Archive of Our Own ^beta

Head back to camp. 

Astarion huffs angrily from where he is sprawled out in front of his tent, staring up at the blue sky above him. Its a sight he has quickly become fond of after being deprived for so long. Though, he would prefer to be in the heat of the battle. Or picking pockets while Tav and the others do more noble errands like saving bards or tiefling children. Astarion quite loathed all of it, such do-gooders, not understanding the need of deception, he had always required it to stay alive. Well, his version of alive. 

"Care for a bite?" 

Astarion looks up, a head halo'd with silvered-brown locks, is now blocking out the sun. Gale. Another abandoned companion. "Darling, while I am always seeking my next meal, we already established that you are... unpalatable."

Gale lowers himself to the ground, sitting next to Astarion, crossing his legs, "Most humorous, Astarion. I was referring to this," He has a small heart-shaped item between his thumb and forefinger, squishing it lightly, "Quite delicious. Tav shared them with me, some sort of candy."

Astarion's eyebrows draw together in deep skepticism, "Uh-huh. And she got them... where?" He eyes them with more scrutiny, but cannot place where he recognizes them from, "Those aren't just any bit of sugar, hm?"

Gale shrugs, "I suppose not, however, their effect was nothing if not pleasant. Perhaps, charm... or friendship spell of some sort. Though, no wrongdoing done if shared between friends," He places the gummy on his tongue, chewing slowly and thoughtfully, before pulling another from a pouch, extending it out to Astarion. The elf weighs his options, it was unlikely Gale was trying to poison him, or even take advantage of him somehow. Though, one never knows. They had only know each other for a short period of time, but most waking hours they had been together in some capacity. 

Astarion takes the small heart, looking at it, slowly placing it onto his tongue. He hums in appraisal, it tastes fruity and incredibly sweet. He feels his cheeks warming slowly as he chews, which is an odd sensation. He eyes the pouch Gale produced the candy from, seeing a small piece of paper sticking out. He quickly grabs it, seeing elven scrawled across it. It is a simple friendship spell like Gale suspected - however, Astarion could have more fun with this, "What in the Hells..." He murmurs, "Oh, Gods, Gale...arkhlavae. This is a bloody...sex candy!" He cries dramatically. 

Gale blinks down at him, his cheeks already blooming with pigment, "Arkhlavae - that is elven? What does it mean?"

"Lovemaking, you damned fool!" Astarion sits up, "Is that what this is? You're trying to get into my trousers? Gods, how inept you are."

"No! No - I swear, Astarion, I don't know what all it says on that script, but nothing of that, erm, nature, happened last night. Tav and I both engaged in this... this candy. I can ensure you, no...arkhlavae, occurred!" Gale's cheeks turn a deeper red, "Listen, could this be a practical joke, this," He picks the small paper out of Astarion's hands, "I assure you, I have read numerous texts on the art of alchemy mixed with certain, erm, passions, and never have I come across something such as this. Usually it is a digestible liquid. "

"You read books on how to make sex potions, do you, Gale?" Astarion folds his legs beneath himself, leaning back on his palms, grinning at the other, "What a naughty boy."

A noise not far off from a whimper sounds from the back of Gale's throat, "No, no, that's not... I-I am simply a scholar. It is not uncommon that a scholar, such as myself, invested in the literature of the arcane and, to small extent, alchemy, should come across such information during years of... of the pursuit of knowledge." The wizard had never looked more uncomfortable than this moment, his skin never such a brilliant hue of red. 

"Well, I cannot say I required such literature to enlighten me about sex," Astarion grins, his fangs pressing against his bottom lip, "We all know you've romanced a literal goddess, but, that isn't true carnal pleasure. Sure, pleasure, but something altogether, different." He licks at the gummy bits stuck to his teeth. It was quite tasty. "I mean, Gale, have you actually ever had sex. Like, real sex?"

"That is a wildly insensitive and personal query," Gale huffs, getting to his feet.

"I suppose so, though, you gave up the information of Mystra being your former lover willingly, to everyone." Astarion responds, feeling a soft warmth start to glow in his chest. Suddenly he is aware of the lines radiating from the corners of Gale's eyes and the small smile on his lips, everything about the wizard suddenly softens. 

"I believe the impacts of the candy are beginning to kick in," Gale says quietly, sitting back down, squinting at Astarion, who nods. They both lie on their backs, staring up at the sky, clouds starting to populate the space. "I do swear to you, Astarion, that I had no awareness of the nature of the candy, and truly, I experienced no such urges with Tav."

"I know. I am just fucking with you," Astarion giggles, turning his head to the side to look at Gale. Suddenly his mirth dissipates as he realizes he has ruined his own little joke, "Ugh, damned candy made me take pity on you. I had meant to play that out longer." 

Gale tuts, "I suspected..." 

"No you didn't," Astarion grins. Silence falls between them for small while.

"So, what do you think they are doing out there today? That we were so unimportant for?" Astarion asks, his eyes tracing every small feature on Gale's face. He had never spent too much time doing so, they were usually too busy for such intimacy. Until now, he had done all that was in his power to keep his admiration for Gale obscure from everyone, including himself. 

"Finding the Underdark. Enjoy the sunlight while you can," Gale says, meant in a light-hearted manner. However, the thought of being plunged into darkness once again feels like a stake to the heart to Astarion. Suddenly he is back under Cazador's heel, feasting on rats. Fearing and yearning for sunlight simultaneously. Tav had kindly offered to be his own personal supply of sustenance, and he had nearly forgotten how vile it had been to feed on vermin. Or how it felt to be starved for the sake of punishment and cruel enjoyment by his master. 

Hunger. It had become the only motivator in his life. The main thought at the forefront of his mind. For two hundred years. The hunger for blood was a different type than for one of food. It streaked through his body like lightning, burned like the fires of Avernus in his throat. During periods of starvation, he had been reduced to nothing but a crazed monster with no thoughts but of blood. Of teeth sunk in the soft flesh, warm viscous fluid spilling into his mouth. Finger nails reduced to wrecked shards from clawing...

"Astarion?"

Astarion snaps back into the moment, unaware he had let his mind wander so far away, "Yes, Gale?" 

"I apologize for mentioning... sunlight. It was insensitive to mention knowing your condition. I imagine it will not be easy for you once we are in the Underdark, and knowing what perils our journey have presented thus far, it may be our grave. It may mean our last moments of sunlight are not far away," Gale rambles, he was sitting up, arms wrapped around his knees. He looks dazed himself. 

Astarion shrugs nonchalantly, "I know what I signed up for, joining this party. I've spent years in the dark, it's nothing new."

"You went somewhere. In your mind," Gale looks uncomfortable pushing the topic further, "When I mentioned the sunlight... I fear you have forgotten we share a similar ailment in the current," He taps his temple, indicating the tadpole accompanying all of their party, "And I saw your memories."

"Which means you probed where you were not welcome," Astarion feels hostility leaking from his words but the damned candy was preventing him from becoming truly angry at Gale's intrusion. 

"Apologies," Gale clears his throat, his gaze meeting Astarion's, "I suppose I was just trying to know more about you, get to know you better, but I should not have pried."

Astarion nods, eyes fixing back on to the sky, "Do not pity me. I am not the one with a bomb in my chest."

"Ha! You have me there," Gale turns on to his side to look at the elf, "It never hurts to talk about the situations that trouble us."

"It does," Astarion replies shortly, setting his jaw, "No damned sex candy is going to make me do so."

"Not a sex candy," Gale corrects, propping himself up on his elbow. Astarion looks over at him, studying the honeyed-brown doe eyes locked on to him, boring into his soul.

"Yet, you wish it were." 

Gale blanches, "No!"

"Don't lie. It's not personal. I know when someone wants to fuck me. I'm no fool. Do you really think Tav just enjoys my company? No. No one enjoys my company unless it involves me being naked and pliant," Astarion retorts.

"That's not true," Gale says, his voice thick with sudden emotion and sincerity, throwing the other off-guard. "Not everything must be about pleasures of the body. Many may find me as an individual with an abundance of luck for bedding a goddess, but I do not. It was never real. No emotion. No care. Not even real touch. I was..." He shakes his head, pushing himself to his feet. Astarion sits up and shoots a hand out and clasping it around Gale's wrist, tugging him back down to the ground.

"Stay," Astarion murmurs, "Please." 

Gale seemingly shivers at the touch, casting a wary glance at the vampire, kneeling in front of him, "I do not know the depth of your woes, Astarion, but I do know the incredible cloud of doubt they cast upon you. You question everything, everyone. It is not for me to judge, but I do wish to gain your trust eventually. I never intend to betray it," He pauses, looking away for a moment before meeting Astarion's gaze again, "Of course, you are appealing. You are beautiful, I am no idiot, and will not lie - but it is not all I see. What a wicked injustice to only see that."

Astarion swallows hard and realizes his throat is burning, but not from hunger, but from the sudden swell of emotion. His eyes sting, tears sliding quietly down his cheeks. 

"Oh, Gods - I'm sorry, I-" Gale panics, his hand reaching over to gently swipe the wetness away from Astarion's face, "I did not mean to upset you. You know I am not the best at conversations, I tend to not know when the Hells to shut up."

Astarion rolls his eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "My Gods, Gale. For an insanely talented and intelligent wizard you are quite stupid." Gale frowns at this, leaning away. "I only mean to say that you have not upset me. I just am not accustomed to such praise. Praise, yes, but not usually the kind that involves, well, me. Not just my body." 

"Well then, that is a shame," Gale murmurs, his hand coming back up to Astarion's face, but this time to cup his chin, "It is a waste to not treasure the beauty one's being brings."

"Fuck," Astarion's voice is a raspy breath. Gale blushes at this, his pupils expanding, the thud of the pulse in his wrist quickening. The impulse strikes and Astarion is leaning forward, his lips crashing against Gale's. The wizard stiffens only momentarily before his hand is threading into the elf's curls, pulling him closer. A flurry of hungry kisses unfolds, ending with Astarion in Gale's lap, the wizard's arms wound tightly around the other's waist, a hand clasped tightly in the material of the his shirt. They break only for Gale to catch his breath, foreheads resting together. 

"So annoying, having to breathe," Astarion whispers with a toothy grin, eliciting a breathless chuckle from Gale. 

"I suppose those really were sex candy," A voice interrupts them. Tav is standing a distance away, splattered in blood and dirt, "I thought 'Pantydroppers' was just a funny little gag name."

Gale is scrambling back from Astarion, a panicked look on his face, "She did not tell me the name of those candies! I-I had no knowledge of this!" He looks to Tav, "Hells, you could of bloody told me that! Shit." When he looks back to Astarion, the elf is on his back, writhing in giggles. 

Tav just shrugs, "You two didn't need a sex candy to want to get into eachother's pants." 

"And you engaged in violent endeavors without me," Astarion challenges, standing up and dusting himself off, "I'm going to go for a meal. Ta!"

Gale is left breathless, shaking his head, "Gods, he will be the ruin of me."