Astarion Apologist

Thinking about rookie Leon, who had never slept alone. Having a big family meant always sharing a bed with someone, so when he moved away for college, he realized something deeply embarrassing.

He could not actually sleep alone, not even with a light on, not hugging a pillow, not with music playing softly in the background.

He needed someone beside him.

And that someone was you, his best friend, the girl he had been hopelessly in love with for months now, the same girl he could barely look in the eyes for too long without getting nervous, the same girl whose smile could completely ruin his ability to think straight.

So after the longest and most sleepless week of his life, you were the person he necessarily had to recur to.

You noticed the shift in him too. How he slowly became more tired with those small dark circles under his eyes, how he barely could blink without his head staggering slightly afterward, how his usually soft blue eyes now looked heavy all the time. Leon had always been clingy in subtle ways around you, always sitting too close during lectures, always finding excuses to walk you back to your dorm, always looking at you like you personally hung the stars in the sky, but now he barely even had enough energy to hide how exhausted he was.

And that day, when he sneaked into the women’s dorms and knocked softly on your door close to midnight, he could barely stand by himself.

Eyes half closed, pillow in hand, pajamas already on.

He looked absolutely adorable.

But what made your heart ache just a little was the small and shy murmur that left his lips once you opened the door.

“Can I stay with you? Please.”

You agreed immediately, of course you did, stepping aside to let him inside while Leon looked almost relieved enough to collapse right there. Your room was small, your bed even smaller for two people, but the second he laid down beside you it was like his entire body finally gave up trying to stay awake.

He fell asleep incredibly fast.

You felt it immediately, those tiny spasms someone makes while drifting off, his breathing slowly evening out after days without proper rest, his body relaxing deeper and deeper into the mattress with every passing second. And then came the instinctive part.

His big warm hands reached for your waist like it was the most natural reaction his body could have to your closeness, almost desperate in the way he held onto you even while unconscious, like he had spent the entire week craving comfort without even realizing it.

His head nuzzled against the side of your neck immediately after, burying himself there with a soft sleepy sigh that made your whole body tense for a second.

Leon was affectionate awake.

Asleep, he was impossible.

You were not used to this, never having shared a bed before, especially not with someone so overwhelmingly clingy. His breathing tickled your skin constantly while he pressed himself closer and closer without even noticing, practically curling his entire body around yours like you were the only thing keeping him grounded.

And maybe, in some way, you were.

Small sleepy noises escaped him every now and then, quiet relieved sounds that made it obvious how exhausted he truly had been. His lips rested warm against your neck, slightly parted, occasionally brushing your skin whenever he shifted in his sleep, and you could even feel the faintest bit of drool against your shoulder now and then.

Like a puppy.

A giant, six foot tall puppy hopelessly in love with you.

Your best friend, top of the class smartass, often perceived as a tough guy because of his size and serious face, was clinging to you like a lifeline in his sleep.

And the worst part was that he looked completely peaceful while doing it.

Every time you moved even slightly, Leon followed unconsciously, tightening his hold around your waist with sleepy determination like his body refused to let you get too far away. At some point his leg ended up tangled with yours too, effectively trapping you against the wall while he buried his face even deeper against your neck with another exhausted sigh.

You honestly did not know how someone could be this affectionate unconsciously.

Especially Leon.

Sweet, awkward, painfully shy Leon who could barely survive a compliment from you without blushing violently now had his entire body wrapped around yours while sleeping like he belonged there.

You knew he was going to be mortified in the morning.

The moment he woke up and realized the position he had put himself in, he was probably going to turn completely red, avoid looking directly at your face, maybe even apologize so much he would start stumbling over his own words again.