Author: Sieppeli/Snidged
Genre: Fluff, humor
Rating: S
Fandom: Dragon Age 2
Warning: Garret Hawke. That's a warning.
Summary: Garret Hawke, Fenris, Varric, Merrill and Anders having a long night at the Hanged Man with Hawke taking on a bet that might result in cuteness or loss of money.
* * *
”I really don’t get what you see in him! I mean, he doesn’t even smile. Surely you would want someone who isn’t broody all the time”, who invited Anders to Hanged Man was beyond Hawke. Who gave him alcohol was also beyond his understanding. But there the mage was, ruining otherwise a perfect night with bringing up the old: “Why did Hawke do Fenris anyway”-topic as soon as the Elf left the table for one moment.
“It’s not like that, and it surely is none of your business”, Hawke huffed, trying to focus on anything else than Anders complaining.
“But you could do so much better”, Anders leaned on the table and almost knocked down his drink.
“Oh look, Blondie is jealous”, Varric snickered from the opposite side of the table.
“I am very much not, thank you!” Anders was quick to comment back, “I just want the best for him.”
“If you want the best for me, then I advise you to shut your mouth”, Garret Hawke hissed, looking over his shoulder to see if the certain someone was already coming back. He didn’t want to start a war between Fenris and Anders tonight. Again.
“But he ain’t wrong, y’know”, said the last one of the tonight’s company, Merrill, “with the smiling, not the you-doing-better. Fenris could do a little more smiling. Perhaps that would do good for his attitude, too?”
“You all seem to have this idea of Fenris where he only pouts and is being broody”, Hawke wanted this discussion to be over as soon as possible, but the others were not giving him a change for that, “let me tell you, he isn’t like that. All the time, that is.”
“Yeah, surely he has shown you some part of him that is invisible for the rest of us”, Anders grit his tooth.
“Or perhaps you just won’t accept that he does smile”, Hawke tried to lower his voice because now he was getting frustrated with Anders and his comments.
“Does not”, the mage was acting like a child now; “ten sovereings say that you can’t get him to smile before the night is over. Smile so, that we could all see it.” He slammed his hand on the table and seemed very proud of himself.
“My my my, Hawke, you really should not let Blondie to drink anymore”, Varric commented, now watching the discussion with eager interest, “did you say ten sovereings? Oh, I so want to see this one. This isn’t like you at all.”
“What are you boys doing?” Merrill hopped back to the conversation, “are you two betting on if Hawke can get a smile on Fenris’s face?”
“Oh, I could get much more on his face if that’s what you want to see”, right now there were no smirk on Hawke’s face although he sounded ready to take this bet.
“Oh, Maker, please no!” Anders got the idea faster than expected, “I didn’t want that image in my head.”
“I’m with Anders with this one!” Merrill said, “not with the image in head, but the bet. I want to see the smile.”
“Daisy, not you too!” Varric was in awe of these two.
“But it has to be real!” Anders was also quick to recover from the shock that Hawke had given him, “not the type of; Oh, Anders is suffering and I hate all the mages so haha for him-type of smile. Content smile. A real smile! You know, the stuff that normal people do.”
“Fine”, Hawke took the bet, “just shut up about it, because I’m sure he’ll join us soon enough.” His comment got Anders on alert and he raised his head to see if there was one Tevinter Elf behind him listening to everything they had said. Luckily for him, Fenris was still on the other side of the tavern. Merrill giggled a bit for the bet, but it was quickly halted by an uncontrolled hiccup. Silence fell on the merry company, giving Hawke the opportunity to think about the challenge he had accepted. To get Fenris to smile contently in this company? How in Maker’s once used underpants was he going to get through this one? He thought about finding Isabela, who could have made the situation a bit more relaxed with just her presence, but the pirate was nowhere to be found tonight. It was just him, Varric, Anders and Merrill, and two of the four would most likely spoil any change of getting any smile out of Fenris.
Hawke was so in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice when the Elf came back and took his seat next to him and Varric.
“What?” Was the first thing Fenris said with a distrusting note, “why are you all looking at me like that?” His voice was enough to bring Hawke back from his thoughts and he looked up to see all two, Anders and Merril looking at Fenris with a strange face.
“Like I was just saying”, Varric took the situation to his hands as he saw that Garret was no man to handle it, “I would have been toast if it wasn’t for Hawke today. The man was clearly out of his mind, I’m telling you, he was ready to skin me alive!”
“Oh that’s what we were talking about?” Merrill asked, “I was sure-“
“That Varric would have been just fine by himself, right?” Hawke wasn’t letting Merrill to spoil this fun, because little by little his evil plan was forming in his mind. At least Anders got the hold of the situation and straightened up his back. Fenris was now watching everyone carefully, seemingly unsure that should he stay with these people or go away once more to let them have their own private talks.
“Would have been fine, you say?” Varric burst out laughing, “not with a man with crazy eyes coming to me with a knife when Bianca was upstairs, unable to protect me. You give yourself too little credit, my friend.”
“You should say that to yourself, my friend. I know you would have had it covered, but you knew I had just walked to the tavern so you decided to let me handle him”, Hawke reminded the dwarf.
“But you do your manhandling better than I could ever, Hawke!” Varric laughed, “better show these crazy people what the Champion of Kirkwall does with the men like them if they decide to attack one of his friends.”
Hawke noted how little by little Fenris was relaxing from his suspicious state, even though he was still watching Anders carefully.
“Well you seem to attract some crazy people, Varric”, Anders noted.
“Hey, crazy is just my type, what can I say?” The dwarf raised his cup and took a sip.
“Speaking of which”, Hawke saw an opportunity and he took it, “Merrill, I’ve never known these things about you.”
“What things?” The female elf seemed surprised to be under questioning.
“Your type”, Hawke said, “the men or females you prefer, just what you like in general? We have never talked about these things, and now, seeing as we all have this time to get to know each other better, would be the perfect time to do just that.”
“Oh Hawke you sly dog”, Varric laughed and Hawke was unsure of what he meant but he was sure his best friend got the hold of what he was trying to accomplish.
“Oh!” Merrill giggled again, with a small redness covering her face and the tips of her ears, “Are you sure you want to know? I mean-“
“Daisy, it’s now or never”, Varric was in the game faster than Hawke could have ever hoped, “look, we are all people here. You can trust us, darling.”
“I know that, Varric!” Merril said, “you guys are like family to me. Family that fights argues a lot.”
“Wouldn’t be a family otherwise, huh?” Hawke took the time to look at both Fenris and Anders who were avoiding all eye contact at the moment. Fenris seemed to notice Hawke looking at his way, but as soon as the green eyes met the golden gaze, Hawke turned his away.
“Hah, you could say that one again”, Varric saluted his friend and Merrill had another hiccup.
“Now let’s see. Ooh, this is so embarrassing, could you all look away?” She rubbed her face and her eyes wondered around the tavern, “what should I say? I like strong, funny-… Muscular.”
“Woah, I think you just described our Hawke here”, Varric told merrily and Merrill seemed to lose any of her coolness she had at this hour.
“Oh no!” She laughed and the red on her face conquered new areas, “I am sorry, I didn’t mean that!”
“Your description could be aimed at any warrior out there”, Fenris noted with a light sarcasm in his voice, “so you shouldn’t worry about being sorry about something like that.” Hawke felt one little butterfly flying around his warrior tummy.
“Any warrior that is funny”, Anders insulted the male elf, who stared quick daggers at the mage.
“OH!” Merrill almost jumped on her chair, making all the men of the table boggle a little, “I am rather fond of human or dwarf ears. They are so funny and cute.”
“Ears, you say?” Anders repeated slowly, “human ears?”
“Oi, the lady said dwarf too”, Varric noted with a pride, making Merrill giggle even more if that was possible at this point.
“Your ears are soft”, the female elf said, “they are quite different from elf ears, don’t you say Fenris?”
“Mm-m”, Fenris mumbled, “you got me on that one.”
“And I do wonder if you can hear with them?” Merrill leaned closer and watched Anders closely, “they are so small. I always feel like I should be raising my voice around you all. Should I scream so you could hear me, Anders?”
“Please do not”, Anders leaned away, “I would like to keep my hearing, thank you.”
“Oh, but have you ever wondered that we might hear things differently?” Merrill asked, “we might hear things clearer than you do with your round ears.”
“Well, now that we are on the subject of asking questions from Anders, why don’t you answer Hawke’s question?” Varric said, “so, Anders. What is your type?”
“My type?” Anders repeated and he looked at the wall behind Varric for moment, “I really don’t know the answer to that question.”
“Oh really? Round, muscular, tall human mage with a fuzzy beard- No, wait, I’m describing Hawke again! But I’m not far from truth, am I?” Varric howled and it was time for Anders to get redness to his face, “oh, seems that I am the only one on this table who does not fancy Hawke.”
“You are?” Garret gasped, “But Varric! I was sure I could trust you. You’ve wound me, my friend!”
“I wouldn’t dare to get on the way of you and your broody Tevinter Elf, trust me”, Varric told him.
“Bianca would get jealous if you would fancy him, right?” Merrill said merrily, getting a wink out of the dwarf.
“So everyone likes Hawke and Hawke likes everyone”, Garret took hid drink to his hand and twiddled it around, “is that all we are getting from this conversation?”
“But Hawke doesn’t just like everyone, does he?” Merrill said, her gaze at Fenris, “what does the great Champion of Kirkwall like, does any of us actually know?”
“Broody Tevinter elves and people who can shine, what else is there to know, Daisy?” Varric asked and Hawke watched as Fenris’s face lowered down a bit. The one broody Tevinter elf on the table was not going to show his expression on this company and Hawke was afraid that he could lose those 20 sovereings if this went on.
“And crazy, I love crazy as you remind me on every turn”, Hawke said to Varric.
“That even I cannot deny, and the crazy ones love you. Not offence, Broody.”
“None taken”, Fenris answered without real emotion in his voice.
“But I have to admit that Merrill had a point”, Hawke added.
“Who? Me? Why?” The female elf questioned.
“With the ears. We humans have the tendency to glorify the ears of the elves. Or make fun of them, but they are very much adored in literature and art. Perhaps because they are so different from the normal round ears that we have”, Hawke wondered aloud.
“Oh, I have also noticed that!” Merril responded with a happy tone, “first it was strange, because we are used to see our kind of ears everywhere, and then hearing how you humans enjoy seeing us elves with our normal ears. It still is strange, isn’t it!”
“I don’t find it strange at all, to tell you the truth”, Garret wondered, leaning on his hands on the table, “elf ears are fascinating. I am rather fond of the tips of your ears. They are the first ones to get red when you guys are ashamed and I do think that it is adorable. And the fact that they are so sensitive, I simply can’t get over it.” Slowly he turned his head to left and saw Fenris, who at the moment was once again trying not to look Hawke back. He could already see how the skin on Fenris’s ears was getting redder and how he adored the sight. That one little butterfly at his stomach decided to call his friends to have a party. There was nothing Hawke would have wanted to do more right now than run his fingers on Fenris’s ears, making the elf huff words he would not say on this company. Just to be behind closed doors with him for a while and he would be happy.
“I think that our little Hawke has a thing for ears!” Varric joked and Fenris followed the markings on the wooden table with his eyes. There was clearly something going on in that elven head of his, and Hawke hoped that it would result in a smile.
“Ain’t that adorable?” Merrill giggled yet again, like as she hadn’t done enough giggling for the night and for next week, “humans, dwarves and elves admiring things of each other that we wouldn’t believe other would like. That’s sweet.”
“Ain’t it”, Hawke tore his stare of the elf he adored to the level it hurt and raised his butt off the chair, “but I need to take a leak now, thank you very much.”
“Too much information, Hawke, you can keep some of that to yourself”, Anders commented, getting a frowny face from Hawke.
“Just so you all know when to get worried about me. You can never know when someone stabs a pissing man to his back. Ain’t that a way to go.”
With that note, Hawke left the table and the rest of the merry company was left in silence. Varric leaned at his chair and took his drink to his hand, just watching the rest of his friends, if he could call them that. Merrill and Anders started talking about stabbing people to their backs and Fenris stayed in silence. Varric noted, that the Elf wasn’t clearly even listening to what the two mages were talking about, his green eyes were unfocused. While the conversation got a bit louder, Varric noticed how Fenris made a move. Slowly the Elf raised his hand to his own ear. It was a small movement; one that would have went unnoticed if Varric wasn’t waiting for it.
Fenris closed his eyes, and his finger run on his auricle, slowly, like imitating the movements of another person. There was a little huff from his mouth and a smile, real and pure, was formed in Fenris’s lips.
“Daisy, Blondie”, Varric turned his away before he spoke so Fenris wouldn’t hear him looking at his way, “I think you owe some money to Hawke.”
The conversation was over in that second and both of them had turned to look at the silent person in their company. Fenris took a moment too long to realize that once again everyone was looking at him, so long that everyone had a glimpse of that one little fleeting content curl of his lips. He changed the movement of his hand so it kinda looked like he was just scratching his head, but it was too late as Varric had seen it all.
“What?” Asked Fenris, now going back to that suspicious frown of his. Anders was opening and closing his mouth like he was going to say something, but suddenly being unable to do so.
“I don’t think I even have 10 sovereigns on me”, Merrill looked down and started searching her pockets for any change she might have had.
“I don’t think that counts as a smile”, Anders looked at Varric.
“Oh, don’t start arguing about that and pay up when Hawke comes back. Saves us all from trouble”, the dwarf said, “and don’t worry Broody, it’s nothing. There is nothing on your face to be worried about.”
Once Hawke was back he was greeted by two piles of golden coins. For a moment he was surprised, but as he sat down an understanding came to his expression.
“Hey, I would have wanted to see it too!” He frowned as he took the first pile of money to himself. Anders mumbled something that Varric couldn’t understand, but he was sure that there were some bad words even he didn’t know. Hawke took the second pile of money and split it in two, giving half of it over the table to Varric.
“To the best wingman”, he said, leaning back.
“Oh, but I’m only doing my job!” Varric laughed as he took the money to himself. Hawke collected the rest of the pile and moved them to Fenris.
“And to the most gorgeous smile on Thedas”, he hummed, leaving the money opposite the now even more confused elf. Fenris had no words as he just looked at the money, redness taking over his ears and his face. Hawke watched as the embarrassment of getting compliments took over Fenris and the Elf had to turn away to cough. He had his hand to cover up his mouth but Varric could have sworn seeing another one of those rare smiles hidden behind that hand.
