Hello there! This is just a one shot of something that's been stuck in my head for about a week now. I use to be on this site ages ago and thought it would just be a good outlet, some place to put this nagging scene! Since it's not mentioned below and just to avoid confusion, my Hawke is a rogue, Carver lived past Lothering because he's way more fun to play through with then Bethany (for me anyways) and Hawke isn't a fan of mages or magic. So it's a one shot for now, but it might grow into a few one shots because I've already got another one clawing it's way into my brain. Ah thank you Bioware for making such irresistible characters.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Age universe, it's characters or it's places.
That's all you Bioware!
The sun was slowly starting to fill the room. She could see it creeping across the walls and sliding onto the wooden planks in the floor. Varric was snoring lightly in his bed a few feet away and she could hear Norah and that crazy man who was always blabbering on about something arguing downstairs. She turned over in her makeshift bed, a couple blankets that Varric kept in a pile in the corner of his room just for her, and pulled the covers up over her head. She felt like she'd just been punched in the head by an ogre. She wished she had been, she'd be better off dead then spending the day in this condition. Most people were hard to deal with on a good day for her. Dealing with all the bullshit this city was drowning in on a bad day? To the void with that.
She allowed herself to lay there for a while longer before she got up. She was sure to be as quiet as she could possibly be while she threw on her leathers, her boots, and her grieves being careful not to wake Varric as she did. She tossed her blankets back into the corner, grabbed her pack and locked the heavy door behind her on her way out. It felt like it took forever for her to get down the staircase, but when she finally did she wandered over to her usual spot at the bar and ordered her usual breakfast. This had become so routine that she'd actually come down a few mornings to her meal already waiting for her. Corff was a good guy, especially if you were a good paying customer.
As she chewed on the "mystery meat of the day" as she so lovingly referred to it as, the throbbing in her head threatened to drive her mad. Well, she needed to figure out where she was going to spend the day. She had no plans and no jobs lined up and for once she was perfectly fine with that. She didn't want to do anything except get rid of the painful pounding in her head. So, she weighed out her options.
She didn't want to go back to Gamlen's shack. That would actually be the worst place for her to go. Gamlen down her throat about money and debts, Mother constantly nagging, wining and crying, Carver bitching and moaning about everything. Nope. She wouldn't be going home today. Aveline was always busy now. Training for the Captain spot she was going to be assuming in the Fall. She refused to go to Anders for anything. She hated being anywhere near him alone, "hanging out" with the bastard was out of the question. Merril was mad at her too, which she was fine with because she was just as scary and dangerous as Anders and now Hawke had a reason to not ask her to go anywhere anytime soon. Isabella was at The rose last night. Jethon had come back from vacation yesterday and she remembered her mentioning something about "missing him something fierce since he's been gone". Yeah, she'd probably be tied up all day. Literally.
Sebastian was no doubt giving one of his sermons or doing some confessions or something else that included a lot of chanting. Nope, her brain couldn't handle that today. Well, there was always Fenris... "I bet he'd know how to cure a hangover!" She thought to herself. "He never let's Anders touch him unless he absolutely has too and he always has at least ten bottles of wine in his room..."
The more she thought about it the more Hawke warmed up to the idea. Hanging out with Fenris didn't sound bad at all. She could always stay with Varric but he usually found something for her to do and she honestly just wasn't up to doing all that much today. After the fight her and Carver had the night before she just really wanted a day to herself. Pity she never had anywhere else to go.
Besides, if it was awkward then she'd just slink back to Varric and hide back under her pile of sheets until he found some kind of problem to drag her ass into.
When she'd finished her meal she tossed Corff a few extra silvers. "Would you mind having Norah bring him up his breakfast in an hour? He shouldn't be up until then, not after last night." She gave Corff a wary smile. This was something else that had become routine to her. She always bought Varric breakfast when she crashed in his room at The Hanged Man. It was her way of saying "Thanks for letting me sleep on your floor again."
"Yeah I figured s'much. You and that brother of yours put on quite a show you know." He chuckled
She just rolled her eyes, "I know, sorry about that. He's just got so many issues it's hard for me to keep them all in check sometimes."
Corff chuckled. "Aye now, he wasn't the only one screaming at the top of his lungs, I'd say you got a few issues yourself! Don't worry kiddo, I'll have that hussy bring him up a nice plate." Corff gave her a wink as he took her plate and headed to the back. "We'll see you back here tonight I expect?"
"I sure hope so." she sighed. He gave her a small nod and disappeared behind the door. She left the bar and walked out into the street. The sun was definitely too bright and she could smell the mucked up air of Lowtown. She started up the steps that led to Hightown, cursing the gulls that were screeching like sirens over head.
She didn't even bother knocking on the main door of the old mansion. He always kept it unlocked. She wandered in and was wondering why he had so many blasted stairs when suddenly she heard a shattering sound from the main room that Fenris mostly kept too. She peaked her head around the corner and saw him leaning against the wall closest to his bed. His forehead was pressed to the cool stone and his eyes were closed. He was muttering something under his breath. Swearing in Tevinter, she was sure.
"Well, nice to know I'm not the only one who's utterly miserable from last night." she stepped into the door way, giving him a weak smile.
His eyes shot wide open for a moment before they narrowed at her and the usual frown he wore returned to his face. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that she'd startled him, even if only for a moment. No one ever came upon him or his home without him knowing it. "What are you doing here?" His husky voice always made it sound like he'd just woken up, deep and rough.
"I told you. Just wanted to make sure someone was as miserable as me. Now my day is complete."
"I'm sure." He replied coolly. He walked over to the fire place where the embers had not yet cooled but there were no flames to be seen and began poking at it. Within a few minutes he had it roaring like usual, he grabbed a wine bottle from the mantle and set himself into his chair. Hawke made her way over to the chair opposite his, her usual spot as it were, tossing her bag on the floor as she slumped down into the soft, torn cushion. "Oh Maker. I think this is my favorite chair in all of Kirkwall."
He cast another irritated glance her way. "Seriously. What do you want this early Hawke? Has something come up or or you just here to bother me?" He took a small drink from the already half empty bottle.
"You know me," she sighed "just trying to stay away from that shack. Honestly I wish it would just get swallowed up into the void, and all those blighters inside could go with it." She was looking into the fire now, the images of last nights argument flashed through her mind. She shook them from her thoughts and turned her attention back to the elf sitting next to her.
He merely nodded. This wasn't the first time she'd come to his mansion because she had no where else to go, but she'd tried not to make a habit of it. She hadn't been here in a few weeks, so she was glad when he didn't tell her to leave.
She sighed before she continued "Honestly, I have a massive headache. I don't want to go play with the abominations, especially when one is throwing a bitch fit about me not helping with "the plight of mages" and the other is pissed because I'm not letting her follow me around while she cuts her wrist and has play dates with demons all day... I was hoping you'd perhaps have a remedy for me. My suffering skull and I would really appreciate it if you did."
He smiled at this. Well, the corner of his mouth went up a little. It counted as a smile to her anyways.
"I actually do, but I'm not sure it's something you'd be interested in."
Oh? Now she was actually interested in a remedy, rather then just a place to hide out. "And what would that be?" She quirked he eyebrow at him.
He took another long drink from the bottle in his hand and when he was finished he handed it to her. "I've got about six more bottles in the cellar. I stocked up when that merchant from the North was in town." She realized immediately where he was going with this.
"That is bloody brilliant. Fight the hangover by just staying sloshed all the time. Ha! Why in the Maker's name has no one thought of this before?" She smiled at him before she took the bottle he offered and took a swig of it herself.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine. It has always worked well enough for me."
"Hopefully it has the same effect on me." She took another long drink from the bottle before handing it back to him. She tried to ignore the chills that went through her when his fingers grazed hers.