AN: Hey guys! So I promised more Karigan and Fenris, and this piece goes along with those two. I do plan on writing about their journey through Act 3, with the plot of my fic Something Far More Precious included in it, so those of you who enjoyed it can look forward to more in the lives of Karigan and Fenris and how they deal with everything that took place during and after that event in SFMP.
"An elf?"
Karigan knew Fenris heard Anders comments on bringing another person into their group, one who "looks as if he is more likely to kill us than help".
But this new addition to her group of misfits was not a monster. Just a broken man who needed someone to listen. His mouth had only graced them with a smile once, a small laugh that joined it a she had flirted with him, and maker only knew why she had done that. She was sure she had turned red and she had expected him to respond differently than that short laugh.
She, Varric, Isabela, and Bethany had gone for drinks after an invited him to join them as well as the others. He agreed, be it somewhat reluctantly, and now here he was, being questioned by her other friends. He responded with short answers and was very vague. Vague to the point if she couldn't tell if he was that closed off or if he didn't know. She knew at first that talking with him would be like walking on eggshells; say one little thing wrong and you would cause it to break and lose something precious. His life as a slave seemed to have caused such torment in his soul.
"Hawke," a small gravelly voiced said from next to her.
"Hmm... Oh yes, Fenris?" She turned, being pulled from her thoughts. His voice, why hasn't she noticed how it pleased her ears before? She must have started grinning for the elf gave her a puzzled look but continued.
"Are you going to respond to Varric's question?"
"Oh!" Hawke exclaimed. She turned and quickly answered his question about one of the quests they had gone on without him.
Glancing back over at Fenris she saw a scowl across his face, a normal thing she had realized. His eyes locked with hers, a small tilt up of his lips, and she felt her stomach flutter. Had his eyes always been such a deep green? Maker! She needed to control her thoughts around this elf!
He was a broken man, and would need to heal. She didn't even know that much about him, and she didn't want to cause him deeper wounds.
Her sister must have noticed her distraction, for she made sure to pull her into conversation.
Hawke could feel Fenris's eyes burning into her as he watched her converse. (She claimed it was because she was a rogue and trained to do so, but later she would realize it was because she was good at sensing him.)
"Karigan," Bethany placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? You seem out of it. Here, I'll go outside with you for a bit to let you clear your head."
"Um yes, sure." Hawke got up and followed her sister outside the bar.
Bethany turned on her the minute they step outside. "Maker you have it bad sis!" She laughed.
"I-what do you mean?" Hawke felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
Bethany smiled knowingly. "Fenris. You like him, don't you? I don't think the others noticed and I promise I won't tell but really sis, it's pretty obvious."
"I do not!" Hawke argued pointlessly.
Bethany just shook her head as they walked back inside.
Hawke's face must still have been flushed from Bethany's words, for her friends looked concerned.
"Are you alright?" Fenris stood to offer her his chair, as it was the closest one.
"I'm fine," Karigan politely declined the offer. "I can make it to my-"
Soon she found herself falling after tripping on said chair. Fenris reached out to catch the woman who had earlier fought for him. "Are you sure you're okay?"
His arms were so muscular and it felt so good to be in his arms. However, she had to get herself together. "Maybe I'm a little less fine than I thought," she said as she was released from his arms.
"Here Hawke," Aveline came over to her. "I'll walk you and Bethany home. I think you might want to have Anders look you over tomorrow and make sure everything's alright."
"I could examine her here if Varric would let me use his room." Anders piped up, always ready to help when it came to Karigan.
"I'm not sick!" Hawke protested. Oh maker she had to look so foolish. Why did she have to be so clueless around Fenris. It had to be those eyes!
"Too much to drink? Come on Hawke, even Merril's holding hers!" Isabela laughed.
"I'm not drunk either. I just needed to clear my head," she knew that wouldn't help her case, but heading home was sounding like a good idea. "Come on Bethany, lets head to Uncle's."
Hawke could hear Varric and Isabela cracking jokes as she, Aveline, and her sister left the Hanged Man. But for some reason something had changed it her, and her sister's words had brought it on.
"You like him, don't you?"
Maker, she did!
