Chapter Text
Gale knew they were something. They spent nearly all of their downtime together between their travels through the Gate.
But it also felt like something was missing. Like Astarion was holding back in some way.
When the wizard would reach for his hand as they traversed the city, Astarion would quickly pull it away. When they would be in their room at The Elfsong, reading side by side, Astarion would shift away if Gale got too close.
But they were supposed to be something together, right? An admission of attraction to each other back in the Shadow-Touched Lands for sure solidified that. And since then, they've spent even more time together than they had previously. Gale definitely took notice of Astarion defending him more pointedly from the outskirts of battles, just as Gale took extra care to be sure not to include Astarion in the line of fire. Literally, sometimes.
But aside from their time together increasing, not much else had changed.
As morning dawned, Wyll wanted to put the work in to find more information about where Gortash was holding his father, and enlisted the help of Karlach, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel.
“Will you be alright staying here today?” Wyll had asked Gale as he stuffed his bag of essentials for the day.
“Quite.” Gale gave a nod. “There's still much to do, even if we don't hit the road with you bunch.”
To be honest, Gale was looking forward to a day of rest. Walking back and forth through the city could be absolutely exhausting, and a quiet day could never be bad for some recuperation.
With Gale's unneeded blessing, Wyll and the girls took their leave for the day, leaving just himself and Astarion left.
Gale glanced to where Astarion was idly laying in his self-assigned bed, thumbing through a book that Gale had insisted he grab during their trip to Sundries the other day.
“Big plans today?” Gale asked the elf, letting himself sit on the edge of the bed as he smiled at him.
“Mmm, not really.” Astarion answered, not looking away from the book. “Though I can't complain about having more time to prepare before we take down Cazador.”
There was a moment of quiet before Gale continued the conversation, leaning back and closer towards Astarion as he tried to see how far along he was in the reading. “Are you enjoying–” Before he could finish his question, he felt Astarion shift away from him again. Had he done something wrong? How is it that despite knowing how they felt towards one another, the distance between them felt just as large as before, if not bigger? Gale knew to be patient with him, and he would take as much time as Astarion needed to feel comfortable in any semblance of a relationship, but if there was an issue with him even being close to the other, Gale couldn't help but to overthink about it. What if he had offended him in some way? As learned of a scholar he was, maybe there was some sort of unspoken elven rule he had broken? Or a vampiric one? Maybe he should be looking into what to expect from a relationship like this. Was that what they had, anyway? A relationship?
“Gale, if you start thinking any harder I fear your mind will combust.”
Gale snapped from his thoughts and refocused on Astarion, who had finally set the book down to look at him, eyebrow twinged upwards. “Oh, uh–”
Astarion sighed and fully put the book down on the bed, finally giving his full attention to the other. “What's on your mind?”
Gale debated with himself for a moment, deciding whether or not to pursue his thoughts. “You.”
“Well, of course you're thinking about me, love, how could you not?” Astarion smirked at him. “I'd be thinking about me too if I was graced with my own presence. What about me specifically?”
The wizard stared him down for a second before gently reaching a hand to put over Astarion's that was resting against his own leg. At feeling the other tense at the motion, he withdrew his hand with a frown. “Is there… something I did?” Gale couldn't help but to finally come out with. “If I've done something to offend, I just want to assure you it was in no way intentional or in a malicious nature, because I would never want to–!” Gale was hushed by feeling Astarion's lips against his own gently. He felt the bulk of his worries melt away at the action, eyes closing as he drank in the moment. As he moved a hand towards Astarion's cheek though, the vampire broke off their contact. “Astarion–”
“I… need time, Gale.” He cut him off again. Gale took notice of how his voice sounded less sure than it had previously. “This, what we… what we have, it's new. And it's precious.” Astarion's gaze drifted to Gale's hands. “I don't want to ruin it by taking it too far.”
“Too far– Astarion, know that I would never dare to pressure you into–”
“I know, Gale. And that's why this means so much to me.” Astarion continued. “The fact that this isn't a one night thing, or something to partake in as a strategy, it's a nice feeling. To… care and be cared about in this way. It's really nice.”
Gale studied his gaze, trying to find some unspoken words behind them. “Do you… fear being close?”
Something flashed across Astarion's face for a moment but was quickly pushed away as he spoke again. “Fear? Hah! Gale, the only thing I fear is waking in the middle of the night to find that Cazador spirited you away and sentenced you to a fate worse than my own, simply because you mean something to me. And… and I can't…” Astarion's voice wavered at his admission. “Gale…”
The wizard took his chance and held his arms out to the other, in which Astarion buried himself in Gale's embrace.
Gale would never admit he heard it, but the quiet sobs felt nearly heartbreaking to him as Astarion clung to him tight.
“Astarion, you're allowed to care.” He told him gently, moving a hand to run through his hair. “No one, not Cazador, not Mystra, not anyone can make me not care for you. He's not here and as long as I still have a say, he isn't going to lay even a look on you without answering to a Fireball.”
With that, Gale let the quietness continue to hang in the air, keeping Astarion close in his grasp for as long as the other wished.
It was longer than Gale had expected when Astarion finally moved away from the embrace, taking a few very unnecessary breaths. “Thank you, Gale. I… I appreciate it.” He took another breath before sitting fully upright again.
“Of course, dear.” Gale answered automatically. “Anything you need.”
“Mm.” Astarion put a hand to Gale's chest and gently pushed him to his back. “Let me indulge just a bit?”
Gale had little time to think before he felt one of Astarion's hands gently brush against his cheek, thumb rubbing against it. His other hand moving to the other side and repeating the motion. Gale went to move his own hands to Astarion’s waist, when he felt the other tense as he had prior. “No. Not… not yet.” Astarion said quietly.
Gale quickly withdrew his touch, letting Astarion continue at his own pace.
“You're too kind to me, love.” He continued in that quiet tone, leaning down to kiss his lips, then his chin.
“If kindness is simply listening to you, I fear to know what you've been used to.” Gale responded, closing his eyes at the touches. “You've deserved so much better.”
“I did. And I do.” Astarion agreed, letting one of his hands fall to trace circles in the side of Gale's neck. “And you give that to me.” He leaned forward to give another kiss there, gently grazing his fangs against the spot he would love to bite down into. “Which is something I'm truly in disbelief about every day.”
Gale stayed still as he felt Astarion shift over to straddle his lap, getting closer to him. He felt the other gently pull at his shirt before removing it, tossing the garment aside before situating his hands on Gale's shoulders.
The wizard opened his eyes, finding the sight of Astarion above him like this to be quite literally breathtaking, and deciding to close his eyes once again, lest the Orb in his chest find a way to detonate despite its current stability at such a wonderful vision. “Gods you're beautiful.”
“Mm.” Astarion gave him another kiss at the words. “I trust those sweet words more from you than anyone else.” He moved his hands from Gale's shoulders to grasp the wizard's hands tight for a moment, before guiding them to where he had held onto him before. “And I only want to hear it from you.”
Gale kept his touch light, not wanting to push Astarion too far with the trust he had given him. He knew how big of a motion that was to the other and he didn't want to take anything Astarion wasn't willing to give him freely.
Astarion resumed, moving his hands to Gale's chest and gently tracing the circle of the Orb. The wizard inhaled sharply at the action, which made Astarion withdraw quickly.
“It's-it's okay.” Gale reassured him, taking Astarion's hand and placing it back there. “I'll let you know if it's too much.”
The spot where the Orb had situated itself was sensitive from the source of magic pulsing throughout his body. As Astarion continued gently tracing it, Gale could feel the Orb trying to eat at what magic Astarion had, to fuel it further.
The elf leaned over to press a kiss to the center, then paused for a moment as if in thought.
“Astarion?”
“Can I…” Astarion's gaze met Gale's from where he was situated. “I want to…” His gaze drifted downwards again as Gale noticed him bearing his fangs.
“Bite?” Gale asked, connecting the dots and finishing Astarion's request. “You've already tried that and we know how it ends up.”
Astarion's mouth turned into a sneer. “I don't like you being marked by her.” He lightly dragged his fangs across the Orb. “When it should be by me.”
Gale felt his mind start to fog up at the motion and the thought of it. He would be lying if he had said he wasn't interested in having Astarion have his way with him in that regard. To provide something Astarion needs. He couldn't stop the groan that escaped from his throat.
“It should be.” Gale gave in easily, grip tightening against Astarion's waist as if to brace himself. “It can be.”
With Gale's permission, Astarion bit into his chest, right on the outline of the mark. As the blood started to find its way out, Astarion dislodged his fangs before biting down next to where he bit previously. As that wound started to bleed, Astarion continued what he did before, eventually making his way around the perimeter of the Orb, now covered in both punctures and blood.
By the time he finished, Gale was breathing hard, his eyes softly glazed as he met Astarion's own. Astarion gently traced the outline of the Orb again, smearing the blood that was still dripping out, before moving his finger to his mouth and giving it a lick. Based on the vampire's face twisting at the action, it was easy to tell the blood still tasted tainted by the Netherese magic. Nonetheless though, Astarion leaned back down and licked at the blood from Gale, closing the wounds.
“Still terrible.” Astarion mused, continuing the action of smearing the blood on his chest after the punctures closed. “But, for you, I can deal with it.”
As Astarion flashed a smile to him, Gale could feel his heart doing flips. There was something about having Astarion sitting above him, mouth covered in drying blood, taking claim away from Mystra, that just sent his mind in circles.
For once, it was hard to think coherent thoughts.
“Mm, Astarion, remember when I said I'd let you know if it was too much?” Gale managed to put together after sitting with his no thoughts for a while. “We might be there.”
“Oh–”
“But please keep going.” Gale practically begged.
“We… shouldn't.” Astarion gave as an answer, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Give it time, love.”
“Then just… stay here for a while longer.” Gale requested instead. He wanted to embed this image into his mind. This moment.
“We can do that.” Astarion let out a short laugh, moving a hand to Gale's head to run his fingers through his hair gently. “My wonderful, kind, gorgeous pet.”
Gale settled back down, his thoughts thrumming back in his mind, as Astarion kept petting him. It was calming. Intimate. Sweet. He wasn't used to it, but he could easily find himself getting used to it. He moved a hand off of Astarion's waist to the mark on his chest, feeling the marks that Astarion left there. While he doubted they would be permanent, it served as a welcome reminder that he was more Astarion's than he ever was Mystra's.
Astarion rested his hand on top of Gale's own on his chest. “Even more gorgeous this way, love, which I didn't think was possible.” He said quietly, turning Gale's hand in his own and grasping it tight before bringing it up to his mouth and kissing it. “Thank you for your patience… for being you.”
Gale smiled a lazy smile up at him, squeezing his hand. “And you for being you.”
Astarion finally rolled off of being on top of the human, but stayed close beside him. Gale snaked an arm around him to his back, pulling him closer.
Astarion allowed it, shifting a bit so his head was resting against Gale's neck.
“There's things we should be doing today…” Gale said, despite making no effort to leave Astarion's bed.
“None more important than this.” Astarion said, moving his arms around Gale in return.
Gale closed his eyes. Astarion was right, and there was no way he would find reason to argue that.