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Astarion very much didn’t like when people didn’t fall immediately victim to his charms.
Gale was not someone that Astarion had expected to be so difficult to sway.
Much of their early conversations were cut short by the wizard, stamping out Astarion’s flirtations with short rebuttals and insults.
That was fine, though. Astarion could learn to like a challenge.
He made habit of pestering the wizard, who always lingered away from the group as they walked. Often, he ended up talking more than his brunette companion, met with short responses or sometimes flat out ignored. Astarion would brush hands with Gale as they walked, attempting to get some rise out of the wizard. He was frustratingly level-headed.
On first watch, it was quite easy to select someone to test the bounds of his freedom- who better than the pampered man- surely a nice brandy and smoked taste on him. He leaned down to Gale’s neck, quickly puncturing into the soft skin. The wizard gasped, gripping Astarion’s wrist painfully tight. The spawn yelped back, leaning away but quickly returning his tongue to the wound, seeing blood about to drip onto Gale’s fine shirt. The wizard’s breath hitched at the reconnection, but he held his composure.
In the firelight, Astarion thought he saw redness in the man’s cheeks. Gale scowled, whispering. “I am not for eating, if we hadn’t been over this before.”
“The acidity is surprising-but not entirely revolting.” Astarion teased, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “let me finish?”
Gale scoffed, pushing the other back with a palm against his chest. “I think not. Unless you want a stake through the heart, that is.”
Astarion backed up, hands in the air. “Understood, understood. I apologize for interrupting your beauty sleep, my dear.”
Gale rolled his eyes, turning over as Astarion went to hunt for the remainder of his watch.
-
Gale was interesting to try and dissect. He found they weren’t so different- Gale hid things away too, just in a… less skillful way than himself.
One that was quite easy to catch red-handed.
The glimmer of a woman’s face swirled in Gale’s hand, the man completely oblivious to Astarion approaching him from behind. He kept quiet, watching Gale with curiosity. He looked… sad.
He’s seen Gale upset before, of course, but something about this moment made Astarion feel as though he was intruding on an intimate moment, something he shouldn’t be seeing. Perhaps like a breakup-how riveting.
He stepped forward from the shadows, looking over Gale’s shoulder and seeing the woman’s features closer now. She was quite beautiful, and something about that made Astarion feel a pang of jealousy.
“You’re attracting insects with that light.” Astarion poked, resting a gentle hand on Gale’s shoulder, causing the other to jump ever so slightly in surprise, dispelling the illusory woman. Gale let out a sigh, taking a moment to collect himself enough to reply.
“I didn’t see you there. My apologies, did you want something?” Gale looked into Astarion’s eyes with an unreadable expression.
Astarion paused, seeing cracks in Gale’s walls in the moment and seizing it. “…Who was she? Someone you’re missing?”
“Mystra. The weave mother, my ex lover, and much more. I’d rather not speak about it much beyond that, if that’s alright with you.” Gale replied, and Astarion felt he shouldn’t push him on this one.
“Weave this, weave that. What’s so spectacular about spell casting?” Astarion prodded.
“Would you like to try and see for yourself?” Gale asked, brown eyes filled with excitement that made Astarion’s stomach churn.
He couldn’t say no to that. “If I must indulge the kicked puppy, why not.” He teased, and Gale smirked, walking over to stand beside the elf.
He moved quickly, masterfully producing a simple spark in the air. Astarion copied him, deft with his hands enough to recreate the action almost perfectly. His expression showed the surprise that crossed his face as he saw a similar effect from his own hand. Gale asked him to repeat an incantation, and he did so without flaw.
Then, Gale asked him to think of harmony. Something peaceful. He wasn’t able to hide his stuck frustration, and Gale silently let the man ponder. Peace was foreign to him, his life full of bloodshed and agony. At least until-
Warm sunlight bathed his skin for the first time in hundreds of years. Oddly, he felt it again. In their cold dark camp, warmth enveloped him like a hug, yet when he opened his eyes nothing was touching him. He looked to Gale with mouth unknowingly agape, and caught the wizards eyes glancing to his lips.
Thoughts of their lips connecting came into mind vividly, sickeningly sweet and slow. He couldn’t help but get lost in the mental image, his own eyes glancing to Gale’s lips and imagining a much more quickened pace for the two.
Gale cleared his throat, and Astarion’s eyes snapped away from the man’s lips to his burning red cheeks. “Ah- I had. Well, I had always assumed that the flirtations were just your nature, or some sort of joke on me…”
Astarion’s eyes widened in surprise, warmth leaving as the magic around them dissipated. He wanted to claw it back, hands instinctively wrapping around his own arms to maintain whatever warmth he could. He turned on his heel, moving to go back to his tent. He shouldn’t have let Gale do that. Magic was trouble- controlling people’s thoughts and minds unwillingly.
“Wait!” Gale pleaded, hands twitching at his side as Astarion turned, as though he had wanted to grab hold but decided it best to keep him free. “That’s not to say I don’t like the… images presented.”
Astarion scowled. “I don’t appreciate being charmed, wizard. I thought you would know that of all people.”
“That wasn’t a charming spell, I would never do that to you! Or any ally for that matter.” Gale looked shocked at the accusations. “The connection we had- I apologize if I didn’t clearly explain it before, but it can, when done successfully, allow for exact, clear communication of desires.”
Astarion, if he had the ability, would be red this time around. “Your spell must be broken, then. Kissing a man with such a scraggly beard is not something I would ever desire.”
“Is that so? What if said man were to give his scraggly beard a trim?” Gale prodded, seeing that Astarion’s tensed body language had eased with his explanations.
Astarion rolled his eyes. “Perhaps he can ask another time.” and with his remark, turned and walked back to his tent, immediately turning in for the night.
-
Astarion said very little to Gale throughout the following few days, and effectively frustrated the wizard doing so.
So much so, in fact, that Gale begun using Astarion’s tricks against him. Walking at the back of the party side by side, Gale would walk close enough for their fingers to brush lightly. He made horrible, horrible puns and jokes in Astarion’s direction, forcing the spawn to contain himself as not to give any encouragement to the man.
Not to mention the way he would go out of his way to help Astarion in combat. Or tend to his wounds immediately after battles. Or look at him with such concern whenever he hung back away from the party at camp.
This night, though, after much of the party turned in for the night away from the warm chatter of the campfire, Astarion caught Gale’s stare. As everyone else closed their tent flaps, Astarion slipped into the tree line, watching from shadow as Gale followed in.
It was much easier to lay traps for willing prey.
Gale’s poor human eyes didn’t allow him to detect Astarion’s presence before he had the wizard pinned up against a tree, a dagger placed carefully at his Adam’s apple. With wrists held between Astarion’s hands, Gale’s quickened beating pulse almost made Astarion drool.
He composed himself quickly, glaring into the brunette man’s eyes.
“Why do you insist on taunting me, Dekarios?” Astarion spat.
“I don’t know what you mean, but I’m plenty sure that this conversation would be better had without a dagger at my throat if you so please.” Gale looked down at the vampire spawn before him, who seemed not to budge. “Or, if you’d like, I truly see no problem with my demise. This orb could take us both out, if that’s what you wish.”
Astarion huffed, removing his dagger. “Shut it with the suicidality for once, would you?”
“My apologies.” Gale replied, rubbing his back from where he was slammed into the bark. “Now- what exactly brought this unsavory hello upon me?”
His white haired companion was silent for a moment, leaning up against an adjoining tree and looking downward, sharpening his weapon. “You don’t have to pretend you feel anything toward me just because of what you happened to see.” Astarion said so quietly it was almost unintelligible.
“I- pretend? I’m sorry, wherever did you get that idea?” Gale’s footsteps approached into Astarion’s line of sight, and the spawns face looked to him with stone coldness. “Astarion- my shock at our connected visions was in part because you *reciprocated*, and might I say quite eagerly so. The original desires you saw were mine, I couldn’t help them. Seeing you, a person I very much find attractive and interesting, interacting with the forces I spent my entire life dedicated to with joy was- a lot to take in. You were fascinating to me ever since you pulled me from that portal, your striking looks aside, something about the way your mind works enraptured me. I let my own mind linger, and if I made you uncomfortable with my slip up then I sincerely apolo-“
Firmly, lips met those of the never silent wizard. Astarion ran a hand forcefully into Gale’s hair, pulling slightly as he pushed deeper into the kiss, parting Gale’s lips with a fervor. He stopped only as Gale pressed a gentle hand against Astarion’s chest.
“Am I forgiven?” Gale smirked, receiving a scowl back.
“Gods there’s only one way to shut you up isn’t there?” Astarion nipped at Gale’s lip.
“Oh I’m sure you could find more.” Gale grazed his fingertips gently across Astarion’s cheek, keeping any movement in sight of the rogue. “After of course, we speak properly about your boundaries, as well as mine, set ground rules for whatever this is, and-“
Astarion locked their lips again, a slight smile against the others.
Perhaps there was still fun in the hunt. Especially when the long game earns you an obscurity like Gale Dekarios.