Promises: Chapter Thirty-Nine

Disclaimer: Dragon Age and all assorted characters/places/etc belong to Bioware, not me.

Sleep was not something to be had that evening for Fenris. He tried valiantly to fall asleep, nestling under the covers of the too-soft bed and closing his eyes tightly shut. None of that worked, however, as he was still too tightly wound up from the events of dinner to fall asleep.

Two things had been made apparent from dinner that evening. The first was that it was going to be very difficult indeed for Fenris to live in castle with the way that other men fawned over Hawke. It had taken all of his self-control not to intervene and make it clear just who Hawke belonged to tonight.

The second thing that he had learned was that Nathaniel Howe's enemy was a dangerous one indeed. Ian Carrow carried himself like a man who was used to dealing death. Fenris was willing to bet that the erstwhile noble had a shady past with connections to the underground that were deeper than even Nathaniel imagined. In fact, Fenris wasn't entirely certain that Carrow was a noble at all. Though the other squire had all the arrogance of a noble, he also seemed to be too hard to be just another lad used to the soft life of the nobility. Fenris was willing to bet that Carrow had spent some time growing up on the streets. Maybe the other squire even spent some time as a thief; that would certainly explain his connections to Ansburg's thieves' guild.

His lips curled back as it occurred to him how badly he had underestimated the task before them. When he had originally agreed to help Nathaniel in his quest for revenge, Fenris had thought that it had to be easier than their last big job. He had figured that finding evidence within a single city of one man's duplicity had to simpler than tracking back and forth across Antiva searching for its most infamous slave hunter. The elf had thought that this job was bound to be a lot less frustrating, and what was more, the accommodations would be better too.

However the reality was that this had to be the single most frustrating day that Fenris had faced in a very long time, and every single bit of his frustration seemed to be centered around Hawke. First there was the fact that he had been utterly unable to secure any time alone with his mageling. After being accustomed to having her to himself for days on end, Fenris was ill-equipped to deal with their sudden separation. He knew that his mageling was only one room over from him, but the social constraints of life in the castle made it feel as though Hawke was miles away.

Dinner didn't help matters either. Having to hang back and watch as man after man sought out Hawke's attention was akin to torture. Fenris had always known how desirable Hawke was; even old robes couldn't disguise the fact that she was beautiful. He didn't like being reminded, however, about how easy it would be for his mageling to find someone else. Even her status as an apostate wouldn't be that much of a barrier, not if the man in question was infatuated with her. Fenris trusted Hawke with his life, and he knew that she hadn't been tempted by anyone she met. That didn't make it any easier though to watch other men seek pursue her.

Then at the very end of their first full day in Ansburg, Fenris found out that Carrow, Nathaniel's nemesis, would be no easy mark. The elf wasn't entirely sure if they were up to the job, but in any event, he knew that it would likely take them weeks—if not months—to get Nathaniel the information he needed for his revenge. Needless to say, Fenris was not looking forward to spending so much time in the castle for all of its inhabitants seemed determined to keep him away from Hawke.

The elf scowled as Hawke's note came into his line of sight. That was yet another source of frustration for him. Clearly there was a reason why Hawke wanted him to have that scrap of paper for otherwise she wouldn't have bothered to risk giving it to him. However it was impossible for him to decipher her message, being illiterate as he was. He gulped nervously. Fenris hoped that Hawke wasn't thinking that they would be able to communicate freely with one another by passing notes. If so, then he was in trouble indeed.

A loud thump echoed throughout the room, startling Fenris as he stared at Hawke's note. The thump was followed by another, both of which came from his window. Fenris bit back a curse. He didn't know who was at his window trying to get in, but he didn't think that they were the friendly sort.

Fenris left his sword behind in favor of his belt dagger. He stalked across the room and to the window, intent on throwing it open to startle the would-be intruder. Before he could throw the latch though, he caught sight of a pair of bright blue eyes peering through the window and into his room. This time Fenris didn't hold back his curse. His mageling was clinging to the edge of the window sill outside, and only the Maker knew how she got there.

"Hawke!" Fenris cried as he scrambled to unhook the latch. He motioned for Hawke to step back before he opened the window and then reached out a shaky hand to her to help her in. She hopped inside, looking none the worse for wear. If anything, Fenris was worse off than her, with his heart still racing from the rush of fear of seeing her out there on the ledge.

"Thank you," Hawke told him after taking a minute to straighten her robes. "For a moment there, I thought you weren't going to let me in. I would have felt awfully stupid having to go back to my room after spending so much time plotting how to get from there to here."

Fenris fixed his most stern gaze upon the mageling. "That was not your best idea," he told her firmly. "Do you have any concept of how high up we are? How did you get to my window from yours in the first place?"

"I jumped," was her reply. His shock must have shown on his face because Hawke rushed to reassure him. "Oh don't worry. I was never at any risk. Zev taught me a little bit about scaling walls and the like; he said that it never hurt to be prepared to make a quick exit. Not that I'm as good as him, but I'm able to use magic while he's not. One of the books I bought in Wycombe was about force magic, and I've been practicing ever since. There's this one spell where…well never mind about the technical details. Let's just say that if I had missed my jump, I would have been able to stop my fall by using it."

"And what would you do if someone saw you use magic?" Fenris asked. "For that matter, what will we do if anyone saw you going from your room to mine?"

"No one's going to catch me, Fenris. For one, we are awfully high up and so it's hard to see the windows from the ground." Hawke frowned at him. "Between your scolding and the fact that you didn't leave the window open like I asked you, I'm beginning to think that you don't want me here."

So that was what her note had been about. That made sense, seeing how it would have been safer for Hawke to make the journey between windows if his had been open. Not that he would consider such a trip safe under any circumstances, given how high up they were, so perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it would have been less dangerous if he had left his window open for Hawke.

He didn't have time to continue that line of thought though because Hawke was looking most put out with him. She had crossed her arms and was tapping her toe and giving him a glare that made it clear that she was not happy. "Well?" she asked, her mouth pulled down into a grimace. "Do you not want me to be here?"

"Yes…I mean no…I mean…." Fenris bit back a growl of frustration. Trust his Hawke to unleash such a complicated turn of phrase on him. "I want you here, I want you with me, always," he told her firmly.

She sniffed at his reassurance. "Is that so? Well, you've been less than welcoming."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was just…surprised, you could say, to find you outside my window like that." He mentally added that Hawke had nearly scared him to death showing up like that, and Fenris was never at his best when he was frightened.

"But didn't you read my note?" Hawke's lower lip trembled as she gestured to where Fenris had left it out in the open.

"I…I hadn't had the chance to read it yet," he replied. That excuse sounded lame to his ears although he could argue that technically it was true. He hadn't had a chance to read Hawke's note to him because he had never gotten the chance to learn how to read.

"You didn't have the chance to read it?" Hawke repeated, her voice disbelieving. "But I gave it to you this afternoon, and what's more, it's been a couple hours since dinner. You should have had plenty of time to…." She trailed off, not finishing that sentence. The mageling looked down and away from Fenris.

"You're not telling me the truth, are you?" the mageling said in a small voice. "You're hiding something from me. But I've noticed how the last couple of days how distant you've been. You never take the chance to be close to me anymore…just like you didn't take the chance evidently to read what I had written to you." Hawke let loose a loud sigh. "I tried to convince myself that I was just imagining things but I guess this seals it, doesn't it? Something's changed. Something has made you not want me any more."

"What? No!" Fenris was aghast at her words. How could Hawke possibly think that he didn't want her when it seemed that increasingly all he could think of was her?

Hawke shook her head sadly. "You say the right things, but your actions speak louder than any words. Please, Fenris. I don't know what I did wrong or how I can make things better, but you've got to let me know. Because I—"

"No," Fenris repeated fervently. "You've done nothing wrong, Hawke."

"Is that so? Then why is it that you can't stand to be around me?"

"No. Nothing could be farther than the truth. I don't know how you got that idea, Hawke, not when the opposite's true that I…I can't stand to be parted from you." The words flowed out of him in a great rush as he hastened to correct Hawke's misperception.

However the mageling was not convinced. "If that's the case, then why weren't you ready for me to come over here? That's why I gave you the note so you could be prepared."

"I didn't have a chance to read it. I told you that already," he said rather loudly, his agitation causing his tone to sharpen. He didn't know why Hawke was being so difficult. He hadn't been able to read her note and that explained why his window had been closed. If he had known that she was planning to come over, then he most certainly would have prepared for her visit. Of course, given her chosen path to his room, he probably would have elected to go over to her room before she attempted the crossing between their windows.

"You keep saying that you didn't have time to read it, but it's been hours since I gave it to you. Couldn't you have found a few minutes to look it over? Especially after I went to such lengths to get it to you? " Hawke's voice was strident now too.

"I wanted to…I just didn't get around to it." Fenris grounded his teeth together. He did want to read her note, for more reasons than one. He really wished that Hawke would just let the matter go, rather than continue to pour salt over his wounds by reminding him of his illiteracy.

"Oh? What kept you so busy that you couldn't spare a minute to see what I had to say? I saw you pacing around. Were you thinking of how you could unload me here in Ansburg and leave me behind?"

"No! Don't be ridiculous!" His ire provoked, Fenris leveled a glare at his mageling. "I would think that you know me better than that," he said icily.

"I thought I did know you better, but I guess not." Hawke curled her hand into fists. "I'm wasting my time here and yours. I'll be going now. I know when I'm not wanted."

She moved back towards the window, but Fenris was quicker and was able to block her way. "Not wanted?" he repeated her last two words. "That's…that's—"

"Ridiculous?" she suggested for him. "I would have thought that as little as an hour again. However the ever-so warm welcome I've received from you has convinced me otherwise."

"Hawke…." Fenris trailed off, not knowing what to say. Hawke had crossed her arms and was looking belligerently up at him. An apology was in order here, although a small part of him whispered that she had started their argument. "I'm sorry," he said. "When I saw you out there, I was scared. I wouldn't know what to do without you. I reacted poorly, and for that, I apologize."

Hawke chewed her lower lip, leaving Fenris in agony as he waited to hear whether she accepted his apology or not. "Those are…that is to say…well you sound very sincere, and I want to believe you. I guess I do in this matter," she said. Fenris let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding, but Hawke dashed his hopes with her next words. "That doesn't change the fact that you've been distant these last couple of days."

"Out of necessity only. We have roles to play here in Ansburg, Hawke, and those roles dictate how familiar I can be with you. I don't like having to watch you be pawed by those noble sons, but I'm afraid I have little choice given the job we've accepted."

"But even when we're alone, you keep away from me. Like in the library this afternoon. It was only the two of us, but you refused even to get close to me."

"The library was hardly safe for an assignation given that anyone could walk in on us. And someone did, in case you've forgotten," he pointed out.

Hawke rolled her eyes. "There was plenty of time before that. Besides there were plenty of nooks and crannies for us to hide in. I tried to point a couple out to you, but you were oblivious."

Fenris winced. So the mageling had been flirting with him back in the library with her conversation and compliments. He hadn't caught on to that at the time. "You were very subtle," he said, a note of accusation in his voice.

"Too subtle," she agreed. "I like to think that I wasn't subtle in the note, seeing that I told you how much I…well go see for yourself." She waved a hand at the letter.

"I would rather you tell me," Fenris said quickly.

To his surprise, Hawke's response was to blush deeply. "I…I…" She shook her head. "It's embarrassing what I wrote, now that I think about it. I was far too forward—"

"Seeing how your subtle attempts didn't work, I find it hard to believe that you were too forward," said Fenris. "Tell me, what did you write?"

She shook her head again. "No. If you really want to know, you can read it." She looked down at her shoes. "There are some things that are hard to say, you know. Especially when it comes to," Hawke's blush deepened and she made a vague gesture with her hand, "certain…activities."

"I see." Fenris' gaze cut over to her letter and then back to the mageling. Now he really wished that he could read it. Evidently Hawke had written something she considered steamy, but he would never know it. "I would read it if I could," he mumbled to himself.

Though he had been speaking softly, Hawke's keen ears still picked up his words. "What? What do you mean that—"

"It's nothing, Hawke," he said sharply.

"It doesn't sound like it's nothing. Why can't you read it anyway? Isn't it over there?" Hawke asked. Then she let out a small cry as she clasped her hands together. "Oh no! Don't tell me that you bumped into someone and my letter fell down and you went to retrieve it only to find that the letter you picked up was for that person who bumped into you and that they got the one that I wrote to you!"

Fenris stared at his mageling. Her suggestion was so far-fetched. He couldn't believe how she could imagine such an improbable situation so easily. Before he could say anything, Hawke had brushed past him and made a beeline for the letter. She picked it up and scanned its contents, letting out a sigh of relief as she realized that he hadn't lost her letter.

"Oh thank the Maker, you didn't lose it," she said, turning around to face him once more. Her brow furrowed, she looked from the letter to Fenris. "Although that still leaves the question of why you didn't read it," she added pointedly.

There was no hope for Fenris, and he knew it. Hawke was feeling stubborn, and she wasn't about to let go of the topic. He cast about, trying to find a suitable lie he could tell her, but he found that there was none he wanted to use. It was time for him to come clean. She would undoubtedly try to write to him again during their stay in the castle, and eventually she would find out that he was unable to use such a mode of communication. It was better for her to hear the truth from him rather than find out in some other way.

He just hoped that she wouldn't be too disappointed in him.

"I can't read," he said simply. "Slaves in Tevinter are not allowed to learn."

Hawke gasped. Her eyes grew wide as she asked, "You can't read? Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I…." Fenris didn't know how to answer that. There were so many reasons why he hadn't told her—because he didn't want to disappoint her, because he didn't want her pity, because he felt ashamed. "There were many reasons," he finally settled on saying, not going into any further detail.

Hawke stared at him for a long moment, but Fenris couldn't meet her eyes. He was too scared of what he might see in them. After a minute, Hawke sighed and put the letter down. She crossed over to Fenris and stood before him. "Would you like to learn?" she asked him.

"Of course!" The reply fell from his lips unbidden.

"Good. Then I can teach you," said Hawke. She beamed up at him, her smile illuminating the room with its brilliance.

Fenris blinked, taken aback by her offer. He did want to learn how to read, but he wasn't sure about Hawke teaching him. While she was kind, the mageling wasn't the most patient of people. Fenris didn't know how quickly he would pick up reading, and he didn't want Hawke to think he was an idiot if he learned slower that she would have liked. However he had to respond to her somehow, and already he had taken too long.

"I appreciate the offer," he said slowly, "but I do think we have our hands full at the moment. Maybe at a later—"

"No," she said firmly. "Something big like this shouldn't be put off. It will only make you more nervous in the end. Although," she wrinkled her nose and started twiddling her fingers together, "I've never really taught anyone before. Well anything significant as I did show Bethany how to toss a fireball. So in a way, we'll both be learning."

Hawke's admission did little to assuage Fenris' fears. He smiled wanly at his mageling as he sought a way to politely refuse her. He appreciated the offer—it showed just how much Hawke cared for him to offer to teach someone like him—but at the same time, he didn't want to burden Hawke with his shortcomings, especially as it wasn't clear if she was suited to deal with them.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. "You sounded so eager a moment ago, but now…now you're hesitating."

He mentally searched for an excuse to give her but couldn't think of anything good. "I just think…teaching might me be difficult at the moment. It's not as though we have the materials for such a thing."

Hawke raised an eyebrow up at him. "We're in a castle with ready access to parchment and ink. That's all we really need. What's more, I am supposed to be spending a good chunk of my time in the library surrounded by books. It will be easy enough to sneak out reading materials for you."

Fenris felt the urge to wince. Hawke had done a banner job in nailing his feet to the ground. One could hardly argue with her reasoning, not when it made so much sense, and so he would have to come clean to her once again. "Thank you. I…appreciate the offer. However—"

"You want to learn but you don't want me to teach you?" she put in.

He hastened to reassure her. "It's not that," he said. "I just fear…I might be slow and you…I don't want you to lose faith in me if I'm not clever enough to pick up on it quickly."

"I see." The room was silent for a moment as Hawke processed his response. "How about this? I promise you that I won't lose faith in you or think any less of you if you don't pick up on reading quickly. After all," she said with a shrug of her shoulders, "it's my first time teaching anyone something intensive. The fault might very well lay with me especially as I know you're an intelligent man."

"However," she went on without giving Fenris a chance to respond, "I'm afraid I can't say the same, that I won't be disappointed in you, if you're so scared of failure that you don't even try."

"That is…rather direct," Fenris told her. He had thought Hawke had him cornered before but now he was truly trapped. Still her point was irrefutable. Fear of failure was a stupid excuse not to try and better oneself.

"Very well," he said, conceding his loss. Though he remained fearful about what Hawke might think if he proved to be stupid when it came to reading, there was also a part of him that was excited. His inability to read was the most prominent reminder of his life as a slave; indeed it was the last shackle he had yet to shed. If he could become proficient in reading and writing, then that would be another step taken in learning how to live as a free man.

His mind started to fill with visions of him not only being able to read the slip of paper that Hawke had passed him but also able to respond in kind. It was hard not to feel a little excited at that prospect. "When should we start?" he asked.

"Not tonight as I'm afraid I didn't the foresight to bring any ink or parchment. Not unless you have those things here." Hawke looked at him hopefully, but he shook his head.

"No, I don't. I never had any need for any writing supplies, so unless this room's last occupant left any lying around, then there is none to be had," he said.

"I guess that means we will have to start tomorrow, most likely in the library. I will also make sure to bring over some writing supplies so you can practice when I'm not around."

"Practice?" he echoed.

"Yes. It takes practice to perfect a skill, does it not?" she asked with a vague wave of her hand.

"That it does," he agreed readily. His hopes began to rise as he occurred that this new endeavor of theirs might not turn into the disaster he feared. He had to wonder how effective it would be for him to practice outside without Hawke around to correct his mistakes, and he voiced that thought to her.

"It should be quite effective, I think," she replied, full of confidence in that answer. "I don't think you'll be able to practice reading on your own at the start, but you can practice writing."

"I don't need to know how to write. Reading will be enough," Fenris put in. Learning how to read sounded challenging enough, and he didn't want to muck things up by having to learn to write as well.

"They're both part and parcel of the same package. If you know how to read, you know how to write. You can't know how to do one without the other," she said. He gave her a look that made it clear how believable he found that assertion, and so she continued with her explanation. "It's kind of like learning how to fight with a blade. There are basics that you need to know, such as how to draw it. After one gets past that, however, it would be very foolish to try to learn how to attack without learning how to defend."

Fenris' brow wrinkled as he turned that analogy around in his mind. "That makes sense," he said cautiously before offering Hawke a slight smile. "In any case, I will have to rely upon your good judgment in this matter for you're the expert in such things while I am the novice," he noted. It was very much a reverse of their usual roles for in the past, he had taught Hawke how to wield a dagger and he had tried to show her how to cook. Now she would be the teacher while he would be the student.

"You can trust me," she told him, her demeanor solemn, as her eyes met his. Fenris nodded his head, reassured by what he saw in her gaze. Hawke was very loyal, and he had no reason to doubt her commitment to him. She would not abandon this endeavor, no matter how difficult it might become, even if teaching him wound up being a difficult task indeed.

Hawke sighed loudly, distracting Fenris from such thoughts. "So," she said, shifting awkwardly about on her feet, "now that that's settled, I guess I should go back." Despite her phrasing, it was a question more of a statement.

Fenris blinked in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him, in the heat of their argument, that they had been wasting precious time. Who knew when they would get an opportunity to be alone like this again, because he didn't want Hawke to be making regular trips from her room to his by leaping across the window ledge. She was lucky that the night were warmer now, otherwise she would have risked catching cold dressed in the light dressing gown that she was in.

At that thought, Fenris' eyes were immediately drawn to Hawke. The thin, white gown did little to conceal her figure. His gaze roved across his mageling's curves, lingering lovingly over her breasts. It had been such a long time since he had been able to see so much of Hawke. Now that she was here, he hardly wanted to see her go. Go she would, however, unless he spoke up and soon.

"I don't think that there is any particular rush for you to return to your room," he said. "You barely got here."

Hawke shot him a disbelieving look. "I've been here longer than you think, Fenris. Besides I at least have a long day ahead of me. I wonder how long it will take before Lady Elsa tires of trying to make a lady out of me?"

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," Fenris told her.

"Thanks. You really do know how to comfort a girl, don't you?"

The elf perked up at the opening that Hawke gave him, but he was too slow to take it. Before he could offer to personally console her, Hawke had moved on. "Oh well. I suppose a good night's sleep will do me a world of good," she noted, half to herself.

Fenris could feel his chance slipping away yet again, but he wasn't about to give up. "You can spend the night here if that will help."

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't know if that is wise. Shouldn't we be more careful about not getting caught?"

If he didn't know better, he would have said that Hawke was being intentionally difficult. "Nobles are used to soft living, unlike the two of us. Most of them have never had to get up before dawn for any reason. I am certain that between the two of us, we will be able to get you back to your room before anyone notices."

That suggestion earned him an eye roll from his mageling. Fenris was beginning to be convinced that Hawke was being stubborn on purpose. "Does that include the servants?" she asked sharply.

"But of course," he replied quickly. He winced as he realized that his tone had been harsher than it should have been. "My apologies," he said to Hawke. "I didn't mean to be so abrupt. I…I was rather rude earlier as you pointed out. I feel terrible for not being more welcoming when you arrived, and I would appreciate the chance to apologize." That came out more stiffly than he intended, but Fenris still thought it was a good start.

Evidently he was right about that. The tension flowed out of Hawke's shoulders as she visibly relaxed. "Oh Fenris," she said softly. "There is no need for you to apologize."

He shook his head. "I was scared and took that out on you. I shouldn't have done that. I'd like to make amends."

"There's no need for that, Fenris, really." Hawke smiled up at him. "It was a misunderstanding, that's all and—" Suddenly she paused, her brow furrowing with thought. "Wait a minute," she said, tapping one finger against her chin while looking at him critically. "Just what did you have in mind when you offered to make amends?"

Fenris shrugged his shoulders. He really hadn't planned out any specifics past getting Hawke to stay with him. "You've had a long day so I thought that I could help you relax," he offered.

The mageling covered her face with her hand and sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that helping me relax involves the two of us in bed together?"

He stiffened at those words. Hawke sounded as though she wasn't too enamored with that idea, and that stung Fenris' male pride. "Why? Is that idea such an awful thing?"

"Oh, it's hardly awful. Quite the opposite really. Or at least, it would be if I wasn't so blasted tired."

"Which is why I thought you would appreciate some help in relaxing," the elf was quick to point out.

"Fenris," Hawke all but whined. "I don't know how to put this, but I'm tired. Which means that I don't have the energy for anything but sleep tonight."

He was about to try to convince her again when he took another look at her. While Hawke was heartbreakingly lovely—as always in his view—he could see that his mageling was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Apparently their argument hadn't taken the last of her energy, and he only had himself to blame. There was no point in continuing to try and seduce her, not when she was clearly too worn out to be interested.

Despite reaching that conclusion, Fenris wasn't about to let Hawke go. He wanted to have her near him even if he couldn't have her. "You do seem rather exhausted, Hawke, but that's all the more reason for you to stay. It's not safe for you to make the trip back when you're nearly dead on your feet."

"I would hardly go that far," said Hawke.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Fenris wasn't used to baring his heart—particularly not twice in one night—but for Hawke, he would do anything. "Will you stay?" he asked. "I've missed you and I…don't want to let you go just yet."

A flush spread across Hawke's cheeks, staining it pink. Her hands fluttered up to cover her mouth. "Oh!" she cried. "That's…that's…."

Whatever it was enough to make her fly into his arms, right where she belonged. He embraced her tightly. She buried her head against his chest with her hair tickling his chin. Having her so close to him was a comfort. He could feel all the tension and stress of the last few days melting away.

"That is quite possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me," Hawke said. Her voice was slightly muffled, but he could hear her just fine. A blush appeared on his face, twin to her own, as she continued on in the same vein. "That's what I lo—I mean that's what's best about you. You're prickly like a hedgehog, but you're one of the most caring persons I know."

Fenris wasn't about to challenge Hawke's claim although he knew it to be wrong. One argument a night was more than enough for him, and so he wasn't going to fight with Hawke if she insisted on believing that he was better than he actually was. The truth was that Hawke was the only one he cared about. He hadn't exactly been close to any other slaves back in Tevinter due to his position, and while he had felt gratitude and maybe even something akin to friendship towards the Fog Warriors, that had not been enough in the end. What he felt for Hawke was different though, a combination of friendship and something more. Before he met Hawke, he had no concept that it was possible to long for someone so much while simultaneously wishing to protect them from all harm. It was nigh frightening, what he felt for her, but he wouldn't give it or her up for the world.

"I've missed you too," Hawke said softly. That confession was like music to Fenris' ears. "I would love to stay here. You don't mind if we don't—"

"Not at all, Hawke." Those words rolled right off of Fenris' tongue. While ideally he would have liked to have taken advantage of having Hawke in his bed, the most important thing was to have her there.

"All right then. I don't want to oversleep though. Will you wake me in the morning?"

"Of course. You don't even have to ask."

That promise brought a smile to Hawke's face, one that she wore to bed. With her cuddled up beside him, Fenris easily found the sleep that had eluded him earlier that evening.

Author's note: Well hopefully it's not too disappointing that the evening didn't end the way Fenris wanted. Anyway thanks for reading. I'd appreciate it ever so much if you'd leave a review and let me know what you think.