"i don't want to go home. it’s not warm there like you are." / fenris for eden oUUUUGH
No. it wasn't. Danarius' Manor was cold, abandoned, rotten. It reeked of rust and mildew and was a sensory nightmare. One could not imagine living in such a situation and Hawke had very much had situations close to it when their family had been between homes.
The Amell manor was...it's own discomfort. It was warm, well decorated and well staffed but...it still felt empty, and not quite warm and not quite...theirs. There had been a question of changing its title to the Hawke Manor, but they had denied it. Most people assumed they would keep its history but...
It had just never felt like theirs to have. It was Mother's, and she was...
There were times when it felt warmer, like this. With friends. When it didn't feel so quiet, so stagnant, even if little words were exchanged. It wasn't just the fireplace that comforted them but...the company. So they understood how he felt, in a way. That fear of returning to something so empty again...especially when something good was in reach.
And yet, it was only his words that spoke of his torment, not his actions. They could see it in the way the claws of his armor bit into the fabric of the sofa cushions. He was restraining himself. Either he hadn't known what to do or...he feared doing that which he wanted.
So...they would try. Because they didn't mind getting their hand bitten.
It doesn't breach the gap between them, of course. Hawke wants to give him the choice; palm upturned, not as if they mean to grab for him...but to offer their hand for him, should it warm him as he says.
"You don't have to go back. You...you're not overstaying your welcome here, Fenris. If it brings you peace, stay."