[He'd rarely ever seen the man looking so defeated. It pained him, and beyond the aggravation and the need to comprehend, there was a flicker of compassion he felt for him that he couldn't explain. Fenris didn't fare much better. After this burst of fierce adrenaline, his mind was blank, his body weaker, and he wondered why he stood there in the dark. It was clear the conversation would not lead anywhere, and while it wasn't necessarily their first quarrel, it felt a lot more personal than all the others. It felt deeper, chafing ancient wounds that had never truly healed, and Fenris sensed it wasn't a battle he could win. His jaw tightened and he absentmindedly swept resistant dirt off his tunic, looking up the stairs as he pondered whether he should just leave. For a long moment it didn't seem as though Hawke was even willing to say anything—he couldn't even read his expression, otherwise so painfully clear—and just as he shifted on his feet and reluctantly forced himself to move, the man spoke.
Confusion bloomed in his mind and he swiftly glanced at him, brows severely knitted together. The intensity of his gaze could have peeled wallpaper.] Then what is it that you hope to... that you hope— [His frown sharpened and his focus as well as he cut himself off, silent words rolling on his tongue. He snapped his mouth shut, lips pressed into a frustrated sneer as he quietly stared, visibly disorientated. And then it dawned on him. His thoughts reeled and his expression softened the more they unfolded, leaving a scowl of sheer perplexity.]
What? [He barked the question with a shake of his head, his tone harsh because he simply didn't understand. He was no imbecile. For the clues Hawke was giving him now, it didn't take a genius to find the right equation, but it didn't match anything else. All those years... He swallowed hard, not liking the way his heart had started pounding. He could feel it in his chest and his temples, leaving in his head a distracting buzz.] Surely you do not mean to say that I have wrongly believed your affections to be elsewhere. [In lieu of where he'd wished them to be for so long. The thought was frightening, dread and hope mixing together in a tangle of emotions he couldn't handle. He hated that whatever dormant feeling he had sprung at the mere glimpse of a chance, and he forced it back down with all the strength he could muster. It didn't work as well as he'd wanted. There was a glint of uncertainty in his eyes, contrasting with his untamed stance.] ...Do you?
that could very well happen
Confusion bloomed in his mind and he swiftly glanced at him, brows severely knitted together. The intensity of his gaze could have peeled wallpaper.] Then what is it that you hope to... that you hope— [His frown sharpened and his focus as well as he cut himself off, silent words rolling on his tongue. He snapped his mouth shut, lips pressed into a frustrated sneer as he quietly stared, visibly disorientated. And then it dawned on him. His thoughts reeled and his expression softened the more they unfolded, leaving a scowl of sheer perplexity.]
What? [He barked the question with a shake of his head, his tone harsh because he simply didn't understand. He was no imbecile. For the clues Hawke was giving him now, it didn't take a genius to find the right equation, but it didn't match anything else. All those years... He swallowed hard, not liking the way his heart had started pounding. He could feel it in his chest and his temples, leaving in his head a distracting buzz.] Surely you do not mean to say that I have wrongly believed your affections to be elsewhere. [In lieu of where he'd wished them to be for so long. The thought was frightening, dread and hope mixing together in a tangle of emotions he couldn't handle. He hated that whatever dormant feeling he had sprung at the mere glimpse of a chance, and he forced it back down with all the strength he could muster. It didn't work as well as he'd wanted. There was a glint of uncertainty in his eyes, contrasting with his untamed stance.] ...Do you?