Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Luminous had always had trouble sleeping. Or, for all the brief time he could remember after being dropped off the nautiloid he had. Blood rushed in his head and in his ears, pounding loudly and making his claws twitch while violent thoughts whispered from somewhere dark in his mind.

But that wasn't what kept him awake tonight. Tonight, he lay at the entrance to his own tent, staring across the camp at that woman with dark hair and a head bowed in prayer. She was beautiful, he thought. He didn't know what exactly of all things drew him to her the most, but he knew there was hardly anyone else in the camp he preferred to spend time with. There definitely wasn't anyone who he stared at like this, not trying to figure anything out or plot out ways to kill them- though, regrettably he did catch himself doing that at times too- but most of the time, just looking. Just observing her, committing her face to his faulty memory. If he could draw, he was certain he'd be able to recreate her without reference onto blank paper, make another one of her come to life.

He had spent what felt like hours on quiet nights like this, wishing to run his fingers over the features he studied. She had high cheekbones, which he was sure he could trace the edge of without issue were he to run his thumbs over them. She had green eyes, which he wanted to know every stripe and bend of color within, wanted to know how she made something so vibrant and beautiful look dangerous and dark. 

It always terrified him when she'd pick her head up and look back. Anytime he saw her move, he hastily looked away, shy to be caught in his admiration. 

The soft center of his hands stung where he had been holding onto the small statue of Shar he had found earlier, within the ancient halls of Grymforge. The obsidian idol had sharp edges that grounded him as he drowned in his thoughts. He had been meaning to give it to Shadowheart since he found it, but it hadn't ever seemed like the right time. She was always so busy, and even now he wasn't sure if he wanted to interrupt her prayers. She seemed so focused.

He shook his head. Realistically, there would be no perfect time. He moved his feet under him and began to stand: *here goes...*

Shadowheart found herself annoyingly enamored with the Tieflings of the party, and she was all too aware of it. Originally, it was Karlach; she was sweet, kind, and hot in both the literal sense and the attractive sense. Then, the white Tiefling started regaining the ability to speak, damaged brain healing, and she found herself listening for that voice. He, too, was kind- but he was clever, resourceful. That wasn't to say Karlach was neither of those things, she was, but she found that he was a lot more like herself. There was something about that, the shadows he walked in, that drew her towards him. Opening up to him, he accepted her without hesitation and he was interested without being nosy. He asked questions about her, and then about her religion when she revealed it to him. He seemed to understand the principles. She remembered him saying something about it all being familiar to him. They always traveled together at this point, often in comfortable silence between the two of them while Karlach and Vodka lead, chattering like monkeys.

It was all so distracting. She furrowed her brow, scolding herself internally and tried to return to her prayer. Even surrounded by so much Sharran ideology, her mind drifted. It left her frustrated.

It wasn't her fault he was so distracting; his mind wasn't the only factor, he was beautiful. She remembered looking upon his thin face the first time, wondering how and why horns had been plastered on the sharp face of a drow. His eyes were always curious, his hair was soft and silky, shining in the light. She sighed deeply. She needed to focus. She opened her eyes, momentarily stunned when she was met by the body and then looking up face of the man she was thinking about. It took her a moment to process that he really was standing in front of her, at which point he had already mimicked her posture and settled onto his knees. 

"I was just thinking about you," she teased, a smile forming on her face without permission, "did you need something?"

He shook his head, a subtle smile pulling at his scarred lips. His expressions were always subtle like that, soft and hard to notice if you weren't looking for them. There was something so... beautiful about that. "No, no. I just wanted to give you something."

His clawed hands reached out and in his soft palms there was an obsidian black statue, about a foot tall and shining as if it were freshly polished. Upon closer look, she realized it was an idol, a visage of Shar. That same smile widened, and her hands slipped into his, scooping it up. "Now where did you find this?"

He shrugged, tail waving in the air behind him, side to side like the pendulum of a clock. “Just as we were exploring. It was on a higher floor, found it behind a bunch of traps. Thought you would want it.”

“You were right,” she mused, thumbs running over the polished black stone. After a moment, she looked up to him. “I have something to tell you. I’m sure you’ve noticed just as much as I have all the Sharran imagery here, you’d be blind not to.”

He nodded, slowly, but didn’t speak. He stared at her expectantly.

“The greatest honor a Sharran can obtain- besides being mother superior- is that of becoming a Dark Justiciar. I want to be one. Mother Superior never saw me fit for the role, but… I think that’s what I’m being led towards, here. I must be here for a reason.”

The white tiefling nodded once again, thoughtfully. “I’ll support you, then.”

That gave her some pause, the immediate support. “Really? That quickly? Do you know what I’m telling you?”

“Of course,” he answered, “And even if I didn’t originally, you’ve told me a lot about your religion. I’m not daft either, I can pick up on context clues; they’re warriors of Shar, a step below her chosen and, as you said, the Mother Superior. Plural. I don’t see why you would be so secretive of this ambition.”

She shook her head, that same fondness bubbling in her chest for him. “Well, not everyone is as accepting as you. I’ve told you about how hated we are, too. People are scared of Shar and her warriors, as well they should be.”

“I’m not, though.”

Chapter Text

It had become almost ritual now, for them to wake up in the mornings and find one another, to do one another’s hair. Luminous’ really didn’t require that much effort, just needed to be brushed and pulled back, but he enjoyed the feeling of her hands in his hair. It soothed him, could have sent him to sleep if he let it. The simple affection settled all the boiling blood and hissing thoughts to only a simmer.

Shadowheart’s required more effort, but only just. It was longer, going down to the small of her back when not in its protective braid. He was always careful when brushing it to not pull at her scalp or let his claws find her skin even gently. His hands weren’t as dexterous as he seemed to remember them being. He imagined it had something to do with the pain in his head, as sometimes it would take them a second to respond to whatever command he had given them. That’s not to say they weren’t still nimble, when they wanted to listen to him.

There was something about the whole process that seemed so intimate, so calm and comfortable. He knew he braided a lot in general, for the spare strings of his bows and the ropes to his tent, but braiding her hair awoke a faint memory in him. He always found himself trying to cling to it, to reach for it, only for it to slip through his grasp like sand once they were done.

White hair, not unlike his own, was in between hands and fingers he recognized as his, but were smaller, younger, and less scarred. He fussed with the other child in front of him, trying to get her to sit still. She didn’t, of course, fussing right back.

He smiled softly, tying off the end of Shadowheart’s braid with the end of the metal chain she always used to decorate it. She caught his eye, and offered him a soft smile that he happily returned. 

He had grown to enjoy this daily ritual. He imagined she had too.

Chapter Text

Luminous had not gotten the chance to speak with Arnell and Emmeline Hallowleaf, even in all the time since saving them. It felt like forever ago now, having entered the city and invaded the house of grief, all for Shadowheart. He would have done it all over again in a heartbeat if he had to, for her. He didn’t regret it. He didn’t regret clearing out the cult’s home, he didn’t regret silently disposing of Viconia DeVir with Minthara while Shadowheart descended deeper in. He didn’t regret encouraging her to save her parents, either.

He didn’t regret the choice they had made, she had made. But it did make him nervous, and he had done everything in his power to avoid the two for as long as possible. Shadowheart had allowed it for a long time, waving it off as stress from the threats of Orin, Gortash, and the Nether Brain or exhaustion from dealing with it, and later the fame that came from being the one to destroy them.

But he couldn’t avoid it forever. With the celebration in Baldur’s Gate- which he had barely participated in, sleeping through most of it- having blown over in exchange for rebuilding, he and Shadowheart had started looking at houses and farms near the outskirts of the big city to settle down and find a new, calmer life. Part of that new life was finding her parents a house as well, as near to their own as they could obtain. And they had found what they were looking for. Both houses needed a little fixing up, one more than the other. But Shadowheart had seen something in it and all the land that came with it, and he wasn’t one to argue with her.

That had left him with a job; help her parents move what small amount of belongings they had collected out to their new house while Shadowheart got started fixing up the place, with the “help” of Scratch and apparently a speak with animals potion. He smiled a little at the thought, hand reaching out to rap on the inn room door where her parents were staying. 

“Arnell?” his voice called out, a little scratchy from lack of use, “Emmeline? It’s uh... Luminous, here to pick you up.”

It didn’t take long to get from the heart of the city to the outskirts, outside the walls. It felt a lot longer when carrying the packs of two and a half people; two being his and Emmeline’s, the other half being where he let Arnell offload some of his items into his bag so that the elf could help his wife. It pained him to watch the woman, a little. He knew how little time Shadowheart remembered with her, and fretted over how much they had left. It scared him a little too, wondering about his own mortality. He knew he had aged slower than most Tieflings up to this point, being nearly 40 years old and looking about a decade and a half younger, but he didn’t know if that was just the quarter Drow helping or if Bhaal’s blood was giving him a longer lifespan. If it was the latter, he didn’t know if he would even have it anymore, with his rejection, death, and revival.

“Don’t worry about us,” Luminous’ thoughts were interrupted by Arnell’s voice. He hadn’t realized he was staring, “We’re alright. I think we’re both ready to get there and sit down, but we’re alright. We’re a lot stronger since recovering in your camp and the inn.”

“Sorry,” he murmured in return, turning his eyes back to the path. They were pretty much on top of the couple’s new home, turning down the road leading to it, “I get a little lost in thought sometimes.”

“I can imagine so. You’ve been through a lot these last couple months, the way Shadowheart tells it. You and all of your group have.”
“You especially, though.” Emmeline interrupted, though she didn’t expand on the thought. There was no need to. The whole city knew about him by now, from Wyll’s boasting- Luminous, son of Bhaal, a hero of Baldur’s Gate and a rejector of his blood.

Luminous shrugged, looking to his feet, “Yeah. I guess so. But I’ll live. It’s not going to be the aftermath that takes me out, after everything.”

“That doesn’t mean that you don’t need to rest,” Arnell answered, softly smiling, “You and Jene- Shadowheart, both. And I don’t just mean sleeping on the top floor of the inn while celebration goes on underneath. I don’t think either of you have had a day to yourself since… well, since you’ve saved us at least, I’m sure longer.”
“For sure longer.” At first, he sounded amused, but it quickly turned to a sigh as he began climbing the steps of the porch, relieved to be done walking for now. A soft smile crossed his face when he caught sight of white hair through the small window beside the door, the woman he loved clearly working hard. He threw open the door, dropping the bags beside it and rubbing his sore shoulder.

Arnell, to his credit, didn’t seem to judge that one of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate was grumbling quietly to himself about understanding Karlach about being treated like a pack mule. He rested his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, a kind smile on his face. “I mean it, Luminous. Please do take care of yourself, and Shadowheart too when you can. You can’t keep working yourself to death.”

“I’ll try.” he assured, turning and catching Shadowheart’s eye as she approached them. “Hey, love.”

She greeted him with a peck on the lips and a “hello lover,” that was more playful than anything else, before getting wrapped up in a conversation with her father, beginning to lead him around the house and explain what needed to be done.

Luminous guided Emmeline to the couch, sitting down with her and shaking his head in amusement. He knew the woman he fell in love with was task-driven, but it was very amusing at times.
“She makes you happy.” Emmeline said, in such a casual way it was like she was observing the weather.

He paused, momentarily, surprised by how simple her statement to him seemed. He was used to teasing from his friends and found family. But soon, he nodded, eyes dropping to the ground shyly. “She does. I don’t think I would have made it this far without her.”
“I think you could have,” The old woman disagreed, “just like I think Jen would have without you. But I’m glad you two have each other. I don’t know what I’d do without my Arnell. I’m so happy my daughter has someone to lean on like that.”

“I’m not so sure it’s her leaning on me,” He dismissed, muttering, “I’ve been a wreck since we first met. If anything, I’ve been leaning on her.”

“I don’t think you see the way she looks at you.” Her eyes were teasing, now. It was good natured though, that slight sparkle to them like Karlach always got when ribbing him. “She looks just like Arnell when in love. And trust me, I know that man. I think she needs you more than you know.”

“Would it be odd to say I hope so?” He mused, looking to her, “I kind of worry I’m not enough. I want to be there for her, more than anything, and I just don’t know if I’m doing good enough.”

“You young men fret too much. Has the world really changed that much while I was away?” She jested, “my daughter wants to move in with you. She wants you to meet us, and be part of the family. I’d say that means she likes you well enough; that or more has changed than I thought.”

That pulled a chuckle out of him. Emmeline struggled with her memory a bit at times, but she was still sharp as a tack. It never failed to amuse him. “I guess so. I didn’t really think about it that way.”

“I assumed not.” She offered him a kind smile. It was very similar to her husbands, truly like an offering, an olive branch. “But now you can.”

For a few moments, they fell into a comfortable quiet. It was soon interrupted by Shadowheart and Arnell returning. 

“I think we’ll be okay for the night.” he comforted his daughter, “This is a pretty comfy little place you’ve found for us. Thank you.”

“Always.” Shadowheart responded, wrapping her arms around him in a hug that he quickly returned.

He patted her back softly before pulling away, eyes turning from her to the white tiefling on his couch. “Now, go get some sleep. Both of you. I think you two need it more than we do.”
Luminous nodded in agreement, smiling to his partner. “That we do.”

Shadowheart rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. I’m lucky to have her.

Chapter Text

Luminous had never found himself to be the jealous type. He recognized that Shadowheart liked to flirt, but he trusted her and didn't mind it as long as she wasn't trying to hide anything from him. She flirted with Karlach often, Astarion and Wyll now and then, and even Lae'zel once they had gotten over their squabbles. But that's all it was, flirting.

It felt different with Halsin. It felt as if the elf were trying to flirt with them both at times, offering to help Luminous teach her how to swim and insisting he join the two anytime they partnered up, despite them mostly always working with Karlach and Vodka. The worst time was when at Sharess' Caress, after they had informed the desk about what had happened to their librarian. It didn't upset him when Shadowheart asked about perhaps the two taking up the reward of a night with the Drow twins, since nobody else in the party seemed all that interested. He always wanted her to be open with him about her wants, especially since he had such a low libido himself. He wanted her to be taken care of. What had hurt was when he was explaining that he wasn't all comfortable with it, and Halsin jumped into the conversation as if it was his own. It hurt even more when Shadowheart started encouraging the idea.

He wasn't used to the feeling that bubbled up. It was painful and agitating at the same time, anger swirling in his head like he had been wronged. He wasn't sure how they ended up outside, his hand wrapped around her wrist, but she looked confused.

They had a long conversation that night. That was what they always did-or, tried to do. They always tried to talk it out. Perhaps that was why Luminous had always found himself so comfortable in her presence. 

That said, ideas were shot down that night. Luminous didn't think he was opposed to polyamory, but the way he thought of Halsin definitely prevented him as a candidate. 

Shadowheart on the other hand knew she was quite the jealous person. She didn't mind sharing so long as it was communicated about first, but when it wasn't, it deeply bothered her.

Perhaps what bothered her even more than that was someone knowing about her partner's past, when neither of them did. There were many reasons to hate Enver Gortash, from his slimy personality to what he did to Karlach. While those things definitely did affect her thoughts, what bothered her more was the way he looked at Luminous, the way he talked to him like a long lost lover. His “ favourite assassin” he called Luminous, praising him for his resilience against Orin’s attempt on his life and reminding him of their “ history” . He told him how he tolerated Orin, but liked him. It all disgusted her.

She tried to reach Luminous’ mind with her own, reaching out with the tadpole. He let her in, easily as ever, but she didn’t find what she had hoped for. There was disgust in his mind too, but it wasn’t as powerful as she had hoped and seemed to be more wrapped around the thoughts of what the man had done to Karlach than what he was saying to him now. He seemed too curious, too intrigued. She knew he longed to know about his past, but learning about it from Gortash of all people was not something she wanted him to be comfortable with.

She was thankful when, finally, he turned Gortash down. They would not be working together. Ever.

Chapter Text

It was finally over. All the pain, suffering, and long days full of stress from chasing after the Nether Brain and it’s leaders were over, the city rebuilding and all of Luminous’ past companions off doing their own thing. Vodka and Wyll had gone to hell itself alongside Karlach, promising to help the Tiefling fix the infernal engine in place of her heart. Lae’zel had flown off to the Astral plane on a red dragon, pledging vengeance against Vlaakith and loyalty to Orpheus, son of Gith. Astarion, alongside all his brother and sister vampire spawn, followed Salem and Minthara to the underdark, safe from the sun’s hate. They went for completely different reasons, of course, Astarion and his kin merely surviving while Minthara and Salem (formally Zebeylin Duskryn, if you cared to call her by her given name) returned to try and overthrow their mothers and all the other houses in between. Gale returned home to his tower, looking to become a teacher. Halsin went to what were once the Shadow cursed lands to help rebuild, while Jaheira and Minsc did the same in Baldur’s gate.

Everyone was gone. In the span of a couple weeks, everyone Luminous knew and had come to rely on had found new places in life, new goals, ones that didn’t involve him. Everyone except Shadowheart.

He wasn’t entirely surprised when Shadowheart started talking about finding a house, slipping in that it was for them and details about living together like it was nothing, but he didn’t expect it entirely either. That said, it was welcome. House searching, both for them and for Shadowheart’s parents, had given him a new task, something new to look forward to and work towards. He quickly found out that he hated staying still. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, plagued by nightmares, or to the sound of her whimpering in her sleep as Shar activated her wound. She was a cruel goddess. He always held her as close as he could, on nights like those, but it would backfire when she’d end up waking him from his own whimpering. He came to realize neither of them were as okay as they tried to appear.

It should have been easy, he mused. He knew he was happy, overall, but it didn’t feel like he felt like it should. He was restless, rather than content. He found he missed sleeping under the stars, so started sleeping outside some nights. That created a sort of… rift between them. He hadn’t meant to upset her, so they talked about it. She accepted his explanation. It didn’t seem to make her any more content with the decision. For a while he waited to see if she would say anything about her festering frustration, she couldn’t hide it from him, but she didn’t. He started sleeping inside more often. It settled her for a little while, but he knew she knew he was only doing it for her. She didn’t seem entirely happy with that either.

They got pets. Luminous liked them more than he expected, becoming incredibly attached to a little wolf pup Shadowheart had brought home.
“We’re naming her buttons.” Shadowheart proclaimed proudly, squishing the pup's face while it playfully growled at her.
“Buttons?” he chuckled, smile reaching his eyes in amusement, “for a wolf?”

“Buttons.” She confirmed, smiling back at him. He wondered how he could ever not fall in love with her all over again whenever she gave him that smile.

The animals could get a little overwhelming sometimes, but they worked together. They were a team, they always had been. They always would be. He hoped so, anyway.

It was hard to work as a team, though, when you were fighting with your father-in-law. Generally, Luminous and Arnell Hallowleaf got along well. That didn’t remain the case when he started speaking of grandchildren and hoping they could be lycanthropes like himself.

“Why would you say that?” Luminous had hissed at the dinner table, not thinking his words through. “Why would you want them to be cursed?”

Arnell went red. “I don’t expect you to understand, Luminous, but you could stand to be more respectful. It’s not a curse;  it’s a gift from the Moonmaiden.”

“What sort of gift makes you lose control of yourself?”
“I can’t believe you’d compare it to - ”

They didn’t speak for a week after the mess that night had dissolved into. Luminous only broke the silence because of how much stress he saw it was putting on Shadowheart. He figured one apology for the sake of his loves’ comfort wouldn’t be the end of the world. Neither of the men changed their views by the end of it all, but they came out of it with a bit more understanding for one another and he decided to take the win wherever he could get it.

He still didn’t like werewolves, though.

Somehow he and Shadowheart ended up on the topic again a couple weeks later, while washing the dishes together. He had been so busy during the moment growling at the idea of any potential children having lycanthropy that he hadn’t realized he had inadvertently admitted he wanted them.

“I’m just too worried, Shadowheart.” He confessed softly into her wrist, lips pressed to the mildly soapy skin. It hurt to admit.

“Of what?”

“That they’d be Bhaalspawn. I want this his line to end with me.”

“You were saved- you died, Luminous, and Withers brought you back. You don’t share anything with him anymore.”

“I’m not willing to risk it.”

That was an open wound for a little while, but he was just glad it wasn’t an angry one. Neither of them was upset with one another, and that made it so much easier to heal.

“How would you feel about adopting?” Shadowheart asked, a couple weeks later. “Not now, you know, but in the future.”

“We are already taking care of Yenna for Karlach and Vodka…” he mused aloud, catching his mistake before it could fester, “not to say no, my love. I’m just saying it’s kind of like a trial run. And I’d love to have the full experience, someday.”

They shared a smile.

The houses were truly starting to come together, about three months in from moving in. They’d all been hard at work fixing them up and making them homely, and it was now time for the personal details. They talked about not what they needed anymore, but what they wanted.

Shadowheart knew he was up to something when he sent her and her parents to the city for a trip, plenty of money in all their pockets for new additions to the house, be that furniture or decorations. He always got this face when he thought a plan was going right. It was adorable. So, she went to town, satisfied to spend a day or two away from the house if it meant he got to finish whatever she knew he was working on.

“No peeking!” He scolded with a laugh, hands over her eyes as he walked her to the shady back of the house.

She couldn’t help but giggle with him, grabbing his wrists in a false attempt to pull his hands away from her eyes. “ What are you doing, you loon?” She teased.

He only scoffed at her, a loving smile on his face. “You’re so cruel to me. I’m trying to make it a surprise, dummy.”

“I don’t like surprises, Lumi.” She lied, knowing he’d see right through it.

“Too bad!” he purred. They came to a stop, and his hands fell away from her face. “Now open your eyes.”

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but a garden full of night orchids wasn’t it. He had pulled a tarp over some beams to make a dark spot for them, and they all look carefully and thoughtfully placed, metal trellises beside them for them to grow up. Having returned at night, she came back just in time to see them blooming.

“I know they’re your favorite.” He murmured shyly, eyes darting away as if he’d done something wrong. 

He was so incredibly stupid. She couldn’t help but kiss him, pulling him in by the collar of his shirt and sealing their lips together.

Life was peaceful after that. 

“Luminous! Come here!”

“What?”

“Just got an invitation to a reunion- from Withers!”

He smiled.