I laughed once, then joined him. Hawke pressed the button for the fourth floor, and the car began to move.
"That makes me feel better," I said casually. "Both the title and the explanation."
"Yeah, kinda what I thought." He flashed me a smirk. "I was lucky enough to know everything before there was a promise to talk around. Watching Rain twist herself up to respect it, but still be curious? I figure you can't be much better."
"I'm not."
He glanced over as we reached the top. "But you hide it well." And then he walked off.
I followed, stopping at the second door in the hall while Hawke opened it. Then, when he stepped in, I followed to see Wilder lying across the bed. The guy looked up, his eyes found Hawke, and he smiled.
"Hey," he said warmly before looking at me. "Come to hang?"
"Figured I don't have anything else to do," I admitted.
"Cool."
But Hawke didn't stop until he reached Wilder. "Sorry I stink."
Then he bent and kissed the guy. It was quick and casual, but definitely not chaste. Oh no, the way their tongues met made it clear it was expected - and anticipated.
"Guess that means I've come up a level, hm?" I joked. "Not worried I'll say something and get one of you moved?"
"Already moved," Hawke reminded me with a devious smirk. "Not technically, but for all intents and purposes, I've been staying in here."
"Good point." I moved to claim the chair over by the desk. "So how are they doing?"
Wilder sighed. "Not good, if I'm honest. We just got back from our magical responsibility class, and it was a fucking mess. Aspen's spiraling. She's only just learned some control, and the Hunt fractured it because she was fucking terrified - "
"With good reason," Hawkeadded.
I nodded to show I agreed, but Wilder kept going. "So she screwed up once, and now she's worried about doing it again."
"Which basically prevents her from regaining her control," I finished, showing I was keeping up. "And Torian?"
"Fuck," Wilder grumbled. "Fucking bastard is currently running on too much magic. He needs to drain some off, but he can't use that sort of power without causing problems. It's like - "
"Hawke!" Torian called.
"Yeah?" Hawke yelled back.
A door in the bathroom opened. Before I could even see him, Torian asked, "Hey, I need you to do me a favor? Ms. Rhodes said something which might help me. According to her, royalty - " He came to a screeching halt as he made it all the way into this room because he caught a glimpse of me. "Keir?"
"Just came to chill," I assured him.
"Again?" he snarled.
I lifted both hands. "I happen to enjoy my new friends. Thought that was a good thing?"
"Good?" Torian demanded, turning those spring-green eyes of his on me. "Oh, is this because no one else wants you around? Or is it just because you're too chickenshit to actually deal with your dead roommate?"
"Tor!" Wilder snapped.
"He's always fucking in here!" Torian roared. "Never a second to ourselves. Never a moment when I can speak without thinking first! Always, like he's some fucking loser no one else wants around." Those eyes of his snapped back. "Is that it? Desperation isn't a good look, Keir."
"Fuck you, Torian," I sighed. "I get it, you're stressed."
"And you don't seem to grasp the concept of privacy!" He took a warning step towards me even as the air in the room began to stir. "I didn't ask you to be here."
