Bloodlust

Chapter 3

a/n - smut :)

Nithza sleeps surprisingly well, though she's still plagued my nightmares. Despite her horrific dreams, she awakens feeling refreshed, and her body and mind are much better off for it. She smiles to herself as she remembers Astarion sitting in her tent the night before, his soft whispers as he helped her control her breathing. She wonders why he'd taken such a sudden interest in her well-being, but is nonetheless grateful for it.

She sits up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then she peeks out of her tent to see if she can catch a glimpse of him.

As she scans the campsite, she spots Astarion outside of his own tent, sharpening his blades. He looks up, evidently hearing her stir, and a smirk forms on his face.

"Good morning," he says, standing up and striding over to her tent. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, actually. Thank you," she says, her tone conveying her gratitude. Her eyes scan his features, taking in the glow of his pale skin and his feathery hair in the morning sunlight. She wonders if he'd always been so beautiful, even before he was a vampire.

Astarion's smirk grows wider as she stares at him, "You're welcome, my sweet. Anything to be of service." He pauses for a moment, his eyes flicking over her features. "You know, you look positively radiant this morning. I dare say that you're even more beautiful than usual."

She blushes at his words, feeling embarrassed that she'd been caught staring, and she can feel the tips of her ears getting hot. "Trying to flatter me now?" She asks, chuckling awkwardly.

He shrugs, a playful glint in his eyes, "Is it working?"

He leans closer to her, his voice lowering to a whisper. "In all seriousness though, I mean what I said. You truly are a sight to behold."

He pulls back, his eyes still fixed on her face, as if he's trying to gauge how well his charms have worked on her.

"You're really turning up the charm this morning," she says, still laughing. "I don't know how much longer I can hold out," she jests.

He chuckles, "Why hold out at all, darling? You're a skilled and beautiful woman, and I find myself drawn to you in so many ways." He leans in closer, his breath warm on her cheek. "Why don't we spend some time together today, just the two of us? We could explore the nearby caves and see what we can find..."

She feels a rush of excitement at his words, considering what might happen if the two of them get the chance to be alone. "I think I'd like that," she says, her thrill growing by the second.

Astarion smiles, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Excellent. I'll make the necessary preparations, and then we can set out." He leans in and brushes his lips against her cheek, a barely-there touch that sends shivers down her spine. "I can't wait to see what kind of trouble we can get into," he purrs, before turning on his heel and sauntering off to get his gear.

Nithza closes her tent flap, her head spinning from his touch, and leans back into her bedroll, covering her face as she stifles a giggle. The idea of spending the day with him had her giddy, and she looked forward to it. She gets her gear together as quickly as she can, then exits her tent, searching for Astarion, who's standing at the edge of the camp, his gear already packed, waiting for her to join him. He seems to be in high spirits, his trademark smirk still adorning his face.

"My dear, you look fantastic," he says, his eyes fixed on Nithza's face as she walks toward him, "Shall we be on our way?"

He offers her a hand, his touch sending electricity through her body. For a moment, they linger there, their eyes locked in an intimate moment. But then, Astarion breaks away and begins leading the way towards the nearby cave system.