high_seas | (no subject)

[Hawke had got stuck with night watch duty, so he had been kind of sulkily hunched under a hood beneath the mast, trying to keep the cold rain off the back of his neck. When he observes Anders wander up onto the deck in nothing but his night shirt, he doesn't immediately call out to him, curious for the moment to simply watch.

Which may or may not have something to do with how quickly the rain is soaking through the thin fabric of Anders' shirt and causing it to cling to the body underneath.

After a few minutes of quiet voyeurism, however, Hawke shuffles out of his not-very-sheltery shelter and joins Anders by the rail.]

Lovely weather tonight, isn't it?

[Said Hawke sarcastically.]

[Anders has already crossed his arms across his chest, wondering if maybe he should have grabbed a jacket before heading out. It's cold, but at least he can head back inside if it gets too much.

He jumps a little as Hawke speaks, the sound of him approaching having been covered by the falling rain. He smiles, though.]

I like the rain.

[a small shrug.]

You look freezing, though.

Just a bit cold, yes.

[Just a little. Thank the Maker for fire spells, because otherwise he's sure his fingers and toes would be numb from the cold.]

Do you have some secret to staying warm in a soaking wet nightshirt, or are you just better at ignoring it than I am?

[Speaking of soaking wet nightshirts, Hawke's not leering at all, nope. Not even a little bit.

...Well.

Maybe a little bit.]

I haven't been out here that long.

[Although it is cold, and he's noticing that. But he enjoys the rain enough for it to be worth enjoying, and Hawke's company is just another excuse to stay.

He raises an eyebrow at the leering, though.]

Are you trying to make me self-conscious?

[Even so, he steps closer, reaching up to gently place a hand on Hawke's elbow. The light glow is clearly visible, glinting off the rain, as he begins to cast a spell. Warmth spreads from his touch and to Hawke, hopefully helping at least a litte.]

Of course not. I'm trying to undress you with my eyes.

[Those are totally different things, right? Right!

And then Anders steps closer and places a hand on Hawke's elbow, and Hawke is shivering for reasons completely unrelated to the cold. The gentle warmth that spreads from the point of contact is very welcome, and Hawke reaches up to cover Anders' hand with his, hoping to encourage the contact to last a little longer.]

...You're very good at that.

[The warming spell thing, not the sexy thing. Although he's good at the sexy thing, too.]

[There's a second before Anders responds to that. Not because it bothers him, or particularly surprises him by now - although he does keep expecting Hawke to eventually lose interest - but because he wants it all too much. Hawke has spent so long trying to seduce him, except it has never really been necessary.

Except, of course, he knows that he shouldn't.]

I don't think that's really necessary, as wet as I am.

[He's aware of it, and it doesn't bother him. He focuses on the spell, though, lifting his other hand to Hawke's opposite elbow, warming him faster now from two separate points.]

You can probably cast the spell yourself. It's fairly simple.

I won't lie, it is much easier when it's raining.

[Except he's stopped leering for the time being to watch Anders' face instead.]

I was using a different one. This one works much better.

[Mostly because it's Anders casting it, but shhh]

I probably should have put on more clothes before coming out here.

[Even if that would have ruined Hawke's view.]

Which one were you using?

Or taken some off.

[Then he'd have something dry to put on when he went back into the crew quarters.]

This one.

[He holds up his free hand, and it begins to shine with a dim, reddish-orange glow reminiscent of fire. In the close space between them, the heat radiating from the spell is very like that of a fire as well.]

[The heat of the spell is almost too warm against his cold skin, nowhere near as gentle as the one Anders is using. It's a few moments before he adjusts, before he starts to warm enough to make the spell feel less like it's burning.

Hawke never knows how to hold back, it seems.]

Doesn't casting that exhaust you too quickly?

[Part of the reason Anders' spell is more gentle is because it drains less mana that way; part of the reason is because too warm spells can hurt against freezing skin, and had Anders been out there much longer, that might have been the case with Hawke's spell as well.

But Hawke, from what he's seen so far, is a powerful mage. Maybe he can handle it.]

Not particularly.

[It's just one piddly little fireball spell, barely strong enough to leave a proper burn, much less do any real damage to anything. He can sustain it for quite a long time before needing to take a break, and if it's all the casting he's doing, he can keep it burning for most of a night.

Hawke's version of 'restraint' in action.]

You're using spirit magic to do that, right?

[Anders nods.]

I can use a fire spell as well, but I've had people near frozen brought to my clinic in winter. It's too easy to burn them before they warm up.

[So he keeps things gentle - he can go even gentler, if necessary, although the persistent warmth will still make quite a bit of difference in the long run.]

You could tell just from feeling the effects?

I don't think I've ever been quite that cold. That never occurred to me.

[He'll keep it in mind, though...it's definitely a good point. Also, he'll just be quietly dropping his own spell and his hand, now, since Anders is still doing the warming thing.]

Well, yes? It feels almost like when you use a healing spell.

[Which is a sensation Hawke really quite likes, so of course he'd pay attention to that sort of thing.]

Even if it doesn't hurt them, it can easily feel like it's burning.

[Once a healer, always a healer. He's always keeping these things in mind.

He's a little bit disappointed when Hawke drops his spell, too. It felt good - and besides, his own spell is focused entirely on warming Hawke. With that heat source gone, it's only a few moments before Anders starts shivering, the sudden lack of the spell making it feel colder than it had before. Although he doesn't say anything, because Hawke is the one who'll need to stay out here for several hours more, and he'll need the strength.]

I've had to heal you that often, even though you're a mage?

[mages are supposed to stay back, Hawke, away from the main fighting. Tanks, like Aveline and Fenris, are for taking damage.]

Aveline's good, but she can't block all the hits when the odds are twenty-to-five and the other side's got a handful of crafty rogues.

[Silly Anders, of course Hawke mostly hangs back and flings spells from afar, he's not that stupid, come on.

And he's definitely close enough to note that shiver. So he lifts his recently dropped hand and almost tentatively rests it on Anders' hip.]

Like this, right?

[And he does his best to mimic what Anders is doing. His father had attempted to train him in spirit magic, so he did know the basics; the gentle spells didn't come nearly as easily to him as the more destructive elemental and force spells did, and he hadn't ever been very interested in that particular school of magic, which hadn't helped.

He'd acquired some interest after meeting Anders, though; and while his first attempt at copying Anders' spell is kind of pitiful, there's definitely some warmth starting there. For once, Hawke is actually restraining himself. He's had one too many complaints from his friends about how his healing spells always hit like a ton of bricks, and really, they'll be perfectly fine until Anders can see to it, whatever it is, honest.]

Edited 2014-03-17 04:43 (UTC)

You don't seem like you would be too careful.

[Just saying. He might not be stupid, but he still seems like he would just rush in sometimes.

He's just teasing, though, and he stops immediately as Hawke touches his hip and he feels the beginnings of that spell. His breath catches a little. It's not much, but the fact that Hawke is taking the effort to learn, and is picking up on it so quickly...

Or maybe by now, Hawke really doesn't need to do much to have that effect on him.]

It doesn't seem like you really need me to teach you.

How could you say such a thing? I am the most careful.

Accuracy is everything when you're flinging fire and lightning into a fight that involves your friends, you know.

[Well then, okay, he seems to be doing pretty alright with the one hand, so he removes his other from on top of Anders' fingers and places it on his other hip, starting the warming spell there, too.]

Father taught me a little. I wasn't a very good student. My interests tended in other directions.

Edited 2014-03-17 05:09 (UTC)

So you're careful with your friends, at least.

[He's starting to figure Hawke out, just a little. There hasn't been much cause for them to fight, though, aside from the occasional bar brawl but Anders has already healed a few bruises at least.

He smiles, though. And then he shivers again as the spell doubles in strength, although not entirely from the warmth it's causing.]

Let me guess, your interests were more towards the primal?

[...wow, Anders, that's a terrible joke.]

Someone's got to be. They're not very careful with each other.

[...And he's totally going to use that horrible yet wonderful attempt at flirting to step just a little closer. There's still some space between them, but if he were to try his torch spell again they'd both get burned.]

It's only natural to gravitate toward what you're good at, don't you think?

[Ufufufufufu]

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

[They are too careful with each other. They're all besties, really. How dare you sugest otherwise, Hawke.

...Well.

He slides his hands further up Hawke's arms, out of necessity more than anything now that he's so close.]

It depends on how much effort you're willing to put into something.

[Yeah, that's right.

They're not all besties.

Dropping that line of conversation for the much more interesting one now, though.]

I'm willing to apply all of my effort, if it's important enough.

[Why do you think there's been so much heavy-handed flirting these past few months, Anders?]

[He hesitates a little.]

Are you--

[No. No, he shouldn't do this. It's far too tempting, but that doesn't make it right. Reluctantly, he starts to pull back a little.]

I'm sorry, Hawke.

[Wait, what?

He'd thought this was going well!

Shit shit shit shit--]

Am I what?

[He can't help when his fingers dig in just a bit, tightening against the wet fabric covering Anders' hips, holding on. He'll let go if Anders explicitly tells him to, but he hasn't said anything like that yet, so for now he'll just be hanging on.]

[He stops when Hawke holds onto him, not willing to force himself away just yet. He looks down, though, his expression clearly unsure.]

You should probably find Isabela instead.

[All that romping with Isabela's was bound to come round and bite him in the ass. He should have known. If he could go back in time and punch his past self in the dick right now, he'd do it.]

That's not...

[What even is he wanting to say. Everything is so obvious to him in his own mind, but putting it to words is something else entirely.]

I'm not just looking for a quick fuck, Anders.

[...that was not as eloquent as he would have liked. Uh.]

Isabela is a good friend, but that's all she is, and that's how we both want it.

[Better...maybe.]