Archive of Our Own

"Not so long ago I was dreaming of our own personal forever. Endless nights in each other's arms. But time caught up with me. Father is dead, Baldur's Gate nears its ruin - my one and only duty must be to the city. Forever could only be a dream."

"We can still have it, Wyll. We can defeat the Brain and be together." 

Gale is pleading with him and he wants nothing more than to give in, screw whatever his mind is telling him to do. But what he wants and what he can have are, as always, two different things.

"One monster slain then, and another after that and then another. There will always be one more evil to fell..."

Gale's face falls at his words and nothing could've prepared him for how much it hurts to see the man he loves this distraught, all because of him. Still, he continues.

"My father taught me more lessons than I can count. But perhaps the greatest one is this: a champion's heart is as sharp as a new blade. Pull me too close and I'm destined to hurt you."

"You mean so much to me. I can feel my heart bleeding."

He sees the anguish on Gale's face and his own heart can barely take it. But he pushes his emotions down as far as he can. He's had years of practice with that. This is the right thing to do, he tells himself.

"Maybe I can staunch it. Just for a moment. One last dance for old times sake." 

The offer is as much for Gale as it is for himself. Hold the love of his life close one last time before he pushes him away forever.
Gale's face flicks between hurt and anger before he almost spits out the next words.

"You break up with me and then ask to dance? That's some godsdamned nerve."

His voice is shaking, the tears in his eyes on the verge of spilling, but he holds them back. The words hit Wyll, twisting his insides painfully, and he has to look away to try not to lose his resolve after all.

"I deserve that. And...I'm sorry." He blinks away the moisture that's dreading to form in his eyes as he looks at Gale again.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts. I hope somewhere in them you find peace."

The fury on the other man's face fades away, leaving only heartbreak and the realization that the future they could've had lays shattered between them.

Wyll forces himself to finally turn and walk away. The pain inside his chest claws at him, wants him to stop, to turn around and take everything back. But he doesn't.

He'll be better off without me, he thinks. Though if he'll be better off without Gale he's not so sure.

~ ~ ~

It seems like a miracle but they defeat not only the chosen of the Dead Three but in the end rid Faerûn of the threat of the Netherbrain. Baldur's Gate is saved and they are finally freed from the Mindflayer tadpoles for good.

Wyll breathes easier. The city and its people have suffered in this attack but they will rebuild in time. And he will make sure that Baldur's Gate weathers any and all threats that may rear their ugly head in the future, for as long as he lives.

Dedicating his life to the good of the people is all he's ever done, all he ever wanted to do. But he doesn't feel the euphoria of the people celebrating their hard earned victory in the streets. Instead there is an emptiness in him, a hole inside his chest that doesn't want to wane no matter how much he tells himself that he should be happy, that the day is saved and that they have won.

He is freed from Mizora's grasp at long last, his soul and his life none but his own again. But his father is still gone and any chance to repair what was broken between them all those years ago gone with him. And as much as he tried to move on from that day he told Gale that there was no future for them...he just couldn't do it.

With their companions having left to follow their own fates, one way or the other, it's just him and Gale standing at the harbor now. The clamoring of the fight has finally faded into the bustle of people celebrating, their cheers a comforting backdrop to the less than comforting silence between the two of them.

Gale is the first to break that silence.

"I guess my next quest will be finding the crown and delivering it to Mystra," he says, looking at his hands rather than at Wyll.

"And after that back to Waterdeep. I'll be happy to see my tower again and Tara will be overjoyed to have me back, I'm sure. Not to mention my mother..."

Wyll can hear that Gale is trying for his usual enthusiasm but there is an unmistaken sadness that darkens his voice. They both know this might be their final goodbye.

"I will be forever grateful to have met you, Gale of Waterdeep."

Wyll manages to sound like his insides aren't twisting themselves into knots.

"Actually...I've decided to drop this whole 'Gale of Waterdeep' business. It's a bit pompous don't you think? You're now in the company of plain old Gale Dekarios - a most brilliant wizard of intentionally limited renown. At your service."

Gale takes a small bow and Wyll can't stop the smile that is forming on his lips. This is the good old Gale he has missed these last few days. The one he's going to miss once they part ways for good.

There is another long pause, both of them seemingly lost for words.

Wyll has to get this over with, no matter how much he hates it.

"Goodbye, Gale."

The wizard's eyes study him, his gaze boring into him like he's trying to discern his thoughts without casting a spell. Finally he lets out a huff, his face a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

"You really want to end it like this?"

Wyll doesn't say anything, doesn't know what he even would say.

"Well, you know what?" Gale continues "I'm not done. I know why you're doing this. Why you pushed me away."

Wyll tries to keep his face as blank as possible but his insides are in turmoil. Where is Gale going with this?

"You're blaming yourself for your father's death and for some reason you think you need to be punished for it. That you don't deserve anything good for yourself because of it.
But it's not your fault, Wyll. It's not your fault your father died, it's not your fault you had to choose between saving your soul or his life. Just as it wasn't your fault that you had to make that pact with Mizora when you were still a child or that you got turned into a devil for sparing Karlach. "

Gale is taking a few steps towards him while Wyll feels trapped in place, his heart seizing in his chest.  

"You tried to do the right thing, you always do, and Mizora preyed on that. She knew you couldn't refuse her offer to save the city from the cultists, I'm sure she even knew your father would banish you if you couldn't show or tell him the truth. Just as she knew you would do anything to save him."

Gale moves again, his voice growing ever more gentle the closer he gets to Wyll.  

"I stopped you from giving away your soul to be bound to Zariel for all eternity, and I'm dreadfully sorry that it meant we couldn't save your father...but I'm not sorry for making that decision. "

Gale is standing right in front of him now, so close Wyll can feel his breath ghosting over his skin when he talks.

"You deserve to be free, Wyll."

He takes Wyll's hands in his before he continues, the soothing warmth and pressure on his skin makes Wyll draw in a shaky breath.

"And you deserve to be happy."

Wyll feels like his chest is about to burst. He makes a noise that sounds dangerously close to a sob as he continues to stare at the man in front of him, unable to look away.

"I love you. More than I've ever loved anyone, mortal or immortal. And I refuse to let you go just because you are too stubborn to think about yourself for one godsdamned minute."

"Gale..." Wyll starts, his voice sounds weaker than he anticipated. He doesn't get to finish his sentence however as Gale lets go of his hands to grab his face instead. And then he kisses him.

Wyll doesn't move, his body in shock at suddenly having Gale so close again, feeling his fingers on his skin and the press of his lips on his. But then something in him snaps and he grips onto him, his hands trembling as they dig into the other man's clothes. He presses his eyes shut and feels the tears he'd been holding back finally run free, leaving a wet trail on their way down.   

The kiss doesn't last long. They slowly pull apart but keep close to each other, neither of them keen on putting any distance between them again. Gale gently brushes the tears from Wyll's face, a small smile plays on his lips as he looks at him fondly.  

"I'm sorry, Gale."

"For breaking my heart? You should be." Gale's gaze becomes more serious but his voice doesn't hide the lighthearted tone. He's not angry at him. Not anymore.

Wyll sighs, long and weary.

"You're right about what you said. I...I didn't think I deserved you, and that pushing you away would make things easier somehow..."

Wyll huffs and shakes his head.

"I was fool enough to think I could just let you go. That I could will my heart to stop yearning for you every waking hour and every restless night."  

He moves his hands fully around Gale's body, reveling at the reality of holding him again.

"But I still love you. More than I ever thought possible to love anyone. And I don't want to lose you."

"You don't have to," Gale says. The sincerity in his voice is enough to make Wyll almost choke up again.

"Will you stay with me, here in Baldur's Gate?"

Gale grins at him. "Nothing would make me happier."

Wyll smiles back at him. He can still feel that hole inside his chest, the emptiness still lurking beneath the surface. But it seems smaller, less empty now. 

They stay like this for a while, just holding each other and enjoying the comfort of knowing there won’t be a goodbye after all. But soon enough they make their way back into the city proper and find themselves a cozy room to rest and finally indulge in celebrating their victory.

There is a lot of lost time they have to make up for and Wyll can’t wait to turn his dream of their own personal forever into the reality he thought to be out of reach for so long.