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---- Part 1----
Merrill was more observant than people gave her credit for. Sure, she missed a lot of innuendos but that was just because they were different from the Dalish! She could tell a dirty Dalish joke with the best of them, but none of the others would get it.
Anyway, that was beside the point. The point was that Merrill seemed to be the only one of their companions who noticed that Hawke and Anders were a couple now. A very cute couple too, if you asked Merrill.
Anders was so much happier now, he looked less like a man holding up the weight of the world. He smiled more often, and his jokes didn’t have the same undercurrent of sadness.
Hawke was a tactile person, but he just could not keep his hands off of Anders. Not in a dirty way! Or, well, probably some times in a dirty way…
He took every opportunity to brush up against Anders, to put a hand on his shoulder, to give him a friendly hug. It was a wonder Hawke was fooling people at all with how obvious he was being.
That brought Merrill to the confusing part - they were keeping it a secret. Why? Why keep something so joyous a secret?
The group was off to Sundermount for some mercenary job Hawke took. Even with his mansion he still needed to pay for things, and he also couldn’t help but say yes whenever Kirkwall inevitably needed his aid.
Right now the group was clearing out a cave of spiders. Hawke had brought Anders, Merrill, and Fenris. A bit of a contentious group, but they were making it work. Hawke’s witty remarks had a way of defusing most situations.
“Even the spider guts on my clothes are covered in spider guts,” Hawke complained. “This cave had better have something of value in it…”
Soon enough they did find some locked chests, which Hawke went right to attempting to open. He fiddled with the lock a bit, but it wasn’t working.
“You know,” Anders offered, “I could just set fire to the thing and burn some of the wood away. Valuable treasure usually won’t burn.”
“Could be useful documents,” Hawke replied, his lock picking tools moving quickly.
“From what, a hundred years ago?” Anders asked. Hawke didn’t reply. He kept trying to open the chest and kept failing.
“One tiny tiny fire spell…” Anders reminded him, leaning against the cave wall and grinning. Even as Hawke grunted in frustration Anders looked at him fondly. Hawke wasn’t the only one who was obvious.
“Okay,” Hawke announced, “trying a new strategy.”
“Secret rogue technique?” Fenris asked him, a little sarcastically.
“Of course,” replied Hawke. Then, he picked up the chest and threw it across the room. It bounced off the wall and landed, not a dent on the thing.
Anders burst out laughing, which is something he never would have done before. Hawke looked over at him, and all frustration melted away. He wore a small satisfied grin, watching Anders laugh with open fascination. Oh creators, they were cute.
Eventually the group agreed to take the chest back to Varric and Isabela and see if either of them had better luck. The group decided to camp out that night in the cave since the sun was setting, and Merrill noticed how close to Anders Hawke put his bedroll. They could just be sleeping together if they weren’t trying to hide. It was quite silly, watching Anders look with open longing at the space between them.
At some point Hawke went out of the cave to gather some elfroot, and Merrill decided now was a good time to ask him why on earth he was hiding his relationship.
“Hawke…” Merrill said, walking beside him.
Hawke jumped, clearly not noticing her presence until just then.
“Maker!” He exclaimed. “You should wear shoes… why are you out here?”
Merrill grinned. “I just wanted to congratulate you! You and Anders,” she whispered.
Hawke was completely caught off guard, raising his eyebrows. “Me-me and Anders? What about us?”
“You’re together now!” Merrill continued. “Come on Hawke, don’t lie!”
Hawke let out a sigh, but then smiled. “Alright, alright. Yeah, we’re together now.”
Merrill let out a small squeal, clapping her hands. “Why ever are you keeping it a secret though?”
Hawke’s smile slipped from his face. “Anders. He’s nervous… about him getting me in trouble somehow. Lots of eyes on me, being the new blood in Hightown. I also don’t…. oh, never mind.”
It wasn’t like Hawke to sound that uncertain about something. Hawke always knew what he was doing, or at least looked and acted like it.
Right now he looked like he was holding onto something and desperately wished to unload that burden.
“Hawke,” Merrill chided gently, “you can tell me, whatever it is.”
Hawke considered her offer for a moment, an uncharacteristic look of vulnerability in his eyes that so often sparkled with mischief.
“I don’t know if he even knows how to be in a proper relationship,” Hawke said quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“Relationships are discouraged in the Circle,” Hawke explained. “So everyone had to be secret, and no couple were really an item exactly. It was all fleeting. This isn’t fleeting, but I don’t know how to tell Anders that.”
Well, the answer seemed obvious to Merrill. “Tell him just like you told me! You just said it.”
Hawke chuckled, slightly subdued. “I know, I know. Look, I may have a particular talent for running my mouth but I’d rather not be that careless with Anders. He deserves security.”
Merrill smiled. That was sweet, she thought. How ridiculous that Hawke was worried about this when he was clearly everything Anders needed.
“Well,” Merrill told Hawke, “however you have been handling Anders so far is-“
Hawke let out a snort of laughter.
“Stop it!” Grinned Merrill, realizing what she had said. “I’m trying to tell you something. I’m saying no matter what you’re afraid of, you’re good to him. I can see it, he’s so much happier now!”
Hawke’s expression was open, hopeful. “You think so?”
“I do think so, very much.”
—— Part 2 ——
Fenris and Hawke were drinking together at Fenris’s dilapidated mansion, trying to unwind from a stressful battle. Hawke had wanted company and a stiff drink but not the noise of the Hanged Man, so Fenris had offered his mansion as a suggestion.
Hawke was able to unwind quickly, going right back to his boisterous self. The man was somewhat infuriating and overly-witty, but he was Fenris’s friend. One of his closest friends.
It was getting late, and Fenris was just about to suggest they turn in for the night when Hawke says something that nearly makes him spit out his drink.
“I should really get going, don’t want to keep Anders up waiting.”
Hawke realized a second after he spoke what he had said, and just looked at Fenris for a moment. Fenris looked back.
“Fucking finally!” Fenris exclaimed, gesturing wildly. “Fasta vass, you two were insufferable.”
Hawke just blinked at him a few times. “Insufferable? Really, I know you don’t like Anders but-“
“Both of you,” Fenris clarified. “You, Hawke, were insufferable around the man.”
Fenris did not like the mage, he was not happy for the mage per se, but… he could be happy for his friend. And happy he could finally tell his friend what a lovesick fool he always looked.
“You two make doe eyes at each other from across the room, find any and all excuses to make physical contact, you stare at him when he’s not looking and he stares at you when you’re not looking - it was madness!”
Hawke still looked somewhat stunned, but seemed to be taking Fenris’s comments in stride. Maybe a little embarrassed. “I didn’t look that often,” he said.
Fenris actually laughed. “Oh please, you are the worse of the two!”
“Am not,” Hawke responded a bit drunkenly. He was slightly flushed, either from the alcohol or from embarrassment.
“What I am confused about is why,” Fenris continued, the wine making him bolder than usual, “are you not flaunting your sickening love to the whole of Thedas?”
“I don’t know!” Hawke said a little too loudly, waving a hand. “It’s...Andersdoesntwanna…”
“What?” Fenris asked. It was unlike Hawke to mumble. He said what he thought and made damn sure everybody heard.
“Anders wants to keep us a secret,” Hawke said, slumping his shoulders. He looked like a disappointed Mabari. How very Fereldan of him.
“And,” Fenris said, not quite believing he was actually trying to help Hawke figure out his relationship problems with the abomination, “you do not want to be secret?”
“Yeah,” Hawke frowned, leaning his chin on one hand. “Fenris, I wanna treat him right,” Hawke whined. “I wanna take him places and buy him flowers and-“
Fenris tuned Hawke out after that, waiting for him to finish his list of things.
“I had no idea you were such a romantic.” Truly, this was a side of Hawke he had not seen yet. Hawke was irreverent, not one for traditions like flowers.
“Well,” said Hawke, “mages don’t get to be romantic in the Circle. So I want to give him that. And I don’t know, I just… he deserves romantic gestures and all that.”
That was disgustingly sweet.
“But I can’t do any of that if we have to sneak around,” Hawke continued to complain. “And I don’t know why he’s so intent on keeping us a secret! It’s not the Circle anymore, no one will punish us for loving each other.”
“”Love” is it?” Fenris asked with an amused smirk. Hawke really did open up when he was drunk.
Hawke looked slightly mortified, but tried to collect himself. “So?” He asked defensively, “people fall in love quickly all the time. And it’s not like I just met him-“
“Certainly not, I have been there throughout the literal years of pining.”
Fenris thought he might have some idea of what the mage’s motivations were, but it was a little too close to empathizing with him… oh, fuck it he was trying to help his friend. He could imagine himself in the mage’s shoes for once.
“Hawke,” Fenris said gently, “have you considered…” ah, how to phrase this? Even going down this line of thought was a little too close to home for Fenris. He didn’t want to think of the past, did not want to admit to Hawke how it still clung to him.
“Have you considered that in some ways the man has not left the Circle?”
“Whadaya mean?” Hawke asked, squinting. Hawke had better not be too drunk to remember Fenris pouring his heart out to him.
“I… in Tevinter… at Danarius’s estate… the slaves were not permitted to form romantic attachments. Those who were found were punished or sold.”
Fuck, it felt like there was a rock in his throat. The damn things he did for Hawke… Hawke had better be grateful that Fenris was such a good fucking friend.
“I, even now…” okay, just breath. Just breath. “Find it frightening that I even have friends.”
There, he said it. Bandage ripped off, wound disinfected. It hurt, but it was over.
Except that Hawke still looked confused. Fucker.
“Just because the mage is out of the Circle does not mean his mind will operate so. Habits are hard to break. You said yourself that he has never known stability. He will resist it.”
Hawke frowned sadly. “That’s… wow. I’d never thought of it like that.”
He suddenly looked much more sober.
“Thank you, Fenris. And I’m sorry that you still struggle.”
Now the conversation was turned back on Fenris, and Fenris did not like that one bit.
Fenris took another drink.
—— Part 3 ——
Isabela gleefully stabbed her attacker in the throat, spinning around and slashing at another. There were a lot of Tal-Vashoth on the Wounded Coast, after the same bounty as them. Isabela tried to have fun during fights, it was better than fear.
Unfortunately her strategy began to fail as the battle went on. They were outnumbered, and even with magic aiding them it was a struggle. Finally, Isabela killed what she thought was the last enemy. She almost sank to her knees in relief, but that relief was short lived and cut off abruptly as she heard Anders scream out for Hawke.
Isabela whipped around to see Hawke on the ground with blood spilling from his chest. Anders was kneeling over him, putting pressure on the wound and casting. Fenris stood to the side, having just killed the man who injured Hawke.
Even though Isabela wasn’t a mage, she could tell something was wrong. The spell came in fits and bursts, unstable. Anders was breathing heavily, sweat beading on his brow. His mana must be running out.
Isabela wished they had been fighting someone who might carry a lyrium potion, because Anders was clearly out.
Isabela watched on helplessly as Anders’ mana made one final surge before the man collapsed across Hawke’s chest. Isabela ran to them, pulling Anders up and looking Hawke over.
The wound was closed. He was still covered in scrapes and bleeding from a few smaller cuts, but the main danger was over. Hawke opened his eyes, blinked up at the sky.
“Anders?” He asked, seeing the man leaning on Isabela’s shoulder.
Anders shot up at his name, and then something unexpected happened. Or rather, very expected but startling nonetheless.
Anders grabbed Hawke by the lapels, pulled him up and kissed him hard.
Isabela just stared for a moment, but then began to clap. That was certainly a good ending to a fight. It was just like them to need a life or death situation to finally - wait.
Wait. Hawke didn’t look surprised, just stared up at Anders lovingly. Wait a minute.
“How bloody long have you two been together and I didn’t know it?” Isabela asked in exasperation and amusement.
Both men turned to her. Anders averted his eyes, Hawke just laughed.
“About a month,” Hawke said, still sounding somewhat out of it. He still managed to sound casual though.
Anders covered his face with one hand and groaned.
“Now everyone will find out,” he sighed. “You certainly won’t keep your mouth shut…”
“I can keep a secret,” Isabela replied haughtily. She was still grinning, caught up in the rush of a finished battle and the relief her friend was okay.
“I already knew,” Fenris shrugged. Now Isabela wanted to know how that happened.
“Fenris knew before me?” Isabela protested at the same time as Anders turned to Hawke and asked “Really? You told Fenris?”
“Didn’t mean to…” Hawke said sheepishly as he slowly sat up. “I was a little drunk.”
Anders was still grimacing, avoiding the eyes of his companions. For someone so unapologetic, he was adorably shy about this. Isabela simply had to tease him.
On the way back Fenris had to carry Hawke on his back, as Hawke was still quite injured. Anders had offered to carry him, saying he was stronger than he looked as a Grey Warden, but Hawke insisted that he had overworked himself healing. Anders relented, walking silently beside the group.
“So,” Isabela asked, “which one of you asked the other out?”
“Oh Maker,” Anders muttered, “here we go…”
“I bet it was Hawke,” Isabela continued, “you’re too mopey and sad to say something first. Although lately you’ve been better, which I’m guessing has something to do with Hawke.”
“Yes,” Anders replied, blushing and still frowning,, “Hawke makes me happy.”
“Awww,” Hawke said, grinning.
“It’s also about time you got laid,” Isabela continued with a wicked grin.
“You have no boundaries whatsoever,” Anders complained. “None at all.”
“Hawke, you’d better be good,” Isabela said. “He deserves good.”
Hawke just laughed. “I’m the best.”
“Sure, sweet thing,” replied Isabela. “I’ve never met a man who didn’t think so.”
What followed was a playful argument about Hawke’s prowess, which was only ended by Anders declaring “Alright yes he’s good! Now shut up.”
Isabela grinned. Fenris made a disgusted face.
“You must cease this conversation until you are not on my back.”
“Save it for when Anders is on his back,” Isabela agreed, nodding.
“I hate you all,” muttered Anders. “See, this is why we were secret!”
“They’ll get over it,” said Hawke, unusually giddy for a man who almost died. If Isabela had to guess he was riding the high of being public with his relationship. Hawke always had to be the center of attention.
“What are you smiling for?” Anders asked Hawke.
“What? Can’t I be glad that I can finally talk openly about my handsome, kind, talented, sexy, selfless, amazing-“
“Oh Maker please stop!” Anders pleaded, blushing hard. He was so pale he couldn’t hide it at all.
“-Striking, strong, perfect boyfriend?” Hawke finished with a pleased look.
This was great. Isabela was absolutely loving this.
“Save it for your mansion,” Fenris grumbled.
“You two finally agree on something!” Isabela smiled, nudging Anders.
“Lucky day indeed,” the man replied. Then, “Varric will be the worst.”
“Oh definitely,” Isabela nodded, “he’s going to ask all sorts of questions. Better prepare your answers.”
“What’s to prepare, we can just tell the truth,” said Hawke.
“I’m not telling him about my sex life, that’s the limit,” Anders declared.
“Then hope Hawke swears off wine,” added Fenris. “He’s chatty.”
Anders looked over at Hawke, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll not say a word,” he promised. “As long as I can keep talking about my special, sweet, beautiful-“
“Maker...,” Anders muttered again as Hawke went on another tirade of Anders’ good qualities.
Isabela spent the rest of the trip needling the pair with questions. Eventually even Anders started to smile, though he hid it well.
—— Part 4 ——
Aveline saw the absolute last person she wanted to when she responded to a claim of a bar brawl. Hawke. Of course it was Hawke.
He was slumped against the wall, face sporting a black eye and a bloody nose. The other guy didn’t look well either, leaning against one of his friends who also looked worse for wear.
“I’ll take him,” Aveline sighed to her fellow guardsmen.
Aveline led Hawke away, letting her friend put an arm around her shoulder to steady himself.
“You owe me yet another favor,” she grumbled.
“I’ll help with an investigation or something,” Hawke replied flippantly.
“Eventually you will run out of favors from me. What got into you this time?”
Hawke tensed beside her, stopped walking.
“He was a Templar, talking some shit about the mages under his “care””, Hawke sneered the last part. “Thought of them like animals, wasn’t afraid to let the whole bar know it. Bastard needed a good punch in the face.”
Aveline sighed. Hawke didn’t used to be like this.
“Hawke, that sounds like none of your business,” Aveline reminded him. “He wasn’t attacking you, you’re not even a mage.”
Hawke pulled away from her, stumbling slightly. “Bethany is, Anders is!”
“Bethany would not want you fighting Templars, she is perfectly at home in the Circle. Do not make this about Bethany, I know full well who is causing you to act like this.”
“Like what?” Hawke argued, “like someone willing to stand up for what’s right?”
“Like a troublemaker,” Aveline answered.
“Sometimes trouble needs to be made, it’s better than staying silent.”
Aveline rolled her eyes. Hawke was a ruffian at the best of times, and his new relationship was making him even worse.
“That sounds like a line straight from his manifesto,” Aveline replied.
“And that surprises you?” Hawke asked, raising his voice. “It surprises you that I support the man I love?”
“I had hoped,” Aveline told him, “that perhaps you would be a good influence on him. It appears he has influenced you.”
“You just want him silent, compliant, like all the rest!” Hawke snarled. This was worse than Aveline first thought.
“I do not hate mages,” said Aveline. “You know that.”
“But you don’t support them,” said Hawke as he leaned on a brick wall to take pressure off of his injured leg.
“I don’t support madness, needless violence.”
“You’re fine with me,” said Hawke. “Am I so different? I may live in Hightown now but I’m still a mercenary.”
Aveline contemplated this. It was true that her friendship with Hawke was somewhat...strained, but they had been through a lot together.
“You’re like family to me, Hawke,” Aveline decided on saying.
“Well Anders is my family now,” said Hawke. “And I won’t sit by while some asshole talks shit about my family. He needed a reminder to keep his shitty opinions to himself.”
“Hawke,” Aveline sighed. “Let’s just get you home. You’re still hurt.”
Aveline didn’t want to fight about this, they would never see eye to eye. This new development did worry her though. At first Hawke’s biggest flaw was that he cared too little, he breezed through life on nothing but witty one-liners. Now it seemed he took things too seriously, or at least believed that needless violence was the answer.
But as Aveline had said before, Hawke was her family. Hawke may flaunt his disregard for law and order constantly, may live by his own bizarre moral code…. but he was family. Aveline looked out for her family.
Hawke begrudgingly threw an arm around her shoulder, knowing he needed the support. The walk back to Hightown was awkward, neither of them speaking.
Aveline knocked on the mansion door, and a startled Bodahn answered. They were quickly ushered into the living room where Hawke collapsed ungracefully to the couch.
“Hawke?” Came the voice of Anders. “It’s about time you got home, I was getting w-“
Anders, looking a little sleepy and wearing Hawke’s house robe (which was enormous on him), rounded the corner.
“Maker’s breath, Hawke! What happened?” Anders rushed to Hawke’s side and sat next to him on the sofa.
“He fought a Templar,” said Aveline.
“Two Templars,” Hawke clarified. Anders looked mildly horrified.
“And why did you think that was a good idea?” He asked, placing a hand delicately on Hawke’s cheek as he began to heal the bruises on his face.
Hawke rattled off the same story he told Aveline, all the while Anders fretting over him and admonishing him for putting himself in danger. Unstable as he was, at least Anders knew how stupid what Hawke did was.
“This isn’t your fight, love,” Anders told him sadly. “When-“ he glanced over at Aveline, considering, but then continued talking to Hawke anyway.
“When we became involved I never wanted this for you! I want you to be safe, and my life isn’t safe!”
“It is too my fight,” Hawke replied. “It should have been my fight a long time ago, but it is now. I’m the son of a mage, brother to a mage, and now the lover of a mage.”
Anders bit his lip nervously, still looking upset.
“So what if I get into a few scrapes,” Hawke continued, trying for levity. “It’s nothing I haven’t done before. And now I have a handsome healer to patch me up.”
Aveline pulled a face. “You can flirt when I’m gone.”
Aveline made for the door, but before she left she looked back a moment. Hawke was still trying to keep Anders from worrying, saying some nonsense or another. Anders continued to heal him, looking at Hawke with more care than anyone else did.
Maybe in a way, Anders was good for Hawke. Hawke looked after others, and until now no one was there to look after him.
Anders may be volatile, may be trouble, but… Aveline could see the devotion in his eyes. He may be dragging Hawke into trouble, but she could see he would do whatever he could to drag Hawke back out of it safe. Hawke needed someone like that.
—— Part 5 ——
Varric was waiting in Hawke’s living room, dressed far better than he ever had before. Kirkwall was throwing a party in Hawke’s honor after he was declared Champion, and Hawke had made sure all his friends got invitations. Varric had come to Hawke’s mansion to help him get ready.
“This is a bad idea,” came Anders’ voice from a room away.
“Nonsense!” Hawke replied jovially as he donned his fancy new coat. “Come on, show me how good you look!”
Anders entered the living room, wearing attire worthy of Hightown in a deep navy color. It looked striking against his pale skin and blonde hair.
Hawke whistled, and Varric could see why.
“You clean up nice, Blondie.”
“Hey, back off,” Hawke laughed.
“Told you, not into humans.”
Hawke continued to grin and Anders continued to look worried.
“I...I’m not sure I should go,” Anders said. “Everyone will be watching you, and a great many of them probably saw me use magic during the invasion.”
Hawke’s expression softened, but he still smiled. “Love, I couldn’t face those nobles without you.”
Anders didn’t look convinced. He wrung his hands nervously, not meeting Hawke’s eyes. “The Knight Commander will be there.”
“I won’t let her touch you,” Hawke said, voice suddenly hard.
Anders let out a sad laugh. “I’m not entirely sure you’re in control of that, love. But besides that you need to make a good impression on all of Kirkwall and that includes the Templars. You taking me with you as your guest is just...it’s as if you’re declaring…”
“That I love you?” Hawke asked, slightly incredulous. “I damn well hope that’s what it looks like I’m declaring, it’s what I’m trying to declare.”
Anders looked startled, his reply dying on his lips.
“You two are such a cliche,” Varric added, hoping to ease the tension but also unable to resist teasing two of his closest friends.
“If I wrote you into a story the reviews would all call it unrealistic!”
Hawke smiled, slightly abashed. Hawke was a shameless man, but when it came to Anders he was sometimes like a youth with his first love.
“Anyway,” Hawke said, his voice becoming serious once more. “I’m not hiding us. You’re part of my life, and those nobles can deal with it. I’m the fucking Champion, if that doesn’t let me dance with the man I love them what’s even the point?”
“You don’t like making things easy on yourself, do you…” Anders muttered, blushing slightly.
“I don’t care about easy, I care about you.”
Oh ancestors, they really were a cliche. It was so cute it was almost sickening.
“Writing that one down…” Varric smirked, indeed pulling out a notebook.
Anders frowned and Hawke laughed.
“I still don’t know about all this…” Anders said, voice soft and unsure.
“Anders,” said Hawke, getting to his feet and walking to him. He took the other man’s hands in his. “I want you there with me for all of Kirkwall to see. I want to be known as the lover of a mage because that’s who I am, and the world can screw itself if it doesn’t like seeing us happy. Your fight is my fight, always will be.”
Anders looked like he didn’t know how to respond for a moment. Then he spoke, only a soft “okay.”
Then promptly he decided he needed to check his hair in the mirror again and left.
“Your man’s a skittish one,” Varric told Hawke.
“Only about this,” Hawke sighed. “But one day he won’t be. I’ll make sure that one day he’s not afraid of happiness.”
“He’s probably more afraid of what could ruin that happiness,” Varric told his friend.
“If that were the only thing…” Hawke shook his head. “Well, I’ve got my work cut out for me, that’s for sure. Doesn’t matter though,” Hawke finished, smiling his usual carefree smile. “I’ll be with him ‘till the end, I’ve got time.”
Varric laughed at Hawke, fondly. “Maybe he’s just embarrassed because you say things like that. You truly have no shame.”
“The world’s got too much shame in it,” Hawke replied easily with a wave of his hand, “why add more?”
Varric decided to write that one down too.
—— Part 5 ——
“Come on Fenris,” said Isabela, leaning languidly against a pillar, her cleavage absolutely spilling out of her dress. “Admit it, they’re cute.”
She was looking out onto the dance floor where Hawke had finally coaxed Anders.
“They are repulsive,” Fenris huffed.
“They are not!” Merrill chimed in as she sipped from a champagne glass. “They’re adorable.”
Hawke’s band of misfits had somehow ended up all clumped together, enjoying the festivities but not the nobles.
“Well, I am happy for Hawke,” said Aveline. She wore her ceremonial armor, opting out of a dress.
“But I also saw the look the Knight Commander gave him. She’s not happy.”
“Lighten up,” said Isabela. “Hawke will be fine. He always is.”
“And I don’t think Hawke minds getting into more trouble,” said Merrill in a matter-of-fact tone, “certainly not if it’s for Anders. He does love showing him off.”
“Hey, it’s giving me more book material,” said Varric, “so I can’t complain.”
“I don’t know who is more shameless,” said Fenris, “you or Hawke.”
“Are you talking about my writing or Bianca?”
“Both,” Fenris said, a slight smirk on his lips.
The group watched on, somewhat captivated by how Hawke and Anders moved through the dance floor. It was a relief to all of them that the pining was now over, and they were all happy for their friends.
Anders had been right about their relationship bringing trouble, but Hawke was also right that he did not give a damn.
“Fine,” Fenris scoffed. “They are...cute.”