#bg3 dammen

[mythrae]

Invisible String

Part One: Time, Curious Time

Summary: Divya is surprised to see Dammon at the tiefling party, he’s surprised she’s even speaking to her at all. And they're both surprised they have feelings for each other.

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: 18+ (minors do not interact), things get a bit frisky, slight blood mention, otherwise just fluffy (Dammon understands consent!)

Author’s Notes:

Divya (pronounced Dih-vee-yah) is a Zariel tiefling monk. She’s also pictured below until I can find a better pic of them together.

The work title is based on the Chinese legend of the Red Thread of Fate, that there is an invisible red cord around the finger of those that are destined to meet one another, regardless of place, time, or circumstance. The magical cord may stretch or tangle, but cannot break.

Thought it was interesting how we interact with Dammon in all three acts of BG3, almost as if it was fate that brought us together 👀 so enjoy. This man needs some lovin’ and I’m gonna give it to him whether you like it or not!

Read it here on ao3 :)

“Looks like you’ve saved us once again, our noble hero.”

Dammon raised a chalice from his place at the campfire, cheering to Divya and her party on a job well done. It was no easy feat infiltrating to goblin camp and taking down its leaders, but with the fearless tiefling monk as their figurehead, anything was possible.

To celebrate their triumphant success, Zevlor had wanted to throw a proper party back at their camp, and invited all the tiefling refugees to join in on the fun. They knew there was still trouble ahead as they made the dangerous trek to Baldur’s Gate. But for now, they drank, they danced, they reveled in their own company.

They’re anticipated darker days ahead once they left the grove. But for the first time in a long time, the tieflings felt a sense of peace.

“I know I would have loved to see you take those goblins down.” He continued, “especially only using your fists. It’s remarkable what you can do without a weapon, you know.”

“Ah, thank you, Dammon.” She replied, taking a seat in the spot next to him, leaning back against the boulder behind her. “Hopefully things stay quiet for now, though, and we don’t have to battle any more goblins off. I’ve had enough adventure to tire me out for a lifetime.”

“Agreed.” He said, swiveling his red wine in his hand before taking a languid sip.

Divya looked out at the rest of the party-goers. Rolan was showing a few new tricks to Cal and Lia, Alfira was performing her newest song in dedication to Lihara, and she spied Lakrissa getting a little friendly with one of her own party members. There were a few that chose to simply watch, but everyone was smiling, happy for the first time in a long time.

“Seems most everyone’s having themselves a good time tonight. Are you?” She turned to face Dammon, his gaze watching the flames flicker in the air.

He grinned. “Hm, well now I am.”

In that moment, she thanked the Gods it was dark enough that he couldn't see her blush.

“Y’know, I’m not really one to attend gatherings like this.” He continued. “I usually like to keep to myself, if you couldn’t tell. But, well…”

He didn’t even think he’d get the chance to speak to her tonight. With how popular she had become amongst the tieflings in the grove, there wasn’t anybody who didn’t want to speak to her, to sing her praises, for giving them a second chance at life after the fall of Elturel.

Yet, here she was, sitting next to him by the fire, a smile creeping across her face as she pulled her chalice away from her lips. Full, plump, a deep maroon…

Dammon couldn’t help but wonder what her lips tasted like.

“… I wanted to see you again, before we left for Baldur’s Gate.” He finished, his eyes still gazing into the fire.

“Oh, really? And why’s that?” She playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

Though he tried to play it cool, he was burning redder than all of the Nine Hells combined.

“I’ll just... miss seeing you around the grove.” He confessed, “You have a face that few could forget.”

She chucked a bit to herself, “Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you.”

She had definitely drank a little more than her usual fill of wine tonight, giving her some more confidence than she usually had. Plus, she knew he hadn’t seen her in her usual camp attire, which was a bit more revealing than what she usually wore. Seeing the way his eyes gazed upon her form made her want to be more bold, more forward with him. There were many things she wanted to say to the infernal mechanic right now, but she knew if her tongue slipped too much, she’d regret them in the morning.

She sensed Dammon move a bit closer to her, his fingers accidentally brushing against her hand.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that…”

“Don’t be.”

She took his hand in her own, gently rubbing his worn, dry knuckles with the soft pad of her thumb.

“I don’t mind it a bit.”

For a moment, Divya and Dammon locked eyes. His piercing blue gaze, glowing with Hellfire, felt as if it was cutting right through her skin, staring deep into her soul. The warmth in his smile made her heart nearly jump out of her chest — if she didn’t calm down, she just might burst. It felt weirdly intimate, for him to look at her this way. Like they were soulmates who had fallen in love ages ago, raised a family together, and intended to spend the rest of their days as each other’s lover, no matter where life took them.

Something about him felt… right.

But the moment was over as quickly as it started.

“Oi, Div!” She heard her fiery tiefling friend shout, startling them both, “You two should kiss!”

Divya’s hand moved from Dammon’s as her eyes darted over the roaring campfire. Above the flickering flames, she saw Karlach, joined at her tent by Wyll and Astarion. They were watching quite attentively, waiting to see who would make the first move.

“Gods above…” she muttered, her tail twitching in embarrassment. “Have you been watching us this whole time?”

“We’ve been watching for long enough,” Astarion chimes in. “But we want to see some action, darling! Put on a show for us!”

Chucking a bit, Dammon played along with the pale elf. “Hey now, we can’t get too hot and heavy out in the open, or else Karlach’s engine might explode!”

Gods, help me...

“Please excuse my companions here,” Wyll calls out, placing his hands on Astarion’s shoulders. “They’ve had a few too many tonight. I think it’s time to get them some rest.”

“What are you talking about?” Astarion retorted, shrugging off the warlock’s touch, “I haven’t even had anything to drink yet!”

Dammon laughed as he sipped the last few drops of his wine. “They seem like a wild lot.”

“You don’t even want to know the half of it.”

He looked up at the twinkling night sky, the full moon rising higher and higher above camp. “Seems it is getting a bit late, though.”

“Sad, isn’t it? We haven’t had a single moment to ourselves.” She tutted, taking another sip from her chalice.

“Well, I’m happy to share any moment with you.”

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”

“Well…” she hesitated, realizing what she was about to ask him before actually saying it aloud. It had been a long time since she had been with anyone, in that sort of sense. Especially since Elturel had fallen, and her whole life got turned upside down.

But the way Dammon looked at her — Gods, the way she felt herself melt under his gaze — made her feel excited, anxious, and lustful, all at once.

“… if you’d like, you can come back to my tent later, once things have settled down a bit.”

She couldn’t take the words back know, she just had to hope that he was feeling the same way about her.

“I’d love to.” He says, giving her a wink before standing up. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

***

Divya was usually calm and collected while in battle. Escaping the Nautiloud? Easy. Fighting off hoards of goblins? Not a problem.

But right now, for the first time in a long time, she was anxious.

When was the last time she shared a bed with another? Sure, she’s had a few partners that got so lucky, but she had known these people more than a tenday. Sure, she felt close to the handsome tiefling, but there was so much she didn't know about him. What if he tried to slit her throat in the middle of the night?

She was already feeling nervous about him visiting her tent tonight. But she was also worried about him not showing up at all.

Rejection from anyone feels awful. She's dealt with it, she's also given it. Hells, she had to reject Gale's advances just the other day. But a rejection from Dammon would hurt worse than getting a stake jabbed through her heart.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she heard the rustle of grass further out in the trees, then the light tapping of footsteps in the dirt of their camp. Soft, as if not to disturb the others. The sounds came closer and closer to her tent, until she saw a familiar shape standing at the entrance.

“Div?” Dammon whispered, “Are you awake?”

She opened the flap to her tent, her nerves rising as she saw him actually coming to see her. He has changed from his apron into a much more comfortable shirt and pair of trousers, which clung to his body in all the right places. He wasn’t even wearing his green scarf, her cheeks warm from seeing his chest peeking through the neckline of his shirt…

“Dammon!” She said softly, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. “I’m surprised you actually came.”

“And miss out on seeing your beautiful face again?” He replied, dipping his head into the entrance of the tent as he sat across from her. “Not a chance.”

“Beautiful?” She nearly laughed out loud, “I don’t think anyone has ever called me beautiful after defeating an entire goblin camp before.”

“I s’pose there’s a first time for everything.” He smiled, reaching and cupping her face with his hands. His hands were rough, cracked from years spent working in the forge, but his touch was delicate, soft, like he didn’t want to break her.

Holding Divya’s face so close to his own, Dammon never noticed how many freckles she had, sprinkled across her cheeks like the stars above. He saw her spots where her skin lost its pigmentation, no doubt a bit of an insecurity of hers. Her septum piercing, one that he didn't see too often among other tieflings. And her eyes, that didn’t have the same Hellfire glow that many of their had, but glowed in their own way…

All of it made her who she is. And he thought everything about her was beautiful.

When he kissed her for the first time, he was gentle, careful, as if he could make her fall to pieces if he did too much, too soon. Her lips tasted like the wine she was sipping on through the night — red, rich, with a just hint of sweetness.

Absolutely delicious.

When she kissed him back, he craved her more, wanting to get drunk off her lips alone. Caution was thrown to the wayside as their kiss went deeper and deeper, as one of his hands moved to the nape of her neck and the other at her waist. Gods, the way the soft skin of her body felt under his touch nearly made him melt. It tugged at his loins so greatly, he was almost ready to burst.

Divya pulled on Dammon’s shirt collar, as if begging him to give her more. He obliged, shifting their bodies so she laid on her back and he was mounted over her. He broke the kiss to plant extra pecks along her jawline, her neck, until he bit her — hard, hearing her yelp in delight.

“Nine Hells, I could listen to that sound all day.”

His hot, wet tongue lapped at the broken skin, cleaning up the little drops of blood seeping from her wound.

“That is, as long as I’m the one making you sound like that.”

He moved up to kiss her lips once more, his hunger growing by the moment. She could sense his hands setting themselves at her waist as his lower body pressed into hers. Her breath hitched as she felt that his desire had grown for her, rather large and intimidating. One of his hands slid itself under her top, fondling the swell of her breast…

Stop, her mind interrupted her train of thought, her eyes going wide with panic, you’re not ready for this yet.

As much as her body had told her to give herself to him tonight, her mind was begging her to slow things down.

It wasn’t that she had a bad feeling about the infernal mechanic on top of her, not at all. But in her heart, she wasn't ready for this kind of divine intimacy, for their two bodies to quite literally become one. With him, she wanted to take her time.

She had real feelings for him. And over time, as long as they stayed alive, she wanted something real between them.

“Ah, Dammon…” she breaks their kiss, taking a moment to catch her breath.

“Yes, dear?”

“Can we… can we take this a bit slower, please?” She turned away from him, feeling embarrassed for interrupting him so quickly, “I’m, ah...”

“Are you okay?”

Her head spun back to look at his face, eyes glowing like baby blue stars in the midnight sky.

Fuck, he’s so handsome.

“I’m okay, promise. I just might… not be ready for all this right now.”

In the past, if she told someone she wasn’t ready to spend a night like that with them, they would usually get angry with her, sometimes even storming away like a child throwing a tantrum. It was something she was used to by now, with long term partners and late night trysts alike.

But Dammon? He was different.

“I understand, trust me.” He replied, shifting his weight back to give her some space to breathe. “Do you… want me to stay with you?”

She sat up in her bedroll, reaching to hold his hands in her own. “I do, please. I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”

“Oh, it’ll be sooner than you know it, I’m sure.” He smiled, kissing the back of each of her hands.

“I hope so,” she sighed. “Um, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Can… can you just hold me?” she asked sheepishly.

“Your wish is my command.”

Divya shifted in her bedroll, giving Dammon space to lie on his back. As he settled himself on the wool blanket, she rolled to her side, resting her head on his strong, sturdy chest. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling the two of them close together, keeping them warm as a cool breeze blew through their camp.

“Mmm, this feels nice,” she whispered.

“Haven’t had a good night’s rest in a while?”

“Oh, are you kidding? With this bunch? Definitely not!”

She shared with him stories of their journey so far — infiltrating a dungeon of massive spiders, meeting a devil (hells, multiple devils, actually), running into a bugbear rutting an ogre, and even taking down a hag in her own lair.

“We also met this mummy in a crypt named Withers who stays with us in camp,” she continued, “and I think he actually might be a God!”

“You don’t say?” He replied, nearly in disbelief. “Seems like you’ve got quite the party to share your travels with.”

“They sure are… different, but they’re great companions.” She concluded. “Say, have you done a lot of adventuring? At least, before Elturel fell.”

“Can’t say I have, honestly.” He answered. “I’ve spent most of my years working in the forge, getting better and better at my craft.”

“And it’s definitely paid off,” she said, “My colleagues have enjoyed using the weapons you’ve made for us.”

“Really? Well, that’s a surprise, considering the state of my shop.”

“Didn’t you mention having to work with wooden tools?”

“Yes, Gods yes! I don’t know what those damned druid’s were thinking.”

Dammon shared how he had to scavenge for metal, pilfering through the corpses of dead goblins to bring to his little forge. How the forge couldn’t get as hot as he wanted it to be, so he worried that the quality of his weapons he made had declined. And how the elderly human across the way, Auntie Ethel, had made odd passes at him and offered to give him as much metal he would ever want — until one day, she vanished, never stepping foot back in the grove.

As he drabbled on about his time in the grove, he realized that the female tiefling had fallen silent. Turning his head, he saw she was fast asleep in his arms.

Beautiful, even as she sleeps.

“Sleep well, Divya.” He whispers, his lips brushing the tip of her nose as he kissed her one last time before he dozed off.

***

Dammon woke up before the sun has crept over the horizon. As he slowly gained consciousness, he realized that in the night, the two had shifted positions — her back was pressed into his chest, his arm wrapped around her, fingers intertwined. Looking down, he also noticed the tips of their tails were wrapped together.

Carefully, he sat up in the tent, observing Divya as she slept soundly in her bedroll. He watched how her chest rose and fell with every breath she took, the curl of her lashes as they rested perfectly on the top of her cheeks, the way her lips were slightly parted while she slept, how she laid her hand to support her head, even with a pillow underneath…

He wasn't lying to himself when he thought that every part of her was beautiful.

He moved a stray hair from her face, planting a gentle kiss on her temple. She stirred lightly, and Dammon thought up a quick prayer to the Gods above that she wouldn’t wake up in that moment.

"Mmm... Dammon..." she mumbled, a soft smile crossing her face.

In that moment, he could feel her pulling at his heartstrings.

Hells, he didn’t want to leave her, not yet. But Zevlor insisted that the refugees begin their trek Baldur’s Gate as soon as dawn broke. If he didn't make it to the caravan in time, he would get at best an earful from their leader. At worst... he didn't even want to fathom.

But what if this was the last moment he would ever spend with Divya at his side? What if the tieflings didn't make it to the city? What if she was killed before he got to see her again?

I have to fight on, he thought. If not for my future, then for her to be a part of it. And just hope she does the same for me.

He leaned in one last time, pressing a goodbye kiss to her cheek. He wanted to savor this moment, for he didn’t know when he would see her again

"See ya soon, Div."

In the dewy morning fog, Dammon left the party’s campsite and began his journey to Baldur's Gate, to his new start at life. And he hoped that some day, Divya could share it with him.

Click here to read pt 2 :)