Little Random Imagine
Ok, so I got dragged into the Astarion obsession and I can’t seem to get out (guys he lives rent free in my head help-) and started to come up with scenarios. I don’t if it’s just me but I love Sports AUs. Maybe it’s because I was on a team in highschool, but I love them. But like. Imagine Astarion on a sports team (I think he would do like fencing or volleyball) and your Tav would be on another sports team in the school or from another rival school. The potential my dudes! I came up with something inspired by my OC that I ship with Astarion. Be free to insert you Tav if you would like.
• Start of the tournament is today and everyone is a little stressed. But of course not Astarion. Why should he? He was the star setter, known for his clever plays and unexpected setter dumps that get the blockers fuming.
• Why would he be freaking out that this was a chance to show off his skills? That he didn’t get on the team because of connections but that he earned this spot? That he didn’t need to use underhanded methods to win?
• That if they did well this first game they would keep advancing? That he could show his old coach he wasn’t a pawn to shove around and use?
• That if Astarion’s team won these two games they would most likely end up facing against his old team?
• Astarion would eventually have to face his old abusive coach Cazador and his old teammates. He would show Cazador he was better off without him.
• Of course Astarion wasn’t nervous.
• He was brought out of his thoughts when he spies his favorite little basketball player along with the others from her team.
• “Well, if it is not our darling Tav. Come to watch me play did you?”
• “Shadowheart and Lae’zel got into another fight over who would get the ball and Karlach accidentally broke the rim when making a slam dunk. Coach decided it would be better if practice ended early.”
• Karlach informed them she would be the loudest one on the bleachers cheering for them. Shadowheart wished them to do their best. Lae’zel glared, saying if they lost it would be an embarrassment to the school.
• Gale said that their words of encouragement are all greatly appreciated.
• Astarion looked over to Tav. “And what about you, Darling? You have yet to give any inspiring words to spur us on to victory. Or you could at least give me a good luck charm.” He taps his cheek and turns it toward her, giving a teasing smile.
• Tav just tilts her head, confused.
• “Why would I give you a good luck charm?”
• And Astarion laughs it off, assuring it’s just a joke. He knows she didn’t mean for the comment to come off as rude, but the refusal still stung. They only had just become friends after all. He couldn’t expect them to be close despite the amount of time they spent together.
• But Tav wasn’t finished speaking. “I mean, luck doesn’t really exist. And even if it did, you would be the last person that needs it.”
•She remembers how she first saw Astarion, surrounded by fans fawning for his attention. Seemingly arrogant and full of himself. He was someone Tav thought she would never interact with.
•Then she saw him play. She saw how he became fully immersed in the game, watching the ball with a hunger and ready to strike.
•While staying late to clean up the gym, she caught him practicing alone. Perfecting his sets to make sure each one was accurate for Halsin and Wyll to spike. Countless hours spent to make sure his jump serve would be impossible to return.
•Tav leaves a water bottle for him and goes back to cleaning.
•A week later she tosses balls for him to set. He in turn helps her with her layups. They end up talking outside of their practices, and they end up forming a hesitant friendship.
• “You have practiced harder than anyone I’ve seen. I have watched you toss that volleyball for hours on end. If anyone deserves to be on that court, it’s you. No doubt about it. And when you win, because you guys will win this game, and the next, I’ll be standing in the bleachers right next to Karlach applauding your victory.”
• Tav then reaches for her ponytail and slips off her hairtie. She holds out her hand, silently asking for Astarion’s arm.
•He wordlessly lays it against her palms.
•”But since you asked,” She slips her hairtie onto his wrist. “Here. Not a charm, but a reminder, that you are an amazing player. And no one is allowed to say otherwise.” She gives a warm grin, rare for her to do, and the erratic thumping of Astarion’s heart slowed, calmed by the assurance her words gave him.
• The girls then leave for the gym. But Astarion is stuck in place, staring at his left wrist. Years of blood and tears spent into this sport, of being told he was lucky to even be touching the ball, of showing everyone that what he lacked in natural talent he more than made up for it with hard work- He hid the struggles behind a mask, the walls he built to hide the cracks his false confidence held together.
• And then this seemingly unimportant stranger comes along with her straightforward sincerity to start knocking those walls down. She saw through his mask of bravado, recognized all the hard work he had done. He felt seen.
• The purple band around his wrist was a stark contrast to his pale skin, Tav’s scent faintly clinging to the gift. His heart started pounding again, but not because of nerves. Oh dear. He is in trouble.
• His team was also shocked with what transpired. The silence being broken by Wyll.
• “You are one lucky bastard.”
~Bonus~
• While watching the team warmup, Tav thought back to the earlier exchange, thinking how cute Astarion was to ask for a charm. Though she still wondered why he tapped his cheek and expressed her confusion to her friends.
• Lae’zel just sighed and shook her head while Karlach laughed at Tav’s obliviousness. Shadowheart decided to take pity on her friend and leaned over, explaining to Tav what kind of “good luck charm” Astarion was actually asking for.
• “Oh. That’s what he meant?”
• Karlach laughed even harder while Shadowheart chuckled at Tav’s cluelessness.
• Turning her attention back to the team she happened to lock eyes with Astarion.
• He lifted up his arm, proudly showing off the purple hairtie on his wrist, and gave a flirtatious wink to her before turning around and getting ready for the game.
• She could feel he ears getting warm, and her heart started to pick up in pace. Tav knew it wasn’t from the anticipation of the game ahead.
•She was in trouble.
It is so late and I have class in a few hours why did I do this to myself why won’t this man let me SLEEP-
