"Cheat!" Anders growled.
Isabela giggled slyly. "I don't need to cheat, sweet thing, I just know how to play," she smirked, gathering the current pot for diamondback and dragging it to her end of the table.
Varric chuckled at the mage's misfortune. "Your face gives you away, Blondie. You need to work on concealing your expressions, or containing it to one expression, like Broody." Fenris didn't bother to look up at being mentioned, choosing instead to look continuously stern as he looked at his cards.
The table was filled with Hawke's band of misfits, even Aveline and Donnic had joined them. It was becoming a habit for the party to get together at the Hanged Man and piss all their money and worries away, and Hawke was pleased to see that it was making everyone get along better.
The Champion herself sat at Varric's immediate right, not daring to join in tonight's game. She was horrible at bullshitting, and thus terrible at cards. It was no matter, however for she always found ways to amuse herself while she watched everyone play. Sometimes she would entice the bard to play a Ferelden song and dance with other patrons of the tavern. It seemed to bring smiles to the other Ferelden refugees that had made a home of Kirkwall.
Tonight, however, she had her attention on the scoundrel of the table.
The round table the party sat around was high enough that most everyone's waists were hidden, excluding Isabela, who opted to sit with her boots on the surface. Hawke smirked, knowing very well that the pirate sat thus on purpose, though her attempts at distraction were wasted due to the high stakes of the match.
"You in for another round or not, Blondie?" Varric questioned, reshuffling the deck.
Anders sighed, but placed more silver on the table. "I'm in," he pouted.
Everyone stifled giggles at the dejected demeanor Anders put off, knowing that despite loosing, he was having fun. The conversation took off from there as each player attempted to get the others to give away what cards they had.
Hawke propped an elbow up on the table and rested her chin on her palm, looking around at the players, while her other hand found its way to Varric's thigh and gave him an affectionate squeeze. Varric's expression didn't alter at the contact, but he did casually move one of his hands off the table to intertwine his hand with hers. Hawke gave a small smile, daring herself not to glance in the dwarf's direction lest everyone at the table start paying attention.
"Got a good hand, Hawke?" Isabela smirked.
Hawke flushed, having previously thought that everyone had their eyes elsewhere. "I'm not playing, Isabela," she asserted.
"I'd keep my eyes on my cards if I were you, Rivaini," Varric advised and, as if to prove a point, kept his gaze firmly on his cards. Isabela hummed appreciatively in response, smirking as she fingered her cards.
After a few more minutes of contemplative silence, Fenris called Isabela a liar when she attempted to play a card. It didn't take long after that for the round to become more "verbally expressive", as Merrill liked to say.
And with such obvious distractions, Varric couldn't help but take advantage. He had let go of Hawke's hand and moved his own to her lower back, earning himself a side-eyed glare. Hawke didn't like these covert games Varric was so keen on playing. In an attempt to shake him away, she stretched in what she hoped was a casual manner. None of her party gave her a second look; they were too busy watching Anders argue with Isabela.
However, the only thing Hawke's stretch accomplished was allowing Varric's hand to slip under the hem of her shirt, where he was dutifully rubbing circles into her skin. She shivered at the contact, and looked directly at him with an expression of exasperation.
"Something wrong Hawke?" He baited.
"Have a care where you hand wanders, Varric," she warned quietly.
"Uncomfortable, dear?" He continued to tease.
"Varric."
Her voice suddenly reminded him of Aveline's reprimanding tone and he laughed outright.
"Oh, come here Hawke," Varric cajoled, sliding his hand around her waist and pulling her as close to him as their respective chairs would allow.
Hawke couldn't suppress her grin, so she allowed herself the joy of public affection and stole herself a kiss from the dwarf.
"And there it is, ladies and gentlemen! The long awaited kiss between the Champion and her lover!" Isabela announced, throwing her hands in the air. Donnic gave a low shout of a approval, as Aveline hit his shoulder.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to see that," Isabela said. "Now, I think someone owes me some coin." She grinned, turning her gaze to Aveline, who in turn gave a large sigh.