Chapter Text
"That's it, Hawke, I'm taking your keys." Even though Aveline meant business, the corners of her mouth twitched.
"And that’s why I love you, Aveline.” He turned to Donnic. “Not in that way, mind you. But I trust her with my life. And the love of my life.”
“Which is obviously you,” Anders said, pointing at Donnic. But if Donnic had learned anything today, it was that Hawke's intentions were unmistakable. With the way Hawke and Anders looked at each other, it was a wonder they even acknowledged anyone else.
Aveline's intentions were not so clear, for better or worse. With her occasional stutter, he wondered if she might be trying to tell him something, but so far, she hadn't given any indication of why she had invited him.
Now that she had taken charge, it was almost like she was at work. The idea that Aveline would be nervous around him was preposterous. This was just a friendly gesture, and any quirks were just a result of being out of uniform. At least the diversion was amusing.
Donnic turned to Aveline. “You’re right, you had better drive.”
“Actually, this is fairly normal behavior,” said Varric. “Give him an hour and he’ll be fine.”
“Even though Varric has a point, I’d just as soon drive.” Aveline held out her hand and Hawke fished his keys out of his pocket. He dropped them into her palm with a grin.
“Maybe this was my plan all along.” Hawke winked at Aveline and she let out a half-hearted grunt.
“Will you be all right, Isabela? I would be happy to drive on the trip home,” Sebastian said.
Isabela sent him a wicked smile. “Ooh, Sebastian, I would love to see you drive stick. You've got a deal, as long as Fenris and I can sit up front and watch.”
“Oh, sure.” Varric made a show of protesting but there was a glint in his eye. “I see how it is. Stick me in back with the lovesick puppies.”
Merrill’s face lit up. “Don’t worry, Varric. I’ll just lean on Carver. You'll hardly notice me.” Carver’s eyes went wide, but it was more out of excitement than nerves.
“It runs in the family,” Fenris grunted.
Proving his point (intentionally or not, Donnic couldn’t be sure), Anders chose that moment to coo at Hawke. “Perhaps we should switch to water, love. Don’t want to get dehydrated.” He passed a water to Hawke, then extended the offer to the rest of the group.
Hawke took a drink and passed his bottle back to Anders. "You’re looking a little pink yourself. Maybe it’s just the vodka, but I’ll be damned if you get a sunburn on my watch.”
“You want to slather my body with lotion again? How could I refuse?”
Carver frowned as they headed for the canoe. “Oh, way to get out of cleaning up, brother,” he called, picking up a pile of plastic wrap. “And for the Maker’s sake, put a damn shirt on.”
“Shouldn’t the Maker be allowed to admire His handiwork?” Isabela smirked. “I know I’m enjoying it.” Next to her Fenris folded his arms, but his bemused eye roll was a vast improvement over his mood that morning.
The way Hawke dabbed sunscreen on Anders’s nose was almost nauseatingly cute, and Donnic had to look away. Suddenly, Aveline’s mixed signals didn’t seem so bad. He could never imagine her being so indiscreet.
But no one seemed to take anything too personally in this group; not Hawke and Anders’s incessant flirtation, nor Carver’s complaints, nor Isabela’s dirty jokes. Even legitimate arguments were over as soon as they started.
Perhaps Hawke was the glue, but the event felt more like a family gathering than the a friendly outing.
“How are you holding up?” asked Varric, pulling Donnic from his thoughts.
“What do you mean?”
“All of this,” Varric gestured to the chaos around them, “can be a lot to take. But she’s worth it.”
Donnic regarded him with confusion. “Aveline? I already told you, she’s an excellent captain."
Varric laughed and shook his head. "Now, I know you're not that dense." When that didn't clear it up, he sighed. "Maybe this is none of my business—"
"That has never stopped you before," Fenris cut in.
"—but don't you think there might be a reason she asked you here today?"
"As in she wants to 'woo' you." Fenris scratched his chin. "I think that would be the appropriate word, considering the backwards way she's going about it."
"Court?" Varric offered.
Isabela stepped up behind Fenris and ran a finger along the point of his ear. “I was going to go with ‘bang’ but she might not have it in her.”
Donnic turned to look behind him. Aveline and Hawke (who had taken his brother’s advice and put on a shirt) were chatting, unaware, as they loaded canoes. She caught Donnic’s eye for a second before looking back at Hawke, who pinched the bridge of his nose.
The rest of the day began to fall into place. Coming to Kirkwall was a new beginning for Aveline. He didn’t know the specifics, only that her losses were too great for a guard barely older than him.
This was her family. She wanted them here to make her comfortable. Did she want him to be part of it? Perhaps that was too presumptuous.
He turned back, but only Varric remained.
“I don’t mean to brag, but as something of an expert on family drama, trust me when I say not many people could hack it like you did today.” Varric smiled and replaced his flask. “She’s worth it.”
Donnic wasn’t sure how to respond, but Varric walked away to shove off with Isabela. Carver and Merrill had already set out, grinning at each other instead of watching where they were going. Fenris and Sebastian dragged their canoe to the water, leaving the original foursome on the bank.
“Now, Aveline.” Hawke’s voice was firm. Aveline swallowed and sat down in the canoe. Donnic made to launch the boat but Hawke shook his head, so he climbed in.
“Don’t you need a push?” Aveline stammered.
“Not as bad as you do,” Hawke said under his breath.
“What?”
Hawke just pushed them into the water and waved. “See you on the other side.” He watched them paddle off, Anders standing behind him with his chin on Hawke’s shoulder. Like parents sending their child off into the world. Or was Varric the father figure in this situation? And what did that make Isabela?
What a strange family.
Once out of earshot, Aveline cleared her throat. “I’m sorry about all this, Donnic.”
“It’s been interesting, to say the least.”
She fell silent and rowed them forward for a stretch. “You should know the real reason I asked you to come out today."
When she did not speak, he urged her on with an, “All right.”
“I’m not like Hawke. He makes it look so easy, but this is...difficult for me.”
Donnic chuckled. “You not being like Hawke is not a bad thing. I can’t see you being so public with your affection.”
With a deep breath, Aveline launched into a speech. “You are an honorable man, and--what?”
“Varric might have talked to me.” He paused. “And Fenris. And Isabela.”
Aveline groaned. “Oh, Maker, what did they say?”
To recount the words—Isabela’s words in particular—would just fluster her, and this was the most they had talked all day. “Nothing that I didn’t already suspect.”
“I see.” Aveline sounded deflated and Donnic realized his error. He ceased rowing and turned to face her, rocking the boat. She watched him, guarded, as he summoned a speech of his own.
“You have an interesting family. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated. But after today, I can see that you are as remarkable outside of the office as you are in it.”
Aveline had smiled at him before, but never like that. In the months and years that came after, he would realize that smile was only for him.