Chapter 10
Hawke left Varric's office with an arm full of papers and a little more levity in her outlook on the rest of the day.
Maybe the whole thing was really a blessing- a lot of money was in the cards. It meant her family could finally get out of Lowtown, out of Gamlen's house, and Carver could actually have a chance to be a normal could even think about Val Royeaux, though the outlandishness of that possibility had long kept her from considering it.
But there was still so much to do before her life could ever come to that. Now, there was the competition to prepare for and Latin class to attend.
Hawke hadn't see Fenris since the lighthouse, and her heart beat fast with anticipation as she walked down the hallway to class. Just looking at his face, just once, would be enough for her to breathe again. The first bell hadn't even rung yet and Hawke was a good five minutes early, so she could possibly speak to him alone if no other students were there-
Unfortunately, she was not greeted with Fenris' tentative smile. His dark eyes zeroed in on her cheek as if had known to look for it.
Fenris rushed to her side, dropping all pretenses as the door clicked behind Hawke in the empty classroom.
"You have been hurt." It was not a question. His eyes searched hers, and one hand hovered by her cheek, caught in indecision.
"What happened?" Possibilities whirled though his mind, making his blood boil. Hurt. She had been hurt and he hadn't been there to protect her- protect her- protect her-
Hawke flinched from his hand automatically, but Fenris didn't budge.
"I guess there's no use lying to you," she joked weakly, feeling faint at the idea of exposing anymore of her battered heart. "My brother and uncle came to blows, and I tried and break them apart," Hawke said. "It was an accident, I'm fine."
"You are not fine you are injured."
He stepped away then, hands curling into fists. The instinct to protect Hawke was strong- strangely and overwhelmingly so. She was not his to keep safe. But Fenris had never been one for rules.
"You will not stay there. You are in danger, Hawke."
She shook her head. "I can't leave, not while my brother and mother have nowhere to go. I'm not going to go without them."
She sighed. "It's not that bad, honestly. It was just a rough night for all of us." Hawke couldn't defend Gamlen's actions, and she especially didn't want to lie for him. But the words came unbidden anyways. "It's just a little cut. I can manage."
"Just a little cut?" Fenris' voice was dangerously low.
To think of all she gave to keep that family together, all the hours of work and effort, and they repaid her like this? It made Fenris sick. It made him want to punch a wall. Or Gamlen.
"If this ever happens again you take your mother and brother and come to the lighthouse."
Fenris stepped in towards Hawke, seeming to tower over her. "And if he ever touches you again, I will kill him."
It was not a threat. It was a promise.
There was a degree of seriousness in Fenris' words that left Hawke stricken. He was always pushing to their limits or pulling away so fast it made her heart lurch and her head spin. Now he was pushing, forward, past the territory they had been safely residing in.
"No." Hawke's voice matched Fenris' near perfectly. "My problems are not yours, Fenris, and I'm not about to intrude on your life any more than I already have. I can handle a few drunken fights."
Hawke knew Fenris didn't believe her downplayed lie- he was too smart for all that. She wanted him to drop the subject forever.
"You should not have to."
He would not back down in this. Hawke's stubborn pride would not be the death of her, not while he drew breath. Fenris was close to her- too close, a part of him reminded staunchly- but he did not move back.
"Swear to me Hawke. Swear you'll call me for help should you need it."
Hawke nodded, her breath coming quietly and shakily.
Truthfully, that night where it had all gone so wrong and Carver was having the air wrung from his throat... Hawke had wished someone would come for them. She wished their mother would stand up and help, and that their father would come back to protect them.
Hawke had wished Fenris was there.
"Alright," she whispered. "I'll... I'll call."
Seeing that bruise made him furious, marring her smooth skin and scaring her. Almost of its own accord, his hand found the curve of Hawke's uninjured cheek and he ran his thumb over the smooth skin there.
"Good," he said simply, but before he could continue the first bell rang, marking the passing period had begun, and brought both of them back in to the reality of the moment.
The hallway became noisier and Fenris stepped back reluctantly. He did not want Hawke to garner that sort of reputation as a result of his actions.
Fenris turned to his desk and saw the Aca-Shock information packet the same moment Hawke did.
"You know about the competition then?" Hawke asked.
"Yes. You are willing to do it? I'll help you to the best of my abilities."
"Varric put me in a corner but I want to do it."
The money was too good to pass up, and it was two weeks. With Fenris.
Alone.
"I'll need the help, anyway. If Latin is a category I'm going down- hard."
"You will succeed Hawke." Fenris was sure of it. "Varric tells me the competition is in Rome. I assume we would travel together."
Hawke sat down in her desk and leaned her cheek on her hand. Her hair fell into her face but she didn't care to move it. "I suppose we will be. I just can't believe that the competition pays for the fare- that's unbelievable."
Fenris' eyes traveled with Hawke, watching her long legs cross and her skirt slip up, exposing more of her thigh. He was horrible, an unrepentant lech and he was fully aware of that.
"It is not. Varric and Aveline paid for it, though I know not how."
Hawke was stunned into silence.
Varric had said her way was paid, but he never said he was the one to pay it. And Aveline- she already owed her more than Hawke could ever hope to repay.
Her breath shuddered out and she raked her hair back off her face. "Just one more thing I owe to Varric and Aveline. I know I don't deserve them."
"We will make it worth their while Hawke."
He looked at her pointedly before the door clicked open and student filed in.
The next day at lunch, Hawke was feeling better than she had felt for a long while. She and Fenris had discussed the trip in detail after her tutoring, and as she drove him home they stopped for burgers and conversation at a late night diner.
Hawke had spent the next morning calling her clients and canceling their tutoring sessions in between her classes. None of them were very pleased over it, or rather, their parents weren't. The De Launcets had a particularly vocal retaliation, though Hawke couldn't bring herself to care much about it.
Gamlen hadn't been home for a couple nights, and Hawke didn't care to find out where he had been. Carver's eye was beginning to heal up and so was Hawke's cheek, and even Leandra had begun to get out of her room more. Carved still didn't speak to her, but they could work on it.
Things were finally looking up.
All she had to do was tell her friends about the competition, and all her loose ends would be tied up.
Hawke walked over to the group blanket and was marginally surprised to find Anders sitting among her friends.
I've never seen him at lunch before.
"Hey," she greeted, sitting down and trying to be casual.
"Good afternoon Hawke!" Merrill chirped, smiling as she rolled over on the blanket.
Isabela laughed and ruffled the girl's short black hair.
"And good afternoon to you too, Merrill." Hawke grinned at the pixie-like girl, who was curled up on Isabela's lap with a bottle of juice in hand.
Leliana had Zevran in her lap, feeding him bits of her salad- they looked like something out of a renaissance painting. Zevran shot Hawke a foxy grin and Leliana smiled sweetly at her but remained quiet.
The familiarity of it all was staggering.
Sebastian smiled shyly at Hawke and relocated so she would have room to sit.
Anders shifted closer once she joined the group, moving so his leg touched hers.
"You've been gone for a few days."
Hawke began to take out her lunch, trying hard to ignore Anders' leg. If she moved it, she'd more than certainly offend him, and the blonde's pride seemed rather delicate.
"I haven't been feeling well," she said calmly. "But thanks for worrying about me, guys."
She bit into the sandwich Carver had made her, and paused. It was her favorite, peanut butter and banana. Her brother was trying to send her a message, maybe.
Even if that thought was ridiculous.
"That's what friends do, kitten." Isabela purred, petting Merrill like a house cat.
Hawke turned to look into her bag and Sebastian's eyes caught the bruise on her face. He opened his mouth as if to speak but he was cut off.
"Your cheek, mia cara?" Zevran's voice lacked usual levity, instead displaying a strange sense of concern.
Hawke set her sandwich down, but kept her soft smile in place. "I slipped at home, clipped my cheek on the kitchen table," she explained.
It wasn't a total lie, but Hawke still felt guilt chew in her chest.
"It's nothing. Lily, how did your recital go?"
Sebastian's eyes followed her, but he said nothing as the redhead looked up to smile at Hawke.
"It is so kind of you to remember. It went well, I may be going back to France over the summer, but that is very far away. Besides, I may miss you all too much to leave for such a long time."
Zevran nipped at her neck affectionately and she bopped his nose. "I could stow you away in my shoe bag, don't worry."
Isabela rolled her eyes. "Get a room you two."
Zevran tsked. "Why would we do that when there is a perfectly good tree right there, hmm?"
Sebastian turned a truly impressive shade of red and coughed, causing the entire group laughed.
"Speaking of Europe," Isabela added, "I heard Vare-Bear recommended you for that big competition in Rome. You take the offer?"
"Actually... I did. It all kind of happened suddenly, but I'll be going."
Merrill sat off of Isabela's lap, delighted at the news. "Oh, how wonderful, Hawke! I'm so very proud of you!"
Sebastian cleared his throat , "That is fine news indeed."
Anders' eyes narrowed and he scooted imperceptibly closer to Hawke. "Who's sponsoring you?"
Hawke shifted uncomfortably. "Fenris."
Anders' eyes narrowed. "You're going to Rome with that bigoted idiot for two weeks?"
Zevran and Isabela shared a look, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation's sudden shift of tone.
"He's really not the bad," Merrill started, "he just does—"
"He is that bad. And I think he has taken an undue interest in Hawke. It doesn't take a genius to figure out he's hiding from something. Fenris is a danger to her."
Zevran sat up, something changing in his demeanor. "I would watch your words, friend."
"Hawke can take care of herself," Lily added.
"Hawke can also speak for herself," Hawke added.
He rounded to face her. "I saw you in the parking lot with him. What was that?"
She bristled.
"His car broke down a while ago. I give him rides home, and he tutors me. There is nothing going on."
Isabela piped in, sultry voice vaguely indifferent. "Come on Anders, don't be a spoil sport. He's gorgeous, Hawke's smokin', and they're both a little twisted. Match made in heaven."
Sebastian frowned. "Of course there isn't anything going on," he said, assuring himself more than anyone on the blanket.
Hawke threw her lunch into her bag. "Yes, Sebastian, there isn't. Anders, what I do with Fenris isn't your concern- I don't have to explain myself here."
"Fine, Hawke. I just wanted to warn you."
Anders was up and gone in a flash, storming away and leaving a trail of thunder in his wake.
"Lord," Lily breathed. "What has gotten into him?"
"He wasn't always like this."
"Hawke," Sebastian started, "I'm sorry if we upset you. It was not our intent."
Hawke sighed, placing her hand gently on Sebastian's shoulder. They all (almost all) meant well, they were just concerned. It wasn't easy being her friend, she knew that.
It's why she had never had any. It was easier to be alone. But the five sets of eyes looking at her earnestly made her grateful. They wanted what was best for her, even if none of them knew anything at all.
"I know. Thank you all. Really. Let's just move on, yeah?"
The conversation turned to other things after Sebastian had discreetly handed her a pamphlet on the church's safe haven program, but Hawke's mind couldn't turn from Anders storming off and the coming competition.
Two weeks alone with Fenris in a foreign country, playing for an obscene amount of money. It couldn't have sounded crazier, but that was becoming commonplace now.
Should be interesting, whatever happens.
A/N: I have no excuse for not updating, but I'm hard at work now! I have some very um, "mature" oneshots written for this AU, if anyone's interested I'll post them (even though they deviate from the cannon story a little bit and are out of order sorry not sorry). Anyways I hope y'all are having a great summer!