Chapter 17 - Wicked Game
"What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way
What a wicked thought to free, to let me dream of thee
What a wicked thing to say, thou hast not felt this way."
-Wicked Game (Hildegard Von Blingin' Cover)
The morning after, the camp was roused from sleep once more by the calls of strange beasts and birds inside the echoing confines of the Underdark. Once the cacophony had ended, though, some members of the group went back to their tents for another hour of shut eye. Del was not one of them.
She made herself a cup of tea and walked out of the campsite, wandering until she found a short mushroom she could easily clamber onto. She sat on the spongy surface, with her legs hanging, and sipped her tea as she looked out into the distance. She could just see the myconids as they wandered about, doing whatever it was they did all day.
She wondered if they slept and if they did, if they dreamed.
Yawning, she took another sip of her drink.
Sleep had not come easily to her last night after everything that had happened. She did her best to not appear overly affected by any situation, but it didn't mean her brain wasn't programmed to overanalyze every event just like any other normal person.
Yesterday could have been worse. She could have actually had sex with the vampire. Which, in her mind, was definitely a no go. Sex with any one of her companions was off limits, as far as she was concerned.
She had been sure she could ignore Astarion's flirtatious ways as she had done so before in the game.
Had it been difficult? Most-assuredly. But he had just been pixels back then. And fictitious. In the flesh, in real time, and despite knowing almost everything about him, he was much harder to ignore. She found herself drawn to the elf in a way that made no sense to her. Especially with her history and the things she was witness to since her time in Toril began. It wasn't like her to fall for someone just because they had a dark backstory.
She wasn't a "I can fix him" girlie. Not even back on Earth.
What she could see, though, was potential. It was one of the reasons why she had been considered for promotion in the Flaming Fists, despite her other faults. They wanted her to be a recruiter for them up north, but she had quit before it had gone anywhere.
Astarion had potential. She knew this because she had seen it once before. Despite the attitude and the self-assuredness, she knew deep down he wasn't just those things. If anything, they were a mask he wore. After two hundred years of serving Cazador it was likely the only thing he could hold onto. It was his small rebellion.
She could also see the true emotions that ran through him. Even with his best efforts, he couldn't hide himself completely from her. He slipped up and she could see the real him behind the bravado and sex appeal. Sure, she liked Astarion the most when he was annoyed with her, but she also enjoyed the moments when he was soft. They were few and far between, but that's what made it special.
She could feel herself smiling and she quickly shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about him. Period.
When she heard a soft scuff behind her, she quickly turned, ready to grab her dagger. Seeing Halsin approach her, she eased her hand off her weapon and allowed her body to slouch back into a more comfortable position.
Noticing her tensing up, he had stopped, but approached once more once she realized it was him. He eased up onto the side of the mushroom to sit next to her.
"I didn't mean to startle you," he said with a small smile.
Del smiled back, although it was strained, before taking a sip of her cooling drink.
"It's not your fault," she murmured. "My head was elsewhere."
As the silence between them stretched, she shifted uncomfortably. She knew what he thought he saw last night, but she was embarrassed thinking about what he had interrupted. Glad of it, but also ashamed.
He cleared his throat, obviously feeling awkward, as well.
"I wanted to apologize about last night," he started. "I should have called out before entering your tent."
"It's fine, Halsin," Del said, giving him a sheepish look. "It's better that it's out in the open now."
There was a pause before he said, "It's just that I realized that I- I might have interrupted something… more?"
Del had been in the middle of taking a large gulp of her tea, but found half of it making its way into her airway. She leaned over the side of the mushroom and spit out the rest as her body tried to evacuate the liquid from her lungs.
Halsin quickly grabbed the cup from her and began to gently pat her back.
Once the coughing had subsided and she could breathe again she sat back from the edge of the fungi and told him, "No, nothing like that."
He only raised an eyebrow in response.
Del grabbed back her cup and took a careful sip, before turning away from him and refusing to talk about it anymore.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of Del. It's a very nat-"
He stopped when she shot him a glare that was made to split boulders apart. She hoped he ignored how red her face was. Which he must have, because he sighed and let it go.
As he ran his fingers through his hair, he instead said, "The other reason I came was to ask if you'd like me to teach you some meditation techniques now. I know we had talked about it before and since you're not in a hurry today…"
Del perked up at that. Now was the best time to learn meditation, considering how she had so much going on in her head. Not including the tadpole, of course. That was something she wouldn't be able to meditate away.
Noting the positive change in her mood when she agreed, Halsin gave her a tentative smile and motioned her to the center of the mushroom cap where he had her sit across from him, cross-legged.
He led her through a breathing exercise before going over a few different methods that would help calm her mind.
"The purpose isn't to stop your thoughts entirely," he explained, "but to help you organize them. If your mind keeps wandering to the same subject, then that is a sign that you need to explore why that is happening. Take the time to think on it."
"What if it's something that I don't want to think about?"
He gave her a knowing glance.
"I don't recommend making this a habit," he told her, "But there is a way to fold it away to deal with at a later time. Eventually, you will need to address it, though. Otherwise your mind will keep dwelling upon it even if you don't wish to."
"I think it would be more helpful at this stage," Del insisted. "I don't think I'll have time to practice meditation every day."
"This will require practice, as well," Halsin reminded her. "But if it's where you want to start, then I will teach you how."
They spent a good hour together while Halsin walked her through the visualization needed to help her pack away her unwanted thoughts. When he had explained it it had sounded easy enough, but putting it into practice was incredibly difficult. She could see what she needed in her mind, but intrusive thoughts were keen to interrupt her in the middle and cause her to start from the beginning again.
When she fell to her back in frustration after the twentieth or so try Halsin decided it was time to end for the day.
"I feel as if I got nowhere," she grumbled, staring sullenly up into the heights that made up the Underdark's sky. Crystals high above glowing softly in the gloom.
"You did well for your first try," Halsin said, moving to stand.
He walked towards her and looked down at her with a smile.
"I suggest practicing before you sleep every night if you can." He reached down to help her up. Once she was on her feet, he continued, "And when we have time I will work with you on improving and learning new techniques."
Del nodded. "Thanks, Halsin." She moved to jump down from the head of the mushroom. "I'll do my best to make you proud."
"You should make yourself proud first," he responded back.
Del shot him a cheeky grin.
"Oh, I'm always proud of myself."
Shadowheart appeared around the corner at that point.
"There you are," the cleric said. "I was worried that Astarion had gone ahead and bled you dry before burying your body somewhere we could never find you."
Del rolled her eyes.
"You thought no such thing."
Shadowheart ignored her and motioned back towards the camp. "Come on. Gale's already made breakfast."
Halsin and Del returned to the campsite and took their seats around the fire with everyone else. Astarion gave her a pointed look, but if it was from the fact she had been hanging out with Halsin or the awkwardness being projected out by her companions, she wasn't sure.
It was mostly quiet, with everyone shooting side glances at Astarion, who had decided to join. Which was odd, because he didn't normally sit with them, at all, if he could help it. And now with him being a vampire out in the open, the companions were acting as if they expected him to jump up and bite one of them as if the knowledge made it more likely to happen.
Del loudly cleared her throat.
Karlach and Gale managed to look guilty at being caught out, but everyone else didn't appear ashamed at all. However, they all stopped eyeballing Astarion and went on to eat their breakfasts, chatting amongst themselves as if nothing had happened. After a time, Astarion's shoulders relaxed.
Today's plan was to finish exploring everything on this side of the lake before heading toward Grymforge. Which meant killing the duergar, as per Sovereign Spaw's request, amongst other things.
Due to everyone now knowing he was a vampire, Astarion took full advantage and fed on a couple of the deep dwarves during battle. While he had looked healthier since she had begun helping to feed him, he appeared absolutely sated after the fight. Drinking his fill of intelligent creatures had definitely made a difference and he fought with a greater speed and agility than he had before.
When they finally returned to the camp, tired and dirty, Astarion was the only one with a pep in his step. Today had been light, as far as adventuring goes, since they spent it exploring a mage tower and killing a single redcap who wanted to be a god. The fight with the duergar had been last on their agenda, but speaking with Spaw and then going back to Omeluum with the mushrooms he had asked for had taken longer than she had thought.
Halsin was quick to point them towards a couple of buckets filled with clean water, which highlighted how bad they must have looked. At least today none of them returned with heinous injuries.
Once she was clean, Del joined a few of her companions around the fire and began to braid her hair to one side. It was starting to get too long for her and she would need a haircut next time she was back in Baldur's Gate. When she was done braiding she realized she didn't have any ties to secure the end, but Shadowheart sat next to her with a bowl of broth in one hand and a leather tie in the other.
"Here," she said, handing her the bowl. "You eat and I'll tie this off for you."
The broth held potatoes and carrots only, no meat. They had run out of fresh meat last night. Del was starving, though, and finished it within minutes. As she got to the dredges, a piece of bread appeared in her vision. Halsin had sat on the other side of her and offered it with a small smile. She took it and sopped up the rest of the broth with it.
"That's the last of the bread," Halsin told her as she set her bowl down. "It'll be cheese and dried meat for a while, I'm afraid."
Del examined the intricate tie job Shadowheart had done to her hair. No wonder Shadowheart's hair never seemed out of place. She thanked the half elf before turning towards Halsin.
"I'll keep an eye out for any supplies while we are out tomorrow. Though, I don't mind eating just cheese and dried meat. We've been eating pretty good this journey. Better than I would have on my own, anyway."
Halsin nodded, glancing at Gale. "The wizard is quite the cook."
"If he ever failed at magic, he certainly has a skill he could fall back on," Del agreed.
"Perish the thought," Gale said, looking up at them from his reading, "Me, failing at magic?" He scoffed. "The world will cease rotating if that happens. But thank you for the compliment. I do enjoy the culinary arts. Especially when it is appropriately appreciated."
"Don't let it get to your head," Astarion said to him, his eyes on his own book. "I've seen where she dines. She doesn't exactly have a taste for the finer things in life."
Del rolled her eyes. "Astarion, despite what you may think, I don't only dine in shady taverns. I know what good food is."
The vampire glanced at her from over the top of his book. "Apologies. I didn't realize I was in the presence of a secret gourmand."
"I wouldn't go that far," she huffed. "Not that you're much of one, either."
"Hmm." Astarion set his book aside and crossed his legs. "Maybe not of food, but of blood and wine? Certainly."
"Blood? Sure." Del shook her head. "But we've already discussed how your ability to appreciate wine is diminished."
"Maybe my taste is so refined, my palette only accepts the finest vintages."
Del gave a short laugh. "We might have to test that some day."
The conversation around the campfire moved on to other things, including what the myconids had alluded to when they described what lay across the lake. That this could be the place they had been looking for that would lead them directly into Moonrise Towers. Del knew it wouldn't, but they would be close enough and that's all that mattered. She allowed the speculation to continue, though, nodding along with everyone's thoughts.
As everyone started to wind down, Del retreated into her tent. She was bone tired after today, especially since she hadn't gotten much sleep, but she attempted to meditate for about thirty minutes. She had promised to practice, after all. When she failed to pack away her thoughts, she slumped back into her bedroll and let the darkness of sleep sweep away her worries for her.
Getting across the lake and into Grymforge had been an easier task than expected. But that had partially been due to how Del had dressed. She had donned her black shirt and the Talisman of the Absolute that she had looted from Priestess Gut in order to blend in. She also had the boots the escaped deep gnome had given her, which belonged to one of the duergar in charge. Everyone was keen on getting her boots back to her.
At this point, Del wondered why she even bothered giving the duergar woman her boots when it would merely be looted off her corpse fifteen minutes later. Lae'zel had already called dibs on them and the woman now lay shoeless once more.
Del stood above Nere's body and grimaced at it, while she tried to figure out the best way to cut his head off. She pulled out one of her daggers, but hesitated.
"What's the hold up," Karlach asked from behind her.
Del dragged a hand against her sweaty forehead and sighed. "I'm not usually in the habit of chopping heads off, but I'm pretty sure this dagger isn't going to cut it."
Karlach guffawed, "I see what you did there."
Walking to Del's side, Karlach handed Del her great axe. "Try this. Just imagine you're chopping wood."
Del put away her dagger and hefted the large axe in her hands. "Woah. I get how you maintain those muscles now. I don't think I could use this as my everyday weapon."
Karlach grinned and flexed for her. "Keep at it and you'll grow big and strong, too, soldier."
Del chuckled before taking a step away from Nere's body. As she brought down the axe, it fell in a graceful arch and chopped neatly through the meat, bone, and gristle before embedding itself into the floor beneath.
Barcus, their found-again deep gnome friend flinched and tried not to gag at the sight. "I can't say I'll miss the bastard, but was that truly necessary?"
"It's for the mushroom people," she told him. "You'll see."
Del found an abandoned pack and threw Nere's head inside. No need to stare at the man's face the entire way back to the colony. She slung the bag over her shoulder and went in search of the rest of her party.
Gale was precariously close to the lava that ran through the room they were in. He was staring off into the distance at another area of the forge. At one point the two areas had probably been attached, but the lava had slowly broken them apart and separated them.
"Aren't you curious about this Adamantine Forge they said is supposed to be down here," he asked her as she approached. "I would love to see how it works."
Del had seen it before and it was impressive, but she didn't think it was impressive enough to risk their lives over. Not when death was a very permanent outcome for herself.
"Yeah. I found some journals that said a strong construct guarded it, though. Not sure if I want to fight that thing if I don't have to."
He turned to look at her. "So it is down here, then. Hmm." He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "It's a pity to be so close and not be able to take a gander, but I suppose you're right. This isn't a sight seeing venture we're on."
They headed back towards the dock where their boat waited, collecting the rest of the crew. Shadowheart joined them last, wearing a new set of armor.
Noticing Del's stare, Shadowheart touched the breastplate, a little embarrassed.
"It's Dark Justiciar armor," she said, reverently. "I managed to find a set that was still in decent condition. Though I can't say the same for the person who had been wearing it."
Gale made a face, but Del merely laughed.
"I'm not going to judge. You were due for an upgrade, anyway." Del nodded in approval. "It looks good on you."
Shadowheart gave her a small smile. "Maybe one day I can truly earn the right to wear it."
Del smiled in turn. One day would be sooner than she knew.
Back at the myconid colony, Del presented Nere's head to Sovereign Spaw and spoke once more to the runaway deep gnome. It was the last of their tasks for the area.
After collecting their reward, Del showed Barcus to a spot within their campsite he was welcome to pitch a tent in and left him to get settled. Halsin approached her, eyeing the gnome curiously, before asking if they had managed to find the entrance to Moonrise.
Del shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "No, the bridge that would have led us to the part of the temple closer to Moonrise was gone. We found an elevator in Grymforge that could take us up to the top, though, so we'll just be taking that."
Halsin's brows furrowed as he regarded her. "That's unfortunate. I had hoped to get us closer to Moonrise Towers so we could avoid as much of the shadows as we can. It'll be much more dangerous now."
Del agreed. "We should be fine as long as we have a form of light. Everyone will need to carry a torch at the very least."
"In the areas where the shadows are not as dense, maybe. But we don't know what we will find on the surface."
"Have a little faith," she told the druid. "Sometimes luck is on our side."
He gave her a skeptical look. "You believe in luck?"
"I have to," she said with a grin. "I've made it through at least half my jobs with luck alone."
"Do you really believe that?"
"…No. But it helps. Especially if we have no other choice. And this is one of those cases."
Halsin stared down at her, but she couldn't read his face enough to even guess what he was thinking.
Finally, he said, "I will trust your judgment. I'm assuming we are leaving in the morning, then?"
She nodded. "No need to stick around longer than needed. I'm not exactly looking forward to hanging out in the Shadowlands, but the sooner we get there, the sooner we solve the problem in our heads."
She began to head over to her tent, but Halsin stopped her. "There is one more thing."
Del regarded him curiously.
"I've been exploring the area around our camp while you all have been out adventuring and I found something I think everyone might like," he said with a smile.
"Oh? What's that?"
"There's a hot spring in a cave nearby," he told her, "I imagine it's been a while since any one of us has had access to hot water."
"Goddess, yes," Shadowheart gasped, midway from removing her new armor. "I can't even remember the last time I've had a warm bath."
"Having your memory constantly wiped would do that to you," Astarion commented.
Shadowheart sent him a nasty glare and he chuckled before disappearing into his tent.
"We'll eat first," Del told Halsin. "Then we can take turns going to the hot spring."
"Aw, no communal bath party," Karlach asked. "That's no fun."
"The point is to wash up," Wyll said with a smile, "Not make an adventurer stew."
"But we could scrub each other's backs!"
"I can still scrub your back for you, if that's what you want," Shadowheart told Karlach. "And then you could return the favor by scrubbing Lae'zel's."
"Nobody is scrubbing my back, except me," the githyanki woman sniffed. "What are we - children?"
Gale had managed to find additional provisions at Grymforge and thus was able to put together a full meal. After filling her stomach, Del found herself unable to stop her eyes from closing and she excused herself to take a nap. Shadowheart and Karlach had already gone ahead to the hot springs with Halsin guiding them.
Del imagined she had been asleep for about an hour by the time she had awoken once more. She could hear some of her companions chatting happily around the fire and she went to join them, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"The hot springs were incredible," Shadowheart told Del. "Not just because it was a hot bath, but it was beautiful. The pools are tiered in a way that allows the hot water to spill from one to another, which means we had our choice of the perfect temperature we wanted to relax in. And it's all surrounded by giant crystals that lit up the space. It was perfect."
Del noted Shadowheart's skin and hair looked incredibly clean and her cheeks were still rosy from the heat.
"It must have been," she told her. "You're practically glowing."
"Am I?" Shadowheart touched her cheeks. "I do feel as if the water there has rejuvenated me. It's possible it had magic qualities."
"That would be the minerals in the water," Halsin explained with a grin. "Not magic. Nature will always find a way to provide, after all."
Del noticed Karlach's hair was also wet and dripping.
"How did it work out for you," she asked the tiefling. "Was one of the pools actually hot enough for you?"
Karlach grinned. "Had to nearly go to the source, but I did find a pool that felt hot even to me."
"I'm pretty sure the pool she was in would scald the meat from my bones," Shadowheart confided.
"I take it that you didn't scrub her back, then," Del guessed.
"I'm still too hot to touch, anyway," Karlach groused. "I'm hoping when we run into Dammon again he'll have a better solution to my overheating problem."
"I'll get you to him as soon as I can," Del promised her.
Wyll, Gale, and Barcus had returned to camp by then, so Del readied herself to head out to the hot springs next. It seemed most everyone else had gone already, so she expected to be going alone. Apparently the location was safe, but she carried her daggers, just in case. As she was about to leave, Halsin approached her.
"Will you be fine on your own," he asked her, before grunting in annoyance with himself. "I know you're capable enough. I meant to say, mayhaps you'd like the company?"
Before Del could respond, a voice to her immediate right spoke out, "She'll have company, druid. I'm going with her."
Del turned to look at Astarion, surprised. He had been absent when she had been chatting with the others around the fire. She had assumed he was still in his tent. However, she hadn't even noticed he was by her side until he spoke up just now. Which was unsettling in some ways. She knew they were both rogues, but she had managed to notice his movements thus far. That might have been a show for the rest of the party. Maybe now that he was no longer hiding his vampirism he was allowing his supernatural quirks to show.
"You didn't already go," she asked him.
"Of course not," he told her. "That's why I'm going now. If that's alright with you?"
Del shrugged. "I have no problem with it."
Astarion turned to shake his finger at Halsin. "Don't look at me like that. Nothing untoward will happen. I heard there were separate pools. And I am nothing if not a gentleman."
Del snorted. "And I have my daggers with me, in case he isn't."
Halsin regarded her for a moment before nodding.
"Enjoy your bath," he said, giving the vampire a stern look, before walking back towards the others.
"I don't know if I'm more insulted for you or me," Astarion told her with a frown. "Either way, the sooner we get there the sooner we can leave and assuage their worries. Lead on."
The walk to the caves didn't take long. Del could immediately see why the caves were so safe before they were even close, though. Crystal stalagmites and stalactites covered the entrance in a way that allowed only one person to enter at a time. Anything bigger than Halsin wouldn't be able to get through, and the crystals looked solid. A stream of water leaked out in various places between the teeth-like structures, and puffs of what could be confused as smoke floated out, hinting at what lay beyond.
Inside it was just as amazing as Shadowheart had said. The cave practically sparkled; the glow from the crystals reflecting off the pools of water to create patterns of light across the walls and ceiling.
Water poured from one pool into another, in a chain that sloped slowly up towards the back of the cave. Crystals grew on the ceiling, the walls, and even out of and in between the pools. That, plus the steam that the warm water produced, helped to provide privacy where one would think none existed. There was a subtle sulfur smell inside that hadn't been obvious from the outside, but it made sense as this was a hot spring.
Astarion had moved forward to test the water in one of the lower pools.
"Hmm, it's tepid this far down. Guess we'll have to move further in to find the hotter pools."
"If this is the only hot bath I'll be getting in a while, I want to find the hottest pool I can stand."
They both moved further into the cave, testing the water as they went. Eventually, Astarion found a pool to his liking and claimed it. Del thought she could handle hotter, so she moved up a couple more pools before finding one she was satisfied with. Thankfully a wall of crystal lined this pool, so she would have plenty of privacy. She did pause a moment before undressing, though.
Despite the events of the previous night, Astarion had failed to make any flirtatious remarks towards her the last two days. It hadn't been so weird when they had been around the others, but now that they were alone, and in such an intimate setting, it had seemed odd. He had been so good about trying to seduce her whenever he could before. But maybe the thought of a real bath in hot water called to him as much as it did to her.
Between the crystal wall and the steam, she couldn't see him from where she stood, so she doubted he could see her, either. She finally undressed, placed her daggers, soap and towel along the edge of the pool and stepped in.
The hot water scorched her flesh, at first. Little prickles of heat tingled up her legs, but as she submerged herself deeper, her body regulated the heat and she could feel her muscles slowly relaxing one by one.
She sighed and leaned back against the raised edges of the pool. She could even feel her skin softening from all the minerals in the water. The spring had to be full of them, the water was so murky and white. The Underdark was truly a remarkable place.
Del spent a few minutes scrubbing at her hair and skin with her soap, wanting to use the rest of her time to soak and just enjoy the water. Hot baths were nice when she could get them, but it wasn't often you found a hot spring, and she doubted she'd be back this way any time soon. The location of this one was especially pretty because of the glowing crystals everywhere. It was no wonder Shadowheart had been in such a great mood afterwards.
She idly wondered how long she could get away with staying here before her entire party came looking for her. Probably not too long. But an hour wasn't too far fetched.
She could faintly hear splashing from Astarion's direction, the sound bouncing off the cave walls, mixing with the sound of running water. It was soothing. Even the faint animal sounds from outside the cave were soothing. She laid her head back on the edge of the pool, staring up at the ceiling. She should have brought a book to read. And a glass of wine. That would have made this experience even better.
Del frowned.
The last time she had bathed with a book and a glass of wine was when she had still lived on Earth. In her tiny one bedroom apartment. Her life had seemed so simple then, but she hadn't really known what simple meant until she had landed here. It was hard to compare her two lives. Literally worlds apart from each other. In some ways, her life was far simpler now, but also richer. And in other ways, she still agreed her life before was simpler, but not as rich. Weird how time could change her mind about things like that.
Eventually, she felt enough time had passed and she exited her pool, albeit reluctantly. She grabbed her towel and began to dry off, before calling out, "Astarion, we should probably start heading back soon."
He didn't say anything in return, but she heard faint splashing sounds. With his vampiric hearing there was no way he hadn't heard her.
She grabbed her clean blouse and threw it on, before moving on to dry her hair. She hadn't brought a comb with her, so she drew her fingers through the strands to help detangle them. She'd wait to finish drying her hair once they were back at camp.
She turned to look for the rest of her clothes and had to hold back a yelp of surprise when she spotted Astarion casually leaning against the crystal wall by her pool, watching her. She closed her eyes while she took a breath, before glaring at him.
"Couldn't you have at least made a little noise," she asked him, annoyed.
"Losing your touch," he asked her, a smirk growing on his lips. She noticed he was only wearing his pants, barely, since they weren't even fastened. His hair was slicked back from his face. Rivulets of moisture dripped down his neck and were making their way down his chest and his abs. How the hell had he maintained abs while on a rat diet for over two hundred years, anyways?
She shook her head free from the invasive thought and crossed her arms.
"I'm not exactly on high alert right now," she answered him, if not a bit defensively. "Shouldn't you finish getting dressed? We need to head back soon."
"I thought now might be a good time to finish what we started the other night." He motioned around them. "We're both freshly cleaned, no one is around to interrupt us… it's a perfect opportunity."
Del sighed and turned to grab her underwear, but she stopped short of putting them on, as she would most likely flash him in the process, and she wasn't looking to tease him right now. She turned back to him, flustered.
"Maybe it was a good thing we were interrupted," she said. "We don't have to sleep together. I don't want to ruin what we have."
Astarion raised his eyebrow at her. "What do we have, exactly?"
"Erm." She frowned. That was a good question. Their relationship thus far was an odd one, and she couldn't really quantify it. "A… friendship."
Maybe if she said it enough, they would both believe it. They weren't really friends. Not like she was with the others, anyways. He obviously still didn't trust her completely, otherwise why would he want to have sex with her? He was still under the impression he needed to prove himself worth protecting, even though she continued to protect him - not that he needed help, he was a decent fighter in his own right.
"This again?" He rolled his eyes, but he seemed to consider it a moment, before taking a few steps towards her. "While I admit that a friendship isn't out of the realm of possibilities, I have to point out that it doesn't really negate the part where we both want to have sex with each other. I have eyes… ears… and a nose that are all quite sensitive and your body doesn't lie. So why do we keep playing this game?" He paused. "You're not a virgin, are you?"
"Gods no," she gasped. "Why was that your first thought?"
"Because nothing else makes sense," he said, exasperated. "Why else would you deny yourself… us…of this moment? You haven't mentioned a lover back home. So it's not that, either. We're both unfettered individuals with needs who are both clearly attracted to each other. So why don't you let go? You were ready to the other night."
She shook her head and sat down on the lip of the pool. She couldn't really explain her moment of weakness. The man before her was attractive as sin, but that was besides the point. She knew too many things about him. She knew he used sex as a form of currency. That didn't stop her body from wanting his body, though. And she hated herself for it. But her other excuses weren't cutting it. He still pursued her, despite everything, because he could sense her bullshit. Maybe it was time to try and speak a little truth.
"I… don't want to take advantage of you."
"You… don't want to take advantage of… me?"
She nodded.
He burst out into laughter. She frowned at him, not understanding why he found that so amusing.
He wiped a tear from his eye as he finished, still smiling. "Darling," he stated, catching his breath, "You do know I'm using you to my advantage, don't you?"
Del crossed her arms, feeling annoyed. "That's different. I'm the leader of this group. Everyone is under my care and protection. But you don't need to provide anything in return for that. I do it because I want to."
He seemed perturbed by her statement. He sighed and crouched in front of her knees. His arms landed on either of her hips as he gazed up at her.
"Would you believe me if I told you I've been attracted to you since the moment we met again on that beach?"
She eyed him up and down, disbelieving. The look on his face was earnest enough, but it's not as if he was a bad liar. He could act - she'd seen it first hand.
He tutted and shook his head, clearly seeing her expression. "I didn't think you would, but it's true. You knew what I was and you didn't tell the others. You kept my secret for me. Despite our rocky past. And, well, having had the honor of watching you fight many a time… you are a ferocious little warrior. Seeing you covered in the blood of our enemies… well, I won't lie, it does things to me. Very naughty things. I can show you, if you let me."
Del watched his face closely as he spoke. He seemed convinced that he felt what he said he felt. She couldn't sense any untruths on his end, but, again, he was a good actor. She thought back to the previous night, though, and the way he looked at her then. It lined up with what he was saying now. He had appeared, at least, to truly want her, at that time. It's why she had folded. But he had also caught her in a very vulnerable position, seeing as she had been half asleep.
Not that her current one was any better. His eyes were carving a path down her chest, where her flesh peaked out from between the opening in her shirt. She watched as his eyes made their way down her legs, skating over the scars that took up much of her right leg.
Astarion turned his gaze back to hers. "What do you say? If you hate it, we don't have to do it ever again."
He was smiling, but she knew if they did this she'd probably want him even more. Once she had a taste, she'd be lost forever. She'd always had a soft spot for the vampire, but being here with him, in person, it was a whole other experience. And now that he kneeled before her, shirtless, and hair wet from his bath, he looked irresistible. So, she stopped resisting.
She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
He seemed shocked that she made the first move, but he leaned into her after a moment. His hand moved her knee to the side so he could slot himself between her legs. His hands gripped her around the waist as he deepened the kiss, his tongue skating along the roof of her mouth.
Her body practically melted against his. Her fingers found the nape of his neck and they ran through the drying curls that lay there. His skin was surprisingly warm against her body, having absorbed the heat from the hot springs.
Despite all that, she still found herself shivering as his hands slowly trailed down the sides of her body. They made their way around her hips and then down her bare thighs, before making their way back up and under the hem of her shirt.
His thumb brushed along her inner thigh just as her tongue brushed his canines, causing her to jerk and accidentally pierce her tongue. She tasted the blood just as Astarion groaned into her mouth, his tongue twirling with hers. The sound he made nearly undid her. Her legs clamped around his hips in an attempt to pull him against her, but he held her off as one of his thumbs brushed lightly along her center, causing her to gasp.
Astarion pulled away from her to watch her face as he continued to run his thumb down her crease, collecting the moisture gathered there and bringing it back up to run it over her bud again and again. It had been so long since she had last shared her body with someone else and it felt so good to let go and give in for once.
She watched as he brought two more fingers to her folds and coated them in her fluids before slowly penetrating her opening. She opened her mouth in a silent gasp, her own fingers gripping onto his shoulders as he took his time pulling his fingers out and then plunging them back in. His thumb teased her clit in time with his slow, firm thrusts.
Her body shook from the pleasure and she had to bring her hands down to clutch the ledge of the pool. Astarion's other hand gripped her thigh, tight enough to bruise, but she found she didn't care. As he continued to penetrate her with his fingers, she worried she might orgasm too soon, and she really wanted to feel him inside her first.
"Astarion," she tried, having to pause to grit her teeth against the mounting pressure building at her core.
"Yes, love," he asked her, unperturbed. His eyes were affixed between her thighs as he worked, clearly enjoying the view.
"Please," was all she managed before she had to bite her lip.
"Hmm?" His eyes darted up to hers finally and seeing the state she was in, he slowed his ministrations. He gave her one of his wicked smiles. "Please, what, my dear?"
Sighing in relief, she closed her eyes a moment before trying again. "Please fuck me. What you're doing now is great, but I need you inside me."
He tutted at her. "So impatient. I was merely making sure you were ready for me. But I won't deny a lady what she wants."
Pulling his fingers free from her, causing her to bite back a moan, he reached for his pants and lowered them. They had never been fastened so it was easy work, and soon his member was free. Del gazed down at him and noted, at least in its aroused state, it was much ruddier than the rest of him. The slightly flared head was the pinkest part of his body and was already weeping at the tip.
She wasn't a hundred percent sure how that worked, considering he was for all intents and purposes dead, but if she thought about it too hard she'd have to then consider labeling herself a necrophiliac after all was said and done, so she ignored it.
She reached out and gently wrapped her fingers around him, pumping him experimentally in her hand. The skin there was soft and smooth under her fingers and glided easily over the taut muscle. He was a bit girthier than she had imagined and her toes curled in anticipation. She glanced up into Astarion's amused face.
"Do you approve," he asked her.
A flash of uncertainty shown in his eyes and she couldn't help but place her free hand along his cheek. She kept eye contact and whispered, "It's just as beautiful as the rest of you."
Apparently, that was what he wanted to hear, as his lips were clashing with hers again. He managed to grab both her wrists and hold them behind her back as he lined himself up with her entrance. He teased her with the head of his cock before slowly impaling himself into her.
Del threw out a slew of what could have either been curses or prayers, she wasn't sure which. All she knew was that the feeling of him inside of her was indescribable. There was a little pain - after all, it had been a while, but the pleasure soon overshadowed it. By the time he was fully seated inside her, they were both breathing hard. She could feel his chest rise and fall against hers, his head tucked into the crook of her neck. The cloth of the shirt she still wore rubbed against her erect nipples, causing her to shiver once more.
Astarion gave her but a moment before he began to move again. He went slow, dragging out each sensation. Since her hands were still being held hostage behind her back, she couldn't do much except just take what he was giving her. She held onto him with her legs, trusting him to hold her as her pleasure drew her to great heights. It was the worst kind of torture, and the best.
He freed one of his hands and began to play with her clit again, his touch light. It didn't take much and suddenly she was falling apart. Her body shook, her voice ringing out into the cavern as she came. Her inner walls clamped down so hard that he had to cease movement. Throughout it all, though, he held onto her to make sure she didn't fall. Her head had fallen onto his shoulder as she rode out her tremors, and he released her wrists to rub his hands gently over her back.
When she thought she was strong enough to speak, she pulled away from him and said, "I think I regret putting you off for so long."
He chuckled.
"I'll take the compliment. But we're nowhere near done for the night," he reminded her.
The member still seated inside of her twitched, as if she could forget it was still there.
She raised her eyebrows at Astarion.
"I wasn't planning on leaving," she said, hooking her arms around his neck.
"I'm not sure you'd get a choice, either way," he stated, trying to sound mildly threatening.
She snorted. "You're not that scary, you know."
"I'm not?" He had the nerve to pout at her.
"No."
To prove her point, she pushed away from the edge of the pool, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Astarion landed on his back with Del straddling him. However, the sudden change in position also caused his shaft to bury itself even deeper inside of her, leading her to cry out in shock. She blushed, embarrassed by the sound that came out of her mouth.
Astarion had his arms folded behind his head as he watched her, amusement coloring his voice.
"I'm not sure that worked out in your favor," he teased.
Once she had caught her breath, she straightened once more and glared at him.
"I guess that depends on your perspective," she told him, before raising her hips and lowering them once more, causing him to groan this time.
His hands came up to rest on her hips, holding them in place. "My mistake," he gritted out. "I should have known better. You are a master monster hunter, after all."
She leaned down and kissed him.
"Just as long as we're on the same page," she whispered to him, rolling her hips against his.
He hissed out a breath, but managed to grab her shirt and pull it over her head before she straightened again. She undulated above him, enjoying the feel of him inside her. He watched her with hooded eyes, his fingers tracing along her hips and stomach. It didn't take long before they became lost in each other once more.
His fingers dug into her hips as he began to meet her thrust for thrust. His skin had cooled everywhere except where their hips met. Inside her, he was so hot, that she felt as if he was branding her from the inside. He was hitting all the right spots. Over and over again. She couldn't quiet herself if she wanted to. Even the way his fingers dug into her skin was exquisite. And he was getting close, too. She could tell by how irregular his rhythm had become.
She was almost there, as well, but she needed something to push her over the edge. Just as she felt the tension of his body ramp up between her legs, his hand was suddenly there rubbing her clit. He wasn't rough or quick. He just slowly brushed his thumb across and suddenly she was coming undone once more.
He came at the same time as her, and as she felt the warmth of his cum coating her, it caused her to orgasm even harder. She collapsed against him once the tension left her body, laying against his chest. She sighed and closed her eyes, basking in the afterglow.
"Thank you for convincing me to sleep with you," she mumbled. "That was… incredible."
"I should be thanking you," he said, after a moment. "I think that was the most enjoyable sex I've had in the longest time."
She lifted herself off of him so she could see his face. He looked mildly confused. She tried not to roll her eyes.
"I don't know if I should feel flattered or upset that you are surprised that sex with me was good. Especially since this was your idea."
Realizing she was looking at him, he fixed his face so that it reflected the self-assured vampire once more.
"Don't take it personally, darling. I've had sex with lots of people I found attractive who ended up disappointing me. Good looks don't always equal a good bed partner."
"Technically, we didn't do it in a bed. So we've yet to know if we're good bed partners. Floor partners - yes."
He rolled his eyes at her. "I'll think twice, then, about asking you to sleep with me in a bed."
"That's very wise of you."
He hid a smile and nudged her in the ribs. "Come. We should rinse off before heading back."
After a quick wash in the pool, they dried themselves off, dressed and headed back out of the cave and towards camp. When they got there, it appeared everyone else had gone to bed already. Astarion exchanged a confused look with her, but she smiled brightly in return. They had trusted her enough to not worry about her and Astarion being alone. In turn, it meant they trusted him, as well.
He rolled his eyes at her and led her over to her tent. Now that she was recovering from her pleasure high, she felt a little awkward and wasn't sure what she should say to him. It felt odd to not say anything. She didn't really worry about niceties with people she slept with in the past, but they had all been one-night stands. Even if they never had sex again, Astarion would still be by her side. When she grabbed the flap to her tent, he turned to leave.
She blurted out, "Thanks again… for tonight. I had fun."
He turned back towards her, but didn't face her fully. "It was my pleasure. I also… had fun." He nodded his head. "Sweet dreams, darling."
And then he was gone.