Bianca
Disclaimer: As much as I might wish otherwise, Dragon Age and everything related belongs to Bioware and others.
Varric fingered the trigger of Bianca tiredly. After all these years she was still just as trusty as ever. His heart didn't skip quite as many beats as it used to whenever he looked at her, but he supposed something did have to change with the years.
Kind of like his relationship with Hawke. Now don't get ahead of yourself. It hasn't changed that much to date. Not from lack of subtle offers on Hawke's part mind you. That woman could be, hmph, persuasive. Hawke was a hard woman to deny, but he couldn't be with her until she knew the story of Bianca, the only one he swore he would never tell.
It was getting harder not to tell her. Mostly because she was so, Hawke, about it. Nothing but good humor and patience. She hadn't pushed him once and they had been dancing around each other and themselves for years.
When the last bandit had fallen to Hawke's flying daggers they all headed their separate ways to wash off all the blood. Knowing their motley crew, he'd find them all gathered around his table when he was done bathing. He fully expected to see Hawke lounging in his chair when he got out.
The Hanged Man was as bustling as ever when he got there. Varric took brief notice of the missing Isabella, but didn't pay it much mind. With daydreams of hot water and wet skin he yelled for Norah and tromped upstairs.
He was dumping a bucket of water over his head when he heard a faint squeak. He glanced around but didn't see anyone. He climbed out of the tub and grabbed his towel. He secured it around his hips and looked around again.
When his eyes paused on the hook where his clean clothes hung he yelled, "Blighted nug humpers! Isabella, get your pert ass back here with my clothes."
Varric barged into his rooms expecting to find them empty. He didn't think he'd find a smiling Hawke with his clothes over her lap.
She was short for a human, but the way her legs draped over the arm of his chair made them seem longer. She shifted her hips slightly and his clothes slipped further up her thighs. He hadn't realized how bare they were.
"My my, that pelt of yours looks like it goes all the way down," she purred.
"Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between you and Isabella. Especially when you're wearing next to nothing," he laughed.
Hawke shrugged, "She may have caught me after you turned the corner. Apparently she'd been saving this for me."
The outfit was definitely of Isabella's choosing. She was in a corset. A dark blue corset that made her pale skin glow and her Hair look like it was aflame. It had gold edging at the top and bottom and golden eyelets that just had to be for easy access.
While Varric was being distracted by the eyelets Hawke grabbed his clothes in one hand and stood up. Turns out she was wearing a matching skirt that went to her knees, except for the slit that ran up her left thigh. It was so thin he didn't notice at first. It flared just the slightest bit as her hips swayed, but not enough for him to notice more than its existence.
She stopped within arm's reach and held out his clothes saying, "I'll trade you for the towel."
He chuckled again, "It's not that easy to get me naked."
He took his clothes from her and went back into his bathing room. He made sure to lock the door this time.
He took a large breath before pulling his clothes on. He didn't know what had gotten into Hawke just now. She had never been that obvious in her request. She had also never shown that much skin. Just thinking about it made his heart race.
After steadying himself he walked back into his main room, only to find it empty. He looked around in confusion, but didn't see any sign of her. He walked down to the tavern portion of the Hanged Man, but didn't see her there either. He did see Isabella waving wildly at him.
"Why the hell would you turn down Hawke?" she demanded.
He stared at her in confusion, "What do you mean? I didn't turn her down."
That's not how she took it. She came down her with tears in her pretty brown eyes. She stopped just long enough to tell me that you didn't want her and then she ran out of here," she scoffed.
Varric had run upstairs to grab Bianca and was on the streets of Lowtown before Isabella could say anything else. He raced along the streets towards Hightown hoping to find her at home and not in some kind of trouble.
His ancestors had granted him some kind of luck when he got to her mansion and saw flickering lights in her bedroom window. He picked the lock on her front door and slipped inside. He raced upstairs and knocked quietly.
"I'm ok Bodhan. Please go to bed," he heard her call.
He slipped inside the rook without replying. He sat in one of the chairs and waited for her to come into the bedroom.
Her eyes narrowed when she saw him, "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted an explanation for whatever that was in my room earlier," he said.
He could see the hurt in her eyes when she sighed, "I got tired of this "thing" between us being a game. I had to do something to let you know I…have strong feelings for you."
He noticed her pause. It wasn't exactly hard to miss. He rubbed his temples. His head ached at the argument going on inside.
He sighed himself and warned, "I'm going to tell a story Hawke, and if you interrupted I'll walk out and never finish it."
He watched her swallow nervously and nod. He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes.
"The first time I fell in love I was in Orzammar. I wasn't any older than that little maid of yours. My father had dragged us there to try to get the family re-instated under Bartrand. I didn't know why he thought it would work, but you didn't argue with my father.
I was in Tapster's, a tavern own there, when this loud smith came in. She was bragging about how she was going to be the next paragon. I didn't think much of her, but I figured there could be some profit if what she was making was useful. I bought her some drinks and buttered her up.
I don't remember how long we ended up talking or what about, but by the time my father had come to drag me out, I was hooked.
For the next month, while my father was pleading his case, I met the woman in Tapster's. We'd drink, talk, argue, and take turns renting rooms to make love in. When she found out her father had offered her in marriage to someone I invited her to come to the surface with me. She accepted.
After that excursion my father was banned from ever entering Orzammar again. He moved us all ere to Kirkwall. When we landed she and I married. We were in love and happy together for six years. She plied her trade as a smith and she and I would travel throughout the Free Marches selling her weapons and whatever else my father and brother bid us.
On our anniversary she gifted me with the finest of her work, a crossbow. On the weeks long trip home from Starkhaven she taught me the ins and outs of the bow. A few days from home we encountered darkspawn. Neither of us were warriors. There was no way I could defend her. I lay broken in a pool of our blood, listening to her scream for me as they carried her off.
I don't know how I survived, because the next time I woke up I was in my own bed. I nearly bankrupted my family over the following ear and a half trying to find her. When I started talking about venturing into the deep roads my father had had enough.
I moved out of his house and into the Hanged Man. When my father died shortly after I finally gave up. I had gained the skills I have now, and my brother needed them to keep the family afloat. The crossbow was the last thing I had of my wife, so I named it after her and swore to keep her out of the stories she hated me telling so much."
He felt Hawke's warm hand against her cheek. It took him a bit to realize that she was wiping tears off his face. He opened his eyes to see she had tears of her own streaming. He pinned her hand against his face before he just pulled her into his lap.
With tears still in her eyes she asked, "If you swore never to tell that story, why tell me now?"
"Because I couldn't really be with you until you knew and until I knew you loved me I always had some reason to put it off," he answered.
She smiled shyly, "I was that obvious?"
"There was quite a pause. And Hawke, there' something else you need to know," he said.
"What?" she asked nervously.
He grinned up at her, "I'm in love with you too."
"You don't think Bianca will mind? she questioned.
"Bianca's a crossbow love. Somehow, I don't think so," he laughed.
She pulled his chin up for a kiss. He gave in happily. It took only moments for the kiss to heat up. He felt her shifting slightly against him. He groaned into her mouth as her hips moved.
She broke the kiss to say, "Perhaps the bed would be better for this."
He noted the husky quality of her voice as he nodded. He was already making plans on seeing how else he could get her voice to change. He got up at her tug and followed.
Something was scratching his chest. If felt nice. H opened his eyes to see Hawke was playing with the hair. He pulled her closer. She jumped in his arms.
"I didn't know you were awake, but since you are," she threw the sheet over her head and started going lower.
If the door hadn't slammed open she'd have made her goal.
"Hawke you have to do something about…Varric," Aveline turned bright red as she squeaked his name.
Hawke wrestled herself out of the sheet in time to watch her door slam back shut.
"Looks like the kids are up," he joked.
She pushed her hair out of her face and ordered, "Get Orana to run us a bath and I'll go see what Isabella did this time."
They each pulled a robe on to see to their goal, a goofy smile on their faces.
AN: Any critique, if nicely put, would be welcome since Microsoft Word is my only beta.