signcherie:

It’s finally done. I apologize for taking so long.

It’s act three, and Anders is trying to pull away from Hawke. Afraid she is losing him, Hawke confides in Isabela, who suggests she flirt with a stranger to make Anders jealous. Enter Tallis.

Here’s a small teaser of this update:

There was nothing soft or delicate about this. Anders’s kisses were hard and demanding. His hands were everywhere. Autumn responded in kind, hungry for him after all their time apart.

The whole thing, starting with the prompt.

Just the final update.

And here’s the prequel, A Little White Lie, should you be inclined to start at the beginning.

Thanks for reading, friends.

Anders sends so many warning signals in Act III: the giving away of prized possesions, talk of his own mortality, and words he wishes to impart before “whatever happens”. The last personal conversation with Anders before The Last Straw is practically a goodbye, and when Hawke asks about what’s going on, he only remarks upon the fact Justice will still be around long after he’s dead. I don’t feel like Hawke is given the chance to confront Anders about the unsettling patterns in his behavior, or get a real answer to why he’s letting go. It all goes unspoken between the emotional distance Anders builds.

“Jealousy Never Hurt Anyone” gave me the closure I craved, and so much more. Autumn Hawke is my hero. Strength and determination, underlined with a sensitivity that makes her so believably real. Her fierce love for Anders is truly something to behold. The following passage holds a scene I’ve read again and again.

(story ending spoilers below)

He was something that should never have existed. He didn’t have a right to things like love and happiness. He knew that, but he’d taken them anyway, and Autumn would be the one to pay the price.

“Don’t.”

Anders started. Autumn was awake, looking up at him somberly.

“Whatever you’re thinking. Don’t. You’re not going to pull away from me again. I won’t let you.”

Anders stared at her. The expression on her face was fierce now, almost the way she looked before charging into battle. “You love me,” she said, and Anders thought he heard a tremor in her voice. “I know you do. You can’t tell me that you don’t.” Anders’s throat was dry. “I adore you.” It was all he could say. There weren’t words to explain the depths of his love for her.

Autumn let out a shaky sigh. “I choose to be with you,” she said. “All of this, what you’ve been doing–avoiding me, putting this distance between us–something awful is coming, isn’t it?”

Anders froze.

“I won’t let you leave me.” Autumn’s fingers tightened around his arm. “I knew what I was doing when I started this. You don’t get to decide for me that the risk is too great. That’s my choice, and I made it a long time ago.”

This story brought so much bliss, and further proved we are so lucky to have this kind of talent within the fandom. I wish I knew how to articulately express just how much I love this story, and just how much I love Autumn. So, as is the tumblr way, I’ll just let gifs express what my words cannot.