Chapter Text
Tav tried to put up a fight, but against five slavers, she was only able to take down two before she was disarmed. Tav cursed herself for walking alone in the evening in Baldur’s Gate. She should have known better! Tav had a rough burlap sack shoved over her head, a well placed pommel strike leaving Tav dazed and bleeding. Tav was then roughly picked up and thrown to the side where she strained to hear what was going on. Acting limp and playing off as unconscious thanks to the pommel strike, Tav only had her ears and hearing at her disposal.
“This one put up a pretty good fight. It would be a shame if we didn’t get a cut for putting up with her.” A vile deep voice muttered to another.
“Since you put it that way...” The original voice who ordered the attack said. “Maybe we can get some fun out of her. No one will miss her.”
Tav heard a rustling of clothing and feared the worst. Tav tried to move, tried to run, tried to thrash as rough hands held her still.
“Get off of me!!” Tav screamed out and was startled when she heard the thunk of an arrow missing her and impacting with one of the men.
“Fucking Hells!” one of the men exclaimed. Tav still could not see but prayed that someone was saving her. “Where is that coming from?”
“Over there!”
“Wait...that’s a kid!”
Tav, at this point, was able to struggle and get the sack off her head to see what was going on and realized it was mass confusion and chaos. Tav looked around at the insanity and began to make sense of it. There was the three men plus the leader surrounding her, one of those men had an arrow piercing his stomach. Tav followed his line of sight and was surprised as well as terrified. Astarion was over the ridge with a bow three times too large for him. He was notching another arrow as he spoke.
“Leave my mommy alone!”
“Or what, kid?! I’ll sell you too!” The leader, a man with missing teeth, pale complexion and tattered clothes exclaimed. The man wore a blue shirt and brown trousers, he smelled strongly of garlic and body odor. Tav wanted to retch. The man was a human and had short brown hair, was middle aged and had brown eyes. He had a scar near his eye, a fake eye in it’s place where the scar was located.
The man grabbed Tav roughly by the shoulders and placed her in front of him as a barrier.
“I brought friends!” The child squeaked out and Tav, who was blinded by the sun temporarily, gazed out to the scene before her. Soon, Astarion was joined by her companions who were all armed and ready for battle. Tav smiled and wondered how they knew she needed assistance. She was only just captured!
“Help!”
Tav tried to struggle out of the man’s grasp but he was too strong. Within a moment, she felt a thunk and heard a wheezing noise. Tav turned her head to the side and felt the warmth hit her back. She knew the smell and feel as it poured behind her, it was blood. Tav’s head was turned and she saw from the side the man was in anguish. He gurgled as he breathed and it was then that Tav looked lower and saw the arrow sticking out of his chest, above her shoulder. Tav’s height difference made this possible as Tav wasn’t that tall, maybe five foot four while the attackers were at least six foot. Tav felt the attacker’s grip loosen and felt him struggle to breath against her back.
Tav pulled forward while the others were stunned and tried to run to her friends when she was stopped by the blade of a sword. It faced her throat by another of the slavers, a young man with brown hair and blue eyes who was snarling at the woman.
“You brought them here, didn’t you?!”
“Fuck you!”
“You bitch!” The man went to plunge the sword into her soft flesh when another thud rang out. Tav was astonished to find an arrow had landed with force into the young man’s skull. The accuracy was beyond that of Astarion’s years yet the precision reminded her of the adult version and their frequent battles. The arrow stuck out between his eyes as the body slumped to the ground but not before the sword had found purchase in her shoulder. Tav cried out in pain before she found herself scooped up in Minsc’s arms.
“Have no fear, for I am here!” Minsc cheered as he ran to the other side, her friends finishing off enemies that had come for her. Tav wasn’t sure what all had happened as the arrow had nicked an artery. Within moments, Tav was bleeding so much that she had passed out, the sweet silence and numbness being her reward for all her effort.
Tav next woke up in blissful comfort. She was warm in bed, with soft sheets and a plush pillow. Tav had never known such comfort before. Tav slowly opened her eyes to look around in the strange room and recognized it immediately. It was the spare room upstairs in the Elfsong Tavern, the room where Duke Stelmane had perished. Tav went to move when large hands held her down.
“I wouldn’t move around just yet.” Gale said as Tav looked up at him and down at herself. Tav was half naked, gauze littering her upper body and bound her breasts and shoulder. A red stain was faint but still there.
“Halsin and Shadowheart did their best, but with how bad the injury was, and how tired Shadowheart was from our expedition...well...It is stitched together, and you’re not in danger anymore, but you need rest.”
“Wait! What about…”
“...Astarion?” Gale answered for Tav and shook his head. “He is fine. He wouldn’t leave your side as ‘mommy’ was being healed.” Gale poorly imitated the child “He fell asleep crying about half an hour ago. He’s on the couch.” Gale pointed not too far from Tav at the red plush couches in the room.
“Did you find a way to fix him?”
“Find a way to fix his insufferableness? No. Found a way to make him an adult grumpy vampire? Yes. He just has to read this book and it should reverse the spell he is under.” Gale placed a book bound in blue on the side dresser.
“Thank you Gale. Just...one more question. Why am I in this room?”
Gale sighed and ran his hand over his face. “You were injured pretty good. That and when you reverse the spell...well...we all thought you’d like some privacy. You see, when he comes back, he is going to grow. His clothes won’t fit him anymore and well...I doubt he or you want us seeing any precious jewels.” Gale laughed at his joke, while Tav was touched by her friend’s thoughtfulness.
“You did a lot for us. Again, thank you.”
“I know we’re not fated to be but I will do anything for you Tav. If that means helping your crappy lover, then I will.” Gale gave a warm smile and stood up. “I’m off to leave you two be.”
“Hey Gale?”
“Hmm?”
Gale turned around to look at her as he was beside the door.
“Why didn’t we use any potions to heal me?”
Gale sighed again but deeper this time and pointed at the sleeping child. “He happened. He apparently dumped out our ‘nasty juice’ as he put it, and left us with only spells to work with. I’m telling you Tav, I can’t wait for him to be an adult and that is saying something.”
With that, Gale left and closed the door behind him.
Tav felt her eyes become heavy with sleep and let it take her once again.
Tav awoke to a warm body pressed against her arm and wasn’t surprised to find the child version of Astarion was clinging to her and talking.
“...mmy. Mommy wake up. I’m scared without you, mommy.”
Tav opened her eyes groggily and looked at the source of the noise.
“Hey.”
“Mommy!! You scared me, mommy!” The child cried.
Tav brought her hand to the tyke’s face and gently cupped his cheek, wiping away an errant tear with her thumb. “I’m sorry. I only went out for a breather, but somehow, you and our friends saved me”
“I followed you and Minsc followed me, who was followed by Jaheira and soon, all our friends were chasing me. It was fun until you got hurt. I went to find you, mommy. I knew you left and I didn’t want to be alone. I’m scared of being alone.” The conversation Tav had with the adult Astarion rang in her ears, about his punishment for disobeying and how for a year he was alone and locked up. Starved and scared, he ground his fingernails to dust. Tav’s heart hurt for this man.
“Well, to make up for how you saved me, I have a way to save you!” Tav excitedly said as if it was a game. “You see that book over there?” Tav pointed to the blue book on his side of the bed.
“Yep!” The child grabbed the book and held it out to Tav.
“Well, I want you to read it.” Tav gently pushed the book back towards the child who looked at her curiously.
“You sure? I set the bed on fire…”
“I’m sure. This will make you big and strong” Tav attempted to get animated and get the child into it but her shoulder wound throbbed which stifled her actions. The child still took to the idea, however, and opened the book. The book discarded a little dust which made the boy sneeze before he read the words on the page.
In a swirl of blue glow, Tav watched as Astarion leaned to the side and fell off the bed. Scared, Tav tried to rush to his side only to realize her injury wouldn’t allow that so easily. Tav crawled over to the side and when she did, she gasped.
There, on the floor and naked as the day he was born was Astarion – as an adult.
“Astarion!!” Tav called out and watched as her lover opened his eyes. His nose sniffed around before his eyes fell open but when they did, he had almost jumped on Tav, his hands gently forming over her wound. In the commotion, Tav was pushed back on her back as she gazed at a very concerned Astarion.
“Why do I smell blood? Are you okay, my love?” Astarion asked as he straddled his lover. Tav took a moment to look at the sight before her and began to giggle.
She was giggling.
Which was something that confused the vampire. Why was she laughing when she was obviously injured? Astarion was going to speak again when Tav leaned up and claimed his lips with her own. Hells did she miss that man. Astarion pulled back from the chaste kiss and inquired further, now obviously annoyed.
“What happened Tav?”
“Do you remember the past few days at all?”
Astarion sat down on the side of the bed, still not concerned by his bareness as he pondered the question. Tav wrapped her injured arms around his lithe waist and adored the man before her. Astarion sat facing the woman and was unhappy when Tav flexed the injured appendage.
“Pranks, the book...slavers.” Astarion recalled a few words from his adventures. “You were almost…” a look of horror passed his facial features. “They almost…”
“You saved me. It’s okay.”
“Fat load of good that did…” Astarion pointed at Tav’s injured shoulder. “I can’t believe I...I mean, most of my embarrassing moments were with you darling but gods…” Astarion sighed and looked at his lover longingly.
“Why couldn’t they heal you completely? Or give you poti...Oh, never mind.” Astarion answered himself as he remembered what he had done. Astarion just scoffed and leaned down to Tav, claiming her lips once again. Astarion wasn’t chaste this time and seemed to be apologizing through his actions. Astarion deepened the kiss, moaning into it as his moans we sweet music to Tav’s ears. Tav pulled back to speak.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to hear ‘mommy’ again.”
“Well, that could be arranged.” Astarion winked as Tav protested.
“Oh no, no, no, no! Don’t even think about it!”
Astarion giggled and kissed her once again. “I love you darling. Thank you for watching out and taking care of me.”
“I love you too, Astarion. I’m just glad you’re back.”
“So am I, love, so am I.”