It was a day like any other for Fenris. He spent most of the day hunting down slavers with Hawke, Varric, and Merrill until the four of them were exhausted. Lightly wounded, they trudged back to Kirkwall not making it back until well past sundown. Hawke and Fenris said goodbye to their friends and made their way to Hightown.

When they got to Hawke's estate, he turned and gave Fenris' wounded arm an appraising look.

"You better go see Anders about that, it looks like infection will set in soon and I know you're awful at seeing to your own wounds."

"I'm fine, Hawk." Fenris snapped, "I do not need the mage's help!"

Hawke's eyes hardened and said in a tone of voice that left no room for argument, "Go to his clinic. I won't have you keel over because of your prejudice against mages."

With that, Hawke walked into his house and closed the door, leaving Fenris stewing on his doorstep.

Fenris growled and quickly made his way to Darktown, cursing Hawke for being right. As he neared closer to the clinic, Fenris found himself hoping that to find the mage asleep so he could simply go home. It certainly seemed like he got his wish when he found the clinic door closed. Sighing in relief, Fenris turned to leave when he heard noises coming from inside. Fenris stepped closer to the door and he heard men speaking.

"You will know your place, mage!" A man growled.

Fenris heard what sounded like a slap and them a whimper of pain.

A man moaned and said "So much more satisfying when they're not tranquil, that's almost like fucking a corpse."

Fenris' eyes widened and he heard another pained noise and the unmistakable voice of Anders saying "Stop, please". Not wanting to waste any more time assessing the situation, Fenris broke down the door.

The sight before him would haunt his dreams. Anders was bent over a small work table and tied down surrounded by 3 Templars, one of them thrusting in to him from behind and another was using his mouth. He was completely naked and crying, his skin a mess of bruises and blood.

Before the Templars could react, Fenris pulled out his sword and growled, "You will unhand him. Now."

"Get out of here elf, this is Templar business." Said the Templar in Anders' ass, the disgusting tone of superiority making Fenris feel even more murderous.

Fenris was practically shaking with rage at this point and said venomously, "This is your last chance. Unhand him and your hearts will remain in your chests."

The Templar behind Anders smirked and pulled out of him roughly causing a muffled gasp of pain to escape Anders. The one in Anders' mouth copied his movements and as soon as they reached for their swords, Fenris sprang into action. The Templars were unprepared for a warrior like Fenris, who in a matter of minutes was able to deliver on his promise of ripping their hearts out.

Once the Templars were dead, Fenris dropped his sword and ran over to Anders. He noticed with alarm that the mage's eyes were wide, pupils dilated and he seemed to be staring ahead unseeing.

"Mage" Anders let out a scared whimper at being addressed as such so Fenris quickly changed tactics.

"Anders, I'm going to untie you now and then I will take you somewhere safe." Fenris tried to keep his voice calm and speak slowly as he untied the trembling mage, "I'll ask Varric to deal with this mess, just keep your breathing steady."

Once Anders' limbs were freed from the rope, he started sliding off the table.

Fenris quickly grabbed him causing Anders to tense and pulled him upright, swearing "Kaffas, Anders!"

Anders froze for a moment then said shakily, "Thank you Fenris", his voice horse.

Fenris blinked in surprise, but quickly moved on asking "Can you stand on your own?"

Anders shook his head, eyes still widened giving him the look of a caged animal.

"Alright, do you have spare robes around here?"

"Yes", Anders said in a small voice, pointing out a small room off to the side of the clinic

Fenris led Anders to the room and then to the shabby wardrobe next to a lumpy mattress.

Once Anders was dressed, Fenris wrapped an arm around the mage's waist to support his weight and asked, "Do you require anything here to treat your wounds?"

Anders shook his head, "My magic will be back in a few hours"

"Hours?" Fenris asked with raised eyebrows. A Templar mana drain doesn't usually last that long.

"They, they gave me magebane." Anders stuttered, tears falling once again.

Fenris tightened his grip on the mage's waist and slowly began to lead Anders' out of his clinic.

It concerned him that Anders didn't even ask Fenris where he was being taken, just gripped Fenris as tightly as he could and allowed himself to be led. Now that Anders was out of immediate danger, Fenris started to assess the situation. He always just assumed that Anders was exaggerating when he spoke of the injustices the Tempars committed against mages, but now that Fenris has seen the injustice with his own eyes he uncomfortably realized that he may have been wrong. Despite being a mage and an abomination, Fenris could not help but suddenly feel very protective over Anders after what he witnessed.

The pair slowly made their way to Hightown, taking as many back alleys and side streets as possible in hopes that Anders' obviously hurt form would draw little attention. Anders didn't say a word during the journey and Fenris was simply glad he was able to walk the entire way though Fenris was holding most of his weight. When they stopped in front of Fenris' mansion, Anders looked confused but did not question him when they entered and Fenris closed the door behind them.

Once they were safely inside, Fenris started to lead Anders to the stairs.

"Mage-" Anders flinched and Fenris almost swore at his slip up. "Anders, can you handle more stairs?"

Anders hesitated, obviously wanting to say yes but not sure.

Fenris, expecting that answer, asked, "May I carry you?"

Anders looked at him with wide eyes, almost not believing what he just heard and responded "Yes."

"Tell me if I cause any more discomfort." Was all Fenris said before hooking his free arm behind Anders' knees and lifting him, scooting the arm around the mage's waist a little higher for support.

Anders looping his arms around Fenris' neck and pressed as close as he could to the elf as they made their way up the stairs and into Fenris' room.

When they arrived, Fenris brought Anders to his bed a carefully laid him down.

"Are you sure none of your wounds need to be treated now?" Fenris asked, pulling the blankets over Anders.

Anders could barely keep his eyes open at this point, but softly said "I'm sure."

"Go to sleep Anders, I need to speak with Varric but I will not be gone long." Fenris said, making a quiet retreat from the room.

Just as we was closing the door, he heard a soft "Thank you" from the mage in his bed.

Once he was out of Anders' sight, Fenris let all the rage and anger he felt show. He wished he could have drawn out the Templars' deaths, making them suffer as they made Anders suffer.

He quickly made his way to the Hanged Man, hoping that Varric was still awake and had someone who could deal with the corpses before dawn.

Fenris had some luck with him at least, for upon opening the doors to the pub he was graced with the sight of Varric sitting alone at a table and slowing working on a drink.

"Broody, what are you doing here at this time of night?" Varric greeted amicably, "Shall I order you a drink?"

"We need to speak in private." Fenris hoped his tone would not betray his feelings to the other patrons. However, by the look on Varric's face, Fenris was not entirely successful in that regard.

"Sure thing." Varric quickly finishes his drink and leads Fenris back to his room.

Once he closes the door, Varric asks "Okay Broody, what's all this about?"

"I need three corpses disposed of. Discreetly."

Varric's eyebrows shoot up nearly to his hairline "Can I assume they're slavers?"

"Templars." Fenris spits with the same amount of venom he uses to when he speaks of Danarius.

Varric looked even more surprised. "Okay, I have to ask, what did Templars do to make you go all glowey?"

Fenris clenched his jaw and said, tersely "The bodies are in the mage's clinic, is that explanation enough?"

Varric narrowed his eyes but relented "I'll get someone on it. I hope those bastards suffered."

Fenris' eyes hardened further and his expression became even more murderous as he spat, "Not as much as they deserved"

"I assume Anders is not at the clinic after all that?"

"He's staying with me." Fenris said fiercely with a tinge of possessiveness, "With any luck he's sleeping."

Varric was most visibly shocked by this, but he didn't comment beyond "I'll handle it, you should probably get back to Blondie."

Fenris nodded, and was about to leave before remembering "My sword is there too if your 'someone' could retrieve it."

"You have quite the story to tell me tomorrow Broody." Varric said as Fenris rushed out the door.

He made the trip from the Hanged Man to his residence in record time. The mansion was silent besides the occasional crack from the smoldering logs in the fireplace. Fenris finally allowed himself to think upon the events of the evening. Anders, a man he had always assumed to be simply whining about the plight of the mages from a place of privilege due to his innate power, was violently assaulted simply because he has magic. The Templars, who Fenris always thought were necessary to protect people from mages and mages from themselves, committed this terrible act because they hold power over mages Fenris had never considered before he was presented with the horrifying consequences.

Fenris realized he had been standing in his doorway for quite some time and shook his head violently as if to clear his thoughts. He quickly but quietly made his way upstairs to check on the hopefully sleeping mage.

When Fenris opened his bedroom door, he was relieved to find Anders was able to fall asleep. The mage looked far more vulnerable than Fenris ever imagined he could curled up in under the blankets in the large bed. Fenris took a moment to really look at the mage. Anders was facing towards him curled up on his side. The pained, terrified expression that graced his visage earlier was gone, replaced by the peace of sleep. He was burrowed almost all the way under the blanket and clutched the bits of fabric near his face in a way that seemed almost child-like.

Fenris was bombarded with emotions he can't quite place. Instead of continuing to think about the feelings the situation evoked, he quietly baked out of the room and resigned himself to a few fitful hours of sleep. None of the other bedrooms had beds that could be slept in without serious cleaning beforehand, so Fenris grabbed his pack he took to the Wounded Coast and decided to lay down his bedroll in the room on the other side of the landing. When Fenris laid down on his bedroll, exhaustion from the day's events overtook him and he quickly slipped into sleep.

Too few hours later, Fenris was awoken by a shout from his bedroom. He jumped out of the bedroll, grabbed a dagger out of his pack, and ran to the room Anders occupied. He fully expected Templars to have broken into his house and to be in his bedroom with the mage at this very moment. However, when Fenris threw the door open, all he saw was Anders tossing and turning on the bed screaming and whimpering in pain. He stared for a second or two completely unsure what to do before a soft cry of "No, please" roused him into action.

Fenris threw the dagger on the table next to the door and quickly moved to stand by the bed to rouse him.

"Anders, wake up." He said, touching the mage's shoulder.

Anders flinched away from the touch and let out a sob that made Fenris feel like he's been punched in the gut.

"It is only a dream." Fenris tried again more firmly. This time, Anders' eyes flew open. He flinched back when he saw a person standing over him but immediately calmed when he recognized the person as Fenris.

Anders just stared up at him for a moment looking so vulnerable it made Fenris uncomfortable.

After a few moments, Anders said "I'm sorry to wake you."

Fenris stared at him for a moment in surprise before saying "I would rather you wake me up than suffer what you were dreaming about."

Anders drew in a shaky breath and tears began to slide down his face. Fenris carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, unsure what kind of comfort he could offer after such a traumatic event. Sitting down seemed to be the right move because Anders moved closer to him.

"You can move closer if that would bring you comfort, ma-Anders"

Anders moves again so he's pressed as close to Fenris as possible. His breathing slowly becomes more even as he lays there.

Just when Fenris thinks he might be falling asleep, Anders speaks, "I told myself it would never happen again."

Rage like he had never felt before nearly overtook Fenris. He stared down at Anders, horrified and asked "Again?"

Tears began to fill Anders' eyes again "It was like I was back in the Circle again. Did you know I spent a year in solitary confinement after my sixth escape?"

Fenris shook his head, unable to form words.

"That was when I got the worst of it." Anders continued, "Before that it was the occasional blowjob that escalated a couple of times. But the more I escaped the more of a target I became."

Anders drew in a shaky breath.

"You do not have to continue Anders, I—"Fenris started

"Please." Anders interrupted, "What you saved me from earlier brought up a lot of old pain. I feel like I have to tell someone or I won't be able to-"

Anders stopped short, but Fenris didn't need him to continue to understand what he was feeling.

"Continue then." Fenris said

"Could you move under the blankets?" Anders asked, avoiding Fenris' eyes

Fenris obliged and moved under the blankets saying, "I said you can move closer."

Anders' hesitation was gone the moment Fenris lifted his arm up for Anders to press against his side. Fenris slowly lowered his arm around Anders' shoulders and tightened his hold when Anders let out a sigh at the contact.

"Are you comfortable?" Fenris asked

"Yes, very." Anders replied. He basked in the cuddling a few moments longer before continuing. "I was in solitary confinement for a year. Well, they called it solitary but that was only when the Templars weren't visiting me. It was pitch black and the room they kept me in was enchanted so it drained my mana. It was so small; I still panic in enclosed spaces."

Anders took a deep breath before continuing "The whole year I spent just in that room, but far too often Templars would come by to, to, well to do exactly what you saw at my clinic."

Fenris' arm tightened around the mage further and he had to actively suppress the enraged growl that tried to escape him. "They will not touch you again!"

Anders gave him a sad smile, and said with resignation, "I appreciate the sentiment, but they're Templars. They feel entitled to do anything they want to me so it's bound to happen again at some point. It was stupid of me to think otherwise"

"I will not let them." Fenris says fiercely.

Anders doesn't answer but from the way his body is shaking, Fenris can only assume that he's crying once more.

Once the shaking subsided slightly, Fenris asked "Has the magebane worn off?"

"Yes, but my mana still isn't recovered."

Fenris pulled back a little so he could look Anders in the eyes when he asked "Do you have wounds that should be healed sooner rather than later?"

Anders hesitated for a moment, but said "It feels like there's some tearing. I don't suppose you have a mana potion lying around?"

"No, but I have something else that will help." Fenris said, activating his lyrium marks.

Anders let out a grateful sob when he felt the swell of mana. He took a quick inventory of his injuries with one spell, and then began working on repairing the damage the Templars did and cleaning the mess of bodily fluids left behind.

As he was finishing the healing, Fenris said "Your magic has always felt different."

Anders was a little startled by this, "I'm sorry, I should have asked before doing magic while practically on top of you."

"That's not what I meant." Fenris said, the sides of his mouth quirked up in a small smile, "I have felt many mages use magic in my presence and some who used my marks to fuel their spells, but their magic always hurt."

Anders' eyes widened and he started to apologize saying, "Maker, please tell me I didn't hurt you!"

"No, that's precisely what the difference is. Your magic feels warm and inviting."

Anders seemed very curious about this "I wonder if my magical specialty has anything to do with that. Are Spirit Healers common in Tevinter?"

Fenris laughed, "Healing is considered a weak branch of magic in Tevinter."

"Of course it is, nothing says 'we're all terrible people' like ridiculing magic that helps instead of harms." Anders yawns after saying this, trying to burrow closer into Fenris' warmth.

Fenris laughs, then sobers once again saying "You should try to get back to sleep."

Anders doesn't say anything, but when Fenris begins to move he hold on tighter.

"Can you stay with me?" Anders mumbled, pointedly not looking at Fenris.

Fenris hesitates for a moment, but relents. He lays down and pulls the blanket over them both. Anders quickly gets as close to him as possible, using his chest as a pillow. Fenris wrapped his arm around Anders' waist who sighed and held on to Fenris tighter.

As Anders fell back asleep, Fenris found he had too much to contemplate to follow the mage into the realm of sleep. He didn't like how this mage brought forth such strong feelings in him. If he started feeling this way under any other circumstance, Fenris would immediately consider it to be a product of magic. The emotions the mage invoked in him are far more terrifying for him to deal with when he cannot rely on an excuse to discredit them. He felt an overwhelming need to protect Anders. It pained him to see that Anders was right all along about how mages are treated by Templars. And when he really thinks about it, Anders has nothing in common with most magisters based solely on his aversion to blood magic, let alone his urge to help those most in need. The thought of the mage's demon is still disturbing, but far more disturbing is that anger Fenris feels for the demon's lack of interference in the events earlier that night. Fenris pushed thoughts of Justice aside and focused on his breathing in hopes that sleep would find him. He vaguely registered how nice it was to sleep next to someone before he drifted off to sleep.