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Gale had been fairly relaxed until he saw the smoke billowing out from his and his husbands tower. Finished with his teaching duties at Blackstaff, he took a leisurely stroll home, wondering what he could concoct for dinner. He hoped Tav was having the same pleasant day as himself. As he turned the corner of the bustling street, he saw the dark smoke exiting the higher tower window near the kitchen.
Panicked, troubled thoughts raced inside his head. Was the tower under attack? Had his protective wards failed? Was Tav in trouble? Rushing through the street, he weaved between the gathering crowd interested in the smoke pouring from the well known wizards home. Most locals knew the Hero's of Badlur's Gate resided there, curious gazes watching the tower each day. Plenty of people they'd upset over the years who had it out for them, including Tav's own family, a ferocious dynasty who weren't happy their son married an outsider. A rather sickening thing, ones family wanting to see you dead rather than with the one you love.
Reaching the tower's concealed door, he muttered the arcane words which summoned the glowing opening. Only those who knew the passcode could summon the door forth, a bell pulley outside notifying them of visitors. If no one was in, a projected image of Gale appeared instructing visitors to continue. Only Gale and his family members knew the passcode, so it drove him to a worrying amount of panic at the thought someone had gained entrance.
An acrid smell greeted Gale as he stepped inside the tower, he grasped his staff and rushed upstairs, ready for a fight. As he climbed up the stairs, a cacophony of noise and scents assaulted him, the smoke thick in the air. Clattering and swearing left the kitchen, what seemed to be the source. Outside the door perched on a small bookcase was a disgruntled Tara, claws angrily scratching the wood.
“He's causing utter chaos, Mr Dekarios! I warned him to stay away but did he listen!” said Tara, utterly indignant, feathers ruffling furiously.
“Who's causing chaos?” Gale asked, prepping his magic.
“Mr Tavrian, your husband!”
“We're not under attack?” panted Gale, wiping sweat from his brow.
Tara hissed. “Mr Tavrian is attacking the kitchen, butchering and destroying everything in his wake. I begged him to stop but he foolishly continued. And now there is fire! Stop him.”
Confused and still very concerned, the wizard charged into the kitchen, a safe space for him, a place of relaxation and unwinding the days thoughts as he cooked. During their travels, Gale did take control of the camp cooking, finding it a delightful culinary challenge to create edible dishes on the road. With limited ingredients, he tried making something everyone could enjoy after a hard day.
When he returned to Waterdeep with Tav, he regeared the kitchen to become a new space for him to be comfortable in. It became a little neglected after his unceremonious downfall from Mystra's grace. Tav’s love guided him back, showing he was more than a progeny wizard who had to prove himself to a goddess, that he could be defined by more than magic.
And now his safe space was on fire.
Tav was rushing around the kitchen, dousing the fire in a mixture of water and smothering it with tea towels which wasn't helping much. The barbarian was better at creating destruction than controlling it. One pot was bursting with an unknowable sauce which splattered everywhere. Another pot was shooting out flame after flame, the silver metal now utterly blackened. Clashing smells of sour and destroyed herbs fought each other. It was not a pleasant scent.
Summoning forth the create water spell, Gale tossed it over the pots, the impromptu tidal wave wiped away the flames. A steam cloud consumed the room, sizzling as cold water reduced the heat. Various shades of browns and oranges smeared the stovetop as well as Tav's apron. Both paused, looking at each other and breathing heavily, no one sure who should speak first. Panic blew out Tav's eyes, Gale smoothing back his long hair and sighing heavily. He had hoped for a relaxing evening, prepare a meal, enjoy a glass of wine by the fireplace enveloped in his husband's huge arms.
The evening would involve cleanup.
“Tav, dear, what happened?” Gale asked gently, leaning his staff against a nearby wall.
An odd sight to see one's bulky barbarian husband clad an apron straining over his muscles and bottom lip quivering as if tears threatened to fall. This was the same man who flew into battle rages and effortlessly cleave their enemies in half with his mighty axe. Now he looked like a guilty child caught eating too many sweets before dinner. The sizable tiefling was utterly distraught, holding onto a blackened tea towel like a lifeline, twisting it in his huge hands.
The dusty-blue hued tiefling squirmed where he stood. “I was trying to do something nice for you,” said Tav, his voice small, “you were at work. I was just painting all day and thought maybe it would be nice if you had dinner waiting for you.”
Gale eyes slid over to the ruined kitchen, the blackened pots no longer sizzling from the water he cast over them. The potent smell, however, lingered.
“Well, the thought is appreciated,” said Gale, “but you didn't have too. You've never shown any interest before, I merely thought this was our arrangement.”
Tav wiped his leaking eyes. “I thought - I thought I could do something for you since you're alway working so hard.”
“Hey, hey,” said Gale, softly, reaching forward and clasping his husband's large hands and squeezing, “what's brought this on? This hasn't come out of nowhere, hmm?”
Tav pursed his lips together, averting his golden eyes. “It's just… you know… something your fellow wizards mentioned at the gala we attended at Blackstaff.”
Gale frowned, recalling the night from a few nights back. He'd been in attendance with Tav for a charity event organised by the Blackstaff higher ups. Never one for parties, Gale agreed to attend as the headmaster wanted to show off the Hero of Baldur's Gate and one of Mystra's chosen. Tav was there as his partner, mingling and carrying conversations Gale had little interest in. His husband possessed a charisma which helped during their adventure together, convincing allies to fight the Absolute and bag reasonable prices for expensive items.
His fellow professors were in attendance, many boasting of their students and current magical experiments they were working on. Gale tried not to judge his fellow mages but many of them didn't possess the same hands on experience such as himself. He doubted half of them had even ventured outside the city let alone used their magic in a fight. He believed being well travelled allowed one to understand the various magics in the world better.
When the night wound down, Gale did notice Tav's usual bubbly attitude had dampened somewhat, the tiefling looking downtrodden. He had asked what was wrong, only for the other man to brush him off, claiming he was merely tired. They hadn't spent the entire night by each others side, Gale wasn't sure who Tav spoke with.
“What did they say?” asked Gale, thumbs stroking Tav's hands.
Tav didn't meet his eye. “Well, they used a lot of fancy words which boiled down to ‘must be nice to be a kept man’ when I said you did the cooking and I lived here as a painter. I did say I fulfilled adventure requests too. But they - well, it didn't really help.”
Anger flurried through Gale. How dare those snooty snobs look down on his husband! The man who stared down a death god and told them to go fuck themselves! A man who helped anyone even if it didn't benefit him! The very same man saved an entire city from a mind-flayer attack and felled a Netherbrain! Those fools clearly knew nothing. Quick to judgement and never changing. Stagnant fools.
“Did what they say make you feel inadequate?” askd Gale, voice strained.
“A little,” admitted Tav, shrugging his shoulders, “I thought if I made dinner, I'd be of more use. That you didn't have worry about dinner when getting home after work.”
“Oh, my darling, foolish husband. You don't have to prove anything, especially not to me,” said Gale, wrapping his arms around Tav's large body.
Tav was silently crying, wrapping his well muscled arms around Gale's smaller frame, his chest heaving. “I'm sorry. I've made more problems than solving them.”
“It wasn't a problem to begin with,” said Gale, rubbing Tav's back, “you are so sweet for trying to help but you didn't have to.”
Tav stared sadly down at him. “But you do so much. I can't just sit around painting all day and then have you make dinner when you get home,” he said, voice watery.
“Shh, shh, come on, lets sit down,” said Gale, leading him out the ruined kitchen.
Tav let himself be led towards the living room, holding tightly to Gale's hand as he wiped away tears. Tara silently followed behind, probably not happy with the smells and mild smoke cloud still lingering. Though the tower appeared small from the outside, Gale had messed with the dimensions inside, the rooms inside much bigger. Their living room was practically cavernous, boasting a lovely fireplace and cosy furniture.
The wizard settled him in the large green armchair he favoured, peeling off the soiled apron and casting prestidigitation, banishing the mess gathered. Perching on his husband's lap, Gale slung his arms around Tav's shoulders and gently kissed him, their respective beards scratching against each other. He waited until the tiefling stopped crying, making sure he comforted Tav the best he could.
There had been many nights where Gale had woken up from a nightmare where the orb exploded, wiping out everything he cared for, watching Tav turning to mere dust. Waking up panicked, Gale would frantically clawed at his chest where the orb resided as if trying to dig it out. Tav would stop his hands burrowing in the flesh, pulling Gale into a gentle hug, whispering reassurances that the orb was gone and he was safe. They were safe and happy, he didn't have to worry about Mystra or the orb.
“What's on your mind?” asked Gale, nuzzling into Tav's neck.
Tav exhaled heavily. “I just - everyone you know are these amazing wizards - you're an amazing wizard. And I just hit things with an axe.”
They supported each other. Making sure they communicated about their feelings and their shortcomings. Gale never wanted Tav to feel he was lesser because he couldn't perform magic. He really wanted to find out who said horrible things to his husband and hit them with a magic missle from a high tower. He gazed up from Tav's shoulder and stared into his lover's eyes.
“Not to sound condescending but there are plenty of things you can do that I can't. Your paintings are beautiful and majestic, you captured Tara's beauty perfectly,” said Gale, running his hand through Tav's short hair.
Tara purred nearby. “Yes. Your subject was already perfect but your skills painted it spectacularly.”
“Hmm, humble as always,” said Gale, “I can't even draw a stick figure. And you built nearly all the furniture here. Half my colleagues think I've bought them from a famed artisan in Waterdeep. The decorations actually make it feel cosy, lived in. You made this house a home. Well, you made a tower a home.”
“It was rather stale before you arrived. Mr Dekarios possesses no decorating talent,” said Tara, laying down.
Gale cast her a displeased look. “You aren't sitting around the tower and doing nothing. You sell your paintings, you work as an artist. After everything you've done, been through, you can relax and pursue this.”
Gale ran his thumb over the scar along Tav’s chin, one he from a goblins rusty scimitar. During the tadpole debacle, they'd been through so much in a short time, earning scars and fond memories. Bad ones too but Gale wouldn't trade it for anything. The whole incident brought them together, the love of his life, the man who proved Gale was worthy no matter what he did.
Tav wiped his nose on a handkerchief in his pocket. “Are you sure? What about you?”
Gale smiled lovingly at him, hand carded through his dark tresses. “I'm happy with our current setup. I like cooking, I like cooking for you. It makes me happy. Even after a long day at Blackstaff, its how I unwind. It was sweet you tried. But you don't have to.”
Tav glanced up through watery eyes. “Really?”
“Yes, my dear,” said Gale, kissing Tav's tear stained cheeks, “it's not like I don't have down time. You know me, I have to keep doing something or I become insufferable.”
“It was worse when you were a child,” input Tara, licking her furred paws, “the amount of times I informed your poor mother what you'd done, I surprised she kept a level head.”
“Yes, thank you, Tara,” said Gale, unamusement but the tressym’s antics made Tav crack a smile, “you are amazing. You are patient when I go off on lectures about magic and make sure I go to bed on time so I'm not constantly tired. You are everything I've ever wanted.”
“Really?” said Tav, sounding unsure.
The beginning of their relationship had Tav self-conscious about Gale's previous relationship with Mystra, worried he couldn't measure up to a goddess. They got through it, Gale revaluating certain aspects of his relationship with Mystra and realising it was fairly imbalanced compared to what he had with Tav. The tiefling made sure he knew they were always equals.
Gale leaned forward and passionately kissed Tav, lightly gripping the others hair, pouring all his love into the exchange. Salt and sweetness erupted along his tongue, Gale moaning slightly. He felt Tav relax under him, melting into the embrace, tongue poking out and swiping Gale's lower lip. The wizard moaned, joining his own tongue with Tav's, his cheeks becoming heated. Hands caressed each other's clothes bodies, the kitchen mess forgotten about.
The world faded away until it was just Gale and Tav, lost in each other's arms. His lower body twitched, becoming excited by the intense touching, Tav's hands rubbing along his thighs. Shifting in his husband's lap, Gale straddled his waist, their chests pressed together as he was trying to erase any space between them.
The world soon came back, interrupting the moment.
“Please refrain from heavy affection whilst I am in the room,”said Tara, snootily.
They pulled apart sheepishly. “Sorry,” said Gale, shifting his weight so he wasn't straddling the other man, “we'll wait for the privacy of our room.”
“Um, let’s went for a minute,” said Tav, cheeks blushing.
Gale could feel the reason why they needed to wait. He crossed his own legs, knowing he required some calm down too. Leaning his head along Tav's shoulder, he happily listened to the tieflings' heightened heartbeat.
“Thank you, love,” said Tav, kissing the top of his head.
“I only spoke the truth, my love,” he mumbled, nuzzling his face into the broad chest, “once we clean up the kitchen, I'll get dinner ready.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Just never try to cook again.”