Waking Up

Anders slowly faded into consciousness, nothing urgent to startle him awake for a change. Justice was quiet in the back of his mind, the spirit calm. Unwilling to open his eyes and shatter the illusion of serenity, Anders decided to take just a few minutes to enjoy it. Soon enough, the clinic would be full of patients needing this fixed or that healed, and while he was happy to help those who needed him so much, it was nice to be relaxed for a little bit.

He realized he felt quite relaxed, actually; far more than he had in some time. The bed felt softer this morning…and the sunlight showing through his closed eyes was at a different angle. He was pleasantly sore, too; he hadn’t woken feeling like this in years.

All at once, everything came rushing back to him. The desperate kiss in his clinic, the certainty that Garrett’s door would be locked…the shock when it wasn’t, when the man truly did want him. Confessing his feelings, only to have them returned in kind. The gentleness with which Garrett treated him…the roughness that it led to, the part that left him aching so wonderfully this morning.

A smile crept slowly across his face. He was in Garrett’s bed. Three years of desperately loving the man, despite his attempts to force it down, knowing it could never happen…and he woke up in Garrett’s bed.

As Anders continued to wake up properly, he finally realized he was quite warm – much more so than when he usually woke up in his cold clinic. Something was putting a good bit of pressure on his torso, too. He managed to drag his eyes open, blinking them a few times to clear his vision, and was greeted by messy, black hair obscuring his chest.

Not only had he woken up in Garrett’s bed…he’d also woken up with the man as a blanket, it seemed.

The mage breathed out a small chuckle, taking note of the way the bulky man was completely draped over him. Garrett’s head rested on the middle of his chest, an arm flung to his side while a good majority of the man’s body topped Anders’ own. Garrett’s legs were wrapped around the mage’s, and Anders realized he couldn’t have moved if he’d wanted to.

He didn’t, really.

He’d never been able to have this intimacy with anyone before; in the Circle, it was impossible, lest a Templar find out, and other…dalliances…he’d had, there’d been little in the way of feelings. Garrett was clinging to him like the man was afraid he’d disappear. It was strange to think he cared that much – Anders still couldn’t quite believe the words he’d heard the night before.

“Don’t ever leave.”

“I don’t want a safe'' life. I want a life with you.”''

“I’ll have ‘Garrett loves Anders, the greatest apostate in the world’ printed on a sign and carry it through the Gallows, if you like.”

''“I love you, Anders. I’ve loved you for a long time.”''

He’d laughed, of course, at the idea of a sign; naturally, Garrett’s response to the question of telling the Knight-Commander he stood beside an apostate was a humorous one. Under the humor, though…there had been a certain sincerity, one that Anders knew he couldn’t possibly have imagined.

It was like a dream, really; a dream better than any he could’ve thought up himself. At best, he’d thought perhaps Garrett would agree to have sex with him, get the tension out of the way, and be done with him. This…he couldn’t conceive of this. Support. Love. Adoration.

Anders noticed his hand was free, somehow not caught under the muscled bulk of the warrior on top of him. He reached up to run his fingers through Garrett’s hair, wanting to simply touch the man for a few moments.

Garrett stirred, a soft groan escaping his throat as he stretched a bit, then curling in on the mage even more tightly than before. He took a deep breath, then Anders felt him squeeze his side where his hand lay, then freeze. The warrior sild his hand along Anders’ side, then finally pushed himself up to look at the mage.

“Good morning,” Anders said, a smile on his face.

“Anders,” Garrett breathed, sounding utterly relieved. “You’re still here. Thank the Maker.”

“You thought I wouldn’t be?” Anders was baffled.

“I was afraid…maybe you didn’t want to stay,” Garrett mumbled.

“You didn’t leave me much choice,” Anders teased with a small laugh, hand continuing to brush through the dark hair. So that was why Garrett was clutching him so possessively in his sleep. “Where could I go with a blanket like you?” Garrett chuckled lightly but looked away then, his cheeks reddening.

“Sorry about that,” he said self-consciously, moving off of Anders. “I…uh…am a bit of an affectionate sleeper.”

“I’m not saying I minded,” Anders replied softly, his hand cupping Garrett’s cheek. “Though if you do this to everyone, I don’t feel so special anymore.” Garrett laughed at that, looking back at the mage.

“Believe me, you’re special,” Garrett assured him. “I haven’t shared a bed with anyone since…well, probably since Bethany was small. Except Ruffian,” he added with a smirk, referring to his Mabari. “But even he stopped getting into the bed when I tried to cuddle him.” His face adopted a more serious look then. “But you’re…you’re everything I could’ve dreamed, Anders. I can’t tell you…waking up next to you is…dammit,” he blew out a breath on the last word, running his hand through his hair. “I sound so stupid.”

“You don’t,” Anders assured him, brushing the man’s cheek with his thumb. “I feel the same, Garrett. Truly.”

“I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable,” Garrett said, still looking embarrassed. “I should’ve warned you or something.”

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Anders told him. “It was…quite nice, actually.”

“Really?” Garrett asked, sounding incredulous.

“Definitely,” Anders smiled. “I wouldn’t mind trying it again.”

“Oh, Maker,” Garrett murmured, staring in disbelief at the mage. “I’ll wake up with you in my arms every day for the rest of our lives, if you’ll let me.” Anders couldn’t contain the grin that split his face at the words.

He’d definitely not just imagined it, the support, the love, the sincerity.

“I’d love it, sweetheart,” Anders murmured, and he sat up to reach for Garrett, pressing his lips gently against the warrior’s.