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The Netherbrain is gone, and you are free.
After tying up loose ends, you and what remains of your party return to the Elfsong Tavern. You and Gale walk together in comfortable silence, hands intertwined. There’s a lightness to him that hadn’t been there before. He glances at you, offering a gentle smile as he squeezes your hand.
The tavern still stands, though part of the roof is missing and long cracks split the floorboards. You wander to your room. Despite not being certain you would ever see it again, your belongings remain untouched.
You begin peeling off your armor. The plunge into the Chionthar washed away some of the blood and mind flayer gore, but a faint, unpleasant scent still clings to you. Everyone cleans in near silence. not heavy or mournful, just the weight of everything settling in all at once.
Halsin and Shadowheart move quietly from person to person, tending to wounds. In the corner, you catch Gale chugging a healing potion as he ties back his damp hair, glass bottle clinking softly as he sets it aside.
Once you’re all cleaned up, unsure what to do with yourselves now that the world hasn’t ended, you drift down to the bar.
Citizens of Baldur’s Gate have already begun filing in for drinks.
Gale chuckles. “A stalwart bunch, these citizens. The world nearly ended, and already they’re lining up for ale.”
You smile. “I could use one. We did talk about celebrating, didn’t we?”
He grins, and the two of you make your way to the bar.
As the drinks begin to flow, the tavern grows louder. Cheers echo against the damaged beams. Survivors trade stories of terror and triumph.
When the sun finally sets, you’re relieved to see Astarion stumble in. You fuss over the burns along his face, but he gently brushes your hands away.
“Shadowheart will make short work of these, don’t you fret my dear,” he says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
You press a drink into his hand anyway.
Music fills the hall as instruments appear from somewhere. Halsin eventually breaks into song. Laughter swells. Shadowheart and Astarion whisper and gossip in the corner, as though they’re privately scoring the evening’s performances.
And Gale grows handsy.
His fingers trace slow paths along your thigh. His hands settle at your hips, firm and possessive. He stands behind you, pulling you close, lips brushing your ear as he murmurs things decidedly not meant for public consumption.
Heat rises in your cheeks, from the wine, from his voice, from the way he presses himself against you like he’s forgotten the rest of the room exists.
Hours pass in a blur of music and celebration until Gale suddenly tugs you into his lap.
“My love,” he murmurs against your neck, voice low and warm with drink, “I’m uncertain how much longer I can be expected to behave. Might we find somewhere… more private?”
He presses a lingering kiss to the curve of your neck. The warmth of it makes you shiver.
You give him a playful smile and nod.
You take his hand and lead him upstairs, laughter and music fading behind you. After a brief search, you find a secluded, unoccupied room.
The moment Gale steps inside, you shut the door firmly behind him and pull him toward you. The two of you stumble back against the door, lips locked together. His weight presses into you, pinning you there as the wood thuds softly behind your shoulders. His kisses are feverish now, hungry in a way that makes your pulse race.
His hand fists in the fabric of your dress, keeping your hips flush with his as though he’s afraid even an inch of space might undo him. He kisses you again, then loses himself along the line of your jaw, your throat, breath warm and uneven.
“Another minute,” he murmurs against your skin, voice rough with want, “and I would have taken you where you stood, and ceased to care who bore witness.”
A gasp escapes you as he suddenly drops to his knees.
The shift steals the air from your lungs. He gathers your skirts carefully, reverently, lifting the fabric as his lips trail downward. He presses slow, deliberate kisses along the inside of your thighs, unhurried but undeniably intent. He moves to the place that is already warm and dewy with desire for him.
He pulls his head back and looks up at you from where he kneels, lips swollen from your kisses, eyes dark and intent. The playful drunkenness is gone now. What’s left is hunger, and something almost reverent beneath it.
You reach down and cup his face. He exhales softly and presses a lingering kiss to your palm.
Then he lowers himself again, gathering your skirts carefully, pushing your underclothes aside with deliberate hands. He takes no pause as you begin to lap up your arousal
A startled, sharp gasp escapes you as sensation ripples through your body. You clutch at his shoulder for balance, fingers digging into fabric as your knees threaten to weaken.
A low groan rumbles up from his chest, the sound vibrating against you.
He vigorously swirls his tongue over you, causing you to whimper and moan. Your noise excites Gale further. He keeps you steady with one firm hand at your hip, anchoring you in place as he devotes himself to you with focused intensity. While the other is kneading his hard-on over his pants.
“Gale, I—” is all you manage before pleasure surges suddenly and fiercely, your breath breaking as your legs tremble.
Your balance falters. Gale barely has time to catch you as your knees give out, and the two of you tumble together onto the rug beside the bed in a writhing heap.
You let out a small giggle as you half-land on top of your wizard.
“Ah. Floor. Unplanned, but not unwelcome. Now then… where were we?” he says with a cheeky smile, his gaze glimmering coyly.
He shifts as though to rise, but you place your palm firmly against his chest and push him back down.
“My turn,” you murmur, a sultry curve to your lips.
All he can do is huff a quiet laugh and grin up at you.
You straddle him on the floor, leaning down to capture his mouth again. Your kisses are firmer now, your tongue chasing his with playful insistence before you begin to trail lower.
You work at the fastening of his trousers, freeing him from their confines.
You let your fingers glide over him, slow and deliberate. He exhales sharply, a shudder passing through him as your touch lingers.
Before he can fully process what you intend, you lean down and quickly place your mouth over it, swirling your tongue around the head.
“By the Weave—” Gale gasps, the oath dissolving into a broken moan. You take a deep breath though your nose. And push his erection further down your throat.
All Gale can muster is breathless moans as you work his cock up and down.
His hands find your hair instinctively, fingers tightening as sensation steals the rest of his words.
You pull away, lungs burning, brushing your thumb across your lips as you steady yourself. Gale looks completely unraveled beneath you. He paws urgently at your hips.
“Please my love, my everything. I must have you. I must be inside you,” he says panting, desperation dripping from his words.
You rise slowly, sliding your underwear down your legs before letting them fall against his chest. His gaze darkens as he takes in the evidence of just how undone you are. He lifts them just long enough to draw in a slow breath, eyes fluttering shut, before tossing them aside.
You kneel back on top of him. Lifting your hips, you tease your soaked entrance with his head. Gale whimpers trying to push up, his head craning back. You ease yourself all the way down his length. You let out a moan. Gale takes no pause to clasp your hips and begins grinding into you. You lean back holding on to his knees to steady you as you ride him. Pushing him as deep as you can stand it, his cock hitting all the places, stars fading in and out of your vision with each thrust.
Your breathless cries mingle with his, echoing through the room as restraint dissolves completely. Gale’s composure fractures into incoherent murmurs and fragmented praise as you cling to him, your hands grasping desperately at whatever you can reach. Just as pleasure threatens to tip you over, he steadies you with a firm grip, stilling your movement. He shifts beneath you, lifting himself slightly and bringing his mouth close to your ear.
“May I?” he murmurs, his voice unsteady with desire.
You nod, Gale repositions you on your knees. Realizing what he wants, you lean your front half low, arching your back to present yourself to him.
“You’re exquisite” He murmurs as he places each hand on either hip. He rubs your arousal along his shaft before he buries himself into you.
You let out a wail as he pounds you with reckless abandon.
The rug burns beneath your knees, but you stay exactly where you are. Gale reaches blindly, fingers tightening around the bedframe in front of you to steady himself, his control begins to fray. His thrusts deepen as he draws closer to release. An orgasm rips through you, whole body tightening. That’s what finally unravels him, a broken groan spilling from his throat as he empties himself into you.
You both remain there for a long moment, bodies trembling as you come down together.
Eventually, you shift, quietly cleaning up before Gale carefully scoops you into his arms and carries you to the bed. He settles you against the pillows and brushes a hand through your hair, fingertips gentle now. A soft murmur of magic leaves his lips as he casts a simple healing spell, smoothing away the burn along your knees.
“I do hope I wasn’t too uncivil with you,” he says quietly. “Something… more feral was teased out of me.”
You lean up and press a kiss to his cheek.
“I didn’t mind one bit,” you murmur. “In fact, I’d quite like to see more of that side of you.”
Gale’s answering grin is warm, touched with a blush. “I believe,” he says softly, “that can be arranged.”
The two of you lie together afterward, limbs entwined, listening to the distant music and laughter drifting up from the tavern below.