((Author's notes: Firstly, I don't own Dragon Age, Awakenings, Nate or Anders. Just doing this for the fun of it. Secondly, this was written during my "Let's be mean to the mage" phase of using this pairing, so without giving too much away, consider yourselves warned for later.))

"Maker. I swear, mage, that mouth of yours is going to get you into real trouble one of these days."

Nathaniel Howe was currently hiding in one of Amaranthine's finest abandoned shacks, bent over, hands on his thighs as he fought to catch his breath. A red-faced Anders was sitting on the floor beside him, fanning at his face in a vain attempt for more air.

"What? All I did was ask if he was using that big sword of his as compensation for his lack of...reach."

To which the templar took offense and proceeded to chase the other man from the chantry. And Anders had taunted him further. Thankfully, Nate had seen it and pulled him into a nearby alley. But they'd been seen and chased after until they gave them the slip amid the tumbledown shacks on the outskirts of the city.

"Damn it, Anders, you can't do things like that." Nate straightened now that his chest wasn't burning. "You're still an apostate in their eyes."

The mage grinned. "Except I'm not."

Nate glared at him. "And as a Grey Warden, you should act better. The Commander depends on us to provide a positive presence, not get chased through the streets of the arling like common thugs."

Anders waved dismissively. "You can't tell me you didn't have fun leading those clanky stuffed-shirts on that chase."

Nate frowned. "That's beside the point."

"Ah-hah! I knew you were a troublemaker deep down inside that brooding exterior."

Furrowing his brows, Nate gave the mage a look. "I don't brood."

Anders snickered. "And I'm the Queen of Antiva." He held out a hand until Nathaniel helped him to his feet. "The women like that sort of thing, you know. Almost as much as they like a man that makes them laugh." He straightened his robes, dusting off the back of them.

"The day I take advice from you on women..." Nate shook his head, peering out the door to make sure the coast was clear. "Come on."

He still kept them mostly to the alleys and back routes. Since they'd dealt with the smugglers, he'd spent a bit of time getting to know Amaranthine's hidden ways. As such, he was able to lead the two of them back to the Crown and Lion without seeing so much as a single guard. Or templar.

"First drink's on me, Nate." Anders clapped him on the shoulder as they walked through the door, heading immediately for the bar.

"Damn right," he almost called back but instead decided to not egg the mage on. "Something good. Not that swill you got the last time," he stated instead, finding them a table in the corner so he could settle his back as close to the wall as he could get. Elbows propped on the table, he ran his fingers through his hair, letting a deep sigh relax most of his body.

There was a soft clunk and his eyes were first drawn to the mug before him, then the hand on the lip, up the arm and to the smiling face of the blonde mage.

"Hope this will do."

The brew certainly smelled potent and it had that wonderful numbing quality almost immediately. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear Anders was trying to get him so drunk that he'd forget to be mad at him. Nate smirked into the mug. Maybe he just might let him.