The moonlight was shining through the trees, the chatter and noise of the party fading into distant sounds. You weren’t entirely sure what had triggered it, but cold sweat ran down your spine, and tears streamed down your face. Overwhelmed, your first instinct was to nibble anxiously on the bracelet your lover had given you, desperately trying to ground yourself.

Your heart raced, and you felt completely disoriented. Astarion had wanted you to loosen up, to let your guard down, to unmask. But what if he didn’t like the real you? What if he thought you were weird? The thoughts kept looping in your head, suffocating you. Why couldn’t you just keep masking? It had worked for you so far—why wasn’t it enough?

Meanwhile, Astarion had been noticing the small things—the quirks and habits you tried so hard to conceal. He wasn’t upset by them… he just wanted to understand.

Your lover had left the festivities as soon as he realized you were gone, his sharp ears catching the faint sound of your sobs at the edge of camp. His pace quickened as he followed the sound, his crimson eyes widening when he finally found you in such a distressed state.

Were you stimming? Why were you so upset?

Astarion, despite his centuries of experience, suddenly felt distressed himself. He knew of autistic traits—he’d seen them in others over the years—but seeing you like this stirred something different. His chest tightened with guilt. Had he pushed you too far? Had his efforts to help only made things worse? The thought was unbearable.

“Darling,” he began softly, kneeling beside you. He looked both guilty and loving. “I know unmasking is complicated, but I just want you to be happy.” He sighed, wrapping his strong arms around you, pulling you into his protective embrace.

“I’m here, alright? You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” he murmured softly. “I’ll be your knight in shining armor, always.”