SWEETHEARTS [flufftober]

Love Letters (Astarion)

🧡

The first gift arrived on Tav's bedroll at dawn, just as they stirred from sleep.

Their fingers brushed against soft, rolled parchment as they tossed and turned. Tav's eyes widened at the feel. After one too many near-death experiences with the animals of Faerun, Tav's tired brain automatically leapt to the most plausible-and most nightmare-inducing-answer: snakeskin.

They jolted upright, scrambling away from their bedroll, heart pounding against their ribs. There, on their bedroll, sat no snake... but, rather, a letter tied with a thin red ribbon.

All of their compatriots continued to sleep soundly, even after Tav's little outburst, so they crept quietly back to bed, pulling the bow's strings and unfurling the small scroll with careful fingers.

They hadn't known what to expect, but they never imagined the contents of the scroll would be so... aggressively romantic?

If you don't stop running headlong into battle then I will likely never forgive you. Of course, I will always rescue you - that was never a question. Still... I'll be upset about it. And that selfless thing you do when you try to make the world a better place? It's... sickeningly admirable. If you keep demanding to sacrifice yourself for the greater good, rushing blindly toward danger, then I suppose I'll just have to learn to keep up.

There is a quiet future out there for us and I plan to make it a reality.

You deserve the world and more, darling.

Tav read and reread the mysterious, unsigned message, admiring the elegant penmanship while their stomach filled with butterflies. Their hands shook. A small smile fought its way to Tav's face.

They'd never had a secret admirer before, and they certainly never expected to miraculously attain one while battling for their life against brain worms, but... it was surprisingly nice. Tav wished they knew more, wished they could ask the admirer for more details, but that was the point of not signing the letter - the secret admirer wanted to be anonymous for now. Maybe they'd reveal themselves in the future?

The mere idea of finding their secret admirer sent Tav's stomach tumbling again. They held the scroll against their chest with shaking hands, a warmth spreading through their veins. Love, or, at the very least, admiration, was rare for Tav, but the ticking time bomb of Illithid tadpoles grappled with their better judgment. Who knew how long they had left to live? Maybe a bit of romance would be warranted, considering their impending doom?

A bubble of laughter bloomed in Tav's chest, and they fought it back down.

For the first time since the mind flayer ship, the hope burning in Tav's heart didn't feel fake or forced... it felt real.

🧡

The second letter arrived a few days later, tucked into Tav's overflowing satchel.

They couldn't be sure how long it had been hidden in there among the incense and potions and spell scrolls, but it was there nonetheless, tied with another red ribbon. Upon finding the treasure, Tav smiled and glanced at their friends, who were examining a wall; Shadowheart was sure that there was something beyond it; Karlach kept offering to knock it down with a few powerful punches; and Astarion reminded everyone that they were on a deadline and didn't have time to be busting through random walls. Everyone was anxious to get the parasites out of their brains, and it tended to make them snap at each other.

"I'm just gonna-" Tav said, pointing over their shoulder toward a copse of trees that would be perfect for a moment of privacy.

Only Karlach seemed to notice their gesture and nodded at Tav.