Chapter 3
"Ooo, you make me live, whatever this world can give to me, it's you, you're all I see
Ooo, you make me live now honey, Ooo, you make me live,
You're the best friend that I ever had, I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true
I really love you, you're my best friend, Ooo, you make me live
I've been wandering round, but I still come back to you
In rain or shine, you've stood by me girl
I'm happy, happy at home, you're my best friend."
You're My Best Friend by Queen
Anders sat back in his seat and watched the festivities going on in the courtyard around him. The city guardsmen were celebrating Aveline's promotion to guard captain and the warrior had insisted that Rylee and her companions join the celebration since they aided her in bringing down Jeven. Anders watched as the new guard captain interacted with her men. They all seemed to like and respect her a great deal. The two of them had not always see eye to eye, but he did hold her in high regard. Rylee had always worked hard to try and keep the peace between all of her companions. He knew that they didn't always make that easy for her, but he admired her perseverance to keep trying.
He looked across the courtyard and caught Rylee's eye. She smiled and winked at him and he returned the friendly gesture. He hadn't really known her long, only about six months, but she had become a lifeline for him. When he was working too hard in the clinic, she would come and take him away for a break. She didn't like the sight of others people's blood, which he found ironic considering how she earned a living, so she couldn't offer him help in the clinic, but she always made sure that he had plenty of lyrium and health potions available. To keep him from neglecting himself, she would bring him fresh baked bread and stews that her mother would make, and on days when the weight of Justice seemed to be dragging him under, her wit and charm would lighten his mood and help give him new perspective. Growing up in the Circle, always on the run after escaping, he had very few friends and he never had a best friend until now.
She was surrounded by several of the guardsmen as they joked and flirted with her and her easy going nature had her flirting right back with them. If he had been the old, funny Anders he would have met his match with her. He admired her technique; she made eye contact with everyone she spoke with and smiled at them, and damn she had the sexiest smile he had ever seen. She laughed at their jokes, touched their arm when engaged in conversation and when she did that thing where she bit her lower lip, she had them eating out of the palm of her hand.
"Maker, she was good," Anders thought.
"That is a waste of time. What does it achieve?" Justice asked.
"Well, besides being a great ego boost to those involved, it's also a way to harmlessly find out if someone is interested in you," Anders stated.
"She couldn't possibly be interested in all of those men that would make her as loose as the pirate wench!"
Anders couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "She isn't. Rylee uses flirting as a defense mechanism to distract those that she is engaging with from whatever her real purpose is. She has spent most of her life protecting her father and sister; she used flirting to divert attention away from them. She has been doing it for so long its second nature to her. I've seen her do it without even realize she doing it."
"So all of those times that batted her eyes, touched your arm, charmed and teased you; she didn't mean it?"
Anders smiled sadly, "Nope, that is just who she is."
Both Rylee, Isabela and Varric made their way over to where he was seated and plopped down in the chairs beside him.
"I have twelve," Isabela declared proudly.
"And how many didn't you offer sex too?" Rylee asked skeptically.
"Aaah, four," the pirate grudgingly admitted.
"Ha, I won! I have seven with no promise of sexual favors," Rylee proudly stated.
"Oh yeah, what was that comment you made about sucking a rock through a hose?" Isabela demanded. Both Anders and Varric began to choke.
"That is called a sexual innuendo and there was no rule against using them. We just weren't allowed to make any sexual advances or offer them sex. I got all mine on sheer talent," Rylee affirmed.
"By Andraste's hairy muffin, what in the bloody void are the two of you talking about?" Anders asked.
Rylee grinned, "Good one!"
"You liked that one?"
"Yep."
"Lovely cuss word, Anders, but would someone explain what you two have been up too," Varric demanded.
The girls looked at each other and began to giggle. "Well, you have to admit this party is a bit lame," Isabela began. "So to spice it up, Kitten and I decided to have a little contest to see who could get asked out on more dates."
"Without offering sex or the promises of any sexual act," Rylee added.
"So let me get this straight, Isabela, you had twelve offers, but only four counted and Rylee got seven on flirting and innuendos," Anders asked. The girls nodded.
"Damn I'm good, don't you agree Bluesy?" Rylee chuckled.
He grinned, "That is very impressive."
"Those guys were all morons, I dare you to try that on some real men and see how far you get," Varric declared.
"Is that a challenge, my dwarven friend?" Rylee asked.
"Do I need to spell it out for you, sweetheart? Yes, I dare you to try your feminine wiles on Anders and I, and see how far you get," Varric replied.
"And what do I get if I win, and what determines if I have won?" Rylee questioned.
"Woah, why am I being dragged into this? I said it was impressive," Anders demanded.
"Sorry Blondie, but you're in it too, just for being curious. You know what happened to the curious cat, don't you? Welcome to the chopping block."
"I don't like the sound of that, 'chopping block' " Anders said uneasily.
"We promise to keep your dangly bits in place my lovely mage, besides, someone might need them later," Isabela cooed.
"And what do I get if I win, and what determines if I have won?" Rylee asked, still trying to define the terms of the bet.
"If you manage to get either Blondie or I to want to ask you out on a date, I will buy your drinks at the Hanged Man for a month and Blondie over here will be your slave for an entire month," Varric answered.
"Ooo that's good. I could use a slave." Rylee purred as she rubbed her hands together and playfully winked at Anders.
"As long as there is no public embarrassment involved"
"Oh, damn! I was hoping I could walk you through the streets with a sign around your neck that says 'Rylee's bitch'," the rogue said with an impish grin.
Varric and Isabela burst out laughing. "Oh, I would pay good money to see that," Isabela chortled.
"Anders, you better keep an eye on her, she has a deliciously sinful streak in her," Varric warned.
"Well, since you are expecting it now it wouldn't be fair to work my wiles on an expecting audience. So you need to give me a month to work my magic,"
"But it's only a one time deal; you don't get to work your womanly charms on us for an entire month. No man could with stand that," Varric stipulated.
"I think you should give me a month to work up to it, you are men after all, not little boys, and as you stated you aren't easily lured in by my wily femme fatale ways. Or are you afraid of a little dare?" Rylee purred as she ran her fingers up and down the hairs of Varric's chest.
He watched her fingers as the caressed the curly hairs. He swatted her fingers away. "F-fine, but a month from now if we don't want to ask you out, you lose."
"And do we get if she loses?" Anders asked.
"You may choose your prize, Blondie. I on the other hand will settle for the lovely Hawke buying my drinks for a month."
"I do believe, I'm going to need some time to come up with the appropriate wager," Anders said as he winked at Rylee.
"Well, that isn't fair, she needs to know what's at stake," Isabela demanded.
"It's okay Isa, I'm not worried about it. It doesn't matter because I won't lose," Rylee stated with assurance.
"I love a woman with confidence," Isabela muttered.
"Anders this is not a good idea. I can't believe you went along with this idea."
"Oh it's just for fun, no harm will come of it," Anders replied.
"No harm will come of it! How can you say that? She is going to spend the next month trying to seduce you!"
"Woo there, slow down a bit. Do you understand the meaning of that word? She isn't going to try to entice me to have sex with her. She will subtlety be trying to convince me to ask her out. There is a big difference."
"Anders, do friends typically ask each other out on dates?"
"Aaah, they could."
"Okay, let try it from this angle, have you ever asked a friend out on a date that you didn't have the intention of eventually bedding?"
Anders was stunned into silence.
"That's what I thought," Justice declared.
Over the next month Anders watched with fascination as Rylee set out on her task to lure himself and Varric in with her sly charms. The main thing that he had noticed was her increased flirtations with him. She had always been slightly flirty with him, but she had definitely stepped up her game – she was touching him more, smiling more, and laughing at all of his jokes even the stupid one. He enjoyed the extra attention, but it wasn't enough to woo him.
He also enjoyed watching her work her magic on the dwarf who appeared not to notice the subtle ways she was affecting him. The one that stood out the most was when she helped him create a story around the campfire. To Anders it seemed so blatant, but the dwarf seemed oblivious.
He had been sitting around the campfire one evening after they made their way back to Kirkwall after taking out a band of Tal-Vashoth in order to impress the Arishok. When Rylee sat down beside him his senses were inundated with the smell of vanilla and lavender. He leaned over and sniffed her, "You smell delicious."
She grinned at him, "Thank you. My mother just made this new soap for me. I'm glad you like it."
Anders nodded. "It…you smell wonderful."
A cool breeze blew and she shivered. He pulled off his robe's jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "Here, hopefully this will help keep you warm."
She snuggled down into, "Thank you."
They then had turned their attention to Varric, who was telling one of his stories of her escapades.
"So Hawke stares up at the big ugly ogre and says, 'It's either you or me and I guarantee it isn't going to be me'…"
Rylee broke out into laughter. "Varric, I would never say that. I would use more wit even though it would be lost on the dumb beast. I would say something like, 'Maker's breath that's big! What the hell do they feed those things puppies and kittens'?"
Varric beamed at her, "Thanks, Hawke, that will add a lot more to the story."
The rest of the night Hawke would add commentary to Varric's tales enlightening the dwarf on how she would react to something or things that she would say. At the end of the night, the dwarf seemed pleased as punch. Rylee handed him the coat she wished him goodnight then she turned into for bed. He slid the coat on as he too crawled onto his bed roll. He smiled to himself about how well Rylee had played Varric as the fragrance of her soap wafted up from his coat flooding his mind with dreams of her.
Even after they had returned to Kirkwall, his coat still smelled of vanilla and lavender and as he spent his days in the clinic apart from her, the scent of the soap would drift off of his coat, his mind would turn to her and he wondered what she was doing at that moment.
At the end of an especially grueling day he collapsed into a chair, let out a sigh and rested his head in his hands. He felt two hands on his shoulders and as they began to massage him, Rylee purred, "You carry way to much tension in your shoulders, my dear Mage."
"Ooo Ry, that feels so, so good," Anders moaned.
"Your coat is so thick, why don't you slide it off so I have better access," Rylee suggested.
He did as instructed and then her skilled hands rubbed and manipulated the tight, tense muscles in his neck and shoulders. He let out a slight moan as the stress of the day rolled off of him. "Oh Maker, you are very good at that. If I had extra coin I would pay you everyday to come down here and do that."
Rylee chuckled, "I hope no one passing by heard that comment; they might think something completely different is going on in here."
"Ohhh, I don't care what they think, just don't stop," he groaned. He hadn't been this relaxed in….in years.
She leaned down and kissed his cheek, "Well, I hope that helped some, but I have to run."
"Ooo, where are you going?" He asked as he strained to hide his disappointment.
"A merchant in the market told me about some plant that grows just outside the city walls that when applied to wood will make it glisten. I wanted to get some for when I polish Varric's bow."
"Aaah, so you are polishing Varric's bow, huh? I hope that isn't a metaphor for something else," Anders said with a smirk.
She smacked him, but then she let her hand linger on his arm for a moment as smiled up at him. If he didn't know what she was trying to do he would have fallen hard for that roguish grin of hers. "No, of course not, it's all part of my plan to entice him to ask me out."
"Huh, I see and you think he will let you touch Bianca?"
"Well, under normal circumstances probably not, but I am going to ask him to give me crossbow lessons then after the lesson I will polish Bianca for him so that she is nice and shiny."
Anders chuckled, "You are good I'll give you that, but your charms aren't working on me."
"Well, that is yet to be determined," she cooed as she turned and headed out of the clinic.
About a week later as he was closing up the clinic he smelled the most delicious aroma enter his little hovel. He poked his head out from behind a screen and saw Rylee standing there with a basket in her hands.
"I noticed the last time I was here you were looking a little thin, so I used some of the coin we received for taking out those mercenaries for Vael and bought the ingredients for my mother to make her famous lamb stew. She also made fresh baked bread and on the way over here I bought a bottle of wine, fresh strawberries and cream to go with it," Rylee cooed.
"Wow…I don't know what to say…thank you…and please thank your mother for me."
Rylee began laying the items out on the table. "You're welcome and I will let her know that you appreciate her efforts."
"Wow, that's a lot of food, won't you please join me? I could use the company," Anders asked.
"I would love to."
Anders pulled two plates, his only plates, from a shelf along with two glasses and spoons. He set them on the table. He noticed Rylee studying the bottle of wine,
"Do you have a bottle opener?"
He grinned, "Nope, don't need one." He concentrated some energy on the cork and within seconds it popped out.
She grinned at him as she poured the wine, "Well that's convenient."
They had just sat down to eat when Bethany came storming in. "Mother told me you were here bringing Anders food."
Rylee raised an eye brow surprised at Bethany's anger. "Yes, I thought it was important for our favorite healer to keep his strength up."
"That isn't why you are doing this and you know it," Beth declared.
"What is you think I'm trying to do, Beth?" Rylee questioned.
"You are trying to seduce him," Bethany blurted out.
Anders began to choke on the sip of wine he had just taken.
"Don't be ridiculous, I just brought over some dinner to a good friend," Rylee countered.
"You're lying! I'm your sister; do you think I haven't seen you play this game before? You use to joke with Carver about how you were a master at the Art of the Five Senses Seduction," Bethany exclaimed.
Rylee's face turned white as a ghost.
"The w-what kind of seduction?" Anders asked.
"It the ability to seduce someone by using all of their senses; taste," Bethany said as she pointed at the elaborately delicious meal. "That would be the reason for this display. Smell, I've noticed that she has been using a lot of the vanilla and lavender soap and lotion that mother has made and I wouldn't be surprised if she has given you something of hers that has that smell on it so when the fragrance hits your nose it will remind you of her."
Anders couldn't stop himself from smelling the cuff of his jacket, her scent was still there and he closed his eyes as he tried to steady himself from the revelation.
Bethany's voice brought him back to the room, "Touch – she has found inconspicuous ways to brush up against you, to touch your arm when talking with you and she might even offer you one of her famous massages. Sight …"
"That's enough, Beth! I believe he gets the point," Rylee said gruffly.
"How could you? Y-you know how I f-feel…"
Bethany didn't have time to finish before Rylee was out of her chair and grasping her sister's arms. "It not what you think…"
"Then what the hell is it?" Bethany demanded.
Rylee drew in a deep breath before she spoke, "I'm not trying to seduce him. It was part of a wager between Anders, Varric and me to see if I could convince them to ask me out."
Bethany's mouth opened then closed then opened again. "Did you even stop for a second to think how your actions would affect those around you? Even if you weren't trying to entrap Anders into your bed, don't you think it was unfair to him to use these skills on him?"
Anders felt crushed. All of the things that she had done for him over the past month he thought was because she cared about him and was concerned for his well being not part of the bet. He had been a fool.
"How can you be shocked by this? You watched what she was doing to Varric, how could you be so naïve to think that she would do the same to you."
"I thought I was different," Anders thought.
"Anders, I told you that nothing good could come of this. I don't think she intentionally set out to hurt you or Bethany. It was all just a part of the wager to her, but the result is still the same."
"Did you even bother to think how this would appear to me? How your game would affect me?" Bethany cried out.
"Beth," Rylee said then spun to look at Anders. "Anders, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt either of you. It was just innocent fun; it was just part of the wager. Please believe me, I love and care about both of you. I would never purposely hurt you."
Bethany pulled out of her grasp. "Well it's too late for that," she yelled as she twirled and raced out of the room.
Rylee turned and looked at Anders, tears brimming in her eyes. She gathered her things as she said, "I'm sorry Anders. If I've hurt you, please know that was never my intent. At the meeting tomorrow night, you can tell them that I lost the wager and be thinking of what you want me to do."
She paused and looked earnestly into his eyes. She waved her hand over the food on the table. "You may not believe this and I don't blame you if you don't, but even though this may look like it was part of the five senses game it originally wasn't supposed to be. Ever since I received the reward from Sebastian, I have wanted to do this for you, to thank you for all that you have done for me and to tell let you know how much I care about you. It just so happens that my mother was able to get a good cut of meat while the bet was going on and I decided to use it my advantage."
She hung her head as she tried to discretely wipe away a tear. "It would kill me if you thought that I didn't care about you and that I was just…using you to win a bet. You're my best friend Anders; I hope that my stupidity doesn't cost us our friendship because not having you in my life would be unbearable."
Before he could reply she spun on her heels and raced after her sister. He sat back in his chair and absorbed all that had transpired this evening. He believed her although it didn't lessen the pain, but he did believe that her actions were not malicious; that being the competitive person that she is, she just got caught up in winning the bet. He did agree with several things she said – she too was his best friend, it be would unbearable if she wasn't in his life and he loved and cared about her deeply.
"I can feel your pain, Anders. Do you not see how dangerous she is? She should not be able to affect you this deeply."
"Justice, it is not wrong to have friends, to have people that you care about in your life. Sometimes those people that we care about...those people that we love hurt us unintentionally. It doesn't mean that they care about us any less."
"Why do you feel the need to have these people…these friends in your life? They break your focus, they distract you?"
"Friends help keep us grounded; they support us in our endeavors which both of the Hawke sisters have done numerous times. They keep us connected to the world around us. Before I met them, I was drowning, Justice. The weight of this burden that you brought was becoming more than I could bear; they helped ease that load. You may not understand this, but I need them."
"Them or her?"
"Them."
He wrapped his coat around him as he did every night since she had worn the coat. He breathed in her scent and took comfort in her unseen presence as he drifted off to sleep.
The following evening the whole gang had gathered at the Hang Man to hear the outcome of the wagers including Bethany who seemed to have made amends with her sister. Rylee was however unusually quiet and didn't make eye contact with Anders when she sat down at the opposite end of the table.
"Who is drinking what? This round's on me" Varric said.
"In that case, I'm in the mood for one of that Maker's Bombs that this place is so famous for," Isabela chuckled.
"Not wasting any time getting drunk, are you? Big date tonight with a sailor or two that you're loosening up for?" Aveline asked.
"I take that as an insult, I happen to have three hunks lining up for me as we speak. Do I detect some jealousy in that calm and collected presence of yours?" Isabela asked.
"Jealous…over a whore like you? Please!" Aveline declared.
"You say whore like it's a bad thing," Merrill said.
"Oh, ouch! That pussy likes to scratch, I like that. You can scratch me anytime, Red," Isabela stated.
"What exactly makes someone a whore?" Merrill asked
"Ask Isabela, she seems to be the expert," Aveline said
"Well, Kitten that is a matter of perspective."
"A whore is the type of creature that can be found mostly lying on their back, Merrill," Aveline stated.
"On their back? That sounds like a lazy creature," Merrill said.
"Far from it, Kitten," Isabela chortled.
"Where are these creatures normally found?" Merrill asked. "
"At the Blooming Rose," the entire table said at once.
"I've never seen creatures at the Blooming Rose, just woman that sell...Oh…I see...but I have never seen Isabela take money for sex" Merrill stated.
"No, she's the cheap kind," Aveline declared.
"How do you know? Have you been catching a little peeky-peeky? You little voyeur you, I always knew you had a naughty streak," Isabela said as she harassed the soon to be captain.
"Tramp," Aveline retorted.
"Bitch," Isabela grunted.
"Slut!" Aveline sneered.
Isabela grinned, "Thank you. I love you too, Red."
Aveline just scoffed at the pirate.
"You're very quiet this evening, Rylee, someone die?" Isabela inquired.
"Feels that way, but no." Rylee sighed as she looked at her empty mug. "I need another drink, someone made mine disappear."
"I do believe that is one of your many talents, Hawke," Varric stated.
"My talents only get me in trouble these days," Rylee mumbled.
"Aaww, why so down, Gorgeous? This is supposed to be a party," Varric asked.
"A party is supposed to have drinks, I might tell you if you get me another one, and make it a strong one," Rylee stated.
Varric was trying to inquire further as Isabela interrupted, "Get her one of those Maker's Bombs too. That will loosen those lovely lips of hers."
"How about we talk about why we are here? Who won the wagers?" Fenris asked.
Rylee started to speak as Anders cut her off, "The lovely lady beat me fair and square, her feminine wiles are unparalleled."
Both the Hawke sisters stared at him flabbergasted. Anders had thought about this a lot today before coming here and the bet was based on could she work her magic and have him want to ask her out. Her magic had worked on him alright, better than either would have wanted. To her it may have been part of her plan, but to him it had opened his eyes to how much he cared about her, how much he needed her, and Maker help him how much he loved her.
"What? It's true, I really would have loved to ask you out." Anders said as he winked at her.
"So your charms worked on the mage, but they didn't work on me," Varric confirmed. Rylee raised an eye brow. "Well, let me amend that, Sweetheart, if I was into human women I would ask you, but as it stands now Bianca still holds the key to my heart."
"At least she's not the jealous type," Isabela said as she looked at Bethany who turned red.
"I don't think a crossbow can get jealous," Merrill stated.
"Let's not test that theory, Daisy," Varric said matter-of-factly.
"I wouldn't recommend it, Bianca might put something pointy up your arse," Rylee chuckled.
"Has anyone ever told you, Dwarf, that you have an unhealthy affinity for your crossbow," Fenris scoffed.
"There is nothing unhealthy about true love," Varric replied as he rubbed the cross bow as he whispered. "You don't listen to the evil elf."
"Except if you're not getting any," Rylee chuckled.
"That's most of the people at this table," Isabela chortled.
"So what are you going to make Anders do?" Merrill asked with glee.
Rylee smiled tenderly at the mage, "Make him wear a sign that says, 'Best Friend...Ever!'
Isabela snorted, "I liked 'Rylee's Bitch' better."
"Perhaps we should all do it, we can be known as Rylee's bitches" Bethany retorted sarcastically.
Rylee spun to face her sister, "Gee, I thought you got it all off of your chest last night, but obviously not. Do you feel better now?"
"NO!"
"Well, then quit pussy footing around with the insults. That last comment was just a flesh wound. If you want to inflict real damage you need to go for the jugular," Rylee snapped. Bethany just crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her.
Merrill leaned over and whispered to Isabela, "What has come between the Hawke sisters? They normally are always so close."
"That's what happens when two sisters fall in love with the same man, Kitten," Isabela explained.
"Really? Who are they both in love with?"
"Oh, just some possessed mage we all know," Isabela stated.
Rylee stood up, leaned across the table and hissed, "I am not in love him." Then she spun around and headed out the door.
"You keep telling yourself that, Kitten," Isabela called after her.
Anders leapt to his feet and raced to catch up with her. When he caught up to her he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "Rylee…what the hell was that about?"
Rylee bite her quivering lip. "A-anders…"
Anders brushed a lose hair out of her face, "Look, I'm sorry, Rylee..."
"You're sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for. It is my fault; I know how she feels about you. I should have been more sensitive to her feelings. I'm supposed to look out for her. Instead I was so focused on the challenge I didn't see that I was hurting the two most important people in my life."
Anders stepped closer to her, his heart pounding, but he had to let her know. "Ry, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me. If anything you opened my eyes."
His arms went around her tiny waist, he drew her to him, he leaned down to kiss her, but instead of her mouth he felt her fingers pressed to his lips. She looked into his eyes with longing, but also with great sadness too. "Anders, it doesn't matter what I want or how I feel. She is my sister, I love her and I have to put her needs above mine. I promised my father I would take care of her and Carver. I failed with Carver, I can't fail with Beth. As much as I want this, it can never happen."
As she leaned to kiss his cheek the scent of vanilla and lavender washed over him, then she pulled out of his grasp, and as he watched her walk away from him Anders felt his heartbreak.
A/N – *Thank you once again to everyone for your reviews and for adding this story to your alert and favs list. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and review this story. It's wonderful hearing your thoughts and comments.
*I am such a visual person and Jinxy1983 has also created a wonderful collage of all the heroines from my stories including Rylee. I hope you will take the time to visit. (remove the spaces)
ht tp:/ jinxx 1983. deviantart. com/ art/ What-A-Lot-Of-Awesome-Chicks-212 398 707
Jinxy also created a collage of all the characters from my other two stories Mirror Images and Blood Sugar Sex Magik. If you follow those stories you might want to check out the hot Tristen and Sabrina along with their cast of characters. (remove the spaces)
ht tp:/ /jinxx 1983. deviantart. com/ art/ Cast- Of- Blood- Sugar- Sex- Magik- 2123 938 94
* A huge thank you to the betalicious Kira Tamarion for being a guest beta on this chapter. I really appreciate your help and support. You are awesome for stepping in at the last minute!
*Last, but never least I would like to thank Beta Goddess Jinxy for her mad crunk beta skills and for her friendship and support. You're the best!