Chapter 13: Twice BittenNotes:

CW: Sexual Situations/Dry Humping

Chapter Text

Everyone had something to say about a dream visitor once morning arrived. Except Halsin, of course, who was wormless. And Withers, who was just an omnipresent being that existed within their camp. Del had awoken with the sun's rays touching her eyelids and Gale, who was up second only to Halsin, was up and about cooking breakfast. Which had been odd, since they normally ate a cold breakfast. He had wanted to talk to her about his dream immediately. He did it while serving her a runny egg on top of some porridge and a mug of steeping herbs, courtesy of Halsin.

She had to assure Gale multiple times that he was not mad and that she had had the same dream. She tried to ask him if he had felt the change start to happen before his visitor intervened, but he merely shrugged.

"I was asleep, I dare say I have no way of knowing if it had started or not. But if you say it had with you, then most likely it must have with me, as well. After all, we were both invaded roughly around the same time."

Del nodded and quickly ate her breakfast before it became cold. Halsin checked on her as more companions emerged from their tents. After confirming she was doing much better, he gave the okay for her to travel. After that, she was surrounded as they talked about the strange dream they shared last night. Most of them were against listening to the stranger. They had appeared to them all in various forms and genders. No one had the same guardian. But it had to be the same one, as they were all told the same thing.

"I'm all for using the power that was given to us by these tadpoles," Astarion was saying. "The damn things are already taking up space in our brains. The least they could do is pay rent."

"It is all ghaik lies," Lae'zel insisted. "We listen to it at our own peril."

"It could be a useful tool," Gale was musing. "But I insist we approach it with the utmost caution. Who knows what effects it might have on our brains."

"For once, I'm with Lae'zel," Shadowheart said. "I'm not trusting some secretive person, being, or whatever it was. I'm sure there is some ulterior motive to them helping us."

"Listen," Del said, holding her hands up. She was still seated in her bedroll, blankets pulled around her shoulders to ward off the chill. "I think everyone is right to be cautious. But, if you choose to use the tadpole powers or not, that is up to you. I am fine using the powers I've been given, so far, but I have no plans to consume more to add to it. One worm in my brain is all I'm comfortable with for the moment."

Everyone seemed satisfied with her answer. Those who wanted the power could wield it, those who didn't wouldn't. It was as simple as that. No need to have an argument over it. She had everyone disperse to start packing up camp. They needed to make up for the lost day and get moving now.

When Del stood, she felt a little dizzy and she planted her feet waiting for it to pass. Halsin regarded her concern written across his face.

"Are you sure you're ready for this," he asked once again.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm no longer sick, my body is just recovering. As long as we're just walking I should be fine."

Halsin didn't argue with her, but he did help her pack her tent up. As Del gathered her things together, she looked around and realized someone was missing. "Did we lose Volo somehow," she asked, hope coloring her voice.

Halsin paused taking down her tent to look back at her. "I believe your githyanki friend might have scared him off while you were unwell. He tried to… remove the tadpole from her eye."

Caught off guard, Del turned to look for Lae'zel. "Is she okay?" She remembered the process Volo used would have left anyone with one eye missing, but her companion had had two eyes still when she saw her this morning.

"He didn't get very far," Halsin assured her, returning to his work. "As soon as he brought that pick out, she was quick to show him her sword. He ran out fairly quick and never looked back."

"Ah, good," Del said, stuffing her books into her bag. "One less problem for me, then."

When she got to the blankets on her bedroll, she hesitated, grabbing the one Astarion gave to her. Surely, now that she was better, he would want it back. She brushed the dirt off it before folding and rolling it up neatly into her arms. She walked over to where Astarion was just finishing packing up his tent and nodded in approval.

"See? You're an expert now," she said.

He looked up at her with a smirk. "I had a good teacher." His eyes dropped down to the blanket she had in her hands. "What's that?"

"It's yours? I thought you'd want it back now that I don't need it anymore."

He shrugged and looked back down to his pack, buckling the final straps closed. "Keep it. I have plenty. I don't much like the cold, either." He mumbled under his breath, "Better it than that mangy bear."

"That bear was Halsin," she reminded him. "He was only trying to help."

He seemed shocked that she had heard him, but quickly recovered. "Oh, right. He did it out of the kindness of his heart."

Now she was confused. "Yes?"

Astarion scoffed. "Aren't you a little too old to be that naive?"

Del crossed her arms, holding the blanket to her chest. "Most men aren't that subtle, if you're trying to say he was seducing me."

"For some of us, the seduction is an art form." He stood, his pack forgotten. "As an expert, I can see when someone else is attempting it."

Flabbergasted, she could only shake her head. "He was being nice. Being nice doesn't always equal trying to get into someone's pants."

"Don't be a dullard, darling. It doesn't suit you."

"Wait, is this about the fact I didn't agree to sleep with you? Because he slept -next- to me. You know that doesn't count as sex, right? And he was a bear."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure everyone will want to hear of your conquest. Don't brag." She knew he was joking now, and he tried to hide his smirk, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Now, I'm not kink shaming," Del started, "but if you really want to sleep with a bear, you know I won't stop you, right? I'm sure Halsin would be happy to oblige."

He burst out laughing. "You shouldn't assume what our Druid friend would be willing to do."

"Why not? You're already assuming he wants in my pants just because he slept next to me. Not everything is about sex, Astarion."

"Oh, you are a blind little thing, aren't you? I'm not assuming he wants you just because he slept next to you." He leaned in closer and whispered. "There were a lot of signs before that, including the way he cared for you while you were sick. Before he knew you were sick he made you a tea for your hang over- " She started to tell him he made the tea for everyone, but he stopped her. "And let's not mention the way he looks at you when you aren't looking at him."

Del could feel herself blushing and she had to force herself to not look over at the Druid to see if she could see what the vampire saw. But she was already embarrassed enough by the turn this conversation had taken.

"So… what I'm hearing is that you are definitely, in no manner what-so-ever, even remotely jealous," she asked, trying to recover.

Astarion scoffed at her. "Jealousy was created for the poor and the hideous." He ran his fingers through his hair with a flair. "I'm obviously too beautiful to feel such an ugly emotion."

He was deflecting, but she nodded anyway. "Okay, sure. Thanks for the blanket," she said, walking away.

"Oh, she thinks I'm beautiful, then," she heard him muse behind her back. "Good to know."

She returned to Halsin and handed him the blanket. "Guess I need to find a way to get that to fit in my pack."

Halsin nodded and began to work on fitting it with her bedroll. "You know I could hear that entire conversation," he said simply.

She ran her hand along the back of her neck. "Uh, yeah, I assumed you did. You are an elf and we weren't being too quiet." She bit her lip as she watched him work. "Sorry about that."

He chuckled. "Don't be. You were both trying to get a rise out of each other." He glanced at her and shrugged. "If you need to use me to do that, well, I find I don't mind." He finished attaching her bedroll to her pack and stood. "And you were right. If Astarion wanted to have sex with a bear, I would be happy to oblige." He winked at her and walked away, leaving her blushing so hard she was surprised she didn't faint.

Trying to take her mind off the images that went through her head, she bent to finish adding a few more items to her bags. She eyed the lute she had bought from the goblin camp and realized she would have to wear it if she wanted to bring it along. Her hips bags were already holding her daggers and crossbow, and she had to wear her pack on her back. She would look like a literal wandering minstrel. Sighing, she grabbed the lute and stared at it. Was it worth the sacrifice to her image? Probably.

She belted on her hip bags first and noticed Withers at the edge of the camp. He appeared to be perusing a scroll. Figuring now was as good a time to talk as any she approached him.

"Yes. No. No. No. Yes," he was muttering to himself.

"What are you doing," she asked him.

He put the scroll away and said, "There are souls that have perished under the Absolute's banner who wish to redeem themselves. I am deciding which ones are worthy and which ones are not. If thou decide thou need a hireling, they are the ones I will call upon."

"Right. It's good to have options in case things go badly."

Withers continued to stare at her, waiting. So much for small talk.

"Um, I was hoping to talk about what you said earlier. Not that I expect anything to change - but why can't you provide a resurrection for me?"

"As I said, thou are not from this realm."

"I know that," Del said to him, lowering her voice. She glanced around to make sure no one was too close. "But I'm here now and I've become part of this… realm, as much as I can. Do… souls not transfer over?"

She wasn't even sure what she said made sense, but Withers seemed to understand her. He offered her a smile. "Thy soul travels with thee. I cannot add thee to my list, because thou already exist on another's."

Del was more confused than ever. "I'm on someone else's list? Is it - the one who brought me here?"

"That I do not know. All I can see is that thy soul is beyond my reach."

Del sighed. "I guess it would be too easy if you knew all the answers. I've just been trying all these years to get more information on what happened to me, and you're the only person who's been able to tell me anything."

Withers looked to the side a moment and then said, "Mayhaps thou should rely on thy friends to help thee find the answers thou seeks. Thou has gathered a party with many different backgrounds and knowledge… Even if they do not know the answers themselves, they have the ability to help thou search for it."

Del glanced around at everyone in the camp. "I wouldn't know where to start… Withers, it's not just that I'm not from here."

"Thou hath seen the possibilities thy future brings." Withers nodded. "Just as I have. It is a quandary. I will ponder this and let thee know what I find."

Knowing it for the dismissal it was, Del walked back over to her pack. She should have known even an old god would be able to tell she wasn't supposed to be here. What she hadn't expected was for him not to be able to help her find any answers on why she was here and who had done it. Last she had read up on it, though, the pantheon of gods here on Toril alone had been stagnating. She doubted even he knew all of the gods personally. She hoisted her backpack on and then grabbed her lute, pulling it on so it sat just to her side.

Setting off once more, they headed back towards the mountain pass. It was time to look for the crèche Lae'zel was hoping they would find there.

Astarion sidled up next to her after a moment. "What about our mummy friend? Isn't he coming," he asked her.

Del glanced back and saw Withers was looking at his scroll once more. "I think he just shows up wherever we end up camping for the night," she explained.

"What if we need him to resurrect someone?"

"Then I guess we will make camp."

He was quiet for a moment, absorbing that information, and then he asked, "Are you going to tell us about your meeting with that devil?"

She shrugged. "He offered to help us be rid of the tadpole. I said no thanks. No good comes from making a deal with his kind. He said he'd find us again when we're a bit closer to turning."

"Cambions," Karlach said with disgust. "I wouldn't trust any of them. They seek out the desperate to make deals that benefit themselves. Most of the time they walk away with the poor sap's soul."

"Hmm," Gale mused. "I wouldn't say that this couldn't work out in our favor."

Wyll looked at him, aghast. "You can't seriously be considering it."

"Hear me out," Gale said. "Why did he approach us specifically? There has to be a reason. Which means he needs us for something. We can use this to get ourselves a better deal."

"Chk," Lae'zel shook her head vehemently. "I will make no deal with a fiend. Having set eyes on them as we travelled through the hells, they are fallible. My people easily cut them down. I want nothing more than to present his head to Vlaakith. She would surely reward me for such a prize."

The group went on for a while longer, debating whether or not it would be worth it to make a deal with Raphael. Del ignored most of the conversation, having already made a decision. It was a moot point. Damn devil would show up again - not because they were turning - because he needed something else from them and Astarion would want answers about his scars. And after that? If Del remembered correctly, it had something to do with a hammer that they needed and he had. That wouldn't be for a while, though. No point worrying about it now.

Astarion had been quiet, as well, and when everyone else had settled down he looked at Del. "Would you really deny making a deal with him if it came down to us turning into mind flayers?"

Del huffed out a laugh. "We're not turning into mind flayers."

"So you trust the dream visitor, but not a devil?"

"The dream visitor didn't ask for my soul." Del glanced at the group. "Also, they proved they were on our side by keeping the ceremorphosis at bay without asking us for anything in return." She turned back to Astarion. "So, yes, I trust the dream visitor over the devil."

Astarion looked like he had more to say, but he eyed the rest of their companions, as if he didn't want the others to overhear. Del really needed to get him to admit what he was in front of everyone so he could stop hiding. But she didn't dare push him. He was right to think everyone would become suspicious of him, but it would pass once they realized he was not a threat to them.

They continued on in silence, stopping once to rest and eat, before continuing on. They had already passed the blighted village and were getting closer to the bridge where they had met the githyanki when Karlach stopped and sniffed the air. "Does anyone else smell a fire? And before anyone asks, no, it's not me. I may be burning up, but I don't smoke."

Halsin sniffed the air and looked grimly back at everyone. "I smell it, too, it's coming from over there." He pointed north.

Del frowned, trying to figure out what it could be. The dragon shouldn't be around anymore. "Let's check it out, just to be safe," she said. She jogged in the direction Halsin had pointed. Soon, a small grouping of buildings came into view. It looked to be an inn of some kind. The sign in front of its gate read, Waukeen's Rest. Smoke rose from the buildings and people ran back and forth between a fountain and one of the buildings, trying to put out the fire. Del noticed they were all wearing Flaming Fist uniforms. She started to put everything together in her head.

Del ran up to a group of them that were trying to kick down a door to the main part of the inn. Del rallied her companions to help break down the door and they went in to save not only Counselor Florrick, but Benryn, as well. The group split up to free both and managed to usher them outside before more of the building could collapse on them. Speaking to Florrick, they found out that they had been attacked by drow raiders and Grand Duke Ravengaard had been kidnapped. Wyll, of course, was shocked. Del told Florrick the Grand Duke most likely had been taken to Moonrise Towers, where they were headed anyway, so they would help rescue him if they could.

Florrick left with her retinue of Flaming Fists, promising to meet them at Moonrise Towers. Which left them with Benryn, who had been running around crying out the name of his lover. Del turned to him with a sigh. "You and the counselor were the only two survivors. No one else made it out of this."

Del watched his face fall and she turned to her party. "We should probably get going." And walked away, back towards the risen road.

"You broke that man's heart and didn't even hear what he had to say first." Astarion managed to sound like he pitied the man, while also being amused by Del's reaction.

"He was obviously going to ask for our help to find someone. Everyone else was dead. What else could I say?"

"I'm just surprised you didn't bother to help look, anyway. You know, on the off-chance another body was alive in that building," he said mockingly.

"Did you see the inn? It's a miracle we got Counselor Florrick and him out alive. Another minute and he would have been dead, too."

"I wish you were always this pragmatic."

Sometimes, she wished that too.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. They made it past the mountain pass with no more surprises. At the highest point of the trail they could look across the way and see a giant temple situated on the cliff side amongst the rocky terrain. Lae'zel found markings scratched into a rock and said they were going in the right direction, but the light was starting to fade, so Del had them set up camp just off the trail. There were pieces of old ruins dotted across the site, but the views were spectacular here. After setting up camp, Del found herself standing on the edge of one of the many cliffs, watching as the sun set behind the jagged mountains.

Lae'zel joined her, her gaze resting on the ruins of the monastery. "To be so close, yet so far away," she trailed off. "It will be worth it once we are all purified of the ghaik tadpole. You will see."

Del didn't dare to disagree with the woman, even though she knew it wouldn't end so well. She turned to Lae'zel and smiled at her. "You must be excited to be around your people. I'm sure spending time with all us istiks makes you long for home."

"Chk," Lae'zel laughed softly. "You may not be a githyanki, but I'm sure we will make a warrior of you yet, despite your many flaws." She paused and continued more soberly. "As excited as I am to be rid of this parasite, I find I am not yet ready to let this journey end. I would be happy to continue on and fight these Absolute cultists by your side. I will ask the Kith'rak for assistance in this coming battle. They will want to destroy the illithid presence here at any cost."

"You weren't going to get rid of me that easily, Lae'zel, don't you worry," Del said with a grin. "And I won't say no to any more help. I'm sure we will need it in the battles to come." She just didn't expect it from the githyanki at this particular crèche.

Lae'zel returned to her tent and Astarion meandered over to take her place. He was quiet and seemed content to look out into the distance just as Del was.

After a moment, Del cast him a sideways glance. "Have you been able to find more animals to feed on," she asked him.

His eyes locked with hers before he continued to stare out into the growing darkness. "Not in the past couple of days, no. I was keeping a lookout for any possible prey on our way here, but there isn't much around these cliffs."

Del sighed. "You've already fed on me once. If you need blood, you could just ask me."

"I had planned to, you know," he told her. "But yesterday you were sick. I'm not taking blood from an invalid. I'm not a heathen."

"You are quite the gentleman," Del said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm doing much better today, so we'll wait until everyone is asleep and then I'll be happy to provide."

"Your tent or my tent," he asked, suggestively.

"Neither. We'll find someplace a bit more private. Don't need someone to see either you or I slipping from the other's tent and think something untoward is happening."

Astarion fake gasped, his hands coming up to cover his mouth. "The scandal it would cause. Whatever would we do?"

Del gave him a look before she walked away.

"Oh, right," he muttered, pouting. "Wouldn't want the big, handsome Druid to think there's something going on between us, do we?"

Del stopped short and turned to look at him. "This has nothing to do with him, specifically. This is about making sure the team doesn't think I'm playing favorites."

He raised his eyebrows. "Favorites? We disagree with each other on so many different levels, I doubt they'd feel that way. More likely they would think we were hate fucking each other." He sighed. "Even hate fucking sounds good right about now."

She ignored his last comment and said, "Eventually, though, they are going to figure out what you are, and know that I protected your secret. Not only that, but I am donating my blood to you. That's kind of a big deal."

"Hm, when you put it that way." He frowned. "I still don't understand what you're getting out of this."

"That's because I am getting nothing out of this," she said, her arms splayed out to the sides. "Sometimes, people just do things out of kindness alone. Believe it or not, but it's a real phenomenon. You'll understand one day." She turned back around and headed back to camp.

Per the usual, her timing was impeccable, as Wyll's patron, Mizora, apparated into the center of their camp. Karlach was none too pleased at seeing her, as she knew the devil fairly well, herself. Mizora was upset at Wyll for not fulfilling his contract and transformed him into a devil, as punishment. Then, after making a pass at Del, vanished back into the ether. Wyll, of course, was very upset at the sudden change in his appearance, even though he couldn't see it. Del tried to reassure him it really wasn't that bad, but, honestly, the change was drastic. Not that she thought he looked any less handsome than he had before.

Understandably, he wanted time to himself. After learning his dad had been kidnapped by the Absolute cultists and then being transformed into something he hunted, he had had a long day. He took to his tent earlier than everyone else.

Dinner was simple fare. They had some sausages they roasted and ate it with bread and cheese. Gale had been amused when Del had put the sausage on her piece of bread and ate them together, but then he tried it and it was like a light went off in his head.

"I must try this meat and bread combination some more," he said, excitedly. "You are a genius."

Del tried not to laugh at that. It wasn't like she had invented hotdogs. Sometimes she missed the food she could get back home and she tried to remake some of them. Hotdogs had been the one thing that she had been able to replicate perfectly. Of course, out on the road, they were missing mustard, and she made sure to tell Gale that he needed to try it with mustard next time. That's what made it perfect.

The day of travel had been long so everyone was soon making their way to their tents for the night. Astarion pointedly walked away from camp, his gaze traveling over Del as he left. No one ever commented on his comings and goings, so she wondered if anyone ever actually noticed them. She could be sneaky when she tried, but he hadn't even attempted to hide the fact he was leaving and it was the middle of the night.

She sat on a wooden log and stared into the fire, listening to the sounds of her companions getting ready for sleep. Withers had appeared just as she predicted, once their camp had been erected, and he stood off in the distance going over more of his scrolls. Halsin had set out his bedroll next to the campfire as he usually did and was tucking himself in for the night. He laid on his back and was staring up at the sky, presumably waiting for sleep to take him.

Soon, the camp had settled into a quiet slumber, broken up by quiet snores from a few of the tents. Eventually, Halsin's eyes closed as he too fell asleep. Withers didn't need sleep, seeing as he was undead, but she wasn't really worried about him seeing her. He was omnipotent and would know things without witnessing them for himself. She waited another five minutes before slipping away from the camp. She headed in the direction she saw Astarion sneak off to. He shouldn't have gone too far and with his hearing, he would be sure to catch her before she passed by him.

When she could barely see the glimmer from their campfire, Astarion finally emerged from the shadows. He had lost his shirt at some point and the moonlight glinted off of his pale skin and hair. "There you are," he greeted her.

Del stopped short, surprised by his state of undress. "What is this," she asked him, gesturing to his naked torso.

"Oh, this," he asked, putting his hand on his chest. "I didn't want to accidentally stain my shirt with your blood. I hope you don't mind."

She huffed out a laugh. "You had no problem drinking my blood with your shirt on last time," she said, crossing her arms.

"Darling, I was ravenous that first time. I wasn't thinking straight. A drop of your blood did make its way to my collar. I had to ask Gale to clean it with magic, telling him I nicked myself while shaving." He chuckled softly. "If only he knew."

"Yes," she agreed. "If only."

He stalked towards her, his eyes never leaving her face. As he drew closer, his hand cupped her cheek, his thumb moving softly over her skin. "Are you sure you want to do this again?"

She hesitated, surprised by the concern she saw in his ruby eyes.

"Because if you aren't, I wouldn't blame you," he continued, moving a step away from her. "You must find feeding a monster you normally kill abhorrent."

"You're right," she said, teasing him. "What am I thinking? I must be crazy letting you drink my blood. I mean, it's not like you're a useful member of my team, or anything. So why bother? In fact," she stepped closer to him, "Maybe I should just kill you now and get it over with."

He chuckled at her. "You do owe me a duel," he reminded her.

"It's too bad I came here unarmed then, huh?"

He eyed her up and down, as if checking to see if she was telling the truth. "Did you now?" Noting she hadn't been lying, mischief glinted in his eyes. "Mayhaps that was your mistake." He dove quickly towards her, grabbing her body and tucking it against his before falling to the ground.

Del bit back a yelp as he surprised her. Last thing she needed was for someone to come looking for her and find both of them like this. He cushioned the fall as much as he could, but when her back hit the ground she let out a quiet, "Oof."

She shoved at his chest. "Astarion, what are you doing?" As he lifted off of her, she locked eyes with him. His hair fell into his face, and she wanted to brush it away, but she found she couldn't move. The way he looked at her at this moment, like a hunter who had just caught his prey, had her heart hammering in her chest. Not out of fear, but of excitement.

Gods, what was wrong with her?

"It's not my fault you came unprepared," he told her, smirking. "A good hunter uses every opportunity to his advantage. Now I have you… exactly… where I want you."

Her hands twitched where they still rested against his cool skin and she quickly brought them back to her body, clasping them over her stomach. Maybe if she clutched at herself, she'd be less likely to touch him again.

"Astarion," she started, "Please-"

"I love it when you beg," he groaned. "Do it again."

She resisted the urge to slap him and went on, "-I came here to give you blood. Could you please stop playing and get this over with?"

The sultry look fell from his face and she watched as he rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. But this was much more fun, my way."

Despite his attitude, his fingers were gentle as he unlaced the ties of her blouse. He pulled the freed lapel away from her neck and down round her shoulder, giving him ample space. He traced two fingers along the scarring on her neck, finding the two raised bumps from when he bit her last time. He glanced at her to make sure she was still okay with him biting her there and when she nodded he crouched over her again. Her breathing quickened in anticipation as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

As she felt two needle-like pricks, she clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying out. Her arms came up involuntarily, as if to push him away, but as he sucked at her neck the pain gave way to a burning pleasure, and her hands clutched him to her instead. The sensation spread from her neck all the way to her toes and met back up at her pelvis. She panted, trying to pull him closer, and he obliged, his hip coming down to meet with hers, and since he was already between her legs, he lined up perfectly to press against her center.

She let out a gasp, which seemed to stir him on as he ground into her more fully. He groaned against her neck, drawing from her one last time before pulling away. He licked at the bite marks and sat up, his hips still pressed against hers, but no longer moving. His hooded eyes sparkled in the low light as he looked down at her. Some of her blood had trickled down his chin and she found herself wanting to lick it off for him.

But the pleasure caused by his bite was fading and she realized the position she had put herself in. Embarrassed by her behavior, she pushed at him, needing to put distance between their bodies. He obliged her without protest and she stood, walking a few paces away before turning back to him. She tried to find something to say, but found she was at a loss for words.

"You enjoy being bitten, don't you," he asked in wonderment, still kneeling on the ground. "I could feel your little shivers of excitement even before I punctured your skin. And during, well…" He smirked up at her.

She could feel her cheeks heat up at that. She looked away from him and cleared her throat. "That shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies. I'm flattered, honestly." He stood and brushed the dirt from his knees. He regarded her and tutted. "But look at how pent up you are now. You should let me help you take care of that." He sauntered closer to her.

"No," she yelped, moving back a few paces, before catching herself. She looked behind her towards camp, worried her outburst had been too loud and lowered her voice. "No, thank you. That's not necessary." Inwardly, she was cursing herself. She never expected to be so weak against his charms, and certainly hadn't thought she would be so into him biting her. It would figure she would be a monster hunter with a thing for the monsters she hunted. Gods, why was she such a pervert?

He had paused his pursuit, but seemed to be fighting a smile as he watched her squirm. "What if I were to insist? You already denied me at the tiefling party. Are you really going to deny me again, when it's so obvious you want me?"

"I never said I didn't want you," she whispered, not meeting his gaze. "I said I couldn't."

He was quiet as he regarded her. In a more sober tone, he asked, "Why is that?"

That was such a complicated question. She rubbed her face with both her hands. "If I could answer that question, I would." Silence. "I should head back before anyone notices I'm gone."

Del returned to the camp site as quickly as she could. As she approached the fire, she could see Gale and Halsin sitting together next to it. They had a pot of boiling water going and Gale was putting some sachets of herbs into cups. "Ah, Del, would you like some chamomile tea? It seems a few of us are in need of it to sleep tonight." He paused as he looked up at her and his eyes widened for a moment. "Are- are you alright?"

Confused, Del looked down at herself and saw that her blouse was still askew. She quickly grabbed the lapels and pulled them close to her neck. Hopefully they hadn't seen the bite marks. "Yes, I'm fine," she answered, a bit breathlessly.

Just then, Astarion strolled back into camp behind her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and froze. He had found his shirt, but had left it untied and untucked, showing off a good portion of his chest. As he passed her, he made a point of running his fingers through her hair, pulling out a leaf from her messy strands and dropping it so it floated gently down to her feet. As he disappeared into his tent, she suddenly realized how this would look to her two other companions. Who shouldn't have even been awake to see it.

She shut her eyes and tried to breathe through the panic. If her face was as red as it felt, it definitely wasn't going to make her look less guilty. She debated even saying anything at all. Because denying anything happened would just make her look worse, right?

She turned to look directly at the two other men who were still watching her. Gale had a look of shock, his mouth hanging open, while Halsin looked amused. Now she was seething. Neither of them had the right to think anything about what she didn't or didn't do. She pointed angrily at Astarion's tent. "That," she said, before motioning to herself, "Had nothing to do with this." When neither men answered her, she growled. "Got it?"

Both men nodded - Gale, in a daze, and Halsin, holding back a chuckle.

Utterly humiliated, she stomped into her tent, closing the flap with all the finality she could. It fluttered piteously behind her. A moment later, she walked back out, grabbed the bedroll she had laid out by the fire already and took it back with her inside her tent. She didn't bother trying to slam the flap closed behind her again.