Chapter Text
Stepping off the last step into the basement of the Elfsong Tavern, Edith followed the corridor past the cellar and approached the closed door at the end of a narrow hall. The yeasty, earthy scent of the cellar mingled nicely with the smell of bergamot and rosemary that wafted from the room behind the door. The combination stirred up memories of the past, but this was different.
Hesitating for a moment, she wiped damp palms across her hips. Why was she so nervous? It's not like this was the first time, or even the tenth time she had done this. What then, made it feel so different this time?
Because my feelings have grown, and he knows – Revels in it.
“I know you are out there, Darling. Please – do come in.” she heard him call out from behind the closed door.
Cringing at having been caught lurking, she opened the door to reveal Astarion, reclined on his bed, propped up on several pillows and cupping the back of his head in interlaced fingers.
“There you are. I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, voice dripping with enticement.
Edith rolled her eyes. “Knock it off Astarion. Weren’t you ever taught not to play with your food?”
“So, tonight's special has some wit it seems! Looks like I'm in for a treat ,” he said with a laugh and rose from the bed reaching out to take her hand. “I always look forward to tasting you,” he added while bowing to kiss the top of her fingers – his cool, soft lips lingering a moment longer than would be considered proper.
Feeling flush creep up her cheeks, she mentally cursed him for being able to fluster her so easily. He knew that she still held feelings for him, and he very much enjoyed toying with that knowledge. Not cruelly, but he sure did take devious enjoyment from toeing the line at times.
“Well, I’m sure you are hungry. How would you like your meal served this week?” she asked.
Breaking out into a grin, he turned with a flourish of his hand to survey his options, raising a hand to his chin, he considered the various seating available in the room. “Well, there are so many delectable options, but none of them compare to that time –”
He stopped and slid her a thoughtful look as he considered what he was about to say. Instead, he cleared his throat, letting his hand drop from his chin to gesture at the large, tufted ottoman in front of his reading chair. “Here will do just the trick,” he finished in a chipper tone that sounded a shade too forced to be genuine.
What was that? He was about to say something lewd, but then – didn’t?
She took a seat on the edge of the tufted ottoman, leaving room for him behind her. As he settled in, she felt the cushion depress beneath his weight and then a tug on the collar of her shirt prompted her to gather her hair off to the side, leaving her neck fully exposed.
“Comfortable?” he asked with a squeeze to her upper arm.
She noticed her palms were sweaty again and placed them flat on the tops of her thighs in hopes that the fabric of her trousers would remedy the issue.
This was the part she had been nervous about. Not the fangs and bloodletting, but the closeness – it felt so intimate . The feel of his lips on her neck while he held her close. The coolness of his presence seeping into her skin, making her want to lean into him.
All of it was a reminder of how he had made her feel, back before she had broken things off. Before she knew that it hadn’t been real – not for him at least. The fact that these meetings had become the highlight of her week made it even more difficult for her to shrug off his tenacious advances.
“Edith? Are you alright?” He asked, squeezing her shoulder again, pulling her from her thoughts. "We can do this another night if you are feeling unwell.”
“I’m fine. No sense in making you wait any longer when you’ve already waited an entire week,” she said, finally finding her voice. “Besides, we're already here and…” She trailed off as their eyes met.
He’s so close – it would be so easy to just lean in and kiss those perfect lips.
A few breaths passed as she got lost in his gaze before he broke the spell by asking, “Besides, what?”
Before she could stop herself, her hand reached out to grip his upper thigh and then massaged her way down his leg to come to a rest on his knee. She blinked at him slowly before finishing the sentence, “We’re already here and – I’m ready.”
I can’t believe I just did that!
His pupils dilated as his eyes widened in surprise. Retrieving her hand from his knee, he brought it up to brush the back of her hand across his cheek before placing it into her own lap.
“Now that you’ve put it that way, how can I resist? After all, I am ravenous .” His focus slid to her neck and his eyes darkened with anticipation.
Reaching around to cradle her firmly chin, he tilted her head to the side, as he softly nuzzled the tip of his nose along her neck in search of a place that was to his liking. When he found one, he whispered into her neck. “Thank you for this.”
He always did that, and like always, it made her heart flutter.
Every time.
He bit down with a considerable amount of force before fangs pierced her skin sending what felt like an electrically charged icicle shooting through her veins. The sensation ran down her arm, across her chest and all the way to the soles of her feet, causing her to tense up.
It wasn't exactly painful, but it wasn't pleasurable either. Luckily it was short lived, and a warm numbness replaced it a moment later.
He let his grip ease and he slowly released her jaw, lowering his hand to his knee next to her thigh – where his fingers absently stroked the side of her leg for a moment before going still as he let her blood pool his mouth.
In between swallows he’d let a breath out through his nose, the force of which pushed air under the collar of her shirt to blow across her breasts igniting a warmth in her abdomen causing her breath to catch in her throat as goosebumps blossomed across her torso.
Another mouthful of blood and a rush of air was followed by a faint moan escaping his throat caused the flutter in her stomach to join the tender warmth between her legs – sending a ripple of yearning up her spine.
Keep it together Edith! Just friends. Remember?
Another rush of air cascaded down her front and the yearning morphed into full blown lust.
A strangled whimper escaped her mouth and in a desperate attempt to tether herself to reality, she reached out for the hand that had been brushing her leg a moment ago and quickly interlaced her fingers with his.
Attention drawn, she felt him pause for a moment before raising his head to look at her. “Your heart is racing.”
A rivulet of blood ran down her neck to pool in the dip above her collarbone. Noticing this he quickly applied pressure to the punctures on her neck, staunching the flow, and returned his focus to her.
“I’m fine. I promise. It was just a moment of claustrophobia,” she lied. “I just needed to ground myself. That's it.”
He continued to study her face, brows furrowed, not saying anything.
Heaving an exasperated sigh, she turned to look at him and repeated, “I’m fine . I promise, Astarion. Really!”
Apparently appeased, he returned his attention to her neck where he softly sucked on the wound to stimulate the blood into flowing again, drawing a hiss of pain from Edith. He gently squeezed her hand in apology, and she gave him a squeeze in return.
As he continued to eat, his breath resumed its assault on her front, fanning the flames of desire that steadily rose between her legs. She shifted her hips in an attempt to dissuade the sensation, but he only tightened his grip on her.
Another exhale and this time the force caused her blouse to billow out as she felt the cool air swirl around her torso, making her to shiver.
Against her neck, Astarion growled a warning for her to stay still as he continued to drink.
The vibration of his growl sparked another shudder as the edges of her vision faded, slowly growing dark.
Is it possible to faint from excessive carnal lust?
No, that's blood loss you idiot.
Oh right!
Coming to her senses, she patted his knee to signal that it was time to stop but he misunderstood the meaning, and he took her hand in his.
“No, Astarion. That's enough. You need to stop.”
“Hmm? Mmm-Hmm.” he hummed in acknowledgement and slowly pulled away from her neck.
Turning to a small side table, he pulled a small folded white kerchief from one of its drawers and handed it to Edith and said, “Hold this to your neck. It's infused with yarrow to help stop the bleeding.”
Surprised by the thoughtful gesture, she looked it over. Intricately embroidered in silver thread was a monogram in her initials – EA.
“Did you stitch this?” She asked in awe.
He smiled briefly before shrugging nonchalantly, “Oh, you know, just a hobby I picked up along the way to keep my fingers nimble.”
“Astarion, this is beautiful. I can't possibly soil this!” she protested.
He chuckled and took the kerchief from her and pressed it to the wound on her neck. “Darling, I can make you a new one every week while I waste away in this dank basement – if that is what you wish.”
Adjusting her seat on the ottoman to face him and noticed that there was a drop of blood smeared along the edge of his bottom lip. Without thinking, she reached up to wipe the blood away, but he caught her hand before she was able to make contact, brows furrowed in question.
“Sorry, you have a bit of blood - May I?” She asked self-consciously as she realized that she had touched him in more than a friendly way several times already. Which isn't something she ever did with him since they had broken things off.
Then why am I doing it now?
Without releasing her hand, Astarion nodded in consent and pressed her palm to the side of his face.
Gently she pressed her thumb to the center of his lip and as she dragged it across, it snagged, pulling it to the side, momentarily parting his lips to reveal a pointy fang before slipping free to return to its natural position.
A small speck of blood still remained, and it held her attention, as if it was demanding for her to do something about it. Unable to look away, she swallowed.
Lowering her hand from where he had been holding it against his cheek, he examined the crimson smudge on the pad of her thumb. When his mouth turned up into a sly grin it drew her attention back up to meet his gaze – which could only be described as predatory.
Oh no. I’m playing with fire.
He slowly raised her finger and took it into his mouth, lips closing around the first joint.
Her jaw dropped as she felt his tongue dart across the pad causing the lingering desire that warmed her lower abdomen to contort into a raging lust as her eyes momentarily fluttered closed.
The corners of his mouth twitched up into an amused smile and she realized that she had unconsciously bitten her lip in response to the sensation of him nibbling on her finger. While sucking, he slowly withdrew it from his mouth.
“It would have been a pity to let it go to waste – wouldn’t it?” He asked nonchalantly, meeting her gaze.
Letting out a breath that she hadn't been aware she was holding; she felt a warmth rush to her cheeks again. Looking down, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, in hopes it would distract him from noticing, but it was no use – Astarion, the vampire that he was, could smell it when she blushed.
“Clearly I didn't over imbibe if you are still capable of turning that lovely shade of red,” He teased.
“Um, it looks like I missed a bit. Right in the center…” she said, touching her own lip to show him where.
He started to reach up to wipe at the spot, but paused halfway there, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as an idea came to him. Deftly catching up both of her hands by the wrists in one of his he pinned them against her leg. She shot him a confused look but didn’t resist.
Poutily he said, “It really is a shame that, vain as I am, I can't see my own reflection to remedy the issue.”
Brows furrowed, still not quite sure what he was up to, she tried to free a hand from his grasp, but his grip tightened on her wrist keeping them in place.
“ Ah ah .” he chided, raising his brows in a mock sternness, “Clearly your hands aren't up for the task. I’m sure you can still manage though, can’t you?” His pout deepened as his focus settled on her lips. Pointedly. Expectantly.
Shit.
Suddenly a memory of a kiss they had shared in the Last Light Inn, shortly before the end of their relationship, came to mind. He had pulled her into him with a hand on her lower back, almost making her stumble. She caught herself with a hand on his chest and when she looked up at him, he looked deep into her eyes with such contentment before kissing her with a kind of hunger that she had never experienced before. It wasn't a hunger of lust though. No. It was the kind of hunger that is born of passion, the kind that blooms when you feel whole and safe.
Her heart stuttered in her chest at the thought of being kissed like that again.
This is where I get burned.
Hesitating for a moment, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The scent of rosemary and bergamot flooded her senses and it felt as if she was right back there, with him, in his arms, in the Last Light Inn.
Her eyes snapped open, when she felt his lips lightly brush hers, to see that his face was a hair's breadth from hers.
This is going to hurt.
Letting out the breath she had been holding she cautiously placed a quick, chaste kiss on his lower lip.
Astarion responded by kissing her back, fully but softly. He didn't linger, but it was an encouraging response. Inviting.
Feeling a bit more confident now, she kissed his lip again, but this time she was not quick or light about it. Opening her mouth ever so slightly, she sucked it into her mouth, pinning it between her teeth. With a flick of her tongue, she was met with a faint taste of iron that let her know that she had succeeded.
Letting out a groan as she continued to suckle, his hands moved from her wrists to her waist where he kneaded at her.
Finally, she gently released him from between her teeth and slowly returned it to him just like he had done with her finger.
Almost immediately his hand was at the nape of her neck, and he was using it as leverage to firmly press her into his kiss.
Caught off guard by the intensity of his reaction, she gasped into his mouth, and he swallowed it up hungrily and rewarded her with a deeper, more demanding kiss and she opened her mouth to him. He let out a heavy exhale through his nose along with a sound that sounded like relief and abandon combined.
His grip tightened in her hair, and he dove into her mouth at the invitation of her parted lips. His tongue found hers and she tasted him, as well as the iron of her own blood mingled together in an intoxicating blend. He continued his eager exploration of her mouth, leaving little room for her to think or even breathe. She was unable to resist – helpless.
I am lost.
Feeling her melting into him, he pulled her up into his lap, bringing their bodies even closer and crushed her into his chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. She snaked an arm up and over his shoulder to run her fingers through his soft curls and grab a fist full of his hair.
In desperate need of air, she reluctantly broke herself away from his kiss, using the grip she had on his hair to keep him from following her.
She felt him pull against the handful of hair she held and then his lips were trailing along her jaw and down the side of her neck as she gasped for breath.
Eyes closed, longing in her voice, “Astarion…,” she whispered in between deep breaths.
“Hmm?” he purred distractedly into her neck as he continued administering his affections.
He had made his way to her chest, pausing to undo several buttons to expose the swell of her breasts.
“I need to breathe,” she said airily.
Almost as if he hadn't heard her, Astarion placed his mouth on the top of one breast where she felt his tongue briefly swirl across her skin before he pulled back a short distance and then blew across her breast.
The cooling sensation of air being forced across the glistening spot he had made on her skin caused her to gasp. Her chest heaved, rising to press into his waiting pursed lips, turning it back into a kiss and drawing an approving hum that reverberated through her chest.
Lifting his head to face her again, his half-lidded eyes met her, and the room grew quiet except for the sound of Edith's breathing.
“Forgive me. After 200 years, it’s easy for me to forget that breathing is a requirement for the living, and not just a form of expression…” he trailed off, eyes briefly dropping to the collar of her shirt, before adding, “or amusement. ”
At this last part, her raised her eyebrows in confusion. What could be amusing about breathing she wondered.
She didn't have to ponder long before he continued to speak, “I do hope you wear this blouse again.” His fingers toyed with the collar of her shirt, before he added, “Please?”
He smiled at her, and in that moment, she felt as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her – fully extinguishing the fire within her.
She froze in his arms.
He was toying with her. The smile he now wore was the same one he had given her the first night they had slept together.
There you are. I've been waiting. Waiting since the moment I set eyes on you. Waiting to have you. To taste you.
Hadn't he spoken nearly the same words to her as she entered his room earlier?
He had been manipulating her then – which meant he was manipulating her now too.
I fell for his same tricks. Again.
I played with fire. What did I expect?
Abruptly, Edith rose to her feet, freeing her hand from his and turned away from him as she felt tears beginning to well up behind her eyes.
Hastily over her shoulder she said, “I have to go,” and made for the door.
“Edith?” She heard him say, confusion in his voice.
She opened the door and took a quick look back at him – stunned by her sudden departure, he was still seated on the ottoman, arm still raised from where she had slipped free of his hold.
“Edith?” he asked again, slowly lowering his arm to his lap, a befuddled expression on his face.
“Goodnight,” she choked out before slipping out the door and hurried towards the stairs.
Why did I say goodnight? It's the middle of the day.
She was halfway up the stairs by the time she heard the door to his room open and his voice call out, “Edith!”