Nate/Anders do not belong to me, nor does the setting, or anything else associated with the game.

Anders felt sick, and not just from the mana drain of the Templars surrounding him. He spat up a glob of blood and looked fairly green. "I'm a Warden," he protested again. "The Commander-"

The closest one kicked him in the ribs again. "Silence, Apostate. We know the Wardens scattered after the sieges at Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine. The Commander," he sneered, "doesn't know where you are."

Anders closed his eyes, trying to not acknowledge the truth of that statement. He's right. No one knows where I am. No one cares. Not the Commander, and not even-"

"No one knows where you are, and no one cares about an Apostate." The Templar unconsciously echoed his own thoughts. "You're a worm. No one could ever care about a worm, could they boys?"

The other Templars laughed and he continued, "You've got no friends."

"Wrong."

That quiet and raspy voice… could it be? Anders lifted his head in shock and stared up at Nathaniel, who appeared as a hero from legend. He stood on a hill, with the setting sun behind him, and his family bow drawn.

"He's got at least one friend," the rogue continued, and loosed an arrow, nicking the un-helmeted Templar's ear. "Let him go, or the next one goes in your eye."

The Templar growled and casually kicked Anders in the side again, smirking as he watched Nathaniel shift. "He's just one man. Get him," he ordered.

Before the other knights could move, Nathaniel's hand blurred, firing arrows with deadly accuracy at each of them. At the last, as promised, he sent two arrows through the man's eyes. With a self-satisfied nod, he slung his bow over his back and headed down the hill toward the hunched over form of Anders.

"Why?" Anders croaked as Nathaniel carefully scooped him up. "Why did you come after me? How did you find us?"

"I've been searching for a while now, Anders," Nathaniel responded quietly. "I didn't even know where to start looking until I'd heard of a blond mage getting captured again. I had to track you for a few days before getting ready to get you away from them."

"But why!" Anders cried out, mind whirling with confusion. "Why am I worth so much trouble to you?

"Wait until we return to the Keep, Mage," Nathaniel said, as his arms tightened a little. "I want you safe, settled, and healed before I tell you."

A week and a half later and Anders felt like he was going to scream. "I am more than fit to do things on my own!" he hissed to one of the healers.

The girl, a tiny slip of a thing, planted her fists on her hips and shook her head. "Master Howe said you was to stay in bed a full week, and a full week it will be. You still have a few more days yet, Master mage. Better get used to it."

Anders ground his teeth together in frustration. "Then let me speak to Nathaniel and I can ask him myself."

"No need, I'm right here." Nathaniel strode in, smirking at Anders. "I hear you're recovering well, Mage."

"Then if I'm recovering well," Anders said through clenched teeth, "let me out of this… cage!"

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "Cage? You've lived in the Circle Tower and the infirmary of my Keep is a cage to you?"

Anders blinked. "Your Keep?"

Nathaniel sighed and leaned against a wall. "Our... Commander," he said the word like it was an insult, "decided to skive off back to Orlais. Said it was too exciting here, or some such nonsense."

Anders snorted. "That woman always was stupid and flighty." He sat up a little more and rested an elbow on his leg with his chin in his hand. "So what did they do, make you commander?"

Nathaniel nodded. "I received the orders from Weisshaupt and that was when I decided to go looking for you." He grinned. "You are not the easiest person to fine, Ser Mage."

Anders grinned back at him. "That was the point."

Nathaniel chuckled, and then sobered, shooing the healer from the room. "If I let you out of bed, Anders, would you stay here? In the Keep, I mean."

Anders blinked in surprise. "I... Yes." He felt a rush of warmth at the genuine need in Nathaniel's voice. "Yes, I'll stay."

Nathaniel's answering smile tied his stomach in knots and the warm glow settled into his limbs.
-

It was a few months later while he was instructing some new recruits that he found out why Nathaniel's want and acceptance caused him to flush.

"Anders," the rogue was clearly agitated by something and shifted from foot to foot, nervously, "can you come with me?"

Anders, all bemused by this change in behavior, followed Nathaniel from the training yard, up the stairs of the Keep, and straight to the door of the dark-haired man's chambers.

"Nathaniel, what-"

His sentence was cut off by a pair of lips on his, strong arms about his waist, pulling him closer, and an insistent thigh pressing between his legs. He reached a hand up to tug on Nathaniel's hair, and when he was free, he raised a hand to his lips and said in a very confused tone, "I… you… what?"

Nathaniel pulled back, a nervous frown creasing his face. "This is why I saved you, Anders," he said quietly. "You're… I care about you."

Anders blinked. "You…" His jaw felt a little weak and he snapped it shut with a click, pulling Nate in for another kiss, instead of potentially ruining this with words.

Somehow they managed to get into Nate's room, though if you asked Anders later he wouldn't be able to tell you how. There was nothing in his mind except the hands roaming his body, the heat of Nate's mouth on his, and that warm and wet tongue that stroked his own, and his passion.

They tumbled to the bed together, shedding clothes as they went. They only broke the kiss once, to pull each other's undershirts off, letting the white pieces of linen float to the ground like a flock of injured birds.

Clothes successfully removed, Anders allowed himself to be pushed backwards, onto the bed, Nate straddling his waist. The rogue's hands wavered for a minute, as if he was unsure of how to proceed. Anders grinned and took over. He skimmed his hands along Nate's side, arching his hips and letting out a hiss as their erections rubbed together.

Letting his hands settle on Nate's shoulders he marveled at the shape of the muscles before he tugged Nate down for another kiss. His fingers kneaded the rogue's back as the noble squirmed, creating more friction between them.

Nathaniel was like clay in his hands and he molded the other man's passion with ever nibble, pinch of his fingers, and arch of his hips. When Nathaniel stared at him pleadingly, incoherent noises falling from his lips, he chuckled and slicked his fingers, sucking them into his mouth. With one hand lazily stroking Nate's erection, he slipped his other hand around and pressed his finger inside of him, causing the man to hiss.

"Shhh," he murmured against Nate's collarbone, nipping at the juncture of shoulder and neck hard enough to leave bruises. Nate whimpered, biting his lower lip between his teeth as another finger was inserted.

Anders grinned and licked the bites apologetically as he tightened his grip and plunged his fingers in and out, scissoring them, trying his best to make sure Nate was good and stretched, but also making sure to not hurt the other man more than necessary.

When he thought he'd done enough, he pulled both hands away to grip at Nate's hips. "Come on now," he murmured, "up you get." And lifted. Nate moved easily and settled on his knees with Anders' hands gently guiding him downward.

Anders pulled his knees up and the noble leaned back against them, pulling himself nearly off of Anders, causing them both to groan, before easing himself back down again. The blond gripped Nate's hips and found himself meeting the other halfway, losing some of his control. They settled into a pleasing rhythm, with nothing but their steady grunts and whimpers to accompany them.

Anders felt a tightness coiling in his belly and knew he was close. But he wanted to see Nate reach that threshold first, so one hand left his side to curl around heated flesh. Nate bucked his hips as best he could and whimpers poured from his lips, eyes squeezing shut as his released coated Anders' hand and stomach.

Feeling Nate tighten around him and that face, pinched in ecstasy, drove him over shortly after, his lover's name sharing the moan that escaped his lips.

After regaining their breath, the two men lay entwined in each other's arms, sharing smiles and lazy kisses, fingers dusting lightly over warm skin.

Not alone. That thought stirred something in the mage even more than the pleasure that the two had just shared. Nuzzling closer to Nate, he welcomed the embrace that they settled into. Both of us are no longer alone.