Still not owning a thing, and not making profit.

In which we get some interaction! I'm awkward at romances (although I love them to bits), so expect a fairly slow burn ;) please do leave positive/constructive feedback if you like. I pray that Krem becomes a romanceable in the next DA game.

Of course it was him. Who else? He'd saved her once, and here he was again, running to her rescue. How could she have not recognised him? He was as handsome as he had been all these months ago when he'd carried her out of the burning medical ward at Haven. Krem was his name. She had not even said thank you.

"I..."

"By the Maker Beth are you ok?"

Dalia rushed to her side, and the rest of the tavern erupted in a ton of excited comments on the events. Maryden and Dalia surrounded Beth and examined her face, while the boss went to get a cold, wet towel for her cheek. Patrons walked to the Iron Bull and Krem and slapped them soundly on the back, making sure to congratulate them on their chivalry and explaining how they themselves had come very close to intervening, and in fact, would have done so if the young lad had not been so quick.

"That's quite the right hook you've got there, lad" they said to Krem, while the Iron Bull beamed with pride.

Beth was ushered away, but she did see the woman she had defended in the first place reappearing out of nowhere and cooing over Krem and the Iron Bull. Ungrateful cow!

Dalia and Maryden held Beth firmly in place in their iron grip, and pulled her away from the crowd and into the back room.

"Are you ok?" They kept on asking, shoving her onto a chair and muffling out her answer with the wet towel.

"Is there anything I can do?" Asked the dwarf.

He was standing awkwardly near the door and seemed to be hoping very hard that they would release him.

"No, we got it, maybe you could mind the tavern a little?" Said Dalia.

The boss gone, the two women turned to the Elf and started pressing the towel into her face so hard it did hurt.

"I'm ok, I'm ok!" Cried Beth, all the while trying unsuccessfully to get up and run back out.

She had not even said thank you! Twice!

So Krem was not necessarily fond of attention to start with, and at the minute he was quite annoyed at having missed his chance of talking to Beth. But most of all, he was absolutely gutted that the big guy who had hurt his precious waitress had managed to get away without losing all his teeth. At least now he knew her name. He could really do with finding out the big guy's name, though, then pay him a visit some time. He wasn't scared of him, despite his size. The guy counted on his strength and nothing else, whereas Krem had had proper training and knew how to hit anybody. Even big guys.

Beth had disppeared, dragged away by the other waitress and the bard, and all that remained were dozens of people cheering for him and the Bull.

"D'you know what lad, d'you know what, I tell you what, you knocked him right out lad. I woulda done it meself but you did good lad, you did good "

The bartender came out and jumped on the occasion to run to the Chief and thank him for his pacifying intervention. Some smelly man went to Krem and spat in his ear: " you're not that bad for a Vint, lad"

"Bloody hell, Krem," Rocky. "You got a bit mad there, didn't you?"

"Come on Krem, let's get some ice for your hands" said the Chief.

Krem glanced at his hands and saw that some of the skin on the knuckles had gone red and torn.

"I can't believe that bastard" said Dalish, a few hours later. "Hitting that poor girl like that."

"And what an idiot, did he think no one would step in?" Added Grim.

It was much later, and the few patrons left were mostly the ones who lived upstairs, like the Chargers. Beth was still working, going round as normal, her right cheek a bit redder than usual but not looking too nasty.

Krem just watched Beth out of the corner of his eye, his hands enveloped in cold towels.

"Well, at least now you've sort of introduced yourself" said Rocky.

"So what happened exactly?" Asked Stitches, who suddenly looked interested in his surroundings.

Skinner just stared at him, hard, but Rocky mercifully answered him.

"Well the waitress went to talk to them because they were being a bit loud or something, and then that big guy got annoyed and slapped her, so Krem ran all the way over there and beat him up. Then the Chief stopped it all and kicked the guys out."

"He pinched her ear" interrupted Krem, "that bastard pinched her ear and she pushed his hand away, then he hit her. I was already halfway there by then" he added with a note of regret.

"The other guy touched her arse or something" said the Chief.

"What? That guy? What?"

"No, the other one, the blond one who was holding him back. I think he touched her ass or something, just before."

"He what? Why didn't you say?"

Why didn't I see this?

"I wasn't sure, and she seemed ok. Then the big one touched a lady's ass, and the waitress, Beth, went to see the bartender and he told her to deal with it so she went to talk to them. She must have said something that got that big one mad, because the blond one is the leader of that pack of dicks and he was obviously trying to deescalate things."

"Whatever she said, he deserved it. That blond one, huh?"

Krem now had another name to add to his wishlist. He watched his precious Elf moping up tables and chairs.

"Fucking bastards"

Krem did not swear, or at least not often, which was probably why the Chargers exchanged looks.

"Do you know what? Let's just ask her. What's her name?"

"Rocky, no."

"What's her name? Chief? What was it, Bess? Becks? Betsy?"

"Rocky, no, let it be"

"Shh, shh, hey Betty! Betty!"

"It's Beth you fool"

"Beth! BETH!"

Finally, she looked up.

"Hello!" Said Rocky, with a huge smile.

She waved back, unsure.

"Nice one" smirked Dalish.

"Come over for a drink and a chat" said the Chief.

"Oh, I've got lots to do, I'd love to, thank you, but I've got loads..."

"Nonsense" said the Iron Bull, standing up to his full height. He walked to her and took the mop from her hands, "you're done, it's late, time for a break." He gently but firmly pushed her towards their table. She looked absolutely tiny next to him. "Time for a break" he repeated towards the bartender, who just nodded. As if anyone was asking for his permission.

"There" said the Bull, pulling up a chair in front of Krem's and pushing her into it. "What are you drinking?"

"Erm..."

"Some ale!" Yelled the Bull to the bar.

"Lots of it!" Added Dalish.

Krem was utterly mortified. She was right there in front of him. If he stretched his leg he would touch hers, but best not start thinking about that sort of things.

The 7 mercenaries and the waitress sat there in silence for a while, until their drinks arrived.

Dalish liked the look of the girl. City elf, clearly, though nothing like Sera, thank the gods. She was holding her cup with both hands, and trying very hard not to look at Krem, which was adorable. Then the girl suddenly blushed and coughed, so Dalish followed her gaze and saw that Rocky's trousers were open.

"Beth, is it?" She asked the waitress.

"Y-yes"

"How's your cheek?"

"Pardon?"

"Your face? You know, where you got...?"

"Oh! Oh it's fine thank you, I've had worse" she laughed, but they all looked at her sharply.

Way to break the ice, Betsy-boo.

"So... What's the man's name anyway?" Enquiried Bull.

"Rufford. He's a soldier for the Inquisition."

"Soldier, huh? So is that the one who hit you or the one who grabbed your a... Erm, your bottom?"

Beth just looked at him for a second, and Dalish smiled to herself. People were always so astonished to find out how observant the Chief was. They probably thought that because he was so huge he would not see anything further than his own muscles.

"The one who hit me. Jora is the name of the one who grabbed me."

"Is he a soldier, too?"

"A lieutenant, actually."

"Lieutenant, huh? We've got our own lieutenant here, but he doesn't grab butts. Although, he might do an exception for you, if you ask him nicely, isn't that right?"

Could this be going any worse? Krem just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

The Chief "discreetly" nudged Krem with his elbow. Introduce yourself, Krem, just say something you lovestruck fool.

"I'm Krem"

"I know"

Now that, got both Krem and the Chief to look at her in awe.

"We've met before" she said.

Krem was abusing his brain, trying to understand what she meant. They'd met before? Had she noticed him at the tavern, was that what she meant? By the Maker, he could hardly believe how lovely she looked from up close, looking at him with those lovely eyes and smiling with those lovely lips... And how lovely were her ears, poking out of her lovely hair... She had a lovely voice, too... Say something you idiot.

"We've lovely... We've met before?"

Stitches snorted into his drink and started coughing so violently that Skinner had to hit him really hard on the back. She kept hitting even after he'd stopped.

"Back at Haven." She said. "You erm, you carried me out of the medical ward during the siege, and you took me to the Chantry. I heard someone calling you, that's how I know your name. You won't remember me though, you were really busy then." She laughed, her cheeks sudenly very pink.

The Bull racked his brain, replaying that fateful day in his head. He did remember sending Krem and Stitches to the ward with the instruction of looking after civilians who couldn't move, and he did remember Krem carrying people to the Chantry. He supposed one of them might have been Beth.

"I never said thank you" continued Beth, looking at his lieutenant with such genuine appreciation that he could hardly blame the lad for his red face. "I kept meaning to, but I didn't see you until Skyhold and then I was sure you wouldn't remember who I was anyway. And I haven't even said thank you for today, for saving me. Again. You were so brave, both times, and just came to help me although you didn't even know me, it's amazing, more than I deserve. So, Krem, thank you."

Have mercy on him, thought Bull as his second in command rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassement.

"You're welcome, it was a pleasure... I mean, it wasn't a pleasure to watch getting hit, but I'm glad I was there... Not that you needed me or anything, but I mean, I'm glad I could help. And before, too. I'm not saying it's good you nearly burned to death, but it is good that it didn't happen, and I'm glad I could help it not happen..."

Krem knew he was rambling, but he just couldn't stop himself. Behind the girl, Grim was looking at him in utter confusion, as if he was a particularly puzzling lock.

"Well, I really do owe you. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

She hadn't realised until she'd said it what this sentence sounded like, but the whooping from the other mercenaries quickly helped enlighten her. Krem was looking very embarrassed by her words, and Beth wished she could take them back.

"Oh I'm sure he'll think of something,won't you Krem de la creme?"

"Here we go" said Krem not unkindly.

"Hey Beth, you're right about Krem, he's Acclassi guy " said the Bull before laughing his head off.

"My full name is Cremisius Acclassi" clarified the young man, causing the Bull to laugh even louder, if such a thing was possible.

Beth laughed along, it was so contagious, and stored this new item of information into her "Krem- my hero from Haven and Skyhold" mental folder.

Thankfully, the Chargers lost interest in her afterwards and started talking amongst themselves, and Beth was quite happy to sit back and enjoy the banter. She listened specifically for Krem's deep voice, but he kept very quiet, either looking at his bottle or at the others, which meant that she was free to steal regular glances at his handsome face.

How old was he? He didn't seem that young, he must at least have been in his twenties, but why was his face so smooth? Did he shave every morning?

Meanwhile, Krem was trying his darnest to look cool and detached.

Why was she staring at his chin?