I've personally admired Sister Hannah "Hammer"'s character since...well, not really until the abbot died. After that, I realized how awesome she was, and imagined what relationship Hammer and Sparrow might've had. Somehow, it went from Friendly to Romantic in my mind, and this is what happened. This shot takes place before the first visit to the Tattered Spire, but, obviously after the first (?) visit to Oakvale.

And though I don't think I really need to point this out, but this Sparrow is the Male Sparrow--an entirely different character than the Sparrow in the last one-shot. I've got to find names other than Sparrow for these two, since I have an inkling I'll be using them more.

I don't own anything except for my take on the character of the Male Sparrow.

2. Secret

Sparrow looked at Hammer. Hammer looked at Sparrow.

And they kept their secret.

They knew that Theresa probably understood why Sparrow's lips would purse whenever he was tasked with a mission that separated the trio (including Sparrow's faithful hound, of course). She, being the all-knowing being that she was, more than likely knew of the wordless confession that had both embarrassed and liberated the two. She had, without a doubt, stumbled upon something quite unexpected.

The fact of the matter was, Sparrow, mute and anti-social as he was, had harbored a keen fondness of the well-muscled woman. She was, after all, quite the singer, and though, at first, her relentless chatter had annoyed Sparrow to no end, he had begun to miss Hammer's meaningless train of thought. He had grown to appreciate her as both a fellow Hero and Friend, and had expected, for quite a while, for that to be all that came from their relationship.

Perhaps it was fighting with Her for the first time that ruined it all. Or, maybe, it was the time they spent apart from one another. Either way, something happened, something disastrous and beautiful. It was irrevocable, as though it was written into stone long before either had a choice in the matter.

Sparrow fell in love with Hammer, and that was the end of it.

When he wasn't thinking of avenging his Sister, he was thinking of the rather unruly girl. What was she doing at the time his thoughts wandered to the memory of her face? Was she alright? Was she protecting herself? Who was she with? Was she thinking of someone?

Was she thinking of Him?

Having never been in love before, Sparrow immediately disregarded his thoughts and feelings, while he could. He tried his absolute hardest to focus on the mission before him, to banish any and all thoughts of Sister Hannah and the memories that followed. And yet, more than once, he caught himself whistling the tune Hammer had been singing on the day they met.

Sparrow's dog had no opinion on the matter.

As could be predicted, they reunited, and Sparrow found himself torn. Sitting by her side at the occasional pub, watching as she tore through one enemy after the other…it all increased his longing to always keep the girl in his thoughts, weakened his will to fight, and made him experience feelings he'd never encountered before.

So, in hopes to better understand these feelings, he acted on them.

It was both a terrible and a wonderful mistake.

"You can't just…go around doin' things like that!" She'd announced, promptly after taking a swing towards Sparrow's face.

She was smiling, though, and blushing. And she helped him up, though she hurried away seconds later. Once again, the Hero was terribly confused.

Had she enjoyed the kiss, or not?

He came to the conclusion that she had just the next day, when, walking side-by-side, their hands had brushed, and a cautious Sparrow wrapped his index finger around Hammer's. Much to his delight, she didn't pummel him.

Hammer fell in love with Sparrow, and that was the end of it.

They made what they could out of their time together. They spoke in the only way Hammer and Sparrow could speak: through words and touches, through laughter and smirks. And, until Theresa interrupted them, they forgot what they were supposed to be doing.

When they were summoned by Theresa, however, they forgot all they were together and remembered, albeit unwillingly, all they were as Heroes. They kept their shared memories locked away, returned to their straight-faced selves, and awaited the next possible moment they'd be together.

Until then...well, until then, they were nothing more than friends.