#tav softens him up so much too

[vampiresfromxenon]

Currently writing my next Astarion fluff piece, and while I wanted it to be short, I’m nearly at 2k words and i only just started writing the part I intended to be the main focus… oops

Buckle up friends, we’re getting extra sappy, lots of consensual, non-sexual touching, as well as reader/Tav showering Astarion with words of affection

I was hoping to have it done today so I could post it right around this time, but i want to take my time with this one, so expect it some time later this week (aiming for earlier in the week but we’ll see!!)

Edit: Since this is still getting attention (I’m not 100% sure why), It’s finished and posted! You can read it here

[bloodlust-1]

Would you be okay with writing something with a Tav who is a virgin that is kind of scared of sex but still desires Astarion?

Totally! I imagine Astarion to be completely shocked, but relieved. Why? Tav would never have to experience the sexual abuse he had. Some lovey-dovey Astarion, anyone?

Hope this is good enough anon! <3

˚ ° A purity like yours ° ˚ part 1

Astarion x fem Tav — fluff, Explicit 18+

Summary: Tav has a secret that’s been heavy on her heart. Her virginity was a topic she ran away from, but it’s time for Astarion to know the truth.

Notes: I LOVE making companions in love, it makes me whelm all up inside🥹 Not exactly smut, but talks of explicit topics. Part 2

Tav sat quietly, her eyes focused on the floor as Astarion licked the last of her blood from his lips. Tav was unusually silent and he wasn't sure what was bothering her so much of lately.

He paused and narrowed his eyes, "You're rather quiet this feeding, my sweet. Is something wrong?"

Tav lifted her head slightly and looked up at Astarion. "I'm just...thinking," she said softly.

To Astarion, Tav was always thinking of lately. Especially when he's done feeding from her. He was confused if maybe he had done anything wrong? Was she having any doubts about their relationship?

Astarion brushed Tav's hair away from her eyes and smiled. "About what?"

Tav looked away again, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Just...us, and our intimacy." She shook her head, pushing away the thoughts. "It doesn't matter. I'm alright."

Astarion cupped Tav's face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "It does matter. Tell me, what's wrong?"

Tav sighed. "I feel so...embarrassed." She mustered any courage to finally look at him, her eyes glistening. "I feel like there should be something more to this. W-When you feed from me, I mean."

Astarion tilted his head confused, "You're embarrassed because you want to do something more?"

Admittingly he was blank. But when Tav opened her mouth his eyes widened in - anticipation. Even his ears pointed up with shock.

Tav didn't know which stung more, the fresh punctures on her neck or her confession.

"I just want to make you feel good and I want to have sex with you but-"

Tav bit down on her lower lip, she could feel the heat running into her eyes as her vision became blurry. "I just don't know how...I've never had sex before."

Tav finally allowed the emotions that had been building up inside her to come pouring out. She felt a deep sense of relief, but at the same time, a wave of shame washed over her. She felt embarrassed for even having to ask Astarion for sex, feeling naive and inexperienced.

At the same time, Tav felt so inadequate when it came to physical intimacy; Astarion was the only one who had any sort of skill in that area. And it made her feel so small.

Astarion's expression softened as he realized what Tav had been hiding from him. "...No -...you?"

Tav wiped away the single tear, nodding.

Astarion felt his face burning as his heart raced and his palms grew sweaty. Tav was absolutely stunning and he had been wondering why she had grown so flustered and shy when her body trembled and begged for him. Now it all made sense.

"But..." Astarion cut himself short in the midst of his thoughts, overwhelmed by the magnitude of her offer.

He was taken aback by her beauty, her inexperience, and her willingness to give him something so special, something so treasured and valuable.

But Astarion felt undeserving - he couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew she deserved much better and that her virginity was too precious to give to someone like him.

He chuckled softly and scratched the side of his head, "I am the worst person for this." Meaningful sex? This was completely foreign to him. How could she even ask him that? Of course, he wanted her more than anything.

He leaned over and with the pad of his thumb, he wiped away Tav's damped cheek, "Now, now, little love." His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until she sat on his lap. "You should not feel ashamed of something like this. I mean, look at me."

Astarion's ears lowered in shame as he half smiled, "I can't remember half the people who used my body. I wish I knew a purity like yours." He rested his head on Tav's shoulder, "I'm just relieved you will never feel what I've felt."

Astarion felt protective towards Tav more than ever, he wanted to keep her safe. No harm would come to her as long as he was there to watch over.

Tav threaded her fingers between his white curls, sniffling away the embarrassment, "I want to feel you in every way possible, even if you think you're unworthy." Her lips connected with the skin of his forehead. "You were always special to me, Astarion."

He shifted his head up, catching the glisten in Tav's eyes. She chose him and still continues to each day. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?" He scuffed sarcastically before pulling Tav into a kiss.

His hands gently caressed her spine down into her back dimples. Astarion felt Tav shudder under his hold. She started to breathe heavily into the kiss, "I want you to know how much I love you..." Her eyes locked with his.

"Darling, you don't need to prove yourself with your body." The tension around them went soft and he held tightly onto her body, laying them both down against Tav's bedding.

Astarion cuddled Tav closely against his chest in an embrace. "On a perfect night, when the sky is clear and the environment is forgiving, I will take you into me and make you feel things you've never felt before. Ecstasy, my love."

"What if I don't know what to do?" Tav nervously glanced up at Astarion, who was quietly gazing out into the distance while gently stroking her hair. He was trying to be patient and not pressure her into making any decisions.

He wanted to take her under a bed of stars, and tonight he just wanted to hold her in his arms. Shield her from anything like he wished someone did for him. He would be that somebody he needed so long ago.

"I'll teach you, of course." He reassured her softly, still stroking her hair.

"You're not the only one who would be learning something." He peeked down at Tav, a smile tugging on his lips smugly.

"What, how?

Astarion's hands ran down Tav's side. His touch was gentle yet confident as he moved lower and lower. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear, telling her how beautiful and perfect she was. "I need to learn what gets you hot - "

Astarion smiled slyly as he felt her body react to his touch, knowing that he was driving her wild. His hands moved with a sensual grace as if they had done this many times before. "Where you shiver - "

"Where it hurts - " his hand gripped Tav's ass firmly, making Tav blush and squirm. Astarion continued to fondle Tav's ass, enjoying the feel of it in his hands and the way that the heat from Tav's skin seemed to seep into his own.

He leaned over Tav's ear, whispering teasingly, "Where you would want me to cum. Inside your tight cunt, or outside your soft stomach…"

Tav's body grew hot and her heart raced as Astarion's hand explored her body. She gazed up to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise and pleasure. Astarion smiled and leaned in to kiss Tav, their lips lingering together as he continued to caress Tav's ass. Intertwining their tongues together in a harmonious dance. She felt herself melting into his embrace, her body trembling with pleasure.

After what felt like an eternity, Astarion finally pulled away, and a satisfied smile tugged his lips. Tav blushed deeper, wondering what Astarion was thinking.

He chuckled, leaning in to kiss Tav's cheek. "You're so beautiful," his voice low and husky. Tav felt the aching between her legs, but she smiled, feeling her heart swell with happiness instead.

Sex was a scary thing for Tav. However, Astarion made her feel safe and seen, so maybe it was all in her head. She looked forward to when Astarion would take her as his.

They lay there in each other's arms for a while, their bodies intertwined in a peaceful embrace. Love was more than just sex, and it proved a hell of a point to them both.

Part 2 here

Any thoughts? Comment 👇🏼 I love to engage!

[moonselune]

I know you did this with the female companions but can you please write the male Companions helping Tav putting on a shirt after them recovering from shielding their lover from a fireball

Also I love how you write Wyll, sometimes it’s hard to find Wyll fics, and I really appreciate you writing him <3

yes yes yes yes

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Gale:

The smell of charred wood and burnt cloth still lingered in the air as Gale fussed over you, his worry evident in every gesture. You winced as you tried to lift your arms, the burns from the fireball making the movement painful. Gale, ever the doting wizard, was having none of it.

“You shouldn’t be moving at all,” he insisted, his voice tinged with both concern and frustration. “I can’t believe you threw yourself in front of that fireball for me. What were you thinking?”

You offered a weak smile, trying to downplay the severity of your injuries. “I’m fine, Gale. Really. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Gale’s brow furrowed as he examined your burns, his fingers gently brushing against your skin. “Not as bad as it looks? You have second-degree burns! You should be resting, not trying to put on a shirt.”

He retrieved a clean shirt from his pack, carefully unfolding it. “Alright, let’s get this on you,” he said, his tone softening. “But you need to let me do all the work.”

You nodded, grateful for his help. Gale moved with meticulous care, slipping the shirt over your head and guiding your arms through the sleeves. His shirt was a looser fit and smelled like him, sandalwood and jasmine. Every touch was gentle, his fingers avoiding the worst of the burns. Despite his over-the-top concern, you couldn’t help but feel touched by his dedication.

“Thank you, Gale,” you said softly, meeting his worried gaze. “I appreciate you looking after me.”

He sighed, a mixture of relief and lingering worry in his eyes. “You’re welcome. Just promise me you’ll be more careful next time.”

“I promise,” you replied, offering him a reassuring smile. “But you know I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Gale shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You’re impossible,” he said, his tone affectionate. “But I suppose that’s why I care about you so much.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Astarion:

Astarion’s hands were surprisingly gentle as he helped you sit up, his usual playful demeanor tempered by genuine concern. The burns from the fireball still stung, but his touch was careful, avoiding the worst of the injuries.

“You really are something, you know that?” Astarion said, his tone a mix of admiration and frustration. “Throwing yourself in front of a fireball for me. What were you thinking?”

You managed a weak chuckle, wincing as you moved. “I was thinking I couldn’t let you get hurt,” you replied. “You’re too important to me.”

Astarion’s expression softened, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. “You’re too important to me, too,” he admitted, his voice quieter. “Now, let’s get you dressed before I start to feel guilty all over again. Guilt is not a good look on me.”

He retrieved a shirt from his belongings, his usual teasing smirk returning. “Though, I must say, I do enjoy seeing you like this, my love” he said, his tone playful. “All needy, and dependent, perhaps I should ‘help’ you more often.”

Despite the pain, you couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re actually impossible, Astarion.”

He grinned, carefully slipping the shirt over your head. “That’s what you love about me, darling,” he quipped. “Now, let’s see if we can manage this without causing you more pain.”

Astarion’s hands moved with surprising tenderness, guiding your arms through the sleeves with deft precision. He adjusted the shirt, his fingers brushing lightly against your skin.

“There,” he said, stepping back to admire his work. “You look almost presentable, my darling,”

You smiled, the warmth in his gaze comforting. “Thank you, Astarion. For everything.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing softly against your forehead. “You’re welcome,” he murmured. “Just promise me you’ll be more careful next time. I can’t lose you, not after everything.”

“I promise,” you replied, your voice steady. “But you know I’d do it again if it meant keeping you safe.”

Astarion sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. “And that’s why I adore you,” he said. “Now, let’s get you some proper rest. You’ve more than earned it.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Wyll:

The aftermath of the battle had left you feeling sore and exhausted. Your burns from the fireball still throbbed, but the sight of Wyll’s worried expression was almost worse. He sat beside you, his eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and concern.

“You, my dear, are far too brave for your own good,” Wyll said, his voice soft yet firm. He retrieved a clean shirt from your pack, his movements careful and deliberate. “I can’t believe you shielded me from that fireball. You’re incredible, reckless, but incredible.”

You tried to downplay the pain you felt with a weak smile. “I couldn’t just stand by and let you get hurt, Wyll. Had to protect that pretty face.”

Wyll’s eyes softened, and he let out a light laugh, but as he looked at the severity of your injuries, his usual charming demeanor taking on a more serious tone. “You mean the world to me. I hope you know that."

"Of course, I do my beloved," you smiled at him, "In fact, I figured it was my turn to take a hit, considering it seems to be your favourite past-time."

"I can't help it if I just want to protect you," Wyll chuckled, shaking his head. "Now, let’s get you dressed, it's the least this damsel no longer in distress can do."

He gently slipped the shirt over your head, guiding your arms through the sleeves with the utmost care. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, as if he were handling something precious. Every movement was accompanied by soft words of encouragement and praise.

“There we go,” he said, smoothing the fabric over your shoulders. “Perfect. You’re looking more regal than ever, my brave knight.”

You chuckled softly, wincing at the pain. “You always know how to make me feel special, Wyll.”

He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead. “That’s because you are special,” he murmured. “And I’ll make sure you know it every single day.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Halsin:

The burns from the fireball had left you in agony, but you were determined not to let it show. Halsin, however, was having none of it. He stood by your bedside, his expression a mix of frustration and concern.

“You should have come to me sooner,” Halsin scolded gently, retrieving a clean shirt from your pack. “You’re always trying to do everything on your own.”

You offered a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to bother you, Halsin. I’m fine, really.”

Halsin’s eyes softened, but he shook his head. “You’re not a bother. You’re my priority.” He carefully slipped the shirt over your head, his touch both firm and tender. “Now, let’s get this on you, my love.”

His hands moved with practiced ease, guiding your arms through the sleeves and adjusting the fabric to avoid aggravating your burns.

“You need to rest,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “Staying in bed is the best thing for you right now.”

“I promise I’ll rest, eventually” you assured him, your voice sincere. “But I can’t just lie here all day. There are things we need to do.”

Halsin sighed, his stern expression softening. “You’re as stubborn as ever,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “But that’s one of the things I love about you.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, his touch comforting. “Just promise me you’ll take it easy, alright?”

“I promise,” you replied, meeting his gaze. “But only if you stay with me.”

Halsin chuckled, his eyes filled with warmth. “Always,” he murmured. “I’ll always be here for you.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Rolan:

You sat on the edge of the bed, the remnants of the fireball’s searing heat still pulsing through your burns. Rolan stood before you, shirt in hand, his expression a mix of worry and frustration.

“I can’t believe you did that,” he lectured, his voice stern as he carefully unfolded the shirt. “Throwing yourself in front of a fireball for me? What were you thinking?”

You winced as he slipped the shirt over your head, his hands moving with both frustration and care. “I couldn’t let you get hurt, Rolan. I just reacted.”

Rolan’s hands stilled for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “You could have been killed,” he said, his tone sharp. “You need to think before you act. This reckless bravery of yours—”

You leaned forward and kissed him, effectively silencing his lecture. His initial surprise quickly melted into a soft, albeit exasperated, sigh as he kissed you back, his lips gentle yet insistent.

When you finally pulled away, Rolan’s eyes had softened, though his worry was still evident. “You’re incorrigble,” he muttered, his voice low. “But I love you for it. Just… please, be more careful.”

You smiled, squeezing his hand. “I promise I’ll try. But I can’t help wanting to protect you.”

Rolan shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Just try not to get yourself killed, alright? I’d rather not have to lecture you in the afterlife.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Raphael:

The burns from the fireball were agonizing, but Raphael’s anger was so much worse. He stood before you, his eyes blazing with fury, his demonic heritage making the cambion even more intimidating.

“You’re a fool,” he growled, snatching the shirt from your hands. “Throwing yourself in front of a fireball? Do you not realize who I am? I am literally fire resistant. You fool”

You flinched at his harsh words, but you knew his anger stemmed from concern. “I get it, Raphael! I just reacted!”

He huffed, slipping the shirt over your head with more force than necessary.

“Your stupidity knows no bounds,” he muttered, his hands surprisingly gentle despite his words. “What would I have done if you died? Leaving me to deal with the fact that my beloved got herself killed by sacrificing herself for a fireball, that I am resistant to!”

You winced as he adjusted the fabric, the pain from your burns flaring up. “I’m sorry, Raphael” you huffed. “I didn’t think.”

"Evidently!" Raphael paused, his anger momentarily giving way to a flicker of vulnerability. “Regardless of your lack of sense, you are my fool,” he said quietly, his voice softer. “And I’d rather not lose you to your own stupidity.”

You reached out, taking his hand. “I promise I’ll be more careful,” you said sincerely.

Raphael’s eyes softened, though his expression remained stern. “You are insufferable,” he muttered, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “But you’re my insufferable fool. Just… don’t make a habit of this.”

You smiled, leaning into his touch. “I won’t. I’ll try to be more careful. For both our sakes.”

Raphael sighed, pulling you closer. “Good,” he murmured. “Because I have no intention of losing you. Not now, not ever.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

This was so wholesome icl and Raphael's was so fun to write lmao, i can imagine him just losing his shit at reader, hope you enjoyed this - Seluney xox

[lakefu]

A Perfect Warmth 🕯️

Summary: Astarion and Tav take a well deserved break away form the chaos of their adventures at an inn inside Baldur's Gate. They need to clean up and get back on the road but they keep getting distracted. Perhaps plans could be delayed for a night of passion...

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Tags: 18+, Explicit, fluffy smut, brief Astarion trauma response, PIV, erogenous elf ears, scent kink, blood + biting, a bit of praise, a bit of edging... a sprinkle of cockwarming...., these guys are in love...

Word count: 3.5k Note: This was my first fic originally uploaded on Ao3 on 11/27/23, inspired by the patch #4 dev note mentioning adding sponges to clean your companions. I've made edits from the Ao3 post.

“Remind me to sell this junk next time we pass by a merchant, would you dear?” Astarion was seated at the edge of the bed and rummaging through his traveler’s pack, placing various items on the nightstand for further examination. Two silver forks, an old necklace, and a handful of various polished stones ended up on the table before he plucked out an intricate sapphire ring and held it up to the sunlight peeking through the window.

“Good taste,” he muttered to himself. He placed the ring on his pinky finger in amusement and resumed the scavenge. 

“It’s going to get difficult sneaking up on people if I have to lug this heavy thing around you know.” He threw over a glance at Tav, who was preoccupied with gathering laundry together in preparation for the next day.

“It wouldn’t be so heavy if you didn’t pocket nearly every shiny thing we came across,” she teased, without even looking over at him.

He gasped dramatically. “Framed by my own lover? Quite the scandal. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the near dozen times you’ve asked me to hold onto your things because your own pack was too full.”

“Hmm. Maybe. I guess that might sound sort of familiar…” She giggled to herself and walked into the bedroom to catch his eye, meeting him with a mischievous grin. 

“Why are you such a- oh! Now, what’s this you’re wearing?” Astarion blinked and scanned her up and down, clearly enthralled by the wardrobe change. She stood there in an old linen robe that was yellowed with age, definitely unlike anything he had ever seen her in before.

“Just some old thing I found in the dresser here, isn’t it just fabulous?” Tav's words were dripping in sarcasm and yet she smiled, performing a grandiose little spin in the middle of the room as if she was wearing the most beautiful ball gown in the world.

“I… it’s just so different from your usual armor or that drow nightwear you fancy so much. You look so… domestic.” His eyes were locked onto Tav intensely, with brow furrowed as he seemed to be confused by his own words.

She felt her heart skip a beat and a flush run to her face.

“And you think that’s a good look for me?”

His eyes softened and he paused a moment before quietly answering.

“Yes… I do.”

Tav watched as his smile faded and the gaze of his eyes became increasingly more distant. The atmosphere seemed to shift and a slight panic ran through her body. Did she do something wrong? No... and it didn’t require a tadpole connection to get an understanding for what had brought down his spirits.

Astarion hadn’t considered a comfortable domestic life was possible for someone like him. Even the slightest concept of such a thing had been buried for over a hundred years, and he never expected it to resurface. Was he worthy of such a thing, and was it even possible? 

Oh, it was possible. The evidence was standing right in front of him, spinning circles in an ugly bathrobe. He could see glimpses of a happy future that was so close to being a reality he nearly felt nauseous. Not because he was unsure of himself, but because there were still too many unresolved matters they had a duty to attend to. Too many missions and stupid little quests that could now go wrong and threaten this idea of a happy ending he never even knew was possible.

Everything was different now that he realized what was possible, and he suddenly felt an unknown and uncomfortable pressure. All he knew was that he couldn’t afford to lose in the upcoming battles. Battles that some would say were impossible, suicidal even. The thought of loss at this point was beyond unbearable. It was sickening just to think about.

“Hey!!” Tav ran up to where he was sitting on the bed and took his head in her hands. She placed a delicate kiss on his forehead, knowing she had to get him focused on something else.

“Why don’t we go to the shop right now and get rid of that stuff,” she motioned to the collection of items that had been gathered on the nightstand.

“Wouldn’t hurt to get some more coin in our pockets, right?” She looked at him expectantly and felt a huge relief as a light seemed to return to his eye and meet her view.

“Please tell me you aren’t going to wear that horrid robe to see the merchant,” he sighed and looked up at her pleadingly.

“Of course not!! I’ll change and- oh gods!!! We’ve got to get this blood off your face, the merchant is going to think we are trying to kill him!” Tav exclaimed as she lightly shook his shoulders, and quickly began examining his body to see how much cleaning would have to get done before they could leave.

“Blood… on my face?” He raised an eyebrow and brought a finger to his cheek.

“Yeah!! Well, it’s all over you really, dontcha remember earlier today, fighting those cultists?? You sneaked up behind one of ‘em and BAM!!! Just obliterated with a single strike, it was amazing!! You’re so strong…you know.” Her pulse was racing at the mere memory of the event as she delicately traced the side of his face with her fingers and ventured down to his chest. 

“Ah of course. That was all so terribly easy I’d nearly forgotten,” he said proudly, adjusting his posture and keeping his eyes on Tav’s hand movements sliding across his chest. Her soft touch was becoming more firm as her fingers made their way toward his arms, giving his biceps a teasing squeeze before leaning her face into his and teasing a kiss.

Before their lips could touch, Astarion wags a finger in between their faces as if to remind Tav of the task at hand.

“Alright my sweet, let’s clean up shall we? You’re my mirror after all. So, go on then.” He took her hands into his own and gave them a kiss before placing them back at her side, encouraging her to go and gather whatever it was she needed to get him cleaned up.

Right, the supplies. It was nearly impossible to remain focused after moments of intimacy with him, no matter how brief they were. She quickly moved into the other room to acquire the washcloths and bucket of soapy water that she was using for herself not too long ago. Hands full, she scurried back to the bedroom to meet her lover, who hadn’t moved an inch.

As she approached him, Tav could feel the tie on her robe becoming increasingly more loose with each step that was taken across the floor. The embarrassment hit her as she realized she didn't have any hands free to do anything about it. She quickly tried to put the bucket down by the bedside, but the bending movement only resulted in the robe slipping off one of her shoulders, exposing a bare breast.

“Oh? You haven’t got anything on underneath?” Astarion cocked his head in amusement, eyes unmoving from the newly exposed skin.

“Ye-yeah that’s the whole point of robes isn’t it? I was doing laundry earlier ya know and umm,” She laughed nervously and started to fix the wardrobe malfunction but was quickly stopped by a hand over her own. Astarion reached out toward her until both hands were around her waist and pulled her in close to his body. Fangs were peeking through his devious smile while determined eyes looked her up and down. With a singular finger he crept over to the loose knot of the robe’s tie and flicked it completely undone with one swift movement.

Tav shuddered and felt her body starting to run warm despite now being suddenly exposed to the cool air of the inn. She was completely revealed to him now, the robe only just clinging to her arms and draped across her backside.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he sighed and began kissing her stomach and caressing the curves of her waist. “Come here.”

Tav gasped as she felt his cold grip around her waist tighten as he expertly lifted her up onto his lap with ease. Pleased at the new angle, Astarion shifted his attention to kissing the crook of her neck and started moving down her chest. He delightfully found her nipple with his mouth in no time, and teased it in circles with his tongue just as he knew she liked it. His gentle sucking continued for only a few brief moments before he suddenly withdrew and cleared his throat.

“Ah, well. You can reach my face better up here I’m sure. For the cleaning of course,” he said smugly. The elf leaned back and admired the view of his lover, nude and flustered, perched oh-so perfectly on top of him.

“The cleaning…” Tav nodded and remembered she still had a warm and soapy washcloth in her hand. The urge to throw the stupid cloth into some unknown corner of the room was nearly undeniable. All she wanted in this moment was for him to take her completely, in any way he wanted, it didn’t matter as long as she ended up getting fucked into oblivion. So fine. On with the cleaning.

She raised the washcloth to his temple and slowly began to wipe away the dried blood by working down his face. His cheeks were a bit sunken as usual but flushed adorably in this moment, clearly enjoying the tender rubs of cloth on his skin. She continued rubbing down toward his chiseled jawline, across to his lips, and back up the other side to repeat the process once more. She ran her fingers through his silver curls and noticed his ears would need cleaning too. 

One hand caressed the pointy ear to keep it in place and the other brought the washcloth in for a gentle scrub. A quiet moan suddenly escaped the vampire’s lips.

Oh? She had seemingly discovered a sensitive spot and noted that she would have to continue her work carefully. The scrubbing continued but Tav couldn’t keep her eyes off his face now. His eyes were closed but still noticeably moving behind their lids, and his lips were slightly parted with his breathing becoming increasingly heavier and more noticeable. 

Astarion was in his own world of pleasure. What in the hells had he been doing these past weeks, aimlessly scrubbing himself clean alone in the river when they could have been doing this the whole time instead?

He opened his eyes just to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. She was still there of course, diligently and lovingly taking such good care of his body. A wave of maddening lust rushed through his core and he needed her closer. He needed her as close as physically possible and even more so after that.

Their eyes met, revealing intense desires. Tav lowered her hands and she spoke slowly, “Can you take your shirt off? There’s a spot I can’t get to with it on…” 

She wasn’t fooling anybody, but he obeyed without hesitation. The shirt was gone in seconds, revealing his pale and perfectly sculpted chest. It was a sight that Tav never tired of admiring, and was in fact the subject of distracting daydreams on the daily. She shifted her body closer to his and continued scrubbing his neck and chest, despite it becoming increasingly more difficult to focus. Deep breaths.

She had always been fond of his cologne that he was quite proud of concocting himself. The scent of aged brandy, bergamot, and rosemary was now forever an Astarion specialty that she could never forget. Even during times of battle or travel, a gust of wind could carry his essence to her and bring along with it a sense of reassuring familiarity. As she continued to wipe him down, however, a different scent began to come to the forefront.

It was something that did not seem completely foreign, but it wasn't immediately identifiable either. There was something about taking it all in that felt forbidden. Tav tried to pinpoint what she was experiencing. He smelled earthy… raw… unnatural… it was without a doubt, the undeath.

An undeniable heat rose through her body as she engulfed herself with this pure scent from her lover. The washcloth, the bed, the entire room seemed miles away, and nothing felt coherent except for a craving to be even closer to him. Nothing else existed except their bodies and her overwhelming desire to-

“Eager, are we?” A sultry voice snapped her back into reality, where piercing red eyes amusingly greeted her return. She suddenly became aware of a presence between her thighs and glanced down, realizing she was sitting atop a clothed bulge. His hands had a firm grip on her backside and his encouraging movements made it clear she had been absentmindedly grinding on him during her trance. 

“Shit, I got carried away…” She hadn’t taken her eyes off his crotch and began to notice that her excitement had left a dampness on his clothes. Embarrassment nearly overtook her, but a gentle yet confident hand grabbed her chin and brought it up to meet his gaze. He leaned into her with a grinning open mouth and kissed her passionately, tongues intertwining.

She felt his fangs briefly scrape against her tongue every so often until a metallic taste became increasingly noticeable. She didn't mind the blood, especially since it seemed to enhance his arousal as noted by his hips continuously jolting faster up into her exposed crotch. Tav was soon pleasantly overwhelmed between his deep kisses and desperate hands groping her at every curve of her body. She longed to give him everything; her blood for his hunger, her body for his pleasure. 

Tav released herself from the kiss they had been locked into and tilted her head so that her neck became exposed as an undeniable gift. His mouth lunged at the presented spot as soon as it was noticed, fangs immediately sinking in deep. Tav cried out at the initial impact but soon was reveling in the experience. It was a perfect mixture of pain and pleasure that she was only capable of experiencing from him.

He remained on her neck for a while, still tightly holding on to her body and keeping one hand free to reassuringly caress the back of her head. It was only after the blood flow slowed to a near stop did he cease his medley of licking and sucking at the wound. Blood dripped down his chin and onto his exposed chest, but he was ultimately unfazed. He leaned back, clearly happy and mostly satisfied, but there was still a different type of satisfaction he had left to chase.

Astarion's throbbing erection was begging to be released from its clothed restraints. He quickly untied his pants and shifted his underwear to finally free it. He moaned a few incomprehensible words of relief and stroked himself a few times before looking up at Tav for approval.

Tav had been staring at his length from the moment it was exposed, an impressive size for an elf, no doubt. Her eyes fixated on his perfectly pink tip, glistening with precum just for her. She immediately fantasized of shoving him down her throat until she choked and cried, but that was a fantasy for another day. In their current position, they both knew there was only one simple way of how to continue.

“Astarion,” she whimpered. “Fuck me.”

Tav sat up on her knees and positioned herself so that her entrance was just nearly grazing the head of his dick, ready to take him in completely at any moment. She grabbed ahold of his shaft and guided the tip back and forth through her folds until he was covered in her slick. The new sensation of the friction between them left them both gasping and desperate for more.

Suddenly, finally, his arms wrapped around her body as he pulled her down onto him with one firm motion. Astarion grunted through his teeth while Tav moaned unapologetically, focusing on relaxing enough to allow her body to adjust to his length inside of her. 

The temperature differences between their bodies only heightened the feelings of pleasure whenever they became one. Her warmness was intoxicating to him, granting a sense of safety and bliss that was impossible to achieve anywhere else. He was already so close to the edge in this moment, but was not ready to give in just yet. He wanted this moment of heaven to last as long as possible.

Meanwhile, Tav was having the time of her life riding her man like there was no tomorrow. She had no intent to slow down until a pair of large hands suddenly gripped her hips in a way that prevented any further movement.

“I’m not done with you yet, love. Didn’t you notice the mess I’ve made after feasting on you?” Astarion took a finger to his chin and smeared a bit of Tav’s fresh blood down his neck.

It was true, he had made a mess. Quite uncharacteristically of him in fact. Tav had assumed he had simply gotten careless in his horny and feral craze but no- it was clearly all calculated. 

“Just be still and sit nice and pretty on my cock. Finish the cleaning, then I’ll take care of you myself. How does that sound?” 

How does that sound? His words echoed in her head, which was already spinning plenty enough as it was. She was unsure if it was from the blood loss or her seemingly never ending carnal desires, but perhaps it was both. One thing was certain, however, he could convince her to do damn near anything speaking in that low and lustful tone of his. Without uttering a word she slowly brought the washcloth up to his chest. 

“Good girl,” he whispered. He felt her body twitch around him in response to the praise, and he leaned back to relax and enjoy these final few moments of intimacy. 

It had taken everything in Tav's power to remain still while she worked. It wasn't exactly easy to focus- she was being split in half by a whimpering vampire beneath her after all. Astarion’s skilled fingers had been dancing around her swollen clit the whole time, just enough to keep her stimulated but never enough to let her come.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the blood was all cleaned up. She hadn't even realized when it happened or how he did it, but his pants were completely gone now. She reached over to place the cloth down and awaited her reward of sweet release.

Astarion’s hands moved to the knees that were straddling him and slowly pushed them farther apart, spreading Tav’s legs open bit by bit. She inhaled sharply as she took him in deeper. He opened her up more and more until she lost her balance and fell backwards onto his expectant embrace. 

“Relax darling, I’ve got you,” He purred in reassurance. 

Astarion took her entire weight in his arms with ease and laid her down amongst the soft pillows of the bed. He nestled himself comfortably between her legs, making sure their bodies were flush with one another. Nearly smothered by his body now, all Tav could do was claw at his back and arch her hips into his powerful thrusts. His mouth frantically traveled across her lips and neck with desperately wet kisses until he settled near her ear with a playful nibble.

“You’re so beautiful…” He whispered tenderly, while the rhythm of his lovemaking became increasingly sporadic. “So fucking perfect… Gods…just for me… I love you… so much...”

“Star, I- ah!” Her words cut short as she felt something snap within her. Pure ecstasy- she was falling and flying somewhere a million galaxies away and never wanted to come back. Obscene noises and curses filled the room as they rode out each other’s high in tight embrace. The smell of sex lingered in the air as their bodies heaved with labored breaths, finally collapsing on each other in exhaustion. 

They laid together a while longer, exchanging soft kisses and enjoying the short moment in time where nothing else in the world mattered. Eventually, Astarion rolled out of the bed and stood up to stretch. 

“Tsk, looks like it’s my turn to clean you up my dear,” He said with an accomplished grin, eying how her thighs were dripping with his sticky mess.

“I’ll be right back, don’t move an inch. Actually, I doubt you can move at all after that, ahaha!” He laughed and leaned over to brush aside a strand of Tav’s sweaty hair that was stuck to her forehead before walking over to the other room. 

“Shut up… dummy…” she smiled to herself and rolled over, feeling at ease enough that the weight of sleep was starting to overtake her.

“I love you too, Astarion.” Her eyes closed as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber, knowing that her lover would soon come back to her side like he always did, and always would.

[wilteddreamsofbaldursgate]

Girl dad Astarion who is mourning the times when his biggest problem was coming up with more or less child-friendly excuses to not read yet another bedtime story. Or to fix the dress of a shabby old doll that gave him the creeps. Or to kiss some scratches better, even though the minuscule wounds usually troubled him more than they did the damn child. 

Nobody ever told him that children grow up this fucking fast, okay?

But now he has to watch his darling little girl grow into a beautiful young woman, and he is—quite frankly—terrified for her. 

Because wherever he looks, he can see that strangers are watching her, too. 

It doesn��t even bother him that they notice his daughter’s beauty, no, you would have to be blind not to see it. She’s stunning—obviously. She's his child after all…and Tav’s, of course, but that’s not the point. 

It’s the way they're looking at the girl that disgusts Astarion to his very core. Leering eyes following her every move. Ulterior motives buried under layers of false niceties. Seemingly innocent little touches stolen as if those filthy hands were entitled to her body in any way. 

And for all their obnoxious gawking, they don’t even see her. They seldom care for his daughter’s talents, her sense of humour, or her intelligence. Her heart.

Those heads are only turning for a pretty face, and for all the small privileges that might afford her, they always come with a price—a price Astarion has paid once upon a time; a price he doesn’t ever want his daughter to even consider accepting.

But the world is not kind. It’s already leaving scratches on his child that neither he nor Tav can kiss better any longer. 

And Astarion hates it because the last time he felt this helpless was when his own pretty face was all that kept him, well, as alive as he could be. A thing to be used for other people's gain. Selling himself out for crumbs.

And then, one day, he notices a new bracelet on his daughter’s wrist. 

She happily hands it over to him so he can take a look. Then she tells him some stranger gifted it to her. Just like that! 

All they wanted for it was a little smile—isn’t that so great, father? 

It’s not. Far from it. Astarion is fuming inside. 

How dare some random nitwit think that ugly trinket worthy of his daughter’s wonderful smile? The audacity. The nerve. Unbelievable! 

“Darling, it’s not a gift if they’re expecting something in return,” a forced smile tugs at his lips, trying to soften his scolding tone.

It doesn’t work.

“But it’s so pretty, I had to have it!” 

The girl sulks, her little nose scrunched up as if he just sent her to bed without her fairy tales. Astarion supposes, in a way, he has.

“And what do we do when we see something we want, dear?” 

She rolls her eyes at him in a way that always has Tav cackling up. Maybe it's because, in moments like this, she looks a little too much like her father. 

“We just pocket it.”

“Exactly, my darling child, we just pocket it,” Astarion nods approvingly. “And if they ask for a smile next time?”

“We stab them,” she sighs.

“Absolutely, we do. Now, off with you, lest your daggers get all rusty, you lazy duck.” 

Ending the discussion with a gentle smile, Astarion watches the girl go before he produces the offending bracelet from his sleeve. 

It’s always out of sight, out of mind with pretty things, isn't it?

He takes another look at the bracelet, scrunching up his nose as if it gave off a particularly vile smell. In a way, it does.

In fact, it’s giving Astarion the creeps. And it's not even made from real gold, by the way.

Astarion scoffs at the cheap trinket. This child still has so much to learn.  

[avocado-writing]

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

*eats your words*

no but seriously, your writing has me kicking my feet when I’m supposed to be typing an essay 😞‼️ I was wondering if you could do some headcanons for the companions x monk! Tav who, when being confessed to, Tav responds with “it’ll pass”?

basically fleabag inspired 😍‼️ please and thank you! stay safe n warm 🔫

OH GOD HEARTBREAKING i tried to make it have a happy ending tho!!! enjoy! and I'm so glad that you enjoy my writing! (mild nsfw mentions)

writing as if you're saying this because you think you wouldn't be the best option for their future, one way or another, and want to try and soften the blow for them by replying like this. you only want them to be happy and you're scared it can't be with you.

Astarion

you cup his face, and the look in your eyes is so, so sad.

you think perhaps your simple nomadic lifestyle will not be enough for him. you love him, you do, but he needs someone more modern. more cosmopolitan.

when you tell him it will pass you see a myriad of expressions cross his face: sadness, confusion, anger... but finally, resolve.

he takes your hand in his, firmly.

"my heart. I know when things will pass, and when they won't. my love for you is not some trifle, a fashion to be abandoned like it would go out of style. I mean it. I can make my own decisions, and I have decided where I want to be. It's with you."

he reaches out to embrace you. you're surprised, but let him do it anyway, and you bury your face into his neck to hide your emotions.

maybe, just maybe, you were wrong.

you hold him tighter than ever that night.

Gale

you're worried he is too smart for you. that he will get bored of you, and the idea breaks your heart.

you tell him "it'll pass" when he confesses because you're scared.

seems actually offended that you'd tell him his love for you might be fleeting.

"there are things which will span the ages. stories, gods, heroes. my love for you is one of them. I do not confess that lightly. you are a beacon of hope in my life, love... and that will never fade."

goes on for some time afterwards about how committed he is and how much he loves you, until eventually you accept that he's not going anywhere.

bloody wizards, so good with their words...

fall asleep that night after having the most intimate lovemaking session, all about feeling each other's breath and heartbeats.

he is here to stay, forever.

Wyll

wyll deserves someone amazing. someone who could handle his life if he became duke, and you're scared you'll let him down.

when you tell him 'it'll pass' he is hurt, and leaves the conversation for a moment. you think perhaps it is for the best. you don't need this to cause any more pain.

but later he comes to find you and asks if he can have a private moment. you find out he wasn't hiding from you but preparing: he has a little intimate picnic set up where you can sit and be alone.

when you're comfortable he tells you about how deep his love is, how fate has thrown you together.

"there is nothing about how i feel about you that could pass. nothing."

to prove his point, he slips to his knee, and that is when he proposes.

you're overcome with emotion. you have to accept how committed to you he is, and work out if you deserve something as fierce as his love.

there are tears in your eyes when you accept. you never think his love will pass again.

Karlach

probably the hardest one to say this too. together, your future is so uncertain. it will be easier to break it off here rather than maim both of you.

gets angry. in fact, goes into a rage. tears up the surroundings, and for a moment you're taken aback--

but then she turns and she's sobbing, stuck at the midpoint between being apoplectic and brokenhearted.

"you don't get to decide that for me! you don't! you're the first person i've loved... I've touched... I've felt anything for, for a fucking decade! when i feel this, it doesn't fade! how dare you think about yourself like that? as if you're some sort of phase?"

eventually she calms down enough but bursts into tears instead. you go to hold her and she embraces you so tightly that the wind is knocked from your body.

"i love you. i won't leave you. don't leave me." her voice is tiny.

how could you ever say no? how could you ever doubt her?

when the two of you are in Avernus, you're reminded of this moment, and so glad she fought against it. you'd trade this away for nothing.

Lae'zel

would she want someone like you? long term? she's so brave, so fierce. what if you're not good enough? what if your relationship develops only for you to let her down?

she gets angry too, but quieter.

is furious that you would question her affection.

"githyanki do not give their devotion lightly. the fact that you think my love for you could pass makes me wonder how well you know me."

it turns into an argument where you try and explain your side, and she's angry at you for thinking this way.

eventually it descends into angrily making out. some fierce lovemaking. her saying how much she loves you, possesses you, between every bite and kiss.

you lie in the afterglow. she says she will not leave, and pretty much tells you that you won't either. you agree, and tangle your hand with hers.

Shadowheart

tries to hide how hurt she is.

yes, Shar is the lady of loss, but the idea of losing you... of not having you in her life? unthinkable.

you only tried to tell her it will pass so that, if she wishes to become a dark justiciar, she will have no lingering attachment to you after.

and yet...

it is blasphemy for her, but she refuses to let you go.

"no. i won't allow it. i can't believe this will fade between us. you are the most precious thing to me. stay."

you're weak for her, end up tumbling into bed, reconfirming your love for each other.

you never quite believe that this is forever until she changes her hair, embraces selune. then your heart is full of joy. and it is full of Shadowheart.

[orangekittyenergy]

Thirsty Thursday Smut

MAGIC LESSONS

A smutty little story based on a prompt from this list. I'll tell you the prompt after. 😉

NSFW - Rolan x FTav - Oral sex - 2k words

“Move your hand….no, not like that...like this, see?” Rolan held up his hand and again gave a series of intricate movements to show Tav.

She blinked hard at him. He didn’t slow down the gesture at all. As if her seeing it one more time at that same speed would be the thing that solidified her understanding. She swallowed back a biting comment, knowing if she asked him to slow down it would do no good. Instead she gave a sigh and raised her hands, trying her best to imitate his flourishes.

“Like this?” She said, waving her hands around.

Rolan rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, seeming to take a moment to compose himself. Tav gave another sigh and frowned, feeling suddenly a little embarrassed that it wasn’t clicking with her. She averted her eyes at his obvious annoyance, a slight blush crossing her cheeks.

“No. No. Do you even-” Rolan looked back up to her and paused, his gaze seeming to soften a touch before turning quickly away again. He gave a quick sigh, and continued, his voice calmer. “Move your wrist more. You’re relying too much on your fingers. Like this….” He showed her one more time, slowing his movements this time to give her a clearer idea.

Tav gave a nod and tried again, focusing as hard as she could on the movements. Everyone needed to be ready for the final battle; including her. She couldn’t afford to be sloppy now.

There was a tiny sparkle at her fingertips as the weave seemed to crackle between them. Her eyes lit up and she turned to look at Rolan. He seemed to push back a smile and gave a nod at her.

“Well, you’ve managed to…” He swallowed away the word finally, and cut himself off, looking at her bright, expectant face, staring at him, eager for praise. “Very good. We will make a caster out of you in no time.” He said a little softer, his lips easing into a smile.

He crossed his arms and moved closer, pacing around a bit. He couldn’t deny how excited he had been when she came to him for help preparing for their final battle, but was trying his absolute best to remained composed. Unfortunately, his efforts to remain composed around her unintentionally manifested as being a rather stern teacher; something he was working on fixing.

“Now, we need to work on the verbal aspect of a spell.” He said officially and rolled his neck a touch as if getting warmed up. “Now...listen close...and enunciate…” He opened his mouth to speak but before he could continue a loud sound filled the room, as if a wave of thunder was rolling in directly above them.

They locked eyes and both quickly realized; the quakes. The ground started rumbling beneath them before either could respond. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad this time, but they still both found themselves stumbling forward and being heaved around as the ground roiled beneath their feet. Tav was hurled to the side with a particularly heavy lurch when she felt Rolan’s hands grab her waist and pull her close to hold her steady.

Her chest crashed against his as quake slowly subsided beneath them. As the world stilled and quiet came back they remained clutched together, still holding each other steady. Tav swiveled her head to look around the room to ensure nothing had been damaged, but he found that his eyes remained fixed on her.

Her face returned to meet his gaze, her head tilted up ever so slightly to stare at him. Whatever was on her lips died as her face met his, her eyes shining softly. His heart drummed hard in his chest at the sudden proximity. This infuriating woman; how dare she make him care so much for her. How dare she have to throw herself into battle after battle. Leaving him wondering when and if she would return next. After all she had done for him...

Without thinking further he pulled her in even closer, wrapping his arms fully around her in an embrace and nestled his head into her neck, his breath coming out in gasps as his anxiety and excitement at the whole situation seemed to overtake him.

Tav seemed startled but quickly welcomed the hug and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing herself to be pulled close and squeezing him in return. After a long moment, he started to pull away slightly, his cheek almost grazing hers. Tav hadn’t learned much magic thus far, but she could swear the electricity in the moment felt the same as if a spell had been cast between them. Her face tingled from where his breath came out on it and she felt a quiver roll through her body.

“Are you okay?” He asked, not moving further. The words brought forth another gust of hot breath and Tav felt her eyelids flutter and gave another shake. Their bodies pressed so close, Rolan felt the tremble as it rolled through her.

“Your breath...it’s hot…” Tav admitted with a soft sigh.

Fighting every instinct to pull away in fear, confidence instead surged through him and Rolan found himself leaning closer, pushing his cheek against hers, his breath coming out hard in another wave of heat against her ear that made Tav shake again.

“It is. I have heard tiefling breath is hotter than others.” He said softly, making emphasis to lean a bit closer, lips hovering just close enough to her skin that he could slip his tongue out and lick it if he wished. The very idea brought forth his own rolling shudder.

Tav opened her mouth as if to speak but suddenly found herself at a loss of words, the intimacy of the moment taking over her senses. She sucked in a quick breath through her teeth.

“I… it feels good on my skin.” She replied after an aching pause.

Rolan could feel his tail twitching behind him. It was all too much. The aching. The longing. These long days spent wondering if she would be okay. The stress of battle after battle. The strange need he felt to remain composed around her. The subtle flirting. She would leave soon and who knew when...if she would come back. It was enough to drive him mad.

Something in him snapped.

He felt her pulling away and pulled his head back enough to meet her eyes, ready to unleash a thousand apologies if her face so much as hinted at it. Her cheeks were flush and she gave a thick swallow, but her expression was unreadable. Before he could start to apologize she opened her mouth to speak.

"Well…. my breath just made you quiver. Can you imagine what my tongue will do?" He whispered, practically a purr in truth, directly into her ear. Tav tensed. Rolan felt himself freeze; did he really just say that? Oh, fuck. Oh, gods.

“Is that a promise?” She replied, her heart beating hard in her ears.

He stared back at her, mouth slightly agape. He had his own slip-up of indecency but to have her give it right back to him; now that was a shock. It took him a moment for the words she spoke to even reach his muddled head before he managed to will his body to react.

Not wanting to waste another moment he leaned forward again and pressed his lips hard against hers. She met him with equal fervor, slipping her tongue inside his mouth and dancing carefully around his sharp teeth.

Without realizing what was happening, they were soon walking backwards, stepping in tandem until Tav felt her butt bump into the shelf behind her. Rolans hands roamed over her eagerly before stopping at the waist of her leggings, pausing their furious kissing to seek permission to continue. Her eyes searched his a moment, but only he replied with a hot stare, a streak of confidence and desire overtaking him and flowing through into his gaze.

“Now?” She glanced around even though they were safely tucked away in a back study.

“With all going on around us; all the dangers we face…. I can see no better time.” He replied with a slight raise of his brow. Tav leaned forward, giving him another sweeping kiss with her tongue in approval before he pulled away again.

He started to bend down, pulling her pants and underwear off with him, until she was fully nude from the waist down. He eased his hands back up her naked legs, letting her feel his claws gently drag against her skin, letting her once again feel his breath as he paused to give a kiss to each thigh as he settled between them. His tail curled around her ankle, pulling her legs further apart to make room for his head and he glanced up to meet her eyes once more.

“Is this okay?” He asked, doubt flickering through his mind even as his hands kneaded the soft flesh of her upper thighs.

“It is...yes, Rolan….please.” Tav managed to utter and gently laid a tentative hand on his horn.

“Is...this…?” She asked. Rolan’s eyes fluttered and he managed a nod as she gripped his horn a touch tighter. Before he could get too overwhelmed or lose his newly acquired nerve he leaned his head forward, descending into the junction of her thighs.

Tav was already shivering beneath his touch as he gave a long slow lick, easing his tongue along her from top to bottom. She let out a loud gasp at the contact and tilted her hips forward to meet his lips and tongue. He had to admit that lingering anxiety was almost close to getting the better of him, but feeling her shudder and moan beneath his tentative touches already dispelled that and gave him a new sense of desire. He wanted to please her. He wanted her to call out his name. To scream it as she came. At this moment he couldn’t ever recall having a single desire as great.

He surged forward again, sliding his tongue further into her, exploring and tasting every inch he could get at. Gods, she was sweet, he thought as he lapped at her, trying in vain to take it slow and not devour her immediately.

Tav gave out another sharp gasp and lifted one leg up to give him better access. As if on instinct he grabbed her dangling leg and draped it over his shoulder, leaning even deeper into her now and thrusting his tongue inside of her.

Both of her hands now circled his horns, holding on tightly as if without their sturdy grip she would float away in ecstasy. A string of needy moaning whines fell from her lips as he filled her up with his tongue, doing his damnedest to reach inside of her as far as he could go. After a moment he pulled out and moved to her clit, giving it a gentle suckle and teasing graze with the front of his teeth.

Tav cried out loudly at that, trying not to jerk his horns too hard, but using them to pull his face even closer to her. He forced away a smile to pay attention to the task at hand, realizing this was where she would be undone. He could barely breathe, nose pressed hard against her, but he didn’t care. He would happily smother himself here if it meant she would be pleased.

She was panting and moaning, grinding her hips against his face as he flicked his tongue against her, fulfilling his given promise.

“Aah, Rolan….please…” She breathed out, still grasping his horns hard. He pushed even closer and placed his lips directly around her clit now, alternating between sucking and flicking at it with his tongue. Casting spells against her tender flesh that he had previously only dared to dream of.

“Keep saying my name like that.” He pulled away only for a brief moment to breath out hot against her tender skin. He wasn’t even sure he heard her before he returned to his previous actions, arms wrapped around her thighs, his claws practically digging into her skin, his tail wrapped tight around her ankle.

“Yes. Rolan….please...Rolan, Rolan. Rolan!” She cried out, each word punctuated with a heaving gasp and thrust of her hips against his face. He gripped her tighter, feeling her legs shake violently beneath him and hoping she wouldn’t collapse.

At the last moment, her words seemed to fail, until one final cry of his name burst forth from her lips and he felt her clench tightly beneath him, her hips squeezing against his ears involuntarily as she came against his mouth. He eased back a bit, giving her gentle kisses instead and still holding her tight while her shudders subsided.

After a moment her breaths seemed to calm and she lowered her leg from his shoulder, testing to ensure she could stand on her own two feet. He pulled back and eased himself up to meet her face. She beamed up at him with half-lidded eyes; a face of complete and total relaxation and contentment. He was sure he looked a mess, his face flush and still glistening from her wetness. Tav didn’t seem to care. She grabbed his robes and pulled him forward, tugging him into another deep and breathless kiss before releasing him again.

They stayed there a moment, his arms gently circling her waist to hold her steady still while she was still catching her breath.

“Gods, Rolan...you...um...you weren’t kidding.” She said with a blush and gave him another quick peck. He smiled widely and felt a flush cross his own cheeks at the madness that just had taken him over.

He reached up and gently pushed a sweaty strand of hair away from her cheek, letting his fingers linger there a moment.

“You had better come back to me, damn you.” He said softly before stiffening up and pulling away. “Well, ahem...should we continue our lesson?”

“Can I put my pants on first?” She shot him a teasing smile. He glanced down to her bare legs, wetness still glistening between her thighs and felt another rush of desire course through him.

“Be my guest. Unless you think it would help you focus more and finally nail down those spells you have so much trouble with.” He smirked back at her.

❤️

(it was "my breath just made you quiver. Can you imagine what my tongue will do?")

[baldursgate3tempobsessed]

Hihi! I went on anon cause my main blog is strictly sfw, but I promise I'm an adult(29). Anyways, I had this idea of Ascended Astarion teasing Tav/Reader in front of a mirror. He can't see himself, but loves the way Tav/Reader shudders under his touch and them getting more and more embarrassed because all they can see is themselves getting riled up by seemingly nothing, but when they look down, ofc they see his hands working magic across their body.

Lol ty for the clarification and ask! I've been needing some nsfw practice!

Ascended Astarion nsfw under the cut, 18 + warnings. Like this is not implied smut. It is smut, graphic. Possessive, obsessive, manipulative, bad vampire man who loves you. As much as he's capable of. Morally gray human Tav from the start to here. It's only downhill from here baby, m/f angle. But if that doesnt fufill the dream let me know and I can make a gender neutral/ gender nonspecfic no prob! And probably less intense too because this is angsty~~~

Like I went ham, this is a whole ass fic now💀

You frowned at yourself in the bedroom mirror, adjusting your hair for the umpteenth time. It still didn't look right, despite what felt like hours of practice that you'd put into the intricate style.

You sighed as let one of your braids fall down, dissatisfied with what you saw. You didn't exactly look the part of an all-powerful vampire's consort, or at least not with the company you've recently been keeping. But it turned out a significant part of taking over Baldur's Gate was trenched in politics, meetings, balls, social events created for the sole purpose of mind games.

It was exhausting, or at least it was for you. But Astarion seemed to take to it like a duck to water. This life suited him, one of power games and subterfuge, and more often than not, murder. Not that you minded. You were just happy that he was having fun. That he was finally free after all of those years of torment. Even if he was using that freedom for… less than savory ends.

But despite his goals, you had sworn to him that you would never stray. And you intended on making good on that promise.

You just wished that he didn't insist on you being there for all of his "business". You hadn't realized how literal he had been about the whole sitting in his lap plan. It had taken a half-hour conversation to even convince him that no, you would not be doing so in the nude. He still hadn't given up on convincing you off that plan, but you highly doubted that it would help with your current level of heightened insecurity.

Maybe you were worrying for no reason. It wasn't Astarion who made you feel out of place. Well… it was, but not because of anything he did. Just… who he had become. He was so different now, so much colder to everything and everyone but you. More calculating, less forgiving, and just perfect for working with the most dangerous individuals in the mortal plane.

You seemed to be the only living thing he could relax around anymore, the only person who could soften him. It was strange really. You used to remember his softer side, before the ritual. The way his heart would hurt for children and animals alike, despite his failed attempts to hide it. His soft spot for Karlach, those who were brave and brazen, always willing to do the right thing despite the risks. The kind smile he used to have, reserved for beautiful things like the sunrise, the sunset.

Gone, all of it. It was a fact that you didn't like to think about. What you both gave up, things could have been; there was no point to it anyway. It was over. You gave Astarion the choice, this is what came of that. So here you were, obsessing over your appearance in preparation for a meeting with a high-ranking devil.

How things had changed.

You had no idea if you would ever find a way to match up with the company he kept around these days. Maybe it was your own fault for surrounding yourself with otherworldly creatures, but it was hard not to feel inadequate.

It didn't help that whenever you even slightly alluded to that insecurity, Astarion was more than ready to remind you of your… "options".

"You can join us whenever you'd like my treasure," Astarion would say with a creeping grin, "Just one bite, and we can be sure you'll be mine forever. Would that be so bad?"

It was a tempting offer, one that you kept insisting on refusing. You loved Astarion more than anything. But… you wanted that love to stay your choice. An obligation you maintained of your own free will. It's not that you didn't trust him… but to be a spawn had too many implications for you to handle.

"What has you pouting sweet thing?"

You startled when hands suddenly settled on your hip, gripping through the thin fabric of your nightdress. You looked back, relaxing the slightest bit to see Astarion smiling down at you, amused at the fact he'd managed to sneak up on you through the mirror.

"You said you weren't going to do that anymore," You whined as you leaned back into him, your eyes turning back to the mirror. You could see the fabric of your slip indented under his hands, ghost-like without his actual image reflecting back.

"I lied," Astarion said simply, leaning down to breathe you in from the crook of your neck, "Now what are you thinking about pet? I can tell something's on your mind."

You bit your lip, debating for a moment if you should tell him or not. But it's not like he would let it drop, and he was way too good at being able to tell when you were lying. Might as well come clean.

You sighed, "I don't…I don't know if I'm cut out for this."

You expected him to huff at you, maybe even laugh. But instead, the grip he had on you tightened, hard enough to make you gasp. You could feel his fangs scraping against your delicate skin, scratching hard enough to cause pinpricks of blood to bead out.

"And why would you ever think a thing like that?" Astarion asked, his voice harsh and low, "Where else would you be if not by my side hm? Please, enlighten me."

You gulped, your heart rate starting to pick up. You hadn't meant it like that, "That's not what I meant-"

"Then what else could it have meant?" Astarion shot back, his hands digging into you, surely ready to leave finger-shaped bruises. Suddenly he was using that same grip to drag you backward to the bed, effortlessly settling you between his spread legs.

All while managing to still be right in sight of the mirror. You could feel your cheeks redden as his hands started to wander, unceremoniously tugging down the straps of your nightdress to reveal your chest. That was another thing about life after the ritual that had been a surprise, just how different Astarion's sex drive was. It's not like he was a prude before, far from it, but now he was insatiable. Always ready and willing to touch you whenever the urge struck him. Often enough for you to eventually come to the thrilling, if not slightly disturbed realization, that… he was training you. Training your body to always want his touch.

And tonight was no different. You could already feel yourself getting wet, and he had barely done anything yet. But then suddenly he was pinching your nipple harshly, hissing in your ear, "I expect an answer when I ask you a question darling."

You bit back a moan, trying to remember what you were even arguing about as he started to play with your breasts, "I-I didn't mean it like that. I just… I don't want to embarrass you."

It was humiliating to admit but it was true. Not many people of Astarion's caliber insisted on a singular lover. There were so many people after him now, people with more power, more beauty, and grace. You didn't match up. You couldn't.

"Nonsense," Astarion dismissed, his hands wandering down to tear off more of your clothing, "Look at you. You were made for this life. Made for me. You're gorgeous."

The compliments mixed with the harsh feeling of his hands ripping your nightdress in two was quite the experience. You could feel his own hardness pressing into your backside, twitching as he threw your ruined clothing to the side.

Then he was gripping your chin, forcing your head back up to stare into the mirror in front of you, "I said look."

You obeyed, eyes widening at what you saw. It was so strange to see yourself like this, fully exposed with your legs spread apart, flushed and panting. It nearly gave the illusion that your very image was what was causing the wetness between your legs, instead of the invisible man toying with you.

You swallowed, your throat dry as Astarion's hands wandered lower, a feather-light touch tracing up and down your slit, "You are everything. The sole reason that I'm the man I am today. There is nowhere else you should be than right here."

"But-" You gasped, your words interrupted by a sharp slap to your inner thigh. You could see your skin start to redden in the mirror, a perfect imprint left in it's wake.

"Darling, are you questioning my judgment? What on earth made you think that was a good idea?"

You frantically shook your head, moaning when his fingers delved deeper, playing with your slick folds, "I-I'm not. I didn't- I'm sorry."

You whined as he roughly pinched your clit, his other hand moving upward to do the same to your heaving chest.

He was starting to grind his hardness against you, a tease of more to come as he murmured in your ear, "There's my good girl. Was that so hard?"

You shook your head, gasping as he finally dipped his long fingers into your cunt. You were already so sensitive, humiliatingly close in a matter of minutes.

"So gorgeous," Astarion sighed, staring straight ahead to the sole image of you, whimpering as he finger-fucked your pussy, "So needy. Can you see how wet you are pet?"

You could, you were leaking around his fingers, that needy, intense feeling getting more and more intense by the moment. It was so embarrassing seeing yourself like this, enough so that you snapped your eyes shut.

A bad idea. Astarion tutted at you, landing another sudden and hard slap to your thigh, "None of that. I told you to look. Or else."

You snapped your eyes back open, watching yourself whimper and gasp as you were played with, the harsh movement of his hand jostling your breasts. You weren't going to last much longer, not with the image of you being taken apart, the feeling of him inside you, the mean edge to your love's words.

"You're such a silly little thing, aren't you?" Astarion growled, fucking you harder and faster. You were so close, but you weren't stupid enough to come without permission. Not after what he did the last time, "Doubting me. Do you really think I don't know what's best for you? What's best for us?"

"No," You whimpered, your hips arching backward to rub harder into his erection, "You're right, I-I'm yours. C-Can I come now? Please?"

"Beg me and maybe I'll think about it," Astarion meanly laughed, relishing in the gush of slick his harshness coaxed from between your legs, "Beg and apologize. Apologize for doubting us. For doubting me."

You could barely get the words out through your own gasps, tears prickling in the corner of your eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean it!"

"Good girl," Astarion huskily laughed, using a clever thumb to rub over your swollen clit, "Now tell me you love me."

"I love you," You said easily, meaning every word, "I love you more than anything.

"Tell me you'll never leave me. Ever."

There was something else behind that promise. An obvious implication that your fucked-out brain was too distracted to see.

"Never," You promised, reaching back for you him. You curled your fingers into his hair. pulling his head down to press his mouth against your throat. An open invitation, "I'll always be with you."

Astarion groaned against your skin, his fangs so close to piercing, "Precious pet, how could I ever want anything else? Come darling, you've earned it."

Then he was biting you, the brief flash of pain the perfect trigger for you to fall over the edge. You came with an embarrassingly high-pitched whine, slumping back into Astarion as he drank from your throat.

You looked as much of a mess as you felt, the stickiness between your thighs glistening in the light. You watched yourself, whimpering as Astarion slipped his fingers out. Just to tap them against your lips, forcing them into your mouth to suck on.

You moaned around them, light-headed as Astarion popped off of your throat. You sighed as he licked at the wound, enjoying the brief moment of rest. You weren't naive enough to think that you were done yet. Not when Astarion was still hard, his cock pulsing against you.

"See?" Astarion huskily laughed, licking the blood off of his lips while he played with your tongue, "You're perfect. Perfect and mine."

[mentally-a-slut]

Can I request "You deserve to be loved." For Astarion with female reader please? Please make it smut too!

Thanks so much for the request! I have been super ill, but I managed to get one thing done! I hope this is to your standards, this is my first time writing for Astarion so I hope it's not too out of character. I left Tav pretty neutral, so you should be able to imagine her as anyone. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Remember, please leave feedback! I love to hear your thoughts and it helps motivate me to keep writing.

Rating: E

Warnings: smut, piv sex, oral (f!receiving), face sitting, angst with happy ending, Astarion has a praise kink i don't make the rules, dom!Tav, kinda sub!Astarion, female Tav, likely ooc Astarion, not proofread

It was a calm night, the stillness of the camp blanketing over everyone as the stars glimmered in the darkening sky. Scratch lay idly by Shadowheart, eyes fluttering with the beginnings of sleep as the cleric's hand absentmindedly stroked his head.

Most everyone was already knocked out, the events of the day rendering them useless against the wave of sleep that washed over them. Tav was the only one that couldn't put her mind to rest, thoughts racing behind her eyes as she tried and failed to join her companions in their peaceful oblivion.

At least, she thought she was.

After an hour of fruitless attempts of rest, she abandoned her tent with an aggravated sigh, opting to get some fresh air. When she slipped out of the canvas walls, her eyes fell upon the gleaming silver hair of Astarion, restlessly sitting outside of his tent with his piercing gaze directed at the sky.

She knew that vampire spawn didn't exactly sleep, but Astarion usually went into a trance at night. He said it helped him feel energized in between feedings. A twinge of concern jolted through her, gaze softening as she approached the gloomy spawn.

"Astarion?"

His red eyes quickly cut towards her, his scrutiny heavy on her form.

"Are you alright?"

His gaze flickered with an unreadable emotion for a split second, too quick for her to discern. He hesitated before responding, the familiar too-sweet drawl coating his words. "Quite alright, now that you're here."

Tav's cheeks blazed with a poorly restrained blush at his charming words, and she averted her eyes to the ground between them. She heard his movements before she saw them, the soft brush of his feet brushing the dirt as he rose from his seat.

"I do so love when you blush, so pretty and red."

His cold finger trailed along her jaw, gently prompting her to direct her gaze back to his. She attempted to blink away her flustered state, instead focusing on the handsome elf's face. His sharp features were contorted into his familiar expression of mischief, dark red eyes upholding a look of desire.

Fighting the fog of attraction, she narrowed her eyes at him, searching his practiced expression. He was always a flirt, quick-witted and prone to making her blush, and yet something felt off about him. Something festered beneath his sweetened gaze, almost invisible behind the facade he upheld, but Tav caught a glimpse of it.

One glimpse was all it took for her to step away, brows furrowing as she created distance. His eyes flashed momentarily, a small crinkle of his brows the only sign of his confusion. "What's the matter, darling? Why so shy?"

He attempted to step closer to her, resulting in Tav taking a matching step back. She thought she saw a flicker of hurt before he steadied his expression. "Oh, I see. Don't want to cuddle up to a vampire?"

He turned away from her, already in the motion of retreating to his tent, when Tav shot out her hand and grabbed onto his arm. "That's not it."

He tilted his head to peer at her, teasing smirk already pulling at his lips. His flirtatious remark was cut short when Tav suddenly darted for his tent, hand still firm around his arm. He let her lead him, silver eyebrow raised in curiosity.

The cloth of the tent flaps had barely fallen shut when his cold hands met her waist, pressing her up to him in a way that had Tav's heart beating against her chest. "Eager, are we?"

His breath dusted her cheeks as he held her, seductive gaze steady on her beneath his lashes. Her eyes fought to flutter closed as he leaned in, lips just barely pausing before her lips.

"Why are you doing this?"

Her question was almost quiet enough to miss, but Astarion's grip loosened as he pulled away in shock. "What?"

Tav put a shaky hand to his chest, wanting nothing more than to hold him this close forever. "The flirting. The lingering touches. The stares. Why?"

Silvery brows furrowed, undead hands still idle at her waist. "I didn't take you to be dull. Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

His snark didn't go unnoticed, the same tone he took when someone tried to pry into his business too much. Tav's lips quirked downwards into a frown. "I know what desire looks like. The look you gave me back there was a decent imitation of it, but I saw through it. Why pine after me if you do not truly desire me?"

Tav tried not to let her disappointment show at his loss of touch as he dropped his hands from her waist and stepped back. "I don't know what you mean. I do desire you."

She narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms across her chest as she gave him a withering look. "I don't much like being lied to, Astarion. Nor do I like to be led on."

A flash of guilt crossed his eyes, almost quick enough to miss. "You're a clever one. Fine then, I confess. I needed safe passage to the city, and the only way to get it was to seduce you into providing it for me."

Her heart seized in her chest at his words, hurt and betrayal curdling in her stomach. "Do you truly think so little of me?"

His previously avoidant gaze shot towards her when her voice cracked with emotion. Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

She struggled to keep her composure through her next words. "Seduction was not the only way. I would have aided you no matter what, romantic feeling or not. I do not need anything in return. I would have helped you. I would have- I do care for you. There are no strings attached unless you wish there to be."

She recoiled from his hand as it reached out towards her. Tears now steadily falling down her cheeks, she continued with shaky words. "And I will still help you, even though you have hurt me. Even though you have made me think there was something... I thought you liked me. I really thought we could have," she heaved a sob between her words, "Why did you have to make me fall in love with you?"

Her eyes avoided his, tears rushing down her face as she hung her head down. If he had a beating heart, he was sure it would be hammering against him.

"You... Love?"

She hid her face in her hands as she cried, granting him a small nod.

"Tav, I..."

"Don't. Just... I'm sorry for thinking you returned my feelings. I don't expect anything from you, and you're still welcome to stay with us."

She turned to leave, eyes burning with emotion, when his cold hand gripped her shoulder. She froze, holding her breathe in case any movement would scare him away.

"Tav, please don't go."

His voice was timid, a broken sort of tone that she could never dream of him carrying. She chance a movement, turning her head to peek at him. His eyes were watering, sincerity pooling in the blood red of his gaze.

"I... It wasn't fake."

A stuttered breath as Tav turned to face him, tear stained face contorted into an expression of dread, fearing he was playing a cruel joke on her. "What?"

"The feelings, the flirting... I admit, at first it was purely self-preservation, but..." he gently trailed his hand down from her shoulder to her wrist, "you... you enraptured me."

"Astarion, you don't have to-"

"I mean it. This isn't me trying to use you, I'm not just doing this as an apology, I truly mean it. I fell for you, and it terrifies me."

She turned her wrist in his grip, staring down at his hand as she maneuvered hers to fit against his. "You love me?"

She stepped forward, bringing a hesitant hand to his face. His brows furrowed as he nodded slightly, almost like it pained him to admit it. Slowly, she moved closer, giving him time to recoil. When he leaned in, she fluttered her eyes closed and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss.

His other hand went to her face, delicate fingers stroking her cheekbone as they kissed. There was no desperation, only gentle passion as they melded together, pouring all words unsaid into their embrace. When Tav pulled away, Astarion sighed and chased after her lips, only stopped by her firm hand on his chest.

"You don't need to do anything you don't want to do. I'm alright with not sleeping together. You don't owe me anything."

His pupils swallowed up the red of his eyes as he whined, true desire swirling in his gaze. "You saying that only makes me want you more."

Tav hummed in surprise as he pulled her lips back against his, fingers tangling in her hair as he hungrily devoured her lips. His free hand snaked around her, palm pressing firmly into her lower back and arching her into him. Tav sighed into him, pulling away from his lips to murmur, "are you sure?"

"Never been surer, darling."

She stopped his approach, giving him a sultry look as he pulled her even closer against him. "Alright, but we're doing this my way."

He raised a brow, his teasing smirk sending a jolt of arousal down her spine. "Oh, yeah? And what did you have in mind?"

She pressed a soft kiss against his lips, admiration flooding her eyes. "You let me do the work." She tutted against his lips as he started to protest. "Please, Astarion, let me take care of you. You deserve to be loved."

His resolve completely vanished at that, and he pulled her back for another desperate kiss. Tav's core burned with each sound from his lips, whines and moans vibrating against her lips. She pushed him towards his bedroll without breaking the kiss, giving a pleased hum when he obeyed.

She sank down with him, straddling his lap as he sat. His fingers fought with the hem of her shirt, insistently tugging as he whined against her lips. She smiled and pulled away, chuckling as he tried to chase her lips. "Use your words, love."

"You're a tease," he all but whined, hands still itching to rid her of her top.

She answered him with only a stern look, pulling his hands from her waist. He groaned in frustration, pride a little more than hurt as she coaxed him to obey. "Take it off. Please."

"Good boy," she teased, all too aware of the growing bulge her words caused. His hands wasted no time in exploring the skin of her exposed stomach as she peeled away her shirt, tossing it over her shoulder. He sat up to capture her lips, firm hands desperately trying to gain control.

His fingers dug into her waist as she rolled her hips down against his, eliciting a groan from him. She rolled her hips again, pressing harder against his prominent arousal. His hands frantically trailed across her skin, gripping her ass as she grinded once again.

Her core grew hotter as he moaned against her, and she pressed kissed down his jaw and neck as she began to tug at his shirt. She pulled back to look at him, holding back a moan as he rutted against her. "This okay?"

"Yes, yes, it's okay," he whined, breathless as he pressed himself between her legs. She discarded his shirt, continuing to press hot kisses down his neck and chest. She pressed a hand to his chest, pushing him back to lay down. She held her hip up away from his, grinning at his frustrated groan.

"Be patient," she warned, trailing a finger down his torso and teasing the waistband of his pants.

His hand found the clasp of her bra, fingers restlessly fidgeting against it as he looked up at her for permission. She nodded with a smile, and his swift fingers released the garment within seconds. He groaned as her breasts were exposed, bringing a hand up to one and flicking a thumb across her nipple. She faltered for a moment, hips rutting down on his as his hands teased her chest. "So gorgeous, darling, perfect."

She felt silly for blushing at his words, the simple compliment turning her insides to jelly even as they were half naked. He smirked and pulled her down to him, pressing his tongue against her lips and sighing at the feel of her chest against his. Tav snaked a hand between them, delicate fingers brushing against his length. His responding moan send shivers down her spine, encouraging her to press her fingers against him harder.

He rutted against her hand, grabbing any part of her he could reach. He pulled away enough to whine out a "please," and Tav swiftly unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them off. His hardened length strained against his underwear, a growing damp spot evidence of his desire.

He whined as she pressed her palm against him, and he grabbed her wrist to still her movements. She glanced up at him, concern in her face. He panted, shifting involuntarily to try and gain friction. "As much as I love what your doing," he trailed his other hand up her thigh, coming to a stop at the waistband of her pants, "I want to taste you. Please."

Tav couldn't stop the whine that fell from her lips, his words sending an entire new wave of desire through her. She nodded, moving to help him remove her pants. Once she was fully bare above him, his eyes burned with lust as he stared at her glistening cunt. Tav didn't have any time to be insecure before his hands gripped her waist and tugged her up his body, settling her spread legs just above his lips.

He quirked a brow at her, silently asking permission. His breath tickled her folds, making her groan with her words. "Oh, fuck, yes."

His hands gripped her ass firmly as he pulled her core down against his lips, his tongue immediately flicking against her swollen clit and teasing her entrance. She threw her head back with a moan and tangled her fingers in his hair, involuntarily rutting against his mouth.

His tongue was quick, flitting between her clit and dipping into her core with precision. She half worried that she would suffocate him with her thighs before she remembered that he was undead.

Tav swore as his lips closed around her clit, sucking harshly and sending her eyes into the back of her head. Her muscles tensed as he lapped at her, core tightening as he brought her closer to the edge.

"Fuck, just like that! I'm gonna-"

He hummed against her, sending vibrations through her core and pushing her over the edge. He didn't pull away until came down from her high, tongue coaxing her through it.

With a sigh, Tav adjusted herself back to where she was, leaning down to kiss him and sighing when she tasted herself on his lips. "You taste delightful," he muttered between kisses.

His cock throbbed beneath the restraint of his underwear, and Tav couldn't help but roll her hips against him. "Don't tease me, darling."

She did it again, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Do you want this?"

"More than anything."

She smiled at him, one of pure admiration, and then hastily rid him of his underwear. He sighed when her core brushed against his painfully hard cock, tightening his hold on her waist. She leaned down to peck him on the lips before lifting her hips, stroking him teasingly as she lined them up.

With one last look of confirmation, she pressed her cunt against his tip, her tight hole swallowing him torturously slow. His gaze was heavy on their joined bodies, fingers digging into her waist as he groaned.

The stretch was pleasant, brushing against her walls as she slowly lowered onto him. She sighed as her clit brushed against her pelvis, his cock now fully sheathed inside of her. She stilled for a moment, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to his lips.

The movement shifted them slightly, making him groan against her lips. She smirked, lifting her hips slowly. With a hand on his chest to steady herself, she sent him a cheeky wink and sank back down. His eyes darted all over her body as she rode him, watching her tits bounce, staring as her cunt swallowed him up. "You feel so good, filling me up," she whined, thrusts getting faster.

His moans grew louder at her praise, hands pressing tighter against her hips and guiding her down against him. "Such a good boy, letting me ride you."

He sat up, pulling her against him and matching her thrusts. He whined, pressing sloppy kisses against her throat as he rutted into her. "Please, feels so good," he whined, fangs brushing the delicate skin of her neck. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pressing him into her neck.

"So, so good for me, such a good boy," she moaned, thrusts becoming rougher, "you wanna cum inside me?"

He groaned, cock twitching inside her as she tightened around him. "Please, please, so close, I'm so close-"

"Bite me," she whispered, "c'mon baby, cum inside me while you sink your teeth into my neck."

His orgasm crashed over him just as he sank his fangs into her, the sweet tang of her blood coaxing forward his release. She soon followed, moaning as he painted her walls and drank his fill.

He pulled away from her neck, pressing his lips against hers and smearing her blood into her mouth. She whined into the kiss, cunt clenching with the aftershocks of her orgasm.

He pulled back, eyes swimming with emotion as he studied her face, their sweating bodies clinging together. "I love you."

She smiled before kissing him softly. "I love you too."

[zorosdimples]

DUSK, RESPLENDENT

pairing ⟢ astarion x gn!reader

warnings ⟢ minors: please do not interact! i will block you. not sexually explicit, but highly suggestive… smut-lite! descriptions of blood, blood sucking, bite marks, scars, etc. this occurs after astarion first feeds from tav. reader has breasts and a vagina and is called “beautiful” once (i swiped a line from the game).

word count ⟢ 1208

notes ⟢ this particular scenario has been rotting my brain since september. my first official bg3 fic—please enjoy!

It’s impossible to miss the heat of his crimson gaze scorching your flesh.

You’ve felt it ever since the night you discovered his secret: that quiet evening when the stars shined as silent sentinels, the embers of the campfire danced into ash, and the ghost of a breath roused you. You offered Astarion your neck—swanlike, untouched, vital—prey allowing predator a taste of divinity as he buried his glistening fangs into your skin. Agony bled into a hazy euphoria as the vampire fed on your lifeblood. You barely had enough stamina to push him off (lest he leave you drained and lifeless), rivulets of you the color of his irises running from his gums to his chin, dripping onto the forest floor.

Many moons have since passed, though your mind always revisits the feeling of his weight atop yours, the strength of his jaw, the vitality in his sated stare. The sun starts its golden descent as you bathe in a creek by camp. You scrub your skin with vigor, almost without care as you seek to shed layers of sweat, grime, and gore. The midsummer air is stifling and the cicadas play their shrill song, but the chilly caress of the water makes you giddy.

It takes no small effort, but once your hair and body are stripped bare (clean enough), you remain in the water and watch pinks and oranges and yellows bleed and bloom across the wide sky. Some may say that resting for even a moment in a situation like yours—with a mindflayer parasite in your brain—is to accept death. But if you were to die at this very moment, surrounded by beauty? You couldn’t dream of a more peaceful end.

You feel your visitor’s presence before you see or hear him. It starts as an itch at your nape, nagging and unsettling—insistent. “Enjoying the view?” The playful lilt of Astarion's smooth voice never fails to set your nerves alight.

As you turn to face him, the water laps at your collarbone. You spy the pale elf along the bank, donning only his breeches. Cheeky bastard. “I could ask you the same,” you quip.

“I am indeed.” Lithe fingers tease the waistband of his pants. “But I can't help but feel as though something is missing.”

Walking a few steps toward the shore, you reveal more flesh, water skimming the top of your breasts. “It wouldn’t happen to be a rogue vampire, would it?”

“And if it is?”

“He should join.”

You sink beneath the creek’s surface, allowing him some privacy and urging your face to cool down. When you plant your feet on the silty ground and stand up, you rub crystalline droplets from your eyes and blink a few times before your companion comes into focus.

“Hello, beautiful,” he greets with a smirk before approaching you, dexterous fingers grasping and pulling at the fat around your hips. “I can't help but feel as though you’ve been avoiding me.”

Without thinking, your fingers weave through Astarion's moonbeam hair, gently tugging on the curls. The elf pulls you closer with a pleased hum. “Whatever gave you that impression?” you ask.

“Don’t play coy; I haven't so much as gotten a breath alone with you.” His gaze softens; you see a flash of vulnerability, but all too soon, it disappears. “Do you…regret this?” A chilly thumb grazes the puckered scar on your neck. The featherlight touch plucks a shudder from you, your spine bowing—strung for him.

“Quite the opposite,” you admit. Your attention flits down to his lips. Maker, you know they would feel divine dancing with your own, slipping down to carry the tune across your flesh, skating lower and lower until—

“So,” he says, palms sweeping up your arms and the slope of your shoulders until they rest on either side of your neck. He strokes the delicate flesh, his touch unhurried yet charged; restless. “You wouldn’t begrudge me another taste, hm?”

Perhaps you should be embarrassed by how eagerly you want this to happen, how many times you’ve envisioned him tasting your blood again—and perhaps tasting something more (such thoughts have fueled many solitary searches for pleasure within the canvas walls of your tent). But living in the dusky shadows of near-certain death has made you hopelessly brazen.

You lean in, petal-soft lips grazing one of his pointed ears. “It’s yours for the taking.”

Astarion’s irises darken at your words, pools of congealed blood. He drops his head and presses a lingering, open-mouthed kiss to your scar, his molten breath warming your body, melding you to his touch.

He bares his fangs and bites you, piercing the puffy tissue, a satisfied groan rumbling his throat and resonating in your veins. The pain is dizzying but dulls quickly, the jarring sensation of knife-sharp incisors tearing your flesh carried away by the flow of the creek. Fuzzy pleasure soon clouds your mind. The sloppy lap of the elf’s tongue against your wound is all you can discern; you want to feel him everywhere.

The vampire’s moans shudder deep within his chest and reverberate through your body from where you’re connected, vibrating lower until they settle in your core. A delicious pressure rocks against your belly and seems to relish the softness. It feels like he gluts for an eternity—like this is all you know—housed within a single, precious breath.

When Astarion surfaces, fangs retracting, you stumble in his embrace, coming down from your high. The ache of want remains as you rest your forehead against his freckled shoulder, and morphs into need as your vision clears. His eyes are unfocused, crazed with bloodlust; you’ve never seen them so red, glowing like moonlit wine. His chin is slick with ichor, and—absentmindedly or not, it’s impossible to tell—his tongue darts out to mop up some of the remnants of your sweetness.

One, two, three heaves of your chests pass before you crash together with a swiftness that betrays desperation, errant waves succumbing to the tide.

You never liked the tang of your blood until you tasted it on Astarion’s silken lips. It’s…cloying. The syrupy copper overwhelms your senses as the elf smears a claret gash across your mouth. He drunkenly sucks on your tongue, fangs nicking the muscle, urging you to give him more. Your fingers twist and twirl the pearly down that covers his chest as he squeezes your ass, pulling you so close that not even a whisper could get between you. You’re engulfed in a heady fire, one that can’t be put out by the cool water around you—especially as the vampire’s cock nestles between your clenched thighs, bumping against your clit.

A crashing sound in the surrounding forest interrupts your shared bliss. The moon ascended and the stars awoke while you were wrapped up in one another. Lightning bugs glimmer and flit through the dark woods, and you know that you both need to leave. Supper will be soon; any absences will be noticed. But before he pulls away, Astarion places a prim kiss on your lips.

“Meet me by the campfire after everyone else has fallen asleep,” he whispers against your cheek.

Your heart trills as you watch him disappear into the night—excited for the adventure to come.

[reallyhatethiswebsite]

You wake Raphael with a blowjob. This is sin I don't know what else to tell you

Raphael/gender neutral reader (or Tav, just in 2nd person) I haven't written this way in a while so 🤷

Contains blowjobs/oral, somnophilia (kind of), very mild sexual degradation, explicit content/description (can't stress that enough)

Read on AO3

-

It’s sweltering in the bed – Avernus, thick duvet, and a sleeping cambion will do that – but nothing could make you leave. He’s finally let you spend the night here, between the sheets, with him. You’ve been awake for a while, watching him. He’s not graceful. His mouth is open, fangs on display, and he’s snoring softly. He’s on his back, his tail and one wing hanging off the side of the bed, the other squashed beneath him. His perfect hair is tousled amidst his mighty horns. He looks younger this way. Lines of stress on his face eased with relaxation. He’s naked. When you tug the quilt away, he doesn’t stir. 

You shamelessly admire his body. His broad chest dusted with dark hair, the sculpture of his tight muscles that soften around his middle just enough to bely his age and indulgence, the infernal ridges of his cherry-red skin that form into a V shape as they descend his hips and pelvis, his deliciously thick thighs, and of course his cock between them, half-hard beneath a little crown of well-groomed pubic hair. Is it morning wood, you wonder, or is he having an interesting dream? Because you can, you reach out and touch it, squeeze it, tug his foreskin down to reveal the rest of his cock’s peeking head. He’s so warm and pliant in your hand. With the tip of your index finger you follow the path of a vein from the underside of his glans to his base. His prick twitches. He releases a soft sigh but doesn’t wake. 

His cock is handsome; decently long, thick, slightly darker red than the rest of his skin, and it has those same infernal ridges that feel incredible inside you. You want this cock in your mouth. You can’t resist rubbing it a few more times, feeling it stiffen further in your grip. He sleeps on, even as you move, nudging his legs apart so you can fit between them, laying on your belly. Your humid breaths on his length must do something though, because you hear his tail thump against the bed. Licking the pad of your thumb, you press into his tiny slit and rub. He groans. You think you’ve at last woken him; you glance up, expecting to see eyes of obsidian and fire fixed on you, but he’s still asleep, though a little frown has formed on his brow. He’s fully hard now. The magma that is his lifeblood pulses throughout the bulging veins feeding his cock. A pearlescent bead of precum oozes from his hole beneath your thumb and it’s so hot it’s almost uncomfortable. It tastes salty and its temperature stings on your tongue. It isn’t unpleasant. 

At first you start with kitten licks, tracing the edges of his glans and the fleshy ridges that sit under them. He feels like velvet and steel. The throb of his quickening pulse gives you a soft rush of power knowing you’re the cause. Flattening your tongue, you lick the entire underside of his length from base to tip, lingering once more on that sweet, now-sticky slit. You push into it, taking his head in the cavern of your mouth so you can suckle the next little gush of cum. His hips jerk, weak and clumsy. 

“Ah…” His vocalisation is throaty, slurred. If he wasn’t having a good dream before, he is now. 

When you release his prick to lather more spit, it bounces softly with a quiet thud against his abdomen. You watch it leak translucent cum onto his belly. His balls are fat and full of hot seed and you can’t resist cupping them, rolling their weight in your palm, squeezing ever so gently. His hips move aimlessly again. You know he likes that. He likes it when you suck them, too. Makes him finish in record time. That’s for later. For now, you guide his cock back into your mouth and this time you take as much as you can, until the head threatens to touch the back of your throat. Then you hold him there, adjusting to the size and feel of him, revelling in the heavy press of his prick against your tongue and teeth. He fills your mouth. He tastes like sweat, musk, and soap. Your nose almost brushes his pubes and you can smell the cherry oil he bathed with last night. He moans, a choked, stuttered sound. When you’re ready, you get to work. 

Easy rhythm. Easy lover. You bob your head up and down, sucking hard and fast. What your mouth can’t take, your hand picks up the slack. It’s sloppy. Messy. Obscene. Wet. Perfect. The sounds of your greedy devouring of his cock could make an incubus blush. His legs have fallen open, the unconscious roll of his hips hungry for the warmth and slickness of your throat. His little gasps and sighs and tail thumps are secret music only for you to hear – until it stops, cut off by a sharp inhale. He tenses. A large hand settles on your head, claws scraping your scalp as fingers tangle in your hair. 

He's awake.

His prick noisily pops free, shining with your spit. Drool and cum linger on your lips. You lean your cheek on his thigh and look up at him adoringly. His eyes are half-open, glazed by sleep, expression unreadable but simmering with heat. His cheeks are dark, taken by devilish flush. He steals your breath away.

“Good morning, Raphael,” you murmur. For a moment he says nothing. He's deciding if he will tolerate this behaviour, this brief play at control. Then he yanks your hair, mouth twisting.

“Finish what you started,” he snarls, raspy, voice thick. 

He doesn't have to tell you twice.

The moment your damp lips part, he slides his cock betwixt them once more. He’s much more active of a participant now, and you definitely feel it. Lazy, selfish thrusts as he uses your mouth, fucks your mouth, caring little for your comfort. You started this, after all. Your jaw aches so good. You have to take in air through your nose. He's going to make you choke on his prick, and you're damned, you know you are, because the thought gets your blood boiling and your heart races. He's of a similar mind, if the cruel set of his desire splayed plainly on his face says anything. You keep your gaze on him even as your eyes water. You want to impress the picture of him - sharp jaw clenched, sneering down at you - deep into the primal parts of your memory.

“That's a good pet,” he husks, the gravel of sleep still in his throat. He's breathing hard. He spreads his legs wider, forcing more of his length in. Your nose finally touches his soft pubes and you can't stop your gag as he reaches your limit. You can't get enough. You're slobbering all over him. Your teeth scrape his cock's ridges and the sound he makes is euphoric, pure and shameless in its pleasure.

He's going to finish. You can tell by the way his thighs tremble, the way his prick throbs, the way his balls tighten. You grab them, fondle, tease your fingertips across the sensitive skin of his perineum with the promise of going lower, between his cheeks to touch his other hole, no doubt puckered and twitching right now, and that's what does him in. His eyes roll back, fangs bared in a pleasured grimace. He grunts, deep and growly, tapering off into a breathless moan as spurts of hot cum shoot down your throat. You have no choice but to swallow the load; even if you could choose, you'd suck him dry every time. His seed burns on the way down. He fists your hair tight, thrusts shallow as he rides the tail of his orgasm. His tail thrashes. You kiss and lick his cockhead until it's too much and he hisses, pulls you away. Sad that you won't get to feel his dick soften in your mouth, but you can still see it do so. His taste lingers. Your gums tingle.

He pants, a thin, fetching sheen of sweat coating his face and chest. He stares at you, watches you watch him. You have no idea what you look like. You're a mess, probably. You don't care. He loosens his grip on your hair, lightly dragging his claws across your scalp until you shiver.

“From this point forward, unless I say otherwise, you will wake me this way every morning,” he states. He strokes your cheek, your lips, catches a smear of his cum you missed on the pad of his thumb. He pushes it into your mouth and you obediently suck it clean. His nostrils flare, pupils blown. You smile.

“Yes, Master.”

[moonselune]

I'm not the same anon who requested for BG3 ladies reacting to gn!Tav's silly sacrifice but could I request for the same prompt with Gale, Wyll, Astarion, and Halsin? - emoji anon

Hey emoji anonnnn, absolutely hope you enjoy it!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Gale:

The battlefield was chaos. Spells flew, swords clashed, and the cries of battle filled the air. Gale was caught up in a complex incantation, focusing intently on the weave of magic he was about to unleash. He didn’t see the enemy closing in on him, a blade poised to strike.

Without hesitation, you dashed across the battlefield, pushing through the pain and exhaustion that already weighed heavily on your limbs. The blade came down, aimed directly at Gale, but you intercepted it, feeling the sharp sting as it cut deep into your side. With a swift motion, you retaliated, your weapon finding its mark and finishing off the attacker.

Gale’s spell went off, obliterating another group of enemies, but his triumph was short-lived as he turned and saw you, bloodied and swaying on your feet. Panic flashed in his eyes as he rushed to your side.

“Are you okay?” you managed to ask, your voice shaky. “You’re not too hurt, are you?”

Gale’s eyes widened in horror as he took in the severity of your wounds. “Am I okay? What about you? You’re covered in blood!” His hands trembled as he reached out to steady you, fear and concern etched into his features. “Hold on, we need to get you some healing.”

You tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. “I’m fine, just a scratch.” Your vision blurred, and you felt yourself teetering on the edge of consciousness.

Gale didn’t waste a moment. He muttered a healing incantation, his hands glowing with a soft, warm light as he pressed them to your wounds. “Stay with me,” he urged, his voice filled with determination. “You saved my life. Now let me save yours.”

As the healing magic coursed through you, some of the pain ebbed away, and you felt a bit more stable. Gale’s face was inches from yours, his eyes filled with gratitude and love. “You’re so reckless,” he chided gently, his voice breaking. “But thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You managed a weak smile, your hand reaching up to touch his cheek. “Anything for you, Gale. Always.”

He pulled you into a tender embrace, his heart pounding with relief. “Rest now. I’ll keep you safe.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Astarion:

The clamor of battle surrounded you, but your focus was on Astarion. He was fighting off two foes, his movements graceful yet deadly. However, he was so engrossed in the fight that he didn’t see the third enemy sneaking up behind him, blade raised for a fatal strike.

You acted on pure instinct. Ignoring the pain already coursing through your body from earlier wounds, you leapt forward, taking the blow meant for Astarion. The blade cut deep, but you gritted your teeth and fought through the pain, swiftly dispatching the attacker before they could cause any more harm.

Astarion finished off his opponents and turned just in time to see you standing there, blood pouring from the gash in your side. His eyes widened in shock and fury.

“You fool!” he exclaimed, rushing to your side and catching you as you started to collapse.

“Are you okay?” you asked, your voice weak but insistent. “You’re not too hurt, are you?”

Astarion’s anger melted into a mix of worry and exasperation. “Am I okay? Look at you! You’re bleeding out!” His hands were already moving, trying to staunch the flow of blood. “Why did you do that?”

You tried to smile, though it was more of a pained grimace. “I couldn’t let you get hurt. You mean too much to me.”

Astarion’s eyes softened, though his lips still held a hint of a scowl. “You ridiculous, brave idiot,” he muttered, his voice trembling. He tore a piece of fabric from his sleeve, pressing it to your wound. “Stay with me, love. We’re not done yet.”

You felt the edges of your vision darkening, but Astarion’s voice anchored you. “I’m here,” you murmured, trying to keep your focus on him.

Astarion’s hands were steady now, though his face was a mask of concentration and worry. “You are not allowed to die on me,” he said fiercely. “Not after everything we’ve been through.”

He managed to stop the bleeding enough to give you some stability, and he held you close, his face inches from yours.

“You’re so infuriatingly selfless,” he whispered, his tone softening. “But I love you for it. Just promise me you won’t do something like this again.”

You nodded weakly, your hand reaching up to touch his cheek. “Anything for you, Astarion.”

He kissed you gently, a mix of relief and love in his eyes. “Rest now. I’ll take care of the rest.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Wyll:

The battlefield was a chaotic blur of clashing steel and magic. Wyll, absorbed in a fierce duel with a powerful foe, didn’t see the enemy creeping up behind him. You noticed just in time, your heart pounding as you rushed forward, ignoring everything else. The blade aimed for Wyll’s back found you instead, slashing deeply across your side. With a fierce cry, you fought off the enemy, finishing them with a swift and decisive blow.

Wyll turned, eyes wide with shock and horror as he saw you stagger, blood staining your clothes. “No!” he shouted, rushing to your side. “Why did you do that? Are you mad?”

You managed a weak smile, trying to stay upright despite the pain. “Are you okay? You’re not too hurt, are you?”

Wyll’s eyes were filled with a mix of anger and worry as he quickly assessed your injuries. “I’m fine, but you… you’re not,” he said, his voice trembling. “You’re hurt badly.”

You swayed on your feet, the world spinning around you. “Just wanted to make sure you’re safe,” you murmured, feeling your strength ebb away.

Without another word, Wyll scooped you into his arms, carrying you to the safety of the nearby camp. He laid you down gently, his hands glowing with healing magic as he worked to close your wound. “You’re not doing this again,” he muttered, his voice a mix of determination and fear. “I won’t lose you.”

You could see the worry etched on his face, but you managed a faint smile. “I’d do it again… to keep you safe,” you whispered.

Wyll shook his head, a tear slipping down his cheek. “No more heroic sacrifices, love. We protect each other, remember?”

You nodded weakly, feeling the warmth of his healing magic seep into your body. “I remember,” you said softly, your eyes closing as exhaustion took over. “Thank you, Wyll.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Halsin:

The battle raged around you, and Halsin was busy fending off a group of enemies when you saw a foe raising their weapon behind him. Without a second thought, you dashed forward, intercepting the blow meant for him. Pain exploded in your side as the weapon sliced into you, but you gritted your teeth and retaliated, swiftly dispatching the enemy.

Halsin turned at the sound of your cry, his eyes widening as he saw you bloodied but victorious.

“What have you done?” he exclaimed, rushing to your side. “My love, why?"

You gave him a strained smile, barely able to stand. “Are you okay? You’re not too hurt, are you?”

Halsin’s expression softened, but his worry was palpable. “I’m fine, but you… you’re hurt badly,” he said, his voice tight with concern. “Why didn’t you call for help? Or alert me to the danger?”

You tried to stay upright, but your legs felt like jelly. “Didn’t have time.... Had to make sure you were safe,” you replied, your voice growing weaker.

With a gentle but firm grip, Halsin lifted you into his arms, carrying you away from the battlefield. He found a quiet spot and laid you down carefully, his hands already glowing with druidic magic as he began to heal your wounds.

“You’re too precious to me to be taking such risks,” he said, his voice both stern and loving.

You could feel the warmth of his magic soothing your pain, and you managed a faint smile. “Just wanted to protect you,” you whispered.

Halsin’s eyes were filled with tenderness and frustration. “I can take care of myself,” he replied, his hands moving steadily over your wounds. “But seeing you hurt… it’s unbearable, my heart.”

You reached up weakly, touching his cheek. “I’ll be okay,” you said softly. “Thanks to you. My big bear.”

Halsin chuckled and leaned down, the healing magic clearly getting to you. He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Rest now, love. We’ll talk about your reckless bravery later,” he murmured. “For now, just let me take care of you.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

These were a little short but I hope y'all liked them - Seluney xox

[garlicbreadbatstarion]

Catching the BG3 Companions Reading the Quarta Sune - Gale Edition

content warnings: 18+, piv, unprotected sex, thermal play, hurt/comfort, softdom Gale, lots of vulnerable crying

pairing: f!reader x Gale, f!Tav x Gale

word count: 3400

A/N: So, it’s like a two-for-one where the first half is very fluffy and the second half is very smutty.  I put a clear break so if smut isn’t your thing, you can exit safely before the movie-rating changes! Either way, enjoy ye merry folk!

It was a rare day off from adventuring to allow yourself and your companions a day to recover from roughing it through the woods the past few weeks. You’d spent most of the day officiating a chess tournament between your companions and enjoying the spoils of an abandoned outpost with a well-stocked wine rack, together. Now, you stumble to a stand to collect more firewood as your companions roll with laughter, lost in drunken conversation. You smile warmly at your group when a small pang of guilt makes itself known in your chest.  Gale hasn’t been out all day; he said this morning he wanted to study some books you had picked up, but now that you think about it, he hasn’t so much as popped his head out all day.  You quickly walk past the wood pile and nervously continue towards Gale’s tent, and before you know it you’re standing in front of the canvas entryway.

Maybe he wants a break from everyone? From me…

Insecurity worms its way to the front of your mind as you freeze, feeling embarrassed at how anxious you feel after not seeing your wizard for just a few short hours.  You begin to turn around when you hear a familiar voice coming from inside.

“Delicious! Gah, but what flavor would she like?”

The relief you feel from hearing Gale’s voice is immediately infused with jealousy as you hear him pondering over the mystery “she”.  Before you can assess further your hand has already lifted the tent flap as you step inside and huff, loudly announcing your presence.  Gale turns in surprise before his face turns a shade of scarlet that envies the Esmeltar wine you had been enjoying with your friends throughout the day.  An embarrassed smile tugs on his lips as he steps towards you, away from the small worktable behind him full of herbs, flowers, and candles surrounding a boiling cauldron. 

“Sorry Gale, I hope she won’t mind me interrupting,” the bitterness in your voice more pronounced than you meant it to be, the wine somewhat overriding your logic.

Gale’s eyebrows knit together for a moment before he quickly realizes what happened.

“My dearest friend please-”

Before he can finish you cross your arms over your chest and inquire, “What have you been doing all day anyways?”

The wizard extends his hand towards you and you can’t help but soften just enough to accept his offer as he pulls you the few short steps across the tent to his workspace.  He hands you a small, steaming cup that smells like roses and honey, nodding towards the cup, “Do be cautious, it is very hot!”

You hold his gaze as your lips softly part to blow cool air across the surface of the tea, the steam visibly floating towards Gale as he deeply inhales the sweet scent.  You take a small sip and the floral tea immediately calms you.  It is more complex than you anticipated, tasting of rose, raspberry, dandelion, honey, and something…magical. 

“Gale…what is in this?”

His big, brown eyes grow wide with concern as his shoulders involuntarily slump, “You don’t enjoy it?”

The guilt is immediate and intense, it always is when he pulls out those ridiculous puppy eyes on you.  “No! Well yes, I mean- it is good, but why does it taste like magic?”

You scan the table as Gale attempts to stutter out an explanation, but then you notice the book on the stand behind him that he’s been concealing since you stepped in. He follows your line of sight and tries to step back in front of the book once more, but it’s too late.  You are already toe to toe and reaching around him to grab the book. 

“It is for educational purposes!” Gale cries out nervously as you look at the text in your hand; the left page has an assortment of tea ingredients and some suggested ‘aphrodisiac blends’. The right page is far more illustrative with a diagram titled ‘Threading the Weave’ with notes etched all along the side in a familiar hand.

Your breath hitches in your throat as you look at Gale miserably, jealousy and hurt taking over your wine-soaked brain that is conjuring images of your wizard and every pretty woman you’ve crossed paths with in the last few weeks.  You shove the book back at him with force, and turn to leave as tears threaten your eyes.

“Tav! I am sorry if my crudeness has offended-“

“Next time ask your secret flame to sample your offerings directly, don’t bring me into it.”

Your try to sound threatening, but the hurt in your voice is obvious as you step away from him towards the entrance as Gale sighs loudly, “You still don’t know?”

You turn back around with a glare despite the tears pushing out of your waterline, “What are you talking about?”

Gale sits down on one of the large cushions on the floor and pats the one next to him, an invitation to join.  You move slowly, eyeing him with suspicion as your mind races trying to piece together what he’s doing.

“I never have been good at this; I apologize for my poor communication. It’s just-“

“Gale I’m sorry.  You don’t have to defend your choices to me. It was selfish and stupid of me to pry into your things. You can do as you wish. I hope you enjoy your time with your new flame.” Your apology is sincere, though your heart still shudders in agony at the thought of Gale with someone else. You’ve been so focused on the many tasks at hand that you haven’t truly taken the time to tell him how you feel.  And now, you must suffer for it.

“My dear there is no new flame.”

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise so quickly that it forces a tear out of the corner of your eye as you stare at the wizard, now truly dumbfounded as he gently reaches for your hands.

“It has been on my mind for some time now, yet I was far too foolish to recognize it as quickly as I should have.  I have watched you lead our merry crew through epic adventures and have admired you from the moment I felt your hand pull me out of the portal.  Your courage, your strength, your gentleness…and the more I speak with you the more enraptured I become.  I began to worry that my humble studies have never prepared me for how to woo a creature as fair and noble as yourself-”

Gale’s nervous confession swirls in your mind as you stare at him, astonished that you never allowed yourself to see it.  You had both been so caught up in your insecurities that neither of you had acted on your feelings.  Fuck it.  You cut off the wizard mid-sentence as you lunge from your seat, capturing his mouth in a desperate kiss as your hands cup either side of his face.  He hungrily kisses back as his fingers tangle into your hair at the base of your neck and he lets out a soft groan as you both pull back for air.  Now, straddling his lap, you look at his face and see his eyes are now also damp with tears.  You rest your forehead gently against his and stay like that for what feels like both a moment and a lifetime.  A loud sizzle interrupts the serenity as you both see the tea cauldron boiling over.  Gale leaps to his feet in surprise sending you tumbling backwards onto the floor cushions as he frantically puts out the small flame heating the cauldron.  You can’t help but laugh at his sheepish expression as he glances back at you, the crisis now formally averted. 

You stand and make a few short strides over to him as a mischievous smile spreads across his face.

“Gale, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, perhaps now that you know it’s yours anyways, would you like a cup of tea?”

You peer at the cauldron, the intoxicating aroma of rose and honey teasing your nose while the pink liquid swirls around the pot.

“Only if you will have one with me.”

a few hours later...

(also this is where the smutty part begins so if you’re only here for fluff, depart here friend!)

You lie on your side laughing as Gale animatedly recounts a story from his youth, when he stole a forbidden tome out of his headmaster’s office.

“Gale you didn’t!”

“I did! And he always suspected my classmate!”

You both roll into another fit of laughter but it is soon replaced with a gleeful, breathless quiet.  The two of you cannot take your eyes off each other; a warm smile spreads across Gale’s face and soon, you’re overwhelmed by the intensity of his longing gaze.  You look to your teacup to take a sip, but hum quietly when you realize it is empty.  You stare into the shiny bottom and turn your head inquisitively towards Gale, “I don’t believe you ever answered my question earlier…why is this tea so magical? Hmm?”

Gale’s cheeks flush as his eyebrows tense with thought, but he laughs, “I can’t quite remember honestly.” And he reaches up to the corner of the table above his head, his hand searching for the guidebook.  You roll onto all fours and crawl across the short gap to sit by Gale’s side, flushing with anticipation.  He brings the book down into his lap and you glance around his shoulder, hovering so close to him you can see the chill run up and down his arm.

Sensual Tea Blend:

-8 parts water

-2 parts rose petals

-2 parts fresh honeycomb

-1 part dandelion root

-1 part raspberry leaf

-1 handful of jasmine flowers

Scribbled into the side of the list you read Gale’s handwriting:

Extract of Rogue’s Morsel to promote romantic appetite. Ergo and nutmeg to relax the body and mind!

You giggle, hearing his voice read the note in your own head before you confirm out loud,  “Romantic appetite?”

Gale looks at you wide-eyed, biting back a smile on his lips, “Well, is it working?” He bats his eyelashes playfully, but quickly adds, “For scientific research, of course!”

The tea has certainly made you feel different, and you subconsciously bite your lip and scrunch your nose trying to come up with the right description.  Gale shifts his body to turn towards you, before he gently leans you back into the many cushions before sitting next to you and beginning, “M’lady, we shall begin with a brief physical exam if I may?” He wiggles his eyebrows and you gasp in surprise at the boldness of the wizard next to you, but you concede and nod your head to begin, trying to keep the grin from taking over your face. 

“Excellent!” He smiles before holding his palm up, closing his eyes and focusing until a soft, pink light glows warmly from his hand.  He slowly hovers his hand above your body, working carefully not to actually touch you, but to remain close enough to feel your skin relax in the warmth.  He slowly leads the light up one side of you, around the top of your head, and down the other. A small sound, almost a purr, rolls from the back of your throat at the sensation, causing Gale to give a satisfactory, “I see, yes. One more quick test…”

He retracts his hand and in a moment, Gale whispers a quick spell under his breath and a small ball of swirling ice replaces the flame in his palm.  Your eyes get big as he slowly drags his hand over top of your stomach, and breath loudly catches at the cold.  Gale looks at you, quietly waiting for your approval to move on; you bite your lip and nod, pushing your head against the pillow in anticipation of the sensation. His hand hovers up slowly, as he leans in closer to see your face as the harsh cold hardens your nipple and Gale lets out a soft groan as it pushes against your sheer tunic. His hand is a breath away from touching you, but you hold your breath as he hovers across your sternum and up onto your other breast.  You whimper softly at the cold and Gale tries to stifle another, louder groan.  Your hands jump from your sides; one holding his wrist, the other gently pressed against his chest.  You lock eyes for what feels like an eternity and in an instant, Gale shakes his hand and the cold orb is gone for only a moment before he desperately palms your breast and moves onto his side to kiss you. 

You both moan like beasts, weeks’ worth of tension breaking as your hands roam as far as they will reach.  Gale slips a hand under your shoulder to hold you up just long enough for you to slip your tunic over your head before Gale’s face is immediately at your collarbones planting harsh, wet kisses across your chest.  He lets a hoarse growl from his throat as your fingers tug at his soft brown locks.  Your hands tug gently at the shoulders of his shirt before he sits up to remove his own tunic and you slip off your trousers, his eyes wide as saucers, his mouth salivating at your nude form.  He quickly crawls back on top of you, taking both of your hands and pinning them on either side of your head as he leans in so close you can feel his hot breath on your ear as he whispers, “Do you often forgo your underclothes, or is it a special selection to visit my tent?”

You whimper as he lets go of one of your wrists to tightly grip your hip as he pulled you into him, the hard bulge in his trousers pushing against your bare thigh.  His hand slowly releasing your hip bone as he slowly caresses the softness of your stomach and travels down your hips to follow the curve of your thigh in towards your burning core.  His hand stops just short of the throb between your legs and you whine, louder this time before you cover your mouth, afraid you’ll alert your companions. Gale removes the hand from your mouth and whispers again, “I made sure to create a barrier for the sound in my tent when we began; I find it easier to rest when I cannot hear the snores of our dear Karlach, and thought it could come in handy in the off-chance I would be the noisy neighbor!”

You giggle at him before he gently moves his hand so that his middle and ring finger push firmly against your clit.  You moan loudly at the pressure and gasp as he moves you in soft, slow circles while his head swivels back to your mouth as he captures you with another deep, slow kiss.  You whimper against his mouth as his fingers move slightly faster and your hands fumble out, searching desperately as you palm the large bulge now fighting against the laces of his trousers.  He groans loudly with the contact and it emboldens you to reach for his wrists, as you slowly remove his hands from your body and raise them above his head while you move to straddle his waist.  His eyes grow wide in surprise at first, but then quickly become elated as he eagerly watches you take the lead. You lean forward so your breasts are just out of reach above his arms to turn the guidebook on the floor so you can see it again. One figure sits on the ground while the other figure leans back in their lap, their legs draped over the shoulders of the sitting partner.  Gale turns his head to follow your stare and lets out another groan when he sees the diagram.

He quickly sits up, and reaches out to grab your waist before pausing, sheepishly smiling knowing he has quickly struck down your attempt to lead.  You lean back onto your elbows and spread your legs wide, revealing your core with a smirk as you tease, “It’s okay dear, you can take me however you want this time.” You bite your lip, a bit shocked at your own confidence as Gale practically growls as he stands up to shed his pants and underwear in one motion.  His cock is already damp from your teasing, the sheen noticeable even in the warm candlelight that illuminates the tent.  You practically howl, throwing your head back, desperate to feel him as your thighs involuntarily shudder at the sight of him.  He smiles confidently as he returns to his knees before reaching out to pull you onto his lap by your ankles.  You feel his member brush against your folds as he positions your legs over his shoulder and you gasp out his name. He answers with a grunt as one hand secures your thigh over his shoulder, while the other drags his cock against your entrance again, this time with more pressure. 

“Gale please”, you plead with him, his enthusiasm and charm turning you into a whiny, desperate mess.

“I’m sorry my love, can you be more descriptive?” He just barely pushes the tip of his length into you before removing it again, causing you to moan and wiggle your hips to try and find the friction again. He gives a hearty chuckle before he asks, “Darling, all you need to do is tell me, please.”

His eyes are dark with passion, and he turns to give you a wet, open-mouthed kiss on your thigh before he turns back to look at you, encouraging you to speak with a nod.

“I want to feel you inside of me, now.”

Gale grunts as he pushes himself inside you, the movement is easy with how wet you are from the very drawn-out foreplay.  You rock your hips as Gale clamps his fingers into both of your thighs, thrusting his hips to chase yours as you both whimper and moan.  His thrusts become stronger, a snarl-like sound escaping his mouth as he watches your body jiggle with each impact.  The sensation is overwhelming as you lock eyes with the wizard and hold his stare as you begin to toy with your breasts.  You feel him twitch inside you for a moment as the sound of his hips bouncing off your ass becomes louder and his hands move from your thighs to your hips, pulling you onto him so vigorously that you feel each impact vibrate in your ribs.  The knot in your stomach winding tighter as you hold against him tighter with your legs, one arm propping you up while the other travels down your body to find your clit as you let out a cry of pleasure at the double stimulation.

Your wizard is groaning uncontrollably and you whimper at the sight of him as you feel him beginning to twitch inside you again before he lets out an ecstatic groan and you feel the warm result of your lovemaking filling your core as he continues with tired, sloppy thrusts while you gasp out, “Gale I’m so close!”

He continues to fuck you, tears welling in his eyes from the overstimulation and you let out a scream when you finally feel the tension in your body release in a flood of pure pleasure.  The sensation is so overwhelming you squeeze your eyes shut and ride the feeling as you come undone, Gale still buried deep inside you as you both slow to a still.  You carefully let your legs fall to either side of him while he carefully pulls out of you, causing a small mess between your legs that drips onto your thighs as you groan.  The wizard all but collapses forward, laying on his stomach next to you for only a moment before his arm wraps around your waist, pulling your naked frame into his.  You lay together silently for a long time, until your bodies calm down and you feel sleep trying to settle into your eyes. 

“Gale,” you whisper.

“Yes my dear?”

“Perhaps we should get dressed before we sleep? This is a bit compromising don’t you think?” You look down at your bare bodies tangled together and Gale chuckles softly before waving his hand; a blanket floats from his bedroll and stretches to cover the two of you. You laugh at his solution and cuddle back into his side before floating off to a deep, comfortable sleep in the arms of your wizard.

I really hope y'all enjoyed this one! If you read the whole thing we're making friendship bracelets. If you like this kind of stuff, feel free to follow/reblog as I have plans for more in the future. Ask box is open if you have any requests, comments, or questions :)

[justporo]

Astarion doesn't know how to cook, but wants to make Tav a romantic dinner. He enlists the help of Gale and regrets it near instantly. Do with this what you like :3

My dear mushy, this is a wonderful prompt, so thank you so much for that. (I loved that it had me write another one of the companions!)

It is in fact so wonderful that it will turn into a short little two-part thingy (because it makes sense in my head and also I can split up the parts, so I can go to bed now, hihi)

So, have: Gale and Astarion pissing each other off in this part and find out if Tav actually does get her romantic dinner in the second part of:

A Night of... Shattered Glass and the Smell of Burning?

“Dinner? Oh Astarion, all these months on the road and all this time since we’ve come to Baldur’s Gate. And you only ask me now?”

“Not with you, you idiot, with Tav!”

Astarion was standing in the wizard’s study – in the place Gale had obtained after your joint adventure to stay a while longer in the city. The wizard was sitting behind his massive desk, Tara on his lap who purred excessively because of all the head scratches she received. And in front of the desk stood Astarion, arms crossed over his chest and an displeased expression on his face. His body was halfway turned towards the door as if he wanted to be ready to leave the room and this place – forever – whenever the need arose.

Gale grinned at the vampire’s uneasiness but didn’t say anything to soothe his former companion – he was relishing the moment way too much for that. So he opted to just stare at the elf and make him suffer a little while longer.

Astarion sighed in defeat and pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and index finger before he let them stretch out, pressing into his closed eyes. “Gale, don’t make me regret I’ve come here, please”, Astarion pressed out from behind gritted teeth.

Tara stretched out on Gale’s lap, yawned deeply and jumped off her owner’s lap to saunter around the desk. Gale let her, keeping his gaze on the vampire: “No really, you have to give me at least this one moment in return, Astarion, just one teeny tiny moment of you coming to me for help. You’ve actually grown so much over just such a short span…”

Astarion zoned out while the wizard rambled on trying to have his superior moment of being sarcastic and sassy – Gods, it had been a horrible idea to come here. He felt the wizard’s cat stroke around his legs then, rubbing her head against his shins and looking up at him expectantly.

So, he bowed down to lift her up and started to pet her to which Tara responded with arching her back into the vampire’s careful touch and starting to purr loudly. At that a smile crept onto Astarion’s face. He’d always liked cats – fierce and beautiful creatures.

“…and I feel so honoured that you would ask me out of all people, Astarion – really!”, ended the wizard his sarcastic speech and was finally silent. Astarion rolled his eyes: “Now go and write it all into your journal and draw pink glittery hearts around it while kicking your little feet. Are you done now?” Gale lifted one finger and narrowed his eyes with raised eyebrows: “Allow me one more question.” Astarion groaned. “Does Tav know?”, the wizard asked.

“No”, hissed the vampire in response and stared angrily at Gale “and if you’re going to tell her, I am going to rip your godsdamned throat out.” Gale reacted with lifting his hands defensively: “Alright okay, I’m done. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Some of the tension left Astarion’s body. “So will you help me or not?”, he asked while focusing on the cat in his arms instead of the person he was asking something off – openly committing to wanting help, talking about a weakness – and may it be something as inconsequential as this – was not something he had learned awfully well to accept; perhaps he never really would.

Gale’s gaze softened a little and he stood up from behind the desk to walk around it and leaning against it in a relaxed pose. He crossed his arms over his chest: “So… come again, what exactly is it exactly that you’re planning?”

Finally, Astarion lifted his gaze to look at the wizard. His eyes was full of suspicion after Gale had at first opted to tease him about a genuine demand. And it had already cost him an enormous amount of pride to swallow to actually come over and voice his request for help. The wizard sighed: “Okay listen, I’m sorry, I was a dick about this – it’s just… I wouldn’t have expected this from you, is all…”

Astarion didn’t say anything in response, his reluctancy had not yet left him. And so an awkward kind of silence stretched between the two men – unable or unwilling to be more open and sincere; at least for the time being.

“Listen”, Gale started again “I’ll help you, I promise. But you have to tell me what you want to do or else I don’t know how.”

Astarion looked down again at the purring cat in his arms. After a few heartbeats he sighed and said: “In a few weeks, it will be six months since… Tav and I are official. And I thought after all the peril she, I mean we all, but she especially has been put through and after everything she’s done for me…” The vampire’s words trailed off and he threw Gale a glance. There were no more words needed in this instance, Gale had been there beside him and Tav when they had walked into Cazador Szarr’s lair.

The wizard felt his throat close up at the memory – as much in dread, as he remembered, as in compassion for his… friend.

“So”, Gale coughed and readjusted his position against his giant wooden desk, before he went on in a more animated manner, “you thought a nice romantic dinner would be a nice opportunity to show her a little bit of your gratefulness and also celebrate your love.” “I see we are finally on the same page, my wizard partner in crime”, Astarion replied then cheerfully – thankful for the change in mood.

“And the problem is that it’s been a while, naturally, since you had the pleasure in the kitchen”, Gale went on. Astarion cleared his throat: “To be honest, even before… let’s just say food had just always come on a plate.”

“Hah, and now it always comes from a neck, right?”, Gale tried to crack a joke and failed miserably. The vampire looked ready to leave once more: “Please leave the jokes to me, Gale. Else I’m leaving – and taking the cat.”

Gale let his head fall back until he was facing the ceiling. “This won’t be easy”, he whispered under his breath. Then he lifted his hands as he let himself look at the vampire once more that had started cooing at Tara in his arms – making little kissy faces at the cat that was stretching out one of his paws as if in a gentle caress of the elf’s face.

“Let’s just get to the point. What did you have in mind then?”, said the wizard and made a few steps towards Astarion how was now stroking Tara’s face with a single finger as if she was a baby. Only when Gale was almost in front of him did he notice that the wizard had asked him another question.

The vampire gave another sigh and then shortly bent down to set down the animal which protested softly but then just kept stroking around his legs. “I thought you could teach me some stuff. Show me to make some dishes so I can prepare the dinner for Tav myself…” “Yes okay, but what does she like – I mean, back on the road we all made do with what we could get our hands on, but if you want to surprise her with something shouldn’t it be something to impress her?”, Gale interrupted, immediately getting into planning mode. His head was already turning on how to get organised and starting. “Well, Gale, from what I’ve heard the last time you wanted to impress a woman it didn’t go all too well, didn’t it? Maybe tone it down a little”, the vampire bit out. But a sparkle had entered his red eyes, nonetheless, at the thought of actually pulling this surprise off.

Gale though was back at looking at the ceiling, cursing whatever had put this flatulated vampire in his path. “Alright”, Gale sighed, “first thing we have to settle is that we can’t go for each other’s throats all the time – VERBALLY, verbally”, he exclaimed with raised eyebrows and pointed a finger at Astarion when the vampire had started smirking at him in a kind of way.

“I didn’t start – at least this time”, the vampire shot back. “Astarion”, Gale drawled annoyedly in a tone that might’ve been used many a time towards his cat – which did actually look up at her owner and cocked her head at him.

“Fine”, Astarion agreed in the same tone. “So, let’s figure out the desired menu first, shall we?”, Gale said to put them back on track. “What’s Tav’s favourite food, what dishes does she like – sweet, savoury?”

Do that Astarion put a hand to his chin and started to think. His brows furrowed and his gaze was suddenly miles away: “Her favourite thing are strawberries by far, but that does only work for dessert. Maybe with something chocolate-y, she really does have a knack for sweet stuff.” At that point Gale opened his mouth to crack another joke but shut it immediately when he realised how genuine Astarion had become all of a sudden.”

“She likes hearty foods – nothing needlessly complicated or pretentious. And she always goes on about how she’d love to have more fish but that it’s so complicated to prepare sometimes, hmm.” Astarion was still lost in his thoughts and kept rambling on about every last detail he could remember about what might work and what they had to avoid.

Gale’s face split into a huge, warm grin, bewildered by Astarion and how much he knew about these small little details about his soulmate and how much genuine care and love shone in his eyes as he kept talking about her.

Gale put out his hand to lay on Astarion’s shoulder who was still somewhere else, still talking. At the light gesture the elf flinched and shock filled his eyes for a short moment before he realised is was only the wizard. “Second rule, don’t just touch me”, he hissed at the man who was still smiling warmly at his friend behaving like a feral street cat.

“Agreed. Let’s just get to work, Astarion. I’ll make a chef out of you in no time. Let’s go.” And with these final words Gale went off towards his kitchen.

Astarion expressed his doubts in the wizard’s self-impression but followed closely behind.

[feyascorner]

7 | The Fangs Between Us

summary. “It’s too hard to see. We need to turn back.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little bit of darkness.”

You scrunch your nose at this, and he merely grins. Before you can say anything, he’s back to pacing across the dirt without a care in the world—almost too fast for your liking. “Will you at least slow down?”

“Shall I hold your hand?”

“I’d rather cut it off.”

“A pity.”

warnings. angst, comfort, slow burn, tav reader is a bard, italics are flashbacks

pairing. Astarion x GN!Reader

parts. TFBU masterlist

a/n. 6.9k words !!! this chapter took forever but somehow i managed!! thank you so much for your kind words and patience !!! he's kind of a silly guy in the chapter so pls enjoy this peace offering as the calm before a storm

“Are you sure this is the right course of action? Letting him ascend?” Shadowheart asks as you adjust one of the logs in the campfire, watching the other companions organize their tents from afar. You stop at this, turning to face her.

“It’s what he wants,” you mumble. “I won’t stop him if he’s sure this is the right thing to do.”

You’re still getting used to her hair, which’s now as white as a sheet, but you think it looks lovely against the fire. She seems calmer than she did when she was with Shar. At peace, almost. She casts you a sidelong glance. “Can we really trust his judgment of all people? He’s—I mean, well, him.”

“I know it sounds unreasonable," you say letting yourself sit down beside her on her bedroll. “But I want him to make his own decisions. He’s spent too many years having no choice of his own, and I’d be the worst person to take it away from him again.”

“I just,” her voice softens. “Astarion’s a complicated person, and I’m sure you know better than us. It’s because he couldn’t make his own choices for so long that it makes me think he’s lost his capability to make any choices anymore. Good ones, at least.”

“I trust him.”

“Gods knows how.”

You stifle a laugh, and she sips at her wine, eyes still glazing over the camp. There’s a kind of solemnness to them that makes your stomach churn. “You seem worried.”

“Not worried, per se,” she shrugs. “I just realize that I owe a debt to you for what you did for me against my lad—I mean, Shar. And I myself almost went down that dark path of becoming a Justiciar if it weren’t for you. At the time, I thought it was the best thing for me too, like Astarion believes ascension to be what will set him free.”

You nod patiently, urging her to continue.

“I only fear he might make the wrong choice if he doesn’t have the right guidance as I did.”

The words feel hesitant on her tongue. And although they make the voice in the back of your head, telling you to convince Astarion otherwise, louder, you ignore it, opting to smile at her softly instead. “Is this you caring about our companions?”

“Heavens, no,” she snorts, but there’s a joking tone behind her voice. “But like I said…I’m indebted to you all. Astarion also aided in my personal affairs with Shar, even if he didn’t have to, and even with his incessant complaining…I suppose this is my way of paying him back.”

Your chest warms. It’s soothing to know that even without you, your other companions have enough care for your lover to offer him bits of advice; in a way, it relieves a bit of weight off your shoulders. Even the companions who claim to detest his presence have grown fond of him over the months, and you’re sure it goes both ways. It helps because even if you’re gone, you know he’ll be okay.

“I never told you formally,” she sighs. “But thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me or feel indebted. I just did what I could for you.”

“Don’t be so humble. What you’ve done for me—for all of us—is something we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives,” she takes her last swig from her wine. “But from one messed up person to another, please, be careful.”

Your wrist feels sore.

Two days. It’s been two days since the incident at the Blushing Mermaid, and still, your body seems to burn whenever you see his closed door across yours from the hall, and all you can do is rub shamefully at the healing puncture wounds on your wrist. The bandages looping around the skin do a good enough job of hiding them, but you genuinely wish you could just ask Shadowheart to heal them for you because being able to see them does little to help with the constant thoughts of the vampire muddling the clarity of your mind. 

But you’d rather not let your companions know what happened between you and the vampire on the dirtied floors of the Blushing Mermaid. You’d likely die of shame for letting him drink from you, even after your mutual agreement to specifically avoid just that. What’s worse is that you expect the worst from Lae’zel, especially after her explicit advice to do the exact opposite of what you chose to do.

You tighten the bandages again.

“Did those yourself, did you?”Alfira snorts, and you almost have half a mind to glare at her if it weren’t for the crumpled sheets of paper surrounding the legs of her chair. The ink on the discarded pages now blends into mush as they lie in the puddles forming around her—an aftermath of the recent rainy weather. You don’t tell her, though. She seems frustrated enough as it is, and you fear she might snap a string of her lute if this prolongs any longer. “How’d you get hurt anyway?”

“It’s a bug bite.”

“A rather massive bug, apparently.”

The corners of your lips quirk downward, and she finally sets her lute aside, careful to avoid the puddles as she props it against the side of her stool to focus on her notepad instead. Though most of its pages have now been torn out, the remaining few have scribbles of song lyrics that even you can’t decipher with how messily the ink splatters across the page. She, however, seems perfectly fine reading its contents aside from her glaringly obvious distaste for the words themselves. You raise your brow. “Can you really read that?”

“Oh, hush. Don’t insult my penmanship.”

You snicker, eyes continuing to scan the sheets of paper that had been abandoned on Dalyria’s desk at the Blushing Mermaid. It’d taken quite some time to take apart the pages plastered on the wall and to organize the mountain of doctor’s notes lying across the lair, but you’d managed to fish out something useful eventually. The journal was one that seemed especially important, filled to the brim with Dalyria’s so-called ‘research.’ 

But if the past few days have told you anything, it’s that Dalyria is a terrible note-taker.

The pages are filled with shapes. Some are curved, and others just bend and contort into odd figures that you’re sure aren’t supposed to look like letters. Each page studies a different shape on a random part of the page, leaving them scattered and difficult to decipher.

You’re starting to think this is just some odd attempt at art rather than the studies she claims to be performing.

“And? Why are you here if you’re not here to look at those lyrics I gave you?”

“I’m trying to figure out what this journal says,” you sigh, flipping another page you don’t understand. “And if you couldn’t tell, I’m rather busy trying to find the people responsible for murders around the city, so excuse me if I haven’t had the time to glance at your song.”

“I’m plenty busy myself, you know! I just got hired to sing at this fancy party for some celebration. They even said I could dress all nice for it,” she smiles proudly, and you offer her a crooked one of your own. “It’s my first serious gig—so I’m a bit nervous with how large it is…”

“How’d you land something like that before you’ve even played at children’s birthday parties?”

“Well, I’m not doing it alone, obviously,” she reasons, scratching something on her pages again. “I’m going with one of my friends. She’s a wonderful violinist, and she managed to squeeze me into the event, which I’m so grateful for…I suppose I’m just a bit worried.”

You look up from Dalyria’s notebook. “Worried? What for?”

“That my fingers will lock up, and I’ll humiliate myself,” she admits sheepishly, tucking a portion of her hair behind her sharp ear. “Lihala used to call me silly for worrying about things that haven’t happened–but I can’t help it. It’s the before-show jitters. Pesky things. It’s a bit embarrassing, really.”

Humming in acknowledgment, you look to the murky skies overhead, where dark clouds threaten to pour down for at least another few days. A shame, you think. You’ve never seen the Summers of Baldur’s Gate feel so dreary.

It’s fitting, almost, considering the state that the city is in.

The painful sound of quill scratching against paper is all you can hear now as Alfira sighs irritably again, ripping out another sheet of paper.

“It’s not embarrassing,” you finally say.

She blinks up from her notepad. “What is?”

“Being nervous. I’ve done more performances than I can count, and my hands would still get clammy in front of a big crowd,” you laugh to yourself. “But when you see how they watch you as if you’re performing sorcery with your lute, it’s like you were never anxious in the first place. The audience is what makes it bearable.”

“Gods, I hope you’re right,” she smiles fondly as you continue to reminisce in your own memories. “It’s a rather shame we never got to perform together. Not after the last time we played at the Grove–and I don’t even count that occasion with how unstable my voice was…”

“I can watch if you’d like,” you offer. “Your performance, I mean.”

Her eyes gleam with excitement, and she reaches to clasp both your hands, beaming brightly. “Will you? I’m sure if you’re there, it’ll ease my nerves, too!-”

As you shift in your seat to follow your hands, Dalyria’s notebook slips off your lap. The simple splash beneath you tells you all you need to know as your eyes shoot down to where the notebook now lies face down into a puddle, and you don’t even have to lift it to know that its pages are soaked.

But you don’t have to pick it up yourself because Alfira’s carefully holding it in an instant, her face pale as she fans her hand in a fruitless attempt to prevent the damage already done. “Dammit, I’ve done it again! I’m truly sorry…I didn’t mean for that to happen! But I’m sure if we just put it in the sunlight for a few days, it’ll–”

You gently take it from her hands, shaking your head. Perhaps it’s because you were just deep into memories you hold dear to your heart, but there isn’t an ounce of panic in your voice. “It’s fine. I wasn’t getting anywhere with this thing anyway.”

“Still…”

The pages stick together in chunks as you flip the journal towards the pages that are at least half dry. You fear they might tear off at the slightest touch, so all you can do is stare at a page you deem to be soaking up the ink from the pages behind it. Alfira groans into her hands, and before you can spare her a glance to remind her it’s alright, you spot something in the middle of the page.

“Holy shit,” you whisper so quietly she doesn’t catch it.

“I’ll grab us a wind scroll. Or maybe that’s too strong? Surely there’s some spell that can dry off books.”

“You have no idea what you’ve just done for me, Alfira,” you blurt, already halfway to stuffing the journal into your pack. She blinks up at you with weary eyes, but you quickly clamber off the stool with no time to offer an explanation. “Let me know when the performance is. I’ll be here next week as usual.”

“Don’t you want me to dry off the pages?”

“No,” you shake your head, your heart pounding. “I need to show this to the others.”

She stares at you as if you’ve grown a second head. Still, as you rush toward the stairs leading to the city streets, she calls after you.

“Don’t forget to look at the lyrics!”

“Runes? As in the ones carved into Astarion’s back?”

“I thought they were random blots of ink, but,” you raise the notebook in your hands, and the soaked pages now show the contents of the following sheets, blending to form a larger image. The placement of the shapes were not random at all, and you internally apologize for calling Dalyria a few less-than-kind words in your mind. “They’re not. They’re parts of the runes that Cazador tried to use for the ritual. There are six sets of runes in here, and each one’s slightly altered.”

“But what purpose does that serve?” Shadowheart cocks a brow, eyeing the page questionably with crossed arms. “Cazador’s dead. There’s no ascension to be done.”

“Unfortunately, just because that haunting man is gone doesn’t mean the threat of an ascension is either.” Intrigued but clearly disturbed, Gale takes the notebook and squints at what it holds. “Cazador himself never needed to be the one to execute the ascension.”

The room goes silent, leaving an uncomfortable tension in the air that keeps you from moving. You’re not sure how many seconds pass before you hear the figure who’s been awfully quiet the past half an hour mutter something under his breath from the comfy armchair beside the fireplace.

Astarion clicks his tongue, seemingly unfazed. “Ah, I see.”

The fists at your side clench tighter. The bandages feel impossibly tight all of a sudden.

“It’s for the ascension, clearly. There’s no other plausible explanation,” his eyes remain glued to the flickering flames, swirling a chalice of wine in his hand. He doesn’t sip from it, knowing that it tastes of nothing but vinegar on his undead tongue, so why he’s poured himself a glass, you don’t understand. You also can’t be bothered to ask. “Perhaps they plan to enact it. Take a piece of all that power for themselves.”

“But they can’t do the ascension,” Shadowheart frowns, turning to you. “You said there’s only six runes in there. They don’t have the last one to enact the ascension because Astarion’s with us. Cazador’s the only one who could have done it because he’s the only one who knows what each of the runes looks like. Without Astarion’s, they can’t—”

“They wanted him,” you whisper the confession, and you swear your voice nearly cracks. “They wanted Astarion. That’s why they wanted to speak with me.”

All three of your companions whip their heads to you, and you stare down at the ground. Shame burns through you, and you can practically feel the disappointment radiating off them as it dawns on you that you lied to them. You lied to your closest companions for the sake of saving yourself the embarrassment that no matter what you do, no matter what you tell yourself, your subconscious forces you to care for the bloody vampire sitting beside the fireplace. Despite the many eyes on you, you can only feel one crimson pair that bore into you like the sun beating down on a hot summer’s day.

Even now, he’s your biggest concern, and you hate yourself for it.

“Then it’s not Astarion they need,” Gale says breathlessly. “They need the marks on his back.”

“And you didn’t tell us this, why?” Shadowheart hisses. “You said they just tried to kill you!”

You blurt. “They did! They said they’d stop killing citizens if I just tossed Astarion over to them, but when I said no, they completely flipped and–”

“You declined that deal?” Lae’zel snarls, and you unwillingly flinch at the venom in her tone. “You swore, istik. You swore you wouldn't be foolish if it came down to you or him.”

The words feel like a knife to your throat.

“Well, obviously, it worked out,” you grumble, ignoring how Lae’zel’s eyes are narrowed dangerously. No doubt, she has questions of her own that she’ll demand answers to later. “If I handed him over, they would’ve had the last key to conducting the ascension.”

“You still lied to us,” Shadowheart steps toward you, but Gale quickly clears his throat.

“I know how deceived we all feel, but must we fight? What matters is the spawns can’t conduct the ascension as of now, correct?” he attempts to calm her down, but her scowl only grows deeper. “As disappointed as we all are, we must admit that keeping Astarion here is the right decision.”

“You’re too hasty, wizard,” Lae’zel snaps. “A vampire’s ascension would mean ridding of all the other spawn wreaking havoc in the city. We mustn’t throw away a chance being offered without considering it.”

Shadowheart is immediately on her feet, her eyebrows furrowing. “Don’t be an idiot–a few thousand spawn is better than a nearly impenetrable being capable of creating even more spawn. That’s asking for just as bad as we are now–maybe even worse.”

They break into a simultaneous debate, one in which two room occupants do not take part. Because even as you try to focus on what the others are saying, all you can feel is the unsettling stare of the spawn in the corner of the room, his hand still swirling the wine. You wonder if his wrist ever gets tired. You refuse to give him the satisfaction of returning his stare, but you watch him from the corner of your eye as his attention shifts to your wrist.

“Are we even sure this is what they’re planning? Do a few drawings prove that they want to go through with this ritual, again, after what it nearly did to them?” Shadowheart’s attention darts to you. “This ritual would kill them. Why in the hells would all of them agree to do it if it only means one would come out alive?”

You open your mouth to respond, but nothing comes out in return. The hurt embedded into her expression is so glaringly apparent that it makes your chest squeeze uncomfortably, and all you can do is look away in shame. “...I don’t know.”

Her face hardens. “Do you? Or are you just lying to us again?”

Cheeks flaring, you shake your head. “I’m not lying, I swear it.”

Her eyes flicker with something you don’t recognize before they flit to your bandaged arm and then back to your eyes. She doesn’t miss how you try to move your arm behind you. A miscalculation on your part since your attempt at hiding it makes your secret that much more obvious. “Then what are those for? You’ve had them on since you returned from the Blushing Mermaid, and you refuse to let me heal you myself. Just what did you get injured from?”

The room is so silent you can hear your own heartbeat.

“I–” you stop, wavering. “There was a—”

Shadowheart clenches her jaw. “Don’t lie. Please.”

But still, no words are willing to leave your throat. 

Your companions await words from you that do not exist. Like a deer in headlights, you stand numbly, unsure what to do. Fortunately, and also unfortunately, before long, Lae’zel has had enough of waiting, and she begins to march toward you in a way that makes you step away.

“Give me your arm,” she demands. “If you cannot say, then show us.”

You can feel all the blood draining from your face as she draws closer. But even Gale cannot hinder her this time because everyone in the room knows what she’s capable of with that blade attached to her hip, and she’s not against wasting a few potions of healing if she has to barrel her way through. You brace yourself for the inevitable, teeth gritting together.

Just as she reaches for your arm, someone else snatches it away.

“I drank from them,” Astarion says as you bump slightly into his chest, eyes wide at his pale fingers wrapped around your wrist. He yanks the edge of the bandage down with his free hand and lifts it for the others to see. The two puncture wounds, where the skin that surrounds it is darker than the rest, make you feel naked under the eyes of others. It’s too vulnerable. Too mortifying.

Your heart hammers pathetically, and whether it’s from the expressions of your companions or the hand wrapped around the sensitive skin of your wrist, you’re not sure. You hope it’s not the latter.

Gale’s jaw drops. “We agreed that this was the one thing you wouldn’t do.” 

“If I hadn’t, I would’ve perished,” the vampire retorts in response, releasing his hold on your arm as it falls back to your side. The place where his hand had been tinges under your skin. “And there weren’t exactly a few boars lying around the damn city for me to feed on.”

You notice he fails to mention there had been more than enough bodies to satiate him, but you keep your mouth shut.

The hurt on Shadowheart’s face is no longer one that throbs your sympathy. Instead, she seems to burn with something you haven’t seen in ages.

Anger.

Her palm flickers with radiant light, and Astarion immediately flinches, hissing as he moves to hide his body behind yours. In your haste, you can’t think of anything to do besides stepping toward her, holding out your hands. Astarion releases a strained laugh from behind you. “Now, Shadowheart, let’s not do anything hilarious, shall we?”

“I’ll kill you,” she growls maliciously, the glow of her palm growing brighter. “Like I should have done the second you came back to ruin everything we’ve done without you.”

You cautiously approach her, focus never leaving her eyes despite the danger festering in her hands. “You shouldn’t, Shadowheart.”

She throws daggers in your direction with just her expression, and you can’t deny how helpless you feel. “Killing him would end all of this. If we buried him somewhere, they’d never find the runes. They’d never be able to follow through with the ascension, and we won’t have to deal with his pompous ass anymore.”

You hate that she’s right. You hate that even though she’s right, you can’t agree with her methods.

“I know he’s—not exactly a friend—but he was once. And I know you considered him one as well,” you insist, inching closer. The hesitance in her motions as you come too close to the radiant light is undeniable. “I don’t want you to bear the guilt of his death.”

Because as much as you’re wrapped up in a world of your own–a world where you fight to hate the man behind you–you know that your companions feel the same way. The sentiments gathered from months of sharing the same camp, months of saving one another from multiple deaths, and months of aiding one another overcome their own pasts don’t just disappear. You know what they shared. Being the most similar amongst your companions, forced under the influence of a power they did not want to be subjected to, you know they considered themselves friends, even if they never voiced it out loud.

You know that deep down, Shadowheart’s hatred for Astarion stems from her own feeling of betrayal when he tried to kill you. When he attempted to harm the only other person who guided her to a path outside of Shar.

“Trust me, I won’t feel guilty,” she finally forces out. “You’re a fool to trust him again.”

“I don’t trust him,” you reassure her, your hands finally reaching hers as they dim and eventually vanish all traces of magic. “But if he’s to die for nearly killing me, I want it to be under my hands. Don’t sully your own for my sake when you’ve just escaped all the bloodshed.”

Shadowheart’s brows soften, but her face turns cold. Thoughts seem to run through her mind like an endless train before she decides that thinking through each one is worth more than Astarion himself is worth. She inhales deeply and nods, allowing you to finally release her hands. She shoots the others one last glance before turning to retreat upstairs.

You’re left in a pitiful silence—one that nobody in the room dares to break.

An entire day is spent with you wallowing in your shame, refusing to get out of bed.

You hope this is just a terrible nightmare, but you know better. If this were a nightmare, you’d already be dead.

You only climb out of your covers when you have to change the bandages on your wrist. It’s a painful process now since you don’t even want to look at the puncture wounds anymore, but it’s better than risking it to get infected. A knock on your door makes you stand from your bed, kicking the bandage rolls under your bed. “It’s open.”

You expect Gale or even Lae’zel, but you’re met with piercing red eyes. You contemplate begging him to leave you alone because looking at him right now only conjures up the guilt that’s been eating away at you for hours now. Instead, you build that wall between the two of you again, your face hardening. “What do you want?”

He’s never come to you willingly before. Not unless you were positively drenched in blood, and he had no choice but to follow his instincts for what he hopes to be a meal other than stale boar blood. Much less approached you in your own room.

Astarion lifts the empty glass bottle in his hand. “A charming welcome, as usual, I see.”

“You just had a full supply yesterday,” you say, brows furrowing. “I checked it myself.”

“Clearly, now I don’t,” he shrugs, and when you shoot him an intense glare, he frowns. “You can’t possibly blame me. I haven’t exerted myself as I did at that dirty tavern since the last time I had that damn parasite swimming around my head. So, unless you decide to offer yourself to me, again…”

You think he’s genuinely lost his mind. “Right now? Seriously? After what just happened yesterday, you want to ask me for blood?”

“Just a suggestion, darling. Otherwise, we always have the other option, as boring as it is.”

Perhaps you should just toss him to Lae’zel and call it a day.

Groaning in exasperation, you march past him, slapping a cloak into his chest. “There’s 15 minutes to sunset.”

He laughs, but it only makes your face turn sour.

The forest isn’t far off from the main square of Rivington. And by the time you reach it, the sun has long gone down, and you watch as Astarion takes off the hood of his cloak, breathing deeply in the moon's bask. And as he glances back at you, you don’t bother trying to walk side by side, remaining on guard and surveying his every move from three steps behind. He comments on it even though you think he doesn’t care for what you do. “I don’t bite, you know.”

“You’re not funny.” He snorts at your deadpan and continues into the deeper parts of the forest.

The entire time, your eyes remained glued to the backs of his heels, palms growing increasingly clammy as you become surrounded by nothing but the soft ambiance of the woods. His steps are as silent as they’ve always been, and it feels like following a ghost into the darkest parts of the forest. It’s becoming hard to see more than a few feet in front of you, and if your training with Lae’zel has taught you anything, you know that you don’t want to be at a disadvantage—especially when the other party is a bloody vampire.

You halt in your tracks. He does, too, turning to shoot you a questioning look. “What is it?”

“It’s too hard to see. We need to turn back.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little bit of darkness.”

You scrunch your nose at this, and he merely grins. Before you can say anything, he’s back to pacing across the dirt without a care in the world—almost too fast for your liking. “Will you at least slow down?”

“Shall I hold your hand?”

“I’d rather cut it off.”

“A pity.”

You curse his long legs as the forest becomes darker and darker, even as each time you think it can’t possibly get worse than this. You swear his steps become quicker, and a part of you wonders if this is where he attempts to run away and whether you should cast a sleep spell before he succeeds. But the most rational part of you reminds yourself that he’s had plenty of chances to escape. Hells, he could do it even now, considering how much more easily his eyes adjust to the darkness than you.

“Astarion, I swear to the Gods above, if you don’t stop walking so quickly…”

This time, you don’t get an answer.

Suspicions rising, you break into a jog and then into a gradual sprint. Every time you think you finally caught up to him, a branch whips into your face, and you barely manage to swat it away before it manages to cut your skin. You call his name a few times to no avail, and you genuinely begin to ponder if you should’ve brought your scroll for daylight.

Finally, you stumble through a tall berry bush into what you assume to be another branch.

And rather than more darkness, you’re met with a clearing. It’s only a few long strides in width and a couple more in length, but here, it doesn’t seem like nighttime at all. The moon peers down at you in all its glory, and you think this might’ve been Selune’s pocket of the forest if she were here. You blink wide when a speck of light—a firefly—flies barely past your face. And suddenly, you’re surrounded by light rising from the green grass beneath you in fragile wings. 

The tightness in your chest dissipates, if only for a moment.

Only once you’ve taken in the vast difference of your surroundings just a few moments prior do you see Astarion pulling off the clasp of his cloak. He tosses it to you, and it lands on your face before you yank it away with a scowl. “You could have just handed it to me–”

“Stay here,” he says. “I’ll return when I’ve finished hunting.”

You gawk at him. “I’m not going to let you just leave.”

“I’ve proven myself plenty,” he scoffs. “If I remember correctly, you would’ve likely perished were I not there at that tavern a few days ago. And I must remind you that I do have quite the memory. If I planned on betraying you, I would’ve done it then—at a more fashionable time.”

You don’t have much of a rebuttal to that.

While you could bring up the dozens of other times he’s made questionable decisions pertaining to his loyalty, the soothing bath under the moon’s gaze seems to calm you down. So, instead of fighting the internal urge to continue your petty quips, you drop the cloak beneath you. He cocks a brow, surely expecting more of a protest, but you just swallow your pride, plopping down on the grass with a huff. “If you don’t return in 30 minutes, I’m coming to find you.”

“40 minutes,” he tries. “30 minutes isn’t nearly enough time for anything fun.”

You scowl. “20 minutes.”

Astarion smiles wickedly just enough for his fangs to peek beneath his top lip. “Very well. I’ll expect you no later than that.”

And like a predator fading into his natural environment, he vanishes into the darkness.

Time passes slowly when all you can do is pick at pieces of grass. As beautiful as the clearing is, it’s a bit too soothing—enough to make you doze off as you lean against the trunk of a tree. Though you attempt to keep your eyes open, reminding yourself you have a responsibility to uphold, you haven’t had this sense of relaxation in ages. Especially now, in your home with an atmosphere thicker than the butter you use on your bread. It’s almost like a spell as you feel your heavy eyelids droop helplessly.

You pray you don’t dream tonight. Not when you know all you’ll think of is the betrayal you inflicted on your companions.

A rustle of leaves snaps you back awake.

And when you look up, you see two blood-red eyes staring down at you from the branches of the tree opposite of yours.

They look exactly like the spawn in the alleyway, practically a month ago now. The same ones that haunt your nightmares and the same ones that morph into your ex-lover in the ones you despise the most. And while you can’t see their face, you don’t need much more than that to break into action.

Immediately, you’re snatching the cloak and sprinting back into the forest's darkness. You don’t care about the branches flinging themselves at you anymore because you can barely breathe even without worrying about them. Twigs and thin branches flail across your cheeks as you practically barrel through the woods, your legs feeling like they could give up if you were ever to stop running. With only the cloak in one hand and a dagger in the other, you don’t even attempt to fight whoever this person is upfront–you learned your lesson well the last time you tried. So, instead, your boots crunch against whatever plants are being crushed beneath you as you frantically run from the creature chasing you.

The worst part is you can still hear leaves rustling behind you.

Your lungs hurt. Your head hurts. Everything hurts, and yet you cannot stop. You hope the forest itself swallows you whole at this point, especially as you hear the movements getting closer and closer.

Tripping over a particularly large root, you fall through a bush, bracing for impact as you curse everyone you can think of for your luck. But rather than your shoulder crashing into a pile of dirt and twigs, you plant face-first into what feels like…cloth?

“Eager little thing, aren’t you? If you wanted to touch me, you could have just asked,” Astarion teases and you instantly tear yourself away, pushing your palms against his chest with wide eyes. And as much as you hate to admit it, a flood of relief hits you. And as much as it shouldn’t, meeting his gaze makes you able to breathe again.

Gods, what is wrong with you?

“There’s something chasing me,” you say hurriedly, pointing in the direction behind you. “I think it’s another spawn, I saw his eyes–”

His face stills when you practically jump at the bushes moving in ways the wind cannot will it to. Your arm flies to push him in front of you in case something were to leap out, and while you’re sure he’d complain dramatically about this gesture on any other occasion, he’s too busy worrying about what lies behind the bush. His hand shoots to what you assume to be that blasted comb he takes everywhere while you grip your knife, and you hear both your breaths hitch when something lunges out of the shrub.

It’s a small, puny squirrel.

Astarion doesn’t even try to stifle the laugh that escapes him as he throws his head back.

“I swear there was something following me!” you hiss, slapping his arm while the squirrel scurries away back to wherever it came from. He doesn’t stop, having little care about how your face flushes with embarrassment, and instead seems to revel in it. The bastard is enjoying this.

You wish you could throw the damn squirrel at his head.

“Oh, yes, I do believe there was,” he’s barely fazed while you continue glaring daggers at him. “I’m impressed you survived an encounter with such a terrifying foe, my dear.”

“It was definitely following me...” your voice trails off, and the bloodlust that had overwhelmed your lungs is fading away, leaving nothing but the sound of Astarion and his annoyingly loud laughter. 

He stops when there’s a shrill scream from across the forest. One that wails in what is unmistakenly of excruciating pain.

The two of you slowly turn to one another, and a knowing gleam flashes behind his eyes.

“Darling, the smart decision here would be to leave–”

But you’re already rushing toward whoever this victim is, forcing him to groan loudly and trail after you, snatching up your cloak from the ground in the process. You feel him close behind as you practically fly through the forest, with little care of how exhausted you were just moments before as the screams of pain seem to fuel your determination to lend aid. 

Astarion, although displeased, only grumbles as he continues to follow your lead. “Is it necessary to be heroic now of all times? In a dark forest where there’s sure to be animals twice our size?”

You ignore him.

A leaf slaps into your face as you finally reach what’s now been reduced to soft sobs. And you’re not sure what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t someone you knew.

“Berry?” you blink at the small girl, who you’re sure can barely even see you with how teary her eyes are. She watches you wearily before she gasps in recognition, and it’s then that you realize that her arm is bleeding.

“Tav!”

“You’re hurt,” you’re kneeling beside her in an instant, assessing her wounds as you reach to dig around your pockets in hopes of any medical supplies you might’ve left in there. “Did something attack you?”

“Yes,” she winces as you lift her arm to inspect it closer. “I’m not sure what it was, but it came out of nowhere, and they—-they tried to bite me.”

A lump forms in your throat. As twisted as it is, you're relieved you weren't actually imagining what you saw earlier. “Did you see if they had fangs? Did they look like a regular person?”

“I think so,” she replies in a hushed voice, wiping her tears. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do when it–”

A hand grabs her by the back of her cloak, yanking her in the air with her legs dangling helplessly as Astarion holds her just high enough to render attempts to kick at him useless. “I’d normally entertain tasteless tricks like this, but I’m in a less than forgiving mood, I’m afraid. You’ve cut into the time I have to fill my own stomach.”

You gasp, jumping to your feet. “Astarion, what the actual hells are you doing?”

“Trust me, you’ll thank me later, darling,” he sneers at the girl, hissing at him aimlessly. “Show them, you little imp.”

Having no idea what’s going on, you decide the best thing to do is de-escalate whatever misunderstanding he’s had about the poor girl tied to his hand. “You’ll hurt her. Just let her go and explain what’s going on.”

“Show them,” he pronounces each word harshly, glaring at Berry. 

And finally, she tries to bite at his hand. This prompts her to unhinge her jaw just enough for you to see the glint of sharp teeth. Ones that do not certainly belong to an innocent orphan.

Were you always this unlucky, or was the past month just a living hell for you?

“See what I mean? You can offer your thanks to me later, darling,” Astarion smiles proudly, and if you knew him any less than you did, you’d think he’s psychotic for smiling like that in this situation. But then, again, maybe he is. “How you seem to attract so many of us is beyond me, but I believe we should refrain from keeping this one alive.”

Your jaw drops. As much as you feel appalled that the innocent girl you’ve been soothing over the death of her adoptive father for the past few weeks turned out to be one of the very creatures that nearly took your life (on multiple occasions), you can’t fathom the idea of just ridding of her. She’s still a kid—at least, to the naked eye. “Are you insane? No, we’re not killing her!”

“Gods, please don’t tell me you’ll try and make this brat see sense. She’s practically feral! Look at her!” he grits through his teeth, waving his free hand to the girl in question, who’s too busy trying to snap her teeth at him. “This thing doesn’t deserve your sympathy right now.”

Berry manages to catch the tip of his finger in her teeth, and Astarion lets out a string of curses as he drops her to the dirt. It doesn’t even take another second for her to lunge toward you, fangs bared and claws ready to sink into your flesh. You barely manage to swerve out of the way, her sharp nail grazing past your cheek.

“Berry, just listen to me! I don’t want to hurt you!” you practically yell, but she only stumbles on the ground a moment before rushing at you again. You reach for your dagger, fearing you may have to use it on a child until she’s snatched into the air again.

This time, Astarion hangs her by the cloak onto a tree branch, where she screams and grasps at the air, practically throwing a tantrum.

You gawk in utter disbelief; too many things are happening simultaneously.

And Astarion doesn’t help as he slips out the damn comb again, grinning from ear to ear. You notice that this time, he seems to have taken the time to sharpen the tips of the teeth, which nearly look akin to a row of needles. 

He holds the comb in Berry’s direction. “Well? Shall I do the honors?”

As you watch him threaten a child who also happens to be a vampire, you ponder that maybe you should have just handed him over to Dalyria when you had the chance.

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[bloodandoranges]

Through Your Eyes

Astarion x Reader/Tav / short / soft and sweet / Tav draws Astarion, he gushes

Thank you for all the love on my first post! I’m working on some Karlach stuff right now because I noticed that she’s really lacking in fics so obviously that needs to be rectified.

Astarion tapped his foot, leaning back against his hands as he waited…he liked to think he was a patient man, but…he was not.

“Darling, how much longer will this take?” He complained, tilting his head from side to side as if his muscles were aching.

Tav glance over her sketch pad, a soft laugh escaping her. “… Astarion, I’ve been drawing for ten minutes," she spoke, gazing intently at him for a moment… before getting back to work.

He gave a bit of a huff; though it clearly wasn’t genuine annoyance. He actually really appreciated it. She was a wonderful artist. He’d caught her doodling their companions and seeing how well she caught their likeness? He was eager to see himself from her eyes… and well, eager to see himself in general.

Cazador may have been more than happy to splurge on portraits of himself, but his spawn? He wouldn’t even dream of it. He frowned a little at the thought, and Tav gave a soft laugh.

“Stop frowning… I want to draw that beautiful smile.” Of course, she wasn’t to know what was on his mind. Astarion blinked, eyes widening a bit…clearly? He hadn’t noticed he was outwardly expressing his frustration.

He gave a little huff, readjusting and giving her a sly smile. “…You know that’s not what I mean," she spoke, lowering the sketch pad…He caught the slightest glimpse of himself and beamed. “That one!” she laughed, eagerly fumbling to adjust the sketch.

“Oh come now, you’ve got to be done, surely!” he sighed frantically as he crawled over, arms winding around her waist as he nuzzled into her shoulder, gazing over the sketch… His face softened immediately at the sight.

There he was, basking in the sun and settled in front of his tent, an adoring smile on his face. His hair was coiffed, somehow curled around his face perfectly despite the whole no mirror thing… He looked ethereal. There were a couple more sketches on the page too, showcasing his face up close, wrinkles and blemishes and all.

Of course, he knew he was gorgeous; he’d had zero doubts about that. But to see what he truly looked like? Drawn by someone who treasured him so dearly? It almost bought a tear to his eye. Almost.

“Darling, these are simply divine…” he whispered, taking the sketch pad from her to admire them. “We should get them framed.”

“Wh- they’re not /that/ good!” she cried, eyes wide at the suggestion.

“Nonsense! They’re everything to me…” he cooed, setting the sketch pad down to cup her face, gazing at her with so much love.

Tav flushed, hands slowly moving to settle over his. She really didn’t feel like a couple sketches warranted framing, but it was clearly important to him. “…Okay, Astarion. I’ll get them framed,” Tav cooed, kissing lazily at his palms… Which turned into lazy kisses, which turned into Gale loudly scolding the pair from across the camp.

They looked at each other, laughing loudly as they untangled themselves to stand… And just like that, they were off to the city.