Archive of Our Own

         Fighting the urge to sneeze, Sarah climbed the last few steps of the tower’s impressive flight to the top. The thick wooden door was already ajar and she heard items being thrown around as they crashed and clanged onto the icy stone floor. She knew the state she would find him in, but a secret part of her hoped he would have cooled off after their fight. 

         Ever since meeting Gale of Waterdeep, since grabbing his strong hand and pulling him from the portal, Sarah had enjoyed an incomparable ease of companionship. While the others in her group fought by her side, they set her on edge or, in Astarion’s case, made her sleep with a dagger under her bedroll. But Gale wasn’t like them. Gale, like a breeze, she thought to herself. He’d whipped into her life like a howling wind—there was nothing light and feathery about it. A torrential storm was a better description of the man who paraded around camp as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

         But all he did was care.

         As Sarah had come to find out, Gale was a deep well of personal strife, ambition, and talent with a potent mixture of self-loathing and ego, but he was still kind. After everything he experienced, he still held tightly to the reins of his compassion, not letting it flee from him. The man’s ambition clouded his moral judgment, but he did it in the name of being able to give the world the best of himself. To give others a piece of what he was, of the power within him, he would do anything. 

         And now he wasn’t just going to give a piece. 

         He was going to give his entire self.

         Foolishly. 

         In the name of her .

         “Skank,” Sarah muttered under her breath as she pushed the heavy door open to see the rest of the circular room. Her eyes were drawn upwards to the glowing orbs of purple light that danced without music to illuminate the shelves of scrolls, tomes, and magical artifacts. A grand desk of dark wood took up the rest of the space and she nearly didn’t see the cushioned, high-backed chair engulfed by more books seated behind it. 

         Gale fit here.

         In camp, he made due. He was actually quite a skilled cook.

         But that didn’t satiate his thirst for knowledge. It was truly a thirst—a hunger—to know more, to know everything about how to become the most powerful of the Weave. It was difficult to turn him away from anything that would cause him great harm since his umber eyes would shine with the need to know . If there was knowledge to be gained, Gale of Waterdeep was there to soak it up.

         But the fire grate was cold and dark. The balcony she glimpsed from the ground had its doors securely shut against the darkening sea outside. Surely a once warm room, it now crackled with unreleased magic and tension as the paintings of those Gale looked up to seemed to glare down at her.

         A twisted hunk of metal fell at Sarah’s feet and she bent to pick it up, but paused when she saw it was a charred piece of the wreckage Gale barely escaped from before they met. Apparently, it held no use to him as he rummaged around his things. What he was searching for escaped her, but he seemed determined so she remained planted a few steps from the door, waiting for him to notice her. 

         She thought it would take him longer. When he was absorbed in a project, it was easy for him to forget to eat and sleep, but he always saw her when she was nearby. His dark eyes flicked across her appearance as he sighed before he bent his head and strands of his normally neat chestnut hair fell over his expression. 

         “I thought you told me to ‘do whatever I wanted’,” Gale said quietly, quoting their earlier argument when she banished him to the tower to find a solution to his problem. 

         “I’m here to help.”

         “You can’t help me.” His low voice held strong, but Sarah knew he was fighting his conflicting allegiances. 

         “I already have—many times. You know this.”

         “And yet you ignore what I want,” he replied bitterly, the line of his netherese magic glowing a brighter purple beneath his left eye in his frustration. 

         “You want to kill yourself,” Sarah whispered. 

         “I want to sacrifice myself. There’s a difference. This will return me to Mystra’s graces where I belong. I was a fool for trying to equal her. If I can at least gain her forgiveness…”

         Sarah’s chest tightened. Hearing him speak of Mystra with longing always tore at her heart. “She wants you gone, Gale. You’re a problem—the Absolute are a problem. She wants to kill two ravens with one stone. She’s trying to rid herself of you.”

         “You know nothing of her,” Gale argued and finally lifted his head. “She has power—”

         “Power she kept from you. She used you. Why can’t you see that?” Sarah took a step closer as she appealed to him with her hands outstretched, wanting to take him into her arms, but wanting to slap him just as greatly.

         “Being used is better than nothing .”

         “You’re not nothing, Gale.”

         “Yes, I am. Without her, I’m just another wizard,” he shook his head sadly, “I’m no longer Chosen. I don’t matter.”

         “You matter to me.”

         Gale tried for a smile, but it failed as he grimaced and tapped his chest where the circle of his affliction continued to keep him at a distance. “I could kill us both right now with one jerk of a knife.”

         Sarah’s shoulders drooped. “I don’t want you to give up like this.”

         “I’m not giving up!”

         “I meant—”

         “Sarah, you honestly think my sacrifice is giving up? Have you had this hunger? This insatiable pit?” Gale continued to shake his head and turned away from her to begin pulling scrolls from the shelves. Sarah used his turned back to creep up right behind him.

         “Gale, please, listen.”

         His head lowered and he turned with his arms laden, but he pushed the scrolls into her chest. “Search these for—”

         “Don’t you think it was convenient for Elminster Aumar to suddenly show up? Why hasn’t she healed you sooner?”

         “I can serve a purpose now.”

         “You already serve a purpose: your very life. I want you around.”

         Gale didn’t meet her eyes as he stacked the scrolls on the already swamped desk. “Mystra has chosen my path.”

         “Why won’t you choose for yourself?”

         “Choosing for myself landed me where I am.”

         “You’ve learned from that, Gale. You know what went wrong—that was something else you were doing in her name. There will be a cure—we will find one. I want to find one for you. You’ve helped me immensely and it would—”

         “There is no cure. I spent as much time consuming magical items as I did searching for a way to rid myself of this affliction.” Gale placed his palms on the desk and Sarah tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder. He raised his head in surprise.

         “You worked alone—you worked the only way you knew how. We’re headed to Baldur’s Gate—we’re headed to the greatest collection of knowledge in the world. Can’t you at least hold on for that?”

         Gale only seemed to be half listening as he turned to look at her hand on his shoulder and she quickly took it away, but he snatched her wrist in the warmth of a magical cuff. He trailed the pads of his fingers along her palm as if to caress her and Sarah fought the urge to shiver. “You are good, Sarah—so good. I’m not like you, no matter how much I pretend to be. I never learn from my mistakes no matter how hard I try.”

         “Then we do it together—we balance each other,” she implored while her body leaned towards him.

         “There’s no balance when I would only drag you down—or implode.” Gale flicked his hand and the cuff was removed much to Sarah’s secret disappointment.

         “I take it on then—the burden you think you are. I will carry it. I want to.”

         Gale’s dark brows furrowed in confusion, a divot cutely appearing between them. A confused Gale was Sarah’s favorite since she rarely saw the expression upon his self-assured face. “Why?”

         Sarah clenched her teeth together. “You know why.”

         “No.” He gently shook his head, his earring catching the light with the action. It was another reminder of her and Sarah fought the urge to rip it out.

         “I’m not going to say your past isn’t a part of you…but I want you in my future,” she replied evasively and wiped dust off the desk. 

         “Your future? What place do I hold there?”

         “You think you’re a placeholder?”

         Gale folded his arms. “Until Astarion decides you’re worth his time—or some other man makes himself known. Perhaps an elf—like yourself.”

         “You think of yourself as a romantic placeholder?” Sarah asked quietly and dared to glance up at him. He lowered his arms and cleared his throat.

         “I see I am not even that then. I fear I’ve grossly miscalculated. I apologize…and I ask that you leave before I’m humbled any further.” Gale dipped his head with a mixture of dismissal and embarrassment.

         “This—this isn’t the time to sort out our relationship,” Sarah diverted quickly and felt her cheeks heat. “We need to work on your problem.”

         “‘My problem’,” he grumbled and leaned on the desk. “It is mine and I will follow the solution with the most desirable outcome. I have nothing for me here.”

         Sarah’s heart broke for the second time. “Nothing?” She whispered and Gale shook his head without looking at her. “Fine. I’ll go.” Turning on her heel, she rushed to the door, but it shut with a gust of air as her skin crackled from the power Gale filled the room with. Sarah looked over her shoulder at him to see he was standing tall with a peculiar expression on his face, his hand raised as if he still wanted to use his magic.

         “There’s something to all this then? You’re not telling me something.”

         Sarah quickly shook her head. Cowardly, she scolded herself.

         “Did Elminster tell you more than he divulged to me?”

         Again, Sarah shook her head.

         “What is it then?” He implored and lowered his hand. “Please, tell me, I beg you.”

         She wiped her palms on her pants as she turned to fully face him and barely managed a shaky breath. “You…you know I care for you.”

         “I care for you as well,” he replied softly, yet instantly. “Is that what all this is? Simple jealousy? Jealousy over my past with Mystra?”

         Sarah scoffed. “I only want what’s best for you.”

         “What’s best for me doesn’t matter when what’s best for the world could save countless victims from this thing in our brains. If not jealousy then what keeps you here?” Gale continued calmly. Her hands curled into fists, but the words remained stuck in her throat. “You wish to use me as well? To fight for you until you get what you want?”

         “No! Of course not! You know me better than that!”

         “I do, but you won’t answer my pleas for the truth.”

         “It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t my caring for you mean enough?”

         Gale frowned. “You don’t care in the way I wish. My feelings for you run depths you cannot imagine, like a river feeding an underground lake they well up in my heart.” He placed his hand over his chest, covering the ring of his netherese magic. “It’s a pain greater than my condition—hunger that overpowers even the tenacity of Karsus’s ambition. I am in love with you, Sarah. I am in love with you and I have seen in you what I cannot have in this world.”

         “Why are you saying this now?” She whispered harshly, the words barely making their way past her lips after a pause long enough for him to take a step towards her.

         “What do I lose in telling you? I am going to die—on my own terms or by the ticking bomb inside me. I am going to die and…and I am too selfish to keep this to myself.” Gale lowered his hand. “If you…if there’s even a chance…” He seemed unable to find the words and it was so unlike him Sarah took a few steps forward in the pursuit of comfort, but Gale took a step back. “When you dispel me, at least do it quickly. I do not want to hear lies.”

         Sarah stood frozen before him, unable to say the words he so desperately needed to hear and the ones she’d rehearsed a thousand times. This was her moment to finally tell him how she felt and she was failing. 

         “Well, I suppose no words at all truly is the quickest route. This appears to be goodbye then. I want you to know that my feelings do not fade—they do not leave me—simply because they are not returned. I spent a long time with Mystra and a long time alone reflecting on my mistakes…I only have a little time left on this plane and when I think of my mistakes, you will certainly not be counted among them. I do not—nor will I ever—regret our beautiful, yet short, time together.”

         So many eloquent words slipped perfectly into the space between them and still Sarah could find not even one to return to him. 

         Gale sighed and gave her a half-hearted grin. “Go. Go and be with the others. You have given me purpose—friends to call my own amongst the rag-tag crew you’ve created. I may not have much time left, but I will not spend it wallowing. My last few hours will be looking through what I have accumulated over the years, perhaps I’ll even write a letter to my mother and Tara.” 

         “Gale…” Her voice was weak, but she managed to at least utter his name.

         “It is alright, Sarah,” he soothed. The fact that he was reassuring her when it was he who needed the support caused tears to well up in her eyes. “Oh, do not weep for me, my dear love. I will be alright.” Gale stepped closer and she clutched the soft fabric of his purple cloak to ground herself as he cupped her cheek. “This is what the fates have in store for me and I must follow my path.”

         The warmth of his hand was only overpowered by the single, hot tear that fell from her lashes, but he quickly brushed it away with his thumb.

         “I don’t want you to die,” she whispered. Sarah attempted to swallow and breathe at the same time, only creating a sound somewhere between a sob and a hiccup. “I love you—love you, too. Please…don’t give up.”

         Gale’s lips parted as his eyebrows shot up and she was finally hopeful about salvaging their conversation. It was the most important of her entire life and she didn’t want to leave anything unsaid. 

         “You think you’re a placeholder for Astarion and I admit to you that his smooth words spoke to me in some ways, but he is too dangerous for me to trust. I don’t feel safe, but with you…I trust you, Gale, and I do not trust easily. I have never known a harsh word from you—a worry that you might hurt me. You always see me when everyone else forgets I’m there and for that…for that I cannot thank you enough. For you to think that my feelings—for you to think that my feelings are not deeper than the Underdark than I have hidden my thoughts from you too well. If I could trade places with you and make this sacrifice, I would, but I cannot and for that I will never forgive Mystra—I will never forgive her for the way she used you as a toy and discarded you. I would have you now with nothing—with no magic, no tadpoles, no quest…if you were a simple apple farmer I would choose you. You are everything to me, Gale Dekarios. I refuse to lose you and that may make me selfish, but…but I simply love you too much to let you go.”

         Sarah inhaled shakily as her eyes pleaded with Gale to reply. Her heartbeat was surely audible to him now that her confession was hanging tenuously between them. She only needed for him to give her some reaction, but he merely stood frozen in front of her. Is that what she looked like only a few minutes earlier when he made his own confession? No wonder he thought she wanted nothing to do with him. 

         Placing her hand over his on her cheek, she leaned into his touch without breaking their eye contact, though she was sure not even one of her daggers could break the bond. Gale’s normally kind eyes were dark and calculating as they studied her as if he were afraid she might evaporate at any moment. 

         “Gale…please…” Her lips parted to say more, but her words were smothered when he bent his head to share his warmth with her. His lips were hesitant at first, but when she didn’t pull away, he pressed closer, his hand sliding to the back of her neck to hold her in place. Sarah couldn’t imagine a greater response to her confession as Gale’s lips enveloped her cupid’s bow while his free hand found her waist to draw her against his warm body. She wanted to soak up every aspect of the moment, but he pulled away a few inches so they continued to share breath. 

         “Say it again,” he pleaded softly.

         “I love you.” 

         “I love you, too,” he answered desperately, so quickly the words were rushed, but Sarah knew it was only because he couldn’t contain himself, because he didn’t wait for a reply before kissing her again. This time, his lips confidently found hers already waiting for him and her entire body went limp as his strong arms encircled her, their chests pressed tightly together. Gale tilted his face to meet her where her head fell into the crook of his arm. 

         It was surreal that her beautiful wizard was truly kissing her under the light of the purple orbs his magic created, the waves outside lapping against the rocks while he held her.

         His tongue brushing against her bottom lip startled her as she broke away to suck in a sharp breath. Sarah would never forget the dark expression upon his face at being interrupted before it softened as he reached up to brush a loose strand of her hair away from her face.

         “You never fail to remind me what it feels like to be alive. Before finding you…I simply thought there was no more for this world to offer me. I’d exhausted everything: myself, the Weave…” Gale trailed off as she smiled at him grandly, there was no way to contain her pure elation, and he groaned softly, unable to contain himself. He squeezed her tightly then as he kissed her, pushing her back against the edge of his over-encumbered desk. His hips pinned her there and she was secretly astonished by the way he ground his pelvis against her stomach.

         Sarah finally found her wits enough to slide her fingers up into his hair and she was rewarded with a gasp against her lips before he dove home for more. There was no way to keep up with the way he devoured her. She was unfamiliar with such passion and tried her best to reciprocate, but Gale became frustrated and impatient as he broke away to sloppily kiss along her jaw. 

         “Gods, you’re divine,” he moaned against her neck and Sarah was sure her skin was smoldering from the heat of her body. Her stomach had already dropped away from her before circling back around inside, causing her to tremble in Gale’s arms. “Gods, you’re perfect, beautifully perfect, perfectly beautiful…” Gale pulled away as he chuckled before embracing her, holding her against his body so tightly she molded into every contour. “I cannot even speak coherently anymore, darling, forgive me.” His breathing was ragged in her hair as she breathed him in in return. The dust of the books clung to him, but was overpowered by the faint smells of vanilla, oranges, and salty air from their earlier walk through the open market in the streets below, now quiet.

         Carefully, he guided her head back to see her face and Sarah was stunned by the blush dusting his cheeks. Was he really so embarrassed about having feelings for her?

         “Should I leave?” She whispered, hating to break the silence. His dark eyes reflected the purple orbs above them as they widened.

         “You want to?” Gale asked slowly, seeming to hate the words on his tongue and Sarah shook her head. “I never want you anywhere other than by my side.”

         Her chest clenched at the reassurance she needed more desperately than air. “I feel the same.”

         Gale’s eyelids fluttered as his fingers gripped her tighter before he relaxed again. “Will you permit any more kisses?”

         “Please.” It wasn’t the answer she meant to utter, but it earned her another low groan that matched her own breathlessness. He was slower this time, measured while he held her lovingly in his arms.

         “Tell me when to stop,” he breathed out before returning his lips to hers without allowing her to answer.

         “Never,” was an easy word to mumble against his skin.

         “We must sleep eventually, my dear,” Gale chuckled as he pulled back to gaze at her.

         “Sleep?”

         “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. What will the others think if we don’t return to camp?”

         “Who cares?” Sarah leaned up to kiss him again, but he wore a look of confusion. “I’ve waited a long time for this, Gale…can’t we enjoy it?”

         “We…we haven’t quite known one another that long, though that does not lessen my feelings for you.”

         She shook her head slowly. “I’ve waited for someone to love me…for so long. I’ve had so many false hopes…” Sarah looked down, her confession feeling heavier to face than when she admitted her love for him. Gale tipped up her chin and gently kissed her cheek.

         “Giving love freely after many a heartbreak is a trait few have and fewer still are those who seek opportunities to bestow it upon the unworthy.”

         “You think yourself unworthy? I’ve never met anyone more worthy of love and care than yourself.”

         Gale frowned at her words instead of being lifted by them as she’d hoped. “You pity me? I suppose I am a rather pitiable character, aren’t I?”

         “I don’t mean it that way…I mean it as…I mean it as you are good and deserve to be treated good.”

         “I am good? May I remind you—”

         “It doesn’t matter. You have remained good. You have remained optimistic.”

         “That is simply a clever facade.”

         “Gale,” Sarah said slowly and allowed a small grin to paint her lips. “Did you want me to return your affections?”

         “Of course I did—I’d be a fool not to.”

         “Did you feel excited when I would hint to you that I was interested?”

         “Hint?”

         Sarah’s coy smile grew. “When I would touch your arm, compliment your prowess in battle…leave a small sliver of my tent flaps open when I was getting undressed.”

         Gale gaped at her like the fish she’d seen earlier in the market and she laughed.

         “Didn’t you feel optimistic then?”

         “Well, I suppose, yes, in the moment, I felt hopeful that perhaps there was more to our friendship, but I certainly wasn’t looking when you would leave your tent open,” he rushed to explain, his cheeks reddening further.

         “You weren’t looking? So my little show for you was wasted?” Sarah pouted, disbelieving she was openly flirting with Gale. She’d always tried to remain subtle and never went further than being around him whenever he was outside of his tent when they camped. She never invited herself inside, never hugged him, or engaged in innuendos, but she had tried to seduce him in the only ways her shyness would allow. For once, Sarah wanted her chosen partner to do the chasing. 

         And chase he had.

         Now it was time to show how much she cared for him—how much she wanted him.

         Gale raised his one hand to brush his hair back where it had fallen into his face and looked away. “I may have found myself drawn to peeking from time to time, but only…well, if you’ll permit me to say, only because your curves are simply irresistible. You must have no idea how ravishing you look in your underclothes. I’m a gentleman, but even my resolve was greatly tested if you must know.”

         Sarah giggled and Gale’s face lit up as she tried to escape his arm around her waist, but it was no use. “You can’t mean that.”

         “You know I’m a man of my word, my dear.” Gale smirked and it handsomely enhanced his features even further. “If you’re so inclined to indulge me, I would delight in seeing you again in such a light…if you’d permit me such a pleasure.” His soft voice nearly caused her to miss the meaning of his words. She froze. “Of course, that is entirely up to you. I would wait a lifetime, or simply enjoy spending my days by your side, but I do boast certain talents,” his hand glowed purple between them as he pulled at the Weave, “that not many others would be able to replicate.”

         “Well…I do want you, too,” she said first, awkwardly, and inwardly cringed at how she sounded. “But perhaps tonight we could spend the time without that weight.”

         “Weight?”

         “The pressure.”

         “Pressure?” Gale repeated slowly and lowered his no longer glowing hand. “I don’t believe I understand.”

         Sarah swallowed tightly and flushed. “I would like to spend the night in bed with you, but…I’m not ready to have sex with you.”

         “Oh…of course, my dear love,” Gale said as he recovered and smiled. “I wasn’t sure what you were saying for a moment there.” He brushed her hair off her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “It’s been a long day…I think that would be best. I’m honestly exhausted—although the idea of being with you carnally was like a bolt of lightning hitting me and I would of course transport you to an unknown height of passion right now if you wanted and my exhaustion has no correlation to you at all and—”

         “Gale, it’s alright,” Sarah soothed and returned his soft smile as he flushed pink. She rubbed her hands up and down his strong back until he relaxed beneath her touch. “Does this mean you understand why I don’t want to lose you?” Gale opened his mouth to speak, but Sarah cut him off with another thought. “Because if you feel for me what you say you do, you need only think of life without me to feel the crushing horror of facing the world without—”

         “I’d nearly forgotten, Sarah.”

         “Forgotten? You want to forget me?”

         Gale shook his head, his earring glinting in the light. “No, no, it’s abundantly clear you do not fathom my affections. When I’m with you I forget everything; I forget my problems, my condition…my goddess. I forget it all when I’m with you, for I don’t think my brain can fathom more than your presence when you’re in front of me.”

         Sarah was struck by his words. “I have trouble forgetting that you still want… her forgiveness.”

         His hands dropped away from her waist and she instantly wished she hadn’t spoken her mind as he stepped back. “I…” He shook his head and walked towards the balcony windows where the moon illuminated the expansive ocean. “The Weave is a powerful, powerful thing. I spent my life studying it and the idea that…the idea that I was Chosen , not just by the Academy, but by the goddess of the Art herself, who I worshiped day and night…”

         Sarah slowly approached him, but stood to the side instead of facing him. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to hear the rest. If she didn’t hear it, she would forever live unknowing and perhaps that was bliss, but it was a lie. If she did hear it, and didn’t like what he had to say, her heart would break with such immediacy it might ultimately kill her outright.

         “I have not been with a mortal being in nearing fifteen years. I thought my time with Mystra would go on forever, but I felt her affections waning and I wanted to prove myself worthy of more…which is why I did this,” he gestured to his chest, “but I didn’t know what it was really going to do to me. I thought I would be devoted to her all my life and I am still devoted to the Weave itself, but I don’t feel her influence any longer.” Gale paused and lowered his hand as if he wanted to take hers, but tightened his fingers into a fist instead. “I fear if I say more I’ll sound paranoid.”

         She merely nodded as they slipped into silence.

         “I think she is jealous.”

         “What?” Sarah raised her head to see he was staring out over the crashing waves where they bashed against the dark rocks. 

         “I didn’t think of it until I realized you were jealous, but—”

         “I’m not jealous,” Sarah gritted out and Gale passed her a sad grin.

         “I didn’t think of it until I thought you were jealous—not that you were—and remembered a few nights ago when I felt her presence again for a fleeting moment. Do you recall in camp when you went to gather wood so I could make a fire, but I found you crying over a dead baby squirrel?”

         Sarah remembered it vividly. She’d been extremely embarrassed to be caught openly weeping while trying to dig a small grave for the poor animal. Gale stepped in and helped her make a hole before staying with her with his arm wrapped around her shoulders until she composed herself. He didn’t tease, he didn’t question, he didn’t even say anything. His actions spoke so many volumes that Sarah’s feelings were solidified into stone.

         “In that raw moment, I realized my feelings for you ran deeper than I’d allowed myself to believe,” Gale confessed. “Your capacity to love and your empathy are what drew me to you in the first place, but seeing you give that treatment to something so miniscule, something that could give you nothing in return, my eyes were opened to the possibility that you might one day grow to bestow upon me half of that affection. It was then that I felt a rush from the Weave, a warmth I hadn’t felt in many moons. Mystra must have realized I was no longer under her control—that I’d given myself to you in that moment.”

         “Gale—”

         He held up his hand and Sarah closed her mouth. “I have made many mistakes in my life, but falling for you is not one of them. I may loathe hearing the truth—the truth of Mystra’s manipulation—I may hate it enough to argue with you, with the woman I love, but to you, and to you alone, I admit that you speak the truth. They say time heals all wounds and I believe I may still feel this invisible wound for the rest of my life, but that is the gist of what I mean to say: I want to feel this wound for many more years if it means many more years I can spend with you. Returning to Mystra’s favor is not an absolute—nothing in life truly is—I don’t want to die.” Gale’s warm hands enveloped both of hers and squeezed, the desperation clear in his eyes that he was fighting to find the best way to express himself. “I want you—I choose you. For once, I feel I have a choice in my life that is solely left up to me with no strings attached—I’m not someone’s puppet. Had I known your feelings for me, I would have never entertained Mystra’s proposal. I would have sent Elminster away. I thought I would never get to feel for another what I feel for you. You have shown such patience, a tenacity that I envy, and I want to honor your sacrifice. I want to revel in the love we feel for one another…if that is truly what you want in return.”

         “You speak so beautifully,” Sarah whispered, her eyes misty. Instead of smiling as she hoped, his expression faltered.

         “Would you like me to prove my devotion to you? Say the word, name the task, and I will complete it. Whatever it is, I will find a way.”

         She slowly shook her head. “You have nothing to prove to me, Gale. I trust your words beyond measure. I simply don’t know how to reply to your thoughts when you’ve said everything exactly the way I wanted to hear it laid out.”

         “But surely there is some way for me—” Gale suddenly kneeled while continuing to cradle her hands with his own. “I want to worship you.”

         “Gale—”

         “Grant me a purpose, give me a task so that I might show you how I feel.”

         Sarah’s mind struggled to understand where this was coming from and her sneaking suspicion was that Mystra made Gale constantly work for her affections. “You don’t need to do anything for me, Gale. I want you to do something for yourself instead. I want you to write a letter home—to your mother, to Tara.”

         “You want…I see, yes…it has been some time since I set aside a moment to write.” Gale stood after Sarah gently tugged on his hands. “It’s late. Let me show you to my chambers so that you may rest while I write.”

         He led her down a single flight of stairs to a cold chamber that he easily warmed by lighting the hearth with magical ease. The fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, but the opposing bed took all of Sarah’s attention. Its dark, silken sheets and hanging canopy held an inviting allure she couldn’t describe as anything other than Gale-esque. He had a tasteful eye for furniture as the rest of the wooden pieces were graceful if not covered in books and magical trinkets. Her fingers passed over a bowl of cracked rings that he must have absorbed while remaining apart from society after he was cursed. 

         “Is it to your satisfaction?”

         “Yes, it’s warm.”

         “It’s too hot?” Gale asked as he raised his hand to remove the burning fire.

         “No, it’s perfect,” Sarah assured him and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She bent her head to kiss the back of his hand before gazing up at him. “Go write your letter before it gets any later. I’ll wait up for you.”

         Gale took several breaths as if he wasn’t sure what to say, something very unlike him, before he smiled. “As you wish, my dear love.” He kissed her cheek and bowed his head until he turned to climb the stairs once again.

         Sarah found herself drawn to looking through the books by his bedside, but it was all far above her minute knowledge of magic. She stumbled upon a few crude drawings of a winged cat who she presumed was Tara based off of Gale’s vague descriptions. Eventually, Sarah made it to the washbasin where a mirror hung exposing her glowing cheeks and shining eyes. It looked like she swallowed the sun and she turned away to splash her face with water before running a cloth over the important parts of her body. 

         She wasn’t sure what else Gale would allow her to do, but she couldn’t stop herself from opening his wardrobe. The clothes rose from their hangers to surround her with their presence and she could imagine Gale in each of the tailored outfits, but it unnerved her to have the clothes looming over her. As she tried to close the doors, the hangers returned home and she settled on opening a drawer of the dresser instead. Sarah undressed and slipped on one of his white shirts, but the open neck exposed more than she was used to and she tied the front closed. A hole remained beneath the tie exposing the upper swells of her breasts, but it was little enough that she felt comfortable and climbed into bed. 

         The silken sheets were a gift from the gods after so many nights sleeping on the ground. Her bare legs stretched out, the fabric smoothing over her skin like a gentle caress. Sarah wished there weren’t a million things to do for those she left at camp for the night, she wished there wasn’t a mind control slug in her head, she wished she weren’t on a grand quest. She wanted Gale. Just him and her and this bed. Sarah wanted them to remain in the tower for the rest of time without ever having to worry about what lay ahead. If they stayed here, the weight of the world and their pasts wouldn’t be on their shoulders. 

         Sarah sighed as she fell asleep. She wasn’t sure how long she slept for, but she awoke to find herself still alone. It had to have been at least a half hour since she saw Gale as the fire in the hearth burned low, perhaps even more than that. 

         Her bare feet stung from the cold as she stepped outside the room into the corridor before tip-toeing up the stairs. She peeked into his study to find him more handsome than usual. He was wearing glasses. They were only delicate gold frames, but they brought his face to light as he scribbled across a piece of parchment. 

         The door creaked when she leaned on it and he immediately lifted his head before ducking to rip off his glasses.

         “Is everything alright?” He asked.

         Sarah padded closer to his desk and his eyes flicked over her body before finding her face again. “I just wanted to check you were alright…that it wasn’t all a dream.”

         Gale grinned. “Seeing you in my shirt is a dream.” He gestured for her to come closer and took her hand to hold her out in front of him. “Such a dream.”

         “I didn’t want to dirty your bed with my outside clothes,” she mumbled. Sarah gasped as he pulled her sideways onto his lap. 

         “You could be covered in mud and I’d still have you,” he murmured and held her against his chest while he leaned forward to continue writing. “I’m nearly finished. I found I had more to say than I originally presumed.”

         “Don’t forget your glasses.”

         “I don’t wear glasses,” he replied indignantly with a haughty sniff.

         “But I saw them.”

         Gale sighed and caused them to appear between them. “You don’t find them dreadful?”

         “Dreadful?” Sarah chuckled and plucked them from the air to place them back onto his proud nose. “I find them fetching—you look very handsome.”

         “I look old,” he sighed as he scribbled glumly on the paper.

         “They make you look like you’ve experienced life and I find that attractive.”

         Gale’s lips twitched upwards as his eyes found hers again. “You do?” Sarah nodded while admiring him. “Perhaps they aren’t so dreadful then.”

         “Perhaps not,” she teased with a smile before she nestled her head back against his shoulder, sighing contentedly to be beside him once again. It was true that she feared their confessions were simply a dream. Sarah didn’t want to return to the limbo they were a part of before, she wanted to be able to hold him in her arms and freely kiss him. She leaned up and chastely placed her lips to the side of his neck.

         Gale acted like she’d slapped him as he jerked and raised his hand to his neck. “Oh, uhm,” he chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the spot before lowering his hand. “Perhaps you should wait back in my chambers—I promise not to be too much longer.”

         “I can’t stay here with you?” Sarah was comfortable in her new spot on his lap and wasn’t ready to be parted again. 

         “Of course you can…”

         “But you don’t want me to?”

         “I did not say that, only…if you wish to remain apart for the night, I would ask that you refrain from touching me neck…my skin is sensitive there,” he finally said while his eyes remained on his letter.

         “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn't know.”

         Gale grinned sheepishly and tightened his free arm around her while resting his chin on top of her head. The only sounds for a few minutes were his heartbeat in her ear and the scratching of his quill. “There. I’ll send it off in the morning,” he announced as he set the quill down, closed his ink pot, and removed his glasses. His arms snaked under her when she tried to stand and lifted her up while she laughed. “My lady shan’t take another step on the cold floor.”

         Sarah peppered his cheek and temple with kisses as he carried her down the stairs to his chambers until he ultimately laid her down in his bed. She watched him tend to the fire before approaching the wardrobe. Her eyes lingered as he began to undress until he glanced at her and she quickly busied herself with fixing the sheets around her legs. 

         She didn’t look up again until she felt the bed dip beside her and lifted her eyes to see her greatest fantasy come to life. Gale was wearing a similar shirt to the one she’d stolen for herself, only his was open at the neck to show an ample amount of his chest dusted with dark hair. His undershorts were a light purple, a color he always seemed partial to, laced up in the front into a tidy bow at the top. An image of her untying it flashed through her mind before she forced it away. She wasn’t ready to have ‘the conversation’ with him yet. 

         “I apologize for not being able to do things right for you,” he said softly as he laid on his side.

         “Right?”

         “I never took you on any dates or met your parents or spent evenings discussing the future.”

         Sarah smiled. “There’s still time for those things if you find them important. I’m just happy we can speak openly now…I still can’t believe it’s real.”

         Gale nodded while taking her hand resting between them. “I hope you know I’ve wished for this countless times. It occupied my mind when I should have been worrying about a way to fix my condition and when I should have been fighting in several of our recent battles.” He chuckled warmly and Sarah’s heart fluttered with the sound. “Being able to talk openly is one thing, but to touch you…” Gale’s thumb brushed over the back of her hand. “May I hold you?”

         Sarah continued to smile while Gale held up the sheets for her to slide closer and they both released gentle sighs as she rested her head on his chest. He was exceptionally warm and his presence comforted her; it had been lonely to lie in his bed without him.

         “Thank you.”

         “For what?” She whispered, matching his tone. 

         “For allowing me time to pen those letters. I feel a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

         “You suggested it in the first place,” Sarah assured him while leaning into his massaging fingers slipping along her scalp. 

         “You’re radiant,” he sighed dreamily and she laughed lightly while lifting her head to see if he was teasing her. “Your laugh is like music—a fairy’s laugh. I wish to hear it more often.”

         Sarah tentatively smoothed her hand over his torso and Gale jerked again. “Sorry…are you sensitive there, too?”

         “I believe I’m sensitive wherever you touch, my dear,” Gale confessed with a soft chuckle.

         “I’m sorry…I…I’m really sorry,” Sarah whispered while curling her hand against her chest.

         “You’ve done nothing wrong, Sarah. It should be me apologizing for making you uncomfortable.”

         “I’m not uncomfortable, but…well…I suppose…well, I guess you…” Sarah sighed and settled onto her side to keep a few inches of space between them.

         “Have I upset you?”

         “No, no…you’ve done nothing wrong.”

         “But something troubles you?” Gale pressed and placed his hand on her shoulder to turn her enough to reveal her face to him. “I’m sorry the room is in such a state and that the fire burned low and that I left you in here for so long and that I—”

         “Gale, Gale, no, please, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Sarah waited until he’d relaxed back down into the pillows. “I’m…well, I don’t suppose…I’m sorry I don’t know exactly what things to do right is all.”

         “Do right?”

         “You know…like kissing and where to not kiss and where to not touch and how to please you and what to say and—”

         “You sound as if you’ve taken lessons from me, my dear love,” Gale soothed and encircled her with his arms. “You’ve been an angel. What’s this about not kissing correctly? You’ve a marvelous kisser—like kissing the stars. I may be Gale of Waterdeep, but I’m still a man and in my study I was a weak man to attack you the way I did. I apologize.”

         Sarah stared at him before laughing. She clutched her sides as she threw her head back, her body shaking with the twinkling sound she made. “What a pair we make,” she wheezed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “We apologize for the silliest of things—things that bear no weight.”

         Gale stared at her quizzically with a confused smile.

         “Gale, I shouldn’t just come out and say it, but… what I was trying to say is that I’ve never been in bed with a man before.”

         “You haven’t?”

         Sarah shook her head. “I’d never even kissed someone before today.”

         His brows furrowed before his eyes widened and he leaned back to study her for any sign that she was being untruthful. “You’ve…you’re…you’ve given…I…”

         She’d broken him. Gale simply gaped at her as she awaited his sentencing. Sarah was sure he would want a woman with more experience than she had, but it would still hurt to hear.

         “You’re a maiden?” He finally managed to whisper. “I didn’t even…I didn’t even ask to kiss you! I’m a beast!”

         “What?” Sarah leaned back to give him space for his waving hands as he gestured at her.

         “Here you are! A perfect specimen of a woman and I play the fool! I took your kisses—conquered your lips without ever asking if that’s what you wanted,” Gale proclaimed in anguish before bowing his head with his hands over his face. “Forgive me, please forgive me. I cannot believe I have treated you so terribly.”

         Sarah was struck dumb for a moment before she quickly recovered and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Gale, I’m not upset. I thought, well, I thought you would be upset at me for keeping it a secret which is why I wanted to tell you sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t trade our first kiss for anything—any amount of gold or divine blessings. I could only dream of what it would be like to be held in your arms, to feel your lips on mine. You know if I didn’t want you to kiss me I wouldn’t have let you.”

         Gale peeked up at her. “But…”

         “I love you, Gale. Why would I be upset about you giving me your own love?” Sarah slid her hand into his own and intertwined their fingers. 

         “You’re truly not upset?”

         She shook her head. “You’re not either?”

         “About what? About you being a maiden? Absolutely not! A little shocked to be sure, but not upset, never upset! Something like that never crossed my mind and I only assumed because…well, are we not around the same age?”

         “Yes,” Sarah said as she ducked her head.

         “Oh, I didn’t mean that you should’ve—I simply meant…well, I just thought…”

         Sarah squeezed his hand while blushing furiously. “I never met the right person…until now.”

         Gale lifted his head to look up at her with his big brown eyes shining in the fading firelight. “Me?” She sheepishly smiled and nodded while picking at the bedsheet, but she never let go of his hand. “You think I’m the right person for that? I suppose with my magic it would be the greatest first time anyone could hope for and since you have no experience there’s nothing to compare me with so I would hope you would think it quite an exemplary time as I surely would.”

         “Gale, I don’t want you to use magic.” His lips parted, but no sound came out. “At least…not the first time.”

         “Why ever not? I could take you to heights only imagined on the mortal plane. If I don’t use my Art—”

         “It'll just be us—it’ll just be you .” Sarah, with her cheeks still ablaze, smiled warmly. “I only want you, Gale.”

         He didn’t move as he studied her critically and she wondered if he was searching for any signs of deceit. “How are you so perfect?” Sarah blessed him with her musical laugh. “I don’t believe you’re real. Perhaps this is all a grand dream, or an illusion cooked up by my greatest enemy.” Gale circled his arms around her and Sarah welcomed the warmth he provided. “You also seem to have completely embraced candor of the likes I’ve never seen from you. Should I ask you about our future? About children? About a little house by the sea?”

         Sarah’s expression morphed into one of loving surprise as soon as she heard his final words. “You mean that?”

         “That you’re perfect? Of course I do.”

         “That you want to have children with me and live by the sea?”

         “If I’ve frightened you, I apologize. I spoke rashly and—”

         “I want children; if I’m with you, I want half a dozen. As for the sea, well, could I ever convince you to add a mountain—maybe a small forest—so that I may enjoy the wild as well as the sea breezes?” Sarah was becoming used to seeing Gale’s shocked face, but she squeezed him tightly in her arms to prove her words.

         “Genuinely? I thought…I was teasing. Surely you cannot mean to have children with me?”

         Sarah’s face fell. “You don’t want to?”

         Gale’s eyes became misty. “Do I want to? I thought my destiny would never allow for…I cannot believe…I must think on this more, but…if I were to be cured of my condition…you would want to? What am I asking—you obviously do! I want to—I want to with you. I love you, gods, I love you,” he rushed to say before he drew her up to kiss her with unrivaled passion. Sarah’s hands slid to his shoulders to keep him close as she did her best to follow the fervor of his lips. 

         It was one thing to kiss him in his tower, in a room surrounded by study, but quite another to be in bed with him. And she wasn’t just in any bed with him, she was in his bed with him. The sensation of his hands on her body were amplified by his body pressing against hers until he abruptly stopped and stared at her.

         “Is this alright?”

         Sarah nodded quickly, unable to come up with more of an answer as she dragged him back to her. She knew what she’d told him earlier, she thought she wanted to wait a while before they made love, but damn if he wasn’t making it impossible. While his one hand slid up her back, his other tenderly cradled her head and she never realized it would feel so easy to be with him. The pining she’d endured on his behalf made her feel that they’d loved one another for two lifetimes and it was finally culminating into one ultimate moment. 

         “Love you, love you, I love you,” she managed between kisses as she continued to drag him closer to her until he finally placed his thigh between both of hers to partially cover her body with his own weight. Gale became a shield against the rest of the world as she focused solely on how real the shape of him was as he became a refuge. He blocked out every rejection she’d ever suffered, every condescending comment she’d weathered, and the insecurities she’d withstood in the hopes that one day, one glorious day, she would understand love.

         “Sarah,” he breathed into her ear after he’d turned his head away. Gale nuzzled his nose into her hair as they both panted. “Please, grant me a moment’s reprieve.”

         “Sorry,” she whispered.

         “No need for that, my dear. I simply wish to devour you and I must control my wishes until you’re ready to experience them together.” Gale kissed her forehead followed closely by the end of her nose before lifting his head to gaze at her. “I love you, too.”

         Sarah smiled at him sheepishly, disbelieving he was saying the words she’d craved for so long. “Perhaps we should go to sleep. I’m sure we’ll have to leave early tomorrow.”

         Gale frowned. “I don’t want this wonderful night to end.”

         “It’s not ending, our journey is only just beginning.”

         He smiled thoughtfully as he tilted his head. “Yes, I do suppose you’re right in that regard, but I would argue our journey started the moment you took my hand and pulled me from that gods-forsaken portal. After saving a wretch like me, how could I not fall for you?”

         “A wretch? My handsome wizard surely can’t mean himself,” Sarah teased and earned herself a dazzling smile.

         “You shouldn’t tease,” Gale chastised playfully as he turned them to lay side by side facing one another. 

         “I would never tease about love at first sight.” Sarah picked up his hand, the one she’d grabbed to help him. “I fell in love with this hand the moment I set eyes on it and I suppose since it’s attached to the rest of you, I must love all of you.”

         Gale scoffed before it turned into a warm laugh. “You know, I have never felt so free to laugh in bed with another.”

         “I’m glad.” Sarah tried to hide her insecurities over knowing he’d bedded other women, but it must have shown despite her efforts.

         “I see I’ve upset you…I suppose that is a twisted sort of compliment. I only wish to thank you for allowing me to be myself.” Gale pulled her in closer to admire her in the dying firelight. “I said I forget everything when I’m with you and that includes my walls. I’m self aware enough to know that I talk too much, overcompensate, and cling to those who show me even an ounce of kindness. With you I don’t give a thought to those things and chatter on as much as I wish and cling to you even now when I know I have you in my arms. I fear…I fear my life has been a grand performance for others.”

         “But it’s not with me?”

         Gale shook his head. “With you…I just am . I am Gale Dekarios with you, a little mage who can pull at the Weave a might easier than others.”

         “That’s far too humble of a description, but Mister Dekarios is the only man I want. I only want you as you are. I want to listen to you talk for hours and I want to do it just like this: with your arms around me. So long as…as that’s what you want?” Sarah asked tentatively.

         “It’s more than I want—it’s a grander dream than I could have envisioned for myself. Is there really anything more I could want than a beautiful woman who won’t grow tired hearing about the Art?”

         “Beautiful?” She laughed while shaking her head, but Gale’s face remained serious.

         “Absolutely beautiful—you’re a ray of sunshine after a week of rain. You’re air for a drowning man, my dear love,” he said softly before kissing her forehead. “I’ll repeat that a thousand—a hundred thousand times until you believe it.”

         Sarah was sure she smiled in her sleep that night.

ⱒ

         She awoke to the smell of greasy food and frying eggs only to find them on a tray in front of her face. Gale was wearing a ridiculously frilly purple apron, his hair neatly brushed into place as he held up the food.

         “A sustainable breakfast for my warrior princess.”

         Sarah wondered if she was still dreaming as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes to get her bearings. “What time is it?”

         “That’s not for you to worry over.” Gale placed the tray across her lap. “I come bearing good news, well, good news for us, not so good for Karlach. Astarion wrote to me that she’s suffering with a rather horrid migraine and asked if we could wait a day to travel. I already wrote back that we would be more than happy to postpone for a day.”

         “A whole day together?” Sarah asked excitedly. 

         “A whole day together,” Gale affirmed. 

         It was a wonderful whole day together. Gale was a perfect gentleman—and tour guide—as he led her around his home. There were people who knew him by name in the library and the nautical museum who were more than happy to allow them quiet access to their wonderful books and artifacts. Gale opened doors for her, kept her hand in the crook of his arm, and animatedly told her about his childhood with his usual artful flourish. He didn’t allow a dull moment as they explored the city eating street food he hadn’t enjoyed in years and forgetting about the troubles ahead of them. It was a gift to simply be together, even if it was for only a day. Sarah learned more about him than she could have ever hoped to know and for that she thanked him a thousand times over for sharing himself with her. She wanted to stomp on the stone steps she learned scraped his knees, she wished to embrace the elderly woman who hid him from bullies when he was in school, and she longed to be given a glimpse of their life if they’d met sooner.

         “Gale,” Sarah began as they reached his glowing tower, now bathed in peach light from the setting sun. “If I thought I loved you yesterday, I was foolish because what I feel for you right now in this moment…” She took his hand to place it over the center of her chest. “My heart is so full. Thank you.”

         He smiled as his hand slipped up to cup her cheek. “It is I who should thank you. It’s been many years since I experienced such a strong sense of nostalgia with the added flare of something entirely new. You bring new meaning to my life.”

         Sarah smiled as he leaned closer to kiss her, but he teasingly pecked her cheek and pulled back. She placed her hands on his chest to press closer only for him to remain perfectly still while continuing to stare at her fondly. Why wouldn’t he kiss her again? Her fingers gripped the fabric of his robes and she jerked him closer. “Do you not want to kiss me anymore?”

         She only saw Gale’s worried expression for a split second before he bent his head to kiss her, pushing her against the sun-warmed wall of his tower. With his hands cupping her jaw, she couldn’t turn away to tease him in return, but she didn’t want to ever stop kissing him. His lips were soft and gentle as if he had all the time in the world to learn her. Sarah’s grip on his robes tightened when he pinned her against the wall with his hips. It was easy to forget he was as much a man as any human when he always acted with class and dignity; Sarah had secretly hoped he would be passionate behind closed doors.

         But they were out in the open when the tip of his tongue brushed her bottom lip. Sarah didn’t jerk away like the last time and parted her lips enough for him to finally taste her. He brought renewed sweetness to her mouth since they’d enjoyed a frozen treat on their walk back to the tower and she was glad for the support of the sturdy wall behind her to keep from falling to the ground as her knees became jelly. 

         After so much reassurance from him the night before and throughout the day as to his feelings for her, she was brave enough to slide her hands up the back of his neck to curl her fingers into his soft hair. Gale’s low moan reverberated through her senses like the banging of a drum despite it being no more than a hum against her lips. She could taste him now, smell the distinct scent of his skin, feel the pillowy softness of his hair and lips, hear the subsequent hums he made as he continued to move with her; the only thing she couldn’t experience was sight since her eyes fell closed as soon as he kissed her. Sarah knew she would either see his eyelashes fanning across his cheeks or be blessed with his beautiful brown eyes studying her. She didn’t want to break the moment to find out.

         “I see you two have become friendlier since last I saw you,” said a sultry voice to their right. They broke apart as the lithe figure sauntered closer, his light hair reflecting the sun's dying rays. “Well, don’t stop on my account.”

         Sarah dipped her head as her cheeks caught fire and Gale tightened his arm around her shoulders. 

         “Astarion, I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow.”

         “That’s perfectly obvious, but I’m glad to be rid of those longing stares around the camp—young love can be so overdone and it does a number on one’s appetite,” he drawled and Gale tensed upon hearing the word ‘love’.

         “Why’re you here? Has Karlach’s condition worsened?” Gale asked, ignoring Astarion’s jabs.

         “Quite the contrary—she made a full recovery around noontime, but you ignored my pigeon,” Astarion pouted. “I came to see what was occupying you, but I suppose I should have guessed. Has he been using the Weave to his advantage, Sarah?”

         “Excuse me?” She managed and could barely meet Astarion’s eyes for more than a moment.

         “Are you enjoying him of your own free will or has he used his skills to force you here? What else could I mean, darling?” He purred and Gale stiffened further, he’d turn into a statue if he tried any harder. 

         Sarah caught the insinuation and slowly shook her head. “It’s what we both wanted.”

         “Good, I’ll let you continue your honeymoon evening in peace then…unless you’re looking for another?” Astarion asked while taking a step closer, his smirk growing the more Sarah’s cheeks pinkened. 

         “We’re quite content with one another, thank you,” Gale gritted out and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. She was already worried about her first time with Gale, about disappointing him; she’d surely die if Astarion was added to the mix. 

         “As you wish…I’ll see you on the morrow…enjoy your night,” Astarion said while grinning knowingly at the pair of them before turning to disappear back into the city.

         “Perhaps we should go inside,” Gale said to finally break the silence and Sarah nodded numbly. She’d never expected the others to find out about her and Gale. While she wasn’t sure she wanted to hide their relationship, she at least wanted to tell Astarion and Karlach privately instead of being stumbled upon. Mortification over being discovered was an understatement. “Are you upset with me?”

         Sarah realized they’d climbed all the stairs back to his chambers without saying a word and she quickly shook her head. “No, no, I’m not upset…I just didn’t think…I never expected you had similar feelings for me so I suppose…I suppose I didn’t realize that others would know we were together.”

         “You wished to keep our relationship a secret?” Gale asked as he pushed the door open. 

         “No, I didn’t mean it like that.” Sarah stepped across the threshold and turned around to face him. “I think maybe I still didn’t believe how you felt about me until Astarion brought me back to reality. We’re in a fight for our lives every day, Gale. We’re constantly in danger—you could have blown up at any second and there’s something in our brains wanting to control us…” Sarah shook her head and turned away. “I don’t want to waste what precious time we have—we might not get another chance.”

         Gale’s hand found hers and she looked up at him. “What are you saying?”

         “I would like to bathe.”

         “You want to bathe?” He asked with his brows furrowed.

         Sarah nodded and took a deep breath. “I would like to bathe…and then I want to make love…with you.” She inwardly cringed at the awkward wording she chose, but she wasn’t sure how else to express what she wanted. And gods, she wanted him. She didn’t want to die without experiencing the physical side of love. She didn’t want to die without knowing how Gale would treat her at her most vulnerable. She didn’t want to die without being able to show him how loved he was. 

         His lips parted, but no sound came out for a brief pause. “The bathing chambers are across the hall—you can find everything you need in the closet.”

         Sarah waited for him to say more, but he dropped her hand and she decided it was a sign she should depart for the tub. Was he not feeling the same way as her? Had he not wanted her just the day before in his study? Did he think she was rushing him? If she was being honest, she’d imagined being tangled up with him countless times late at night in the loneliness of her bedroll. It was true that they hadn’t known one another for as long as was usual to build a relationship, but shared trauma was the fastest way to bond to someone and she and Gale had faced their fair share of demons together. Sarah didn’t want him to think sex was the only thing she wanted from him, but it was certainly on the list. Just the mere thought of his strong arms around her was enough for her body to heat up.

         The water in the tub magically remained heated and she wasn’t sure how long she spent mulling over the best way to re-enter his chambers after the bomb she dropped on him. As with everything else in his tower, the bathing room was intricately detailed with white marble flooring and dark paneled walls filled with depictions of maidens carrying jugs of water away from a weaving river. 

         Sarah hugged her knees to her chest and tried not to think about what Gale would see when she finally revealed herself to him. It would surely be a disappointment compared to his goddess. She tried to steel herself against such thoughts, but they would nag her for the rest of her life if she didn’t go through with this and hear the truth from Gale’s lips. 

         Taking a deep breath, she unplugged the drain and dried off, leaving her hair down around her shoulders, still damp. She didn’t have any makeup to put on, no lingerie, no perfume; it would only be her in her truest form and that scared her more than facing an army of enemies. The only comfort was that Gale met her when she was strung out from traveling, dirty and unbathed, and still found her striking enough to feel something for her upon their first meeting. 

         She tied the ends of a purple robe together, grinning to herself at the mental image of Gale in it, and padded across the chilly floor to push open the door to his chambers.

         Gale jumped to his feet upon her entrance before she waved for him to sit back down on the edge of the bed. Maybe he felt more nervous than he originally let on to her. Holding the top of the robe closed, Sarah crossed the room with as much poise as she could muster under the conditions she created.

         “I was thinking…” Gale started before she even managed to sit beside him. “I think I’m rushing you. I don’t want Astarion to be the reason we spend the night together. I don’t want anyone or anything to be the reason unless the reasons pertain to me and that may be selfish, but I think I’m at least deserving of that much. I would take you in a moment and enjoy you if you say the word so long as it is because you love me and not because of any other outside force acting upon you.” He lifted his head and Sarah stared at him in case he wanted to continue. Gale seemed to take this as her answer. “I see you’ve changed your mind then.”

         She placed her hand over his that was scratching at the comforter on the bed. “I haven’t changed my mind at all. Gale…I didn’t mean to say it as Astarion is the reason for wanting to be together—anyone could have interrupted us and I think it would have finally settled on me that we are together now. You’re my partner—my life partner—and there’s nothing I want more than to be with you. Also…I know you feared overexerting yourself before because of your condition, but Elminster has unknowingly given us a gift by giving you a reprieve.”

         Gale tilted his head as he thought for a moment before smirking. “I suppose Mystra unwittingly allowed me to be with you carnally.” Sarah’s lip curled at his wording. “My apologies, my dear, that was uncouth even to my own ears.” Her eyes reflexively flicked to his ear where the star representing her dangled. He covered it with his hand and there was a faint flash of purple as it changed to a simple silver hoop. “I cannot remove it because it focuses my power, but I can change it. I suppose…I suppose I was holding onto hope for some time there…but I don’t want to remain shackled to my past any longer.”

         “If you hadn’t experienced your past, I may never have met you.”

         His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I suppose that is the optimist’s view, yes.”

         “It’s my view. I love you.”

         Gale’s smile widened until his eyes were closed and he turned his head away, but Sarah was still able to enjoy it in its fullness. “You’re too kind to me.”

         She squeezed his fingers. “There’s no better quality to have in a partner—there’s no greater compliment you could give me.”

         He occupied himself by lifting her hand to kiss the back of it gently, but he couldn’t hide his reddening cheeks. “When you say…when you say partner—life partner…do you truly mean that? Are you saying you’re mine?”

         “I’m as much yours as you are mine.”

         “I wasn’t aware you were so suave, my dear love,” Gale mumbled as his other hand covered hers and the warmth of his palms spread up her arm through her entire body. “I don’t have much to offer you other than this tower, my powers, and myself…does that satisfy you?”

         “Like I said yesterday, I would love you if you were a farmer,” Sarah assured him, falling more in love with him the more he spoke. She hadn’t realized there were parts of himself he was insecure about enough that he would feel unworthy of her. “I would love you if you were a beggar on the road or if you were a king. Those things don’t change how I feel about you.”

         “And…no magic is your final decision?” Gale stared down at her hand wrapped in both of his so she tipped his chin up with her free one. 

         “We have all the time in the world to explore your other gifts…I’m more interested in the ones you have as a man,” Sarah admitted shyly. “I want my first time to only be you and I.”

         “Oh, gods, your first time,” he wheezed while ducking his head. “I’d nearly forgotten.”

         “I trust you with my whole self.”

         “You’re not nervous?”

         “Nervous? I’m shaking, Gale,” she confessed with a breathy laugh and leaned her forehead on his shoulder. He instantly met her there and pressed his stubbled cheek to hers. “I’m afraid I might disappoint you.”

         “Don’t think that for a moment.”

         “Will it hurt?”

         “A little, I suppose,” he whispered and rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hand. They lapsed into silence, breathing in unison as they silently came to terms with how the rest of the night was going to unfold. “Would you like more time to prepare?” Sarah shook her head against his shoulder. “Would you like to undress in private?” Another head shake. “Would you like any nourishment?”

         “I’m ready,” she breathed and slowly lifted her head to see Gale’s shining eyes already searching for hers. He lifted her hand and she took the hint to stand before him, her robe still clutched tightly with her free hand.

         “Would you like me to undress first?”

         “I think…I would like that.” Sarah really was trembling now as Gale let go of her hand to begin undoing the belt around his waist. “May I?” She’d stilled his hands and, when he nodded, she undid the belt. The sound of it clattering to the ground was deafening as the realization of their intentions increased tenfold.

         He wrapped his arms around her as he stood and pulled her into his chest where he kissed her like he’d never kissed her before. There was no hesitation, no delicate easement into the next step, there was only devouring her as she held onto his shoulders for support as she met each shift of his lips. Gale kissed like he did all things in life: decisively and desperately. The desperate air around him was faint, but it clung to him at his most vulnerable and it seemed he was working his hardest to make up for not being allowed to use his magic on her. His hands spread out, warming her back, before slipping around to squeeze her sides and drawing a gasp from her.

         Sarah realized she was tugging on his shirt and he finally broke away from her to rip the purple fabric over his head. The white one underneath was open at the neck and teasing her with only a glimpse of his golden skin before he was on her again. He didn’t seem to want to be parted from her and Sarah was more than willing to enjoy the strength of his arms around her as his kiss turned slow and long as if he were searching for some perfect moment.

         Her thighs clamped together tightly when he first kissed her neck. It was only a mere peck to her sensitive skin, but it jolted through her. She suddenly wondered if there was a roaring fire in the room only to see the grate was cold. It was Gale keeping her warm—making her sweat with anticipation of where he might place his hands and lips next. 

         Closing her eyes, she focused on the way his tongue barely touched her throat before his lips and she shuddered with the thrill of it. She’d never imagined it would feel like her veins were flooded with fire—that simply touching and kissing would already feel like flying over a volcano. Sarah couldn’t imagine what else she would discover as the night continued.

         Gale didn’t pause his escapade to her collarbone as he kicked off his boots and used one hand to untie the laces of his trousers. Sarah tried to help, but he groaned against her skin as he gently pried her hand away to place it on his side. She took that to mean not to touch there yet and allowed her hands to travel up the broad expanse of his back, feeling the heat of him that surely equaled her own temperature.

         The only thing she wanted to make sure to do was untie the front of his underwear. If she did nothing else, at least let the gods grant her that wish. She pushed him back towards the bed while he stepped out of his pants in pursuit of her quest only for him to trip and abruptly sit on the edge, looking up at her with his soulful eyes blown wide with awe and lust. Sarah had never seen the expression on his face and vowed to keep it there for the foreseeable future—she vowed to put it there as often as possible.

         His hands found her thighs and slowly traveled upwards while he gazed at her. Even through the thick fabric of the robe, she could feel his heated palms exploring higher until they found the cinched ties.

         “May I?” His chest was heaving as he breathlessly asked and she paused for a moment to admire his disheveled appearance—thoroughly enjoying that she was the cause of it. Sarah nodded and he used his pointer finger to tug it undone. The robe still concealed much of her, but his eyes dipped down to see what the small slit revealed and his breath caught before he groaned. “What a sight you’ve been hiding from me…just glimpses…gods…to think my love looks like this…”

         Gale raised his hand to touch her; it shook as he barely passed his fingers from her sternum to her navel. Even though it was barely a brush of skin to skin, Sarah shivered. She couldn’t believe she was finally revealing herself to him—she couldn’t believe she’d done it and he hadn’t recoiled in disgust.

         “I’ve seen some of the wonders of the world, beautiful sights only the Weave can cultivate, but you…you put them all to shame,” he murmured as his eyes finally drifted up to hers. She took his hand and brought it to her face so that she could rest her cheek in his palm, to ground herself to the wonderful fact that he was real. He was so very real . His thumb smoothed over her cheek.

         “I’ve waited for you for so long, Gale…I never thought I’d meet someone like you…I’d given up hope,” she whispered harshly as she tried to keep back her tears. Gale’s other hand joined and cupped her other cheek to cradle her face and she reopened her eyes that she’d squeezed shut. “I love you more than words.”

         He smiled warmly and his eyes crinkled as they always did when he was truly happy. “I love you more than I’ll ever be able to express.” She openly stared at him, her chest tight with all the feelings that were flooding her body. “Would you like to continue? Perhaps remove something else of mine?”

         Gale removed his hands to lean back on them on the bed as if he were presenting himself for her perusal. It was the perfect opportunity to study him further in his loose white shirt that still teased her about what was hidden, but it was his underclothes that caught her eye—not because they were the light purple pair with the little ties, no, because what was a mere hint the night before was now an obvious bulge. Sarah reached her hand towards the ties, but paused. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was supposed to continue once it was out of its confines.

         “Why don’t you straddle my lap? I’ll enjoy the view while you get acquainted with me…there's nothing to be afraid of, my dear.” Gale held his hand out and she let him guide her closer so she could climb onto the bed, her open robe leaving little to the imagination now. She was taller than him while kneeling on either side of his waist and his hands found her hips to once again guide her down until she was sitting on his thighs. Sarah was careful not to touch more than his shoulders. “There. I like you much better here, wouldn’t you agree?”

         Sarah smiled and ducked her head. Damn her nerves. But Gale was there to nuzzle his face against her neck and left a lingering kiss there to torture her further. 

         “I know it won’t assist you by saying it, but there’s no need to be shy with me, Sarah. In fact, feel my heart.” Gale placed her hand on his chest and she was surprised by the rapid beat beneath her palm.

         “That’s because of me?”

         “It’s not every night I get to share in the company of the woman I love—in the company of the woman who loves me. I…” He trailed off and rested his temple against her sternum. “I haven’t been with someone…new in a long time…nor have I been with someone without using my Art…I suppose…I suppose I fear I shall disappoint you in some way.”

         Sarah took his face into both her hands and didn’t bother saying anything before kissing him like it might be the last kiss they ever shared. She wanted him to know through her actions how she felt as she pressed herself closer to him, tentatively allowing herself to grind down onto him. His gasping moan as he tightened his arms around her was the answer she needed to spur her on to press their chests together.

         She could barely breathe by the time they broke apart and she was blessed by the flush of his face, his lips rosy from kissing for so long. “You’re so pretty, Gale.”

         “Pretty?” He chuckled and she nodded.

         “I want to see more,” she whispered in her best imitation of a sultry voice while tugging at the hem of his shirt.

         Gale rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up at the ceiling. “Well, I think,” he tugged his shirt back down, “you might prefer it if I keep my shirt on.”

         “No, I would definitely prefer your shirt off.”

         “Ah, well…”

         “Is something wrong?” Sarah asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

         “No, no, my dear, it’s just…well, the time since I left my…Chosen status has not been kind—that is to say I haven’t been kind to myself nor…kept up my usual regimens.” Gale continued to tug his shirt down.

         “I don’t understand.”

         “I’ve…added a bit of…weight,” he grumbled defeatedly and frowned harshly at the comforter. “I thought I had more time to reclaim my former glory before we would be together and you’d never have to know or at least never fully see me as I am now. I’m unhappy with myself and I was unhappy sequestered here in my tower…learning how to cook well was to pass the time, but it…eventually became more than a hobby. I ate my feelings and let myself go. You’ll have to forgive me and allow me to make it up to you in some other way and—”

         “May I please see?” Sarah’s soft voice seemed to reach him and he reluctantly reached back to pull his shirt over his head. Gale balled the fabric up in front of himself before finally tossing it to the floor. There was certainly some thickness to her wizard, but it only accentuated his overall physique as a well muscled man with weight to put behind his strength. While there was pudge a vicious woman might have pinched, Sarah only saw softness to run her hands over interspersed between the hard muscles of his body. “You’re exactly as I imagined you.”

         “I’m sor—what? You imagined me this way?” Gale pinched at his stomach. “I have become a shell of myself—I’ll never forgive myself for getting this way—or letting you see me like this.”

         Sarah shook her head as she reverently explored his body with her hands, enjoying the dark, downy chest hair that tickled her fingers. “No, you’re perfect—don’t change. I don’t want you to change a gram.” She pressed on his chest until he finally laid back on the bed and she quickly drew her robe around herself as she lost confidence. “Actually…should you think that about yourself…I’m sure the way I look is poor in comparison to what you’ve seen in the past—”

         “No!” Gale said loudly as he jolted upright. “I mean, no, my dear, no, I meant what I said earlier—you stunned me with your beauty.”

         “I’m telling the truth, too,” she whispered as her eyes roved over him and her fingers began to loosen on her robe. “I’m…I feel like I’m going to faint from how much I want you right now and it only worsened when you removed your shirt.”

         Gale shook his head as he chuckled, his cheeks reddening at her words. “I suppose if we accept one another…then there’s really nothing to worry over.” He traced his finger over the edge of the opening in her robe before his eyes flicked up to hers. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

         Sarah’s breath caught. “Make love to me.” She didn’t say more as she flung herself at him and kissed him with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. 

         Gale turned with her, guiding her onto her back, and she naturally parted her legs for his hips. Where she was all quiet desperation, Gale remained collected in his actions, but his quiet groans and hums let her know how much he was enjoying her. Sarah wasn’t sure how much she could endure as he began to kiss her neck and she tugged her arms free of the suffocating robe only for him to pin them beside her head as he released a long breath above her breasts. He was fully engrossed as she watched him finally bend his head. His warm mouth was a hair's breadth away when he stopped and moved back to look up at her.

         “May I?”

         Sarah nodded quickly. “Yes, yes.”

         Gale merely kissed between her breasts at her affirmation, but he released her arms to cup them with his strong hands and Sarah melted into the bed. Trusting him was knowing he was only gazing at her with admiration, touching her with her pleasure in mind, and knowing he would tell her if he needed something from her. His lithe fingers squeezed and toyed while he placed open mouth kisses over the swells of her breasts. Her stuttering breaths were the only thing she could hear over her overbearing heart beat. 

         He moved down to her waist and she nearly protested until she felt his heated palms on the sides of her thighs. She hadn’t expected herself to be sensitive there, but it was so incredibly intimate the way he delicately touched her as if she were a particularly interesting book he couldn’t wait to pry open. 

         “Gods, you’re a masterpiece,” he muttered under his breath, but she heard it and her heart soared at how he spoke about her to himself. She could only imagine the other things he’d thought about her—perhaps even before they admitted their feelings to one another. Gale placed his hand over her upper thigh, his fingers spreading up to her lower stomach. “I want to kiss you here.”

         She noted he wasn’t asking permission this time, but nodded anyway while he was already lowering his head. If she thought his hands were erotic, his lips were sinful. Sarah instantly understood why sex was so sought after, why intimacy was craved. She was sure she was leaking onto the sheets beneath her as he drug his bottom lip over her skin before letting her feel his tongue touch. Gale was obviously making the most of his time with her, but she felt such a need growing between her legs she wasn’t sure how she didn’t combust beneath his hands. 

         A whimpering breath broke past her lips and Gale lifted his head to check on her; she took it as her chance to motion him back up towards her. 

         “Is something wrong?” He asked as he laid down next to her, still pressing against her side since he obviously didn’t want to be apart. 

         “I think…think I’m ready now.”

         Gale’s brows furrowed. “Ready? Ready for what?”

         “For you to make love to me.”

         He shook his head for a moment before he stopped himself. “You’re not ready yet,” he said slowly and placed his hand on her hip. “How much do you know about making love?”

         “I know how it works,” Sarah replied quickly.

         “I didn’t mean…I meant…you’re just not ready, my dear; there’s no other way to say it.”

         “I just said I’m ready,” she argued and tried to sit up, but he put his leg over hers to keep her pinned to the mattress.

         “There’s many more things I want to do to you.”

         Sarah eased back down, her curiosity piqued. “Like what?”

         “Well, based on my eloquence, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you that I have a practiced tongue,” he answered lowly and chastely kissed her lips. 

         “Oh.”

         “You wouldn’t like me to perform on you?”

         Sarah’s cheeks felt like they were burning. “I thought that was kind of…like…only in books.”

         “And what books have you been reading?” Gale asked teasingly.

         “I like a little romance once in a while,” she said indignantly.

         “Well, rest assured, when it comes to Gale of Waterdeep, I do enjoy giving more than receiving. And I do wish to give to you all that I can to make our first night together as memorable as possible.”

         “It’s already memorable and—”

         “Then I’m doing my job accordingly.” Gale brushed a few stray locks of hair from her forehead. “Wouldn’t you like it if I placed my mouth upon you? I’ve… read …that women enjoy it. Apparently, female genitalia has more nerves for pleasure than a man’s and—”

         “I think that’s enough,” Sarah rushed out and laughed anxiously. She didn’t need an anatomy lesson. “I think it’s too embarrassing…can’t you touch me instead?”
         “How would you like me to touch you? Use me as your vessel for pleasure, my dear,” Gale said encouragingly, a large smile blooming on his face. He was giddy beside her and she couldn’t believe that she was doing anything well enough for him to seem so happy. She was arguing with the man about pleasing her. She was going to throw herself from the tower if she didn’t think of something soon.

         Sarah grabbed his hand from her hip and placed it between her legs. “Is this right?”

         “Of course it’s right, Sarah,” he said softly and slid his hand over her inner thigh. “So long as it’s what you want, it’s right. Is this where you want me to touch?”

         “Higher,” she whispered.

         His hand found the crease of her thigh. “Here?”

         “Higher.”

         “Here?”

         Sarah couldn’t form a single thought—let alone a word—as his middle and ring finger slid through her core, soaking them with her anticipation. His groan was mixed with furrowed eyebrows.

         “Are you this wet from me?”

         She nodded quickly, her breath coming in short pants. Gale circled his fingers around above her entrance, slipping over her clit for a mere moment.

         “Tell me exactly where it feels like you receive the most pleasure,” he ordered sternly while intently watching her face. “Here?”

         “Right,” she squeaked and his fingers moved as she directed, nearly causing her to spasm out of his arms as she cried out. It was nothing like her own fingers; she was so sensitive to his touch she nearly came from the minimal contact. “Gale, Gale—”

         “I’m here.” He kissed her temple before swallowing the rest of her cries with his lips as he slid his fingers in motions she never could have dreamed of. It felt like a well inside of her was filling up until it was eventually full to bursting. She didn’t want to let go in case the pleasurable feelings stopped, but Gale didn’t give her a choice. He seemed determined to drive her mad as he subtly sped up his fingers to match the grinding of her hips. “You’re being so sweet. You’re doing so well.”

         “Gale—” Sarah cut herself off as she stared up at him, falling into the earthiness of his eyes as he studied her in return. 

         “Do not take your eyes off me,” he whispered. “Do not close them.”

         Her lashes fluttered, but she fought the impulse as she finally allowed herself to crash against the rocks of ecstasy. While Gale was all she could think of, she was sure even with her eyes closed she only would have envisioned him. Sarah secretly had envisioned him late at night, but none of her imaginings could hold a candle to the real experience. 

         His forehead fell against hers as he panted as loudly as she did.

         “Thank you,” she managed between breaths. “Thank you, thank you.”

         Sarah carded her fingers into his hair to guide his face to hers and kissed him with everything she had. There were few anxieties left in her mind now that he’d shown her such pleasure and she now kissed him fearlessly. It was freeing to run her hands over his back like he was hers because he was hers. Gale Dekarios was in bed with her and whispering how much he loved her between kisses.

         With his arms around her, his hips between her thighs, and his lips on hers, she wasn’t sure she would ever leave the tower. There were no more worries about the future or about the quest they were on because all that mattered was getting more of him. More of his attention, more of his love, more of his touch. There was nothing that mattered more…except one last thing.

         “Can I untie your pants now?” Sarah panted when she finally managed to wrench herself away. 

         “Anything you want— anything .” Gale twisted them so his back was against the headboard and she was once again straddling his thighs. He seemed to like the position and Sarah hoped to use the information again at a later time.

         She didn’t hesitate this time as she reached for the white ribbon ties of his underclothes and undid the bow at the top. As she loosened the ribbon, Gale’s breathing stuttered and hitched with each movement of her fingers. Sarah moved slowly to enjoy the sounds as long as possible until the ribbon was finally fully undone. He reached for the lip of the cloth and she stopped his hand to slip her own beneath the fabric.

         His head instantly fell back against the wood behind him as a low moan left his throat, the loudest she’d heard from him yet, and she suddenly missed his fingers between her legs. With his head back, his throat was exposed and Sarah took advantage of the position to run her tongue up his neck. Gale grabbed her. 

         While Gale had held her, touched her, maneuvered her, he’d never grabbed her until that moment. One hand went to the back of her thigh and the other to the nape of her neck as he flipped her over beneath him. He was out of her sight for a moment before he was back over her, breathing harshly with his hair wild behind him. She realized he must have been holding back up to that moment and she’d never been so glad he confessed how sensitive his neck was to her. 

         Her hands smoothed up his sides until she plucked up the courage to lower her eyes between his legs where his cock hung proudly above her entrance. She’d read in her books they could be large, but she didn’t expect it to look so daunting up close. No wonder he’d been Chosen by Mystra.

         Sarah immediately wiped the horrid thought from her mind.

         “Are you ready?”

         She found his eyes again and grounded herself. “Yes.”

         “No, wrong answer again, my dear,” he said with a grin and did his best to look relaxed, but there was an unhinged glint in his eyes he couldn’t suppress. Sarah was astounded by how much he wanted her as his hands slid up her thighs. “I’ve barely readied you.”

         Sarah mumbled unintelligibly and Gale raised a questioning eyebrow at her. “I don’t want to wait any longer,” she repeated louder while looking away.

         Gale’s hand found her face and tilted her towards him. “Eager for me?”

         “You know I love you,” she sighed longingly.

         “I have all night with you.”

         “You had all day,” she argued through puckered lips as he squeezed her cheeks. He shook his head as she spoke.

         “I wasn’t lusting after you all day, my dear. If all I have is this night with you—”

         “We’ll have more chances—I’ll make them.”

         Gale chuckled. “You don’t even know if you’ll like making love yet.”

         “I will.”

         “You don’t know that.”

         “I do! I know I’ll like it—love it—because it’s time spent with you.”

         He sighed and gathered her in his arms to press their bare chests together. The weight of him was enough to cause her to shudder and she hooked her heels over his calves to keep him in place. “Why must you test my patience? ”
         “You’re testing mine,” she replied with false bravado. 

         Gale sighed into her hair before lifting his head to gaze down at her. “Did I hear you say earlier you wanted to please me?”

         Sarah’s eyes searched his for the deeper meaning behind his words. “Yes…”

         “It would please me very much to have a taste of you,” he murmured softly while toying with a strand of her hair. “I want to get on my knees and worship you , Sarah. I want your eyes on me while I please you how you never thought possible.”

         There was no way for her to reject such a specific request and her breathy ‘yes’ was barely audible, but Gale smiled as she released him so he could kneel beside the bed. He pulled her closer and paused to rip the pillows from the bed and position them under her how he saw fit. His eyes never left hers once he was positioned between her thighs and Sarah wished to cover herself with her discarded robe, but fought the impulse because there was no reason to hide herself from him. She’d already fully bared herself, what was a little bit more?

         “I’ll start slow—I’ll be gentle,” he breathed against her skin before his lips touched her. Sarah scrunched her eyes shut as the barest suggestion of his tongue moved against her and she felt him pull away. “I want you to watch me, Sarah. I do not want you to close your eyes.”

         Her eyes snapped open to see he was waiting for her to do as he commanded and the dark look he was giving her nearly made her snap her legs shut. The prim and proper wizard was finally gone and the passionate man she’d been hoping for was now kneeling in his place. 

         Gale placed his hands over her lower stomach to hold her down as he bent his head. His promises of slow and gentle were lies as his tongue firmly swept through her as he groaned. The wounded sound he made startled her more than the feeling and if it wasn’t for her watching his face slacken with desire, she would have thought him hurt. 

         While she worried holding eye contact would only embarrass her further, Sarah found that watching Gale’s lashes flutter as he swirled his tongue only heightened the pleasure she felt. It was entirely different from his fingers. There were more sensations to choose from as he feasted upon her like he was searching for the last sip of water in the desert. His beard rubbed against her inner thighs in time with his fingers clenching and unclenching on her stomach, but the best sensation was his shoulders sliding back and forth under her legs.

         Sarah gripped the sheets beneath her in the hopes of holding back her moans, but the way he slowly blinked while gazing up at her caused her to let loose. She cried out his name and a garbled mess of curses. She’d found the only—and best—way to shut him up. Sarah wasn’t about to let him go anywhere as her fingers wound their way into his hair. He wasn’t leaving until he made her finish.

         It didn’t take long for her to reach the cusp of it, but he lifted his head away to suck in a deep breath while she groaned in frustration.

         “Not yet,” he panted teasingly and kissed her inner thigh. “Not yet.”

         Gale’s hand parted her legs further and she watched as he licked his fingers before she felt them circling her entrance. 

         “Don’t tighten up—relax for me,” he mumbled against her skin and she forced her body to slacken. “There’s a good girl.”

         Sarah was sure she tightened around his fingers as soon as his final words passed his lips because he chuckled. He chuckled as he lowered his head to resume his torture upon her body. What she believed was only in books was now being performed upon her and Sarah cursed herself for arguing with him in the first place. If she knew it would feel so good—if she knew it would have made her love him more—she would have begged him for it. While she wasn’t surprised by how giving he was, his acceptance of her hesitation and helping her to ease into it made her realize she’d chosen the right person to give herself to.

         “I love you,” she whispered breathlessly and received a muffled moan in response. Gale curled his fingers inside of her and the moment broke as she clamped her legs shut around his head, completely spasming within his hold. Sarah was going to have to scold him for that because there wasn’t a feeling in the world to compare what she experienced from his labors. “You—you promised not to use magic!”

         Gale bent her leg to release himself from her inadvertent headlock with a glistening grin that only caused her flush to deepen. “I didn’t use any magic.”

         “You didn’t?”

         He shook his head as he stood and Sarah’s eyes were drawn down to his cock. It was a deeper color than before and it shone in the faint light of the candles. She worried about what it was going to do to her when he squeezed her knee. “Are you ready now, my dear love?”

         Sarah looked up at him hesitantly, but he nodded at her encouragingly. “Yes?”
         “Right answer,” he teased as he drug her closer to the edge of the bed. “I was thinking you would be more comfortable here with the pillows under you for maximum pleasure. You won’t have me crushing you and you’ll be able to push me away if you need to if we’re in this position.”

         “Mmm…no.”

         “No?” Gale stopped maneuvering her to glance up at her. “But this is optimal for—”

         “I want to feel you on top of me—I want to be able to pull you closer.” Sarah reached out her hands to him and he took them into his own, but he didn’t join her on the bed. She tugged and he climbed over her, careful not to pin her so she wrapped her arms around him to pull him down.

         His brows were still furrowed when he spoke. “Why like this?”

         “I just said why.”

         “But really why?”

         “It’s…too impersonal if you’re like that. I want you here, with me—on me,” she amended quickly while smiling nervously. “I don’t want you where I can’t touch you…not this first time.”

         “I don’t want to hurt you…”

         “A little pain is part of the experience…I’m prepared.”

         Gale gave her a sentimental look as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You know…you understand I love you…and I love you for more than just this, right?”

         “Of course—I love you the same way, too,” she said softly and leaned up to kiss him. He cradled her head in his hands while she felt him shift her legs up with his thighs under her own. If two days ago someone told her she would find herself underneath Gale Dekarios, she would have laughed in their face and drawn her daggers for her own protection. It still seemed impossible that she was living out a dream she’d had a thousand times. “I love you so much it hurts,” she whispered desperately as his hand slid up her side to cup her breast. “Please…please, I don’t want to wait anymore—I can’t take this.”

         Gale raised his head in surprise, but quickly covered the expression by looking down to take his cock in hand. “I want you, too, gods, I can’t take this either.”

         Sarah didn’t get to reply before he was pressing himself against her entrance and she was forced to use every fiber of her being to remain relaxed. There was a brief moment she thought she wouldn’t feel any pain at all until he pressed in barely an inch further, his eyes flicking across her face the entire time. “Stop.”

         “I already have. I know your body…I’ve got you,” he murmured and kissed her temple. Sarah gripped his shoulders for support and pressed herself up against him in an effort to feel closer. Gale finally took the hint to lower himself onto her instead of keeping his weight suspended. “Is this alright?” Sarah nodded. “Keep breathing deeply, my dear.”

         “You can try again.”

         Gale looked ready to argue, but nodded. It pinched, it pushed her limits, and it made her worry there was something wrong with her before she slapped his shoulder twice to stop him from going any further. “Alright, alright,” he hushed and tenderly rubbed her back as tears formed in her eyes. 

         “I’m doing it wrong,” she mumbled into his chest.

         “No…you’re wonderful,” he wheezed. “It’s incredibly difficult to hold back right now— ha . I wanted to be at the edge of the bed so I could pull away from you—all I wanna do is slam into you.”

         Wanna .

         Sarah heard it clear as day cutting through his sentence because never did Gale allow himself to combine words. She’d heard the Waterdeep accent of the others in town when they were exploring and realized Gale slipped into it at the end of his sentence. He must have covered his accent well with another, more eloquent one. His mind was obviously occupied by other things if he would revert back. She smiled into the crook of his neck as the pain she’d felt finally eased.

         “My dear?” He smoothed her hair down. “Do you want to continue?”

         “Say ‘wanna’ again.”

         “Excuse me?”

         “Ask me if I ‘wanna’ continue,” Sarah explained as she leaned her head back to see his face.

         “No…”

         “You just said it—don’t get all composed now.”

         Gale’s lip twitched and he took a deep breath. “Do you wanna continue?” He sighed, letting his accent slide back into place and Sarah smiled.

         “Yes, Gale Dekarios, I wanna continue.”

         He groaned with a mixture of frustration and pleasure as he pressed his face to her shoulder. “ Ah —” His hips jerked and Sarah sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m sorry—my apologies, fuck . I’m sorry, Sarah.”

         “It’s alright, I’m fine,” she panted and pressed her thighs tighter to his sides. 

         “The good news is…I’m fully inside you now.”

         Sarah untucked her face from his chest where she’d hidden her grimace to see his apologetic expression. “Just…give me a minute.”

         Gale lowered his head to gently press his soft lips to hers and she allowed the tension of her body to melt away. Once she focused on his kiss, she forgot about any discomfort she felt, she forgot about where they were, she forgot about the very concept of ‘tomorrow’. Sarah only knew that moment with him, with her wizard. 

         “More,” she breathed out across his lips before pulling him back to her. She froze again when he shifted back, but when there was no pain, she forced her body to relax enough for him to push forward again. A quiet moan was muffled by his mouth and Sarah realized why the pain was secondary: she now felt only pleasure. Gale’s hips were hesitant yet measured as they rolled between her thighs. “Gale…”

         He stopped. “Are you alright?”

         “Don’t stop.” 

         “If you saw what I’m seeing…”

         Sarah’s nails drug down his back. “Don’t stop.”

         Gale resumed his pace while holding her face between his hands. “You look— ha —like you’re going to faint.”

         She wanted to close her eyes to enjoy the new feelings he was bestowing on her, but she knew he wanted to see her watching him. “No…it’s good.”

         “Only good?”

         Sarah moaned loudly as she clung to him.

         “That’s more like it,” he mumbled against her throat before sucking a mark there that wouldn’t fade for days. “I’ve thought about being with you more than I care to admit—you’ve been my sole fantasy—my sole thought—for months.”

         Sarah could barely focus on his words since he sped up his hips and drove into her with enough force she could feel herself building to an explosive finish. 

         “I thought— ah —there was never going to be a chance—a chance to tell you how I felt, but gods, I practically yelled it at you yesterday. I cannot control myself around you— ungh —Sarah, Sarah , gods…” Gale pressed his face against her temple. “I wanna be with you forever.”

         His words, his accent, his soul bearing honesty, combined with the exquisite pleasure he was causing her to experience was more than enough to make her cry out as her body shook and jerked. The only thing that held her attention more than her climax were the desperate sounds Gale made in her ear as he staved off his own high before he finally fell into it with a long moan of her name.

         Sarah was still shaking when she combed her fingers through his long hair while they both fought to catch their breath. “I love you.”

         Gale groaned and shuddered as he collapsed against her, pinning her to the bed with his full weight, and she reveled in it. He held her like she might float away at any moment, but Sarah’s grip on him was just as tight. She didn’t want the moment to end and she hoped her embrace would be enough to hold him there with her forever. 

         I wanna be with you forever .

         It was better than ‘I love you’ in some ways. It was almost a promise that even if there wasn’t love, he would still want to be by her side. And the other, more hidden meaning: he was himself with her. He didn’t need a fancy accent or the ability to control the Weave. All he needed to do was be himself and Sarah would love him from one end of the world to the other. 

         She froze. “Did you finish inside me?”

         Gale pushed himself up on one arm. “I’ll make you a tea in the morning, don’t worry.”

         Sarah relaxed back. “Sorry.”

         “No, I presume you were thinking it wouldn’t exactly be fortuitous to bring a child into a family with parents who have worms in their brains.” Gale was obviously fully back, she thought with a smile.

         “Exactly.”

         He pulled out of her and they both hissed air through their teeth at the feeling. “I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

         “Why?”

         Gale furrowed his brow. “It’s important for a woman’s health to pass water after sex to keep from getting an infection.”

         “After each time you have sex?”

         “Yes.”

         “So I have to pee again later, too?” Sarah asked defeatedly.

         “Later?”

         Sarah sat up on her elbows. “After we make love again…”

         “We…you want to…again…” Gale was gone again as his mind tried to catch up with what she was saying. 

         “Only if you want to of course,” she added quickly. Gale continued to stare at her as his hand glowed purple to conjure a cloth. He massaged her waist quietly as he wiped between her legs and she worried at her lip. Did he not want to? Did he not enjoy it as much as her?

         Gale tossed the cloth away and it disappeared before it hit the floor; Sarah wished she could disappear the same way. Why wasn’t he saying anything? He kissed the top of her thigh followed by her shoulder and finally her cheek. “How do you feel?”

         “You didn’t like it…did you?” Sarah mumbled through clenched teeth as she tried not to let her emotions get the better of her.

         “Sarah…” Gale sighed and hung his head. She braced herself for the worst. “I’m trying to be a gentleman, but gods, I’m ready to take you again. I’m already aching to be within you, held by you…but I don’t want to hurt you. So please, tell me how you feel.”

         Sarah glanced up at him hesitantly to see if he was lying, but his sincerity shone through his eyes. “I haven’t disappointed you?”

         “I have not made love on the mortal plane in almost fifteen years…I had forgotten the—the rawness of it—how mortal it can make one feel. It’s easy to lose oneself in the power of the Weave, but it takes the human—or elven—aspect out of it. It’s easier…it’s purer—easier to feel every part of you—every way you touch me.”

         Her hands, as if their own accord, caressed his back gently and he closed his eyes. “You must tell me if you need something—you must. I couldn’t bear it if I didn’t please you.”

         “I would—I will,” he mumbled against her cheek.

         “Would…would it please you if I were on top of you?”

         Gale’s face whipped towards her. “You would do that?”

         “Of course, my love.”

         He blinked several times. “Could you say that again?”

         “Of course, my love.”

         Gale’s smile was radiant before he gathered her up in his arms to kiss her. He kissed her and kissed her and while she still wanted more after all that, he carried her with him as he sat back against the headboard. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s a good amount of work and perhaps it would be better if—”

         “I want to, Gale. I noticed how much you liked it before,” she replied shyly with her hands resting on his shoulders.

         “Am I so transparent?” He quirked his eyebrow at her.

         “No…I was trying to learn what you liked. I know you like this,” she brushed her fingertips along the side of his neck and his hands tightened on her waist, “and I now know you like when I call you my love.”

         His hips jerked up into her and she looked down to see his cock between her thighs, leaking and glistening in the dying candlelight.

         “What else do you like?” She whispered.

         “Would you put it in?” He asked breathlessly despite her doing very little in the way of touching him. Sarah reached down and circled her fingers around his length, a much easier feat than when she’d reached into his underwear the last time. His skin was hot to the touch and his responsive gasp made it easier for her to sink down onto him. “Can—may we stay like this for a moment?”

         “Of course, my love.” Sarah, too, wanted to further enjoy the way he filled her and appreciate the intimacy of their new position. She could look into his eyes while his hands massaged and caressed her back as she did the same in return. The room was quiet save for their breathing as they stared at one another, neither wanting to break the tension. His hands spanned her back a final time before slipping around to her hips, squeezing her waist before he gently pushed her back and forth atop of him. 

         Not wanting to say anything to ruin the quiet understanding they’d come to, Sarah didn’t repeat how she loved him or how good it felt—she knew she didn’t need to, she knew Gale was more than aware of her love now and her moans surely told him how good he made her feel.

         “No—no one’s ever done this for me before,” Gale murmured before he leaned forward to kiss her chest. He rested his face in the crook of her neck and erotically moaned in her ear like he’d never felt anything better in his life. Sarah inadvertently tightened around him as her nails dug into his upper back. “ Ah , you’re gonna make me come.”

         Sarah wasn’t sure how to reply so she squeezed her arms around him as hard as she could while following the momentum he’d created for her. Gale was unbridled in the way he sounded as his hands grabbed at her to hold on. She didn’t need him to tell her he was close because his inability to touch her gently was her indication that he was no longer fully in control of himself. Sarah loved being the reason he lost his poise.

         “I love you, I love you,” she whispered as she smoothed her hands over his slick skin. Their breaths mingled when he raised his head before he kissed her. He was gentle, loving, as he cradled her face.

         Gale sighed into her mouth before he leaned his forehead against hers. “I have to take you to the washroom.”

         “Let me get some feeling back in my legs,” she teased.

         “No need.” Gale moved his legs over the edge of the bed and Sarah clung to him, but he never pulled out as he carried her across the room. Once he set her down, he closed the door and left her alone. He knocked on the door again after only a few moments, barely enough time to see to her business let alone come to terms with everything. The door creaked open and a robe floated through. “Here you are, my dear.”

         Sarah’s heart soared at how well he knew her as she tied the robe closed. He was waiting outside the door in only his purple undershorts and he didn’t ask her before dipping her back into his arms.

         “You look gorgeously flushed, my dear love,” he mumbled against her cheek before peppering the side of her face with kisses. 

         She noticed the room was now warmed by a fire as he laid her down onto the bed before joining her. He really did think of everything.

         “How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?” His hand slid over her hip as she shook her head and he drew her up into his arms just as she wanted. Sarah sighed longingly and nuzzled her face into his chest. “Are you content?”

         “Very.”

         “I suppose I must keep my thanks short then, before you fall asleep in my arms.” His palms warmed her back as she shifted around to see his face. 

         “Thanks?”

         “You’ve shown me a very pure form of love over the past few days—more than I’ve received in a very, very long time. While you thought there were only certain things to be found in written word, I, too, thought true love, pure love, were also works of fantasy. I now see that that’s not true and I ask for your forgiveness for not believing I might receive it from you. I look forward to what the fates have in store for us.”

         Sarah was misty eyed as she embraced him tightly, praying he would understand her answer was to simply continue to do as she had done already: love him with all her heart.