nibbling | open post pt. 2.

[ Unfortunately for Iorveth, Astarion very much wants to participate in a 'complete upheaval' of his outfit. It's just that Iorveth's get-up is so drab, better suited to blending in with the forest than standing out in the city. And that well-worn scarf only serves to hide his face, not accentuate his sharp features. Already, Astarion is imagining a plethora of striking outfits for Iorveth. Warm browns, deep greens, dramatic blacks.

He happens to think Iorveth looks nice without any scarf at all, but that may be more because of what it represents than any true sense of fashion. His full face is something special, hidden away from the rest of the world, but Astarion gets to have it. Like any spoiled brat, he enjoys having things others don't have.

Innocently: ] Perhaps we should listen to the man. Fashion is his specialty.

[ "That it is, for over a decade running!" Figaro pipes up.

Eyes as big and round and guileless as he can make them, Astarion adds, ] I think you'd look very ravishing in an eyepatch.

[ A bejeweled one! But that may be pushing his luck. ]

You did say we would do what I enjoy — mmm, more or less. [ Pouting like the badly behaved child he is: ] You never know. It could be my last days alive.

[ Caught between a rock and a hard place, forced to say one embarrassing thing or accept a similarly embarrassing predicament. He opens his mouth, closes it－ swallows a sentence that he thinks is poorly-formed, then grinds out another one through his teeth. ]

The assumption was that I'd be the one buying clothes for you.

[ Credit where credit is due: he doesn't say "I hate that you're making me admit that I wanted to do something nice for you, you insufferable vampire." Trying to salvage an already-doomed relationship by not being a complete jackass. Figaro looks to be on the verge of providing running commentary, but Iorveth silences him with a look that could wither grass; he steps away, promising to come back with an armload of selections that the gentlemen can peruse, leaving Iorveth to contend with Astarion and his not-quite-puppy-eyes.

Ugh. Iorveth feels that familiar urge to throw his companion out of a window, but not before kissing him. Insanity continues to keep Iorveth in its vicegrip.

After a low, long sigh: ]

A pity that I owe you my life. [ Fine, in Iorvethese. ] I'm not taking the scarf off while the dwarf is in the room.

I wouldn't dream of it, [ Astarion agrees, pleased by the thought that the removal of Iorveth's face covering will be just for him. Funny, because he's rarely ever been excited by the thought of anyone removing any article of clothing for him, much less such an innocent one. ] I'd have to stab him to defend your honor, and then we'd have to get rid of the body — it's just too much work.

[ He waves a hand, scrunching up his nose as if the idea is simply inconvenient and distasteful rather than cold-blooded murder. ]

I must admit, I rather like the idea of dressing you. [ A pause, and he tilts his head, peering at Iorveth thoughtfully. ] Perhaps you'll see what I see.

[ Not conventionally beautiful in the way elves so often are, but appealing all the same. Intense, piercing. Features sharp like a knife's edge, rather than the soft, ethereal look one might expect from a wood elf. One could get cut on his glare, but that only makes his smiles more valuable.

Figaro bustles through the double doors, arms stacked high with various articles of clothing in a rainbow of shades. He sets them down on a table, separating them into two piles. "The left for the, er, fair-skinned gentleman," says Figaro, seemingly thinking better of blurting out pale. "And the right for..." A beat, as Figaro considers what descriptor to use for Iorveth. "His stony companion." ]

[ See what Astarion sees. Iorveth rolls that over in his head, contending with his own discomfort with his own face. On one hand, even if he were given some sort of magical fix for his face, he wouldn't accept it― he earned his scar, and he wouldn't replace it for the sake of vanity― but on the other, looking at it is a constant reminder of the humans who inflicted it upon him. Every time he sees his missing eye, he thinks of the man who'd taken it, his sour breath, his promise to make Iorveth ugly.

A deep breath, and he slams the door shut on that memory. Focuses on Astarion instead, on the way Astarion makes him feel, on the realization that he, for whatever reason, believes Astarion when he says that there's something worth looking at under Iorveth's scarf. It settles the familiar nausea in the back of his throat, and he leans in to press his lips to silver curls before Figaro interrupts them with his stack of colorful new clothes.

Stepping two strides away from Astarion, Iorveth offers the shopkeep a curt nod. His turn to be irritated by Figaro's inability to read the room. ]

...The black and red would suit you.

[ Glancing over at Astarion's pile, spying a decadently-embroidered jacket and pants combo in deep burgundy and satin black. Maybe a little too on-the-nose for a vampire spawn; Figaro assures him that all outfits come in different color combinations, if the style is right but the hue isn't.

Iorveth, meanwhile, picks through his selection of eyepatches. There are traditional ones with no adornments, some with gold patterns etched into them, and a few that are more like strips of cloth, like the one the little tiefling girl from the Grove'd been wearing. ]

Thoughts?

[ Astarion looks over the selection with the discerning eye of a couturier. He's immediately drawn to the embellished styles, and he picks up a patch with delicate gold chains and glittering embroidery. He looks from the patch to Iorveth and then back again. It's really more his style than it is Iorveth's, and as much as he'd love to make Iorveth sparkle against his will— he finds that, shockingly, he'd rather make him happy. That soft press of his lips to Astarion's head had felt good, and he wants it again.

He puts the eyepatch down and plucks up another one by the strap. It dangles from his fingers, far more understated but of fine make all the same. Judging by his own ensemble, Figaro would sell nothing less than the highest quality. The eyepatch is a brown so warm as to be almost cinnamon, made from a durable leather—"That's full grain, you know," Figaro points out helpfully—and only adorned by a tasteful embossing around the edge. Not nearly flashy enough for his taste, but suited to a woodland fox. ]

Figaro, darling, do get lost.

[ "I— excuse me?" Figaro furrows his brow, as if unsure of what he just heard. ]

We want privacy. Surely you've heard of the concept.

[ Figaro understands the concept, yes, but storms off in a bit of a huff, mumbling something about attitude. It's a little funny, the clash of two fussy personalities, but Iorveth can also appreciate that Astarion's haughty display was done for his benefit. He listens for the door closing behind him, and relaxes slightly for it. ]

Surprisingly good at herding sheep.

[ Amused, as he works on removing his scarf from his head. Ears first, then the rest; he shakes out his hair once it's freed from the confines of tightly-wound fabric, sifting grown-out bangs from his remaining eye. He might need a trim, soon.

Setting the shed scarf aside, he moves to where Astarion is holding his pick. Inspects it over his shoulder, humming in consideration under his breath. ]

Hm. [ A sensible choice, and probably not Astarion's first. He tries not to look as endeared as he feels, to variable success. ] Put it on me, then.

[ Aside from giving blood, it's the greatest concession that Iorveth can make: offering the ruined side of his face to someone else, not just to look at, but to interact with. Almost like a wild animal letting one specific individual scratch behind its ear. ]

[ This is all so ridiculous, this expression of intimacy through innocent gestures, but Astarion could purr regardless. He'd seen Shadowheart and Halsin before, crouched down on the outskirts of their camp with this or that woodland animal eating out of their outstretched palms. He'd never understood the appeal of gentling a feral creature until now.

An amused smile tugs at his lips. What would Iorveth think, he wonders, if he knew that Astarion imagined him as an untamed animal licking offered food from his hand? ]

Let me look at you first, [ he says, although it's closer to a docile request than his usual firm demands. He knows what it's like to have scars. Holding the eyepatch to his chest, his eyes run over Iorveth's exposed face, his dark hair.

Iorveth has nice hair, he finds himself thinking. A little long, a little unruly, but the strands look soft and inviting as Iorveth pushes them away from his face. The idea of pressing his lips to Iorveth's hair and inhaling the scent of him flits through his mind, and he's thankful their tadpoles aren't connected to transmit it unbidden. ]

Delectable, of course. [ Offered casually, as if it's a foregone conclusion.

He secures the eyepatch around Iorveth's head, taking care not to muss up his hair more than he has to. Afterward, he arranges Iorveth's hair out of his face, smoothing it down. ]

Terribly dashing. Ah, my taste is impeccable.

[ Yes, Iorveth entrusted Astarion with the task of putting on the eyepatch, but there's still a not-small part of him that goes on the defensive when Astarion opens his mouth for comment. Not a flinch, but a bracing that slowly eases as Iorveth reminds himself that this isn't a game being played, that he has no reason to believe that Astarion is flattering for gain.

"Vampires are manipulative creatures", the monster hunter'd said. Maybe so. But Iorveth leans into Astarion's clever fingers anyway, permissive, and swallows back the temptation for disbelief. (Astarion is better than what most assume about him, he thinks.) ]

Your taste is worrying. [ Iorveth corrects, though he's smiling despite it. The eyepatch doesn't cover all of the marring on his right side, and he wonders if the scar that runs from his cheek to his mouth doesn't look gruesome when he curls his lips; oh well.

The leather feels soft and comfortable on his skin. More importantly, it feels comfortable to be seen by Astarion, and that makes something in his chest ache. He leans closer, brushing their noses together before chancing a brief kiss. Who knows when Figaro will decide that his embargo has been lifted and bustle into the room with more trinkets for them to try on? ]

...Now choose something from your own pile, while I think of synonyms for "fetching".

[ He really can't stand here letting Astarion compliment him for longer than this, he might die. ]

[ After being starved of it for so long, Astarion could get used to casual affection. A treacherous prospect, knowing this has an expiration date. It's difficult to think about the future, though, when his selfishness can enjoy itself right now.

He turns to the pile set out for him. Figaro obviously knows a man of fashion when he sees one, even in Gale's awful tunic; the neatly folded clothing befits an aristocrat, all with fine needlework and materials. As he sifts through the selection, he rattles off, ] Alluring, ravishing...

[ Deciding on the red-and-black outfit Iorveth had commented on earlier, he slips Gale's now tattered tunic off and slides his arms through the sleeves of the garment. As he works on fastening the buttons down the front, he adds, ] Loin-tingling...

[ All right, he can't quite imagine Iorveth talking about the tingling of his loins, but it's an option nonetheless. ]

[ An audible snort, at "loin-tingling". ]

Admit it, you'd hate it if that was how I described you.

[ He makes that assertion with a level of confidence, as he readjusts his eyepatch and steps back for a better vantage point from which to observe Astarion in his new clothes. The antique gold embroidery frames him nicely, and the burgundy fabric looks even more vivid against his pale skin. The jacket tapers in the middle, with a thin belt pulling everything nicely inwards.

Iorveth thinks about Astarion's waist size again. Bad idea. What did he just say about loin-tingling being horrible??? Ugh.

He tries to adjust the tall mirror situated in the corner of the room, then. Duh. Realizes that it won't show Astarion's reflection, so: ]

...Do you want to see?

[ Tapping his temple. He should probably be less cavalier about using a mind flayer parasite to fuel Astarion's vanity, but it hasn't killed them thus far. ]

[ He admits no such thing, although it's close enough to the truth as to be fact. Not loin-tingling, no, but something with feeling. Something that suggests he wasn't the only one to replay the memory of them lying fully-clothed together on the bed, a respectful two inches apart, like it was risqué and salacious. Ah, but beggars can't be choosers, and he's surely a beggar. Any praise will have to satisfy him.

Astarion laughs softly under his breath when Iorveth approaches the mirror, although he makes no attempt to stop him. All the more reason to have kicked Figaro out; it wouldn't do to have him realize that his newest customer lacks a reflection. ]

Yes, [ comes quickly, greedily. Then: ] —Wait.

[ He smooths down his newly donned jacket and pats his hair, feeling for out of place strands. After a moment of arranging his hair just so, he allows the tadpole to reach out for its kin like it's been longing to do since their last connection. A surprise even to him, he realizes that he feels less afraid of Iorveth stumbling upon something he doesn't want him to see, less guarded. The walls of his mind remain up, as he imagines they always will, but perhaps lowered, less fortified. ]

All right. You can show me now.

[ A few adjustments, and Iorveth sets himself up to be Astarion's mirror when given permission to connect their tadpoles. The process is easier than he remembers: no whiplash indignation from Astarion when Iorveth pushes their awareness together, no immediate jockeying for more mental real estate. Unlike giving blood, Iorveth doubts he'll ever really acclimate to the feeling of the parasite hivemind.

Also, it's hard to control sensory output, especially when it's happening in real time. He manages to share the objective view of what he's seeing in front of him, which is Astarion in his new jacket, as pretty as he's expected to be in gilded finery; he also manages to share his subjective opinion on it, which translates as a slow-spreading warmth starting from his chest to the back of his throat, a gentle hike in temperature, an angry-affectionate spike of emotion. Feelings without sound, until it takes shape in the Aen Seidhe word for enchanting.

A long time ago, he'd said that he has no time for poetry. Oh well. He lets that word sit in his consciousness anyway, lets Astarion feel it instead of saying it out loud. The sentiment is shared in their mindmeld, like a featherlight blanket wrapped around their brains. Gentle, but intensely obvious.

He just stands there for a bit, thinking very loudly. Then: ]

You look fetching.

[ An understatement, by every metric. It's meant to be funny, but it's debatable how well the joke lands. ]

[ Despite the risk of mental disclosure, he likes being inside Iorveth's mind. Always has, from the very first. It's thrilling to even partially inhabit a body that hasn't betrayed him in every possible way, one that's electrifyingly alive. He tries his best to focus on the background sensation of blood rushing, a heart beating, lungs breathing— but it soon gives way to feelings in the foreground.

Astarion is, objectively, good-looking. He's known this since long before Iorveth ever showed him, one of the few memories left from his time as a mortal the impression that he was handsome enough to get away with things that the less aesthetically gifted couldn't. It's still strange to see the facts of it, though; his ears stick out of his curls in a way he didn't intend, and he lifts a hand to touch the tips self-consciously. He turns his head, then, tugging at his collar to reveal the two puncture marks at his throat.

It's so obvious. He can't believe he ever thought he wouldn't be found out when he was walking around sporting this.

A little flash of embarrassment at trying to hide his unmistakable vampirism cuts through the link, but it's quickly overshadowed by the pleasure of Iorveth's affection. The prickle of anger makes his mouth twitch in amusement. Iorveth must hate that he doesn't hate Astarion. A narcissistic pride swells up in him at making Iorveth like him against his will and all better judgment. ]

I do.

[ Conceited to the very end. His eyes flick to Iorveth's. So red. Just another way Cazador changed him forever. A finger plays with the curls at the nape of his neck, idly nervous, and he swallows. ]

Do you want to see how I see you?

[ It's an offer more exposing than stripping down naked. ]

[ Red eyes, bite mark, pale skin. It's amazing what many people will ignore when it comes in such a pretty package, but then again, they did all meet in broad daylight.

Iorveth keeps his eye on Astarion, allowing Astarion to make the most of their mental link despite the fact that it means he has to stare, and has to keep feeding subtle emotional pulses that boil down to you are so annoyingly beautiful, I'm fond of you, and the occasional I want to put my hands on your waist, which are retracted into the recesses of his mind as quickly as they try to resurface. It's important to Iorveth that Astarion sees, given two hundred years of the destruction of his self.

What Iorveth doesn't expect is the return offer. Astarion is usually so reticent to share, and now he's asking if Iorveth will be open to accepting what he perceives, which is...

...Well. He thinks his opinion loudly enough that Astarion should feel this, too. Surprise interlaced with that stillsame fondness, stronger this time. ]

―Yes. If you're offering. [ Another instance in which "no" would be cruel. Iorveth realigns his posture, folds his arms, and angles his head. ]

Obviously I'm offering, [ comes his clipped response, tetchy not out of any real anger but nerves. He catches himself after a moment and softens. ] —All right.

[ The thought of sharing his perception, his thoughts—god forbid, his feelings—is intimidating, to say the least, but there's a comfort to knowing that it was his idea. His choice. An offer that he can snatch away at a moment's notice, if he decides to.

Like a soldier lowering the gate to a fortress, the veil keeping Iorveth out drops slowly, hesitantly. It's purely visual at first, as if Astarion is purposefully suppressing any strong emotion that might transmit unwillingly. Iorveth in his new eyepatch, scar cutting into his top lip, hair untrimmed. High cheekbones, a sharp jaw. Soft lips. It doesn't require any effort to keep his eyes on Iorveth, even if he has to stare. He likes to look. ]

Very rugged, [ he says, mouth quirking up. There's a small feeling of fond warmth, then, subdued. Smothered, really, as if it's being forbidden to reach its true heights. ]

[ The process of sharing is just as revealing as the eventual offering of heavily-smothered feelings. Astarion is still reticent, and Iorveth doesn't mind that－ there's something endearing about that, too. Coveting something so much and holding it so tightly that coals become diamonds in that pressurized grip.

Iorveth doesn't think he's much to look at, still, but it's the act of being seen combined with that low-humming warmth that really, truly matters. It feels like something real and incontrovertible. ]

I'll need to cut my hair again, [ he says, because it's the thing that matters the least; Astarion can feel everything else that's actually relevant. He can also see what's really relevant, which is himself reflected in Iorveth's mind's eye, the details getting closer as Iorveth approaches. The way silver catches the pale-yellow light of the boutique lamps, the sculpted angles of his face, the elegant bridge of his nose.

The tadpole pulses in their heads, Iorveth's sending a clear signal that he wants to touch, to breach the gap. His vision crowds and blurs as he gets closer, his one eye reaching the limits of its focus, noses almost touching－

－and there's a sharp knock at the door again, hard dwarf knuckles against varnished wood. "Have you finished changing, gentlemen? Is everything in the right size? I found some very nice leather accessories that might interest you!"

The leather accessories can go to hell, actually. ]

[ Uncontrolled excitement floods the link before he can even think to suppress it, every dead cell in his body suddenly alive with wanting — and then it's over, Astarion instinctively severing their connection like a skittish animal alarmed by Figaro's return. It's one thing to let his guard down when they're alone, but quite another when they're not.

Grumbling in disappointment: ] You should have left him paralyzed.

[ "Gentlemen?" Figaro repeats.

Astarion takes a step away, turning the mirror away so as not to panic Figaro with his lack of reflection. It's an entirely self-serving act. Figaro's feelings couldn't matter to him less, but it would really be a hassle to kill him now, and he'd hate to get blood all over his new jacket. ]

Yes, gods, come in already. [ Under his breath, he adds, ] No sense of timing...

[ Iorveth has a feeling that this is going to happen with increasing frequency if Astarion continues to commit the heinous crime of making Iorveth like him more. A daunting thing to consider.

Figaro, not at all clueless (he simply cannot have another instance of customers getting frisky in his boutique, it happens far more often than people would assume), bustles inside with his armload of armbands and straps and bracers, laying them out on the room's big table with an infuriating lack of concern for his customers' irritation. He compliments Astarion's jacket ("a splendid choice, though I think we could change the color－ we've all had enough of red today"), and flits around him, obviously finding him a more interesting (and more lucrative) customer to shower attention on.

Figaro isn't wrong. Iorveth finally starts looking through his own selections, and predictably chooses the garments in his usual color palette: green. Nothing with a high collar, nothing too form-fitting. The Wavemother Collection was bad enough for his sanity.

Pulling off his ruined shirt, he slips into a long-sleeved cream-grey tunic and layers a moss-green vest on top of it. Ties it all inwards with a dark leather belt, which is－

－well, it's very Wood Elf. Practical. Iorveth shoos Figaro away from his attempts to sell Astarion the entire store, and this time, when Iorveth exiles him, Iorveth locks the door from the inside. ]

Privacy is hard-earned in these cities.

[ Astarion laughs dryly; it's truer than Iorveth thinks, with privacy a rare treasure to come by for him. His time in Baldur's Gate has been spent alone in spirit but in truth always around someone or another who didn't care: his marks, his master, his siblings. He'd preferred his scarce moments of solitude, but he's never wanted to be alone with someone else. Not until now. ]

Oh, you've no idea.

[ His eyes rove greedily over Iorveth's new clothes. They're nothing he'd pick out himself, lacking all the flair and pizzazz he gravitates toward, but they're distinctly Iorveth, and for that he's charmed. (Ugh, it's horrible. Iorveth has him liking boring clothes.) Taking a step closer, he reaches out to adjust Iorveth's vest. The fabric feels soft and smooth against his fingers, the garment obviously high-end even in its woodsiness. ]

You look fetching. [ His voice has a teasing lilt, but the compliment is genuine all the same. ] Green is your color, I think.

[ There are little alterations that'll have to be made to the clothes: the sleeves of the shirt are too short, the vest too long. Styled for a human body. Still, Astarion might've noticed that everything Iorveth wears is ill-fitting－ mostly because his collection of things have been ransacked from human soldiers he's killed up North－ and this is a marked improvement over that. ]

I'd thought you'd want to stuff me into brocaded doublets and gold-trimmed cloaks.

[ Putting one hand on Astarion's waist, just because the impulse wins out. Delayed gratification. The touch only lasts a moment before he retracts it, not out of any shyness but more out of self-restraint. (He still wants the discount on these clothes, which Figaro may or may not retract depending on circumstances.) ]

You're meant to be enjoying yourself, you understand.

[ A light drawl, accompanied by the slightest uptick of the unscarred side of his face. ]

Edited 2024-07-31 03:29 (UTC)

Hmm, [ he hums doubtfully. ] If this were all for my enjoyment, you'd be wearing less clothing.

[ Instead, he's touching Astarion over the clothes for a split second like some sort of repressed monk. Unwillingly, though, he finds the restraint endearing. He's spent so much time being pawed at and slobbered on that Iorveth's gentle, innocent touches are a breath of fresh air. Doesn't mean he isn't currently fantasizing about putting his tongue in Iorveth's mouth and his hands up that boring cream shirt, of course. He's not gentle or innocent, and he's certainly not restrained.

He leans against the table, then, the tip of his fang pressed against his lower lip in thought. A moment later, he grins impishly. ]

Brocade and gold would look rather enchanting.

[ He turns, rifling through the collection of clothing until he finds something suitably Astarion, and very much not Iorveth. While the shirt is still green, it's a deep emerald rather than the subdued mossy color of the vest Iorveth had chosen. The fabric is silky smooth as he rubs a thumb across its intricately-patterned surface, the buttons so shiny as to be glimmering.

As he holds it out for Iorveth to put on, he teases, ] Do take it off slowly. For my enjoyment.

[ He takes the proffered shirt and holds it up, laughing under his breath in dry disbelief (the same reaction he has to wearing less, though the suggestion makes his blood run warmer). ]

What an Aen Seidhe would wear if they were being married off.

[ Is his observation, before rolling his eye at the suggestion to strip. ] Ridiculous, [ he says, which is just his way of asserting self-awareness before he does something stupid, just so he can snap back if someone calls him out. A much gentler version of "I'll kill you if you insult me", because he does not, in fact, actually want to kill Astarion anymore. That's growth.

Setting the garment down, he undoes the clasps of his vest and peels it off; this isn't done slowly. The shirt, however, shrugs off more methodically: a slow stretch of arms and torso, a careful lift to pull delicate fabric up over broad shoulders, a purposeful dip and curl to make sure that the collar doesn't snag against the new eyepatch.

He drops the discarded shirt onto a basket, rolling both his tattooed and bare-skinned shoulder. He extends his arms in a silent well?, and allows a few beats for Astarion to consider before starting to pull Astarion's choice on. It's so soft that he's afraid it'd tear immediately if he tries to fight in it. ]

Help me with these buttons, [ he suggests, despite not needing the help in the least. ]

[ He leans back against the table again, legs crossed at the ankle, watching as Iorveth undresses. His pupils are large like a playful kitten's, his metaphorical tail practically swishing with mischievous focus. Once Iorveth has rid himself of his shirt, Astarion's eyes rake over the exposed skin with shameless abandon, trailing down his tattooed neck to his muscled shoulder and the plane of his stomach until he reaches Iorveth's waistband.

The sight alone makes him feel a little warm under his stuffy jacket collar, but it's made all the better by the knowledge that Iorveth found his demand ridiculous and did it anyway. The elf he met tendays ago would have denied him outright and probably insulted him in the process. It feels a bit like having a wild, vicious beast come at his call and curl up in his lap. Not tamed, exactly, but perhaps pacified. ]

I should make you say please.

[ Oh, but then he really wouldn't be able to control himself. He pushes himself away from the table and approaches Iorveth, fingers trailing over the ornamental gold buttons. The edges are finely scalloped, and he runs the pad of his thumb against them. ]

But I suppose I'll let it pass this time. It could be your last days alive, too.

[ Deftly, he fastens each button, unnecessarily smoothing out the glossy fabric with his palms when he's done as an obvious excuse to touch Iorveth. ]

Mm. Aren't you appetizing?

[ It's a good thing that their minds aren't linked― there would've been no way for Iorveth to hide the knife-jab jolt of heat that blooms when palms rake down his chest. Inside him, there are two wolves (foxes?) fighting for dominance: one says be angry at Astarion for making you want him, and the other says accept that you are going to want Astarion like this.

Iorveth has no idea which wolf (fox?) wins, but he decides to reach forward to grip Astarion's waist with both hands, wrinkling indulgently expensive fabric between callused fingers. The hold isn't tight or especially insistent, but importantly, it stays. ]

Do you want me to keep these ridiculous clothes on or not.

[ Being boorish about lust disagrees with Iorveth, but he isn't precious about being physical; just in case Astarion hasn't gotten the memo, Iorveth thinks that now is a prudent moment to let him know that, yes, there's interest. He wouldn't actually mind doing what Figaro fears most, which is using these high-quality garments as cushioning for Astarion's back if he decides to push him onto the nearest flat surface.

A sigh, and he mutters something in Aen Seidhe under his breath. His thumb travels under the hem of Astarion's shirt, drawing small circles on his skin. It's barely mid-morning, and Astarion is already inspiring him to make poor choices. Incredible. ]

[ You know I hate when you say things I can't understand, he should say but doesn't. He's too preoccupied with the feeling of Iorveth's thumb tracing circles on his bare skin. The touch is faint, nothing compared to the hands everywhere that he's used to, yet it's ten million times more thrilling for its slightness. His own hands slide down to fiddle absentmindedly with the silky hem of Iorveth's shirt, feeling the delicate fabric between his fingers.

His body couldn't be more in favor of the idea, every nerve ending standing at rapt attention. His mind is— nervous. Excited. Both at the same time. Iorveth has gone so long not seeing him this way, with no pressure, no expectations. What will he think of Astarion now? Will he be disgusted by how used up he is? At the same time, he can't recall a time before that someone touched him and he actually felt want; the feeling is a high better than any drug, better than blood.

A split second of hesitation, then, ] I can work around them, but I'd hate for them to get messy.

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