A Kindling
Description: Scarlet knows there's something strange about the pale elf, but she can't put her finger on exactly what. She feels apprehension, denied her sleep as she ruminates on what it could be, waiting for him to return, some part of her knowing that tonight she will learn something new about him.
Warnings: None <3
Note: Hey team!!! I was in a mood and struggling to write and so I started testing the waters with my personal ocs in the world of bg3. I obviously have Astarion brainrot so that was the FIRST thing that came to mind. This is sort of a rewrite of the sleeping-Tav/bite scene. This is just for funsies, I don't know if I'll do anything with it beyond this but I did have fun writing this and frankly that's probably the most important part of it all!!!
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Nothing but the crackle of the fire devouring the kindling could be heard, nothing but the hush of sleeping breaths.
The camp, near drowning after a harrowing day, was silent. Everyone was asleep, curled up in tents or tucked comfortably in their bedrolls.
But Scarlet wasn’t.
She counted Xander’s breaths from where he had snuggled himself into the roll next to hers, one hand reaching out, their fingers still tangled together. She listened to the snap and pop of the kindling as it turned to char, smelled the smoke as it burned the inside of her nose.
Magic and power were roiling in her veins and her belly like the angry sea, white-capped waves crashing with unforgiving rage against knife-edged cliffs, whipped up into a frenzied rush by a deafening storm. It was no different than most days now, and she could sleep through it until the magic calmed to gently lapping waves. Even now, fatigue crawled along the edges of her mind, a siren song lulling her into sweet oblivion after the nightmare the day had been.
But something tugged at her chest, held her taut as a bowstring. It would not allow her to sleep, to rest. Not until whatever was going to happen finally happened.
So she waited, and she listened to the soft sighs of her companions, of her beloved. How Xander had been willing to stay with her after everything, after the realization of what she was, of what lay buried in her bones, made her eyes burn with all the tears she had already cried and all of the ones not yet shed. How she ached to curl into his arms, to sleep, to rest.
Soon. The force holding her awake promised it would be soon.
Footsteps, near silent as they stumbled over the grass. The snap of a twig beneath the weight of a body, almost hidden entirely beneath the crackle of the fire. Heaving breaths, the smell of sweat and fear heavy in the air.
She kept her eyes firmly closed, but she already knew who it was. The pale elf, the vampire who was hiding in the daylight.
He had said nothing of himself, but she hadn’t needed much. There was fear in his eyes, hidden behind the cruel calculation and cunning that he masked himself with. And she would have been a fool not to notice the elongated incisors when he’d gotten close enough to hold a dagger to her throat.
His footsteps faltered, froze a few steps from her, and she held her breath, wondering what he would do next.
Her friends would call her nosey, but she felt the urge to find out what was going on, to dig deep into these new companions they had stumbled across. If for no other reason, than because they were people that needed help, and she would use every last drop of power crackling in her veins to help them.
She tried to keep her breathing even, soft. She was not adept at feigning unconsciousness, but perhaps the vampire wasn’t focused on everyone’s breathing patterns. Perhaps his mind was elsewhere, although she doubted prying would tell her much. His countenance was shifty, like he was forever balancing on the edge of the knife, preparing to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
More rustling, he was moving again. But strangely he was moving towards her. It sounded like he was sitting down, or perhaps kneeling, the subtle shift of his clothing against the damp grass telling her that he was close.
She could make out the frantic beat of his heart, flitting like hummingbird wings. His breath was coming in short rasps, and she could smell the sharp tang of sweat and fear burning her nose.
Scarlet rolled onto her back, eyes snapping open to see him unhinging his jaw, fangs sharp as knives as the firelight washed across them.
But just as quickly as he had bared his fangs he fell back, cursing as he stumbled to his feet, backing away from her.
Scarlet sat up, drawing her knees to her chest as she regarded him quietly. “Restless evening?”
He opened his mouth, closed it again. Some of the tension in his body melted away as confusion washed over his face like ocean waves reaching across a beach. “Excuse me?”
“You seem restless.”
His brow only furrowed more. “Yes, well I-” He froze, scowling then. “What is this about? You don’t seem surprised or upset in the least.”
“That you’re a vampire?” Now she was the one frowning, wondering if the fatigue creeping at the corners of her mind was at fault. “Why would I be upset about that?”
He blinked, slow at first, then faster, like there was something caught in his eyes. It made her smile, just a little, to see some of his facade slipping away already. He was no charming rake, of that she was certain. She had spent enough time with people pretending to be something they were not to tell when someone was hiding their true heart.
“I’m not stupid,” she muttered into the silence. “I knew you were a vampire immediately. You’re not exactly hiding it well.”
He looked almost hurt at that, although the expression was quickly replaced by a petulant frown. He huffed, crossing his arms. “What are you talking about? I’ve spent 200 years lurking in the shadows, no one has been able to tell.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Another huff, this one followed by what very well might have been a foot stomp. Scarlet fought against the urge to raise her brows, but she could not fight against the giggles that bubbled from her lips.
“What’s so funny? This isn’t exactly a laughing matter.”
He looked angry now, and his eyes flickered. It might have been a trick of the light, but Scarlet could feel it in her bones as surely as she could feel the rivers of energy that were drowning her cells. Fear, sharp and brutal as a well-honed blade.
“I’m sorry for laughing,” she said, unfolding from where she sat curled in her bedroll to stand. She held out her hands in peace, in apology. “I’m not laughing at you, or making fun of you. I suppose I find this all a little strange.”
Another huff, but he looked less annoyed, perhaps only slightly perturbed now. “Well you’re not the only one, dear. I’d say all of this is more than a little strange.”
“Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to insult you.”
His brows drew together, and he looked on the verge of saying something more, but he did not, only regarding her curiously.
“What exactly was it that you were doing anyways?”
A sigh, his head tipping to the side. “I suppose we couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room forever, could we, darling?”
“No, I think it’s probably a good thing if we address it.”
He inclined his head, eyes cast to the ground for a moment. “It’s not what you think, I swear. I only needed a little blood.”
She smirked, arms falling to her sides. “And you regularly take blood from sleeping victims?”
“What?” His brows shot up and his eyes shot to hers, wide and afraid again. “No, no I swear. I usually drink from animals. Bears, deer, kobolds, whatever I can get.”
“And do I look like a deer?” She was poking fun at him, trying to lighten the mood at least a little, and she was rewarded for her efforts with a wry smile.
“No, darling, although right now you are much more appetizing than one.”
She snorted, taking note of the twitch in Xander’s hand a few feet away. There was no way he was asleep. “Sorry, the kitchen’s closed.”
Astarion clicked his tongue, pouting a little. He was no longer afraid, and she felt a glimmer of delight like an ember cast from the fire beginning to bloom. If he was no longer afraid, then they were one step closer to trust. And trust was one step closer to friends, and that was a thought so delightful she smiled a little herself.
“I only meant to have a taste. I’m weak, too weak to hunt. I only wanted enough to regain some of my strength.”
She nodded, her mind already made up. It had been made up before she’d even opened her eyes to find him looming over her.
“Do you think you could trust me?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I do trust you.”
A pause, his eyes widening. “Well… Do you think you could trust me a little more? Do you think you could allow me to-”
“Yes.”
Again that look of surprise brightening his face, some of the darkness that had clung to him when they’d first met vanishing in a blink. He smirked, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “You didn’t even let me finish.”
“So you weren’t asking if you could drink my blood?”
His smile widened. “I certainly was, I just didn’t anticipate someone agreeing so quickly.”
She shrugged. She knew it wouldn’t cause her any danger, and even if it did, she would have gladly helped him anyways. There was clearly more hidden beneath the surface than he was willing to reveal tonight, and she wasn’t about to assume the worst. Yes, he had tried to attack her in her sleep, but so had Raven on multiple occasions, and Scarlet counted her amongst her closest friends.
“Scarlet.”
She looked over to find Xander sitting up now, his golden hair a mess, bags heavy under his eyes. He looked like he was on the verge of chastising her for making deals with vampires in the dead of night.
“Hello, my love,” she sang, ignoring the scowl he levelled on her. Xander wasn’t one for dark looks or reprimanding her, but when he did he could be unforgiving, reminding her more of the nobleman who had to rule his lands justly while scheming around his family’s machinations.
She knelt beside him, cupping his face and stroking his cheeks. “You look tired, my love. Maybe you should go back to sleep.”
“I had a dream you were about to do something foolish, and it made me so anxious it woke me up.” His voice was low, on the cusp of irate. He wasn’t buying her charade, although that didn’t mean she wouldn’t keep trying.
She gave him her sweetest smile, “It’s a good thing I would never do something foolish this late at night.”
One brow arched, his lips pursing. “Scarlet…”
She tipped his head to the side, her own head falling to the side to match. “Do you trust me?”
Resignation and fatigue washed over his face as he closed his eyes. “Of course I trust you.”
“Then you have to trust me, okay?”
Another sigh, and when he opened his eyes they were softer, the corners of his lips twitching like he was trying not to smile. “Didn’t you tell that to me before you jumped off a building?”
“And? I’m okay, aren’t I?”
An awkward cough erupted behind them, reminding Scarlet of why exactly Xander was annoyed with her. “Do you two need a bit of privacy?”
Xander’s glare was back in full force, although it was no longer directed at Scarlet, which was a relief. “You can give us another moment.”
“Don’t mind me, I’m only starving after not having a proper meal in centuries.”
Scarlet sat up straighter at that, whipping around before Xander could stop her. “What do you mean, centuries?”
Astarion’s shoulders slumped, his eyes flicking away from her. “I fear I’ve said too much.”
“Xander,” she whined, turning back around. “Babey.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “I trust you, I just don’t know if I trust him.”
“You wound me. I’ve never hurt a hair on your head.”
“You tried to suck my wife’s blood while she was asleep.”
“Yes, well, we all make mistakes sometimes.”
Scarlet covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. It did little to help, instead earning another scowl from Xander.
“It’s okay,” she said, still giggling as she tried to speak. “This is my decision. But will you hold my hand? Please, Xander?”
Xander held her eyes for a long moment, silent, before he finally nodded. “I’ll always be beside you, sunbeam. No matter what.”
“Well this is all very romantic, but I’m still over here, starving.”
Scarlet sat back, looking up at Astarion once more. Although his words had been sharp, there was something tired in his face, a heavy weight pushing down on him that she did not yet understand.
“You can drink my blood if you want,” she said, threading her fingers with Xander’s. “I trust you.”
The relief in his eyes reminded her of the dawn, sunshine cresting over the horizon and gilding the world in light. “Thank you.”
He gave an awkward flick of his hands as he tried to instruct her how to sit before he knelt beside her. His hands pressed against her shoulders, his eyes suddenly alight with feral, animal hunger. He bared his fangs, lunging for her neck in one quick motion.
His fangs sinking into her skin was like two shards of ice cutting into her, extinguishing some of the heat of the power roiling in her veins. She wondered, distantly, if she ought to have been a little less cavalier with offering up her carotid. She was not immortal, not by any stretch of the imagination, and power or no she could still be killed as easily as any mortal.
Well, almost as easily.
There was no fear of him draining her to death, but she supposed he could rip out her throat. Maybe.
It wasn’t exactly an experiment she was keen on trying, but she supposed it might work.
Xander’s hand squeezed hers tighter, his eyes dark as the midnight sky as they found hers in the shadows.
“Are you alright?”
She smiled, although she was unable to nod with the vampire still latched to her throat.
A fuzzy feeling came over her mind, blurring out the crackle of the fire, softening the sting of the smoke. She felt more tired than anything, and yearned to sleep, to get lost in her dreams until the sun was too high and too bright and it pierced through the veil of oblivion.
Several moments passed, and Astarion showed no signs of stopping. She supposed she could have tapped him, could have told him to stop, but she was not afraid of him. Instead, she idly tapped patterns onto Xander’s hand with her thumb, an old game they had played when they were younger and trapped in lessons together. She would tap out a rhythm for a song and he would have to pick it up and switch it to a new song.
They managed to get through a total of ten songs before Astarion yanked himself away with a gasp. He pulled away with such force he fell flat on his back, arms flailing before he managed to push himself back up, hand covering his mouth as blood trickled down the pallid skin of his chin.
“Are you alright?” She leaned forward, reaching out to steady him.
“How are you-” His eyes were wide as saucers, the red so bright they seemed to glow. “I didn’t mean to-”
She shook her head, waving her hands next to her face. “I’m alright, see? Not hurt in the least.”
Beside her, Xander narrowed his eyes. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’ll heal.”
Astarion was still staring like she’d grown a second head. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
She blinked. “You were hungry.”
“Yes, but I could have killed you.”
She shrugged, ignoring the sharp glare Xander levelled at her. “I don’t think you could have.”
His brow furrowed, his mouth quirking into a frown. “You’re awfully confident about that. Are you familiar with a vampire feeding from you?”
She snorted. “No, but I doubt my goddess would allow me to perish so easily when there is work to be done.”
That earned a small smile from Xander, her dearest confidante. The lie rolled easily from her tongue, like honey sweetening over-steeped tea.
Astarion took it easily, not questioning her as he shrugged. “Well, thank you. I’ll be off now, to hunt some great beast to further sate my thirst.”
He was gone without another word, swallowed by the shadows surrounding the camp.
Which meant that she was alone with an incredibly irritated Xander.
Scarlet whirled around, pressing a hand to Xander’s mouth before he could start laying into her.
“Not a word,” she whined. “I was just trying to help.”
Xander’s scowl did not budge, although he did remain quiet. Silence stretched between them, heavy and tense. Scarlet could feel herself wavering, her resolve a crumbling wall of sand beneath a gathering storm.
She didn’t like silence, and she liked tension even less. She had thought Xander would try to argue, or that his expression would at least change so she wasn’t frozen in place by the power of his glower.
Moments ticked by, nothing but the crackle and pop of the fire to fill the silent void growing between them. Another moment passed, and then another, and when it all became too much for Scarlet to bear, her eyes burning with unshed tears because she was tired and Xander was upset and couldn’t he just speak so his worries were free and they could both be at ease?
Xander’s breath was sharp, like he were steeling himself. And then he licked her hand.
Scarlet squealed, falling back as she shook her head. “Ew! Xander, that’s gross!”
He chuckled, the sharpness of his previous expression replaced by mirth, buoyant as driftwood on ocean waves. “It’s your own fault! You had your hand pressed against my face so long I thought I would suffocate!”
“Oh please.” She wiped her damp palm on the side of his face, earning a wicked look. “You could breathe perfectly fine. And that’s your own fault, too!”
He snatched up both her hands, leaning forward like he might tackle her. “I wasn’t the one that just let a vampire feed on me, Scarlet.”
She pouted, ignoring the furrow of his brows as he glared. “You usually call me sunbeam.”
“I-” He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. The corners of his lips twitched, like he was trying desperately not to smile. “It’s awfully late for your shenanigans.”
She reached up to brush a lock of hair back from his brow. His hair was always so perfectly tousled, styled just the right amount to make it look like he was carefree, like he hadn’t bothered to brush it at all, but still so devastatingly handsome you had no choice but to look twice. And while she’d always known the real Xander, the messy one, the sleepy one, the whiny one. The Xander that helped her do her laundry, that whined when he wanted a kiss, that laid his head in her lap while she sang to him in the evenings. Still, it was strange to see him like this, removed from their home, his hair a mess, sticking up at odd ends and flattened against the side of his head.
“Then get some rest, my love,” she murmured, tracing her hand down the line of his jaw. “It’s been a very long day, and you need to rest.”
He sighed, capturing her hand, holding it against his cheek. “I know you think you’re invincible, but you could have died today. Or worse.”
She winced, a dull ache rippling from the back of her skull down her spine. Her eye throbbed, and for a moment her stomach roiled at the memories of the day. Or days. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been on that ship, only that she wasn’t some alien creature yet. And none of her friends would be, ever.
“The ‘or worse’ is still on the table, unfortunately,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.
It was, undoubtedly, absolutely the wrong thing to say. Xander’s expression darkened, his eyes shuttering.
“My love I didn’t mean it like that,” she breathed, her voice feather-soft. “Only that… Well…”
She’d only meant to joke around, but she doubted that would be a response Xander very much liked either. “I don’t really know what I’d meant.”
Another sigh, his eyes falling closed. “I understand what you were trying to do. But I worry. Right now more than anything.”
“We’ll get through this,” she insisted. They would, they had to. She would not accept another solution. She’d never been one to yield, not without a fight, and she was quite adept at winning fights. “We’ll find a solution.”
Xander squeezed her hand, leaning forward until their brows pressed together. “I’ll accept nothing less. We’re getting through this, and I will make them take that worm out of your brain myself if I have to.”
She giggled, stroking his cheek. “Always the drama queen.”
“Isn’t that why you love me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Among other things.”
She felt his smirk as he brushed his lips to the curve of her jaw. “Care to tell me about all these other things?”
“Unfortunately, it’s quite late,” she said, tapping his chest. “We don’t have the time, and I find I’m suddenly very exhausted.”
He drew away, shaking his head. “And whose fault is that?”
“Xander, he needs to eat, I’m not going to let him starve. And we both know I’m the best person for the job.”
Her power was muffled, if only just, but still it replenished her veins quickly, knit her skin back together without so much as a scar. Her body would heal itself quicker than she could be drained.
“I’ll heal quickly, and it means no one else will be at risk,” she continued, trying to make him understand, to trust her. “My love, Xander, do you trust me?”
“I trust you,” he breathed, still clutching one of her hands to his cheek. “But I’m terrified. I don’t want to lose you.”
“And you won’t.” She slid her free hand up to his other cheek, caressing the wind-kissed skin. “I love you, I will always come back to you.”
“I wish you could stop sacrificing yourself,” he muttered, sounding unconvinced, sounding hurt. “I wish you would stop putting yourself in harm’s way for everyone else. What about you?”
“Xander…” Pain spiderwebbed out from her heart, clawing through the cage of her ribs and branching out to bury in her veins, in her bones. “You know I can’t.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, anger flickering in the dark of his eyes. But instead he only looked away, raking a hand through his hair, making it even messier than before.
“Come lie down with me,” he said instead, holding out his arms. “I need to hold you.”
She curled against his chest, letting him draw her into his arms as he laid them both down. There were words unsaid, lodged deep in his throat, and she knew this conversation was not over, this fight not yet at its conclusion. This was only a respite, a temporary truce.
“I love you,” she murmured, her words catching against the fabric of his shirt. “I love you so much Xander that it hurts.”
“And I love you,” he breathed, his words tangling in her hair. “I love you to the edge of the world, to the end of time.”
Her blood still roiled, her stomach churning, and a new weight had settled on her chest as something strange brewed between them. But for now they were both safe, for now they could be at peace.
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