Thanks for the love, guys! It's been so nice getting to know some of you, and I love hearing what you think about my work. Today, Hawke starts his journey to ask his companions about how to be romantic. I had intended on this being just one chapters worth of material, but this kind of got away from me :)
By the time Hawke had woken up, he was not surprised to see that Anders was not lying next to him. The mage was always an early riser, and there had rarely been a morning when he would even see him before he ran off to his clinic. Its normalcy, however, did not make it any easier each morning when the warrior rolled over to feel that the warmth had already left the sheets next to him. But there was no use in thinking about it, so he just got up to get ready for the day. He certainly had a lot of work to do if he would ever figure out a way to plan a romantic evening for his lover.
After getting ready for the day ahead, the warrior walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, the sweet aroma of bacon nearly carrying him there by itself. As he entered the room, he saw Orana busily preparing the morning's meal and Bodahn carrying platters of food and heading towards the dining room.
"Good morning, Master Hawke," Orana said as she cut up some fruit and placed it into a bowl. "Breakfast is nearly ready, so why don't you go wait in the dining room?
"Will you be joining me?" Hawke asked. As much as he enjoyed having people in his home to help, he hated if they didn't feel like his equals.
"Oh, no thank you, sir. I'll be there in a moment with the rest of the food."
Always the same answer. Hawke could never convince the elf of the dwarves to join him, but he couldn't help but ask every day in an attempt to not let the morning commence in another lonely breakfast. He smiled at Orana and left for the dining room, prepared to take his seat at the head of the table.
"And here I'd thought you'd left for the day," Hawke said before kissing his lover's temple and taking his seat.
"I was ambushed," the mage grumbled. "I'm being held hostage here until I eat something."
Before the warrior could speak, Orana came into the room and set down a bowl of fruit and a basket of toast at the table. After assessing that there wasn't anything else the two humans needed, she quickly exited the room. Hawke, much like a child, always grabbed far more food than he needed to eat, but unlike those with small stomachs, his could pack away anything. With a pile of bacon nearly up to his chin, he smiled and started to eat. Anders, on the other hand, picked at his food like a bird. Never in his life had he been used to having an unlimited supply of things to eat. But now, even with it right in front of him, he could hardly consume a third of what the warrior shoveled into his mouth.
"Eat already, Anders," Hawke demanded. "How do you expect to do whatever crazy mage things you do during the day without a good breakfast?"
"I make do," the mage replied. He took a bite out of a piece of toast and then set it down on his plate. It was true that he hadn't been eating much, but even now, he could hardly stomach what was in front of him. Stress will do that to you.
"Well you're not leaving until that plate is completely cleared."
"Ok, Dad," Anders spat back at him. He then picked up his plate and dumped the contents onto the floor. Dog, who had been sitting patiently in the corner of the room trotted over and gladly helped himself to the mess on the floor. The mage, after setting his plate back on the table, looked over at his lover and just smiled, thrilled with the look of shock on the other man's face.
"You are in so much fucking trouble, mage."
Anders, smirk still plastered to his face, picked up an apple slice and took a bite out of it before he replied. "And what will my punishment be this time? I might even have to make it back from my crazy mage things early tonight for whatever it is."
Hawke just shook his head. "How about no sex?"
Smirk gone, Anders dropped the remaining piece of apple onto his plate. "Wait, what?"
"There's no way to punish you in the traditional sense because you like it all so much," the warrior said matter-of-factly. "So why not just take away sex and make that the punishment?"
"But that's punishing yourself as well," Anders said, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"It's true," the dark-haired man said before he piled a few pieces of bacon and large helping of scrambled eggs onto his lover's plate. "I don't know that I'd be able to help myself from commenting on how much I wish I had a man that would love me enough to not do things that hurt me like you just did. Then we could have sex, but no. I'll just have to do without. I'll have to be disappointed, I guess."
"You're mean," Anders said before he started to reluctantly eat the food in front of him.
"And you're too skinny."
The rest of breakfast went better than the warrior had imagined it. Anders actually ate everything that had been put on his plate before he left for the clinic, and Hawke had eaten his weight in food. It was a very pleasant way to start the morning, especially with him being so nervous about what he would be doing. In thinking on it, not a single one of his friends was really a good person to ask about being romantic. He'd probably have better luck just knocking on doors of local couples to ask them how to do it.
Regardless of what would be the better plan, the warrior soon found himself at his first stop to see Aveline at Viscount's Keep. When he got to her office, he was surprised that he was able to see her immediately. Ever since her relationship with Donnic had started to blossom, he often found the door closed. But her new husband was clearly out on patrol, and the red headed warrior sat at her desk, letters littering every surface of it.
"May I have a moment with you?"
"Hawke," she responded, getting up from her seat. "Of course. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to know if you would help me with something. It's a bit awkward though, so I'll understand if you just say no," he responded.
"More awkward than listening to you and Anders having sex while the rest of us are trying to sleep or keep watch on nights we have to make camp?"
"You say it as though it happens often," Hawke replied. "Anyway, possibly less awkward. I-I guess I wanted to know how to be romantic."
"And you're asking me because?"
"Surely either you or Donnic has done something romantic for one another. I just want to do something special for him, and I haven't the slightest clue what to do here. Just don't suggest a copper relief of marigolds."
"I still don't know why no one liked that," Aveline said with a sigh. "I really don't know, Hawke. You must be doing something right to keep that moody apostate by your side."
"I'm just fantastic in bed and good to look at," he suggested. "Unfortunately, that's not romantic. Come on, you have to know something I could do."
"I always love it when Donnic just speaks from the heart. He tells me the things he likes about me, and I suppose I find that romantic. Now, what you could say to Anders, I don't know. Perhaps you could say that you enjoy his mood swings."
"Ok, I can do that!" Hawke said with an enthusiastic smile. "His mood swings are rather epic, but there are plenty of great things about him. Can I borrow a piece of parchment?" Without waiting for the Guard Captain to respond, he grabbed the nearest piece of paper he could find and scribbled 'tell Anders that he is hot' with a quill. He gathered the paper, hugged his friend, and ran out and off to his next companion before Aveline could even explain that he'd used the back side of a letter from Knight Commander Meredith and she really needed that back.
Hawke was happy that his next stop was a close one, and he was even happier that he found his companion almost immediately. Sebastian Vael was busy on his knees.
"What are you doing, Sebastian?" the warrior asked as he looked down at the other man.
"I am trying to pray, Hawke. You should really try it some time."
"Ok, well get up because I need your help."
The rogue reluctantly stopped praying and, after a silent apology to the Maker, decided to indulge the other man. "And how may I help you?"
"You used to be a real ladies man right? Like, you banged a ton of people?" Hawke certainly wasn't using his 'inside the Chantry voice' and a lot of eyes shot directly towards him and the prince.
"Yes, you know that," Sebastian answered in a very quiet voice. "Are you looking for tips? Oh, have you taken my warnings about Anders to heart? Are you looking to romance a woman?" His last words were spoken with far too much enthusiasm.
"Nope, I still like Anders and his penis," the warrior said, still far too loud for where they were located. "I do want to ask about romance though."