Love's Bite | Astarion x Tav Fanfic

Astarion's Choice

We proceeded forwards, ready for whatever lay ahead. As we descended the stairs, the vast expanse of the dungeon became apparent. How this was under the mansion puzzled me, it had to extended off Cazador's property.
My eyes then focused on the centre platform in front of us. There stood Cazador, as well as Astarion's siblings, surrounding him. They were incapacitated, hovering above multiple little platform on the edge of the centre one. They were spread out in a circle. Complete darkness enveloped a chasm beneath them. I didn't want to think about what would happen if one of us fell down there.

As we made our way to the bottom of the steps, Cazador turned to face us.
"Who stands before us? Is it truely the prodigal son?" Cazador asked.
I felt a rush of disgust overwhelm me.
I shifted my gaze to Astarion. I'd never seen such hatred on his face.
"Do not slouch before me, boy! Have you no respect for yourself? Look at you, crawling back after abandoning your family. You should be begging for forgiveness," Cazador said.
He paused, inviting an opportunity to speak.
I stayed silent. This was Astarion's fight. He had to stand up for himself to see that ascension wasn't necessary for his survival.
"Forgiveness? You've never forgiven anything," Astarion spat.
A sadness drew across his face, "every mistake. Every slip up was punished."
I could hear the pain in his voice.
"I strove for perfection in all things - even those as imperfect as you. A pity you amounted to so little, despite my efforts," Cazador baited him.
"No! No, fuck you and everything you've ever done to me."
Finally I stepped in, Cazador wanted to rile Astarion up, and try to shift the power dynamic.
"We're here for justice. You're going to pay," I said.
"I will not speak to cattle. This is between me and the boy," Cazador said.
"You son of a bitch," Astarion said.
Before I could react he charged at Cazador and attempted to throw a punch.
With the wave of his staff, Astarion's fist froze in place, just before reaching Cazador's face. I could see infernal writing circling around his fists.
"You truly forgot my power? You truely thought our bond as creator and creation was all that stopped you from killing me. You are weak, my child. You are a small and pathetic boy who never amounted to anything."
Cazador looked past Astarion and straight at our group.
I frowned, watching as I calculated what the best move was.
"But today, you'll finally do something worthwhile. You will burn and I will ascend."
With the wave of Cazador's staff, Astarion was flung to one of the smaller platforms like his siblings. His shirt was removed, exposing his scars.
I don't remember what happened for a while after that. It was all a blur. The one thing that played in my mind was what would happen if I didn't save Astarion. If there was a slim chance I'd survive my battle with Odin, I needed him to be on the other side of that.
Rage enveloped me. I used every bit of arsenal I had. Cazador was strong. But I was simply stronger. It wasn't physical strength, it was mental. My brain was moving a thousand miles a minute trying to calculate the best way to save Astarion. By the end of it, I watched this pathetic man crawl his way back into his coffin, retreating to regain some sort of strength.

Astarion and his siblings fell to the ground. I ran over to him.
"Are you okay?" I asked, examining him.
"I'm fine," he said as he got to his feet.
Astarion made his way to the coffin and pushed the lid off.
"No, no. No healing sleep for you. Wake up," he said.
With all his strength, he grabbed Cazador and pushed him to the ground.
The master lay there vulnerable.
"Get your hands off me worm," Cazador said.
"I'm not the one in the dirt," Astarion said, grinning.
He picked up Cazador's blade.
"One last thrust and I'll be free of you. I'll never have to fear you again."
Cazador trembled slightly.
"But if I finish the ritual, I'll never have to fear anyone. Ever again."
Alarm bells rang in my head. He couldn't. This was wrong.
"You think me a fool? That I would allow anyone to unsurp me, speak the words and ascend in my place? The runes I carved bind you and all seven thousand souls to the ritual. Complete it and those baring the scars will be sacrificed. You included. You are simply a means to so end. I made you to be consumed."
"I am much more than what you made me," Astarion said.
I smiled. He was finally getting it.
Astarion turned to me, " I can do this but I need your help."
"Didn't you hear him, if you complete the ritual you will be sacrificed too."
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing it," he responded.
He smiled.
It pained me to say no, but I had to.
"If I help you, it will kill all these people," I said.
"The people died years ago. Trust me on that. All that's left are feral spawn, desperate for blood. If we release them, how many will they kill? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands?"
I frowned, thinking of what to say.
"But if they die and l ascend, I won thave to rely on the parasite to walk in the sun. I'll be free - truly, completely free. Isn't that what you want?" He watched me, eyes pleading.
I looked into his eyes and connected my parasite with his.
He was scared, but that fear was overshadowed by a lust for power. Almost intoxicating. Astarion saw the ritual as a means for him to be free, and the power that would ensure he would never be degraded again.
"I know you think this power will set you free but it will only trap you. Like it's trapped Cazador," I said.
I could feel a lump in my throat forming. Would Astarion still love me after this?
He frowned, but then his face softened, "you-you're right. I can be better than him."
Then a smile grew across his face, "but I'm not above enjoying this."
Cazador cowered as Astarion raised his dagger and stabbed his master, over and over again.
Screams echoed in the chasm.
After Cazador was dead, Astarion collapsed to the ground and began to sob.
I stepped forward, unsure whether to help him as he wept. He needed his space. But I didn't want him to feel alone. 200 years of trauma was flooding out. How could anyone fathom that alone?
I slowly approached him, and simply put my hand on his shoulder.
Astarion knew he wasn't alone, and we his sobs died down, he touched my hand with his.
"Is it....over?" A female vampire spawn approached.
Astarion rose, "yes. He's gone."
"What does that mean for us?" A young male spawn asked.
"You're free. You can do whatever you want", I said.
"That sounds terrifying but there's opportunity in that. You can hide here in the shadows or you can be more than what he made you. You can choose differently of course but the consequences are on your heads," Astarion said.
"And what does that mean for them?" The female spawn asked.
"Ah now that's a question," Astarion glanced at the ground then approached Cazador's staff.
"Let's release them," I said.
My party looked at me as if I were daft.
"A herd of vampire spawn unleashed on the sword coast? What could go wrong?" Lae'zel said sarcastically.
"No they're right. The poor wretches in the cells are innocent, they shouldn't have to suffer because I lured them here," Astarion agreed with me.
He picked up Cazador's staff and waved it around. I heard the distant sound of locks clicking. It echoed through the chasm.
"Send them to the Underdark," I told Astarion.
"They'll need someone to lead them. Take the tunnels into the Underdark, find somewhere.... well, not safe, but less perilous?" He asked his siblings.
"What? No, we can't," the male spawn protested.
"Just do it and try to keep out of trouble. It's your best option," Astarion said.
His siblings nodded and departed.
"I think we're done here," Astarion frowned.
We left Cazador's dungeon, running into some Gur along the way. They were slightly pissed we released thousands of spawn into the Underdark, but softened to the idea when they discovered their children were amongst them.

————

Finally we returned to the Elfsong Inn. I collapsed onto my bed. I needed a minute. It could've easily gone so wrong. Astarion could've died, and I would've been alone. Or he could've ascended and become the next Cazador. My head was spinning. I began to dwell on the negative thoughts. I almost got completely caught up in them, until I realised it wasn't over yet. Astarion still needed me to be strong. He was navigating the nights prior events far more than I was. So, I rose from my bedroll and went to find him. He was nowhere to be seen.
"Gale. Did you see where Astarion went?" I asked. Gale's bed was next to Astarion's.
"I believe he said something about getting some air. Poor Astarion. I know what it's like to be under someone's influence. To a much lesser extent, don't get that wrong. I cannot imagine it to his extent. It's a completely different experience. But I hope he knows we support him."
"Thanks Gale," I said, as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He always spoke too much.
I made my way outside. The streets had settled, and the night was dark.
I found Astarion leaning against a pillar, looking up at the stars.
"How does it feel?" I asked.
"Underwhelming."
"Freedom isn't as you expected it to be?"
"It's just that I'm left here, after everything that's happened, to pick up the pieces. The revenge is over. He is dead, and I now need to start over. To rediscover who I am all over again, without him there."
"Do you want to know what I see? Someone who is strong, sassy, loyal, and beautiful, both inside and out," I said.
He laughed, "well I guess I know these four qualities about myself...."
Astarion paused before continuing, "What about all the spawn I delivered to him? That was monstrous."
"But you were under his control. That wasn't you. He made you do those things," I said.
"I know. But whether I like it or not, I carry the burden of what I've done on my back, and it's shaped who I am. I'm not the person I was before Cazador, as much as I want that nativity. I'm not the person I was during Cazador. Now I'm just here. Existing. Unsure how to navigate the world after it. I'm a new person, but a person built on the foundation Cazador created," he said sadly.
I linked my arm with his and shifted my eyes to the sky.
"Nothing stays the same. But that's just it, life's an adventure, and I'll be here to share it with you."
I didn't know if that was entirely true. Fighting Orin could kill me. Right now though, I just wanted to be with Astarion.
"Thank you for stopping me from going through with it," he said.
"I knew you'd regret it if you did."
He nodded.
"I want to show you something, come with me."
Astarion took my hand and led me through the streets of Baldur's Gate.
"Where are we going?" I asked in a whisper. I wasn't used to lurking in the shadows, it was nerve wracking.
"You'll see."
We walked a little longer until we came across the graveyard.
I remained silent, quietly wondering why we were standing in a graveyard at night.
"You were by my side through all of this. Through bloodlust and pain and misery. You were patient. You cared. You trusted me when that was an objectively stupid thing to do," he said.
I laughed, "I'm glad I did."
"I feel safe with you. Seen. And whatever the future holds for me, I don't want to lose that."
My heart leapt at the sound of the word safe.
"You won't lose me. I got you," I said. This was Astarion's moment. Plus, there was no point dwelling on the uncertainty of my fate.
"Thank you," Astarion turned to face the gravestone beside him.
"Well I should probably fix this," he said as he kneeled down and began carving a new date in the stone.
'Astarion Ancunin' it read.
This was his grave. A coldness fell over me as I realised this is where Cazador had waited for Astarion to turn.
I kneeled down beside him as he sat there thinking.
"I've been dead in the ground for long enough. It's time to try living again. With everything that life has to offer."
"Meaning.....?" I asked.
"If a night of passion is on offer, I could be persuaded," he said.
I smiled.
"I love you," I said before leaning in to kiss him.
Astarion kissed me back, then pulled away for a brief moment.
"You know. I didn't care for you when we first met. But I do now. Being with you is more that lust or manipulating you into a tactful alliance. I love you. I love this and I want you."
I could feel the heat rising in my face as he closed the distance between us. He kissed me harder than ever before. Then Astarion playfully pushed me back, and climbed on top of me, as he kissed me more. I felt his leg push against my knee. Astarion's hand moved to my blouse, and undid its buttons. Then he moved down to my pants. Did I find it a bit strange having sex in a graveyard? Yes. But given I could potentially die in my encounter with Orin, why not cross it off my bucket list?