20

4 months later

"Ugh… Hawke, not tonight." Isabela lay on her bed in the only position she could find comfortable, with a cold cloth laid on her shoulder.

"I'm not here for that, Isabela" Hawke said quietly, closing the door behind her.

"What do you want then? I don't have the patience for your prattle tonight!" Isabela growled.

"I know you're in pain, so I'll let that one slide, but you need to stop being a bitch and let me help you." Hawke removed the cloth from Isabela's shoulder, and took a sharp breath. "Bela, this is pretty bad. Let me take you to Anders."

"No! I can't stand that man. I just need a drink and a good night's sleep."

Hawke sighed. "Isabela, you took a knife to the back. You need more than whiskey and a few hours of rest. Roll onto your stomach please."

"Why?" Isabela asked suspiciously.

"Because you have an open wound that I need to look after. This won't compare to what Anders could do for you, but I think he'd get far too much enjoyment from seeing your tits for my liking, anyway."

Isabela laughed and grimaced in pain as the movement hurt the stab wound. Hawke helped Isabela shift from the awkward side-lying position she was in, to her stomach.

Hawke laid a soft hand on her back. "I'm apologising in advance, and for the next 30 seconds, you can say whatever you'd like to me. I need to clean this wound, and cauterise it. It's going to hurt like the Void. You can bite down on one of my gloves, if you'd like?"

"Just do it, Hawke" Isabela snapped.

She nearly passed out from the wave of agony that took over her shoulder as Hawke poured the alcohol into it. "Argh you shit-bitch-son-of-a-whore!" she screamed into her pillow.

She felt burning as Hawke aimed a precision flame from her fingertip into the wound. "Maker's balls I hate you, Hawke. By Andraste's tweaked nipples, I will kill you for this!"

She suddenly felt a calming, cool sensation move over her shoulder blade. "What are you doing now?" she demanded.

"I made you a healing salve. I can't have my favourite Rivaini dying of an infection." Hawke finished her application, and put the cool cloth back on Isabela's shoulder. "We just need to wait a few minutes for that to set. Then I'm going to help you sit up. I've brought some soup for your dinner."

She ran her hands through Isabela's hair as she waited for the salve to dry. "I want to talk about today, Bela…"

"I already said that I don't want to hear your prattle."

"You can't let me distract you during a fight like that. I had that swordsman under control. You left yourself open when you attacked him. I appreciate you being protective, but - "

"I wasn't being protective of you, Hawke. If you get yourself killed, the rest of us don't get paid. It's simple economics" Isabela interrupted.

Hawke kissed Isabela in the middle of her bare back. "You don't have to get defensive. You're allowed to care about me. I don't like seeing you get hurt, either."

"Get over it Hawke. I don't give a shit if you get hurt. I just want my money."

Hawke's face fell, like it always did whenever Isabela hurt her feelings. "Well, whatever your reasoning, you need to turn it off and concentrate on what you're doing. If that knifeman had gone for your neck instead of your shoulder, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"We're not having this conversation! You're talking, when I've told you to shut up!"

"Maker, the way you speak to me sometimes…" Hawke said in a resigned tone.

"That's right. You're in Lowtown now, Hawke. Your money and title mean nothing here."

Hawke looked at Isabela scathingly. "You think that I want you to be nice to me because my mother's father used to be somebody in this city? You know I don't care about that. I want you to be nice to me because I would walk through fire for you."

Isabela bit back her reply. She was angry with herself, not Hawke. Hawke was right, Isabela had been stupid. She had caught sight of the swordsman backing Hawke into a corner, and panicked. She had abandoned her own duel and sprinted across the length of the warehouse to intervene. Of course, the knifeman that she'd been fighting gave chase, and she wound up with a blade in her shoulder. The damsel in distress that she'd been trying to save ended up setting both their attackers on fire, and Isabela had stormed back to the tavern to lick her wounds.

Hawke pulled the cloth back and took a look at the wound. "Okay, I'm going to help you up now. Let me know if it hurts."

She helped Isabela roll over, and pulled her up by her good arm. Isabela's vision went fuzzy as she grunted in pain. Hawke laid her back down and propped her up on her pillows, pulling a sheet over her naked chest.

"We're going to have to do this the hard way then…" Hawke said, picking up a bowl and spoon.

"You know I don't eat the shit from here" Isabela insisted through gritted teeth.

"I know. I made it for you before I left home" Hawke said softly, putting half a spoonful to Isabela's lips.

"You're not spoon feeding me, Hawke."

"Isabela. When was the last time you ate? You can trust me, I'm not going to tell anybody that I saw the great Queen of the Eastern Seas vulnerable. Just eat."

Isabela threw Hawke a scornful look, but opened her mouth and accepted the spoon. It was lukewarm, but surprisingly good. Isabela realised that she was painfully hungry, she hadn't eaten since the night before. Hawke kept spooning, until the bowl was empty. She put it to the side, and gently brushed a piece of hair out of Isabela's face.

"So... you can cook now?" Isabela asked doubtfully.

Hawke nodded. "I wasn't raised in a mansion with servants, you know. Like every Fereldan farm girl, I learned to cook. If you'd ever sat down for a meal with me, you would know that."

"Ugh, I'm not doing this. You should leave. There's no need to fawn over me, I'm fine" Isabela insisted.

Hawke sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to annoy you. I was just concerned."

"Don't be. Just leave, Hawke. You're not my mother."

"No, I'm not your mother. I actually give a shit about you" the mage shot back, at the end of her patience.

Isabela's eyes focused on Hawke. "Get out."

Hawke stood. "Fine. I think I've had enough of your wonderful company, anyway."

Isabela watched in silence as Hawke crossed the room and walked out the door.