A/N: Thanks for reading! This chapter I had to take a break from since the month of May I've been busy with moving and work has been hellish. This chapter entirely focuses on Evelyn talking with Hawke once they leave Redcliffe.
"No offense to the people, but if I never see Redcliffe again, I'll shed no tears." Hawke said as they saddled up their horses after speaking with Master Dennet. Solas and Blackwall decided to escort the rebel mages back to Haven, leaving Evelyn to once again travel alone with the champion.
"Can't say I disagree with that sentiment!" Evelyn took care to shrug off her feelings of unease from her growing role with the Inquisition once the decision to recruit the mages had been made. She knew she was probably stuck in it for the long haul, so Evelyn was going to try to make the best of things from then on out.
"So now that we're done with that mess, does that mean you'll become more talkative then?" Hawke prodded her as they began their journey.
"What do you mean?" Evelyn raised an eyebrow in question. She knew he saw through her tough facade, but still feigned ignorance. That was her emotional wall in play she always tried to maintain.
"Oh, come on. I know you better than you think, Evelyn. You seemed…" He paused, thinking of the best way to put it. "Troubled?"
Evelyn sighed. "I just didn't think how much was riding on our shoulders. If I had said no to the mages, what would have happened to them?"
"Their fates would have been worse off if you hadn't helped them. You did the right thing, Ev." Hawke sent a warm approving look her way, making her glad she had his support. She was also surprised that she didn't mind him calling her that, only Max had ever referred to her in informal ways.
"You must have plenty of experience with these sort of things. You had a whole city looking to you for years, did you not?" Evelyn asked, partly wanting to know more of how he juggled it all.
Hawke gave a small chuckle. "Ah, that I did. I didn't always like the burden of responsibility either. It was tough at times. You know, you remind me of myself." That got her attention.
"Oh, really. Evelyn Trevelyan like Garrett Hawke, how so?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Most of the time trouble found me. I certainly didn't ask for my mantle. One moment I was just trying to find ways to get my family out of the slums and having fun with Varric and our friends, the next I found myself saving the city from the Qunari." They stopped their horses at a stream. "Time went on, and I found myself being looked to more and more as a beacon of hope, before I knew it, my actions were inadvertently contributing to something much bigger."
"So you became bigger than just yourself, something more. That didn't bother you? You weren't worried you lost your identity?" Evelyn wondered how someone who played such an integral part of the mage rebellion could be so nonchalant.
"Not at first, no. It just felt like the right thing to do. But as time went on it became harder, worrying if I was making the right choices. The more your influence grows, the heavier the responsibility becomes. But you want to know why I think you'll be fine no matter what that damn Breach throws our way?"
"Sure, why not!" She threw her hands up, they had plenty of time to talk on their way back to Haven anyways.
"Because like me, you're resilient and stubborn. We may not come from the same kind of background, but I have faith you will rise to every challenge and come out on top."
Evelyn smiled. "Would you give me a boost up if I need it?"
"Did you really think you'd have to ask, love?" Hawke sent her a wink, and of course Evelyn's cheeks betrayed her to him. The pair continued their trek until they reached the foot of the frostbacks before setting up camp for the night.
"Dear Evelyn, have you ever made a fire before?" Hawke teased as he watched her try to capture fire in the pit she had set up.
"I have! I'm just not very good at it…" Evelyn huffed annoyed, refusing to ask the mage for help.
"While you were trying in vain to do that, I've already gotten our tent set up, so maybe you should let the expert help-" He moved forward before she interrupted him.
"Garrett, just because you can conjure fire at your fingertips does not make you an expert at camp fires." Evelyn's pride of course hated ceding to the man.
"Work smarter, not harder." Hawke conjured up a ball of flame and brought it to the pit.
"Cheater." Evelyn sat back as the fire caught on, the heat warming her cold bones.
"Call it what you like, but we are warmer now!" He took a seat next to her, warming his hands.
"Fine, you win. Cocky little shit." Evelyn said under her breath, barely containing a teasing smile.
"You may call me cocky, and a shit, but please do refrain from calling me little. I'm anything but." Hawke wiggled his eyebrows at her and leaned his shoulder against hers before she threw a playful punch his way. He did have a point though. Evelyn stole a glance at his muscled arms before quickly moving her eyes back to the fire.
"Maker help me get through this trip with this insufferable man!"
"I can't help it the Maker blessed me with confidence. You should try it sometime, might unwind you a bit."
"What, be more insufferable?"
"Oh, you know you're beautiful." That comment caught her off guard. "That, there. That look of surprise. Like you don't realize how utterly amazing you are." Hawke leaned forward to brush her brown hair from her shoulder. Evelyn froze.
She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat before answering him. "I don't know what you're talking about, Garrett." The thought crossed her mind that the mage was trying to seduce her and she had no idea how to react to the situation! No, he was just messing with her she convinced herself.
"Uh-huh. Tell me then, how many suitors have you had? I assume being from a noble family you've had the pleasure of your family trying to set you up." Evelyn groaned at the inquiry.
"Ugh, I've had a few, yes. They were boors, though." She cast her eyes towards the fire, trying to avoid his piercing gaze.
"Boor or not, I bet they saw the same beauty in you that I see right now. Even as you try to hide it." Hawke said knowingly, so sure in his conviction. How did he see through her so easily? She was always so good at blocking other people out from seeing in. Trying to hide from Hawke wasn't working, so Evelyn decided to change her tactics.
She turned to face him and look him straight in the eyes. "Alright, I'll bite. Yes, I do that with men, but it's obvious it doesn't work with you. I like you Hawke, but I don't want to mess our friendship up. Whatever you think you're trying to do won't work out." Evelyn crossed her arms and did her best to dissuade the man, feeling he was wasting his time. The Trevelyan's would eat him alive if she ever brought him home, that's for sure.
"And why is that?" He continued to look at her with complete confidence, not deterred in the slightest by her words.
His face was barely inches from hers now, but she did her best to ignore his attractive features. Damn the man for having such a sexy beard though! She wanted to run her fingers through his chestnut locks, it looked so soft.
"You wouldn't like my family." She curtly said, trying to focus on keeping her face from betraying her body's natural response to his very close proximity. Hawke kept hovering closer and closer to her when she didn't back away, and she cursed herself for it.
"Mothers love me. Got any other reasons?" Any closer and their lips would practically be touching. Evelyn could feel her heart racing in her chest. Again, she froze, too nervous to move forward, too afraid to move away.
"I-I don't know…" She barely stammered out, suddenly feeling like a lovesick teenager again.
The mage smiled at her, his breath sweetly dancing on her lips. "I didn't think so." And then they touched, just barely gliding over Evelyn's lips and her head felt dizzy as she closed her eyes. It was an innocent kiss, not greedy for more, Evelyn could tell Hawke was a patient man.
He tasted of honey, making Evelyn wonder what she tasted like to him as the kiss deepened. Hawke's hands settled warmly over her thighs as her hands found their way on his chest. For the moment everything around them seemed to stand still as she opened her mouth to let his tongue explore hers. And then it ended. Hawke broke off with an almost smug look on his face, glad to have gotten past her barriers.
"Good night, Evelyn." She had to force herself to not exude a look of shock at how easily he had stopped and just went about going to bed after that kiss. Evelyn gave a quiet exhale, still remembering the feel of his lips on hers like they had never left, she was almost disappointed, but knew he was playing some sort of game.
"Good night, Garrett." They settled into the tent and gathered the fur blanket they shared around them. Evelyn watched the crackles of the fire slowly fizzle, blocking the memory of the kiss out as she wondered how her brother was doing at Therinfal.