Have you ever listened that song 'Stubborn Love' by The Lumineers?
Well, when I first listened to it, I immediately thought about Hawke and Isabela and their difficult way into romance, so I came up with this.
It's nothing special, really. Just a one-shot, but I could continue with a couple more chapters if you like :)
Let me know what you think!
I apologize for eventual grammatical errors (english is not my first language).
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age or the song Stubborn Love, I'm just borrowing the characters and the title.
Hawke's POV
Enjoy
I woke up startled by a loud thunder, wondering where I was for the first few seconds before my eyes focused and I sighed pulling myself up into a sitting position on my bed, elbows resting on my knees as I buried my head in my hands.
Three years.
Three years had passed since that day. Reducing me into the shadow of what I once was even if everyone called me The Champion of Kirkwall.
The same people that when I first arrived here with my mother and brother, looked at me with disgust, were now bowing their heads in front of me and calling me with that absurd title.
I had the respect of the whole city, I was requested for every kind of mission, even the Knight Commander and the First Enchanter required my services more than once when they weren't at each other throats.
From the outside I had everything I wanted and everything I needed, money were no longer a problem and somehow I didn't even have to be preoccupied to end up in the Circle for my use of magic.
I missed my family, the ones I had lost, especially my little sister Bethany, but at least my friends had been at my side over the years, all of them except...
I winced when I raised from the bed, my hand flew at my left side, above the large scar resting under my ribs, a constant reminder of that day.
After a few slow deep breaths I managed to stand, releasing the vice grip I had on my shirt and focusing on the surrounding of my room.
I shivered when I looked outside the high window, noticing that it was raining, the sky covered with dark grey clouds as the rain came down in sheets.
The sight was almost enough to make me reconsider to return to bed and take a well deserved day of rest.
A tired sigh escaped my lips as I thought about the pile of letters that needed to be read and about all the errands I still had to run before the end of the month.
It was never enough.
And postpone my duties wouldn't have helped me anyway, because at least they kept me busy and the last thing I needed was to stay alone with the million thoughts in my head, thoughts that always converged towards the same thing, or rather, the same person.
With the sound of rain as a background I started to undress and prepare for the day, I lifted the large white shirt over my head, only to wince once again as the old wound made my body protest in pain. I shouldn't have been surprised, a wound like that one that went from side to side, was a miracle I haven't died, the fact that when the weather wasn't good it hurts like hell was a minimal inconvenience.
I should have been grateful for being alive.
But the stab of pain didn't reach only my side, it went deeper, and higher, focusing on the beating muscle inside of my chest, where the real wound was still open... And still bleeding.
And that was the kind of pain that no herbs or magic could have alleviate.
I had to bend a little to recover, breathing slowly and wiping away some drops of sweat that were running on my forehead and just when I thought that the pain was going to dissipate, a loud thunder resonated all around, bringing with it another sharp cramp in my abdomen, as if I was connected with the weather itself, only this time I couldn't help my mind to wanders and replay the events of that day.
The last sip of lyrium burnt in my throat as I started to feel it doing its effect, regenerating my powers but at the same time making me feel dizzy for the large admount I had drank in the last few minutes.
I wiped my chin with the back of my hand, throwing aside the glass flask just in time before I saw the Arishok charging towards me.
The battle seemed to go on for hours, I was exausted beyond any immagination, I was trying to brace myself on my staff trying to gather my strenght as I started to think why was I doing it.
The whole situation with the Quinari had been unstable since they arrived in Kirkwall and for me it was time that they moved on, forget about whatever they were looking for and leave the city.
It could have been so simple.
It could really have been a trade as simple as that and I wouldn't have been there, putting myself in the nth unnecessary risk and feeling the energies being taken away from my body with every blow inflicted.
I raised on my feet once again, feeling unstable on my own legs, hearing the concerned whispers among the presents and when I succeded to focus on the crowd all around I noticed a figure being held by two guards. The same figure that hunted my days and dreams for years.
Thigh high boots... Tanned skin. For a second I lost myself, and just when I was going to raise my gaze and meet the one of the person reponsible for all of this, the Quinari leader took advantage of my vulnerable state and distraction.
Everything happened so fast, but everytime I find myself thinking about it, I can't help replaying the scene in my mind slowly.
I remember how I was taken aback when I saw him before me in less than a second.
I remember the sound of her voice screaming above everyone's else.
I remember when I looked down at my abdomen, confused to see the hilt of a blade pressed on my side, dripping with blood.
And I remember how I didn't feel anything at first, making me even more disoriented, but then he twisted the sword and in that moment, I felt the coldness of metal inside me, right before he pulled it back and then the most agonizing pain reached every fiber of my being.
My hand came up to hold the wound that was bleeding profusely at the same time that my legs gave up, making me fall into the floor.
Every sound echoed in my ears.
The distinctive smell of iron of blood reached my nostrils and when everything around me started to spin before my vision blurred, I thought it was really the end.
In my half unconscious state, I heard heavy foot steps coming closer and the sound of air being cut by a very sharp blade.
With all my strenght I tried to raise from the floor using my staff as my other hand held my side, covering the wound and pressing against it to stop the bleeding, but I was so tired, so exausted, that I only managed to raise in a kneeled position and with the movement, more blood seeped out from the hole at my side, feeling the muscles protest under the effort that they couldn't manage, making me grit my teeth in an attempt to contain the scream of pain that was ready to escape from my throat.
The foot steps I heard coming from behind me stopped and I knew that it was only a matter of seconds before the inevitable.
I raised my gaze, trying to clear my eyes and focus on the crowd before me, and just like that, my eyes landed on the reason for all of this.
Amber colored eyes stared back at me with an intensity that spoke louder than any word. And for once it wasn't the usual seductive smirk I found myself looking at.
Her features were covered with something I had never seen on her face over the years, something that made me so very angry and at the same time melted my insides with a combination of emotions.
I saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears that she was trying desperately to not let fall, the panic evident in those deep pools but there was something else lying inside.
Something that I didn't know she was capable to feel.
Guilt.
No, she never felt guilty over anything, always taking what she needed and then running away leaving others to clean up after her mess.
This was not different, I thought sadly in what I was sure were the last few seconds of my life.
And somehow, even if I knew that I was going to die and even if I knew it was because of her, when our eyes met in that moment, I knew that I would have took the same choices and offered myself to protect her.
To protect a selfish, liar thief. Because despite all, I couldn't help but love her.
The blood boiled in my veins in that moment, my fists and the muscles in my jaw tightened as I prepared to summon a power I thought I wasn't even capable of.
They won't take her.
The memories faded away, washed by the rain as I exited the estate leaving me alone with my thoughts which followed me for all the way to Lowtown.
The hood over my head made me look invisible to the other few adventurers as I descended the city under the copious admount of rain, but did nothing to shield me from the emotions that came crashing back to me every time I entered The Hanged Man. And certanly did nothing to mask my reaction when I saw her leaned against the usual spot.
I froze on the spot, unable to move.
Maybe it was just my mind playing trick with me combined with the result of another night filled with nightmares of her leaving me bleeding on the floor of the Viscount's Keep.
But when I watched as she took a big sip of whiskey from her glass before shaking her head at the strong burning taste just like she used to do. I knew it was really her.
She looked the same as I remembered, glowing tanned skin, dark hair being held by the same old bandana and-
In that same instant, when I was looking at her every particular as if she was a painting, she turned around.
And then all the air was stolen from my lungs as our eyes met in the heavy foggy air of the tavern.
Deep amber pools stared back at me, taking every ounce of strenght from my body even from a distance, as I fought against the powerful force that started running through me.
But it was pointless.
And so three years of defences had been shattered with only a look, hating that she had that effect on me, angry with her as much as I was with myself for not having a hold on my emotions after such long time, yet...
When I saw that very familiar smirk playing on her lips, the one she reserved only for me, my heart seemed to wake up from its long slumber, racing wildly in my chest.
And I submitted to the inevitable.
Because I couldn't help it.
Because, despite it all, I still loved her.
So... More?