Anders has done three things in his time in Duplicity that drastically altered his life for the better: contract with Alaric Morgan, buy a private residence away from the SIN guards, hire Sasha James to do his blighted paperwork and scheduling for him. She was Maker-sent and meant he got home earlier or, like today, didn't have to go in to do it last minute. It was already done.
The most important thing hiring Sasha had done, aside from spare Cullen more headaches, was grant Anders more time with his loves. Something he certainly appreciated today as he was greeted with Alaric's lips and the heavy weight of his collar in his hand. He smiled fondly (and with some pride) as he took it and traced the markings with his thumb. "Thank you, love."
He moved Alaric's hair aside and placed the collar around his neck, but didn't latch it closed just yet. "What do you need, my star: Care, sex, or both?"
the pride bothers him, but he can't clearly identify why - except maybe that it tangles up with his desire to be self-sufficient and draws his attention to the fact that he isn't.
The pride also makes him happy, though, at least.
"Start with care, move to sex after a check in." And if he's awake. He wants to ask Anders if Anders is okay, but he can tell that Anders is and that... is nice. "Please."
He places a light kiss to the corner of Alaric's mouth as he clicked the collar closed. "Alright. Food first, then." Because it would still be a while yet before dinner and it had likely been a bit since he'd eaten last.
He took Alaric by the hand and lead him to the chairs at the counter to sit while Anders got him some water to start and tea (with a small touch of something more) soon enough after. Fruit, cheeses and a bit of the meat leftover from their meal a few nights back all arrange on a small plate before he's back at Alaric's side to run his fingers through the other blond's hair as Anders offers some of the cheese to his lips. No kneeling, just undivided attention.
He goes along with being led willingly enough, sits down and props his head in his hand so he can watch Anders. Is he still paying close attention to Anders' energy level and mood? Absolutely.
is he surprised by how literal the care is? Also yes.
Is he still going to take the food offered him? Still yes.
"We should get another collar we can ward." Just.. a random thought, flitting through his head.
He continues to offer Alaric the food while his fingers run through hair, across his neck, into those smaller strands at the base of his skull...wherever his fingers ended up, really, he wasn't paying much attention other than to Alaric himself.
He hummed in response, but made a mental note to find a new collar when he was out next, something similar inn style maybe, but that could be enchanted. Something with focus points.
"That's a good idea. Here: for now...it'll only last an hour or so." He traced lightly along the edge of the collar at Alaric's throat, the small purple glyph outlining and then vanishing when finished. "I'm always happy to chase things from your mind, literally or otherwise."
Alaric startles and Anders immediately feels guilty for it, he should have warned or double checked. He waits for Alaric to relax again, seemingly more comfortable yes, but the blunder sticks and catches and he presses a firm kiss to the side of Alaric's head as his arms wrap about his shoulders a moment.
He eyes the food, any appetite waning, but willing it to scrape together again anyway. "I'm sorry, I should have asked first. About the glyph." He's quick to bury the instinct to linger on it, however, it wasn't helpful or conducive to what he was trying to do for Alaric. Anders takes a bit of fruit for himself, but offers the last bit of meat to Alaric after. "I'm not especially hungry, besides, I'm feeding you right now." Still, he takes some cheese for himself next and digs for his device.
It takes a moment to find what he's looking for, but soon enough music starts to play from the thing. Instrumental and calm and with a smoothly swaying sound to it. Likely, it was meant to be sensual and that worked fine for what he had in mind.
He pulled a bit away, but took hold of Alaric's hand to press a kiss to the knuckles. "I believe I owe you a dance, Ser Morgan."
The beauty of the glyph is that he can't easily tell that Anders' feels that he's stumbled so badly. He can accept the apology as an apology - and it is valid - but not get caught up in trying to reassure Anders beyond that. Which would likely just get them stuck in a strange cycle.
In short, it basically means they can move on with relative grace.
He tightened his fingers around Anders', stood easily and laughed. "You'll have to teach me to follow."
Alaric's laugh is a light in his sky and the warmth in Anders' smile reflects it: warm and adoring. "Oh, simple: it only requires trust, confidence and letting go of control." Which he says jokingly but, admittedly, is sort of the point even in what they're doing, right?
"I can follow instead, but I think you're up for it. Trust, confidence in your partner, and attention paid to their body language: the small tells of what comes next." He drew them back as he spoke, into the open area behind the couch. The hand holding Alaric's moved to splay their fingers out so they were palm-to-palm while Anders' other hand rested at Alaric's waist.
He pressed slightly into their hands as he took a step forward with the corresponding foot. "Like so, I signal this foot moves and that I want you to move back with it, then the next, and when I apply pressure to both places, one to lead and one to pull, it means we turn. The steps don't matter, you're simply trusting I don't lead you into the sofa."
He's laughing more with Anders than he has - without artifice, anyway - in quite a while.
He went with Anders, hand still firmly gripping -- but readjusted with a fair amount of ease to figure out more or less how to mirror Anders. To work out where his other hand goes and to try to follow body cues and the lead given him.
He is, actually, not initially very graceful at it. "Oh, is that all." Easier when you can read minds instead of simple body pressure, and even easier when you can read mind and know what the dance is - roughly. At least when the 'dance' is sex.
"I am terrible at several aspects of that, you do realize." But he wasn't freaking out or anxious just trying to pay attention and learn.
It's Anders' turn to laugh, his smile playful. "Oh, I am well aware, Ser, of both your finer qualities and your feistier ones." He lead them along the line of the sofa's back, one two three four steps. "Which means I know you're also stubborn and thus up for the challenge."
He shifted them as they got to the end of the couch, their touching hands a bit more between them as the hand at Alaric's hip folded behind his back. His steps were a touch slower than they should be, but hopefully enough to help as he moved to walk them in a circle around each other until their positions were switched and he could lead them back. "You're clever, you like to learn, you like to be challenged so that you have the satisfaction of rising to said challenge. For this...every one of my moves should be your focus, there's nothing else besides the two of us and the music and where I take you next."
He's bemused, because he's pretty sure if he thinks very hard about rising to a challenge that the last thing he is going to do is relax.
Except he does not find that to be the case, and actually keeps his mouth shut in favor of doing what Anders told him his focus was. There's still some... almost hyper-focus, a little tendency to anticipate or try to, but he settles in easily enough.
"I am not sure I'd call stubborn feisty...."
He is not, at any point, worried about tripping over the couch.
"Attractive and endearing when in the right places or focuses and particularly frustrating when not...but perhaps no less endearing." Maybe it shouldn't be, but it was.
He walks them back easily enough, the moves no different than before until they got to the other end again and he set their circle once more. From there, he added another step: their hands back in their beginning positions, he lead them to the left instead, his feet crossing over each other until they were further from the furniture. "Now, I'm going to let go, keep your hand up and outstretched, you stay standing still while I move, then I'll take your hand again and bring you back around to me."
He stopped them there and let go of Alaric's waist while his other hand traced along his partner's fingers, wrist, down his arm, across his chest to his other shoulder. Anders himself took two steps, turning along behind him so they were back-to-back, then reached out and took Alaric's hand to tug him into a small twirl of his own and back to him as Anders turned so they were once again facing each other.
"You do choose to have cats as pets," he says, dryly, on the subject of how endearing someone focused stubbornly on the 'wrong' place was.
He was happy to move away from the couch, found the rhythm and followed it well enough now that he understood. He was a little less confident in just following instructions but the trail of Anders' fingers was good, and the pull and spin back into Anders--
Made him laugh aloud again as he settled his free hand on Anders' chest. This was fun.
Andraste Herself wouldn't sound so sweet to him as that laugh, even were she to step from the Maker's side to sing specifically to Anders. Alaric's smile was starlight on a dark and otherwise lonely night, bright and beautiful and entrancing, but a way to navigate from the darkness that threatened to overwhelm. For a moment, his breath is taken and his expression is soft and so full of...everything, until he can find his voice again. "Am I? Needy and in your space for attention? Or do you mean light on my feet?" Because both were possibly true.
He changes the dance, something to allow him to pull Alaric closer, a hand on his hip and shoulder, as he kept their steps even, forward two, back three, forward three but at an angle to turn, back two, repeat.
"Stubborn and demanding of attention." He does not mind at all, though there's a pause before he finds the new rhythm and movement pattern before he can finish. "I meant light on your feet, though."
Alaric is clueless about the exact thoughts, or even directness of the feeling and in a way it's good - it means he can just know he's loved and enjoy the intimacy and time and ...play?
"I enjoyed dancing, when they had us do it. It was physical activity but it's also a conversation without words and an intimacy if done well." Not unlike sex, really. It could be fast and intense and leave everyone a sweaty mess or it could be intimate and intense and leave you feeling like your hearts conversed as much as your bodies. Right now, their faces closer and his eyes locked to Alaric's, he knew which he was leading them through.
"I'm glad. I'll enchant the new one and leave it on the table in your room so you may use it as you need. I'd still like to continue our little ritual with this one before you go out, if you're amenable. I enjoy what it's become."
His intention to be clear, but he realizes that he's answered the wrong question. "I want to continue our ritual with this one and this, but I meant that you putting the glyph on this collar tonight was a good idea. The other one will be something else, but this was the right thing for tonight."
There's a moment where his expression shifts from confused and slightly hurt to understanding and then back to a smile, earnest and a touch brighter for it. He still should have asked, but the guilt of it soothes the thing that churned and lurked in him. "Ah...good, then, I'm glad. Sometimes, a man ought to be free to have his own mind, especially such a mind as yours."
He paused a step of their movements to lean in for a brief kiss. He wanted more, to lose himself in it, but it wasn't time for that just yet. Instead, he lead them back to their earlier dance, but picked up the pace only a touch, back to what it was meant to be. "Let's see how well you remember now that I've distracted you with something slower and with different steps, hmm?" Rude? Maybe, but an effective learning trick.
"I always have my own mind. It just sometimes requires effort not to also have everyone else's." There's a quick smile with that, a bit quiet but in a contented way.
Then he stumbled a bit at the change he didn't expect - but only until he heard what Anders had said and went back to leaning into physical cues and what he'd learned.
"That is very true, you most certainly have your own mind." A gentle play at how stubborn Alaric could be, but it was steeped in affection.
He lead Alaric into another spin that put him out from Anders, then pulled him back into his chest by the hand he still held. "Do you? I do as well. I certainly wouldn't mind a little more dancing around here. Perhaps more music as well."
He scoffed. "Most assuredly not. Have I ever told you about Malum, the bar I regularly frequented and Hawke worked in back in the fleet?"
He was quietly pleased with the ease of the dancing and the mindlessness of the conversation, even. Light and easy and distracting. And a bit of physical exertion, dancing was always an easy way to get the blood moving. Another good reason to keep music around the house.
Slowly, the dance shifted a step here, another palm-circle there, things that weren't the pattern from before, but held the same steps and tempo and physical cues. Something off the cuff.
The... reality of the situation was that Alaric was bad at two of the things happening here: light conversation and anything off the cuff. The further reality was, he'd unwound and relaxed enough to follow physical cues easily and to let words that flitted into his mind come out of his mouth, even if they were inconsequential.
That was Anders' doing, entirely. Not in the moment, but everything that was the foundation of who they were and how they worked and who Anders was.
"No. You haven't told me much about the fleet at all. I'd like to know more."
He hadn't, had he? It was a delicate line: some people wanted to know more and others wanted nothing to do with the idea that they may just end up spirited off to some other place without ever seeing home again and, at the end of the day, the little details of the place they'd been before didn't matter here.
It didn't matter here either, aside from Alaric's curiosity, Anders' reminiscing, and the aim for mindless comfort of each other's company.
"Malum was a bar run by a demon named Crowley. Not your typical 'scary, bad, avoid' demon, but just another person who happened to be a demon. He was a very good boss to Hawke and a very good friend to us both. The whole place was lit in blue lighting and He had a jukebox that played all kinds of music I'd never heard before, but always at a low enough level to be ignored or listened to as you wanted. It was meant to be a comfortable and relaxing place for people to put their heads back on. Or lose them, it was a bar. He's the one who hooked me on the fruity drink I always order everywhere since he couldn't make anything I was familiar with."
Maker, he missed that place. Not the fleet, just Malum. He missed Crowley and his ridiculous tinted glasses hiding eyes that had something to do with him being a demon but Anders hadn't fully understood.
"Anyway...that's what I had in mind with the music: something to enjoy, not fight to be heard over."
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The most important thing hiring Sasha had done, aside from spare Cullen more headaches, was grant Anders more time with his loves. Something he certainly appreciated today as he was greeted with Alaric's lips and the heavy weight of his collar in his hand. He smiled fondly (and with some pride) as he took it and traced the markings with his thumb. "Thank you, love."
He moved Alaric's hair aside and placed the collar around his neck, but didn't latch it closed just yet. "What do you need, my star: Care, sex, or both?"
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The pride also makes him happy, though, at least.
"Start with care, move to sex after a check in." And if he's awake. He wants to ask Anders if Anders is okay, but he can tell that Anders is and that... is nice. "Please."
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He took Alaric by the hand and lead him to the chairs at the counter to sit while Anders got him some water to start and tea (with a small touch of something more) soon enough after. Fruit, cheeses and a bit of the meat leftover from their meal a few nights back all arrange on a small plate before he's back at Alaric's side to run his fingers through the other blond's hair as Anders offers some of the cheese to his lips. No kneeling, just undivided attention.
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is he surprised by how literal the care is? Also yes.
Is he still going to take the food offered him? Still yes.
"We should get another collar we can ward." Just.. a random thought, flitting through his head.
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He hummed in response, but made a mental note to find a new collar when he was out next, something similar inn style maybe, but that could be enchanted. Something with focus points.
"That's a good idea. Here: for now...it'll only last an hour or so." He traced lightly along the edge of the collar at Alaric's throat, the small purple glyph outlining and then vanishing when finished. "I'm always happy to chase things from your mind, literally or otherwise."
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Relaxes meaning relaxes back into Anders.
"It could have waited, but thank you. I'll enjoy the hour." In many ways. "Are you going to eat?"
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He eyes the food, any appetite waning, but willing it to scrape together again anyway. "I'm sorry, I should have asked first. About the glyph." He's quick to bury the instinct to linger on it, however, it wasn't helpful or conducive to what he was trying to do for Alaric. Anders takes a bit of fruit for himself, but offers the last bit of meat to Alaric after. "I'm not especially hungry, besides, I'm feeding you right now." Still, he takes some cheese for himself next and digs for his device.
It takes a moment to find what he's looking for, but soon enough music starts to play from the thing. Instrumental and calm and with a smoothly swaying sound to it. Likely, it was meant to be sensual and that worked fine for what he had in mind.
He pulled a bit away, but took hold of Alaric's hand to press a kiss to the knuckles. "I believe I owe you a dance, Ser Morgan."
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In short, it basically means they can move on with relative grace.
He tightened his fingers around Anders', stood easily and laughed. "You'll have to teach me to follow."
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"I can follow instead, but I think you're up for it. Trust, confidence in your partner, and attention paid to their body language: the small tells of what comes next." He drew them back as he spoke, into the open area behind the couch. The hand holding Alaric's moved to splay their fingers out so they were palm-to-palm while Anders' other hand rested at Alaric's waist.
He pressed slightly into their hands as he took a step forward with the corresponding foot. "Like so, I signal this foot moves and that I want you to move back with it, then the next, and when I apply pressure to both places, one to lead and one to pull, it means we turn. The steps don't matter, you're simply trusting I don't lead you into the sofa."
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He went with Anders, hand still firmly gripping -- but readjusted with a fair amount of ease to figure out more or less how to mirror Anders. To work out where his other hand goes and to try to follow body cues and the lead given him.
He is, actually, not initially very graceful at it. "Oh, is that all." Easier when you can read minds instead of simple body pressure, and even easier when you can read mind and know what the dance is - roughly. At least when the 'dance' is sex.
"I am terrible at several aspects of that, you do realize." But he wasn't freaking out or anxious just trying to pay attention and learn.
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He shifted them as they got to the end of the couch, their touching hands a bit more between them as the hand at Alaric's hip folded behind his back. His steps were a touch slower than they should be, but hopefully enough to help as he moved to walk them in a circle around each other until their positions were switched and he could lead them back. "You're clever, you like to learn, you like to be challenged so that you have the satisfaction of rising to said challenge. For this...every one of my moves should be your focus, there's nothing else besides the two of us and the music and where I take you next."
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Except he does not find that to be the case, and actually keeps his mouth shut in favor of doing what Anders told him his focus was. There's still some... almost hyper-focus, a little tendency to anticipate or try to, but he settles in easily enough.
"I am not sure I'd call stubborn feisty...."
He is not, at any point, worried about tripping over the couch.
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He walks them back easily enough, the moves no different than before until they got to the other end again and he set their circle once more. From there, he added another step: their hands back in their beginning positions, he lead them to the left instead, his feet crossing over each other until they were further from the furniture. "Now, I'm going to let go, keep your hand up and outstretched, you stay standing still while I move, then I'll take your hand again and bring you back around to me."
He stopped them there and let go of Alaric's waist while his other hand traced along his partner's fingers, wrist, down his arm, across his chest to his other shoulder. Anders himself took two steps, turning along behind him so they were back-to-back, then reached out and took Alaric's hand to tug him into a small twirl of his own and back to him as Anders turned so they were once again facing each other.
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He was happy to move away from the couch, found the rhythm and followed it well enough now that he understood. He was a little less confident in just following instructions but the trail of Anders' fingers was good, and the pull and spin back into Anders--
Made him laugh aloud again as he settled his free hand on Anders' chest. This was fun.
"And aren't uncatlike yourself."
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He changes the dance, something to allow him to pull Alaric closer, a hand on his hip and shoulder, as he kept their steps even, forward two, back three, forward three but at an angle to turn, back two, repeat.
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Alaric is clueless about the exact thoughts, or even directness of the feeling and in a way it's good - it means he can just know he's loved and enjoy the intimacy and time and ...play?
"The glyph was a good idea."
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"I'm glad. I'll enchant the new one and leave it on the table in your room so you may use it as you need. I'd still like to continue our little ritual with this one before you go out, if you're amenable. I enjoy what it's become."
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His intention to be clear, but he realizes that he's answered the wrong question. "I want to continue our ritual with this one and this, but I meant that you putting the glyph on this collar tonight was a good idea. The other one will be something else, but this was the right thing for tonight."
Earlier apology very much not necessary.
At all.
It's worked.
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He paused a step of their movements to lean in for a brief kiss. He wanted more, to lose himself in it, but it wasn't time for that just yet. Instead, he lead them back to their earlier dance, but picked up the pace only a touch, back to what it was meant to be. "Let's see how well you remember now that I've distracted you with something slower and with different steps, hmm?" Rude? Maybe, but an effective learning trick.
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Then he stumbled a bit at the change he didn't expect - but only until he heard what Anders had said and went back to leaning into physical cues and what he'd learned.
"I like this." With Anders, he means.
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He lead Alaric into another spin that put him out from Anders, then pulled him back into his chest by the hand he still held. "Do you? I do as well. I certainly wouldn't mind a little more dancing around here. Perhaps more music as well."
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This time? Easy following into the spin and out of it. He'd stopped anticipating and it showed.
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He was quietly pleased with the ease of the dancing and the mindlessness of the conversation, even. Light and easy and distracting. And a bit of physical exertion, dancing was always an easy way to get the blood moving. Another good reason to keep music around the house.
Slowly, the dance shifted a step here, another palm-circle there, things that weren't the pattern from before, but held the same steps and tempo and physical cues. Something off the cuff.
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That was Anders' doing, entirely. Not in the moment, but everything that was the foundation of who they were and how they worked and who Anders was.
"No. You haven't told me much about the fleet at all. I'd like to know more."
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It didn't matter here either, aside from Alaric's curiosity, Anders' reminiscing, and the aim for mindless comfort of each other's company.
"Malum was a bar run by a demon named Crowley. Not your typical 'scary, bad, avoid' demon, but just another person who happened to be a demon. He was a very good boss to Hawke and a very good friend to us both. The whole place was lit in blue lighting and He had a jukebox that played all kinds of music I'd never heard before, but always at a low enough level to be ignored or listened to as you wanted. It was meant to be a comfortable and relaxing place for people to put their heads back on. Or lose them, it was a bar. He's the one who hooked me on the fruity drink I always order everywhere since he couldn't make anything I was familiar with."
Maker, he missed that place. Not the fleet, just Malum. He missed Crowley and his ridiculous tinted glasses hiding eyes that had something to do with him being a demon but Anders hadn't fully understood.
"Anyway...that's what I had in mind with the music: something to enjoy, not fight to be heard over."
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