#tevinter au

Fenris/Hawke fandom is massive. Loquaciousquark, theherocomplex, the_tevinter_biscuit and queenofkadara are especially prolific for this pairing, to this reader's joy. Fics marked with "^" are ones that have been completed during the modern plague (or recently completed fics).

It was hard to sort between AUs that felt like they could take place in Canon (and add to the expanded draft of FenHawke Canon and Canon AU fic rec list) and the AUs that felt like they should belong with the other fics here. Is there a method to this madness? Who knows.

Fic rec submission box and ask box are open.

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WC <10k

^Water is Taught by Thirst by loquaciousquark. Fairy Tale / Merman AU. Merman Fenris and F!Hawke. A sequel to the lovely oneshot that's linked in the author's summary.

Time Unbound, Anew by theherocomplex. Reincarnation fic? For a Tumblr prompt from loquaciousquark: kissing so desperately that their whole body curves into the other person’s."

^Katzenjammer by cadaverum. Modern College AU, M!Hawke. For want of a lost cat... I enjoyed the appearances of the various DA2 companions.

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WC 10-25k

^The Respite Hollow (or, The Ice Was Cold and So Were Their Hearts Until They Fell In love) by loquaciousquark. sequels are An Ice Like glass (or, While You're Waiting for Closure, Try the Gelato) and Compulsory Figures (Or, What To Do When the Cold Front Blows Through). Figure Skating AU! The shadow of Danarius looms large. As the winter Olympics approach, it might be a good idea to refresh your skating terminology :D

^Family is what you make of it by Elveny. Modern AU, pretend relationship. Fenris is a tattoo artist (the irony!), Hawke is a social worker. Family expectations abound in here. #and they were roommates.

Unbound by VikingEggplant. Pirate AU. Separate fic rec post here.

^Theodosian Idol by theherocomplex. F!Hawke, Pop Idol AU, which is... I don't think I've read any fics with this premise in other fandoms. Mad props for creativity and for implanting Gideon Emery's singing voice in my brain. As if his voice wasn't alluring enough already.

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WC 25k-50k

^Pathetic in Love by KnightOwl725. Modern AU, no magic. This fic delves into the whole thorny tangled mess that a Hawke can be when chasing after Anders, even in the canon universe. Who hasn't wished to be first in someone's heart?

A Convincing Affair by kellbelle. Modern AU, College/Uni AU, pretend relationship. Fenris is threatened with deportation.

The Broken Binding by loquaciousquark. Fairy Tale AU. F!Hawke. Quark wrote this 10 years ago. What was I doing ten years ago?! Not writing a fic like this, that's for sure.

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WC 50-100k

Champion by Vashoth. Royalty AU. The fic where Princess F!Hawke is trying to protect her sister while a tournament is being held for her hand, and Fenris is an escaped slave posing as a knight. A+ fight scene writing, which is notoriously hard to get. Separate fic rec post here.

Swan Song by Nenalata. Modern Ballet AU. Author summary:

What's the point of having perfect technique and graceful movements when the thought of dancing makes him sick to his stomach? Art is meaningless without passion, without emotion, without intent. Modern, city, dance AU featuring F!Hawke/Fenris and all your favorite denizens of Kirkwall and some of your least favorites.

My Heart Is Big by kihadu. Farm AU. Author summary: Nat Hawke is an ex-assassin living out his days teaching kids how to ride horses when a strange tattooed man appears on his doorstep with no shes but the most wondrous voice Nat has ever heard. So Nat gives him a job.

Notes: I never thought I would enjoy a Farm AU, but I did. Learned quite a lot about horse-keeping through this fic. Separate fic rec post here.

^Damned Spot by queenofkadara. Author describes it as "Crack Modern AU" where Fenris is newly hired as a bouncer at F!Hawke's pub. Standalone fic in a series.

Invicta, Invictus by loquaciousquark. F!Hawke. Tevinter AU in the canon universe. Marian Hawke takes Tevinter by storm, and meets our favorite broody elf. Satisfying worldbuilding.

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>100k

Spire by loquaciousquark. F!Hawke. Another Tevinter AU by the above author, but with the premise that Fenris and Hawke are already in an established relationship. That implication is beautifully explored during Hawke's entry into Tevinter. This fic also has a very satisfying concluding arc.

^Night Shift by ghostbunny. Vampire AU. If you ever wanted to ship FenHawke and Handers in one fic, this fic is for you. Separate fic rec post here.

Through Your Eyes by Regen. Soulmate AU. Similar to the Voiceverse concept where only one soulmate perceives the other in dreams.

^Where the Winds of Fortune Take Me by queenofkadara, Shoute. F!Hawke, Pirate AU! I am quite not sure if Cullen/Lavellan or Hawke/Fenris is the main pairing, and haven't finished reading this 300k+ word epic, but it's an enjoyable, fluffy read with some steamy art *fans self*. Queenofkadara also has a cute Hawke/Fenris series if you want to check it out.

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Note: I didn't recommend fics like Milk Carton kid because they're just too sad for me.

Chapters: 20/? Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus, Dorian Pavus/Male Trevelyan, Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus Characters: Male Mage Trevelyan, Dorian Pavus, Cassandra Pentaghast, and most of the Inquisition crew, Original Characters, Leliana (Dragon Age), Sera (Dragon Age), The Iron Bull (Dragon Age), Solas (Dragon Age), Cullen Rutherford, Varric Tethras, Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Drama, Angst, Humor, Established Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence

Summary:

What if some of the Trevelyans had remained in Tevinter when the others settled to the south in Ostwick? Lucien Trevelyan, eldest child and heir to the family name, is tasked with infiltrating the Conclave under the guise of one of his distant southern relations. It was supposed to be a brief, observational trip. No one could have guessed he would end up the Herald of Andraste. What's an Inquisition to do when they discover their Herald is a Tevinter spy?

@crowbound

How the invitation had made it to him, Aden didn't know. Perhaps it had been passed off from the Knight Commanders to a captain or something, but eventually it had come down to him with an order to follow up the lead. Knowledge into the Tevinter system was appreciated for various reasons, if nothing more than the recognition of Tevinter magics. Getting some experience in the world away from Ostwick was something Aden wasn't going to resent, but he wasn't sure if he was really the one to send for this. What would a Magister want with him? An exchange of information indeed. It didn't matter. He had his order, and had followed the trail back to the Imperium. Magister Mettius hadn't been too difficult to locate after all. From there he had been welcomed in what could be a gracious manner and escorted through an estate no less extravagant than what the Teyrn back home had fielded. Nice, expensive and utterly over the top for the usual humble quarters Templars were housed in. It ultimately put Aden further on edge.

There was nothing for it. He was now an...honored guest of Magister Mettius until her whim was served, and so he had to wait. He spent the time alone working on corrospondance, and was interupted in the middle of a letter by the knock of someone. A slave likely.

I tend to veer towards handers fics that highlight Anders' willpower, his heart for the refugees and for the oppressed, his cleverness. He was a spirit healer first and foremost.

Fics with asterisks* are those that I've come back to, or think about often. ^marks fics written in the modern plague (aka within the last 2 or so years).

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WC <10k

^a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair by amells (aeviternal). Hawke and Anders are very happy to be together. Fluff and smut.

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WC 10-25k

^sweet painted lady by Adarian. "Instead of becoming a mercenary or a smuggler, Hawke instead accepts work from Madame Lusine and spends a year working at the Blooming Rose." With this setup, F!Hawke meets Anders.

^Collision by dismalzelenka. Spicy first meeting fic for the Handers gift exchange. Fic rec post here.

Between the Shadow and Me by Ferasha. M!Hawke. This was a very interesting fic posing Hawke and Anders in a May/December romance. Never heard of Salieri Syndrome before this fic.

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WC 25k-50k

for who would lose, though full of pain, this intellectual being* by angel_deux. After fleeing Kirkwall, Anders is made tranquil. Separate fic rec post here.

^You're the Best Thing I Never Knew I Needed by TheMoments (TBs_LMC).

Summary: The same day Anders, Varric, Fenris and Hawke return from the Deep Roads, Hawke’s world spirals out of control, complete with betrayals from unexpected corners. The one man she turns to suddenly becomes the best thing she never knew she needed…and not entirely through his own doing.

Notes: Very Anders positive fic and optimistic about mage rights.

Still Intact, I See! by TCRegan. Canon AU in that Hawke meets Anders in the Deep Roads.

It was an interesting setting; I don't read that many fics with a world state where the Hero of Ferelden is kind of a jerk. This fic really tugged at my heartstrings, reminding me that Anders spent a whole year in solitary confinement.

MUD AND SAND and its sequel GODS OF ANTIVA by spicyshimmy. Tevinter AU, non-Justice Anders.

The former has its own fic rec post here. Both were originally written as a fill on the DA kinkmeme, so expect some kinky scenes. I thought it a very interesting look into what it means to trade one form of slavery for the other, and how restless Anders might become in a society that practices inequality even though he personally might not be victimized by that form of inequality.

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WC 50k-100k

Red Right Hand by Khirsah. "Aggressive Warrior Hawke is a hard man to say no to." Merits its explicit rating. This fic inspired me to replay as Aggressive Hawke.

SECOND AS A FARCE by spicyshimmy.

Summary: Originally written as a fill on the Dragon Age Kinkmeme. On one of his many escapes from the Circle, Anders runs into Malcolm Hawke, and becomes an honorary member of the family. Sometime between the ages of eighteen and twenty, Garrett Hawke became a man. Not just any man, either. Possibly the man, a specimen Anders had only ever read about in the romance novels his old friend Karl Thekla kept hidden behind the histories of Shartan and the Exalted Marches.

Notes: Oblivious non-Justice Anders. This involves Dragon Age: Awakening. The awkwardness of crushing on your adoptive sibling!

Oblivious Narrator, friends to lovers, mutual pining.

AU fics

Cinderanders by jullikesmagpies, mesitka. M!Hawke. WC 10,111. Fairy Tale AU. Top-tier crack in which Anders goes to a ball.

False Starts by insanity_by_proxy. F!Hawke. WC 14,667. Modern with Magic AU. "Five times Anders really should have just asked Hawke out, and one time she beats him to it."

^Darkfeathers by Dark and Stormy (betagyre). F!Hawke. WC 14,821. Avvar AU, secondary Cullen/Trevelyan. Anders is a lonely Augur of Darkfeather Hold.

Of Baskets of Flowers, Stray Cats, and Minefields: An Unusual Love Story by Gwyn_Paige. F!Hawke. Modern AU. Very fluffy!

Temptations of the Wicked by mevima, un-shit-yourself (fenix-down). WC 144,237. Modern Priest AU with Father Anders. I personally haven't finished this fic but I can imagine that it can hit all the right buttons for people. Merits its mature rating with the growing BDSM relationship between Anders and M!Hawke.

^Night Shift by ghostbunny. M!Hawke. WC 194,309. Vampire AU. Separate fic rec post here.

“When beggars die, there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.”

Chapters: 18/? Fandom: Dragon Age: Inquisition Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus, Dorian Pavus/Male Trevelyan Characters: Male Mage Trevelyan, Dorian Pavus, Cassandra Pentaghast, and most of the Inquisition crew, Original Characters, Leliana (Dragon Age) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, Drama, Angst, Humor Summary:

What if some of the Trevelyans had remained in Tevinter when the others settled to the south in Ostwick? Lucien Trevelyan, eldest child and heir to the family name, is tasked with infiltrating the Conclave under the guise of one of his distant southern relations. It was supposed to be a brief, observational trip. No one could have guessed he would end up the Herald of Andraste. What's an Inquisition to do when they discover their Herald is a Tevinter spy?

Ariadne, once married to Fausto, starts doubting about her decision of not telling him about being a somniari.

Because she’s specially drawn to the dreams of those who trust her with their hearts, and even when she was not expecting Fausto to love her wholeheartedly because she’d seen the way he saw Claudian, it doesn’t take but a while for her to be pulled into his dream, and his gaze as he stares at her from the floor where he’s weighted down by thick, golden chains is full of shame and fear.

He smiles tremulously at her, as if to say ‘this is what you got, sorry’. Her fingers follow the red strings disappearing into his chest, and it’s hard to breathe, for a moment, at the deep sadness in his voice. “I’ll make them dissappear, so you can have a good husband, don’t worry.”

She kisses him, helps him up little by little, through soft words, a hand over his beating heart and a promise of I chose this, you’re already a good husband, don’t let go of him, it’s alright. For a moment, it looks like he might start crying, a conflict of emotion crossing in his eyes as he nods, hesitates until there’s a hint of relief and a smile on his lips; the chains start to shrink until they’re only thin threads that rest around his body like golden paint, the red wrapped around his heart and into his chest a soft glow under his robes.

She brings him to the place she’s created for herself, sits them under a blooming plum tree and tells him he never has to fear judgement from her.

She wonders if Fausto, each time she comes to his dreams, notices how uncommon this is. How they always end up under the tree, his smile barely hiding the pain of Claudian’s voice distorted by some demon telling him how disgusting he is by desiring him, how the claws of a shadow with his father’s face carved words like ‘disgrace, depravation, shame’ into his skin and he tugs at his robes so that she can’t see he’s scratched them raw.

If he can see how much her own heart aches when she sees him try to hide that the empty place in his heart is not hers to fill.

‘If only you could see he loves you just as much as I do, perhaps more.’

“I’m sorry.” he repeats to her once she’s pulled into a specially bad nightmare of his, the word coming over and over as a broken plight once he’s driven the desire demon away and she’s holding his head in her lap, his hands shaking as he covers his eyes, his voice breaking with guilt dripping in each word. “I’m sorry. I have you and I want him. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

It breaks her heart that he doesn’t even think it strange that it is her holding him in his bad dreams, so much he trusts her, so much he loves her that he allows her to see, even after he’s tired from fighting against his deepest fears.

He fears losing him.

He fears losing her.

And then, “will you still smile at me in the morning, amata?”

Her heart sings amatus over and over until he goes back into a more restful sleep, and she can leave his dreams with the certainty that demons won’t come again for the night.

He knows, and she can’t hold herself accountable for how much she loves him.

So, when Fausto is finally able to hold Claudian and give his heart to their friend, she meets him once more in his dreams. Her arms are still open and his smile is the most blinding she’s seen and for a short second she’s jealous, but then he’s there kissing ‘thank you’s to her cheeks and lips, and she knows she’ll never be able to love him any less, that he loves her too.

He’s there still nights later, after, and she understands that all along, she hasn’t been looking closely either. She still wonders if he knows just how big his heart is.