Chapter 11: Untamed

It was card night at the Hanged Man. Kit was playing with Fenris, Anders and Varric. Their meetings had become a ritual lately that neither of them wanted to miss, a relaxing break from the many crises they had to deal with. Even Fenris and the mage put aside their differences on these nights, unwilling to spoil the fun with their customary quarrelling.

Varric had just finished a particularly juicy templar joke in an attempt to distract them from their game, when Isabela walked in. She kissed Kit on the cheek and settled on his lap, her legs comfortably propped up against the table. He was looking at his cards, preoccupied with his strategy and absent-mindedly caressed her breasts with his left hand. She leaned back into his arms, sighing happily and rubbing her head against his shoulder like a cat.

"Andraste's arse, Kit, can't you keep your hands off her until the two of you get home?" Varric sounded unusually irritable. "We really don't need to see this."

Anders looked up and shrugged. "Oh, don't bother, Varric. After all, we've probably all been there." His tone was dry.

Kit threw him an amused glance. "All of you? Really?"

Anders grinned. "Everyone sleeps with Isabela sooner or later. She's like a side dish. She comes with the meal."

Varric snorted. "Speak for yourself, Blondie. Bianca doesn't like competition."

Kit smirked at the dwarf's words, but his sharp eyes had noticed Fenris' slight blush. He knew Isabela had been trying to seduce the elf for weeks now. Judging by his reaction, she had made at least some progress.

The pirate was smiling wickedly now. "Well, not everyone... I do have my standards. But you're right, Anders, it's about time I work on improving my quota." She slid off Hawke's lap and moved over to Fenris' seat, leaning over his shoulder. "Why don't we go to your place, Fen, and you show me those... traps you've set up?" Her hands ruffled the elf's silvery hair, trailing along his sensitive ear.

Fenris shook her off and growled. "Isabela! Not in front of everyone, if you please."

He was looking uncertainly at Kit from under his long lashes, but Hawke raised his hands in a gesture that clearly said he was not going to get involved. "None of my business. I'm off to Sundermount early tomorrow with Anders, Merrill and Aveline. I need my beauty sleep tonight."

"Well, then it's about time we break this up." Varric rose, shaking his head and glancing at Kit. Isabela was on her feet in a flash, dragging Fenris with her into the night.

Kit grinned and looked at Anders. "Come on, you can stay at my place tonight. If you go back to the clinic now you'll only end up working till the small hours, and I need you well-rested tomorrow."

Anders nodded, grateful for a chance to sleep in a proper bed and to sample Orana's cooking for breakfast. They set off together in the direction of Hightown after taking their leave from a grumpy Varric.

When they passed Fenris' place on their way to the Amell estate, Anders took a look at Kit's serene face and sighed. "Really, Hawke, I don't get you. How can you just let her go off with the elf? Fenris would have backed off at a word from you."

Kit smiled, unperturbed. "Yeah, he probably would have. He has got this gratitude thing going for me ever since we killed Danarius."

Anders shook his head. "Well, he should be grateful. And Isabela... First the Antivan, now Fenris. Doesn't it bother you the tiniest bit that she is now with him?"

Kit shrugged. "Why should it?" They had reached his house now, and he was unlocking the door, motioning for Anders to enter. "She has fantasized about him for years. Once her curiosity is sated, she'll be back. And she will probably tell me all about it. You know, 'Fenris' hard, lean body', the things he does with his tattoos... Heck, it's not as if I don't understand... I'd be going after him myself if I wasn't worried about scaring him off and losing a good friend."

Kit's roguish grin didn't deceive Anders. "Stop shitting me, Hawke. You love her! Why don't you-"

Kit whirled around, grabbing Anders by the lapels of his robe and pressing him hard against the wall. "Why don't I do what?" He glared at Anders, looking dangerous and devastatingly handsome, and the mage trembled at the sudden physical contact. "Forbid her to go? Beg her to stay? Assure her of my undying love? And what would that accomplish, Anders, except making her run again? She won't be tied down, not by me, not by anyone else. And I like her fine that way. I'm not out to 'tame' her like that idiot Castillon suggested." He smiled at Anders' confused expression and let his hand softly trail down the mage's stubbly cheek. "I am not exactly tame either, you know."

Anders blushed, knowing Kit could feel his reaction through the thin robes he wore. "We should go to sleep. You said so yourself."

"And so I did." Kit stepped back reluctantly, his fingers lingering for a second on Anders' jaw. "Well, if you can't sleep..." He turned and bounded up the stairs easily, two steps at a time, "... you know where to find me."

The mage swallowed hard. Damn you, Kit! Why do you have to keep doing this?

This man is utterly immoral! Justice's booming voice rang through his head, and he sighed.

No, he's not, Anders argued wearily. He has a good heart.

And the morals of an alleycat. The spirit's manifest disapproval made Anders grin despite his agitation.

I happen to like cats, he smirked.

There was a brief pause. I hope you don't plan on... getting involved with him!

Anders shook his head with a tired smile, letting himself into the guest room. No more than I already am.

Isabela stretched voluptuously and smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs in the Hanged Man around noon the following day. Fenris was probably still asleep. When she had left his mansion, he had been dead to the world, too exhausted to notice her departure. Last night had been wild, and sleep had been the last thing on both their minds. They had spent so much time circling each other warily during the past few weeks, speculating about what could be, dreaming about each other's bodies, imagining each other's reactions... When they finally ended up in bed together, their pent-up desire made for a truly passionate encounter.

The pirate felt a pleasant shiver run down her spine at the memory of that long lean body intertwined with hers, those full lips on her skin. And his tattoos were really quite... something. Still, she wasn't sure there would be a repeat performance. Fenris was stunning, with his beautiful green eyes and the rare, shy smile, but a little too intense for her taste, a little too serious. She missed Kit already, his easy laughter, his silly jokes. Oh well, as soon as he was back from his trip to Sundermount she would go up to Hightown. She already had a few ideas for his welcome home...

She was so lost in her pleasant thoughts that she nearly ran into Varric.

The dwarf chuckled mirthlessly at her dishevelled appearance and the deep rings under her eyes. "Isabela. You look like the deeper end of the Void. Join me for breakfast?"

Isabela nodded gratefully and followed him into his suite where the table was already set. "Well, I didn't get much sleep last night, you know." She winked at him, but Varric just grunted and shook his head, looking at her askance.

The pirate sank down onto a chair with a deep sigh and grabbed a piece of bread and some cheese. "What's the matter, Varric? Last night you glared at me like a basilisk, and now... It's not like you to be judgmental about my choice of lovers."

The dwarf sighed, filling his own plate. "Hawke is a good man, Rivaini. And my friend. It's obvious the two of you have something good going. Why you would feel the need to cheat on him..."

"It's hardly cheating if he knows I'm doing it," Isabela pointed out. "Personally, I think he rather enjoys hearing about it afterwards."

"Whatever!" Varric rolled his eyes. "Look, it's none of my business, but don't you go and break his heart again! It was bad enough the last time round."

Isabela frowned. "Oh, come on, Varric! You can't tell me that Kit was sitting around pining for me and crying his eyes out while I was gone."

Varric snorted. "Hardly. Ninety percent of the time he was his usual charming self. Joked with everyone, killed a few unwary criminals, played some pranks on Anders and slept his way through half of Hightown." The dwarf raised his cup at Isabela, smiling sardonically. "The perks of being the Champion, you see. Kirkwall's elite were throwing their virgin daughters at him, hoping for an alliance with the noble house of Amell. Of course, from what I've heard, he much preferred their older married sisters..."

"See?" Isabela shrugged. "Kit's a big boy. I really don't know what you are talking about when you say I broke his heart."

Varric looked up. "What I am talking about, Rivaini, is the other ten percent of his time, when he came here to drink." The dwarf shuddered at the memory. Hawke drinking himself into a stupor, going on endlessly about the pirate, trying to sort out what had gone wrong, why she had left. And then passing out on the table, crying out her name in his sleep. "He was a wreck. None of the others know about this, not Fenris, not Aveline, not Blondie. They all think he was coping fine without you."

Isabela looked uncomfortable. "Look, Varric, I am sorry if I hurt him, but-"

Varric cut her off. "Just don't do it again, okay? Hawke will do anything for you and all he asks in return is that you don't run off again. If you care for him at all..."

The pirate sighed. "I do, Varric. All the others, that's just skin-deep, and Kit knows it. As long as he'll have me, I'll stay."

Varric chuckled. "Then you might be stuck here longer than you think. Unless the town blows up first..."

Isabela laughed. "Why would it? Kirkwall's been here for a very long time."

Hugs and thanks to zevgirl! So good to have help with this!