Pokémon SWSH Imagines

Now, even more kids had their full, undivided attention on you, closely monitoring your little interaction while their food went cold. To them, getting to witness their teachers’ love lives unfurl was infinitely better than eating a stale peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

The most peculiar thing was Ryland’s reaction to your close proximity. His students watched in amazement as their favorite clumsy, shy, nerdy science teacher who often tripped over his own two feet seemed entirely unaffected by the fact that you were a few inches away from his face. In fact, he might have leaned in.

Olivia rubbed her eyes and squinted, not even trying to disguise her blatant staring at this point. Before she could check again, Ryland was already speed walking back to his classroom, no doubt hustling to prepare the science lab he had planned for today before the flood of kids came back from lunch.

She turned back to her classmates, many of which were still watching his retreating figure. Others had their eyes trained on your classroom door, lost in thought. 

She started the conversation everyone was itching to have. “So, we all saw that, right?”

A chorus of agreement echoed amongst the small crowd, quickly devolving into hushed gossip and frantic whispers.

“Is it just me, or did Mr. Grace have a little more pep in his step just now?”

“Oh totally— and he definitely didn’t want to leave her classroom.”

“What about her? Did you guys see the smile she gave him?”

“What about the smile he gave her?”

Before the debate could continue, the bell rang, forcing the chatty kids to trudge back to their classes in unanimous disappointment at their conversation getting interrupted. Unbeknownst to you or Ryland, this was only the first of many times this hot topic would be brought up amongst your prying students.

— - — - —

The second time was during a school assembly.

Students and faculty alike were gathered in the multi-purpose room, with the kids sitting to face the stage and the teachers lining the walls of the large room. The principal, an abysmally monotonous man, continued to drone on about rules, regulations, and upcoming events, much to everyone’s disappointment.

Your kids were supposed to be paying attention, but a large number of them had their heads twisted in awkward positions, trying to sneak a glimpse of you and Ryland.

The two of you were standing in the back with less than a foot of distance separating you. Periodically, Ryland would lean down to whisper in your ear, making you giggle at his words. In turn, you’d reach up on your tiptoes to whisper something in response, and he’d nod with a soft smile.

A few teachers nearby shot you looks of disapproval for being disruptive, and you mouthed a quick apology to your peers. Not thirty seconds later though, your head was inadvertently turning back to Ryland, and he did the exact same. 

Despite being told off not a minute earlier, the two of you continued to talk in hushed voices, trying to be even more discreet than before. Honestly, you guys might’ve been worse than the children.

James, a particularly rowdy student in Ryland’s class, turned to Sarah, who could easily match Olivia’s smarts in your English class. Both of their watchful eyes never left the two of you at the back of the room. He murmured to her, “I get it’s cramped, but they definitely don’t need to be standing that close.”

“Agreed,” she muttered back.

Olivia wasn’t far, and decided to join in on the conversation. “Mr. Grace is totally blushing every time she reaches up to whisper in his ear.” She had no qualms about exposing her science teacher, which made James and Sarah unexpectedly laugh.

Before they could get out another word, the meanest, crankiest teacher to ever curse Grover Cleveland Middle School with her presence snapped her head towards them, shushing them ten times louder than they were speaking.

“If you three don’t stop talking, it’ll be detention for a week,” she snarled, beady eyes watching them like a hawk.

Regretfully, they clamped their mouths shut, but the three of them, along with everyone else that had been watching you and Ryland, were all thinking the same: you two seemed awfully close, both physically and socially.

— - — - —

The third time took place after school, during the murky month of December.

The San Francisco weather decided to attack the school with an onslaught of rain, making it almost impossible to walk in the open without getting assaulted by vicious pellets of water. 

A cluster of students huddled inside the safety of the school building, waiting for their parents to roll up to the front of the campus so they wouldn’t get completely drenched on their way to the car. 

Olivia, while looking through the window at the dismal conditions outside, noticed you standing under an overhang alone. You had your coat drawn tight around you, trying to keep the frigid air out and your body heat in, and your eyes periodically wandered to the screen of your phone, like you were waiting for someone. Perhaps someone was coming to pick you up?

Before she could continue that thought, a familiar teacher’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Hey kiddos,” Ryland waved to the small group as he approached. “Waiting for parents?”

He was met with a series of nods, making him crack a smile. “Alright, make sure you all get home safe, yeah?”

“Yes, Mr. Grace,” some students said in unison.

Ryland chuckled and continued towards the door, raising his hand as a silent goodbye. With his other hand, he carried an umbrella, well prepared for the harsh rain.

Most of her peers looked away as Ryland pushed the door open, but Olivia kept her eyes trained on her teacher. As soon as he stepped outside, he made a beeline for you, already starting to open the umbrella.

He must have called out your name, because you turned to greet him, perking up with a warm smile. An easy conversation flowed between the two of you as he made his way over, but the next part made Olivia’s jaw drop.

Like clockwork, the two of you set off towards the parking lot, sharing the umbrella without missing a beat of your conversation. Ryland’s larger frame made you seem small in comparison, and he was mindful to keep the umbrella lower and slightly more on your side, ensuring you were fully protected from the rain. His left shoulder, on the other hand, started to get slightly wet, but he seemed to pay no mind as he listened to you talk with a genuine smile.

“Guys. Guys!! Look!” was all Olivia managed to say before a horde of students rushed to the window, trying to get a better view of their favorite teachers recreating this classic romance trope. 

“Move, I can’t see ‘em!”

“Hey you’re shoving me!”

Then, a collective hush fell over the group, and Olivia craned her head around her peers to get a glimpse at what they were staring at. A small gasp escaped her too.

It was difficult to see due to the far distance and the reduced visibility in the rain, but it was unmistakable. There was Ryland, covering you with the umbrella as you got into the passenger seat of a car. After closing the door behind you, the science teacher walked around the front of the car, got into the driver’s seat, and slowly reversed out of the parking spot. 

He wasn’t just walking you to your car. He was driving you home.

The silence lasted a moment longer before the group erupted into excited chatter, each kid trying to talk over the other.

“What the hell was that??”

“He offered her a ride home, obviously! It’s raining hard, so he’s being a gentleman!”

“They seemed so comfortable with each other though, what’s that about?”

“What if they’re dating?”

That last question caught everyone’s attention. Sure, it had definitely crossed everyone’s minds, but most brushed it off. It seemed unfathomable. Could their beloved, klutz of a science teacher really pull someone as gorgeous as you?

“No no,” someone finally cut in. “Mr. Grace wouldn’t have the guts to ask her out in the first place.”

“Yeah,” another chimed in. “Maybe he’s just crushing on her!”

A chorus of awww’s resounded throughout the room, and the debate of your relationship status was momentarily settled.

— - — - —

The fourth time shattered all of their conspiracy theories of Mr. Grace merely pining over their English teacher, because it was clearly something more.

It was finally that time of the year— prom. Most kids stood in clusters with their friends, while other, braver souls worked up the nerve to ask their crush to dance. The low lighting provided a moody atmosphere despite the upbeat party music, and compliments were constantly getting thrown around over dresses, shoes, and hair-dos. A typical middle school dance.

Of course, all school events required supervision, so you and Ryland volunteered to chaperone this year. You guys were standing in the back of the room, looking like you were engaged in normal conversation. You in a modest black dress, Ryland in a simple dress shirt and tie.

What you didn’t know though, were the dozen or so pairs of eyes locked onto your figures from the opposite wall, hidden in shadow and whispering furiously.

“Dude, look at the way he stares at her!”

“He’s so in love.”

“Quit staring so hard, they’ll notice you.”

Meanwhile, you and Ryland were casually chatting away, completely oblivious to your students’ antics. 

You sucked in a breath, a little hesitant to bring up something that’s been gnawing away at your mind for the past few months. Ryland, as always, immediately noticed. “What is it?” he asked. 

“Oh, I dunno,” you sighed.

He gave you an expectant look, silently questioning if you really thought he wouldn’t notice something’s been bothering you. It was true— no one could read you as easily as Ryland.

“Fine fine,” you smiled, “it’s just… have you noticed our kids acting a little, um,”

“Weird?” he finished with a knowing look.

“Exactly. Recently, if we’ve been talking, I’ll turn away from our conversation and find a handful of students staring at me from across campus. It’s unsettling.” You shuddered just thinking about it.

“I get it,” Ryland agreed while surveying the area. His eyes met the small group of kids that had been staring at you guys, all of whom were now looking at the ceiling, the ground, each other— anywhere other than in your direction. It was painfully obvious. You shared a look with Ryland, both of you shaking your heads before bursting into laughter.

Suddenly, a slow song came on, and you turned to Ryland with a soft smile. He was quick to offer his hand, which you accepted with a mock curtsy. In your little corner, the two of you swayed to the soft melody, lost in your own little world. All that mattered in the moment was the feeling of each other’s arms and the warmth of your shared love.

As you let the rhythm wash over you, you turned to Ryland, voice barely above a whisper. “You think they’re watching?”

“Oh I know they’re watching,” he huffed.

You let out a small giggle, amused by how involved your students were in your relationship. Brushing off the thought, you decided to just let teenagers be teenagers, instead focusing your attention on the way Ryland’s strong hands held your own.

And your students on the other side of the room? They were going ballistic while watching you. 

“So he really pulled her? They’re dating?!”

“This is insane.”

“Someone needs to document this.”

“Why are they so cute??”

— - — - —

The school year was finally coming to a close, and everyone agreed they simply couldn’t leave the case of you and Mr. Grace unsettled. After much deliberation amongst the class, they all came to the consensus that today was the day. They were going to get answers out of you guys, whether you liked it or not.

They went to great lengths to corner the two of you. Olivia planted a note in your class, trying her best to mimic Mr. Grace’s handwriting: Meet me in my class after school.

You didn’t think much of the forged note. Ryland often slipped you random things, so you folded it up and tucked the parchment away, packing up to head over to his class like you often did.

In Ryland’s classroom on the other hand, he was wrapping up a lecture on cell anatomy just as the final bell rang. He clapped once, starting to erase the whiteboard. “Alright kiddos, we’ll finish this up tomorro—”

As he turned around, he was more than a little stunned to see his entire class still seated, desks cleared and their full attention bouncing between him and the door. 

“Oookay, what’s going on,” he said slowly, trying to follow their gaze. “Did I imagine the bell ringing, or..?”

And then, when you walked in, it all clicked for Ryland. He turned to his students, gaze sweeping over their smug smiles and looks of anticipation. 

You gave a little knock to signal your entry, “Hey Ry, you wanted to see...” you trailed off, noticing about thirty kids staring at you when you entered. You slowly made your way to his side, watching the class with a glimmer of amusement in your eyes. “What’ve we got here?”

“This is a set up,” he sighed. Not a question, but an observation. He placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head, unsure of whether to smile or frown, so he opted for shaking his head in disbelief. 

As the designated question asker, Olivia raised her hand, and Ryland nodded in confirmation for her to speak. “When did you start dating?”

They expected flustered denial, a poor cover up story, or for you guys to dodge the question completely. But to everyone’s shock, you and Ryland turned to each other simultaneously… and started laughing. 

“Wh— What’s so funny?” James asked.

“Yeah, haven't you been trying to hide it this whole year?” another chimed in.

You waved your arms dismissively, shoulders still shaking with laughter. “Well, not exactly.”

Ryland just pinched the bridge of his nose, still in disbelief that his students thought you were dating.

“So, what’s your relationship then?” Olivia asked. Everyone leaned in, awaiting your response.

With a sly smile, you glanced at Ryland, then looked over the group of teens practically about to fall out of their seats in anticipation. “Well,” you started. “Let’s just say… I use my maiden name while teaching.”

Olivia let out a huge gasp, and the others whipped their heads toward her, clearly still confused.

“What?”

“Olivia, what’s that mean?”

Kids were clambering to get her attention, but Olivia just continued to stare at you in shock, and you just gave her a small nod of encouragement. Slowly, you reached to interlock hands with Ryland, and he squeezed your fingers with affection. He turned to give you a helpless smile, like he was silently apologizing for his students’ behavior. You just softly chuckled, choosing to lean your head on his shoulder instead.

 “You— she—” Olivia could barely get the words out.

Her peers groaned in frustration, “what is it?!”

Then, you dropped the equivalent of an atomic bomb in the middle of the room— you raised your left hand, flashing a modest diamond ring adorning your finger.

Everyone was stunned, and Olivia confirmed what they were all struggling to believe. 

“It means,” she said slowly, “Her last name is Grace.”

Quick overview for those who have never played Dispatch:

In this AU Impulse works as a superhero dispatcher, someone who analyzes a team’s strengths and weaknesses and answers distress calls by the sending the hero most suited to the job. However, he’s been assigned to the Hermit Program, a team of former villains trying to become heroes. To say the least, it’s like trying to herd cats and the office and comm lines are always in chaos when the Hermits show up to work.

It was a normal Friday afternoon for you going down to the Fortress to get the weekly report from Wriothesley and Sigewinne. The guards let you into his office and you climb the tall staircase to see Wriothesley and Sigewinne sitting and drinking some tea. They hear you come in and greet you.

“Right on time as always.” Wriothesley states as he then takes a big sip of tea. Sigewinne then speaks up, “It’s good to see you again! How is your health, Neuvillette isn’t overworking the both of you right?”

You chuckle and shake your head, “It’s good to see the both of you again. But no Sigewinne, he and I are not overworking ourselves and I feel completely healthy.” 

The little melusine smiles back at you, “That’s good to hear! We can’t be having you and him getting sick before his surprise birthday party.” 

You give her a questioning look, “His birthday is coming up soon?”

Sigewinne’s jaw drops and Wriothesley chuckles to himself, “So he didn’t tell you his birthday is coming up?” You shake your head and Sigewinne looks absolutely furious, which makes you happy that you have not gotten on her bad side. But you think back on it you can’t really blame Neuvillette for not telling you. You only just became his assistant about a year ago, obviously becoming it after his birthday last year.

You have known him for longer since you worked at the Palais Mermonia before becoming his assistant. You were one of the top employees in the Palais, which even gave you the chance to be considered for his assistant and you are so glad you worked so hard because now you would not give up this position for the world. You were by his side the entire time Fontaine went through the prophecy and you can’t deny it wasn’t a crazy first year but seeing him work so hard for the nation he cared about was really something. 

You’re about to defend Neuvillette about not telling you until you hear Wriothelsey’s office door open and close then hear multiple people coming up the stairs. You turn to see Lady Furina, Navia, Clorinde, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet coming to join you all. 

Furina speaks up first, “My, my, seems like we are late to the meeting.” 

Wriothesley is quick to get up and get more tea brewing and cups for everyone, “Nah you all are right on time. She just came to pick up the weekly report, but it seems like a certain someone didn’t tell her that his birthday is coming up.” 

Furina and Navia look at each other than at you and shriek, “NEUVILLETTE DIDN’T TELL YOU?!?!” 

You stare at them after having your eardrums burst, “No, he didn’t tell me. But as I was going to tell Wriothesley and Sigewinne before you guys showed up, I can’t blame him. He himself and the whole of Fontaine went through a lot this year and he’s still getting use to being the head of the nation. Plus, as close as we are with work he doesn’t open up too much to me compared to all of you. So there really wasn’t really a good time to tell me, ‘Hey this is my birthday by the way’. But wait when even is his birthday?”

Sigewinne smiles at your response, “It’s obvious you have a lot of admiration for him. His birthday is December 18th  so next Saturday. He doesn’t know when his actual birthday is and once the melusines and I found out we picked a day for him, and he stuck with it.”  Furina is quick to but in and say, “Well of course she admires him, she does have a crush on him.” Then the room goes silent and looks at you and you turn a deep shade of red. 

“LADY FURINA!! You promised you wouldn’t tell anyoneeeee.” You cry out hiding your face in your hands. 

You then hear a laugh come from the magician, “My dear, I hate to break it to you, but we all knew. It’s pretty obvious with how you look at him and how you act around him. Heck we even think he likes you back. With how protective he is of you and how he looks at you, it’s basically a fairytale between you two.” You turn to look at Lyney who gives you a smile. You then look to everyone else to has smirks or nodding their heads. 

Furina then again screeches, “THAT’S PERFECT!! She fits into our plan perfectly. She can be the one that kills time with him before the party and bring him once we are all set up!” 

Navia and Sigewinne perk up and nod their heads animatedly. Clorinde then speaks up, “I think that’s a good idea. It is better than me lying and saying someone wants to duel me.” You stare at the flabbergasted, “WAIT WHAT?!?! One there is NO way Neuvillette likes me back. Two there is NO way I can keep him busy for so long especially on a Saturday.” 

Wriothesley comes up behind you and sets a hand on your shoulder which makes you look up at him, “Trust me, he likes you and he will definitely want to spend the day with you. But, to not look suspicious you gotta head back up to the surface with the report. One of the girls will tell you the plan we come up with today within the next couple days. They will also help you plan on what to do to try and kill time until we have his party set up.” 

You let out a defeated sigh and just nod your head, “Okay, I’ll do it.” You hear everyone cheer as you grab the report on Wriothesley’s desk. You give everyone a quick goodbye and a wave and make your way back up to the surface. 

Once you get back to the Palais you knock on Neuvillette’s office door and hear him say, “Come in.” You open the door and close it behind you. You then greet him, “Hi Monsieur Neuvillette, I got the report from the Fortress. Sorry I’m a little bit later than normal, we talked for longer than I expected.” 

Neuvillette looks up and smiles, “No worries, but again please stop saying Monsieur, just call me Neuvillette. How are things down at the Fortress?”

You walk over to his side of the desk and hand him the report. Your hands brush up against each other and you blush then look away, “Wriothesley and Sigewinne are doing good, and it was a quiet week at the fortress. Nothing out of the ordinary.” 

Neuvillette clears his throat, “That is good news to hear.” You nod your head then look at the time. You did end up staying down at the fortress longer than you intended, by the time you came up the sun was setting. You then look outside and see that it is dark out. Neuvillette looks at you because you didn’t respond. He then looks at what you are looking at and it dawns on him, it’s gotten late and now it’s dark. 

Neuvillette calls out to you, “Hey, we are done for the day. I finished up the rest of the paperwork while you were at the Fortress. Since it is dark now, allow me to accompany you home today.” He gets up from his seat and pushes his chair in. 

You turn your attention back to him and say, “You didn’t have to do all the paperwork yourself. I could have helped.”

He smiles down at you, “No need. I had nothing else to do and it was boring without you here, so I decided to do it. Now let’s get you back home.” Neuvillette holds out his arm for you and you lay your hand on his bicep and walk out of his office. He tells Sedene he will be back in a little bit; she just nods and gives you smirk. You give her a little glare and Neuvillette watches the interaction between the two of you confused, did he miss something?

He ignores it and lead you out of the Palais. You enjoy the silence of the court at night, and you don’t realize you stopped until you don’t feel Neuvillette’s warmth anymore. Neuvillette turns quickly to look at you worried that something happened, but he just sees you standing there looking up at the stars. He doesn’t think you could be anymore beautiful. 

Neuvillette calls out your name, “Do you like the stars?”

You turn to him embarrassed and respond, “Yeah, I do, I use to stargaze all the time when I was younger. I even learned about a bunch of different constellations and still have them memorized.” You smile back at the memory but realize the little rant you went on, “Sorry for the delay, let’s keep walking.”

You start to walk again going to pass him, but he stops you and asks, “Can you show me your favorite constellation?”

You blink a couple of times and let out a little “Sure.” You look around for your favorite one and point to it. “See the one over to the right, the one shaped like a dragon?”

Neuvillette looks to the right where you are pointing to and gets excited when he finds it, “Yes, I see it. What is it called?”

You smile at his excitement, “It is called Leviathan Judiciary. It is based off of the hydro dragon. Growing up I always loved hearing and reading stories about the hydro dragon, so imagine how shocked I was when I learned that a constellation was based off of it. It’s just so beautiful.”  Neuvillette freezes for a moment thinking about what you said. You like the hydro dragon? That makes him feel so flustered, his heart is racing but he has no idea how to stop it. But he likes the feeling because it was caused by you. He snaps out of his trance to respond, “You are right, the constellation is beautiful. But in my opinion how excited you get looking at it and talking about it is even more beautiful.” 

You stare at him shocked; how can he say something like that so casually? You take a deep and face him with the biggest smile, “Thank you Neuvillette, that’s very sweet. Though I can’t compare to the legendary Iudex’s beauty. But I do hope the hydro dragon is okay. It has been raining a lot more recently, so the hydro dragon has been crying. I hope its pain will go away. I’d do anything to take that pain away.”

Neuvillette doesn’t think it’s possible, but his heart is racing even faster now. The feelings you bring out of him are uncharted territory. He enjoys it though, Neuvillette is more than willing to face the unknown if it means you are at the other side. He realizes he hasn’t responded; he decides to keep his secret for now not wanting to ruin the mood, “You are too kind. I think the hydro dragon just can’t stand to see the people of Fontaine suffer. It cares deeply about its nation and people so feeling sad is a natural feeling for it just as it is for you and I. I do agree with you though, I do hope its pain goes away as well. No one wants to suffer.” 

You nod at his answer, “The hydro dragon sounds a lot like you Neuvillette. Anyways we should keep walking, I don’t want to keep you out any later.” 

Neuvillette shakes his head and holds out his arm again. You once again place your hand on his bicep. You walk a couple steps before he speaks up again, “I guess it is a coincidence then and no need to feel bad. I should be the one apologizing for keeping you so late. Plus, I should be walking you home more, especially with how late I keep you most days. I would hate for something to happen to you.”  You feel jittery at his confession but also bad. He really does hold the world on his shoulders. You laugh and tell him, “It’s my job! Also, I enjoy your company, so I don’t mind staying late. I’d feel bad if you walked me home every night because that just means you lose out on much needed rest. You need a lot more rest than I do. But I do appreciate you walking me home tonight.” 

Neuvillette is quick to refute, “Please don’t feel bad, I want to walk you home. I’m mad at myself that this is my first time walking you home after it almost being a year since you became my assistant. You also need as much rest as you can get, our jobs aren’t easy and it’s only going to get more chaotic since everything that has happened with the prophecy this year.”

You and Neuvillette arrive to your house in the city but it’s obvious neither of you want to say goodbye. You decide to start the goodbye, “Okay then, if you want to walk me home then you can. But thank you again for walking me home. Goodnight Neuvillette.” You stand on your tip toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. You settle back down onto your feet and see Neuvillette frozen in place with blush rising to his cheeks. 

You realize what you just did and start to apologize, “Oh no, Neuvillette I am so sorry. I should have asked; I am so sorry if that made you uncomfortable.” You start to shake not knowing how this was going to play out. Not only did you guys have such a nice conversation and walk tonight, but you also have to work and do your part of the plan for his birthday party. 

Neuvillette goes to respond until you two hear your names being called out. You see Furina running up to you two, you can’t really tell if you’re happy she’s here or not. She stops right in front of you two and starts to say hello, “Why if it isn’t two of my favorite people! Late night in the office I take it?” 

Neuvillette remains quiet and that only upsets you more, you definitely made things awkward. Guess that means you have to respond to her, “Yeah, so Neuvillette was kind enough to walk me home. We were just saying goodnight. What are you doing out so late?”

Furina giggles, “Well you know me, macaroni is never going to buy itself! Why don’t you come have dinner with me?” Before you can respond to her again, she starts to drag you along. Neuvillette tries to stop her, “Lady Furina, she didn’t even- “

“My, my, my dear Iudex don’t get upset because I want to spend time with her. You are always with her. You will see her at work tomorrow. Bye bye for nowwww!” Furina is quick to drag you off before he gets a chance to respond. 

Once you’re in Furina’s house you start to yell at her, “What the heck Furina!! We were…”

You two were what? You didn’t even know. You didn’t get to fix things with Neuvillette now everything is going to be awkward. 

Furina notices you pause and smirks, “You were what? I saw you give him a kiss and he stood there frozen. You should be grateful I saved you from that conversation. Don’t worry too much about it though, it will be okay. Plus, I have to tell you your role!” She then skips off to the kitchen to start making the macaroni. 

You take a deep breath and decide just to listen to Furina right now and not worry about what just transpired between you and your boss. You and Furina ate the macaroni while she told you the plan.

Clorinde had found out Neuvillette and you have his birthday off, so you didn’t have to worry about trying to plan something around his work schedule. Next part is the party is going to start at 7 pm and be at Furina’s house. You and Furina made a plan to ask Neuvillette to accompany you to a new bakery and store you have been wanting to look at. 

So here you are in front of his office the next day to get the plan in full swing. You take a deep breath then knock on a door, you hear him say “Come in” which you follow the same routine of opening it and then closing it. You see his standing up looking at a bunch of documents very seriously. It must be a new case. To break the ice, you start walking to his desk and greet him, “Good morning Neuvillette.”

Neuvillette snaps his head up to see you walking towards him. He quickly walks around his desk to meet you halfway. He says your name to begin his greeting, “Good morning. Can I tell you something?”

You look at him and nod. He smiles at you and begins to talk quickly, “I am sorry I did not get a chance to say this last night before Lady Furina came and took you. But I do not mind that you kissed me. Yes, I was shocked and didn’t expect it, but it was really nice.” Neuvillette reaches for your hand and brings your knuckles to his lips and presses a gentle kiss to them, “Please don’t feel bad.”

You blush and your heart races at his gesture, “Thank you Neuvillette. I’m glad I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

He smiles and sighs, “As much as I would love talking to you about this, we have a big case we have to have done by Friday, so we have to get to work.” You nod and get to work alongside with him. 

After a couple of hours, you hear a knock on his office door and Neuvillette tells the guest to come in. You look up to see Sedene brining you and Neuvillette lunch alongside some tea and water. You and Neuvillette end up taking a lunch break then and that’s when you decide to start your part of the plan. 

“Hey Neuvillette?”

Neuvillette looks up from his water he was staring at and asks, “Yes, is something the matter?”

“No, but you remember how we have this Saturday off?” He nods and you continue, “Would you be willing to accompany me and try out a new bakery that opened and look at some new shops as well? Don’t feel like you have to, I don’t mind – “

Neuvillette cuts you off, “I would love to. What time would you like for me to pick you up?”

You smile big and ask him, “Really?!”

He laughs at your reaction, “Yes, I mean it.”

You jump up from your seat, “YAY! You can pick me up around noon if that’s okay?”

“That is more than okay. I cannot wait.”

The week flew by quicker than you expected, it was mainly because of that new case you and Neuvillette got. Luckily you guys finished on Friday so today you can continue with your plan. With working all day and late nights where Neuvillette would walk you home after, you never got to get a gift for him. It makes you upset, but you have an idea that, if it works, will make his birthday great, if it doesn’t well then you ruin everything. But hey, why not try?

You finish putting on your makeup and then do your hair. Next you decide to wear a dark blue dress that has light blue highlights, it kinda matches Neuvillette’s color theme. You didn’t even try to do that, but now that you realize you don’t want to change. You slip on some white heels as you hear a knock at your door. 

You rush to the door and open it to see Neuvillette there holding a bouquet of lake light lilies. Doesn’t he realize he’s the one supposed to be getting gifts?  “Hey Neuvillette, come on in.” 

Neuvillette comes in and hands you the flowers, “Here for you.”

You smile at him, “Thank you they’re beautiful. Let me put them in a vase and we can leave.” You lead him to the kitchen where you talk about the bakery and stores you want to visit while getting the vase ready for the flowers. Neuvillette listens and asks questions occasionally while you answer the questions to the best of your ability. 

Once you’re done with the flowers you and Neuvillette head out. The walk to the bakery is a further one since it is on the opposite side of the court. As you get closer and see it in the distance, you get even more excited than you already are. You slip your hand into Neuvillette’s and pull him along, “Come on! Let’s hurry so we can get a table!” Neuvillette grips your hand tightly and laughs while you drag him along. You two walk into the café while everyone turns their head to see the Iudex gracing their presence. You walk up to the counter and see all the baked goods they have to offer. You turn to Neuvillette, “Which ones do you want to try? We can get a few so we both can sample them.” Neuvillette squeezes your hand, “Pick whatever you want. I’ll try whatever you pick.”

“Neuvillette can you please pick one? I’ll feel bad if you don’t actually get to try one that you want.” He can’t say no to you, so he walks up to the counter and looks at what they have. Neuvillette looks around then sees a little cake called the constellation cake, so he tries to find one with the constellation you were talking about last week. He hears you talking to the employee about the ones you want. Once you’re done you asked him if he has picked one. 

Neuvillette looks at the employee and points to the cake, “Can I have this constellation cake, the one with the Leviathan Judiciary constellation on it?” The employee goes to grab the cake and puts it in the mini box with the other desserts you had picked out. You stand there stunned realizing he remembered your conversation from a week ago. 

You snap out of your trance when you hear the employee say, “thank you come again”. You then realized Neuvillette paid. Neuvillette grabs the box and walks you outside to one of the tables out there. He places the box on the table then releases your hand before he pulls out your chair for you. You are on auto pilot, upset because he paid. Neuvillette pushes your chair in then walks around the table to sit down. 

Neuvillette starts to pull out some napkins, forks, and mini plates they have given you. He looks up to ask you, “Which one do you want to try first?” Once he makes eye contact with you, he realizes you’re upset. What did he do wrong?

You respond, “Neuvillette, I was supposed to pay. I asked you to come with me because I wanted to treat you to something.”

“I don’t mind paying. I wanted to treat you, so please don’t be upset. Now pick what you want to try first.” He gives you a soft smile. 

You take a moment to think but you know what you want to try first, “The constellation cake please. I can’t believe you remembered.” 

Neuvillette goes to take the cake out placing it on the mini plate and handing you a fork, “Well I remember every fact you tell me about yourself. I don’t think it’s hard to remember things about the people I care about.” AGAIN HOW CAN HE SAY STUFF LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY?! “It means a lot that you care about me. I also care about you a lot. Let’s dig in!”

You and Neuvillette try all desserts you got ranking the constellation cake at the top. You then take him to the shops you wanted to look at. You two talk about the trinkets and other stuff in the stores. You didn’t end up purchasing anything not wanting to worry about it with the birthday party. Once it started getting dark out you knew it was onto the next step of your plan. 

You are holding hands with Neuvillette just walking around the city you tug at his hand to get his attention. He turns to look down at you and you ask, “Can we stop at Furina’s really quick? I forgot something at her house the other night.”

Neuvillette nods, “Sure. I haven’t talked to her in a while, it’d be nice to catch up with her. I want to make sure she is doing okay.”

This man truly has a heart of gold. You two walk to Furina’s house and you give the secret knock to let everyone get into position. You hear Furina say “It’s open!” You open the door the dark and lead Neuvillette in. You turn on the lights and everyone jumps out yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

You take a step back to see Neuvillette’s reaction. The big plan worked; he is surprised! Neuvillette looked around smiling at all his friends then turned to you, “You knew about this?” You nod your head then he takes a couple steps and engulfs you into a tight hug. You two rarely hugged but it was always at big moments when you did. Such as after he sealed the hole in the Fortress, after he stopped the water from rising, and any time you finished a big case. 

Wriothesley looks at the scene in front of him, “Wow, that’s tighter than all their other hugs. OW!” Clorinde glares at him while retracting her elbow, “Let them have a moment.”

Neuvillette whispers in your ear, “Thank you.” Squeezing you tighter to him. 

You smile into his neck, “You’re welcome but I was only the distraction. They were the ones that made the plan.” Neuvillette hesitantly lets you go to separate and turns to his friends. He goes around talking to all of them and thank them. After he talks to all of them Sigewinne forces him to sit down as Navia brings out the cake. Everyone sings happy birthday to him and then give him gifts to open. 

You feel bad you didn’t get him a gift, so you decide to go stand on Furina’s balcony outside. You gaze up at the stars feeling the chilly evening breeze blow on you. After some time outside you hear the door open and close. 

You then hear a smooth voice, “Mind if join you?”

You turn to face Neuvillette who looks undoubtedly happy, “I don’t mind at all.”  He walks up to you and sees you shiver. “You’re cold.” Neuvillette changes his position and stands behind you putting his arms on the railing by you blocking all the wind. He leans down to whisper in your ear, “Is this, okay?”

You lean back into him enjoying the heat radiating from him, “It’s more than okay.” 

He leans in closer, “You left. Are you okay?”

You giggle, “Neuvillette it’s your birthday and you’re still worried about everyone else. Today is about you.”

Neuvillette is quick to answer, “I know, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

You take a deep breath and whisper, “It’s because I didn’t get you a present. I didn’t know how to tell you that in front of everyone.”

Neuvillette hums at your answer, “Well how could you? Everyone told me the story, so I know you didn’t know. Plus, I forgot about my birthday in all honesty, once you have as many birthdays as I have had, it loses the special feeling. I can also argue that you did get me a present.” 

You turn your head to look at him confused, “What do you mean?”

“I mean today. You took me out to get treats and got upset because you wanted to use that as a present. Then in the stores you kept pointing out things I liked instead of looking at stuff you liked. Spending the day with you was the best present I could have asked for.”

How did he figure all that out?! He is too wise for his own good. You take a deep breath and decide to follow the idea you’ve had all day for and have been waiting for the perfect moment. You whisper out, “There is one more thing I want to do but you have to let me face you.” 

Neuvillette backs up just enough for you to spin around as soon as you are facing him, he goes back to being close to you. You reach your hands up to his face and pull him down to connect your lips with his. Neuvillette doesn’t hesitate to return the kiss. Your lips move in a soft but passionate dance. You break the kiss after a minute of deep kissing. 

You kept the hold of his face in your hands before you can say something Neuvillette is quick to ask, “Will you please be my girlfriend? I can’t go another second without you being mine.”

You smile up at him and give him a quick little peck on the lips before responding, “Of course. Nothing would make me happier than being your girlfriend.” 

Neuvillette smiles brightly before going to kiss you again, it wasn’t as long as the first one, but it was still as passionate. Neuvillette pulls away first this time, his smile is so contagious. It is making you smile big. You softly say, “Happy birthday Neuvillette.”

And yet, he wasn't, not always. You felt secretly privileged, in a way, to be able to see the real him—to be allowed to. To hold him close when he wakes up gasping for air he didn't quite need and with watery eyes in the dead of the night; to softly kiss each and every scar on his back, whispering promises of love where before he had only known pain; to remind him again and again of his worth.

Astarion had a side to him you were slowly uncovering; you think, that he himself is only now uncovering as well. Vulnerable and fragile, broken but not beyond repair, yearning to be cradled by gentle hands.

He deserves to be mended, you know it in your heart. To get back what was taken from him. And you wanted to help, if only a little.

Earlier today as you ventured through Baldur's Gate, you stumbled upon a discarded sketchbook. It was a little dirty and a little worn, but it was still very much usable. Amidst your—many—questionably valuable loot, you knew you had a few good pencils to spare too.

It's been long since you picked up some paper and let your mind run free—before your whole adventure, to be precise. Maybe you'd be a little rusty around the edges and it would take a few tries to get him close to perfect, but you had time; or, you'd make time. He deserved as much.

⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆

The lines that made him him came almost like second nature to you, maybe because you'd traced those same features with your fingertips countless times before within these last weeks. Ever since he admitted he'd fallen for you beyond his plans of seducing you, things had been easier, lighter. He allowed himself to be cherished and you were more than happy to do so.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you created curly strands of his hair with your pencil. Delicate and precise, even for the mess that was his curls.

The sky bathed in shades of orange, pink, and baby blue as the sun lowered in the distance. The camp was as lively as it usually was during the evenings. Karlach was playing fetch with Scratch and the Owlbear cub, the latter who was mostly just running around aimlessly. Gale and Wyll were hunched over the fire doing something you could only hope wouldn't end in mild disaster. Lae'zel sharpened her blades, a scratching sound piercing your ears from afar. Shadowheart looked to be in deep conversation with Astarion, to which the vampire gestured wildly as he apparently tried to make a point.

You never expected that your unfortunate encounter with a mind flayer would give you a makeshift family, but you were thankful that it did. For better or worse, you were all in this together, and that was comfort and motivation enough.

With the strangely soothing sounds of laughter and bickering, you turned your attention back to your sketchbook. Going back one page, you had already finished a rough sketch of Astarion's profile, focused on the contrast of his sharp nose and soft curls. Now, on the next page, you were working on a more elaborate portrayal of his features, depicting a look he often wore when you sauntered over to him; the faint smile on his lips that had grown all the softer ever since you first met; the gentle tilt of his head as his eyebrows scrunched expectantly; the sharp and alluring eyes who could pierce into your soul.

"What are you up to, my sweet?"

The sudden honey-coated voice startled you, you jumped slightly on your seat and hastily covered the pages on your lap with your forearms.

The elf himself stood only a few feet in front of you, his lips pursed and an eyebrow raised in curiosity as he tried to peek past your arms.

You chuckled timidly, "Nothing, I was just- just resting a bit." Shrugging nonchalantly as you smiled.

Astarion narrowed his eyes at you but didn't push it, he never did. "Gale is trying to make us something to eat with what he got from the vendors today," he gestured behind himself and to the fire where Gale stood in front of, "I wouldn't be the first to try it out if I were you but I'm dying to know everyone's opinion on it." A sly smirk got his fangs poking out, "bonus points if someone vomits it out."

You shot him an amused look, biting back a laugh. You never quite got why he had this little rivalry with Gale—besides the fact he wasn't overly fond of Gale's flirting attempts with you in the beginning, but that had long since subsided. To be honest, you think it's more routine than anything else at this point, for show and amusement; a friendly rivalry.

Slightly cold fingertips caught hold of your chin when you didn't answer, his thumb pressing against the corner of your mouth as Astarion held you. "Do join me, will you?"

The smile you still wore shifted into something sweeter, reserved only for him. And you leaned into his touch, closing your eyes momentarily. "I will… in a moment."

Astarion blinked at your briefly evasive answer, but nodded anyway, "I'll… be waiting."

He walked away, slow steps taking him towards the commotion around the campfire. You felt a little bad for denying him company right away, but it was for a good cause, you had to follow your streak of inspiration if you wanted to finish the drawing to the best of your abilities.

⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆

Dinner proved to be pleasant, tasty even, for Gale's culinary standards. This time of day had to be one of your favorites, with everyone sitting together around the fire at night and forgetting about life's misfortunes for a moment.

You sat by a rock, leaning your back against it as your shoulders shook with laughter at one of Halsin's stories. Astarion had plopped down by your side not long ago, the weight of his shoulder resting against yours as comforting as it always was. He took just a while longer to take your hand in his tonight, cold fingers hooking around yours and squeezing as he brought your joined hands to rest on his thigh.

Everything felt so new, you thought of yourself as a giddy teenager sometimes; heart fluttering with each lingering touch and stolen glance. For most of the time, you let Astarion set the pace of things, giving him the freedom to choose to be by your side. And there wasn't a time when he chose not to be.

He played with your fingers, palm to palm as if to compare sizes, alluring red eyes focused solely on where you touched. Innocent, boyish even. It was new for him too, you thought, perhaps much more than it would ever be to you.

And then your mind drifted back to the gift you had been steadily creating for him, excitement twirling in your stomach. You leaned closer, lips brushing the fabric of his shirt on his shoulder, "I'm gonna head to my tent for a bit, got a few things to organize. I'll find you later, yeah?"

A low hum fell past Astarion's lips, his eyes flicked to you, all big and vulnerable. "Oh, alright," his voice quiet and sweet.

You smiled, squeezed his hand, and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. His eyes never left you as you walked away.

⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆

It had never been on his plans, falling for you. It wasn't even something he considered would happen when he first started to slip a few honeyed words your way. But then you threw his heart off course with your tender touches and whispers of comfort, leaving telltales of your warmth all over his cold body. And he was a goner.

The last time Astarion dared to care about someone, he endured a year of punishment locked away, alone, starving, and crying for help that wouldn't come. There had been a fear, clawing at the back of his mind as he watched himself crumble for you; a fear that this would end much the same.

When he finally bared his heart for you—shaking like a leaf with the proverbial organ stretched out in his hands—he expected you to deny him, scream at him, maybe even send him away.

You didn't.

You said you cared for him. You hugged him.

There was no one else in the world like you, he decided.

Three dangerous words lingered on Astarion's tongue each time he woke up to your sleeping form beside him. For the time being, he settled for kissing the shape of them into your skin, over and over, until maybe one day you figured it out.

He scoffed at himself, finally tearing his gaze away from where you sat on the other side of the camp. If his much younger self saw him now, he'd probably be laughing. Or he'd be very envious. No in-between.

Stars danced in the night sky, alongside a half-moon dusted with faint clouds. It was late, most of the group had already turned in for the night, with Karlach keeping watch, as much to her dismay, it was her turn.

Astarion ran his tongue over his fangs, grip tightening on the book he had in his hands. He'd been trying to read the same page for minutes now.

There was no one else in the world like you. He wondered when you'd realize that. When you'd realize that you were infinitely too good for the likes of him.

With a shiver running down his spine, Astarion worried that you might have started to.

It's been a few days now that you've been… distant; tucked away in your tent whenever you settled camp, not sparing him much time of day, at least not nearly as much as you used to.

With an annoyed click of his tongue, as he closed his book, Astarion realized he missed you, even with you sleeping side by side each night. How needy of him.

But he missed your mindless talks by the fire as everyone settled in for the night; he missed your walks through town just before sunset or sunrise; he missed the causality, the simplicity of calling you his. He'd gotten used to the sweet routine quite quickly.

The thought that you might already be growing tired of him made his dead heart clench agonizingly inside his chest. He glanced back at you, hunched over your makeshift desk as you scribbled something down in a book, Scratch lying by your feet. That is a kind of pain he wasn't sure he could endure.

Perhaps against his better judgment, his feet carried him to you anyway; yet he hesitated, words heavy on his tongue. Astarion stood awkwardly behind you, fidgeting with the edges of his shirt and praying that anyone who might still be awake wouldn't look this way. Scratch raised his head when the elf approached, a whine coming from him as his head tilted from side to side as if he wanted to ask what was wrong. Seems even the dog pities his predicament.

Old habits die hard and Astarion couldn't help but assume the worst, every time. He doesn't know how to be with someone, doesn't know the first thing about being in a relationship—was that what you two had? It's not like you ever labeled it. Maybe he did something wrong, and that's why you've been limiting your time with him.

"Astarion?"

With several blinks, his eyes focused again, only to see you regarding him with a frown, hand resting atop the closed book you had been writing in. Now your head was the one tilting inquisitively.

"Is everything okay?"

Still, your voice would always be sweetest to his ears.

Astarion shook his head softly to clear the fog his insecurities had brought and plastered a smile on his lips. "Of course, my darling," he approached, extending a hand to your sitting form and twirling a strand of your hair between his fingers, "I just think you should be getting your beauty sleep by now. Come warm up my bed, won't you?"

The faint blush that dusted your cheeks whenever he sweet-talked you would never cease to endear him. "We can read that book you're so fond of if you don't want to sleep, the cheesy romance one," Astarion purred, his pointer finger tracing the edges of your jaw.

You turned your head, planting a small kiss on his palm. "I'll be going soon, just want to finish something first. You can read without me, I don't mind."

But how could he ever tell you, that the words looked blurry and tangled without you by his side?

Longer than an hour had gone by when you finally decided to come to his tent. The night was mostly quiet, eery, with only the sounds of crickets, frogs, and the crackling of the dying fire. Astarion lay on his side, back turned towards the tent's opening. He didn't need sleep, not really, some meditation here and there would usually be enough to keep his energy up. But it was a habit he'd picked up when you started sleeping together through the night.

He wasn't asleep tonight, however. He heard your footsteps approaching him, quiet and cautious so as to not disturb him. He felt you lying down beside him, ever so slowly.

Astarion closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold himself back and failing miserably. One taste of your affection had been enough to get him hopelessly addicted.

He turned, shuffling closer and curling his body around you. His arm went over your stomach and tugged lightly, like a kitten asking for attention. You didn't say anything as you closed your arms around him, your lips finding the bridge of his nose and then his forehead. Words were futile when actions spoke the loudest.

Your gentle touches, the way you hold him without malice, he could hardly get enough of it. Your arms wrapped around him and your lips grazed his skin with lingering kisses, and it didn't hurt, it didn't burn or make him feel sick. You were the first one to ever do it, to hold him without hurting him.

Astarion nuzzled your neck, burying himself in the feeling, gladly drowning in it as he drank every last drop. Tears prickled his eyes, they usually did on nights like these and he's never quite sure why. Maybe it's because of the way your fingers gently tangled in his hair yet didn't tug or scrape; maybe it's the way you tighten your hold on him as if trying to mend his fragile heart; maybe it's because of how much he longed for someone like you to come and save him, on nights where all he knew were pain and unwelcomed caresses that scarred his skin more than any blade ever could.

And now, he wanted to lose himself in the comfort he found, that you so generously provided. His fingers closed forcefully on the fabric of your shirt, nearly ripping it, afraid you'd leave if he held you any looser. The fear of waking up alone and finding out that he'd lost you was all too consuming, tugging at his heartstrings.

He closed his eyes and rogue tears dampened the collar of your shirt. It was okay, it would be dry come morning, you wouldn't know. You were warm, you chased away everything that haunted him.

⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆

You stared at it intently. You have been staring at it for a while now, teeth chewing at the inside of your cheek in nervousness and anticipation. You checked it once, twice, turning the pages with careful fingers. The sketchbook wasn't filled, it would take too long to do so, but at least half of the pages inside it held some kind of scribble. Art pieces of various styles and levels of progression, some much more detailed than others, some mere hasty lines put together to paint a dear image you wanted to keep for a while longer. All of them of him. A book filled with the pointy ears and pale hair you adored so much.

You could only hope he would adore it just as much.

It was early in the morning and the day had yet to properly start. Most of your companions were still tucked away in their tents, some huddled around the burned logs of the fire from last night, coffee mugs in their hands and a sleepy look on their faces. You were never much of an early bird yourself, but today you made a point of rising before Astarion—you were lucky he'd picked back up the habit of sleeping and wasn't much of an early bird himself.

Hugging the sketchbook to your chest, you padded back to the warmth of his tent. As you opened the flaps, you were greeted with the sight of soft slivers of sunlight coming through the thinner part of the tent's fabric, they glimmered over Astarion's laying form, kissing his pale skin and making it shine.

You could easily get used to it; waking up to him, watching as the early morning rays painted his features golden, small wisps of dust flying in the air only giving him that bit more magical touch.

Astarion had his back to you, so you quietly kneeled beside him, extending a hand to run through his mess of curls; oh how soft they were, molding in between your fingers like seafoam on the shore. You counted yourself remarkably privileged.

You placed the sketchbook behind you so you could lie down, only keeping yourself up on one elbow. Your lips found his temple and the elf lightly stirred in his sleep. You kissed the tip of his ear next, waking him up gently. Always gently. He deserves gentleness.

With a hoarse groan, Astarion turned around to face you. He blinked several times as his ruby eyes adjusted to the soft sunlight, his face adorably scrunched from sleep. An easy, small smile appeared on his lips as soon as his gaze landed on you.

You weren't an early bird, yet you came to love the mornings, if only for this sight alone.

"Good morning, my star," you said quietly so as to not disturb the peace of the moment, still twirling a strand of his hair between your fingers.

He chuckled, "Good morning, beautiful." His voice all husky and deep, one hand finding your waist and trailing all the way up to your neck to pull you closer.

You kissed the corner of his lips and then the apple of his cheek, and Astarion's hold on you only grew tighter, pulling you on top of him. A welp escaped you as you laughed, nuzzling his neck before baring your teeth and giving him a playful nibble.

"Ow, you menace!" The vampire gasped halfheartedly, holding back a grin.

You pulled back from him with the ghost of a smile, bracing yourself on his chest. "I've got something to tell you."

His expression shifted to something you couldn't quite decipher, but he quickly masked it with a teasing tilt of his brows; "Oh? Are you gonna confess your undying love for me?" Both his hands brushed along the sides of your waist, gingerly raising your shirt as his pinkie grazed your skin.

"I thought we'd gone over that part already?" You teased back with a glint in your eyes, pushing yourself back up to sit beside him.

A whimper of complaint escaped Astarion when you separated, but he sat up with you anyway; his hair askew and all over the place, cheeks with the faintest flush to them, eyes just a little droopy, and… a strange stiffness to his shoulders. "What is it, my love?" He wondered, scrunching his nose endearingly when a piece of lint grazed it.

You squirmed in your seat; heart burning hotter than Karlach's in your chest, valves working overtime as the connection you shared enveloped you whole. You haven't actually told him how much you loved him, the four-lettered word hadn't been brought up yet, mostly for fear of the weight it held. But you wanted to, you've been feeling it for a while now.

"Well? Don't leave me in suspense," Astarion chuckled, but the sound didn't feel quite right to your ears, his smile wasn't reaching his eyes. And as you looked at him—one of his hands gripping tightly onto the fabric of his bedroll while the other tapped his knee incessantly; the ruby of his eyes almost nonexistent, covered by shiny black pupils as he looked intently at you, gaze filled with sentiment and vulnerability—you could notice it there now, that lingering fear of solitude gripping at his chest.

For a moment, you berated yourself, for you knew you'd spent quite some time on your little project, and maybe it had affected your routine more than you cared to admit. You felt a nagging guilt and sorrow for making Astarion even consider the possibility of loneliness again.

You tried shrugging it off. It would be worth it—and you'd be showering him with love and affection in just a moment anyway.

"I made something for you." The words rolled off your tongue more easily than you thought they would. You reached behind you with unsteady hands, heart in your mouth as you held onto your breath.

Astarion stared intently at the black sketchbook that was now clasped between your hands. He looked up at you, and back down, lips pursed in confusion.

"Ever since you told me… you haven't seen yourself in so long," you started, voice gentle as your thumbs traced the leather cover of the book. "And asked me how I saw you. I- I kept thinking about it and… when I found this," you wiggled the sketchbook in the air, "I guess I found a way of showing you…"

You extended the book for him to take, lowering your voice to a near whisper; "how I see you."

A short, trembled gush of air went past Astarion's lips. It was a difficult task to get him speechless, yet you had done it. He said nothing as he ever so carefully took the book from your hands, holding it as if the smallest wrong move could break it.

You watched as his throat worked through a heavy gulp, his eyes shining bright under the faint sunlight, swimming in a pool of sentiment and he hadn't even opened the book yet. Or properly looked at it, for that matter; his eyes still trailed on your face, as if waiting for confirmation that you meant it. Only when you gave him a tiny nod, did he finally look down. It hit you hard that this was probably the first gesture of this kind that he had received in his long life.

Shaky, pale hands reached to turn the first page. He hesitated for only a moment, almost looking afraid. About to see himself after 200 years of living as a ghost.

The first drawing you had made in the book wasn't your best, now that you looked down at it again; a simple portrait of Astarion looking down at a book in his hands, a little rough around the edges, hardly detailed. It had been your first try after not drawing for quite some time.

A beat passed, and a drop of water landed on the bottom corner of the page. You whipped your head up, only to see rogue tears steadily dripping down Astarion's cheeks until they reached his chin and fell on his lap. He cried silently, barely moving; the only signs being the obvious tears and the quivering of his lower lip.

He turned each page as if they were made from the purest gold. Stopping at every single drawing of him, to take it all in. He traced his fingertips over the lines that formed the curves of his curls, the tips of his ears, and the slope of his nose and lips.

People had referred to him as many things already; sexy, alluring, charming, attractive. Never had any of them referred to him as something… precious, delicate, bewitching, more than just a pretty face. Yet that's exactly how he saw himself now, through your eyes.

Astarion took his time, never speaking once. You let him, making yourself comfortable beside him and laying your head on his shoulder, simply existing in each other's presence.

Several minutes had gone by when the elf finally spoke up again. He was finally on the last used page of the book, and when the next appeared in white he slowly closed the book, still grasping onto it reverently. "For a moment I- I thought you'd grown tired of me already," it was the first thing he told you, and he refused to meet your eyes. A humorless chuckle fell past his lips, trying to laugh off his feelings.

You raised your head from his shoulder, lifting a hand to tenderly brush long strands of silver hair behind his ear; as you did so, you allowed your fingers to travel further, burying in the mop of hair behind his head. "Never. Never in a million years," you whispered.

Astarion met your gaze at last, ruby eyes glimmering with unshed tears while dried tracks of the ones before still lingered on his cheeks. This was the real Astarion; fragile, vulnerable, pleading for a gentle love, yet so beautifully strong.

"I'm sorry, my star. For allowing that thought to plague you. I just wanted this to be a surprise." You leaned forward and touched your forehead with his for a brief moment, hoping to bend the rules and physically give him your love.

"You made this," Astarion's voice broke in the middle, yet his smile was the most sincere you'd ever witnessed, "For me."

Catching a single tear that rolled down his cheek, you nodded, with a smile of your own.

There was a beat, a moment of silence where you simply looked at each other, wondering if the other felt just as much. And you didn't need a tadpole connection to confirm it.

Astarion set the sketchbook aside before all but throwing himself at you. Both his arms encircled your waist with desperation as he buried his head in your neck. His lips drew sloppy patterns and raised goosebumps in your skin as he kissed you relentlessly, from shoulder, to neck, to jaw; until he finally reached your own lips.

You brought your arms around him, pulling him in until your very souls were intertwined. Giggles escaped your lips as he kissed you, the shape of both your smiles making it difficult and all the more delightful.

When you parted, Astarion had you pinned down on his bedroll, with him resting snuggly on top of you. He refused to let go, clingy as he'd never dreamt he'd be. Your hand buried in his hair, his nose brushed the skin of your collar bone. "I had asked the gods for salvation, for any kind of blessing, countless times before. I could never guess it would come in the shape of you." He breathed in. He didn't hesitate. "Thank you. I love you."

You felt his smile. Felt the shape of his words on your skin, your soul. You kissed his hairline. "And I love you."

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

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