"So is this…some elf fetish?"
Hawke had been perfectly content staring at the endless blue sky above and reflecting on the fact Isabela had a point when the comment cut into her revere. She blinked, awkwardly tipping her head back to look at the warrior – a very awkward position considering she was already lying prone on her back on the ship's deck, trying to look behind her lifted her chest as she arched her back till the muscles cried out at the strain, and why she bothered she wasn't sure. She would have recognised that voice anywhere, Hawke was utterly convinced she could have recognised Fenris with any one of her senses if the other four were stripped away. She couldn't have mistaken the voice as belonging to anyone else, and actually looking at the elf was somewhat pointless if she was honest. His expression so rarely gave anything away, it was always a pleasure when she managed to make him break his composure and saw his smile.
"Elf fetish?" she repeated questioningly, lying back down flat. Isabela had a point about sailing. When she'd come to Kirkwall the journey had felt like hell, trapped down in the hold with a hundred other sweaty bodies, the smell of sickness in the air, the motion of the boat left her nauseous – and of course, the grief at losing Carver had still be so raw then, which had doubtless not helped. The trip to Orlais had not been pleasant either, had she not had more motivation then just an invite to some fancy party the blonde rogue wouldn't have bothered. They'd travelled through storms the whole way and her throat had been raw from sickness. But with sunny skies and the brisk scent of salt in the air, she could finally see the pirate's interest in the oceans - and she was in no mood to get to her feet which would make her ill again, she always felt worse when stumbling about the deck like a new born foal.
"You and Tallis".
"What about Tallis and I?" she questioned, deliberately being obtuse now as she attempted to draw him into proper conversation rather than brief statements.
"You were flirting with her".
A smile flitted about the corners of her mouth and Hawke shrugged. It was entirely true, her interactions with the red headed elf had been distinctly flirtatious – that was Hawke's nature, she could not help herself.
"I flirt with Isabela. And Varric. Yet you've never questioned if I have a fetish for pirate wenches and beardless dwarves" she pointed out, closing her eyes as the clouds shifted and the glare of the sun blinded her.
"True enough. So…you were not attracted to her?"
"Well I never said that" Hawke commented, resisting the urge to giggle. Tallis had been pretty enough, the speed and flexibility she'd displayed were fascinating even before one considered her looks, but the blue grey gaze had disconcerted her. It felt so odd, she was accustomed to Merrill and Fenris, to seeing the stunning gaze of the elves rendered in emerald green, the pale colouring had seemed washed out and ghostly, unnerving even. No, it was an idle fancy perhaps, and fun to tease somebody who joked back so naturally, but nothing serious. Still, she didn't mind letting Fenris worry just a little.
Footsteps on the deck, the wood almost vibrated with his movements as though his purpose flooded down his body and into the deck and Hawke lifted one hand, shielding her gaze from the sun's rays so she could look up at the warrior, now standing above her with a somewhat less then impressed look on his face. For a long moment he looked at her.
"You were jealous" Hawke offered helpfully, and the elf scowled very slightly.
"I was enjoying it?" she continued, and that did cause him to smile very slightly, hardly more than a twitch at the corner of his mouth but it was enough.
"You are impossible" he informed her gruffly as he sat beside her on the deck.
"Besides Fenris – if it was really about the fact you're an 'elf' don't you think I'd have gone after Merrill by now" Hawke pointed out, their conversation slipping onto parallel tracks with ease.
"Actually, I'd have presumed if abominations were your style, you'd have preferred Anders" the lyrium scarred warrior offered.
"I'm not into threesomes".
Fenris grimaced slightly, and Hawke knew she'd won and she sighed, shifting her shoulders against the deck to get more comfortable.