#gale x tav x Astarion

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

I Keep Thinking About a Gale x Ace!Tav x Astarion AU

It makes no damn sense. Compels me though.

Let me be clear, this would be an AU and not a continuation of the “canon” I’ve established with Ace!Tav. It’s just not how I picture their story playing out. All the same, I keep circling back to this in my brain. Call it a thought experiment.

I’m probably not going to write a full fic for it. So, if anybody wants to take this general idea and run with it, feel free. Just give me a shoutout. Or if you guys are curious about this AU drop me an ask and I’ll answer with some rambles.

Speaking of, shoutout to @leighsartworks216 for letting me ramble to them about it.

Astarion x Ace!Tav Masterlist (for reference)

Cards on the table, none of these people are ready for a poly relationship

Gale is explicitly monogamous and ties sex and romantic love intimately together. Astarion is still dealing with the idea of being enough and just ✨the trauma✨ . Meanwhile Tav has their own abandonment issues and is just waiting for Astarion to get bored and leave. And yet! This disaster trio won’t leave me alone.

So this whole thing gets started when Astarion approaches Tav about wanting to experiment with sex again

He knows Tav isn't interested in sex and doesn't want to make them feel pressured into having it just to please him, so they talk about opening up in the relationship

Tav is hesitant about it, but also doesn't want this to be the reason Astarion leaves and so agrees

They convince themselves that if Astarion wants to have a one night stand, it’s fine; so long as he’s not seeking out his emotional needs with other people then there’s no risk of him wanting to end things; this is, of course, a terrible way to handle it

So, with that hanging over their heads they reconnect with Gale over some quest (maybe getting a magical item to allow Astarion to walk in the sun)

Gale has been teaching and while happy is admittedly still a bit lonely so is grateful to see his friends again

Gale and Tav always had a close relationship, but seeing them again does stir up some of those old feelings he'd let lie because, you know, the Absolute (headcanon here for further details)

Gale internally berates himself for this because he 1) knows Tav is ace and therefor not interested in a sexual relationship which is something he prioritizes when it comes to romance and 2) Tav is clearly still in a loving relationship with Astarion, so he's not going to be the asshole to get in the middle of all that

He tells himself it’s just the loneliness talking and pushes that shit down

So, he starts getting closer to Astarion who, while still a bit of a rogue, has mellowed a bit and worked on some of his more selfish instincts

Honestly, having the opportunity to see how much Astarion is devoted to Tav increases his opinion of the man

He and Astarion’s relationship is still antagonistic, but much more playful than before

This culminated in a moment when Astarion and Tav are checking in on each other after a trap goes off

Astarion pulls them close a moment kissing Tav on the temple once it’s clear they’re fine

Gale watches this interaction, his stomach twisting with familiar jealousy, but pauses as his mind screeches to a halt realizing “wait, am I jealous of Astarion or Tav?"

Meanwhile Astarion is a bit surprised at Gale being more friendly with him, but he can't say he's complaining. He knows Tav missed him, and while he had his own jealousies early in the relationship, he's since moved passed it. Gale was the one to help him ultimately get together with Tav after all.

He makes more of an effort to get to know the wizard one on one and finds himself looking more and more

There is something oddly endearing when he rambles

Gods he really is a powerful wizard (connotation: scared and horny)

Did his robes always show off his chest hair like that

He really does make Tav happy

Until one morning he's laying in bed and snaps up enraged with himself like, "GALE?! OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN FEEL COMPELLED TO FUCK. FUCKING GALE?!?!?!?!"

Full existential crisis

Yes, they said opening the relationship, but he knows how nervous Tav feels about it. They’ve told him about their past relationships and how so many of them fell apart when the topic of sex came up

But he also knows he can’t do a one night stand; he needs to trust the person he’s having sex with, he wants it to mean something

He knows Gale and he knows it would mean something with him

He also knows Gale’s opinion on monogamy; would he force him to choose between him and Tav? Would Gale even want to be with him? Astarion knows Gale used to feel deeply for Tav

And what if it ends badly? Gale is Tav’s friend, his friend. Fuck, this can’t be happening

Meanwhile Tav is reconnecting with Gale and is like, “Gods I did miss him…oh wait I like *missed* him, missed him”. But pushes that shit down because, again, in a very loving relationship with Astarion which they won’t risk for anything and 2) Gale has made it clear that sex is something he values in a relationship as a form of intimacy.

They knew they couldn’t give him that then and they can’t now

Tav is also starting to notice how Astarion is looking at Gale

They’re much more in tune with his emotions and can see he’s interested

Tav starts to feel jealous and then feels guilty for doing so because they said opening the relationship was fine

Gale is wonderful. They know he’d treat Astarion the way he deserves. They could hardly blame Astarion for ultimately choosing him

They knew deep down they were just a stepping stone on Astarion’s road to recovery. If he can be with someone who can give him so much love and sex, why would he need them?

It also doesn’t help that as they start noticing Astarion looking at Gale, they see Gale looking right back

They do feel deeply for Gale, but know his thoughts on monogamy

Besides, they turned him down before, they can’t expect Gale to have held onto those feelings

So they start to slowly distance themselves from both men, resolving that if Astarion approaches them about it, they’re not going to stand in his way.

This course of action causes all of them to start driving themselves crazy in their own heads

Astarion is scrambling because they can sense Tav pulling away and is desperate to figure out what’s wrong, but Tav won’t tell them anything

Gale can see it too and so is pushing down all of his emotions because “Tav I know you love Astarion and Astarion loves you, so what’s going on”

Tav can’t confide in him either so they just don’t say anything

This leaves Astarion and Gale to start confiding in each other more because what’s going on?

Finally Astarion spills everything to Gale, he and Tav opening their relationship, his fears about them leaving, and becuase he’s got a good idea why they’re pulling away

Gale is admittedly a bit obtuse about it which prompts Astarion to grab him by the front of the robes and start kissing him

Gale respond enthusiastically and the two of them start making out. But before it goes any further their brains catch up with them and they stop, both knowing that they need to talk to Tav

So they approach Tav and Tav’s like, “yeah, it’s fine, can’t say I’m surprised, neither of you are exactly subtle. It’s fine. I’ll take this as my queue to go then.”

Astarion then jumps in like, “wait, no, who said anything about leaving”.

Tav tries to convince him that it’s fine, that they’re happy for him, really. They can’t begrudge him for wanting more and he shouldn’t feel compelled to stay with them.

Astarion’s brain is reeling from this because are you actually kidding me? Please say you’re joking and don’t actually believe that.

He then takes their face in his hands and tells them he’s not going to stop loving them just because he wants to have sex again and if there is one lesson they’ve taught him is that he has more love in him that he ever thought possible. He’s got plenty to spare.

Gale meanwhile has been watching Astarion and Tav’s relationship for some time and has come to understand you can separate sex and romantic love

He then steps in saying, “yes, I am interested is pursuing something more with Astarion, but also with you. Honestly out of the two of you, I’ve loved you for much longer”.

Tav would still need time to accept the idea that they’re not the third wheel. Gale would need to work out how to put that sometimes obsessive love into two people and Astarion still has his trauma, but they’d all have each other to work it all out once they get everything out into the open.

[gremmiie]

Collection of Galetavs + Astarions

[rielzero]

Sometimes I make low effort scribbles like this when I'm bored.

[bhaalbabebardlock]

~ Nature's Gifts ~

Masterpost | All works | AO3 Link

Chapter 6- The Weave

Important tags: Dom!Gale, soft Dom gale, uhh weird astral sex? Idk okay, m/f, please check out other tags on AO3!

Summary:

This chapter is a retelling of Gale's Act 2 romance scene.

“I want to… begin our story. Write our own thousand nights that we turn into a masterpiece. To be with you, in the most intimate way possible, expose myself to you and you to me. To know all of you. What do you say?” She leaned her head back against his chest, tapping her fingers on the cover of the book.

Masterpost | All Works | AO3 Link

Excerpt is below the cut, full chapter is posted on AO3!

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Chewing on her lip, she bumped his shoulder with hers, her voice soft. He'd been so quiet the last few days, since Elminster had found them. So pensive. He seemed to have pulled into himself, just when she thought they were starting to get closer. Any conversation about the necrotic magic in his chest ended with his silence. She wasn't sure this discussion would go any differently.

“Is it really just the stars that's got you out here looking so mopey all by yourself, Gale?” He sighed, pulling his hands into his lap.

“No, I suppose not.” She studied him while she waited for him to continue. She wasn't one to push, and she knew he would continue when he wanted to. So she took in all the tiny details.

He was beautiful really, in all the painfully human ways Astarion wasn't. All of the little imperfections in his face where there was only smooth marble in Astarion's was one of the things she, possibly, loved the most about him. The reminder of the life he had lived so far. The looming darkness of the humanity they shared between them. She thought about it often. Druids lived long lives. But not forever. Not like Astarion would. And Gale? Even less time.

She swallowed around the pain of that for a moment before returning her gaze to Gale's face.

NSFW Below the Cut!!!

She moved her hands up, threading his dark hair around her fingers to pull his mouth closer to hers, awash with the complex simplicity of the intimacy and magic burning between them. His tongue sliding against hers, the taste of spearmint and parchment filling her mouth. Sparks of sheer pleasure, living electricity, broke out across her flesh as his fingers slid between her legs.

“Ah, you're already so-” he dragged a finger over her lips, grazing it teasingly over her entrance, making slow circles around her clit but not touching it.

“So ready for me. I do enjoy how eager you always are.” Her breath caught, a moan tumbling out of her throat as ran his finger over her clit with just enough pressure to drive her mad, but not enough for her to find any relief. She pressed down against his hand, seeking more contact, only to let out a frustrated groan as he pulled his hand away.

“You know Tav, I do think you could ask for what you want. If you're polite enough, I'll consider giving it to you.” She whined once more, biting her lip as she stared back at him.

“Please?” She pouted, sticking her lip out. He chuckled, grazing a knuckle over her folds again, making her shiver.

“Something tells me you can do better than that. Come on, Octavia. Beg me.”

“Gale, please, I-”

“Ah. Right now, I think it would be more fitting if you called me ‘sir’, don't you? We can take that further… later.” Heat coiled and clenched inside her stomach, between her thighs, her breath catching in her throat. Oh.

“Please, sir, I need you to touch me. I need your fingers in me, on me. I need your cock. Please, please Ga-, sir. Please.” His smile was almost better than everything around them. Adoration and lust and something in his eyes that was just a little darker, a smidge of something deeper shining through as fingers not quite as gentle as usual pressed into her hip, his other hand thrusting a finger up into her unexpectedly.

She cried out from the sudden pressure, the feeling of his fingers curling inside of her as he added another one. She felt everything, the ecstasy of it in every molecule of her being, experiencing pleasure in a way that she had never been able to before.

“Gods, you are so gorgeous like this, when you're coming apart for me.” She whimpered, pressing kisses to his throat as she bucked against his fingers, unable to think outside of the hazy cloud of all consuming heat spiraling through her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling his hard length settle against her stomach, his thumb brushing over her clit again making stars burst behind her eyelids instead of just in the air. She felt herself clenching around his fingers, burying her face against his neck as she moaned and writhed, riding out wave after wave of ecstatic pleasure.

The Rest of This Chapter on AO3!

Masterpost | All Works

[fullmoonandstar]

A Strange Duo

Gale x unnamed Tav x Astarion

Fandom: Baldur’s Gate 3 Rating: T Word Count: 1.4 k CW: polyamory Summary: Professor Dekarios lecture has guests today, and they are very strange indeed AN: this is a follow-up to "I can't let you go"

It was a few months into her studies at Blackstaff that Myssa saw the strangest pair yet. 

At 9 in the morning, the bells tolled over the campus, and she ran to the lecture hall for her first class of the day. She pulled the doors to the main building open and ran up the stairs to the biggest lecture they had. Several doors led inside, but she chose the one that led to the upper ranks, where Darren had sure set up already in their usual place. She slowed at the door where a blue fire spelled “introduction to the weave” and opened it as carefully as she could. Professor Dekarios had already started his lecture, and Myssa would be mortified if he had seen her sneak in so late.

Darren was sitting at the back as always and lazily took notes of the lecture. 

Myssa whispered a good morning, to which he replied with a grunt. 

“He is still recapping last time,” Darren said.

Professor Dekarios lecture was very technical, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm one bit. 

Myssa did her best but fell behind on taking notes after about 10 mins. She focused on listening instead, and well looking. Professor Dekarios’ lecture was very technical, but that did not dampen his enthusiasm, and after some time Myssa had fallen behind in her note-taking. With Darren beside her, dutifully scratching away on his paper, she concentrated on listening and comprehending… well, maybe more looking at their lecturer. He was one of the younger Professors, where younger was relative in the context of different heritages at this university. A young Elf was an ancient Orc, after all. He was quite handsome for a human, but many despised his personality despite his outward attractiveness, to Myssa his demeanour reminded her of a childhood friend she had left back in her home town. 

A creak of the door caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder and saw the strangest duo yet. The elven woman shone bright with life, the eye on her chain and the red shirt clearly revealing her as a follower of Helm, the God of guardians and protectors. She came through the door and looked around with a benevolent smile on her scared face. Behind her entered another Elf, and Myssa had to look twice to confirm it wasn’t some sort of projection. The man was rendered as if in black and white, no colour at all could be found in his black robes and stark white skin. Even his hair was white, though it was streaked with sightly darker gray. Tainted Glasses hid his eyes and followed his companion with eerie stealth. The woman gestured to the last row, just a few meters down the line from Myssa and Darren. She tried not to stare as they both took of their coats and sat down. 

They didn’t look like students, and she had never seen them before, so what were they doing? She looked at them as discreetly as she could. 

The woman was probably stronger than she appeared, the muscles in her forearms were taut, and she had big thighs that seemed like they could crush a scull. One of her eyes was an unnatural blue and didn’t fit with her complexion. She sat straight backed and leaned sightly forward as if listening intently as Professor Dekarios explained the structure of the weave. 

The monochromatic man was most relaxed. He leaned back on his chair and ran his gloved hands deliberately through his curly hair. Under his coat was just as much colour as above, and something unsettled Myssa about him. 

She tried to concentrate on the lecture again, where three new paragraphs of text had appeared on the enchanted blackboard. 

A shadow swooped over her head and something landed on the floor next to the odd pair. It was a black and brown tressym. The woman saw it too, smiled and lean down to it. 

“Good morning, Lady Tara. How have you been?”

Tara meowed, and the woman nodded her head. 

“Happy to hear that. You wanna sit with us?”

The man regarded Tara over the brim of his tainted glasses, and it was the first time she saw any colour on his body. His irises were ruby red. Myssa turned away, afraid to meet his gaze should it flicker in her direction. 

Tara flapped her wings and landed on the woman's lap. Professor Dekarios had answered a question from one of the students in front and looked around for any further hands when his eyes fell on the last row. He paused for a moment. Something rather unusual for him. 

"Well, no more questions. We'll continue then."

"Did you see that?" Myssa said to Darren.

"See what?"

"The way the professor looked at them?"

Darren had not seen the elves and the tressym but looked over now. His face was not interested enough for her taste. 

"Maybe some old students of his?" Darren shrugged and continued to take notes. 

When the lecture ended, Myssa made sure to pack her things as slowly as she could and watched from the corner of her eye as the man stood up. The woman had left shortly before the end and was nowhere to be seen.

"You're here." Professor Dekarios said to the man. 

"Yes, it seems like the lecture took forever, I would know." The man spoke in a theatrical kind of way and she half expected the Professor to be upset, but his expression didn't change.

"Anyway, I got something for you." 

The man took off a shoe and offered it to Professor Dekarios who just stared at it for a heartbeat. 

"Sounds like you want me to open the blinds." 

It sounded like a threat but didn't make much sense to her. The blinds covered the huge windows of the room, and for better readability they were always closed in the morning and afternoon. The two men stared at each other. Myssa felt the tension and didn't dare to move or make a noise. From everything she had heard about him, Professor Dekarios was a powerful wizard but this man was more than he seemed to be, she just had a feeling about him. 

The corners of Professor Dekarios mouth twitched and they both broke into laughter so carefree it startled Myssa. The man with the red eyes put his shoe back on and opened his arms. Professor Dekarios hesitated, but when the other took a step toward him, he closed the distance. He melted into the hug, hands grabbing onto the fabric at the back of the jacket as if he held on to dear life, and he rested his head on the other's shoulder. They held each other longer than it would have been acceptable for "just friends" to hug and the moment was so tender, Myssa had to look away. A few heartbeats later, they separated and Professor Dekarios said in a painfully soft voice: "I missed you." 

If the other man said something, Myssa didn't hear over the woman's exclamation. "Gale!"

This hug was very different from the previous one. As the woman jogged toward Professor Dekarios a smile broke on his face so bright it could have lit the room on its own. She wrapped her arms around his middle and swapped him off his feet. They laughed and after a spin in her arms, Gale was back on his own feet, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. 

"Gods, you're beautiful." he said. The woman smiled with such admiration it was almost too much, and Myssa wanted nothing more than to leave and tell Nislyn all about what she had seen.

Professor Dekarios took a step back and looked at both of them.

"Did you steal all his coloured clothing?"

The woman gasped in fake outrage.

"Me? Astarion is the one who wants to like that. If you ask me, he likes how people look at him. He has certainly drawn an audience here."

Myssa grabbed her bag, but Professor Dekarios caught her eye, and she instantly felt bad for prying. 

"Well, what can I say, I am magnificent." Astarion said and gave a pointed look in Myssa direction.

"Yes, I guess it's best we go home."

He moved his hand in the direction of the space between the doors that lead out of the lecture hall and blue magic flowed out of his arm. Where it hit the wall a portal opened.

"Let's go."

He gestured for Astarion and the woman to go through. 

"See you in the next lecture, Ms Twingift." 

"Yes, Professor Dekarios." she replied a little too fast. 

With a last cautioning look in her direction, Professor Dekarios picked up Tara and followed the other two through the portal. 

------

"Nis, you won't believe what happened during intro weave."

[heyitsjaki]

When the netherese orb in your chest ruins your love life for a SECOND time 🤣

[seahagart]

Drífa went from no friends to more than 1, so she is pretty happy

[midnigtartist]

Have we done this joke yet?

[ducancela-a]

we do like them kinda patethic

[quirki-ly]

We all know that Astarion has some of the best lines in the game but nobody - NOBODY - told me how softly Gale's VA delivers that "I forget my Goddess" line... the breathlessness? the yearning?? hello

[pickel182]

I wish I was sorry

[bara-izu]

One man’s ick is another man’s dinner… he’s helping

[felixora]

The tavern scene we never got 🥲

[thewizardhole]

[kiivg]

.”I want more than to fight at your side, or sit around the campfire with you.”.

[nataliedecorsair]

A little bit of my Baldur's Gate 3 sketches (maybe I'll upload more later) I never was a DnD player and didn't know much about it (besides some general & popular stuff), so this is my first actual experience x) This game is enormous - and amazing - and a bit overwhelming - and I enjoyed it. I made my Tav a barbarian, but with a bit of intelligence upgrade... and even more charisma, because talking your enemies into doing something was hilarious. I also wasn't planning on shipping her with anyone, but Gale got so obsessed with her and praised her all the time, so I decided to give it a try (didn't regret it, it was fun). Trolling him was also fun, just like in this spider licking scene xD I also drew her with hooves because I like how it looks. But she can be drawn either way, doesn't really matter to me Hope you enjoy the art!