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Astarion swallowed around his sore throat and sharply exhaled. It’d been a bit since Gale left and the spawn just felt more and more like shit the longer he was gone.
Granted, he knew he was being a handful but this magical sickness sucked and he wanted Gale to actively hold him, not be next to him while he read a book. Astarion only had to sniff a little bit louder when he noticed the wizard’s attention stray away. But then Gale left to go sleep somewhere else.
The spawn only watched him leave, noticing the frustration in his body language and not wanting to make it worse. But Astarion didn’t want him to leave! He just wanted to be held and maybe have Gale run his hands through his hair and talk softly to him. He wanted to be comforted.
Astarion burrowed a bit more under the covers so only his eyes could be seen and stared longingly at the empty doorframe.
He felt a barely there whine rumble from his throat on his next exhale. It left him without his permission but Astarion felt like absolute shit. And not just from the ailment he was currently suffering from. He drove Gale away.
Astarion turned and dragged the other’s pillow to his chest, trying to find any kind of comfort, any way to convince his mind that the wizard was still with him. It didn’t work. Sure, it still smelled of him but it didn’t have the everlasting warmth he craved at this moment. Well, he craved it all the time but especially right now.
Burning that had nothing to do with his blocked sinuses brought attention to the tears that were starting to fill his eyes again.
Astarion sniffed as he buried his face into the pillow.
He wanted Gale.
Astarion wasn’t sure how much longer he was blankly staring at the door for when he finally noticed a figure in it. He couldn’t trance comfortably and sleeping was evading him as well. The amount of guilt for driving Gale away with his need sat heavily in his chest. But Astarion found he couldn’t do much aside from looking at the wizard who was watching him with his own sad look.
Gale made his way over to the bed and immediately got in beside his sick partner. He pulled the cool body to his own and tried to ignore his own guilt when Astarion immediately burrowed into the warmth, “I’m sorry.” What else could he say? He wanted to get a night’s rest without being woken up to loud sniffs and whining?
Gale had already been running on little rest and he was frustrated and tired. But seeing those teary, sad eyes staring from the bed made him realize how callous he was being.
Astarion was quiet. Worryingly quiet, “Star?” Gale ran a hand through the other’s hair and felt the tense shoulders relax. Before immediately tensing again and sneezing against his shoulder. Gale winced at the sudden wetness that started to seep through his clothing.
Astarion whined, ”I’m sorry!” Hands went to try to clean it clumsily and Gale gently took them and shushed the spawn, “‘M gross ‘nd I made you gross-” Astarion said quietly.
Gale would have normally found the lack of poise hilarious but knew the other was genuinely upset, “It’s completely okay, Astarion. You’re sick, you’re allowed to be gross.” He held the other’s face and kissed the forehead, “I adore you irregardless of your gross factor.”
“...Even when I mess up?”
Gale pulled the sick rogue more tightly against him, “You know? Especially when you mess up. Now rest, love.”
Astarion hummed and rubbed his face against the dry part of Gale’s shirt. He felt a comforting lethargy fall over his mind and he finally relaxed into a restful trance, surrounded by warmth.