#they made astarion in a lab for me to be obsessed with.

[eastgaysian]

[littlemourningstarr]

Lovesick

Astarion always thought flowers a waste of a gift- but maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong about that.

Read on AO3!

Pairing: Astarion x Transmasc tav

Part of the Eternally Yours series!

Tags: fluff, like TOOTH ROTTING fluff, silly little vampire in love

The moment Astarion stepped into Bonecloak’s he was hit with a wave of different scents- all the herbs and flora mingling together in the air. It was different from the way Sekh’s workshop always smelled- his always had an Earthy undertone, a hint of fresh soil as he always had living specimens.

Derryth glanced up from the counter, where she had been jotting something into what appeared to be a large log book. Perhaps doing the numbers for the day’s sales.

She didn’t smile at seeing him, but did quirk her brows in recognition. Astarion moved quickly from the door, letting it shut behind him, the city’s nightlife rising behind him now that the sun had set. “Did your other half send you on a last minute errand?” she asked, voice still gruff but not unkind. Astarion presumed she was just never an overly friendly person.

“Not quite.” He paused at the counter, glancing about at all of the herbs hanging in clumps, quickly thinking he was in over his head- and that this had been a rather stupid idea. “Sekh doesn’t know I’m here.”

She closed her log book then, looking intrigued. After a moment of heavy silence and her unyielding stare, Astarion had to glance away.

“I was hoping you might be able to… guide me. I’d like to get some…” Astarion waved his hand around, “herbs or plants or whatever that he might find useful. And might also… look nice.”

He felt rather silly, as she continued to stare him down. “That look nice?” she repeated.

Yes, this was an incredibly stupid idea.

Astarion cleared his throat. “Something that may compliment a few… flowers.” The last bit was mumbled, and he could feel a bit of color along his cheeks, his ears. Gods how had anyone ever done this? He was right to think flowers were an utter waste of a gift.

Derryth finally cracked a small, bemused smile. The crinkles around her eyes deepened. “Most folk would just get flowers.”

“I’m not most folk,” Astarion retorted, adding, “besides, what use would he have for flowers? They would sit and die on a desk or a shelf. At least something here would be useful.” He gestured around him again. “But hells if I know what exactly.”

She moved around the counter, motioning for Astarion to follow her. He did, further into the shop, swearing he was seeing plants he had never seen before. He didn’t think that was even possible at this point- not with Sekh’s obsession.

“What color flowers were you thinking,” she asked, adding, “and what mayhem has that drow been up to in his lab? Maybe we’ll get lucky and we can compliment the color and his work.”

*

Astarion continued to feel utterly ridiculous, walking through the city, clutching a mess of herbs and flowers, all tied together in a golden ribbon. Was this what lovesick youths felt like? He couldn’t remember, but it had to be the most daunting feeling. He swore everyone was staring at him.

Most nights that would be fine, but this felt- embarrassing? As if everyone knew exactly what he was up to. As if everyone could read that he was going through some overrated, ridiculous, sappy romance tradition.

It was only worse that Sekh hadn’t gone out to the Elfsong that night for a drink, but had made his way out to Sharess’s Caress. Which, again, any other night Astarion would have been utterly amused by this, would have wondered what trouble the two of them might get up to-

His thoughts all jumped to a screeching halt as he stepped into the brothel, dodging a few already drunk patrons who were chasing about one of the courtesans- a pretty half elf with a long blond braid, who gave Astarion a little smile as he moved past him.

Astarion slipped past the patrons, off into the curtained room where music was giving the air a new life. It took a moment, but he found Sekh across the room, sitting casually with Sorn and Nym as if they were simply sharing a drink in any tavern. Which, he knew, was how Sekh was seeing it. He’d chat up the other drow happily until one of them was pulled away for a patron. There were plenty of nights where patrons tried to employ Sekh, even- drunk enough to notice realize he was in fact just a patron like them.

Astarion had scared off plenty of those types, in the past.

He made his way over, his drow glancing up when he was only a few paces away, the cup he was lifting to his lips pausing and hovering near his mouth. Astarion was far too aware of Nym and Sorn watching, as well, when he finally reached Sekh.

He cleared his throat, offering out the flowers and herbs, all tangled in their gold lace, feeling as if his voice simply didn’t want to work. “These are for you,” he mumbled, adding even softer, “my love.”

Sekh set his glass down, stood up and gently covered Astarion’s hand holding the flowers with his own. His mismatched eyes were dancing. His other hand was gently touching the petals of one of the flowers- a large white bloom that Astarion had no idea the name of. He had just gone on instinct.

He was truly thinking his instincts were broken, in that moment. His pulse was alive despite that he hadn’t fed yet, his heart thumping painfully in his chest, banging against his ribs. Why was he nervous? Why did something so trivial as giving flowers to his lover make him feel like crawling out of his skin? It wasn’t as if he needed to impress Sekh, he knew. They had years together now. And yet-

Sometimes, it all still felt so new.

Sekh’s mouth curved into a soft, sweet smile. He leaned past the flowers, pressed a very gentle kiss to Astarion’s cheek. “You,” he whispered, “are a ridiculously sweet man.” He took the flowers himself, carefully examining them, as Sorn and Nym both gave soft laughs as they watched.

“Flowers? In a brothel?” Nym mused, tracing her finger around the lip of her own wine cup. “You are indeed a strange one, Astarion.”

And while he couldn’t argue that, he also couldn’t bring himself to tell her that the idea had just struck him that day, and if he didn’t go through with it now he would have lost his nerve. Over flowers. Gods what had he become?

“I guess romance is far from dead,” her brother added, as Astarion glared at both of them. They took his annoyance with nothing but more smiles.

“Is this Weavemoss?” Sekh asked suddenly, fingers dancing along the purple wisps. Astarion turned his attention back to his lover, as Sekh added, “and this is Mergrass, and this…” he trailed off, his gaze lifting from the bundle in his hands to Astarion.

The vampire shifted awkwardly. “What good would just flowers be for you? I thought you could… use those…” He waved his hand, before he reached up, covered his own eyes. “I think you should simply stake me now Sekh, it would be less painful.”

Instead of the requested stake, however, Astarion got Sekh’s arms tightly around his neck, his lover embracing him. Astarion was barely able to lower his hand from his eyes in Sekh’s grip, as the drow peppered his cheeks, the corners of his mouth, with kisses. The strange, embarrassing dread was quickly replaced by a sweet soaring feeling, as Astarion drowned in the delighted sound of Sekh’s laugh.

“You said flowers were a waste,” he teased. The way Sekh was looking at him made the world melt away, around them. If Sorn and Nym were still watching, Astarion was oblivious.

“Well they are,” he said, even if he couldn’t bring his heart into the statement. “But perhaps… I thought you might like them.”

“Oh, I love them,” Sekh said, adding, “just like I love you,” before leaning in, giving Astarion a proper kiss. The vampire’s hands drifted to his waist, squeezed gently, as he began to feel dizzy over the warm sensation of Sekh’s mouth, the taste of wine clinging to his lips, his tongue. He felt…surreal.

When Sekh pulled back, he leaned up on his toes, pressed his forehead to Astarion’s for a moment, before he eased back, glanced over at Nym and Sorn.

“I think I’m going to take him out for a little hunt,” Sekh said, “then take him home. Seems only appropriate I get the chance to let him feel… special too.”

Sekh glanced at Astarion, and the vampire’s stomach was up in the most pleasant mess of knots.

“What a bore,” Sorn said, resting his chin on his palm. “Fly away lovebirds. Perhaps you’ll entertain us another night.”

Nym only rolled her eyes at her brother, before she shooed Sekh and Astarion off. The vampire felt Sekh take his hand, tangle their fingers together, as the drow led him quickly through the brothel, back out to the bustling streets. Sekh turned them away from the gates back into the city, his other hand still clutching his flowers and herbs tightly to his chest.

“Let’s find you a little beastie to devour,” Sekh said, “so I can devour you.”

Astarion felt his heart race over the idea. Yet- “I didn’t… darling, you don’t have to-”

Sekh paused, tugging Astarion up against him. The vampire could smell the subtle floral scent, mixing with the herbs- it was oddly soothing. “You didn’t do this just to get me on my back beneath you, I know,” he teased, “you don’t have to even try for that, Starshine. But I think I’d quite like to whisper into your ear all night how much I utterly adore you, if that’s agreeable?”

Astarion swallowed thickly, lost in the scents and the cool night air and Sekh’s dancing eyes. Had he ever felt so utterly a fool and yet a king before, in his life? Had there ever been a time, before this man, where he had actually known what it was like to be so hopelessly in love?

He swore that even if there was, lost in the recesses of his long dead memory, it would still pale in comparison to what he felt now. That giddy, safe feeling, that excitement over just seeing his lover smile.

That feeling that wherever Sekh was present was home- and he was finally safe to think that.

[bdor1995]

I love that for him. i havent given him any brain worms because im still deciding if i want to try it out. theyre always in my pack for when i finally make up my mind...

fully convinved they made astarion in some kind of lab as part of an experiment to figure out how much it would take to get me THIS obsessed with a fictional male character again

I love traveling with astarion, lae’zel, and shadowheart in my party. i love seeing their approval notices pop up every time I make a nasty or questionable decision