#one day I'll have to write something from Fal's pov about it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

slusheeduck · 2 months

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28 please?

28. "You're so cute."

Astarion could feel eyes on him as he flipped through his book--nothing interesting, but it saved him the pain of small talk around the camp fire. He tried to ignore it--and managed it, for a moment--but ultimately he had to look over to see who was watching him.

Oh. Falerin. What a surprise.

He gave him a stiff little smile in kind, then resumed his reading. He thought he'd planned this well. The thought process was this: Wyll and Lae'zel were both too dangerous--one because of his do-gooder nature, the other because she was practically ready to murder anyone who looked at her wrong; Gale was too desperate; Karlach was obviously a no-go with the lack of touch; Shadowheart was too...look, he wasn't really sure what Shadowheart's thing was, but something was off. Falerin--sweet, half-mad Falerin--was the best option left. Not only did it work out that he ended up the defacto leader of their little party, thus ensuring Astarion was extra safe, but with his fey-touched nature, there was plenty of plausible deniability if he ever did bring up a complaint. The bite had been a good test, so he'd assumed that sleeping with him would be relatively safe.

But ever since, the warlock had been looking at him with big, soppy eyes and a stupid smile on his face. Gods, had he been a virgin? He couldn't be, not if he dealt with the fey. So he did his best to balance the proclamations and flirtations with plain ignoring him. He wanted to be close to Fal for safety; he did not want anything more.

And yet, he still felt his two-toned gaze on him, and it was growing more and more unsettling. He finally shut his book, looking over at Falerin with another stiff smile.

"Yes, my little treat?"

Falerin didn't respond, still staring at him with the dopiest smile. Astarion's dropped, fair brows drawing together.

"Darling? Falerin?" He snapped his fingers in front of Fal's face. "Are you off with the fairies, dear?"

Fal startled a bit, but the smile remained. He gave a soft little laugh, cheeks flushing deliciously--it might be time to ask for another bite. The half-drow met his eyes warmly.

"Sorry. It's just..." He rubbed his face, looking bashful. "You're so cute."

Astarion blinked. Cute? Cute? He was a monster, a vicious killing machine who felt no worse about using the stupid, mad warlock in front of him than he did about the inevitable dagger that he'd lodge right between Cazador's ribs. How many hundreds had he lured to their deaths? How many false promises had he whispered into hopeful ears? If he had to kill everyone in this camp--yes, Scratch included!--to get his freedom, he'd slit all their pretty throats without a moment's hesitation.

And Falerin thought he was cute.

He didn't even try to spin that into a flirtation. How could he? Beautiful, he could work with. Sexy, definitely. Seductive, tantalizing, tempting, alluring...the list went on. But cute? He had nothing for that, and so he just stared at Falerin.

Fal, at least, had the good sense to give an embarrassed laugh. "I know, I know, you probably don't get that often. But it's true. You..." He bit his lip, tugging it to the side; it was one of the few things he did that Astarion had to admit he liked (silently, of course). "When you read, or think, or just...you know, when you're not performing..."

"I don't perform."

"Sure, of course you don't. But your face gets so soft, and your lips turn up a bit--I think it's natural. And with the way your hair is just now..." Falerin shrugged. "I don't know, it's cute! You're cute, Astarion."

Astarion scoffed. "We'll see if you still feel that way the next time I'm covered in blood."

"Is it weird that I kind of like when you get like that?"

"Is it we--yes, it's weird! You're..." Astarion stepped up to him, fully intent on telling him just how strange he was and, if he wanted this to go any further, maybe he'd consider keeping a little more quiet. He looked over the half-drow's face, lifting his head haughtily as he did. His eyes drifted over his lips, still bitten, over the freckles on his cheeks, up to the odd-colored eyes with the faintest shadows around them and the errant strands of hair that fell over them in a way that, damn it all, was rather charming.

He sighed, looking upwards. Well. Things could be worse, really, couldn't they?

Falerin tilted his head slightly, adding to the charm. "I'm...?"

Astarion sighed again, a bigger, more dramatic one, before he said, in a small voice, "You're...cute, too." Might as well make it count, so he leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "But if you repeat that to anyone..."

Falerin laughed. "Our secret." He smiled up at him, reaching up to cup Astarion's cheek, but wordlessly letting his hand drop as the vampire stepped back out of reach. "Feel like a drink tonight?"

"Gods, I thought you'd never ask." Astarion opened his book with a pleased little smile. Well, it was a messier plan than he'd initially hoped for, but he couldn't say it didn't have its perks.

#astarion x tav #yeah this one's not smutty at all but still #it is fun playing around with them pre-actual confession #one day I'll have to write something from Fal's pov about it

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