Astarion froze before leaning into Piper's kiss for a moment. Then he pulled back, looking into her eyes. It had been an exhausting day for the both of them, and she had an entire bottle of wine to herself plus whatever she had managed to drink when they were back at camp. While she wasn't completely wasted, she was much too drunk for him to be ardently kissing her.

Piper stared up at him with admiration with a light smile on her lips. She was a confusing creature, that much he knew. He touched her cheek with his thumb, returning her smile.

"How about we get you back to camp?" he whispered before she pouted.

"Already?"

"Darling, I'll be surprised if you can walk on your own between the wine and the blood loss," he remarked as she sighed dramatically.

"Fine, I guess," Piper complained. Astarion helped her sit up before standing. Once she was on her feet, she looked like a newborn fawn. Her legs were unsteady, and her body swayed with the slightest movement.

"I think I made a mistake drinking from you, darling," Astarion mentioned with a frown. Piper waved her hand at him before grabbing his arm for balance.

"I don't mind, I'm just a little woozy. No harm done," she reassured, blinking up at him. He watched her for a moment as she got her bearings. "Did you feel any of the effects of the wine?"

"Your blood tasted different, but no, I didn't get drunk off your blood," Astarion admitted. "Probably for the best."

"What? Why?"

"One of us needs to keep a clear head."

"That's no fun, though. Oh, I guess you're right. It's always good to have a designated driver," Piper remarked with a grin, leaning on his shoulder. Astarion nodded, not exactly sure what she was talking about. He had an idea, but he still hadn't heard the term before.

"You're starting to talk nonsense, darling. Did you sneak a bottle before you came up here?"

"I'm the one that doesn't make sense? I feel like I'm a fish out of water here. Hell, I didn't even speak the language until Gale did his spell," Piper groaned. "I'm fucking screwed if this necklace ever breaks."

"We could teach you, so you're not worried about it," Astarion suggested before tilting his head. "Well, someone could teach you. I'm not patient enough to teach you a language, but I'm sure Gale would be happy to."

"I doubt Gale wants to spend his days at camp teaching me… what's the language called?" Piper asked.

"Common is what we're speaking right now, but I could switch to Elvish, and you'd still be able to understand me," he explained before she rolled her eyes.

"You're main language is called Common? That's a little silly."

"It's the common language, darling. Most everyone speaks it. It helps with diplomacy and the like."

"What other languages do you speak?"

"Mostly those two, but I've been learning the signs for Thieves Cant," he explained, threading her arm through his as he led her back towards camp.

"And you don't want me to learn Elvish?"

"You can learn Elvish all you'd like. I just don't want to be the one to teach you. Maybe Gale knows Elvish, but I somewhat doubt that he's completely fluent."

"I'll see what it takes to be fluent and go from there then," Piper sighed. Astarion waited for a beat, realizing that she sounded a little less slurred.

"You're serious about learning common?"

"Of course. We don't know how long I'm going to be here, and I don't want to depend on this little trinket forever. What if something happens to it? All it would take would me misplacing it and someone accidentally stepping on it, and poof. No more translations."

"Gale would enchant another."

"It took Gale nearly a day to get this one working."

"You could learn the spell," Astarion reminded. Piper stared up at him with a curious look.

"Why don't you want me to learn your language? Wouldn't it be easier in the long run?"

"It just seems tedious when you could be using your time for other things. Besides, aren't you supposed to be studying with the druid to become a druid yourself?"

"Two things can be true. I can take two classes at the same time, just like college or high school. I can study with Halsin during the day, and then with Gale in the evening," Piper reasoned as Astarion rolled his eyes.

"Then all your time would be spent."

"Worried that I won't have time for you?"

"A little, yes," he answered, a little irritated by her eagerness to exclude him from her day-to-day schedule. She shook her head and patted his arm.

"How about this then, let's have Gale leave me homework to do during the day so I'm studying that and with Halsin while you're gone. I'm sure Gale would like some busy work to take his mind off things," Piper reasoned. "Then my time wouldn't be all spent in the evenings."

"I suppose that would be a better use of your time."

"I do want to hear about your adventures, too. It sounds like things will start to pick up now that we have a heading. Something about Moonrise?"

"Oh right, Halsin said that that's where these tadpoles are from. I suppose it's not the worst news, especially if we can find a way to control them," Astarion mentioned. Piper hummed as her head still wasn't clear. She was sure that she had misheard him.

"I'm not sure where it is or how we're getting there, but I'm excited all the same."

"I'm sure the druid will tell us in the morning. Once we have a heading, we can move camp and head there."

"It'll be strange to leave this area behind."

"Will it? I thought it was kinda drab," Astarion complained. He was glad to leave this place behind. He hated being at camp, remembering it was where he had brought her corpse when she had fallen. When he had failed her. But now he had made up for the mistake, and she was back in his arms now.

"Really? Maybe I've grown too attached to the area. It's the only familiar place I have now."

"We'll find you a new home until we can find you a way back."

"That would be nice," Piper admitted before she sighed. "I'm assuming you have a home back in Baldur's Gate?"

"Sort of," he replied cryptically. She glanced up at him confused.

"Sort of?"

"It's a long story, and one that you'll hear when you're sober again."

"Okay. If this works out, would we find a home together?"

"Would you like to?" Astarion wondered, his voice quieter than he expected.

"Yes, I think so. I can't imagine trying to find my way on my own, and if this works out, then I don't see why we wouldn't want to."

"What if you decide to go home?"

Piper let a moment of silence fall over them. That was the real elephant in the room. While she did like Astarion, and she was very much interested in a relationship with him, whatever that would look like, there would be an end date to it. She had mentioned that she didn't have a lot of hope of getting back to her world, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a way. And if there was a way, would she take it? Would she return to her home?

"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. Astarion stiffened as she sighed. "I'm not sure what's waiting back there for me. My family is probably distraught, but the nautiloid was something out of science fiction. I wouldn't be surprised if the government covered it up, honestly. And if I am declared dead, then trying to legally declare me alive could be a nightmare. Not to mention I would have to find a new job and explain my lapse in employment."

"You're world sounds like a pain."

"You don't know the half of it. It's been, what, about a week? My job is easily gone, they probably have already started to post my position to replace me. My apartment rent isn't due for another few days, so I have an apartment for a while. How long will it take for us to get to the Gate?"

"I would say two or three weeks."

"Ah, I won't have an apartment when I get back then, so my stuff will be gone. Unless I'm declared dead, then my stuff might already be gone. I'm not familiar with those laws, never had to deal with them."

"Are you okay?" Astarion asked, noticing that Piper's voice started to warble. She turned to him with watery eyes.

"No matter if I stay or go, I'll be starting from scratch, and that's if I survive the bug in my brain. I have no money, no home, and I'm not safe. None of us are safe," Piper started as she shook her head. "I've already died once."

Astarion stopped walking and drew her into his embrace. She hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest as if she could will this world away. He could feel her fear emanate off of her, and he wished he could take it away for her. He smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"It'll be alright," he whispered.

"How do you know?"

"You have me by your side, that's got to count for something."

"I've barely known you for a week."

"True, but in that week, I've brought you back to life," Astarion reminded as she held him tighter. "I would gladly pay that skeleton everyday if it meant keeping you alive by my side."

"You hardly know me."

"Also true, but I know that you are worth more than gold. I know that you put your life on the line for a bear you hoped was a druid who could cure us. I know that you want to help more than anything, even at the risk of your safety. I know that you are kind and sweet, even if you're a little thick headed," Astarion teased, tapping her skull gently. Piper smiled into his shirt. He also knew that she was the secret glue that held this strange group together. She mostly kept to herself, but each of their companions valued her company and advice more than anything.

"You always know exactly what to say."

"It's a gift, what can I say?"

"If I die again, you would pay the skeleton to bring me back?" Piper asked, tilting her head back to meet his eyes. He smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Even if he asked for a thousand gold, I would pay it. But you aren't dying again on my watch, my darling Piper. I don't think I have the capacity to watch you die twice," Astarion informed as she nodded.

"I can't imagine what that must have felt like," she sighed with a frown. Astarion's heart skipped a beat, realizing that she was sympathizing with him. Over her own death.

"You were the one who died, darling, remember?"

"That doesn't mean that I was the only one affected. I saw how everyone reacted when I walked into camp with my life back this morning. I may have died, and that was painful, but I don't remember what the afterlife felt like. I just remember a void," Piper explained before shaking her head. "It's hard to explain, but it was peaceful. I was just floating in nothing."

"It sounds incredible boring," Astarion replied, masking his true feelings. It honestly sounded nightmarish, and he couldn't stand to imagine it. It sounded too similar to a punishment he had to endure during Cazador's enslavement. "I promise you won't go back there."

"I don't think you can promise that, Star. We all die eventually," Piper reminded before she furrowed her brow. "Unless vampires are-"

"I won't die unless I'm stabbed with a stake through the heart, or step into the sunlight without a tadpole," Astarion added plainly. Piper nodded slightly before he smirked. "I am an immortal being of the night."

"Then how old are you?"

"Darling! How rude!" he teased as she rolled her eyes.

"If we're going to be dating, then I think that's a fair question."

"I suppose so. I don't remember exactly how old, but I'm a little over two centuries old."

"Two centuries!" Piper sputtered, her eyebrows nearly flying off her face. Astarion raised a brow at her reaction.

"I just told you I'm an immortal. Why does my age surprise you?"

"I don't know, you just seem so much younger than that."

"I will try to take that as a compliment then, my dear. What about you?"

"Too young for you, obviously," Piper scoffed, taking a step back. Astarion's jaw dropped before she tried to stop laughing.

"Excuse me," he chuckled as she smiled.

"You heard me, old man," she teased before he grabbed her waist and turned her around, bringing her back to his chest.

"You should know to respect your elders then," he laughed as she squirmed and smiled.

"Is that so?" she taunted back, pulling her head back to look at him. "But if you must know, cradle robber-"

"Cradle robber?!"

"I'm twenty-nine years old," Piper informed, smiling up at him. He shook his head at her.

"You are an infuriating woman; did you know that?"

"I've been told that before. But now, I'm your infuriating woman."

"Are you now?"

"Unless you want to go back on what you said earlier. I've been dumped over less," Piper mentioned, steeling her nerves. Astarion stopped for a moment, trying to understand what she meant.

"People left you for less?" he pieced together, turning her so he could speak with her.

"One guy told me I laugh too loud, so he left me mid date," Piper added before laughing.

"He sounds like a real charmer."

"Tell me about it," she groaned before she stared up at him. "But it sounds like I'm off the dating market, unless you have other plans?"

"You are definitely off the dating market," Astarion answered with a sly grin. "It will take some time getting used to your verbiage."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it. Plus, once I learn Common, then I'll have more of your verbiage," Piper reminded. "Plus, I can teach you some off world swears. That could be fun."

"Couldn't you teach me now?"

"I suppose, but wouldn't the amulet just translate them?"

"Not a clue. Sometimes I think it just does the next best thing, but who knows. When you were explaining the surgery earlier, it sounded pretty gruesome. I thought Gale was going to pass out," Astarion chuckled. Piper sighed, shaking her head.

"This is what I mean. I want to avoid that. If I can learn your language, I can supplement it with mine and explain it better. If Gale's still awake, I'm going to go over this idea with him before the language magic runs out. I think if he has a dictionary, I could copy the words as I see them, and then I can learn them when the spell wears off."

"That might work."

"It would be like my very own Rosetta Stone."

"Sure thing, darling," Astarion added, trying to be supportive. He started to guide her back to camp while she went over her plans to learn the language.

"Are you sure you don't have an Elvish book or something I could use? I think it would be nice to learn your language too."

"Nothing of the sort, I'm afraid."

"Shadowheart is a half-elf, right? Does she know Elvish?" Piper wondered before she frowned. "Is that something I can ask her?"

"I can see your brain start to overheat from here, darling. Just focus on Common, and we can come back to Elvish later," Astarion suggested. Piper frowned. "I think you'll overload yourself if you try to learn magic and two languages at once."

"I guess. Fine, I'll learn Common first," Piper conceded with a groan. Astarion rolled his eyes, leading her through the trees. "What sort of magic do you think Halsin will teach me? I know that I can shapeshift into animals, and I was able to make grass grow."

"I haven't the faintest idea. Magic isn't my expertise."

"Would you be willing to teach me how to use a bow then?"

"You seem very eager to learn everything all at once."

"It's either that or I lounge around camp all day, waiting for you to get back," Piper complained. Astarion thought about that image for a moment, thinking about Piper in her human form waiting for him in his tent.

"I certainly wouldn't mind that second part," he remarked as she shoved him lightly against the shoulder.

"Weirdo. I told you. I want to be able to pull my weight, especially if we can't get to the Gate for another three weeks," Piper reminded with a sigh. "I mostly just want to be able to defend myself in case something happens. I don't need to go out and find danger, but I have a feeling that danger is going to start finding us."

"That's an ominous thing to think."

"Just a feeling, really. I mean, we've had encounters with two devils and a camp full of goblins. I fucking died. And we've been dropped in the middle of butt fuck nowhere. When we start heading towards the heart of this cult, I think it's only going to get worse."

Astarion stared at you, realizing that you were right. Of course, you were right. Danger followed the group around like a plague, even before the tadpoles. He didn't know much about the others, but from what he had gathered, it wasn't a pretty sight for anyone. Piper probably had the safest life, but hers also sounded like the most tedious.

"Any way I can convince you to stay with the druids until this is all over?"

"Absolutely not. The moment we figure out how to get these fuckers out of our heads, I want. It. Out. Also, I think I would die from just worrying about you and our companions. I know Withers would bring you all back, but that wouldn't make me worry any less," Piper answered truthfully before glancing at him. "And I would never forgive you if you dumped me somewhere like that. If you leave me to keep me safe, you better not come back."

"I promise, I won't leave you behind," Astarion agreed, pulling her arm to bring her closer to him as they returned to now quiet camp.