Chapter Text
The following evening, Varric was seated in his favorite chair at the Hanged Man, a cold ale on the table next to him, as he regaled the crowd with another riveting tale of Hawke's adventures. This one was mostly true. The front door opened and he spotted Rivaini swaggering up to the bar and ordering a drink.
"Put it on Varric's tab," she told Corff in a voice loud enough to carry over the crowd.
Varric raised his eyebrows and Isabela raised her mug, then downed the contents in one drink. Varric wrapped up the story faster than he had originally planned and waved her over to join him as the crowd dispersed. He noticed that she already had another full mug.
"Also on my tab?" He asked, cringing inwardly.
Dropping into the chair beside him and leaning back, Isabela propped her boots up on the table, giving half the bar a clear view of her smalls.
"Yep," she said with a smug air, "and everything else I eat or drink for the next month."
Not sure what she meant by that, Varric finally recalled a bet they had made in the early hours one morning, after many drinks.
"You did it? No shit? You actually managed to get those two together?"
Varric stared at the buxom pirate who was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. He solemnly raised his mug in a heartfelt salute.
In a quieter voice, he asked, "What happened? You have to share. This is too good."
"Well, to be honest, I didn't actually see them. That house has way too many rooms and they must have snuck off at some point."
"Then how do you know you've won the bet?"
Isabela's smile became even more wicked, if such a thing was possible.
"I think the screams of 'Oh, Maker! Yes, Fenris! Again! More!' were a good indicator."
Varric wasn't sure how much of her story was true and how much was pure bullshit. He was about to call her on it, when the pair in question walked into the bar. Varric's eyes popped open so wide they almost fell out of his head. Well, well, miracles do happen.
The broody elf was actually smiling.