Hello there! It's been a long time since my last update... work and health problems, you can imagine how great I felt! :( Thank you for stillr eading my story. On with it, now!

There were mornings when he would wake up with the sun shining on his face. It wasn't a bad feeling, but uncomfortable nonetheless when he'd open his eyes and get blinded by the sharp light. Other mornings, he'd hear the birds chirping or the rain pouring down outside. Living in a house with holes of large sizes on some parts of the roof, one would need to be deaf to not hear it.
And there were mornings where he'd wake up with a massive headache, dry mouth and sore throat. On very rare occasions, but it could happen... like today.

"Hnn..." He mumbled, keeping his eyes shut. He felt like he had hit his head against a wall and eaten sand. It was a terrible feeling. He buried his head in the pillow, trying to recall the last events from last night: a fight with slavers, going to the Hanged Man with Varric for drinks... and the rest was mostly a blur. He hated not remembering, but he knew it was his own fault: he had obviously drunk too much. He usually could stand alcohol quite well. He must had gone over the edge.

He waited a moment for the pounding to stop, trying to hear something. He could hear the birds chirping, but faintly. It was also rather warm in the room, which was quite unusual. Especially at this time of the year. The mattress was very soft, unlike his own bed, and the blanket very... soft as well.
And there was another sound in the room. A regular breathing. There was someone else here.

His eyes snapped open at this realization, and the first thing he saw was Hawke's face. The man was sleeping peacefully, not far from him, though not too close either.
He sat up abruptly, but immediately regretted it as the sharp pounding returned with force. He hissed lowly, and put his hands on his head, waiting for it to go away. As he stayed in this position he finally realized that he wasn't in his mansion. There was a velvet red blanket wrapped on his thighs, and he was sitting on a large bed. Somehow, he had ended up in Hawke's bedroom, on his bed. He felt uneasy at the thought. Last time he had been here, he had been very sober and willing.
More than willing.
Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he slowly raised his head and looked around the bedroom. He was quick at noticing that his great-sword and armor were beside Hawke's closet on the other side of the bed. The rogue was still sleeping, dressed in his finery clothes. He didn't wake up despite his abrupt movement and hissing.

It was strange and confusing. He couldn't remember well what had happened last night. And his headache didn't help. He was almost certain that Hawke hadn't been at the inn. Or maybe he had come after he had gotten too drunk to remember... but why was he in his bedroom?
Despite all those questions, he knew for sure that nothing indecent must have happened. He was dressed in his tunic and leggings, and Hawke had his clothes too. How come the man hadn't changed before going to sleep was confusing him a little. Did he fall asleep while making sure he was alright?
He snorted at this. Why would he have done this? He was probably too tired and hadn't bothered to.

"This is... hnn..." He winced again as he felt a sharp pain in his head again. Hangover was clearly a horrible thing to wake up to. He needed fresh air. And water. His throat was so dry that it hurt just to say a few words. Slowly, he removed the blanket and stood up. He had to do it very slowly, though. His vision was now troubled and he felt like he'd fall at any moment if he was careless.
For a moment, he stood still, looking at Hawke warily as if the man would wake up at any moment. But the human seemed to still be asleep. There was no faking involved. He felt uneasy, remembering what had happened last year. How he had also woken up before him and got dressed, before waiting... He almost felt like he was doing it again: leaving Hawke behind.
He frowned at this. He was simply looking forward to fresh air and water. Nothing else. Beside, he needed to know what had happened yesterday and how he had ended up here.

After a minute, he slowly started walking to the door, trying not to make any noise. When he heard a loud sigh, he froze and turned around, thinking the rogue had woken up. Fortunately, it was not the case. The man had just moved in his sleep.

Fenris finally reached the door of the bedroom and opened slowly, wincing at the small noise hissing door it was making. Almost there...

Carefully, he stepped out and started to close the door when he heard something close to him. Like small footsteps. With a frown, he moved ahead and stopped as a sudden bark came from his right. He winced faintly at the noise and turned to scowl at the mabari, who was looking at him with curiosity.

"Hush... Hawke is still sleeping." he whispered to him. The dog just whined questioningly and looked behind him. He saw someone coming out of another room. A very small person. "Who..."

Daylight had started to break through the windows, so it wasn't difficult to see that this person was a child. A child dressed in a shirt that was obviously too big for him. Confusion took place for a moment, before the child turned and looked up at him. Fenris finally recognized him. It was the young slave from yesterday. But what was he doing here? And dressed like this?
He didn't have time to ask any question. As soon as the child saw him, his eyes widened in fear and he let out a high pitched scream, making the warrior hissing in pain as he felt like the sound was tiring his head apart. And the mabari starting to bark loudly didn't help at all.

More then once did Hawke dream of his childhood. Of his parents, and his younger siblings. Sounds of distant laughter, sight of him working in the fields, while his father was training Bethany to control her magic... Carver would help their mother with making dinner, though complaining about not doing harder cores like his old brother... Dreams of a happy family, broken apart years later by death and chantry laws.
He missed this feeling. He missed them all.

But this dream was different. He was standing in front of the stairs, looking down at the lightened fireplace. His mabari was here, laying down in front of it... and Selek was there too, petting him. His dog looked up and barked loudly, before playfully licking the boy's cheek, making the boy giggle. The sounds seemed to echo in the room.
Hawke tried to call for him, but no sound came out of his mouth. But the boy did look up at him with a smile.
"Papa!" The child's voice echoed in the room. But as soon as he heard this, the boy's face changed from happiness to terror, looking at something behind Hawke. And when the rogue turned around to see what was scaring him, he heard Selek screaming.

"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Such screaming could be coming from a damsel in distress, or a child. Either way, it was loud enough for Hawke to wake up. He sat up abruptly, his eyes wide open. For a moment, he wondered what had happened, when he heard other noises.
Little footsteps rushing, barking from a dog, the slam of a door, ihis/i bedroom door, and a body slamming against it, followed by a curse.
"Damn it!" Fenris.
He quickly looked on his left and noticed that, indeed, the elf wasn't there. For how long had he been awaken? Quickly, he got up from his bed and rushed to the bedroom door before opening it. It hadn't been a very good idea as he saw the elf falling backward on the floor, holding his head. The warrior had been sitting on the floor, his back against the door. "Fenris?"

"Not so loud..." he hissed, removing his hands and glaring up at him. "Too much noise."

For a moment, Hawke just blinked stupidly at him before bending down, putting his arm under Fenris's knees and the other around his back, before lifting him up. The elf was groaning, but he suspected it was more from his hangover than from this treatment.

"Stay in bed, Fenris." Hawke said softly, knowing talking in a normal tone would add to the pain. He was also surprised to discover that Fenris was rather light. Had he been eating normally lately? But the rogue didn't take his time to ask or to enjoy the situation as he quickly stepped to his bed and put him down on it. "I'll get you something."

The warrior just mumbled something incoherent, his eyes shut with a deep frown. His hand was on the right side of his head, probably where the pounding due to his headache was the worst. The joy of hangover...
The rogue stood up and left the room, just as he heard noises coming from the stairs.

"Messere? Is everything alright?" Bodhan and Orana were walking up to him, both dressed normally. They were always the first ones in the house to be awake, in order to prepare breakfast. "We heard screaming. Was it Selek?"

"Yes." Hawke hadn't seen him, but he was the only one who could have screamed like that. "I... think he had a nightmare. But Fenris is awake too. Can you please bring him some water?"

"I'll do it, Master!" Orana said before going down the stairs. Bodhan just smiled.

"I'll have breakfast ready soon. Oh, and I didn't forget about the errands for our little guest." Hawke thanked him before walking down to the guest bedroom. The door was still opened, and sunlight was coming from the window, lightening the small room. Hawke could see a big ball under the blankets. And a gasp coming from them as he entered the room.

"Selek, it's me." He said softly. Slowly, he saw the blankets being removed and Selek looked at him timidly, his hands still holding them up to his chin. "Don't worry, you have nothing to fear."

"Is... the bad man gone?" He asked.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked tentatively. Selek shook his head. "What happened?"

"The man with... the white hair and markings. I saw him. I was scared." Hawke was about to ask him what he was talking about, but stopped himself. A man with white hair and markings? Only Fenris matched the description. That was when he remembered. Fenris had almost attacked the child at the warehouse, thinking it had been a slaver. "Is he gone?"

"Oh boy..." Hawke sighed, before walking over and sitting next to the child. Selek kept his blankets around him, but didn't look afraid of him. "Selek, it's... You saw Fenris. And he's not a bad man. Not at all."

"But..."

"Listen, little one. Last night, Fenris thought you were a slaver before he saw you were not." He explained. "He could never hurt you. He used to be a slave as well, you know."

"He... was?" Selek now looked curious. "But... did his master die? Slaves don't have swords. We're not allowed to."

"He... was a different kind of slave." Hawke said. He didn't want to tell Selek everything about Fenris, but just enough to explain that there was nothing to fear. "And... well, just know that Fenris is a good man, who hates slavers just like me. He's not very talkative, but once you get to know him, you see that he really is a good person."

"Oh..." The boy stayed silent for a moment, looking at his hands. With a gentle smile, Hawke reached and ruffled his black hair.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, trying to change the subject. Selek looked back at him and nodded.

"Yes, puppy stayed with me last night." He answered, before looking at the mabari, who had just joined them. The dog barked, wagging his tail happily. "I felt safe."

"I'm sure you did..." Considering the paw prints on the blankets, Hawke wondered if his dog had rather tried to find an excuse to sleep on a bed. But at least, the boy didn't seem to have had nightmares. Considering what had happened last night, it was almost like a little miracle for the rogue. He didn't mind at all, though.
He felt a little weight on his thigh and noticed the boy had laid down and using it with a pillow. "Still sleepy?"

"Mmm..." Selek just snuggle before yawning and closing his eyes. Hawke felt a strange warmth in his chest as he watched him. He wasn't sure if it was the obvious trust Selek seemed to have put in him or just the fact that he did look adorable like this.
For a moment, he just looked at the child, gently stroking his black hair, before he heard soft footsteps coming closer.

"Master." He looked up and saw Orana, looking hesitant. She was also talking lowly, probably to avoid waking the boy up. "I gave water to your friend, but he still isn't feeling well."

"I'm not surprised..." Considering the amount of alcohol he had drunk last night, Hawke had expected this.

"I advised him to sleep some more, Master." Hawke didn't really believe that he'd be able to sleep again. Not without taking some medicine first, at least. He looked down at Selek and gently lift him up before standing up and laying him down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow. The boy frowned faintly, gripping the man's clothes with weak hands. Hawke looked at him with a smile, before whispering softly. "Selek, I have to go to my room. Just beside yours. Sleep, still."

"Mmm..." The boy snuggled into the pillow as Hawke gently put the blankets over him. Quite an adorable sight, even if it was the last time he'd see it. He'd need to bring him to the Chantry later.
The thought made him frown a bit. He wasn't sure why, but he still felt disturbed at the idea. The Chantry was a good place to seek help, and yet he felt nervous at leaving Selek there.
He looked down at Jep, who was sitting beside Orana. The mabari started stepping to the bed, but Hawke held out his hand.

"Boy, you can stay and watch, but you stay off the bed." The mabari whined in disappointment, but his master would have none of it. The rogue tutted at him before leaving the room with Orana. "Maker, that dog..."

"Can I get you something, Master?" The elf servant asked, looking at him expectantly. "I didn't dare waking you up last night. So, I let you be and put Selek in bed myself. He seemed happy."

"I bet he was... you did well, Orana." The man answered with a smile. "You can start preparing breakfast for Selek, but let him sleep a bit more. And tell Bodhan to go and buy what I asked for as soon as he can."

"Yes, Master." She said with a nod before going down the stairs. Now, he was alone again, with Selek sleeping in the guest room with his mabari, and Fenris in his, having to deal with his hangover.
Time to see the... adult elf.

"Fenris?" Hawke said as he came into the bedroom. Fenris was still there, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding his head in both hands. Hawke walked pass him to his bedside table before opening the drawer and taking a small vial full of green liquid. "You have to take this. You're not going to make it better if you don't."

"Not so loud..." The elf groaned, glaring up at him. His face wasn't flushed anymore, but he was sweating and pale. Hawke cleared his throat and whispered.

"Sorry about that." He walked over, sat beside him. He hold out the small vial to Fenris, but the elf didn't react. He just stared at him. "Come on, you have to drink this. You'll feel better, trust me. I don't really want to see you throwing up all over the room..."

For a moment, the warrior didn't say anything. He just lowered his head toward the vial, his face twitching faintly. There was no doubt that his headache was still strong. Finally, he reached and took the potion from Hawke, uncorking it and swallowing the liquid in quick gulps. He started coughing loudly after that.
"It's... filthy!"

"Well, potions are rarely tasty." The rogue said, patting Fenris's back until the coughing stopped. His hand remained on the elf's back, gently rubbing it. "I remember when I first took one. Anders told me that just the taste would be a lesson to remember. He did leave a few vials, still."

"The mage... made these potions for you?" The elf said, frowning at him.

"He did. My knowledge in potion is very... limited." The rogue said with a smile. The elf just snorted and looked away before closing his eyes. The potion was very effective, but would still take a few minutes to act, so Hawke just kept on rubbing the elf's back. He was actually surprised that his companion didn't try to pull away. Probably because it did feel good.
With his habit of daily training, Hawke had learned years ago to take care of his body and make sure not to be stiff all over the following days. He knew fairly well where touches could feel good. The elven body wasn't so different from human's, despite the slender frame. Fenris would feel even better if he didn't have his tunic on, but the rogue knew it would be risky to try and push his luck.

"Hawke..." He was brought back out of his thoughts as he heard the elf talking again. Or rather sighing. The warrior really looked less tense now. He wasn't frowning anymore, and still didn't try to put the rogue's hand away. Hawke couldn't help smiling a bit and decided to scoot a little closer. Not close enough for their thighs to touch, but enough for him to see that Fenris still looked tired.

"Fenris, do you want to sleep still? Or maybe have a bath?" He proposed, still keeping his voice low. The elf opened his eyes and looked at him, blinking. For a moment, he didn't say anything, he just looked at him with his wide green eyes. "Or... something else?"

His hand stopped moving, still touching Fenris's lower back. Hawke was patiently waiting for the elf to say something, but started feeling a bit nervous. His former lover was not the most talkative person in the world, but his silence and staring was making him feel uncomfortable. Part of him was very tempted to simply lean and claimed his lips. He also knew that it could drive the elf away. But he wanted this.
So badly...

"Messere! Breakfast is ready!" Bodhan's voice made them both jumped sightly and looking at the door. The dwarf came in the bedroom and looked at both of them. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, no, nothing." After a moment, Hawke stood up and walked over, forcing a smile. He was a bit grateful for the interruption. He'd have probably given into his desire and who knew what would have happened next.
He hated being so unsure of the consequences. Love was really a terrible affair.
"I'll be downstairs shortly. Tell Orana to have a bath prepared for Fenris."

"Sure thing. I'll go with Sandal get the clothes for Selek, if that's alright with you."

"Perfect. Thank you, Bodhan." The dwarf nodded and left, leaving Hawke and Fenris alone again.

"A bath?" Turning around, he saw his companion standing up. He wasn't wincing much more, which means the potion was already starting to work. "Hawke, this is not necessary."

"It is." The rogue replied, waving his hand. "You have no hot water at your house. You may as well make use of it here."

"Cold water doesn't bother me, I'm used to it."

"Please, Fenris." The elf frowned a bit, but Hawke would not give up. "I'm not ordering you around, I just want to make you feel better. That's what friends do."

None of them could say that they were the best of friends, but it didn't really matter to the rogue. Despite their regular arguments, they were always at each other side, even after what had happened between them one year ago. Hawke wanted to be there for him, even if it wasn't as a lover...

"Selek?" Fenris tilted his head faintly as he spoke up again. "Is it...?"

"Ah, yes, it's the child's name. I kept him for the night, but I'll bring him to the Chantry today." He explained "I couldn't exactly left him on the streets."

"Of course..." Fenris trailed off, looking aside. "But you heard him earlier... he's still a terrified child. Do you think that leaving him at the Chantry is a good idea?"

"These people will know what to do, and, well... I took care of him, and I'll get him some new clothes before we go. That's the least I can do, and he seems to trust me. He'll understand once I explain." Hawke ruffled his hair, sighing. He should tell Fenris what had happened earlier. "But Fenris, the reason he was scared earlier is that... you gave him quite a fright last night. I had to explain that there was nothing to fear."

"I knowthat, I haven't forgotten." The warrior replied, frowning at him "And I regret it. But the fact is... He's been a slave, at the hands of humans. And if he does trust you, then you're probably the only one. Leaving him with other humans he doesn't know will be problematic."

"... That's a good point." Hawke couldn't deny Fenris's logic, but he didn't want to be so pessimistic.
"But Sebastian will be there. I'm sure I can get him to take care of Selek for a moment."

"And for how long? This child's future will remain uncertain." The elf insisted, making Hawke frowning as well. "I'm merely stating facts, Hawke. Being hopeful won't help."

"You're not helping either by saying such things." The warrior crossed his arms, but said nothing. "Selek's future is not decided."

"I don't see how different it can be, considering he has no one left. He has lost everything as a slave, how can you expect him to still have hope for a better life?"

"And what about you? You were a slave, and you're here, alive and breathing. You sound like youdon't have much hope for your own life." Comparing Fenris to Selek might not have been the brightest thing to do to calm the elf down, but Hawke didn't regret his words. He hated to have arguments with Fenris, but he held his ground, looking at Fenris in defiance. The elf glared and walked over until he was in front of him.

"It has nothing to do with me! Are you such a fool to believe otherwise? He's a defenseless child, while I've been trained to fight for as long as I can remember! We have nothing in common."

"Of course you have things in common. Selek trusts me, just like you do... or am I wrong?" The rogue replied, still keeping his voice calm. Not because Selek was sleeping and the door of his room was opened, but also because he didn't want to yell at Fenris. He wanted him to calm down. "You're both free from slavery, and I'll make sure it stays that way. Or am I also wrong to care?"

He got no answer for a moment, but Fenris's face was unreadable. He just stared at him for a moment, before lowering his gaze. There was still a frown, but not as deep.

"You're a very stubborn man, Hawke. It is... irritating, at times." He says lowly. He didn't say anything else, but the rogue didn't really mind. He just didn't want to argue with the elf. No matter if the elf didn't believe him or not.

"You know me, Fenris. I like to drive people mad." His attempt at lightening the mood seemed to work, as Fenris's mouth curled faintly. It wasn't a real smile, but still better than nothing. Hawke couldn't help smiling gently in return. "Just trust me, Fenris. I'll do whatever is best for Selek."

The faint smile was gone, much to his chagrin, but at least, the elf wasn't glaring anymore. He just sighed in resignation. Hawke didn't like this much, though. Anyone could see that Fenris was affected by Selek's situation, but something seemed out of place. They had killed slavers and saved a few slaves before, but his companion seemed particularly affected by this young one. Was it because Selek was a child?
Gently, Hawke put his hand under Fenris's chin and lift his head so that he could look at him.

"Fenris... are you alright? Is there something you're not telling me?" The elf quickly looked away before gently pushing Hawke out of the way.

"I don't even know myself." The warrior replied without turning around. "I... will check and see if my bath is ready, if you don't mind."

"... Of course. Be my guest." The rogue replied, watching him leave. The elf hadn't said anything, but something was clearly up. He slowly started pacing in his room, thinking. His behavior actually remembered him of Bodhan. Not the way he acted toward him, but the meaning behind the words: Selek's future was more than uncertain. The fact that he was a child was even more important. Adult free slaves could survive by themselves, but not without major difficulties. A child? It was even less likely without any help. But Selek wouldn't be alone. People would watch over him. Sebastian would surely tell him not to worry...

He stopped pacing as he heard a dog whining at the door. Looking up, he saw Jep sitting there, Selek at his side, wiping tears from his face. "Hey... what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yes..." Selek said, stepping over, still dressed in Hawke's old shirt. "I saw the bad men trying to catch me and I... heard Mama telling me to run. I cried and woke up. I'm sorry."

"Selek, come here." If there was one thing that Hawke had never forgotten in his years in Lothering, it was how to comfort his younger siblings after they had had a nightmare or during violent thunderstorms. He sat down on his bed and scooped the elven child up, making him sitting on his thighs. The child immediately snuggled against his chest, seeking warmth and comfort. The rogue couldn't help smiling and held him close. "There's nothing to be sorry about. It's alright."

"I don't want to be scared." Selek said, gripping the man's shirt. After a moment, he looked up at the rogue. He was obviously sad and tired. "But..."

"Don't worry, I'm going to help you." Hawke said, smiling down at him as he gently wiped the tear streams from the boy's flushed face. "I know good people who will take care of you, and you won't be scared anymore."

"Good people?" Selek repeated with a yawn. "Who?"

"I'll bring you to them. One of my best friends is among them."

"But you..."

"I'll be there, of course." The boy didn't answer, he simply snuggled back against him before closing his eyes. His short nap had been interrupted earlier by his nightmare, and Hawke's chest seemed comfortable enough for him. The man didn't really mind. He actually felt some joy at seeing Selek like this. He gently rocked back and forth, gently brushing his black locks, as his mabari laid down on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Selek was an adorable child. Yet, he was fragile, having just lost his mother and been saved from slavers.
He remembered how his nights were sometimes plagued with visions of his mother dying in his arms. He could still hear her last words, telling him how she loved him and was proud of her strong little boy... The memories remained painful. Thanks the Maker his friends had been there for him, all of them trying to comfort him in different ways. Most surprisingly, the one who managed to make him laugh again had been Fenris.
The elf didn't know much about comforting people. He had instead sat silently by his side, listening to Hawke, each time he had felt the need to talk. Or he had simply read to him, wanting to distract the man... well, at least, trying to. At that time, the elf hadn't been skilled enough to read without much difficulty, and used to hesitate a lot before managing to pronounce the words correctly. He had made a lot of mistakes, to the point of making Hawke laughing unexpectedly one night after pronouncing the word 'fuck' instead of 'fork'. The rogue hadn't been able to stop himself. Evidently, the warrior hadn't appreciated being laughed at, but his glare had slowly turned into a small smile, much to the rogue's surprise.

"At least, you're smiling again." Fenris had simply said, before trying again to read again. It had been the first time Hawke had laughed since his mother's death. And the only time Hawke had laughed during their lessons as well. The incident had been embarrassing for both men, but also worth it.
He knew the effort the warrior had done, considering how difficult it had been for him to read out loud without asking Hawke for help. By just being at Hawke's side, he had helped him a lot to go through his mother's death. Somehow, he hoped he'd be able to help Selek going through this... before he brought him to the Chantry.

He looked back down at the boy, who had fallen asleep again. It still surprised him to see how easily relaxed Selek was around him. But then again, since he had saved him last night, he had done a lot to have the boy feeling better. He knew he could never take a mother's place, but at least, Selek had started healing already.
Hawke remembered how Aveline had told him that the other slaves were dead. Even if the City Guards were going to investigate the place like she had told him, the rogue doubted they would find more survivors. Even Selek's mother.
He'd still come and see her today. Just in case...

"Mmm..." ,He looked down as he felt the boy moving faintly. He was asleep, but mumbling very lowly. One word. "Mama..."

He didn't sound desperate. In fact, he looked very relaxed. Hawke wasn't sure if the body heat was giving Selek this effect, or simply the feeling of security.
Either way, as he looked at him, there was one word pending on his lips. One he had heard in his dream...

Papa.

Swallowing thickly, he shook his head and turned his head to look at the closet where were his armor and double blades.
He really needed to get to the Chantry as soon as possible...

To be Continued...

We're close to the moment Hawke will make an important decision... There will be more Fenris, a little visit to the Chantry and... well, more to come! :)