Buried Treasures (3601 words) by jay_kateel [AO3]:
jkateel:
Fandom: Dragon Age II
Rating: K+
Relationships: Anders/Male Hawke
Summary: Garrett goes on a treasure hunt in the Amell cellars; Anders help him find the greatest treasure of all.
Snippet:
As an impromptu treasure hunter at heart, nothing piqued Garrett’s interest quite like a room full of dusty wardrobes in the Amell cellars. With seven hundred years of history in the foundation of the estate, the thought of what he could uncover drew him right in to investigate. There was one wardrobe that immediately caught his eye, hidden in the darkest corner with its doors latched shut with a lock. That could only mean one thing: Something of great value was inside.
Setting his torch on the hook on the wall, Garrett went to examine the wardrobe, the lock old and rusting. He was no rogue, but there was more than one way to open a locked door, Garrett taking a few steps back. Then, with a high kick that would have made Isabela jealous, he slammed the heel of his boot into the lock. It snapped as easy as a sword cleaving a frayed rope, but brought on a cloud of dust that sent him into a hacking fit. The pain was worth it for, as it cleared, the bounty inside was revealed. Garrett whistled in disbelief, smirking as he reached inside. “Well, well, well, ancestor Amells. What were we trying to hide?”
Read more at A03 here.
Special thanks to Flutiebear, who helped make this story wonderful. Your support has meant the world to me, boo!
What I love about this story is that in just a few thousand words, it strikes a pitch perfect chord of pathos and heartwarmingness (is that even a word? whatevs it is now).
With this scenario, it would have been really easy to just coast along to an easy, fluffy ending, but I really like how dark the edges of this story are, how all the spaces in between words hints at great pain and loss. It makes the schmoopy bits and dick jokes all that more satisfying. :)