I'm attempting to play Dragon age 2 for the second time and I'm falling in love with Fenris all over again. There just isn't enough of him in the game to satisfy me however so I went searching for fan fiction and found some wonderful pieces that motivated me to write my own. So here we are. Takes place in the happier times before Fenris dumps you.

Beginnings of romance.

"What is this?" The white haired elf turned his wrist over repeatedly, inspecting the cloth that'd just been tied to him.

He looked to the woman who sat next to him on his rug near the fireplace. She'd purchased the deep textured carpet for the nights she'd visit him, refusing to continue sitting on dusty chairs and table tops. It was now her "comfy space". It seemed ridiculous that a woman so often covered in blood would mind a bit of cobwebs.

"It's a gift. I figured your ensemble could use a bit of color" she explained tilting her head to the side. It was a habit he noticed she did when she was going to say anything disagreeable.

"Hawke," he started, until the smiling woman turned towards the fire and leaned back onto her hands.

"I only jest." She laughed. "It's a gift. Er, well not really. Consider it more of a token. A reminder maybe."

Fenris looked at the simple silken red cloth knotted around his forearm once more before resting his arms on bent knees. "A reminder of what exactly?"

"Well, that I'll be back eventually. I've been going up Sundermonunt so often with Merrill. Last time we stayed with the Dalish for almost a month to clear those damned caves. Now we have to return to help Feynriel, and who knows how long that will take or what will happen." She answered as she out stretched her legs from beneath her long robes and flexed her toes near the fire.

Fenris watched her face as she spoke and took a mental note on how the flame always seemed to make her skin seem copper. It was a fitting comparison for the woman he'd seen stay standing after being impaled by two spears and poisoned. Copper wasn't impenetrable, but it was tough and lovely in the light. "If you're trying to reassure me that you won't die , there's no need. I've seen you take on tougher things than halfbreed adolescents."

" He happens to be a mage of rare ability" she corrected, adding a mystery tone. "But I suppose it's a flattering statement, coming from someone who considers mages the most dangerous things in all creation." Hawke chuckled and turned so that she faced him, resting on one hip and leaning on one hand. The fire popped as she smirked at him and prepared to speak but stopped herself. She glanced at the thick ribbon and the smile slid from her lips as she looked back to his eyes. Her expression was still and calculating. He could see her mind churning behind her intelligent eyes.

Fenris habitually held her gaze out of defiance. He knew her stare was not a challenge, but the former slave had spent too many years of his life avoiding eye contact with mages to turn away from this one. This wasn't the first time she'd looked at him this way, as if she was looking for something in his eyes. It was a smoldering gaze. Each time, he felt an unease as if he wanted to walk away from her and her damned eyes. It infuriated him. He'd resigned to stop running from anything a long time ago and yet, here he was resisting the urge. What was he so reluctant to let her see?

The two sat in silence until Hawke found her words "I don't want you to feel alone."

Whatever he had been expecting her to say, it wasn't that. "I'm not a helpless child who needs comforts when his mother is away" he ground out in response. It was harsher than he'd intended but he'd been unnerved.

The bare foot mage however scoffed in response. "Fenris. You're far from helpless in my opinion" She turned her gaze back to the fire. "And I'd be a very sick adult if I saw you as a child while I have these images Isabella has managed to burn into my head."

"What?"

"A later topic." she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I just wanted you to have something to look forward to on the days you run out of wine...it's quiet and dark here, just you and your thoughts. I think about you being here alone sometimes. I don't think you mind the emptiness so much, but id rather you have more to think about than killing Danarius. Everything surrounding you is a constant reminder of him."

"And this is a reminder of...you?" Fenris questioned in a low tone feeling something stir at the thought of her thinking of him. It wasn't the first time she'd risen a giddy feeling in his chest.

The woman fidgeted with a lock of her hair and shrugged her shoulders seeming to grow bashful at his choice of words. "Putting it simply I suppose you could say that. It's red, my hair is red, my tattoos are red, my robes are red. It's fitting." She took a sip of her forgotten wine. "I mean I think itd be nicer to wake up to me than Danarius...Maker, wait that didn't come out right."

Hawke rose a self loathing hand to her face and earned a chuckle from the elf beside her. She glanced at him through her fingers. "I'll have to agree with you there. You'd be a much more preferable sight."

A smirk pulled at both their faces as she passed him the last contents of her wine. Fenris tossed back the drink as he considered if he'd really meant what he'd said. His entire reasoning for staying in Kirkwall was to wait for the Imperium Magister that had branded him with lyrium and flaunted him like a prized stallion. Would he really prefer to awake to the beautiful woman warming herself next to him over the man he'd made it his life to kill?

Probably not.

But he wouldn't mind it at all in the meantime. She was a very welcome second. A place holder until he could obtain his main priority. And once first priority had been handled, maybe she could claim the spot. She'd certainly been consistent enough in his life and his dreams for his thoughts to take that route from time to time.

"So do you accept it?" The scarlet haired woman asked laying on her back to stretch and then turning to lay on her side.

Fenris placed the bottle to the side and instead drank in the way her robes sank into her curves. "Accept what?" The fire highlighted her outline while the rest of her rested in shadow. But there was enough light that he could see her pout attractively.

"My token?"

"Ah." He looked at the ribbon again and cocked a brow. He layed down with an arm behind his head and a bent knee. The wine rocked the room slowly. "I suppose I do".

"Splendid." The woman mused beside him sounding pleased with herself. "You must think of me everytime you see it or all this will be for naught."

Fenris looked to see that she spoke with closed eyes. He held up his arm to again inspect the cloth that contrasted harshly against his pale skin and would contrast even more against his dark armor. He would wear it. It would catch his attention often while he went throughout his day and bring the redheaded woman into his thoughts as intended. If her intent was to be a welcome distraction, the ribbon was going to be an effective decision. "I'll keep that in mind"