G/t Trash Haven

Amy was largely unimpressed.

“They just look like black coffee beans to me.”

The owner sighed. “I thought so too, but the coloring is really unusual. Look at the red stripes on them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Cream stared at the beans for a solid minute, and then, she got an idea.

“What if you try planting them? That way, you can see what kind of plant they’ll grow into!”

“I haven’t had the time to, I’m busy running the shop. It’s a lot of work taking care of a new plant. There’s so much trial and error, and you have to make sure you understand all of its needs.”

Initially, Cream was on board with starting off easy, but she couldn’t help but be intrigued by the mystery beans. Not only that, she enjoyed challenging herself and trying new things. And it would make her mother very happy to know that she’s putting in the work to learn to be responsible.

“What if I raised the plant for you?”

Amy frowned. “Are you sure, Cream?”

The rabbit nodded, determined as ever. “I’m sure, Ms. Amy! Someone needs to help those beans grow!”

Seeing as she couldn’t sell them, the shop owner was happy to pass off the beans. They weren’t doing much besides taking up space anyway.

“Best of luck to you! And please let me know how it goes! I’m really curious!”

After saying their goodbyes to the shopkeeper, Amy walked Cream home. The two parted ways after that, leaving the young rabbit alone in the garden with her container of mystery beans.

She knew the first step was simple: bury them in the soil. So, she grabbed a shovel and dug a small hole in the dirt. It was hard to gauge how deep to make it, so she tried to mimic the depth of the holes that she usually saw her mother dig. Once it looked about right, she tossed the beans inside and buried them.

The next step would be to water them. She placed the shovel down and went inside to refill the watering can. All the while, Vanilla was asleep.

Cream was saddened for a moment as she almost began to consider the possibility that she didn’t want to think about, but she brushed it aside. Everything would be alright. Her mother was just tired, and she would feel better soon.

After she finished refilling the watering can in the sink, she immediately dropped it and spilled all the water as the house suddenly began to shake. Something was outside. Something big.

She rushed to the window, and right outside in the garden was an impossibly massive plant. A black beanstalk with red vines and leaves coiled around it. How the beans grew so big and so fast was completely lost on her, but she knew she had to go outside and check on it.

When she returned to the garden, she saw that no matter how high she looked up, she couldn’t see the top of the stalk. It seemed to breach the clouds, far beyond the sky.

Cream could fly if she flapped her ears, but she’d never gone anywhere near that high up before.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she began to climb. Of course, she quickly realized just how long it would take to reach the top just by climbing. Taking notice of the large and surprisingly sturdy leaves, an idea formed.

She hopped onto a leaf, and after jumping for a bit, she was able to bounce up into the air. Alternating between flying with her ears and using the leaves to boost, she was able to ascend the beanstalk much faster.

When she finally reached the top, she found herself in a world where the ground was made entirely of clouds. She took a hesitant step off the leaf she was perched on, unsure if she would fall out of the sky. To her surprise, the tops of the clouds were solid, with a texture similar to snow but not as cold.

She began to walk across the clouds, taking in the sights. It really was beautiful up in the sky.

Then, something caught her eye. A house in the distance. Someone lived up here.

The rabbit ran towards it, and the closer she got, the bigger it appeared to get. It wasn’t until she reached the front door that she fully registered just how huge the house actually was. The front door on its own was wider than her house, and the doorknob was up so high that no one could reach it. Opening the door at all would be impossible.

She noticed a decently sized gap beneath the door that she could easily slide under, but it would be rude to enter someone else’s home without permission. Instead, she knocked on the door.

There was no response, so she decided to leave, assuming no one was home. But just as she was about to head back to the beanstalk, the cloudy ground thundered with the sound of heavy footsteps. Someone was coming from around the side of the house and headed for the front door, right where she was. And if she was correct in all of the observations she’d just made about the place, they had to be gigantic.

Unsure what else to do, she quickly ducked under the gap and slipped inside before the giant could see her. From there, she took shelter in a nearby cupboard that was left opened, hiding in the shadows just as the front door swung open.

She peeked out to see the giant as he walked past. He was a hedgehog with black and red fur, and aside from his size he didn’t look too different from her friend Sonic.

He stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air.

“Someone’s in the house.”

Cream gasped and hid herself further in the cupboard, ducking behind a large bag. Unfortunately for her, that was the first place the giant looked.

“You can’t cover your scent with coffee beans, you know.”

The rabbit backed up as the bag was pulled away from her, a few beans toppling out from the top of it. They were very much the same ones that she planted.

“I don’t know how you got here, but you are NOT welcome in my home. I suggest you leave before I’m forced to dispose of you myself.”

By that point, Cream couldn’t stop shaking. She’d never be able to get away in time. In that moment she regretted climbing the beanstalk by herself, and deciding to plant the beans in the first place.

The bag was fully pulled away, and all she could see was the hedgehog towering over her, a pair of glowing red eyes staring her down. Time seemed to stop as they both froze, neither of them saying a word. Then finally, the giant spoke up.

“You’re just a little girl…”

It didn’t matter that his words weren’t inherently threatening, being acknowledged by him at all was enough to send Cream into a panic. She made a run for it, causing the giant to gasp.

“Wait, stop!”

He reached for her, missing her as she slipped out of his reach the first few times until he finally got her. He closed his hand around her as gently as possible and lifted her up to eye level. This, of course, did nothing to ease her fears.

The little rabbit sobbed, not looking up at the hedgehog.

“Please don’t eat me, Mr. Giant!”

The hedgehog huffed in offense. This certainly wasn’t the first time he’d heard this plea, but that didn’t make it any less insulting. Though, in this case he couldn’t entirely blame her for being afraid. She was a child.

“I don’t do that, you know.”

Cream opened her eyes, reluctantly looking at him. He still didn’t look particularly friendly, but he wasn’t acting hostile in any way. At most, he just seemed annoyed and inconvenienced.

“You don’t?”

The giant shook his head.

“No. Never.”

Cream sighed with relief, still deeply intimidated but at least confident she wasn’t going to die.

“Could you please let me go, then?”

The hedgehog nodded. “I will. But first, I’d like to know why you’re here and how you got here.”

The rabbit took a minute to finish calming down and gather her thoughts. Then, she briefly explained the events of the day that led her to this point. All the while, the giant listened intently, taking everything in.

“I see… Strange, I thought those beans were gone a long time ago. But you shouldn’t have come up here alone. You could have gotten seriously hurt on the climb up, and you had no idea who was living up here and whether they were dangerous or not. Did you at least tell your parents where you went?”

Cream guiltily avoided his gaze. Normally the first thing she would’ve done before running off was ask for her mother’s permission, but Vanilla just seemed so tired and out of sorts that she didn’t want to disturb her.

The giant sighed. “I’ll take you back to the beanstalk and make sure you get home safely, but I don’t want to see you up here again. Is that clear?”

The rabbit nodded. “Of course, Mr. Giant. I’m really sorry for bothering you.”

His expression softened at her apology as he realized he may have been a bit too harsh with her.

“You’re not bothering me, little one. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

He brought Cream back outside and walked her over to where the tip of the beanstalk poked through the clouds. He set her down beside it, but just as she was about to climb onto it, she caught sight of the drop below. It was easier to ignore how high up she was on the way up, but going down required her to see it.

“Mr. Giant? I don’t think I can climb back down…”

He shut his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was afraid she would say that. Not because he had any issue climbing down with her, but because that meant he would be back on the ground below. He hadn’t set foot there in the past 50 years and he didn’t plan on ever going back. Not when the people down there thought he was a monster.

But he was not a monster, and he would not make her climb down by herself.

He knelt down, offering his hand to her. The rabbit climbed on and sat herself down in the center of his palm. Once she was seated, he slowly lifted her up and secured her against his chest, still taking care to be as gentle as possible.

To his surprise, he heard a little giggle from under his hand.

“You’re so fluffy!”

The hedgehog smiled. She had the sweetest little laugh. It almost reminded him of…

Not now. He had to focus on getting her home.

“I’m going to start climbing down now. Just stay put. I’ve got you.”

The giant wrapped his limbs around the beanstalk, his right hand still cradling Cream to his chest. Once he was sure he was stable enough, he began his descent.

Along the way, he was surprised to hear the rabbit address him.

“Do you have a name, Mr. Giant?”

“Hm? Yes, I do. My name is Shadow.”

“That’s a nice name. My name is Cream!”

After a while, they finally reached the bottom. Shadow set her down in the garden and immediately prepared himself to climb back up. But before he could, Cream called out to him.

“Wait! Mr. Shadow… Thank you for bringing me home.”

He gave her a quick nod, then started to climb back up.

She was sad to see him go, but she really needed to go inside and let her mother know she was okay.

Cream went into the house and went straight to Vanilla’s room. However, when she got there, she saw that her mother was still in bed, looking very pale and breathing heavily.

“M-Mother?!”

Vanilla turned her head to look at her daughter, her heavy eyelids barely opening. She forced a weak smile.

“Cream… there you are. Where did you go, sweetie?”

“Mother, you look sick! Wait right there, I’ll get help!”

The young rabbit ran back outside as fast as she could, hoping that Shadow hadn’t gotten too far. By the time she made it back to the base of the beanstalk, he was already too high up to hear her when she called out to him. But she could still catch up. He wouldn’t like it, but she had no choice.

Just as she did before, she jumped up on the leaves and boosted herself up the beanstalk until she caught up to him, landing on his shoulder. He noticed her small presence right away and gasped.

“How did you get up here so fast?! I told you not to climb this thing again!”

Cream sniffled, beginning to cry.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Shadow, but my Mother needs help! She looks really sick and I don’t know what to do!”

Shadow looked at her, a sinking feeling in his heart. He could help, but he really didn’t want to scare the girl’s mother. He had no idea how she would respond to seeing him.

But when he saw just how afraid Cream was for her mother’s health, he knew he had to help her. Even if it meant potentially being labeled a monster once again.

He held a finger up to her face, gently wiping her tears away and then softly stroking the top of her head.

“I can heal her. Just hold on tight while I climb down, Cream.”

Once he was back on the ground again, he lowered Cream back in front of her house and instructed her to bring Vanilla outside. After a minute, the mother and daughter returned, Vanilla looking absolutely exhausted and leaning on Cream for support.

The older rabbit looked up at Shadow, caught off guard by the sight of him. The giant knelt down, trying to make himself look like less of a threat.

“There’s no need to be afraid, ma’am. I’m here to help you.”

He laid his hand flat on the ground, extending a finger towards Vanilla.

“Just hold my hand and I’ll take care of it.”

She turned to Cream, who gave her an encouraging nod. Even if she was greatly intimidated by the giant creature, she trusted her daughter’s judgement. With that, she took his hand.

Shadow sent out waves of energy to her that slowly restored her strength. After just a few minutes, she felt like her old self again. She looked up at the giant with a soft smile.

“Thank you. I feel much better now. I’m not sure what came over me. I’ve been so exhausted lately and haven’t had the energy to do much of anything. And Cream… I’m sorry I haven’t been myself lately. I didn’t mean to worry you. But you know better than to run off on your own without telling me. I hope you thanked this gentleman for being so kind to you.”

Cream smiled and nodded. “I did, Mother! He brought me all the way down the beanstalk to make sure I got home safely!”

Vanilla smiled back and hugged her. She was forever grateful to have such a sweet and caring daughter.

She turned her attention back to Shadow, who simply remained kneeling beside them.

“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for us today. But I can at least offer you some cookies if you’d like. They might be a bit small for you, but I don’t mind giving you more. I have plenty in the house.”

“That won’t be neces-”

Shadow was cut off by the comically loud sound of his own stomach rumbling. Vanilla chuckled.

“I’ll go get the cookies.”

After she went inside, Cream looked up at Shadow like she had something on her mind. Then, she spoke up.

“Mr. Shadow? Will you come and visit us again?”

He looked up at the sky. It really was lonely up there by himself, but it was safer for both him and the rest of the world that he stayed in the clouds away from everyone else.

At the same time, it was a refreshing change of pace to meet people who saw him not as a monster, but as a healer and protector. It had been so long since he’d been seen in that light.

“Perhaps I will. Or… you and your mother could visit my home sometimes as well. Of course, I’ll need to set up precautions to make my house safer for you to navigate first, but I think you will like it there.”

Cream’s face lit up at the idea. The thought of getting to explore a giant house was so exciting to her.

“We could play hide and seek! Think of all the places I could hide!”

Shadow chuckled. She really was like her in a lot of ways.

“Alright. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

To his surprise, Cream ran right up to his knee and hugged it.

“I will, Mr. Shadow!”

He smiled, patting her head. Vanilla returned with a plate of cookies at that point, cooing at the adorable sight.

From that day forward, Shadow became a good friend to the rabbit family, no longer stuck in a world of isolation and sorrow. After everything he’d been through, it was nice to know that he could still make a positive difference in the lives of others, even if it was as simple as just being a system of love and support.

Though, it would take time before he was ready to meet the rest of Cream’s friends, no matter how much she insisted they would love him just as much as she and her mother did. Still, he was grateful every day to have them in his life, and devoted every moment he spent with them to ensuring they remained happy and safe.

these are meant as reference pics for artists and you are free to request more in any pose you want!

these are meant as reference pics for artists and you are free to request more in any pose you want!

"There he is!" Freya shouted as they stepped onto the docks of the inn where Tav and Astarion were waiting for them. She could barely contain the joy of gloating to the vampire about this moment. She turned to Lilia and pointed to one of the pilings on the dock by him. “Help me over there.”

Lilia gave her a wry smile and wrapped her arms around the borrower before taking off.

“Oh, Astarion!” Freya called out as they landed on the wooden pillar. “Guess what I did!”

Tav smiled as they looked over the group of refugees lining up before the flaming fists. “It looks like you guys went on an adventure.”

“We sure did.” Freya beamed. “I helped save these people; even saved Minthara from getting attacked!”

“Oh, you should have seen her!” Lilia jumped in the air. “She was shooting bastards in the eyes left and right! They couldn't even swing their swords at us!”

Freya had to hold back a laugh as Lilia continued to embellish her actions. She looked up at Astarion who remained ever so silent for once. “So Astarion… still think I can't help out?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, sure.” He replied with a distant look in his eyes. “Tav can discuss that… excuse me, I must go.”

He slipped away, leaving Freya more confused by his response.

“What was that about?” Lilia asked.

A solemn look glazed over Tav's face. “There was a woman who wanted Astarion to bite her… she wouldn't take ‘no’ for an answer until I intervened.”

The air weighed heavier around them. Freya looked over at Lilia who went quiet as well as they both came to the conclusion that gloating at a later date seemed irrelevant. Ignoring his consent for what… live out some vampire fetish? It was sick. “Will he be okay?”

Tav gave a soft smile. “I think he just needs some space.”

Freya nodded and silently swore that if she ever met that drow later, well she would give her a piece of her mind.

“Hey soldiers!” Karlach marched over with a wide grin on her face. “We need to head inside to celebrate! Maybe even show Minthara how it feels to be on the right side.”

“Oh, absolutely!” Lilia beamed as her wings perked up, ready to take flight. She then tossed her arm over Freya's shoulder. “I know she needs one after the fight she had.”

Freya laughed but turned back to Tav. “Are you going to join us?”

“Go on ahead.” Tav replied. “I need to talk to Halsin about the curse.”

“Oh, alright. See you later.” Freya kept her smile but she felt her heart crack at their response. Warm hands scooped her and Lilia up.

“We'll make sure we save some ale for you.” Karlach grinned. “But we can't keep the party waiting!”

~~~

The joy from the party was infectious. From the bard playing tunes, to the ale pouring into mugs. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits even with the darkness that loomed over the lands. The threat still lurked in the shadows and there was more work to be done, but this was their moment, and the former prisoners were going to enjoy their newfound freedom again.

Despite the joy, Tav still infected Freya's mind. She waited for them by the table with Jaheira, Karlach and Lilia. She wore a grin as more alcohol poured into her thimble but she couldn't help but glance over at the door across the room where Tav was. She thought that maybe the conversation with Halsin would be brief; after all, what more could Halsin say? The comatose man that may have been a link to the curse still laid there, muttering the name Thaniel over and over again. With no more leads than what they already had, Freya could help but feel annoyed at Halsin for holding Tav up.

Lilia crashed into the side of Freya with a loopy grin on her face. “And then this one shot the warden at about ten meters from the perch she stood on!”

“Knock it off, Lilia.” Freya scolded as she tried to wipe off the ale she spilled on her linen top. “Astarion's not here to lie to.”

Hmm, true…” Lilia leaned back to take another swig of her drink. “But I figured we should keep the bit going in case he comes around. Don't want anyone else to call you out if he talks to others.”

“Well the party's winding down, so I doubt others will hear about my ‘tales of heroism’ now.”

“Perhaps you should just tell the bard to pluck a tune that keeps your tales alive.” Jaheira chuckled but downed a glass of wine. “Gods know my ballads convince people from knowing reality.”

“Not a bad idea.” Karlach mused. “But we should probably bring up the fact that I cracked a few hits at that warden.”

“Oh absolutely!” Lilia squealed. “It could be like: ‘As the warden relished in her own kinds’ torture, our fiery friend drew the first punch to free the tieflings.’” She cackled and stumbled on her rear. “Or something like that, I don't know…”

Freya let out a titter at the drunken pixie. “None of that rhymes.”

“Well duh, I'm not a bard.” She huffed out. “We need to get that tiefling to figure that out… What was her name again? Alflie?”

“Alfira.” Karlach corrected.

“Yeah her!” Lilia beamed up at Karlach. “You're so smart.”

Karlach chuckled and reached out to lightly scratch Lilia’s head. “Appreciate ya, dropplet.”

The creaking of the door alerted Freya and she broke away from the banter and hopped over to the edge of the wooden table. Seeing Tav step out made her brighten up tenfold. She waved her hand over. “Tav! Tav! Over here!”

They crossed over with a tired smile on their face. “Enjoying yourself?”

“I guess so.” She shrugged as she took in the monk's appearance. Their orange robes were speckled with blood, dirt, and sweat; dark circles colored the bottom of their eyes. They looked utterly exhausted but Freya just smiled and leaned against a bottle of wine. “You look like you could use a drink.”

“No doubt about that.” They chuckled. “But I don't think I have the energy to enjoy the festivities.”

“Not even for one drink?” Freya gave a mock pout, but her eyes danced with a mischievous glint that challenged the monk.

“I don't think I could even handle a drink after the amount of undead we had to fight just to get back here.” They replied.

“Quitter.” Freya scoffed as she tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Aw come on, that's not fair.” Tav argued in a lighthearted sense. “I didn't get to enjoy a relaxing boat ride like you did.”

Freya still wasn't convinced.

“How about I owe you a drink tomorrow?” Tav suggested. “Then we can have a drinking contest.”

As much as Freya wanted them to stay with her tonight, she couldn't argue when Tav looked as exhausted as they did now. And she wasn't going to selfishly keep the halfling here if they were mentally drained. “I'll allow it.”

“That's the spirit!” Tav reached over and patted Freya on the head. The soft touch made Freya lean it a bit, yearning for Tav's intimacy. But then they pulled away before she could get lost in the bliss. Tav gave her a warm smile that melted her heart and headed for the exit. She stared at them for a bit before snapping out of that daze before calling out: “Bye Tav!” in a higher pitch than normal.

The moment they were gone, Freya turned back at her mates to see matching smirks on their faces. “What?”

“Not very subtle.” Lilia snickered.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Freya insisted.

“Ah young love.” Jaheira teased. “I remember when I tried to deny my own heart's desires.”

Freya's cheeks flared up. “No no, that's not at all what that was!”

“Come on Freya, we all see it.” Karlach chuckled. “Don't act like you don't have feelings.”

“Yeah, Jaheira and I just met you and we see it clear as day.” Lilia said while she sauntered closer to the borrower.

“Then get your eyes checked.” Freya glared at Lilia who had a grin so smug, she thought about smacking it off. But her eyes would dart to Jaheira and Karlach who shared similar grins that made her cheeks redden.

“I think it's time I cut myself off for the night.” Freya pulled out her grappling hook and descended down the table. The buzz she felt made her stumble a bit once she landed on the ground but she willed herself to look sober as she walked across the floor and into a crevice of the nearby wall.

Alone in the darkness, with only the distant chatter and the aching wood that groaned with each step she took; Freya had a moment with her thoughts.

‘They weren't serious.’ She told herself, it's just a joke because of how close she grew with Tav; like when Astarion teasingly flirts with them. Surely they understood why a borrower and a larger being couldn't be together.

A dim light led Freya out of the inn. The cool air filled her nostrils to clear her head of the wine. She just needed some sleep.

“Hey, Freya!” The shrill voice made Freya look up and spot Lilia buzzing over to her in an erratic pattern, holding a thimble of what was likely alcohol. Her feet hit the ground in a stumble and gave the borrower a toothy grin.

Freya just rolled her eyes, thinking about how there should be a rule about flying intoxicated. “What do you want now, Lilia?”

“Can't I make sure a friend makes it back to camp safely?”

“So you can continue to harass me?” She crossed her arms. “No thanks, I'm good.”

Lilia let out a sigh, dropping that impish smile. “I'm sorry for that, I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to have feelings for Tav.”

“I don't have feelings for Tav!” Freya snapped back. “Besides, it wouldn't work out for obvious reasons.”

“For obvious reasons.” Lilia repeated with a cocked eyebrow. “You really think you two can't be together because of your size?”

“It's a little hard to show affection in a traditional sense when a larger being has to pick you up just to kiss you.” Just saying that out loud made Freya's cheeks grow red. She had thought about this so many times. The idea of Tav trying to kiss her, only for their plush lips to engulf her face. They could never wrap their arms around her, never go on dates in public, and intimacy? Forget it! Nothing between them was going to happen.

“Larger beings,” Lilia snorted. “You make them sound like they're gods walking among us.”

“That's just what my colony called them.”

“Really? Gods, did you live in a prison?” The corners of her lips perked up into a playful smirk.

“Sometimes I felt like it.” Freya couldn't help but share a smile, although her mind drifted back into the colony. She had grown so accustomed to traveling that the colony felt like a lifetime ago. For the first time in a long time, Freya felt free from rules… but her heart still ached when she thought of Skaars Hollow.

“Then why do you still adhere to their terms?” Lilia took a step closer. “The big people aren't special just because they're bigger than us.”

“Force of habit?” Freya squeaked out.

“Look, you may be inclined to use your home's descriptions of the big people but it's obvious you don't view Tav like that.” A mischievous mask slipped off of the pixie to reveal a more genuine smile. “So why not take the chance and tell them how you feel?”

Freya glanced away, arguing her point was tiresome. As much as she tried to deny it, she knew she desperately wanted it to work with Tav. But even if borrowers and larger beings could be together, would it matter? Would Tav even feel the same way?

“I think you should quit worrying and take a leap of faith.” Lilia gave Freya a knowing look and shoved the thimble into her hands. “Take a shot, loosen up, and toss aside what you were told at least for this moment. You might be surprised.”

Freya couldn't hide the smile that crept up on her face. “Is this a shot for luck?”

“If you want it to be.”

Shaking her head, she pressed the thimble to her lips, a bitter taste hit her tongue but Freya chugged through. If she could down this piss water, then she could summon the courage to tell Tav her true feelings. “Thanks, I needed that.” She said as she handed the thimble back to the fairy.

“Good luck.” Lilia flew back up in the air but stopped short just above her. “Oh, and if things work out well with you and Tav, I could probably tell you a few things Karlach and I did that might help you two out with the intimacy issue.”

Freya's eyebrows shot up. “Wait, what?”

“Good luck.” Lilia said with a giggle before soaring back to the inn. Leaving behind an arousing thought within Freya's head.

The borrower shook off those wandering thoughts, telling herself not to even go there right now. There would be no sex if she didn't even try to ask out Tav.

She walked briskly back to camp rehearsing the words she wanted to say. Would it be better to outright tell them about her feelings, or should she dance around the subject of being in a size difference relationship and see how they felt? The more Freya thought about it, the more her heart pounded, the pep in her step faded into a trudge. The doubt threatened to pull her back to the inn and drown her feelings in more drinks but once she stepped into campgrounds and saw the emptiness, confidence bloomed in her chest. Good, there won't be an audience around.

Except for Astarion.

Freya silently groaned as she saw the pale elf standing at his tent. Worst of all, Tav was there too. If anyone was going to tease her for this, it would be him. But he was not going to stop her! Once they were done talking she would get Tav alone and finally tell them how she felt.

And so Freya slipped into the tall grass and snuck over to his tent. Each step was as quiet as a mouse. Maybe it was risky to eavesdrop on a conversation had by two of the most perceptive members of the group, but she was not going to underestimate her own stealth. Once she got close enough, she peered through the grass to listen in. She looked up at the unaware giants and noticed that distant gaze was still on Astarion.

“It would have been so easy to just bite her.” Astarion's voice had a different tone in it; the loud flair that he often used to charm everyone into listening to him was gone. “A moment of disgust and then I could just go on about my day… like the last two hundred years.”

They were talking about that drow. Gods, she must have been so vile to make Astarion this shook up.

“I would never ask you to do something you're uncomfortable with.” Tav replied with a warmness that made Freya's heart melt. Gods, they were so understanding.

“And I'm grateful.” His face turned crestfallen. “But also guilty.”

Tav raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Astarion drew in a breath. “I had a plan… a nice simple plan, seduce you, sleep with you, make you fall in love with me that way you'd never turn on me.” He let out a chuckle in an attempt to lighten the situation. “Two centuries of practice should have made this easy. All you had to do was fall in love and all I had to do was not fall in love back… and that is where my nice, simple plan fell apart.”

Anger threatened to force Freya to pop out and snap at Astarion for doing such a thing. She understood his desperation to keep safe while traveling but to use Tav in such a way, that was awful.

“Astarion… y-you didn't have to do that.” Their voice grew quiet.

“I wish I hadn't.” Astarion met Tav's eyes. “You're perfect, and you deserve something real… I want this to be real.”

No! There was no fucking way Tav would ever go for someone who used them for sex! Freya's heart beat furiously in her chest. How dare he have the audacity to do such a thing and then confess his feelings to them!

But what made Freya's heart drop was when she saw a smile grow on Tav's face. They took confident strides over to Astarion and wrapped their arms around his waist. Their head buried in his stomach.

Like Freya, Astarion was taken aback by Tav's hug. He slowly dropped to his knees to hug them back, now pulling them close to his chest for what felt like a long time. Then tav pulled away, giving a longing look in Astarion's eyes as their hand traced up to his angular jaw. “I'm so happy to hear you say that.”

Tears welled up in Freya's eyes. She staggered back, clamping her hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs as she ran away. By this point the tears blurred her vision, she didn't care where she stumbled off at this point. Confessing was pointless. How stupid was she to think that a borrower could compete with a larger being?

A/N: I said I wasn't going to apologize for the absence but while I was writing this, something happened.

Back in February I had to say goodbye to my beloved Cat who was with me since I was 13. Simba was the best cat I ever had and during that time I found it difficult to write. So now this is the first chapter I have completed since his passing and I am dedicating this chapter to him. I hope I have healed enough to continue writing at a decent pace but even if I don't just know that I am determined to continue this.

If you have any pets, I ask you to give them extra treats, spend time playing with them, and hold them close tonight.