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After bidding farewell to all your companions, you leave the Elfsong Tavern and make your way to your cottage near the woods on the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate.
The past few months have been chaotic, and all you want now is peace, at least for a time.
But you are not alone. Your lover is with you. He is part of your life now, and you are part of his. And Astarion will not pass one more day alone in his life if it depends on you. So you asked him to live with you, and he promptly agreed, as if he had been hoping for the invitation.
“Darling, you could have chosen a better place for your house. Why so far away from the city?” He asks, swatting at a cloud of mosquitoes on your path.
“I like the woods. It's peaceful here. You’ll like it too. Give it time.”
“Hurgh… I doubt it, my dear.”
After a long while, you arrived at the place. A beautiful cottage in a field of wheat, illuminated by the moonlight. You smile at the sight. How you missed this place. You can't wait to take a bath in your tub, and preferably with the company of the irresistible pale elf standing beside you.
You approach the house and start pulling out the weeds that have grown up in front of the door.
Astarion stands behind you, scrutinizing the surroundings. “Huh… Sweetheart, are you sure it's here?”
“Well, I lived here for a long time, so yes, Astarion, I'm sure.” You open the door and step inside, trying to remember where you left the candles to light them.
Astarion reaches the door, but stays outside, leaning against the door jamb, with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting.
Once the candles are lit, you start rushing around, putting things in order. You don't want Astarion to think that you are a disorganized person. Well, maybe you are… just a little. But first impressions are important, are they not?
But didn't he share a camp with you for the past few months? So he must know, mustn't he? Will he enjoy living with you? Just the two of you, day and night?
He clears his throat, catching your attention and interrupting your thoughts and your sudden need to put everything in order, after being months away.
“Why are you still outside? Is it that bad?” You ask, thinking that maybe this was not the best idea, bringing him here. Too modest and simple for his taste, for sure.
“Darling, you have to invite me in.”
“Oh…” The realization hits you. “I'm sorry. Right. Please, come in.” You extend your hand to him, and he accepts it, stepping inside. Close to him, you kiss his cheek. “This is your home now. Our home. I won’t need to invite you in anymore.”
He looks at you, surprised. “My home?”
“Of course! We are together, are we not? I really meant it when I said I wanted to share my life with you, Astarion.” You stroke his soft, curly hair before turning away, leaving him with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he admires you tenderly while you return to your affairs in the house.
Gods! How is it possible to have so many spider webs!
You run back and forth again, and Astarion stays put, right next to the door, uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, you notice him and you stop beside him. You take his backpack off his shoulder, setting it down, on the floor, near you. “Please, make yourself comfortable. You’ll have all my attention in a minute, I promise.” You gently push him toward your bedroom. “Why don't you go in there and choose your side of the bed?”
Once again he looks surprised with your words, but walks into the room, slowly examining everything around him. You give yourself the pleasure to watch him for a moment, while he wanders around. Astarion stops in front of a small vanity, facing the bed, and he touches your things – your comb, some necklaces hanging from the mirror, an open book covered in dust. It’s as if your life was on hold, and he has the honor to be there, to resume it with you.
“Is this supposed to be you?” He holds up a small rag doll that resembles you, in a way.
“Yes. It was my father’s. He made it for me. It's lovely, isn't it?”
“It is.” Then he brings the doll and sets it on one of the night stands beside the bed. “I’ll take this side.”
“It's a great choice.” You smile at him and leave, returning to your house chores that need an urgent attendance.
After some time he is in the living room, studying your bookcases. He stays there for a while, and then you catch him rearranging some things, swapping and replacing, giving his touch to the place. In that moment your heart swells with affection for this man – your man – making your house his.
He sits in an armchair, next to the fireplace, shifting his body as he tests the seat. “It's not so bad after all.” Astarion concludes.
“What isn’t?”
“This house. I think I can live here.” He says, smirking.
“Thank the Gods!” You laugh, and he joins you.
“You know, your laugh was one of the things that helped me get through our previous adventures. I love hearing you laugh, my darling, and I’m committed to making you laugh for the rest of your life.” Astarion taps his thigh, inviting you to sit on his lap. And who are you to refuse such a request?
As soon as you reach him, he embraces you, nestling you against him. His hands on your back, brushing gentle circles over your shirt. “Thank you. This is nice.” He kisses you. The silkiest lips you ever felt. A lingering soft kiss. Then you feel his fingers searching for the waistline of your shirt, pushing it upwards, caressing your skin beneath. His grip tightens, and his kiss grows hungrier.
His enthusiasm is rising, and yours is too. You hear his softs moans as he pulls you closer and closer. Gods! How does he have such power over you? Your body is already screaming for him, and he knows it. His mischievous grin doesn't fool you.
He unbuttons your shirt, caressing your breast while doing it, and when he is about to do the same to your trousers you suddenly remember something. Something urgent. Your breath trapped in your throat.
“Astarion, my love, this will have to wait, I'm afraid…” The words are dragging from your mouth, but you can’t let yourself get lost in his arms just yet.
“What is it, Darling? Can’t it wait a little longer?” He purrs, leaving a trail of kisses down your neck to your collarbone.
“The sun won't wait for us, Astarion.” He stops and looks at you as you point to the windows without any kind of sun blocking throughout the whole house.
“Oh… I see.” He clears his throat, shifting your body on his lap, loosening his hold. “Maybe we should do something about that first.”
You nod your head and reluctantly lift yourself from his lap, arranging your clothes and catching your breath.
After a while, both of you try to cover all the windows in a rush, because the sun is almost rising. You use everything that could be useful – old thick blankets, some unused wooden strips that you had saved.
You do your best to hurry, but panic starts to set in. The sky is getting brighter outside, and you still have windows to cover. I should have remembered this! How could I forget? But no… all I could think were those stupid spider webs! Because I wanted everything perfect for him, to make him feel at home. Safe. And I forgot the most important thing… “Astarion, we’re not going to get all the windows covered in time.”
“I guess not. Maybe we can close the doors and minimize the daylight in the house.”
“Yes we can do that. And if what we did isn’t enough? What if the sunlight still gets in? What then?”
“Well… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” His face, worried.
“What? No. That won't do.”
You remember when the effects of the tadpole had abandoned him, how his flesh started to burn, and how he fled from you, running through Baldur’s Gate docks, trying to find some shadows to hide from the sun.
You remember how you chased him in panic and you remember when you catched him, curled up behind some crates, shaking.
You won’t let that happen again. He is your whole world, and you are his safe place. You won’t fail him. Ever.
You swallow the fear that grows inside you, and know what you have to do. Your heart aches with the thought, but it's the only way. You have to be sure that the house is safe. “You will have to wait inside that closet, please.” Your hands, trembling.
“What? Are you asking me to lock myself in there?” He asks incredulously.
“Please Love… I know it's not the perfect plan, but I’d never forgive myself if something happens to you in our home…” He looks at you with some sadness. “Please, Star… just let me make sure everything is okay.”
He walks defeated to the closet, his curse robbing him, once again, one of the happiest moments of his life. He curls up inside it. “It will always be like this, won't it? Running, hiding, being afraid?”
“No it won't. I promise. We just have to adapt. I will give you the life you deserve.” You lift his chin, leaning to him and kiss his lips, wanting nothing more than to hold him in your arms. But that will have to wait. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I make sure it’s safe for you to come out.” He lowers his head, hiding it between his knees, enveloped by the shadows. Your heart shatters at his sight, and you know you will be haunted by it for a long time.
You leave him, closing the closet’s door behind you. You breathe deeply once and then you move on to continue the unfinished work. Shortly after, the sun is shining outside. You close the doors from the rooms with windows still uncovered, and where you stand, only darkness remains. No sunlight can reach you. Astarion is safe.
You run to the closet, opening it, and leap into his arms, holding him, satisfying your craving to embrace him once again. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m so sorry!” Your voice trembles with anguish.
He holds you close, his hand on the back of your head, burying his face on your neck crock. “It’s alright, my sweet. Everything is alright.”
“It’s not! I wanted it to be perfect. But I keep forgetting important details. Maybe I can’t keep you safe after all.”
“Darling, you’ve given me more than I ever imagined I deserve. And I’ve never felt safer than with you by my side. It can’t be more perfect than that.”
“I love you.” You mutter, feeling your heart soothing with his embrace.
“And I love you, my treasure.”