Chapter Text
The evening sky took a lavender hue as the sun disappeared and Astarion led her to the Counting House. The plan they’d curated earlier at her flat involved a distinct disguise of poise and polish; having the appearances of those much richer than themselves was key to getting the manager to let them into the vault rooms. With the pale elf in an elegant trench coat and navy shirt, he could blend in effortlessly with the upper class of the city even while carrying a large case. Lillix however, had to take a little more work with a smart strappy midi length black dress and her hair tied into a bun. She even had elegant makeup on which Astarion helped with, and she still wasn’t sure whether she was surprised or not with his skills.
She couldn't have felt more out of place if she’d tried. Thankfully with her hand on Astarion’s arm, he guided her gently through the foyer to the bank teller so she didn’t have to worry too hard about her body language giving her away. An argument could be made that she acted elegant during her singing routine but in her eyes, that was an entirely different scenario with an entirely different purpose.
As Astarion asked the teller for the bank manager’s assistance in opening a vault account, Lillix went over the plan in her head again. He would ask to open a joint vault, using his own smaller account as a starter. The bank manager would direct them to said joint vault, which is slightly bigger than regular ones to account for both people. While the manager showed the vault around, Astarion would use a scroll of charm on him, Lillix would have a peep for Lorroakan’s vault, and if it was nearby, they’d have the manager turn his back as they popped everything they could into an empty case. If the vault was further in, well they’d just have to come back once they had the money for invisibility potions.
She tried her best not to look over at his charming face as he enchanted the bank manager. The thought of the kiss from the previous evening still sat in her mind and she wasn’t about to let it turn into some sort of weird workplace crush. Still, the giggles of the dwarven bank manager perturbed her somewhat in a way she couldn’t explain.
“Ah, so a tour would set your heart at ease my friend?” she heard the manager say, “Not a problem at all, if you’d like to follow me,”
“Perfect. Come along my dear,” Astarion tugged her hand with his arm and she smiled to go along with it. It turned out smiling was an excellent way to hide that she actually liked being called ‘my dear’. Godsdammit.
The walk down the stairs was uneventful but she was careful to notice how loudly her heels clicked against the tiled flooring. The manager was explaining something about the variations of vaults they had available in the counting house as they passed a number of well equipped guards, all wearing armour, and a few of them who had a challenging look in their eye, saying ‘Just try it and see how far you get’. Strangely enough, it was reassuring to know security was as tough as they thought.
Lillix rapped a finger from the hand she held Astarion’s arm with, as he continued to make conversation. Hopefully to the guards it was nothing more than a nervous tick, as opposed to the counting of guards that they could get through, should the worst happen.
The manager continued their tour as they passed a corridor of shelving units, specifically made to allow those of lower income to ‘get started on the credit ladder’, and into a larger room which split off into three sections. One seemed to be a larger variation of the shelving section, in which the manager explained they had various traps to protect the many valuables of their clients. The second was a grander affair, with actual vault doors around the room, and the third stretched on with minimal lighting and a lot more security locks and trinkets.
“This room here sir,” said the manager, guiding Astarion and Lillix to the second section, “I believe one of these many vaults here would be to your liking, and more importantly, to your wallet,”
Astarion smirked as he looked around at the large steel doors with rotary locks, “And you’re certain these are the best fit for our…contributions?”
“Oh certainly sir, these are some of the highest security vaults in the counting house!”
Lillix put on her most believable pout to Astarion, “I’m not entirely sure I trust this security if we can just walk in here darling. Is this really the most secure?”
As Astarion turned back to the manager, the dwarf seemed unnerved by their act, “Truly these vaults are the most secure for your needs sir. You’ll notice we cannot approach the doors without turning off our traps with a security code, and even then you’d never be able to enter the vault door without both my key and the vault holder’s key,”
“Well, it certainly is impressive,” said the pale elf, “But I do have to wonder what more secure vaults there are further in. Or are they, as you say, not suitable for our needs?”
For the first time, the dwarven manager looked somewhat uncomfortable, though whether that was because of suspicion or not wanting to upset potential patrons left Lillix uncertain, “Sir, I believe these vaults will offer all the security you’ll need for your valuables. I’m afraid the only extra security provided beyond this is intended for items of incredible value, as well as those that may be dangerous,” the manager looked close at Lillix, “Unless your needs require such expensive and dire security, these exceptional vaults are more than able to provide for you,”
That was all they needed to hear. A wizard of Lorroakan’s standing would definitely have his vault beyond the shadowed corridor; gold, treasure, and heaps of secret magical artifacts. Lillix fought the urge to grin and instead sulkily dropped her hands from Astarion’s arms.
“Darling, you promised me the highest security!” she whined. The elf’s ruby eyes focused hard on her and for a quick moment she had to concentrate a little harder on the act.
“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice lowering as he turned from the bank manager to face her, “I told you before we entered to behave yourself or there would be consequences,”
It was absolutely not the time to be appreciating Astarion’s piercing stare as he loomed over her so naturally she bottled that reaction for later and continued the bratty act. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the manager getting progressively more uncomfortable so clearly something was going to plan.
“I’ve more than behaved myself, and I want what I deserve!”
SMACK
~ A ~
As soon as Astarion’s hand left her face and they made eye contact, Astarion realised that backhanding Lillix was the wrong decision.
Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. Stay in character.
The dwarf moved quick to stand between them, saying something about not having violence in their establishment. Astarion rolled his eyes as Lillix held her cheek in pain. Or maybe not pain? Her pulse was fast, but that could be stress.
“I don’t need defending!” She raised her pouty voice, and just as the dwarf spun to face her, Astarion grabbed the scroll of charm out of his inside pocket, quickly read off the incantation, and watched as the bank manager’s expression changed like an actor waiting for instruction.
“Did…did it work?” Lillix asked quietly.
“If it did, we still only have around an hour until it wears off,” Astarion whispered back, before returning to his normal tone for the dwarf, “Excuse me, why are you frozen like that?”
“Oh,” the manager replied in a dazed tone, “Sorry about that sir, where were we?”
“I believe you said you were heading back up?”
“Oh I don’t think I can do that sir, we’re not supposed to leave behind clients down here. ‘Course I know you both are a fine couple but,” the dwarf chuckled, “Can’t be a rule for one and not the others y’know!”
Fuck. Lillix looked at him, stressed and exasperated. He thought for sure the charm spell would have convinced the manager to leave and they’d have an hour to find everything. Or was that the Dominate Person spell? Either way, how was he to know? He wasn’t a wizard!
As the pale elf panicked, Lillix grabbed the potion of sleep from the case and quickly broke it over the manager’s head, toppling them to the ground and, after a moment, sending them into a deep sleep.
“Shit,” said Astarion, “That wasn’t exactly the plan,”
“Which part? The part where you backhanded me, or the part where your charm scroll didn’t make them leave?” Lillix whispered in hushed fury, so as not to absolutely scream at him.
“Look, we can still salvage this, we just have to move the body-”
“They’re still alive Astarion! Really, the body?!”
“Either way we have to move the dwarf, otherwise when the guards come to see why none of us have come back, we’re going to have to use our transferable skills in a prison kitchen!”
She scoffed at him, but Astarion knew he was right. He grabbed the dwarf’s arms as Lillix begrudgingly went for the legs and they carried the dwarf to a nearby cabinet, where thankfully their small stature came in handy, but just as they got the body in past the stationery, Astarion’s ear twitched.
The sound of armour. Multiple heartbeats. They were coming.
He motioned to the cabinet and moved quicker, helping stuff the sleeping body in without pushing out any paperwork inside. Just as they closed the cabinet doors, Astarion heard armour coming down the stairs and knew it was loud enough that Lillix would hear it too. He could hear her heartbeat and breathing quicken, and just before the guards were in sight, he grabbed her by the hand and held her behind a nearby wall, holding her still and covering her mouth.
For a moment she objected, but when those footsteps got louder and closer she kept still. Or more accurately, her entire body tensed and Astarion became far too aware of her curves pressed up to him.
Initially he’d covered her mouth to avoid her loud breathing giving them away, but in the ruckus he’d grbbed her by the waist as well. Her warmth seeped into him, her skin, soft and inviting, and the longer they waited, the more he desired to let his hands explore those curves and see where they lead. The scent of rose and sandalwood was all the more intoxicating up close, and now it was mixed with the scent she was giving off the moment he threatened ‘consequences’. She may have been able to act her way out of it, but you couldn’t fake that. He tried to keep his fake breathing calm compared to how quick her breaths became, but every inhale felt like an aphrodisiac, each breath leaving him hungry for more.
“Shh, stay calm darling,” he whispered to her, and a little to himself, “They’ll leave soon,”
Her breathing calmed slightly but her body was still tense against him, even her ass as it pressed up against him was firm in all the right ways. Was she still panicking about the guards? Was she distracted enough to not notice the growing bulge in his trousers, desperately wanting to feel her? Just listen to the footsteps he told himself, focus on them leaving. Don’t pull her in.
He relaxed the hand against her mouth as his body seemed to finally calm down, and then the scent hit him again, but this time, metallic overtones, small but there. He looked quickly at her cheek and cursed himself - his backhanded slap had somehow cut her slightly, and the amount he’d held his hand to her face, it was no wonder it’d started oozing blood from the pressure. Small, but enough. Hells, how could a small drop or two truly captivate him so? He’d tasted many a poor soul on the streets but none hypnotised him like the scent of her blood. If he was subtle enough, surely he could just swipe a little on his tongue for a taste? His mind’s eye saw himself licking her cheek, imagining the delicious flavours exploding in his mouth. She was right there, held in place. His body felt torn between his increasing arousal and the emptiness in his stomach. How could that drunkard not have filled him up for at least 24 hours? And which god saw fit to curse him by putting him in this position in the first place?
Gods how he wished to ravage her.
Not yet. Not now. Hold off.
It’ll nearly be time.
Just be patient.
~ * ~
Lillix prayed to whatever god was listening that Astarion wasn’t paying too much attention to her. Her knees almost buckled when his voice tickled her ear.
The click clack of those security guards’ shoes felt so far and so close at the same time. Her mind switched back and forth between the fear of the guards catching them, and the feel of his body tensing up behind her. How can someone’s hands be soft yet strong? Her own arms stayed tense at her side and she remained acutely aware of how she needed to stay very, very still. The urge to brush up to his arms as he held her mouth, the temptation to stroke his forearm…no, she had to absolutely remain still. He gripped her like she was likely to melt out of his arms in an instant, and to be honest that seemed like a possibility.
Finally they heard a murmur of the guards’ voices as they decided to head back up to the main lobby. Astarion reluctantly let go of Lillix who was suddenly very aware of her own breathing.
“How long before they come back do you think?” She asked, peering around the corner to check for them.
“Not long,” he replied, “We need to find this vault and soon, otherwise we’re both spending the next few months in Wyrm Rock,”
Lillix groaned but thought back to the shadowed corridor. With the dwarf’s key and Lorroakan’s, they should be able to disarm the traps without any issue surely, and leave the manager snoozing in a corner instead of a cabinet. She slipped off her shoes and tip toed across the marble to the corridor, flinching slightly at the sudden cold from the marble.
“It has to be this way,” she said, as Astarion followed her lead. While the corridor was darker, the two elves had no issue seeing several grand vault doors along the large corridor, each bordered with torches. Thick steel was integrated into the walls, possibly even lining the vaults themselves, with a massive multi-spoke wheel on each door and two slots either side - keyholes maybe? - but what Lillix didn’t see was anything actually indicating which vault was which.
She looked up to her elf companion with a slight bubble of anxiety brewing but his pale features seemed furrowed in concentration as he analysed the door before them. He hovered a hand in front of the door like he was reading an intense letter line by line, searching for any kind of indication that this was the vault they had been searching for, and had been risking their lives for.
Oh, that’s right. The real world consequences were actually quite terrifying. Those guards most likely had swords and bows, but despite never fighting for months and months, she suddenly felt quite naked without any defensive weapon.
“There’s a number on the door, in the far right corner,” Astarion said, snapping her out of what could have been a very short spiral into panic, “We just need to check for the right number,” he grabbed at his pockets and patted panickedly until he found the key, “Vault 01,”
“Really? It’s as easy as vault 01? The first vault we check?”
“Take the small blessings darling,” he said as he pulled out the dwarf’s key, “They come by ever so rarely,”
He reached forward with the dwarf’s key and Lorroakan’s in each hand. Each keyhole had a specific shape for the keys so there was no doubt which went where. Her chest tensed as he readied both, and even more so when he smirked at her with those gods awful smug eyes. She hoped there would be something inside that would distract her immediately, worldly riches of some sort or maybe just a valuable treasure. Anything to stop the anxious beat of her heart.
Astarion reached forward with both keys, inserting them, and turning both at the same time. A common way to ensure security and owner were both present at the same time. As soon as the keys clunked in, the massive wheel began to turn, taking its time to rotate as it pulled outward, and as a new clanking sound started up along the edges of the door, Lillix had a horrible sinking feeling as she realised that, in the excitement of finding the door and threat of being arrested, neither of them had checked for any traps.
“Astarion-” she tried to pull him away from the door, but just as the clanking stopped she only managed to grab his arm as a familiar magical shrill pierced their ears. With a flash in front of them, a portal appeared, but something was different - it pulled at them like a tornado in a storm, and Astarion only had a moment to pull Lillix close to him as they were yanked in, leaving nothing but that little case and a pair of shoes in that grand hallway.