Dragon Age 2 isn't mine. It belongs to Bioware. So is Fenris and my version of Hawke and all the wonderfuness of the world of Thedas!

I blame all written works on the bioware community for inspiring me to write about the stuff in between the years for Angel Hawke and Fenris. Much love to be had by all. Be kind!

Comfort

She rolled over, one golden eye popping open at the sudden recognition of the absence of his warmth. She bolted upright, the horror of him leaving again washing over her like a wave in a hurricane. Sleepy eyes scanned the room, panic causing the little hairs on her arms and neck to stand straight up in goose flesh. Her heart thudded in her throat as it began to splinter all over again.

"You're finally awake?" His voice, the shock of hearing it when she was so sure she wouldn't, caused the panic to subside almost at once. A different feeling spread through her, her heart forgetting to beat all together for an instant or twenty. She grabbed her chest and took a couple slow, deep breaths as he sat on the edge of the bed.

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead, a gesture that almost exploded her already pounding heart. She leaned into it, into him and his warmth, let it wash over her. He hadn't left. He'd stayed, been with her in all but the most intimate of ways. He couldn't, and so she wouldn't ask him to do that. Instead he had held her tightly as she had finally let the gates of control open and nearly overwhelm her. Carver's death, mothers, the idea that he may be right about his theory of mages.. that even she could some day fall pray to the trappings of the power she could wield. All of it, had come rushing out like a flood.

He had wrapped her in his strong arms, let her cry. He stayed, loved her, and would never again leave her side. He had even told her that she should, could move on. She didn't want to. She brought her hands to his face, running her thumbs gently down the lyrium markings on his chin. She felt him flinch, but knew now that they didn't physically hurt to be touched. The memory was what pained him.

She kissed him, kissed him to set the whole world on fire. Kissed him to forget that she had been separate from him for almost a year. Feeling raced through her like the white hot fire she could conjure, up her arms, down her spine, to her toes. She clung to him, every second their lips touched feeling like eternity. This must have been what it was like, for Andraste to finally be with The Maker, she thought absently, weaving her fingers in his silken hair.

Eventually he pried himself away from her, breathing slowly, shaking. After a moment, he chuckled, "You know, you are making this very hard."

"I hate doing things the easy way. You know me." she said, giving him a lopsided grin. She took a few shaky breaths and squirmed a little bit.

"While you were sleeping I brought The Ab.. Anders the box of medical supplies. You were talking about it in your sleep. I hope that's alright?" He said, carefully probing her with those eyes.

"Hmm, oh, thank you. I have been meening to go down and help... but, maybe I'll ask Sebastian." She let herself fall back into her feather pillows. "Did Justice come out and threaten to kill you again? I'm not sure why he hates you so much. It's not.. it.. " the words caught in her throat. She cleared her throat, and after a moment said, "It isn't as if you are completely wrong about the power we weild.". It was as close as she could come to an admission that magic was enharently evil.

"I may be right, but it's not an absolute truth, Angel." He said, using her first name. If the shock of him actually saying mages weren't all bad hadn't killed her just then, it was because he had never used her first name. Her heart almost exploded and she was sure it was pouring out of the bottoms of her feet. She would be a puddle of goo in mere moments at this rate.

A knock at her door brought her partially back to the world at large. Fenris was standing, taking a defensive stance as he opened the door. "Mis...mistress, there.. there's a letter here for you." the little blonde elf stammered at the sight of Fenris, holding a letter up in front of her face and flinching. Probably remembering what Fenris had done to her last mistress. Orana. The Slave they had rescued when hunting for Hadriana.

Fenris's features were stony as he walked away from the girl, setting himself in the chair next to Angel's desk. He had been disgusted that Angel would take a slave. She hadn't, she wasn't a slaver. Instead she'd offered the girl a home, and payed her a decent wage. What the girl did with the money, Angel had no idea. While Fenris had been revealed, it still made him uncomfortable when ever the elf girl was nearby. Fenris twisted the red silk scarf around his wrist while Angel Hawke took the letter from the girl.

"Thank you Orana. Can you ask Bohdan to ready my staff for me?" Hawke asked the girl, always careful not to seem demanding.

"Yes mistress, right away." The girl said before disappearing through the doorway, the heavy oak door shutting quietly behind her.

She looked at Fernis apologetically. "Sorry, I know she bothers you. I have no idea if she uses the money I pay her. I should ask Varric."

He was boring a hole in the floor with those emerald eyes of his. Thinking of that night, no doubt. Angel chose to give him a moment, opening the letter.

[i]Missere Hawke,

I am sorry for disturbing you, but I have no one else to turn to! Someone has kidnapped my son! They are asking for a ransom, and say that if we send anyone they will kill him! Please, come to the docks this evening and mediate the exchange.

Lady Arenburg[/i]

She looked up from the letter, shook her head, and sighed. "Fen, can you take this letter to Varric? We've got a job. I'll get Anders, and meet you at the hanged man in an hour."

He looked up at her, and with a nod and a kiss on the cheek, was gone. It was going to be a long day.

Again with the short and sweet. I dislike this entry, but what's done is done and I'm going to leave it. Someday I'll go back and re-write it, but.. I don't have the energy for it right now .