Fenris woke the next morning to find her gone again. A note was placed under a muffin on the bench across from his bed. He shook off his dreams of her and moved to the note. He started as the note reminded him of his day with her. He hurried to dress and choke down the muffin. He then sprinted from his house to the Chantry where she'd said to meet her.

He found Sebastian waiting there with a picnic basket. "She said she had to do something for her mother, but that she would meet us on the coast as soon as she was able to." Sebastian explained.

"Right." Fenris sighed heavily. So much for his alone time with Hawke.

"Did you want to go? We might could hunt her down if you'd rather." Sebastian said.

"No. She'll be there shortly. She always manages to slip her mother. She might even be waiting for us now." Fenris said and the two started off.

It was a nice day on the coast. A light wind keeping the sun from being too hot. Fenris and Sebastian had been waiting for a while, unsure what to do or say to the other. They had visited some on the walk, but now it was just getting awkward. Normally they had Hawke as a buffer.

"You want to eat? I mean if she's going to take so long she won't care, right?" Sebastian suggested. Fenris nodded, dropping the stone he was about to heave into the ocean and moved to sit across from the prince.

Sebastian opened the basket and looked at Fenris puzzled. He then pulled out the bowl of whipped cream and sat it aside. Next he pulled out a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries. Fenris arched a brow as Sebastian continued to pull out food. Cheeses and the olives Fenris liked. A fresh baked crusty loaf of bread was next. Then some sort of revolting smelling pie that had Fenris cringing back, and Sebastian inhaling deeply.

"Fish egg pie. How did she manage to find this?" Sebastian laughed.

"Fish and eggs? In a pie?" Fenris said making a face and trying not to gag. Sebastian nodded and took a bite out of the pie.

"It's a Starkhaven delicacy." Sebastian explained after eating the bite.

"Then remind me to never go there." Fenris muttered and dug into the basket and pulled out two wine glasses and then a bottle of wine. "Agreggio Pavali. She went to a lot of trouble for this meal."

"I hope she hurries then." Sebastian said with a nod as he devoured the pie. Fenris frowned and slid his hand around in the basket. "What's wrong?" Sebastian asked as Fenris sat back on his heels.

"You're certain she said she'd meet us here?"

"Yes. She brought me the basket and said it was full of goodies. She said she had an errand to do and then would meet us here. Why?"

"There are only two wine glasses." Fenris said. The men glanced at each other puzzled and then light dawned in their eyes. Each quickly looked away from the other, wondering if the other had a crush on them.

"Fenris, I do think highly of you, but…I like women." Sebastian said after a few moments silence.

"Why are you telling me this?" Fenris demanded turning to look at him.

"Well…I just thought that she must be doing this for…" Sebastian trailed off. "I'm flattered, truly, but I thought you knew that I was rather fond of Hawke. Not that I'm going to go against my vows, but…"

"I don't like you! I like women!" Fenris said standing up quickly. "You think she was fixing us up?"

"Well, isn't that what it looks like? Romantic food. Romantic location. Two wine glasses." Sebastian said slowly.

"Vishante kaffar! Venhedis!" Fenris cursed. What was that damned woman doing?

"So you don't like me then?" Sebastian said feeling relief pour over him.

"No!" Fenris said and began to pace.

"Good. I don't like you either. Well, I mean as more than friends." Sebastian felt the need to clarify. "But if it wasn't something either of us told her, why would she think that we wanted fixed up?"

"That is something I fully intend to find out." Fenris snarled and stormed off, leaving Sebastian to pack up and make his way back to the city. Sebastian prayed the whole way that Hawke would have an explanation reasonable enough to calm Fenris down. He also prayed that Fenris wouldn't rip her heart out before she could tell it.

-0-

Hawke entered the Hanged Man feeling pretty pleased with herself. She made her way over to the table where Isabela and Anders were sitting. Varric nodded to her and began to head over that way. She plopped down and smiled at her friends.

"Someone's in a good mood." Anders smiled at her.

"I am. It's been a good day."

"And night." Isabela said with a smirk.

"Night?" Hawke asked.

"You spent the night with Fenris."

"Oh, that! No big deal. You know that Fenris isn't into me." Hawke waved her off and motioned for a round of drinks. Anders gave Isabela a smug look that Hawke missed.

"You mean nothing happened?" Isabela asked shocked. She had been sure that with the book she'd have won the bet. She damned Fenris' self control. She was really looking forward to that lightning trick of Anders.

"Then why are you so chipper, sweetheart?" Anders asked.

"Because I helped two friends get over their hang ups today." She smiled.

"What two friends and what hang ups?" Varric asked as he plopped into a chair next to Hawke.

"Fenris and Sebastian." Hawke said deciding after today it wouldn't be a secret for long anyway.

"What hang ups?" Anders asked feeling a smile building as he leaned back in his chair. He was fairly certain he'd just won the bet.

"The fact they like each other. I sent them on a romantic picnic." She said and took a drink of her ale.

"What?" Varric asked as Isabela spit her ale out and Anders fell over, landing on the floor with a thud. Hawke frowned and turned to look at Varric.

"I sent them on a romantic picnic." She said wondering why this was getting such a strange reaction from her friends.

"Do they know that you sent them on a romantic picnic?" Varric asked looking worried. He was afraid Hawke was finally going to meet her end.

"Well, not exactly. They were both trying to keep it a secret so I told them I'd meet them in a bit. I'm sure by now they've figured it out." Hawke waved him off thinking that Varric had finally not known something before she did.

"I'm thinking they did." Varric said as the door to the bar slammed open and Fenris stood in the doorway. His chest heaved as he breathed, his eyes scanning the room and narrowing as they locked onto Hawke's.

"You!" He snarled.

"He doesn't look like he's coming over here to say thanks, does he?" Hawke asked wondering what she'd done to make him so angry.

"I think not." Varric said and then patted her arm. "It's been nice knowing you, Hawke."

"Fenris would never hurt…" She ended her sentence in a yelp as Fenris jerked her out of her chair.

"Why?" Fenris asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Why what?" Hawke asked not liking the way her voice trembled a bit. Fenris had been mad at her before, but never this mad.

"Do not play games with me anymore, Hawke! I have had enough. Explain yourself." He snapped at her.

"Are you mad about the picnic?" She asked.

"Of course I'm mad about the picnic!" He shouted at her. He took a deep breath trying to remain calm. "Step outside with me and explain this." She nodded slowly and moved with him outside of the bar.

She'd really thought the two of them liked each other. She'd often seen them talking quietly together at the Chantry. Fenris was actually nice to Sebastian. He wasn't really nice to anyone. But she had a sinking feeling she was wrong.

"Explain to me why you would think to send us alone on a picnic." Fenris said as they moved into a darkened and empty corner outside the bar.

"I thought you two just needed some time away from everything to make it work."

"Make what work? Why would we need to make anything work?" Fenris demanded.

"Because you like each other, but neither of you were doing anything about it." She answered.

"Like each other? Why would you think we like each other?" He whispered angrily as he moved closer to her.

"You don't like him?"

"NO!" He yelled.

"I thought you did." She said quietly.

"Why would you think that we like each other?"

"Well you two are always talking quietly together and get weird when someone else joins you."

"Because what we're talking about is private."

"See?" She said as if that had proven her point.

"Not like that, Hawke! We're talking about our past. He's been…" Fenris looked away from her embarrassed to admit that Sebastian had been teaching him about his faith. He'd been trying to help Fenris get over all his hate and anger.

Fenris had been horrified by his killing of Hadriana after he'd promised not to. He had thought he'd left that hatred behind him, but it had snuck up on him like a disease and robbed him of his common sense. He'd nearly hurt Hawke in his anger, shoving her off and whirling on her when she tried to comfort him. She'd said she didn't blame him for what he'd done, she'd even been kind about his yelling at her. But he'd blamed himself. Sebastian was helping him find a way through all of it. Fenris didn't want to hurt Hawke again. Be it physically or emotionally.

Fenris took a breath and tried again. "He's been speaking with me about the Chant. About him finding peace in it. He's been trying to help me with my hatred and anger."

Hawke looked at him compassionately and laid a hand on his arm. She had seen how hurt and confused he'd been after the whole Hadriana mess. He'd ran from Hawke, only to be sitting in her house waiting for her when she'd gotten home. He'd seemed so lost. She'd wanted to wrap him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be alright, but after trying to comfort him in the slaver caves, she knew she couldn't.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize. I thought that it was something else."

"Our talking together is the whole reason you thought we liked each other?"

"No. There was the fact he asked you to return with him to Starkhaven."

"To train his army." Fenris snapped. He'd been insulted by Sebastian's offer at first, but Sebastian had gone on to say that anyone would look up to Fenris because of all he'd accomplished. It was the first time someone other than Hawke had really seen Fenris.

"Well, you always walk with me unless he's with us. Then you walk with him."

"That's not true. I occasionally walk with Varric and Aveline."

"Not often. Normally only when…Anders is walking with me. You're avoiding Anders. You walk with Sebastian because Anders avoids him." She said looking at Fenris with a growing redness in her cheeks. She really was bad at all of this. He nodded to her sharply. "I'm sorry, Fenris. I really thought you two liked each other. I was just trying to do something to make you happy."

"And you thought Sebastian would make me happy?" He demanded moving closer to her. She nodded and looked at the ground. "Venhedis, Hawke! Can you really not see it?"

She looked up at him confused. He snarled and slammed her into the wall. She gasped as he leaned over her. "Fenris?" She asked confusedly. He didn't let her get another word out. He pressed his lips to hers in a rough kiss. She stayed froze in shock for a moment, before giving in to his insistent lips. He pulled back and looked at her. Her eyes lazily fluttered open. Her knees went weak and if he'd let go of her she would have fallen.

"Does that clear it up for you?" He asked as she continued to stare at him, her eyes cloudy with confusion.

"But aren't you…gay?" She asked wondering what had just happened and fearing it wouldn't happen again.

"Gay? Why would you think I was gay?" He asked shocked.

"Well…I didn't at first, but Isabela said it one time and then it sort of made sense." She said wondering if they were all playing a game with her.

"She said I was gay?" He demanded angrily. Isabela was constantly trying to get him to sleep with her or get him to make a move on Hawke. He wondered why she would tell Hawke he was gay.

"She said it would be the only explanation for why you wouldn't take her offer." Hawke explained. "After she said it, it sort of made sense. The way you got mad when I kinda flirted with you, the way you never flirt with anyone. Then Anders pointed out that you did prefer fancy wines and stuff and that you are meticulous in your grooming."

"So a man must be gay if he doesn't want to sleep with Isabela, prefers to drink something that doesn't rip apart your insides, and likes to keep himself, his armor, and his weapons neat?" Fenris snarled and moved closer to her.

"When you put it like that, it sounds bad." Hawke said quietly. "Fenris, I didn't know. I've never been faced with anything like this. Anyone like you."

"Did you ever think that it might be the fact that I was just learning what I liked and didn't like? That I didn't know how to flirt or how to react when flirted with? Or maybe that the meticulous thing was something drilled into me? Or maybe that my life depended on my weapons and armor so I kept them perfect to keep me alive? And maybe I didn't want Isabela because all I could see was you!" He ended in a shout. "Venhedis!" He whirled and started off. She caught his arm.

"Fenris, wait, please! I never meant to upset you. Please don't walk away from me!" She begged. He jerked his arm free.

"Give me some time to cool down, Hawke. I can't be around you right now."

"Fenris…" She called, but he wouldn't look back. She slid down the wall, silent tears coursing down her face. What had she done? She eventually climbed to her feet, dried her eyes, and made her way numbly back into the Hanged Man.

-0-

"You alright?" Varric asked taking in her red rimmed eyes, other than that she seemed unharmed. She shook her head and snatched his always full mug and drained it. Isabela and Anders had filled him in on what had been going on.

"You want to tell us what happened?" Anders pressed.

She stared at the empty mug in her hands. "He kissed me." Isabela threw her hands up in glee. Even after Hawke sending Fenris on a date, she'd still won. "And then I accused him of being gay."

"Hawke, if Fenris is gay, then I'm just a really short human." Varric said and lightly laid his hand on her arm. "He's always had it bad for you."

She swallowed hard and looked up at Anders and Isabela. Their triumphant and irritated looks tipping her off to the fact they had known what was going on. "So I'm just finding out. And now I've ruined it. He'll never forgive me. Thank you. Both of you. I hope your game was worth it." She said angrily and stood up.

"Hawke, wait! We didn't mean for it to get so out of hand." Isabela said quickly. She hadn't meant to hurt either of them. She really did care about them.

"Save it. I'll forgive you tomorrow for what you've done to me. It's my own fault for being so gullible. Fenris is the one who's really been wronged. You should do something about that." Hawke said and left the bar without another word to any of them.

"That didn't go so well." Anders said looking down at his hands as Justice berated him in his mind.

"That's an understatement. Balls." Isabela sighed and toyed with her mug.

"I can't believe you two were pushing this. Well, I can, but I must say I'm disappointed in you. They have had a rough enough time without you two betting on their private life." Varric said frowning at them.

"We didn't mean for it to get like this." Anders protested.

"You didn't mean to hurt her, you mean. You were fine with hurting Broody." Varric shook his head and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Isabela asked.

"To go and fix this mess before either of them do something we can't undo."

"Maybe we should go and talk to Fenris." Isabela said glancing at Anders who nodded his agreement. He was loathe to do anything to help Fenris, but Hawke's look of anger and pain was too much. She'd been nothing but good to him, and he'd hurt her.

"Not if you want to live. Look, let me go and talk with him. You two can apologize to them both tomorrow." Varric turned to go, muttering hopefully under his breath as he left.