The best thing about being unconscious, Hawke ruminated, was that it didn't hurt! And when you'd managed to get yourself knocked out by the butt end of one of those blasted great spears the Qunari threw about like toothpicks, that state of unconsciousness was very, very welcome. Sadly the blessed relief of oblivion was fading and awareness was returning, with it came a bucket load of pain. Deciding she didn't want to want to open her eyes just yet, the rogue tried to separate the babbling cacophony of voices she could hear above her…Aveline's was the first one that became clear, and it sounded pretty pissed off.
"…Of all the stupid, arse brained, idiotic moments to lose her concentration!"
Oh, right…she was pissed off at Hawke, deciding that it was definitely safer to keep her eyes closed for now, Hawke very subtly tested her limbs to see if anything other than her head hurt. On the plus side her body seemed only to have the usual aches that settled in after a damn good fight, on the minus side even thinking of moving her jaw hurt like a poker up the backside and she decided just to not bother. Another voice finally spoke above her, sounding faintly amused, that definitely made it Varric then.
"Calm down, I doubt she did it on purpose, Hawke may be many things but she isn't a masochist."
Aveline grunted as she continued to wipe up the blood coursing from the open wound on Hawke's temple. At least that was what Hawke was pretty sure was behind the wet cloth wiping surprisingly gently at the wound.
"A masochist no, a bloody stupid idiot yes, a stubborn moron, yes…and right now an unconscious lump! What on earth were you doing you bloody slattern?"
Another voice piped up then, cheery despite the situation, or more likely cheery because of the situation. Isabela took every possible opportunity to wind up the burly guardswoman, and this little misadventure was no exception.
"Excuse me big girl, but how exactly does Hawke getting herself knocked out become my fault!"
Hawke was wondering that herself as she couldn't quite remember why she had gone from burying her fist into a Qunari's gut to lying in the sand with what felt like a dislocated jaw. Happily Aveline decided to answer the pirate, thereby helping to solve the mystery for both of them.
"I don't know exactly, but one minute she was pounding the dung out of one of those grey bastards and the next she was staring in your direction, and it was that little moment of inattention that ended up with her flat on her back…so what did you do!"
Even without her eyes open, Hawke could imagine the pirate throwing her hands up in frustration as she replied.
"I have no idea! I was just fighting, the way I normally do, throwing a bit of banter here and there to keep it interesting but nothing out of the ordinary…"
She sounded genuinely puzzled as to why Hawke had decided to space out in the middle of a fight, as she lay there however Hawke herself felt a red flush creeping up her neck as the reason for her lapse in attention came to the forefront of her mind. Luckily no one could read her mind and therefore her secret remained safe…so long as no one started to speculate any further than they already had. The pointed and puzzled silence comforted her…until Varric spoke.
"Hold up, you said you were bantering…I think I might have an inkling as to what…"
Before he could say anything else, Hawke decided she better wake up, fast! Letting out a groan of pain she tried to sit upright, one hand going to her definitely swollen jaw. Aveline was immediately at her side, helping her to sit. Avoiding Varric's curious gaze and Isabela's speculative one, the rogue muttered thickly.
"Did anyone get the name of the dragon that ran me over?"
Cursing at the lance of pain that shot through her jaw when she spoke, Hawke glanced at a very disapproving Aveline who replied abruptly.
"Stupidity is what it was called, I thought you were a better fighter than that Hawke! Letting yourself get downed by a stray spear…"
Wincing at the pain in her jaw and temple, Hawke readily accepted the potion bottle that Varric passed her and downed it in one, trying not to grimace too much at the taste, without much success.
"Gods, that stuff tastes worse than Varric's attempted home brew!"
The dwarf looked mildly insulted while Isabel and Aveline, for once in agreement, snorted in amusement as they remembered one of the dwarf's less than stellar ventures. Muttering under his breath about how it wasn't actually that bad, he glanced towards the setting sun and sighed.
"I don't think we're going to make it back tonight ladies, my suggestion is we use this perfectly acceptable and perfectly cosy camp that the Qunari have left us and head back first thing."
Sighing sadly at the thought of being denied a nights drinking and whoring at the Blooming Rose, Isabela flopped down next to Hawke and half-heartedly glared at her.
"Thanks for that kitten, just what I wanted…a night under the stars with lady man hands!"
Aveline glared her way and smiled sweetly.
"I'm sure the whores will be able to find someone else to warm the spot between their legs slattern, and trust me when I say that the idea of a night with you is far less appealing to me than it is to you!"
Suddenly grinning widely, Isabela batted her eyelashes alluringly and pouted.
"Now you know you don't mean that big girl, in fact I'm wondering if it wasn't you that threw the spear at Hawke to keep us here…can I expect to find you creeping into my bedroll tonight hmm?"
Rolling her eyes with a mixture of disgust and mild amusement, the guardswoman threw the rag she'd been using to clean Hawke up at the pirate. To everyone's amusement, the Rivaini squealed and leapt to one side to avoid the blood soaked rag, glaring at her smirking companions, Isabela sat back down on the sand next to Hawke and muttered.
"I happen to like this corset thank you very much, and I do not want Hawke's blood all over it!"
Reaching down to pat her on the shoulder, Varric grinned widely.
"Whatever you say Rivaini, now while you tend to Hawke I'm going to go and make sure there aren't any bandits hiding on the trail."
Frowning in protest, the pirate glanced at Hawke who seemed more alert and less in pain as she flexed her jaw experimentally.
"I don't want to stay here if there's the chance of more fighting, I like fighting Varric, and more importantly I like the looting part that comes after the fighting!"
She was halfway to her feet when Aveline pressed her not so gently back down onto the sand.
"Oh no you don't, if you haven't remembered I'm the only real Captain around here right now, and as such I will be going with Varric to clear the last of the bandit's out while you stay here with Hawke."
Scowling, the pirate gestured to her fellow rogue who was gently prodding the still open gash at her temple, absent mindedly Aveline reached out and slapped her hand away from the wound, much as a mother would.
"She's not even completely with it right now! What am I meant to do for company, talk to the gulls?"
Smirking the guardswoman hefted her shield back into position.
"No, you can get the fire going and lay out the bedrolls properly like a good little slattern, after you've stitched Hawke's brain back into her head that is."
Hawke who had been happily floating on a sea of pain relief that the potion had provided, blinked at the mention of her name and glanced towards the pirate with a half shrug as she finally tuned into the conversations going on around her. Before Isabela could think of any suitably crass and insulting words to fling at the guardswoman, Aveline left. Sighing irritably the pirate turned back to Hawke.
"Right…I suppose I better sort your wound out then…you bloody idiot."
Despite her words she smiled fondly at the fellow rogue who looked slightly more aware now. Shrugging again, Hawke flexed her jaw once more, relieved that the pain had receded to a dull throb in the back of her head, she blamed the potion for her next words.
"Well it's only fair, seeing it was actually your fault."
An amused eyebrow rose as the pirate dug the first aid supplies out of the bag Aveline had left with them. Shuffling closer to the wounded rogue, Isabela's lips quirked with a barely restrained smile.
"Oh? And how exactly is you getting walloped by a bloody great piece of wood my fault hmm?"
Shifting slightly in the sand, Hawke cleared her throat and muttered something unintelligible, pausing for a moment the Rivaini woman smirked internally and sat herself in the startled Hawke's lap. At the questioning, and slightly flustered, look the pirate explained reasonably.
"I need to see your wound properly, otherwise I might stitch your eyelids together or something else equally uncomfortable."
Feeling awkward about having the woman she already found a distraction, sitting in her lap, Hawke managed to clear her throat and nod ever so slightly.
"Well…okay, but no funny business Bela!"
The pirate rolled her eyes and cupping the uninjured side of Hawkes face with one soft hand, leaned closer to whisper into her ear.
"Oh kitten, I don't want to play with you unless you're fully aware of it, otherwise how would you know how much you've been missing?"
Any reply that Hawke might have been able to force herself to make was cut short as the pirate angled her head gently to get a better look at the deep cut on her temple. Unfortunately the angle Isabela seemed to deem best was one that left Hawke staring directly down into the Rivaini's cleavage. Swallowing on a suddenly dry throat, the rogue tried to subtly move her head, only to have it firmly moved right back where it had been.
"Oh stop fussing Hawke, it's just a few stitches you know, anyone would think you were a battle virgin with the amount of squirming you're doing!"
Although the only thing Hawke could see clearly was the pirates cleavage she was fairly sure that Isabela was smirking happily to herself (which she was) over the predicament the rogue currently found herself in, she grumbled slightly, trying to ignore the flush in her cheeks.
"Well, hurry up then, my neck's getting a crick in it sitting in this position?"
She meant to sound casual and perhaps a bit annoyed, instead it came out sounding slightly pleading, annoyed at herself she rolled her eyes, thankful the pirate couldn't see the bright red flush currently suffusing her features. Unknown to her, the back of her neck and ears had gone just as red as her face, Isabela was intrigued, intrigued on many levels when it came to one Quinton Hawke. It was obvious that the woman liked her, she'd caught the dark haired rogue staring at her more than once, and lord knows she was more than willing to go for a quick tumble with her, so Hawkes reluctance to give in to her urges was a mystery. A mystery she intended to solve one piece at a time if that was what it was going to take to get to the truth! Today's puzzle piece was why on earth Hawke had let herself get distracted enough to get knocked out…or more accurately, what had caused her distraction. Her arsenal in getting to this truth was of course her magnificent rack which she was forcing Hawke to stare at, teamed with the scent of her perfume that she knew for a fact Hawke liked, topped off, of course, with some pointed wriggling now and again as she sat on her lap. Gently numbing the area around the cut with some salve that Anders had given them, the pirate set about stitching the cut closed, feeling a vague flash of compassion as she felt Hawke flinch when the needle went in.
"You were the one that chose to bring me, Varric and lady man hands, you could have brought your sister, Merril or Anders and then we wouldn't have to resort to stitching you up like this."
Sighing irritably at the reminder that she had indeed forgotten to include a magic user in this expedition, Hawke griped.
"Well, Merril is busy with her mirror, Anders annoys me, and mother dearest decided I was introducing Bethany to far too many unsavoury types so she had to stay home."
Isabela let out a chuckle at that as she deftly stitched up the cut.
"I do hope you aren't talking about me sweetness, I'll have you know I have been nothing but a perfect lady when it comes to Bethany."
Hawke laughed slightly at that and then confessed something that the Rivaini woman never would have guessed at.
"Actually, mother likes you, she thinks you're very amusing and more than savvy enough to watch Beth's back as well as mine…not that I need my back watching!"
At the hastily added addendum, Isabela leaned back far enough to glance between the needle and thread in her hand and the wound on Hawke's head as if to say 'really?' rolling her eyes then wincing, the dark haired rogue muttered.
"Well…usually anyway, I just lost my concentration for a moment, happens to everyone."
Trying not to find the rogue's pout adorable, Isabela went back to steadily stitching the wound and pounced on the conversational opening.
"Yes, about that Hawke…would you mind telling me exactly what happened, because both yourself and Aveline have now blamed me for this little war wound and I'd like to know why."
Stiffening slightly, Hawke swallowed nervously and licked her lips as she tried to think through the dull pain of the needle and the floaty sensation the potion had induced.
"Um, well, I just mean…that sometimes the stuff that you say, can um, well it's…um, the thing is…it just can be, loud?"
Trailing off uncertainly, the rogue closed her eyes and hoped that the Rivaini would just let it lie at that…which of course she didn't, in fact she laughed.
"Oh please! We have had much louder fights than that…Quinton."
Darting a glare in the vague direction of the pirate's eyes, Hawke muttered bad temperedly.
"You said you wouldn't use that name when we were around the others!"
Sniggering at the predictable reaction, Isabela paused to scratch the nape of Hawke's neck soothingly, something she had noticed Bethany did when they were in the hanged man and the locals got rambunctious, looking for a fight.
"Oh don't scowl, you'll get wrinkles kitten! And in case you haven't noticed, with sexy chest and the female shaped battering ram off hunting…we ARE alone!"
Huffing slightly, the dark haired rogue tried to cross her arms before realising it was nigh on impossible with the position Isabela had her in. Wincing as the needle went in again, Hawke flinched, obviously the salve was wearing off. Isabela soon distracted her from the slight pain when she immediately went back to her questions.
"So, as I was saying before you tried to put me off…we have had many louder battles and in much more enclosed space with far less visibility, so I fail to see how the volume of today's fight distracted you enough for this to happen."
Isabela prodded the wound very gently as she said the word 'this' sighing at the fact the pirate obviously wasn't going to let this go, Hawke tried again.
"Well, maybe noise wasn't quite what I meant then…"
After a few moments of silence which Isabela patiently sat through, the Rivaini eventually sighed and verbally prodded Hawke again.
"Soo, what was it then? If you don't tell me I can't stop doing it."
Hawke almost sat straight up at that, Isabela cursed, and with sharp movements repositioned Hawke's head with a scowl.
"What in the name of Andraste's pierced nipple are you playing at Hawke, you almost ended up with a needle through your eyeball!"
Apologising, the dark haired rogue tried to get her heart rate to slow down, she didn't want the pirate to stop doing what she did, not really anyway, even if it did give her an odd little jolt when she heard the pirate say those words.
"Sorry, it's just…you don't have to stop doing anything on my behalf, besides which I always thought you were the type that didn't change for anyone?"
Smirking at what she considered a point in her favour in their little game of bantering, Hawke's grin abruptly dropped from her face with the Rivaini's next words.
"I didn't say I'd stop doing it altogether now did I? I merely think that if there's something I do or say that distracts you that much then I should take it off the battlefield and use it somewhere else instead…the bedroom perhaps?"
Letting out an embarrassed squeak, Hawke closed her eyes and wondered yet again why she could be smooth as Antivan silk until she was left alone with the Rivaini pirate. Trying to ignore the satisfied chuckle she could hear from above her, Hawke just grumbled.
"Just hurry up and finish stitching me up will you?"
Tutting to herself, the pirate leaned forward to bite the end of the cat gut she'd used to stitch up Hawke's wound, making sure to brush her lips gently against the rogues flushed temple. Hawke's breath became shaky at the touch of lips on her heated flesh and she swallowed audibly, Isabela practically purred into her ear.
"All done miss fidget pants, just need to apply some balm and dry it off."
Swallowing again and trying to ignore the way Isabela leaned forwards whilst remaining in Hawke's lap, the rogue managed to husk out.
"Um…I think it might be okay on its own?"
Finally allowing the dark haired rogue to look up again, Isabela smirked mischievously and as soon as her golden eyes locked onto Hawke's blue ones, the taller rogue knew she was in trouble.
"Now, now Quinton, no squirming…let me apply the balm and while I do that, perhaps you could finally stop dancing around the subject and tell me what it is that distracted you."
Knowing she was doomed, Hawke nonetheless tried her best to avoid the obvious visual lures that Isabela was putting on display for her…and failed spectacularly. In her defence there wasn't a part of the pirate that wasn't alluring, from her shapely legs all the way up to her wild tresses that Hawke itched to run her hands through. As if she might be betrayed by her hands, the rogue shoved them in her pockets, much to the amusement of the Rivaini, who smirked and winked at her.
"Calm down Hawke, you don't have to hurry with me, I'll take my time…"
Swallowing down a whimper, Hawke tried and failed not to follow the graceful column of the pirates tanned throat and muttered absently.
"That's what I'm afraid of."
Isabela laughed, and using her forefinger gently spread the cooling balm over the freshly stitched cut in teasingly gentle strokes, peering at the flushed rogue through half lidded eyes, the pirate husked.
"Feel any better?"
Unable to answer verbally, Hawke managed a very small nod and went to move from the pirates lap hurriedly, only to be held in place by Isabela's calloused and very capable hands.
"Ah, ah kitten…not quite yet, you're still damp."
Hawke's face went so red she was sure steam was going to come out of her ears, it was only when the pirate motioned with her eyes to the still drying balm that she realised what exactly Isabela meant.
"Oh…um, yeah right."
Smiling weakly, Hawke tried to ignore Isabela's smirk and cleared her throat, whatever she might have thought of to say was cut off when two hands cupped her face gently. Blue eyes widened in alarm as the pirate leaned in closer and pursed her lips, not that Hawke would object to another kiss exactly but…huh? The Rivaini abruptly changed the angle of her head and instead of stealing the kiss that Hawke was sure she was after, she blew a gentle stream of air onto the balm until it dried. While the Fereldan refugee squirmed under her lap, Isabela tried her best to contain her mirth, this was just too easy!
"There, all dried out, you're as good as new Quinton…so, all we need to do now is find out why you got smacked upside the head so it doesn't happen again."
Groaning faintly, the dark headed rogue wished the potion hadn't made her feel quite as floaty as she scrambled to gather together enough common sense to talk her way out of this.
"How about if I just promise never to get distracted again, would that do?"
Sliding her arms around Hawke's neck, Isabela smirked and shook her head.
"Not a chance sweetness, I got blamed for this and you know lady man hands loves a chance to lay into me for leading you astray, this time I truly didn't do anything except call out my usual battle cries."
Seeing the barely perceptible flinch in Hawkes steely blue gaze, the pirates smile widened and she linked her hands together behind Hawke's neck, keeping the Fereldan effectively trapped.
"Aha! So it is one of my battle cries then? Hmm now to work out which one and why it distracts you so…"
Once again attempting to get out of this highly unfair interrogation, Hawke murmured.
"We should really get the camp fire going and arrange the bed roll's before the others get back…?"
She trailed off hopefully but the pirates golden eyes were still squinted ever so slightly as she ignored what Hawke had said completely.
"Let's see, where should I start…okay! Is it, 'don't forget to get their stuff' is that the one, because I can imagine that the idea of losing loot would be distracting?"
Smiling fondly at the pirate despite the topic of conversation, Hawke shook her head ever so slightly, part of her wondering if the Rivaini would actually guess correctly, and more importantly, if she would guess why it was so distracting for Hawke.
At the negative response, Isabela went back to thinking, her linked hands that were draped loosely over the Fereldan's shoulders scratched idly at the nape of Hawke's neck as she mulled it over.
"Hmm, what about…come on then, you want some of this?"
Again, Hawke smirked and shook her head, with each wrong guess she was feeling more and more confident, and Isabela seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.
"Okay, well what about…you're in trouble now?"
Again Hawke shook her head, this time smiling smugly and letting herself enjoy the feel of the pirates nails scratching at the nape of her neck, internally Isabela smirked and forced another exaggerated frown.
"Hmm, you aren't making this easy, are you Quinton?"
Rolling her blue eyes, Hawke poked her tongue out briefly.
"No I'm not, and stop calling me that!"
Smirking openly now, the Rivaini raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Why, it is your name after all?"
Narrowing her eyes, the Fereldan scowled mildly.
"Because I hate it and the less people know it the better, plus you tricked me into telling you with that stupid kiss!"
Jaw dropping in shock, the pirate managed her best affronted look as she spoke slowly.
"Are you calling my kisses stupid…Quinton!?"
Backtracking hastily, Hawke reached one hand up and raked it through her blood stained hair.
"Um, no definitely not, it wasn't a stupid kiss at all...it's just that you tricked me by using it, and that made it stupid, you see what I mean?"
Harrumphing to herself, the pirate narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't pursue the topic, instead she went back to 'guessing' what had distracted Hawke.
"Okay, this is almost my last guess, for tonight at least…is it, let's dance?"
Smiling again, Hawke shook her head and internally breathed a sigh of relief…which was a mistake as the Rivaini drawled out knowingly.
"Oh, well it must be…'someone needs a good spanking' then."
The flush that immediately suffused the rogues face was answer enough and Isabela laughed throatily, Hawke leapt up so abruptly the pirate almost ended up on her own ass, she would have done if it hadn't been for a handy rock. Smirking at the flustered Fereldan, Isabela reached out and snagging her finger in the collar of Hawke's leather armour, pulled her closer, close enough that their breath mingled in the warm evening air.
"It appears my Quinton has a little bit of kink in her doesn't it?"
Looking everywhere but at the pirate Hawke attempted to defend herself.
"N…no, I just…like I said it's distracting…um, that's all!"
Raising a disbelieving eyebrow and trying to ignore the fact she had just referred to Hawke as hers, Isabela grinned naughtily and lay her hands on Hawke's hips, pulling her closer.
"Well, in that case…"
The pirate leaned in and kissed Hawke softly, pressing her extremely soft lips against Hawke's surprised ones, there was a moment's hesitation before the Fereldan's libido over rode her hesitation and returned it, Isabela nipped ever so lightly at Hawke's lower lip, smiling into the kiss when access was immediately granted. Neither of them was sure which one it was that groaned but it didn't matter as the other echoed it seconds later, finally the pirate withdrew, leaving Hawke panting for breath and wide eyed, before she could say anything, Isabela smiled and explained.
"That's for distracting you…"
Still flushed red, Hawke just smiled dopily and nodded, Isabela leaned slightly forwards again and Hawke wondered if she was going to kiss her again, so she was surprised when instead a hand landed a stinging slap on her backside, the flush got deeper and she glanced into the pirates twinkling eyes.
"And that's for letting yourself get distracted on the battlefield…DON'T do it again!"
So saying the Rivaini walked off towards the campfire, leaving Hawke to tackle the bed rolls, smiling faintly to herself the Fereldan lay a hand on her smarting ass and murmured.
"Aye, aye Captain!"
