#ship: claudeleth | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kumeko · 6 months

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Prompt: secret relationship, forehead kisses, accidental marriage

A/N: For dsw78, I know you didn’t have anything particular in mind, but I tried to use as many of your tags as possible. Kinda with the accidental marriage/enemies-to-lovers, but…referenced. I was tempted to go angst but…they’re angsty enough in canon.

…

Edelgard was not one for flights of fancy. She was a practical woman, through and through—the plots of the Adestrian Empire left her little other choice. Whether it was to stand tall amongst her siblings, claim the title of the next emperor, or to merely just survive, she had long learned how to cut the excess from her life.

Which is why Edelgard didn’t care for the look in Dorothea’s eyes when she informed her aide, “I shall take a brief reprieve in the gardens.”

“Oh?” Despite how noisy the ballroom was, the lilt in her voice was impossible to miss. Dorothea’s eyes gleamed, a sly smile on her red lips. Coyly, she asked, “I thought you had your fill of the gardens earlier? Claude even gave us a private tour.”

“And it unsettled me the entire time,” Edelgard muttered, her eyes narrowing as she gazed across the ballroom at the newly appointed Leicester Alliance leader as he danced with his fiancée Byleth. Even back in their school days, when they’d meet once a month to discuss the matters of their houses, she had always felt wary around him. Perhaps it was the way his smile had never reached his eyes or how silver-tongued he was. Yet, unlike the treachery she was used to, there was no malice behind his actions.

Perhaps that was what disturbed her the most: the fact that she couldn’t read what he wanted.

“You always feel unsettled,” Dorothea jabbed, rolling her eyes. She rested a hand on her hip, her wine-red skirt swaying slightly as she turned.

“With good reason,” Edelgard replied tartly. Though she had been wrong about one thing: swirling across the dancefloor, Claude smiled at Byleth, and in the three years Edelgard had known him, she had never seen such a genuine smile grace his face.

It seemed the every-elusive Claude had at least one honest bone.

“Some would call that paranoia,” Dorothea sighed, shaking her head. She slipped her arm through Edelgard’s, pulling her closer and leading her to a nearby balcony. As the glass doors closed behind them, the music and laughter faded into the background. “Even when you’re happy, you refuse to let yourself be happy.”

Edelgard arched a brow. “Where is this coming from?”

“Edie…sometimes I worry about you.” Dorothea leaned closer, resting her head on Edelgard’s shoulder. Her long hair tickled Edelgard’s neck. “You’re allowed to think of yourself first.”

“What are you driving at?” Edelgard asked, disgruntled.

“Good question,” Dorothea smiled mysteriously. “Just…don’t run away when the time comes.” She pulled away and leaned against the balcony. Scanning the darkened garden, something caught her eye and her expression lit up.

Edelgard glanced over but she could only catch a glimpse of gold and blue before it disappeared.

“Anyways, I’ve been delaying you.” Dorothea pushed Edelgard away playfully. “You wanted a walk right? To have your fill of the garden?”

Her mischievous tone made Edelgard stiffen. She had seen Dorothea tease Ferdinand long enough to know just what she was driving at. Suddenly, she knew all too well just who had vanished into the garden.

And the worst part was that Dorothea knew it too. Edelgard warned, “Dorothea.”

“What? I’m just saying, perhaps a little protection wouldn’t go amiss. It is dark outside, after all,” Dorothea continued, batting her eyes innocently.

It had been amusing to watch Ferdinand turn a thousand shades of red when Dorothea gave that look to him, less so when she experienced it herself. Edelgard felt a headache forming. “That’s straightforward for you.”

“Because today you need a blunter touch,” Dorothea replied with a shrug. She made a shooing gesture. “Now, scram before another one of your suitors pop in.”

An even more perilous situation. Edelgard had not enjoyed the first hour of the ball with all the pests chasing after her. Giving Dorothea one last look, she added, “We will discuss this later.”

“Whatever you say,” Dorothea said, already turning back to the hall. “Now, I spotted a really cute knight, and she won’t dance by herself.”

-x-

The few outdoor lights near the balcony did little to brighten up the garden. Edelgard’s eyes adjusted to the dark quickly, the dark shapes of roses and bushes all she had to guide her along the footpath. The hem of her red dress grew damp with dew. With each step, the party grew quieter and quieter, leaving behind only the last of the crickets and birds to fill in the silence.

A fountain gurgled nearby, and she turned toward it. As expected, a figure sat in front of it, a small lantern at his feet. Even without seeing the blue of his uniform, she knew it was Dimitri. Few men sat as straight, fewer men were as tall and muscular.

Quietly, she stood there, watching as he ran his hand through the fountain, as he patiently waited for her. The flickering light highlighted his blonde hair and glinted off his gold buttons. She’d seen him enter the ballroom scant hours ago, unwillingly dragged by Claude from bachelorette to bachelorette. How he had discretely escaped that fox’s eyes, she didn’t know.

Then again…Claude had once thrown her a glance earlier, his expression akin to Dorothea��s, and perhaps he had known just what he had been doing.

Edelgard clenched her fist. She was not supposed to be that easy to read.

As the moon emerged from the clouds, Dimitri lifted his head, noticing her. “El?”

She could see his face, see the way his eyes brightened, the way he smiled. It was nothing like the polite smile he had given earlier, nothing like the smile he used amongst his friends.

No, this was Claude’s smile to Byleth, Hubert’s soft upturn of his lip when Ferdinand argued with him.

Her own expression reflected in the glass when she’d spotted a familiar figure heading toward the garden.

No wonder Claude and Dorothea knew. A shiver ran up her spine and Edelgard resisted the urge to flee.

“Dimitri,” Edelgard replied politely, forcing a distance between them. Quickly, she scanned their surroundings, confirming they were truly in fact alone.

Dimitri had no such reservations. He strode over, joy speeding up his gait. Then again, he had never wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

No, that had been her request.

“I was worried you couldn’t make it,” Dimitri said, his hand already reaching up to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed her skin, sending sparks of electricity. It was the thing that had surprised her the most when they had started meeting like this—how affectionate the usually reserved prince was, how he seemed to gravitate her like the moon to the earth. His other hand interlaced with hers, leaving her no avenue to escape.

If this hadn’t been House Reigan’s gardens and instead one of their own, Dorothea’s insinuations wouldn’t have been far off base.

“I almost didn’t," Edelgard replied, allowing herself to briefly relax. “Now that my father has abdicated, the suitors swarm like flies.”

She didn’t miss how Dimitri’s eyes darkened, his grip tightening. He was the perfect prince, the golden child, and yet at times like these, she could sense the beast lurking within. Part of her wanted to prod, to see what it would take to unchain that creature.

But Dimitri wasn’t hers to keep.

And if Edelgard went any further, she feared she might forget that.

“I’m glad we aren’t holding this meeting in Faerghus.” She changed the topic swiftly, pulling away. “Even with furs, it’s far too cold there in Red Wolf Moon.”

Dimitri laughed, deep and rough. “I cannot deny it.”

“I would prefer it if the next one isn’t there either,” Edelgard continued. While the quarterly meetings between the three nations helped improve the stability of Fódlan, bringing down the threat of war, Edelgard had experienced far more of Faerghus’s winters than she would have liked.

And as warm as Dimitri’s bed was, she could only remain there for so long.

“While I hope you don’t host in Enbarr in the summer,” Dimitri replied with a laugh. “Your country gets far too hot.”

“You should go to Brigid,” she replied. It was oddly easy to imagine Dimitri on the sandy beaches, his hand in hers as they strolled that boundary between the sea and the land. An ordinary situation for any pair of lovers. A situation that could never occur for them.

Edelgard was not one for pretending. She was getting soft. “You haven’t experienced a real heat yet.”

“And I would rather not.” Dimitri reached down, his hands clasping hers once more. “Perhaps it is good that we came to Leicester lands then—the temperature here is far more moderate.”

A silence fell over them, one she didn’t want to break. This fragile moment would not last much longer.

But she also wasn’t one to run from her problems and at least in this, she would remain true to herself. “When is your coronation?” she asked.

“A month after my birthday.” Dimitri raised her hand, pressing his lips firmly against her knuckles. In the dim light, he looked rakish. “I’ll see you there?”

Yes.

“I am not certain,” she replied indifferently, schooling her face into a coldness she didn’t (couldn’t) feel. “I will be busy with my coronation.”

If he was off put by her response, he didn’t show it, merely tightening his grip on her hand in response. “Is it settled then?”

“I have all but convinced my father to abdicate,” Edelgard said softly. With Hubert’s help, she had finally brought sense to her weak father. It wouldn’t be long before she could cleanse her ranks of the greedy and corrupt.

“Then, next time we meet, you’ll be Emperor Edelgard?”

“And you King of Faerghus.” Edelgard watched as his eyes darkened once more, his expression growing distant as he looked away. Dimitri had to realize it too, just how futile their relationship was. How there wasn’t any future for it. Perhaps, if he had remained prince or she princess. A political marriage to calm the tension brewing between their respective countries.

But as rulers…impossible.

It was something she had known from the start.

It was something that should have deterred her from taking his hand that first night, so many moons ago, when they had been students and he had approached her at the goddess tower.

“I will be there,” Dimitri said softly, turning back to her now. Her breath caught as his eyes met hers, filled with an unnameable emotion. His hand cupped her cheek once more, his thumb gently stroking her cheek as he leaned down to tenderly kiss her forehead. “I swear.”

And yet, as he embraced her now just as he had back then, as his kisses slowly drifted lower and lower, Edelgard couldn’t deny that even knowing how it would end, she would have still taken that hand.

-x-

Dimitri had never been one to let logic dictate his emotions—that had been Edelgard’s speciality, something he had more than once complained to her about. Feelings weren’t meant to be curbed and brought to heel, to be put out at the slightest inconvenience.

So, the day after Edelgard’s coronation was announced, she wasn’t surprised to find a marriage proposal on her desk from the King of Faerghus. It was a very Dimitri-thing to do, particularly after Claude’s influence. And perhaps, perhaps, the constant schemer knew of a way around their political problem.

No, what surprised her instead was how she was opening the letter instead of tossing it, how she was considering it instead of rejecting it.

Edelgard had never been one for flights of fancy but somehow, Dimitri made it seem possible.

Don’t run away, Dorothea had said, and she must have known of Dimitri’s intentions that night, must have seen it long ago. Maybe Edelgard had only been tricking herself into thinking she could cut this off at any time.

She really was getting soft.

“Hubert,” Edelgard called out as she ran her fingers over the blue seal of the Faerghus. “I have a task for you.”

But not entirely soft. If this is what he wanted, if this was what she wanted, then she’d just have to make it a reality. She’d just taken over an empire; this couldn’t be much harder.

#dimigard #fe3h #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #edelgard von hresvelg #dimitri x edelgard #fanfic #dorothea arnault #back when the first trailer came out and we saw that dance scene #my sister and i were just: that's a ship #and then hilariously got side tracked by claudeleth before we ended up playing their routes #anyways #glad to finally write for them

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tcheschiredraws · 2 years

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Some smooches for Miss Byleth’s birthday

#my art #pencil sketch #fe3h #fire emblem three houses #byleth eisner #claudeleth #huleth #claude von riegan #hubert von vestra #I have three more planned to round out the best Byleth ships imo #which I’ll post later bc I tired #but I think Byleth deserves all of the smooches

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marmastry · 2 years

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would u ever draw more claudeleth like maybe some hopes claudeleth because art has me eyes emoji

Hmm idk. I’m a claude enjoyer first, a demisexual claude enjoyer second, and a claudeleth enjoyer third.

#Claude’s that typa character i find interesting even without romance involve #he’s intelligent ambitious and desperate #he’s such a genuine character that can be so fake #but yeah i do ship claudeleth out of my basicness skskkskc #for all my 3h playthrough i was like vying for his trust and when he admitted how he felt bad using byleth i was like #twirling my hair on my seat #that’s the thing his trust isn’t easily wont #and when u earn it #feels like a big W moment #That’s why i find 3hopes claude interesting #despite showing his vulnerabilities #something abt it feels so ingenuine #like the more i believe in him te more i feel like a pawn kinda thing #something abt him is just so disarming!! idkkkkk #anyway thoughts.

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phoneboxfairy · 2 years

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Work in progress.

#art #anime drawing #fe3h #fe3h claudeleth #work in progress?#working on it #alcohol markers #ships

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penguinsledder · 2 years

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Yall i have a claudeleth playlist already, so much brainrot

You all know the next step in this descent ... fic writing

#my GOD #i also feel somewhat whole because i haven't shipped smth hard in so long #but also i remembered how time consuming this is and how wild my urge to put out smth creative gets when i'm super into smth #claudeleth #atarah talks #ANW I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE A GODDAMN FIC I NEED TO STUDY AND MUSIC #BUT IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGWHWBSNS OH MY GOD

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blazestarre · 2 years

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Golden Wildfire thoughts, part 2! Oh boy, here come the Claude thoughts.

My previous Claude post still applies. I see what they were going for and I can respect that. And up to chapter 8? It’s actually pretty good. The scene where Claude kills Shahid is great, giving Claude a vulnerable moment that gives better insight to his character.

Then they have him team up with Edelgard and attack the Church! WTF?

Okay, like I said before, where Claude was as a character before WC in 3H, I can see him develop into someone who could make these decisions. I get it, but holy shit, the execution is messy at best, absolute terrible at the worst moments.

The best scene is definitely Claude sacrificing the Imperial army at Ailell. He gets called out! He’s shown to be almost hating himself for it, but feels he has to in order to protect the Federation/Alliance. I could go on about how this really demonstrates what happens when he doesn’t get his character development. I started to think about how what he did might not be so different to how he had to deal with assassination attempts in Almyra. Does he want to hurt people? No, but I’m sure he had to do some unsavory things to protect himself. And since this happens right after he’s forced to kill Shahid, it just emphasizes that point. That mindset worked to save himself, but it does not work when he’s a leader. And he gets called out! By everyone! It’s great!

But then he apologizes, says he’ll listen to everyone else, and all is well! So what could have been a great bit of conflict throughout the route, leading to Claude really becoming the worst version of himself in a logical way gets dropped. Granted, there are some bits of dialogue where characters still question him and the plan, but it’s really not in the story cutscenes.

The fact that they dropped Almyra half-way through was just a terrible decision. Shahid should have been the final threat for GW, not a mid-game boss. Seriously, imagine a scenario where the Alliance is feeling the pressure from both the Empire and Almyra. Claude, in a desperate attempt to fix things, decides to call a truce with the Empire to get them of the Alliance’s back so focus can be on Almyra. Why the Empire? Well, Claude doesn’t want to reveal his connections to Almyra because the Alliance isn’t ready for that. It would just weaken his position, so a ceasefire with the Empire would be better for Leicester. And while Claude would rather not go to ware with Almyra, he know Shahid isn’t going to backdown and the whole thing is detrimental to Claude’s dream. The caveat, though, is now the Alliance has to support the Empire in their war with the Kingdom and Church. At first, Claude doesn’t agree with the Empire or their reasoning, but over time, as things get worse, he starts to believe it because he’s stressed, desperate, etc. He’s not really in the best position, thinks he’s able to avoid manipulation, but that ends up being his downfall and he ends up believing things that under normal circumstances, he would question. That’s what I thought they were going for initially, but then the Alliance makes peace with Almyra before they even make the pact with the Empire.

Uh, okay then. Let’s just ignore the interesting conflict that can arise because Claude has split loyalties. Put Claude in the same conflict with everyone else, even though he has no reason to actively join the fighting! Makes sense./s

I will say that he does give Rhea the chance to surrender and give up her position. Still not great, but I’ll take what I can get. And Rhea’s reaction is actually kind of interesting. Yes, Rhea is pissed, but from her dialogue, it sounds like she believes Claude was corrupted/manipulated by Edelgard. The end cutscene also takes place at night and ends visually on a dark path, lit by lights but the end is shrouded in darkness. So I guess visually, the game is saying, ‘You dun fucked up, Claude.’

So, Claude is doing things in the story cutscenes because plot dictates them to happen. But in his supports? 100% the Claude we know, or what he could have been without WC. Here, this has been negative. Let me share some things I liked:

Claude and Lorenz are not friends. Allies, yes, but I wouldn’t call them friends. At least, not how they were in 3H. Lorenz still doesn’t trust Claude, but he respects him enough to listen and respect the chain of command.

In fact, that’s kind of the theme in all of Claude’s GD supports. He doesn’t quite trust them like he did in 3H, and some of them certainly notice. The lack of found family in general is certainly noticeable, and it is something I like, just because it shows that for the GD, this was pretty much worst way things could go.

Tiana knows where Claude is and sent him to Judith with a letter. Nader implies the king doesn’t know (though I take that with a grain of salt - he was talking with a random Almyran soldier. It could be Tiana, the King, and Nader both know, but no one else and they want to keep it that way, and that would fit what we know in 3H better, I think), but Claude didn’t just leave everyone behind without a word.

Claude tells Judith the truth about who he is, with encouragement from Nader. Nice to finally get that information given directly in game. Judith then questions Claude’s loyalties, just to make sure that Leicester hasn’t been compromised. It was a good moment.

Shahid does figure out that Claude is actually his brother. You need to engage him with Claude to get the dialogue, but Shahid knows it’s Khalid killing him, not some random Alliance noble. That’s why Shahid calls him a brat in the cutscene.

Claude’s dialogue with his phantom in Zahras. Short bit of dialogue, but interesting because it’s pretty much his darkside talking. Too bad it falls a little flat because Claude has already compromised his morals.

Getting to talk to Nader in camp (even though it meant that the Almyra side of the conflict got dropped, he was still fun to have around)! Holy shit, every time I saw him, I ran straight over. Both Judith and Nader were great for getting little bits of lore. Actually, throughout the camp, there’s bits of lore for Claude’s backstory. There’s an NPC and a document that both tell the story of Tiana leaving, but the NPC seems to think it’s made up and the document is a fictional account based on what happened.

Holst is great, too (though he’s a bit of a Claude simp who enabled him). I love his supports with Hilda, and his interactions with Nader are top tier. Also, I totally made him a dancer, because WHY NOT!

Solon gets sacrificed for the Zahras spell this time around. Nice.

How Claude and Edelgard deal with the Church branches in their territories. Edelgard replaces it entirely so it’s controlled by the Empire, while Claude leaves it as is, letting it do its thing and he even listens to the advice of the Eastern Church bishop. This actually feels like an accurate reflection of their characters. Edelgard doesn’t like the faith at all, while Claude still thinks faith is important, he just doesn’t think Rhea’s leadership is good for anyone. In fact, near the end of the game, he says that there are good things to the Central Church, but the issues with the leadership overshadow the good (he’s wrong, but it’s much more in character for Claude to say something like that than like the 99% of everything else coming out of his mouth regarding the Church).

Despite my complaints with the story, I still really enjoy the game. The gameplay is fun, the character interactions are great, presentation is a step up from 3H, and the tidbits of new lore are fun to see (there are some inconsistencies, but it those cases, 3H lore is what is ultimately canon). It’s a fun what-if story, which is why I’m frustrated with the poor execution. But I will be playing through the other two routes and I’ll probably play GW again at some point.

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randomcanbian · 1 year

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#edeleth writers are so good with yearning and pining but they're dropping the ball on /hunger/ 😭#claudeleth...is so so fucking good with that #/want/ and /desire/ that eats you from the inside out #i need my good food please #also anon asking for BL fic reccs I am trying my hardest looking for them in my bookmarks but it is so hard 🥺#the ones i've seen so far are really short and ship-centric (which I think isn't what you're looking for)...i remember a really #good post-AM hegemon!edelgard exploration w/ edeleth that i read recently but im having trouble finding it #there's an AU that follows the BL but Byleth is the Black Eagles prof--the main character is an OC but from what i've seen it looks really #good and well-written...I did mainly focus on the Byleth's few appearances but I did read a few other parts and it looked so interesting #like i'll definitely go back to read it in its entirety once im done with my byleth brainrot #like duscur is sort of fantasy india inspired if im not mistaken--worldbuilding deffo looked on point #the focus seemed to be on Duscurian OC w/ Dedue and Dimitri and ofc the rest of the blue lions #will deffo link it when i answer the ask

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all-pacas · 2 months

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not sure if you’re still interested in prompts but in case the block is still hitting you, how about “late-night meal after a tense battle” with your choice or claudeleth or tavstarion (durgstarion? idk what the ship name is)

i Interpreted the prompt

"Please bite me," Tav says, her eyes wild and desperate.

Considering Astarion has only just opened the door, he's a bit thrown.

In thanks for saving Last Light and the inn's precious cleric, Jaheria had told the party they could feel free to claim any empty rooms they wished. He'd been looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed for once. Perhaps even a bath. Some time alone, a novelty in itself, something he's practically itching for --

Tav's heart is racing, her breath quick and short. She stares up at him unblinking, and he can practically see her pulse through her throat.

He doesn't really want --

She is frightened.

He smiles, stepping gracefully back to allow her in. "Who I am to refuse such a tempting offer?"

Tav lingers outside the threshold for a heartbeat -- two -- before stepping inside. The room is small, the only window boarded up -- the cost of privacy. His bed is narrow, but he'd already laid out his bedroll on top -- Tav sits down on the bed, picking and tearing at her fingers, already bloody.

He wants her to go. But he pastes on a smile and watches her pick pick pick at a fingernail, into the sensitive flesh beneath, ragged and red --

"What's the matter, darling?"

She brushes her hair to the side, exposing her neck. It's just too short: silvery strands fall back at once. He sits beside her on the bed, trying it for himself. Finds the vein with his thumb and strokes along it, a fading bruise. He can smell her clearly now: the mineral scent of her sweat and skin, the sharp, thick heat of her blood. Tav's eyes do not flutter closed at his touch, she does not lean into it. Her eyes remain open, fixed on her lap.

Even if he had not planned on a meal tonight he can recall the taste of her blood, of her skin, the acrid punch of veins, the salt of meat, the heat -- his mouth is awfully wet. Her pulse sounds louder, the smell of her richer. She picks at her thumb --

He covers her hands with his own. "You'll ruin your nails."

"I don't care."

"I do." He feels a hot pinch of annoyance, and finds he means it.

"Just bite me, please."

Oh, but he'd like to. She's inches away. Hot and sharp and willing. Her blood is the best he's had, the strongest, the richest -- sweet and salty and sour and sharp, pulsing under her skin, right there, inches away -- "Why?" Hard to concentrate. To ask.

She doesn't answer.

It's hard. It's so hard. He does not bite. "I was planning on a quiet evening alone," he says. Irritated, trying to hold back. Letting it show. "If you're going to interrupt, I at least want to know why."

He does not need to eat as often as a living man. Every second day is plenty. They had not made plans. More than that -- his mind races. He should have said that differently. He didn't sound grateful. She will -- "I'm worried, darling. You seem upset." He squeezes her hands. Leans closer. She is doing him a favor, and he must act it. Be grateful. Be --

Her heart is racing. Has been racing. Even as he tells himself to touch her, to fret, to be sweet -- he catches her fingers in his own, running his thumb along her jagged nails. What a pity. What a...

"I want to kill Isobel," she says.

Not what he'd expected.

Before he can decide how to react, what she will want to hear, Tav continues in a monotone. "As soon as I saw her. I thought, she's what's keeping this place safe. The only thing keeping everyone here alive. They'd be so frightened if she died. So lost. Helpless." Her cheek muscles twitch -- she squeezes her eyes closed.

"Well, darling," he says. "I wish you had told me before we went through all that trouble to protect her from that Marcus fellow."

Her laugh is strangled. A cry. She trembles all over, and he feels -- he doesn't know what to do. "He wanted her alive," Tav continues, more quickly, fighting back a laugh -- "Imagine if I had killed her first. Imagine. The Absolute would be furious. Everyone would be dead, I -- I don't want to think this way!"

Do something.

He is not used to worrying for others besides himself, and so he mistakes his feeling for a more general anxiety. Not for the first time, Astarion wonders what would happen if his poor, mad friend turned her urges on him -- do something. But she is shaking, desperate, looking to be bitten not for him but her. For death. For oblivion.

He puts his arm around her, telling himself it is what Gale or Wyll or Karlach would do. It is awkward. He has never done this before, but she makes another strangled sound and pushes her weight against him, half climbing into his lap, head under his chin and arms around his sides. Hot and overwhelming, a furnace, a warmth -- her pulse surrounding him, reverberating against his skin --

His poor, mad --

He returns the embrace awkwardly, somehow unsure where to put his hands. She speaks into his shoulder and throat, her breath hot and damp. "If you take all my blood, if I can just sleep, if I can just rest... my head hurts, but if it would stop I'd be alright, I'd be safe..."

"You're being ridiculous," he says, which stops her quiet rambling. He tries to shift into a more comfortable position, not letting her go: somehow ends up pulling her entirely into his lap, leaning sideways against him, heavy. He's more conscious of her body like this. Ridiculous. He's fucked her enough, and they're entirely clothed. But the weight of her -- her heartbeat, her lungs, the life of her. Hot and damp and moving, breathing, pulsing, trembling --

He's seldom felt less alive.

"If you want to turn around and kill her -- tomorrow, once we've all had a good night's sleep, if you don't mind -- that's perfectly fine. But you're acting as though you'll lose control and go mad, and that's simply ridiculous."

"I've done it before," and she starts to pull away -- but he's expected this and is growing to enjoy the heat and damp as it seeps through his skin. He tightens his hold on her. She buries her face in his shoulder and her hair tickles at his nose.

"And you shan't do it again." It's a comforting lie, a lie she will want to hear. A lie that leaves her quiet and pliant. Which is why he says it -- the only reason, the reason he allows his eyes to close, she's heavy, her bent knees knocking into his elbow, he breathes --

"You don't know that," she says, desperate to be wrong.

"You could have killed her any number of times today." It's what she wants to hear, and that's why he's saying it. Payment. Service. Favors. Her shoulders move as she breathes, her heart thrums in her chest, in his chest. His desperate little -- (love.) He is doing this on purpose. He is tricking her to earn her trust. He wants to -- be a comfort. For the protection. The safety. That's all. "But you didn't truly want to, and you didn't. Your control isn't as lax as you believe it, darling. I know that perfectly well, and you really ought to listen when I say so."

She hums. Quiet for a moment. He feels her calm, relax. He's never been a source of comfort before. For anyone. Ever. Even though he's just pretending, it's... nice. He likes --

"Bite me, please," Tav asks quietly.

There's no reason to refuse.

"Would it make you feel better, darling?" he asks.

He isn't sure why he asks.

It's blood, rich and delicious, so really, he's benefiting here as well. She doesn't want cuddles, doesn't want to be petted, they both get what they want --

"Yes. Please." -- and it's all fake anyway, so if it's what Tav wants, why not?

He says something or another, rearranging her on the bed. Ease of access, minimizing any spillage. She follows easily, pliant. Her smile tremulous. Grateful.

Now that she's getting what she wants --

He bites.

#bg3 durgestarion

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