’s heart swelled as she reached out and tucked an errant lock of hair behind Anders’ ear. Seeing Anders happy was everything. She had always considered Justice’s actions that of an elder sibling.  She’d done her fair share of barging in to protect her siblings without knowing what was going on except knowing they needed her, but this?  This said everything about how Justice felt about Anders.  

Watching Anders now, knowing how much he had gone through, she would burn the world down around her to give him more moments like this.