Almost halfway back to the inn, he heard her sniffling. She was obviously trying to hide it, and doing a very poor job of it.
"Don't tell me you caught cold," he murmured, leaning slightly to see her face better. She turned away from him, sniffling again, and he stopped in his tracks. "Taran?"
She sighed, turning to face him and revealing the tears running down her cheeks. He repeated her name, reaching out to cup her cheek in one hand. "What's wrong? Should we not have - "
"No." She cut him off, reaching up to cover his hand with her own. "No, that was wonderful, I'm glad we did. Even if I do have gravel in my pants." She smiled and he matched it, though it was fleeting in the face of her obvious upset.
"Then what's the matter? You don't generally cry over nothing."
She dropped her eyes, chewing on her bottom lip. He could see more tears welling in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks as she spoke.
"I was supposed to keep you safe." It came out as a harsh whisper. "I told you so many times that I was going to keep Cazador away from you, that I wouldn't let him hurt you. And then - he almost - if we hadn't - "
Astarion gathered her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head. She pressed her face into his shirt, fingers curling against his chest.
"You did," he said simply. "And he didn't. And he never will again." He pulled away enough to look down at her, waiting until she lifted her face to him to continue. "You didn't break a promise, my love. I'm not betrayed. I am now, finally, safe. Because of you."
"I just keep seeing it in my head," she said, pressing her forehead into his chest. "I haven't actually felt hopeless, all this time, until he just...took you, from right in front of me."
"He has that effect," Astarion said dryly. He pushed Taran gently away, keeping his hands on her shoulders while he met her eyes. "But he's dead. I'm free." He smiled, the same smile that crossed his face every time he said it and knew it was true. "If you really feel like you have to make it up to me, get this thing out of my head and we'll call it even."
She gave a watery chuckle, nodding as she did. "Alright. Deal."
"Good." He laid a finger under her chin and tipped her face up to kiss her gently. "Now let's get back. Who knows how long it'll take the others to go feral without us there?"
Taran's head fell back as she laughed, and she twined her fingers with his once more as they continued their path down the street, out into the moonlight.
