I *almost* made it for Valentine Day!
Just a little thing I wrote to celebrate, set in my personal canon - that is full of dubious fluff and horny devils.
Please forgive the luck of proofreading!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
"There's absolutely nothing to celebrate."
"But it's our first Valentine Day all together as a family!"
"The mere concept of me and you being somehow a family is honestly insulting."
Tav sighed. This discussion was draining all the enthusiasm he had felt the first time this morning Haarlep had mentioned the three of them having a party. Thinking rationally about it, it was obvious from the start that Raphael would have said no. Still, for some reasons, his plain disinterest stung.
It's just a deal, for Astarion's sake, Tav reminded himself. The less Raphael was interested in him, the better. Still, some part of him he hated was hurt. That part of him craved Raphael's affection. Raphael's love even. Tav shook his head vigorously. He was already very much in love with Astarion, thank you very much. Yes, he couldn't deny he found both the devils attractive, but that was about it. Just attraction.
Then why Raphael's indifference made him feel so miserable? He was taking this whole “you will act like you're my personal incubus along with Haarlep for a month” deal too seriously.
In the meantime the devils kept bickering. Haarlep, who should have been the one hurt the most by his master's indifference, seemed to enjoy himself immensely, for reasons the tiefling couldn't even begin to comprehend.
“Oh, don't be like that, master Raphael! I know you're secretly begging in your little heart I do something romantic and special for us tonight.”
As similar as they were, for a moment their expressions were so different Tav almost laughed, despite his current bad mood. Haarlep was pouting most adorably, while Raphael's angry frown could have burned souls to ashes with its intensity.
The cambion straightened in his chair, pointing to the desk in front of him with an elegant gesture. “The only thing I'm begging for is being free of both of you so I can have some work done – and I'm not doing that secretly in my heart, but right in your face.”
The incubus only pouted harder. Seeing how his pouting didn't have the desired effect, however, he apparently decided for a boldest approach. Without asking for permission, he just sat on the cambion's lap, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. “What about our new adorable pet?! I think he, being mortal, expected to be spoiled a little on Valentine Day, you know...” He slowly caressed Raphael's perfect doublet with one of his claws. “You could permit him the honor of indulging you a little.”
Raphael growled in annoyance, but didn't do absolutely nothing to remove the impudent devil from his lap.
“And why should I give him such a gift? I don't think he did anything to deserve this. He will be rewarded for his part of the contract with the magical trinket his insignificant vampling needs. If he wants more from me, he has to put some real effort. Faking being unimpressed or trying to convince himself he doesn't want me is fun in its own way to watch but not enough to earn gifts from me, I'm afraid.”
He wasn't even looking at Tav while saying this, but the tiefling flinched anyway – and hated once again himself for that. Self hate was slowly becoming the main emotion of this whole contract-thing. Not disgust, not hate for the devils putting him in this position – self loathing. And denial.
“Master!” Exclaimed Haarlep with fake indignation. “You're hurting him.”
And shame, of course.
“He's on the verge of tears, don't you see?”
To his own surprise, Tav realized it was true. He was really about to cry. He immediately turned his back to the two devils, facing a giant portrait of Raphael himself, crown as the king of hell. The view didn't particularly help, but at least he was less exposed to the actual Raphael's piercing gaze. He felt like he was becoming more and more emotional with every passing day. If he kept letting the two of them affecting him like this, what would become of him by the end of the month?! He was the hero who destroyed the Elder Brain and saved Baldur's Gate! He already defeated Raphael once! He accepted to be Raphael's pet for a month in exchange for having his love Astarion once again being able to enjoy the sun. What the devil felt was irrelevant. He didn't have to put effort to please him, because he was here just for Astarion. Just for him.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and he almost jump in surprise.
“Oh, poor thing...” Haarlep's voice was sweet and full of adoration, to the point Tav couldn't help to lean into the touch, closing his eyes.
“It's just a deal” he said firmly, refusing to turn to face the devil. “I'm... just pretending to be an incubus! I'm not like you. Not at all.”
He felt his tongue gently licking his tears, as his arms embraced him from behind.
“Why are you fighting so hard, sweet thing? You want the master to spoil you in this very special day, don't you? You wouldn't cry and be miserable if you didn't want that.”
Tav felt the incubus' tail interwining with his own.
“Master wants you as well, pet. You know he wants you” he whispered, so close to his ear he could very well be speaking directly in his mind. “You just have to ask prettily. He's just waiting for that.”
Tav slowly raised to his feet, hand in hand now with Haarlep.
The incubus guided him to Raphael, still sitting in his chair, but watching them with barely concealed interest. His expression was stern though, and Tav hesitated. Immediately the self loathing started to set in once again. He had killed him. With his friends, of course, but still he proved himself a match for the cambion. Why he suddenly couldn't bear his disapproving look?! What were the devils doing to him?!
Haarlep gently stroking his hand stopped this line of thoughts.
“Enough of that, sweet thing” he whispered again, as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. “Let your instinct guide you. Not your sense of duty, or your guilt. You're not weak for admitting what your heart wants. Go to him.”
Tav was now in front of Raphael, his heart and mind a chaos of conflicting emotions. The cambion seemed to study him for a long moment, before going back to his papers without any comment.
For some reason, this gesture did the trick.
Tav found himself copying Haarlep – if a bit too clumsily and with much less grace. He climbed on Raphael's lap, burying his head in his doublet with a strange noise between a purr and a grown.
The cambion didn't tense, as if he was fully expecting this.
Tav could hear Haarlep laughing. “Not bad for a beginner! 10 for the enthusiasm but a 4 for the execution, I'd say.”
“Four will be your remaining seconds of life if you don't stop being so annoying” complained Raphael, but Tav got the distinctive feeling he was just pretending to be annoyed.
“Well, pet, do you have something to say?” the cambion finally addressed him.
Tav didn't dare to look at his face, nor to think too hard about what he was doing.
Let your instinct guide you. Not your sense of duty, or your guilt. You're not weak for admitting what your heart wants. Go to him.
For once, he decided to listen to the incubus.
“Please, let me have the honor to spoil you in this very special day, master” he mumbled, his face still firmly pressed to against his chest.
Oh, there was much more he wanted to tell him, but first he would have to admit it to himself.
For a long moment, he feared it wasn't enough.
The cambion took in fact his time to consider the request. He didn't touch Tav, nor gave him any sign of affection or approval. He simply let him stay on his lap, keeping him on edge – on edge for something Tav didn't realize he needed that badly: his affection.
“I suppose I can be persuaded to have something special for dinner with my incubi. And my newest pet can feed me some cake. Dark chocolate of course. Of the finest quality you can find in this city.”
Tav could never imagine the idea of feeding a devil some cake could make him so blissfully happy.
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