Luminescence

This takes place during the "Search and Rescue" side quest-one of the many times Liv helps Anders out with the Mage Underground, since I headcanon that she convinces him to let her become actively involved once they get together at the very very beginning of Act 2.

"I hate caves," Anders grumbled, the bridge of his nose wrinkling as he frowned. He stared into the cave the bounty hunters were using as a base of operations, running his hand through his hair as he swallowed hard.

Olivia understood his apprehension—caves were dark, enclosed spaces… like the cell he had spent an entire year in. She laced her fingers with his and briefly squeezed his hand as a show of support. "As soon as we rescue Terrie's friend, we'll leave." He glanced to her, his jaw locked and his body tense. She offered him a smile, and he forced himself to return it, before turning his attention back to the mouth of the cave.

When they finally entered the cavern, it didn't take long for them to run into the bounty hunters. The two mages defeated their opponents easily, years of fighting at each other's sides attuning them to each other, until they developed a complimentary fighting style that was difficult to outmatch. The short spurts of battle were also a distraction from the way the cave darkened the further they went, but soon, it wasn't enough to keep Anders' horrid memories at bay.

Olivia could hear his shallow, uneven breaths as they crept through the shadows, and she knew she had to do something. Conjuring a small ball of fire in her hand, she whirled around to face Anders and was met with his wide-eyed gaze, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as his pulse thumped wildly in his neck. She didn't hesitate to act, grabbing his hand and leading him back towards where they had come from moments before.

"We can't leave the mage—"

"We're not leaving, we're just going to take a moment to…" her voice trailed off as her eyes darted over the different pathways of the cave, until she found the corridor she was looking for. "Here it is!"

She tugged him into a cavern that looked like any other dark part of the cave… until they looked up, that is. The entire ceiling of the small area they were in was covered in clusters of blue, glowing orbs—glowworms—that emitted just enough light for limited vision. There were millions of the little worms, and if she looked hard enough, they looked like the stars in the night sky. It wasn't exactly like standing out under the wide expanse of the starry sky, but it was always enough to help Anders regain his bearings anytime they traveled into the caves on the Wounded Coast.

Tearing her gaze from the magnificent sight above her, Olivia turned her eyes on Anders. He stood beside her and looked up at the ceiling, the lights casting a faint blue glow over his face, reminiscent of when Justice shone through. Smiling at that thought, she sidled up behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso as she perched her chin on his shoulder. Her hand rested over his heart, and she could feel the beating slowing to its normal, steady rhythm, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed returning to normal as well.

"You're all right, Anders. You're safe," Olivia whispered, pressing a light kiss to his neck. "No one can hurt you anymore."

"Except those bounty hunters," he quipped, lowering his eyes from the luminescent worms. "They do have pointy weapons."

She barked a laugh, glad he was feeling good enough to joke around. He turned in her arms, his snaking around her waist as he pulled her closer. "They haven't gotten either of us yet," she pointed out.

"Just give it some time, sweetheart. I'm sure I'll be healing you before the day is done."

Olivia shot him a playful glare, and he flashed a smirk at her. Anders glanced up at the illuminated ceiling once more before he turned his gaze on her. He pressed his forehead against hers and she nuzzled his face, delighted in the way his breath lightly tickled her lips.

"Thank you," he murmured, his mouth meeting hers in a slow, gentle kiss.

"Anytime," she breathed, grinning. She savored their closeness for a moment longer before clearing her throat. "So… how about we get back to showing those bounty hunters why mages are feared?"

Anders released a light laugh and nodded. "After you, love."