Snippits - Short Scenes and Stories

Author's note:

This was written for the "Writing Prompt Wednesday" over on r/OnlyFangsbg3 :)

"Okay, so then you flip it like this and hide it under the table and that's how it's done!"

Astarion was in the middle of teaching his kids how the bank always wins at a the table. "And don't forget, this is our little secret", he winked, "You cannot tell your mother that I taught you that."

Lyari was the first to ask. "But if Momma doesn't like us knowing that, then why are you teaching us?"

"Because there may be a time when you need skills like that to infiltrate a place or to just make a few extra bucks for the road", he grinned, happy to spend time with his kids. He knew he was a bad influence on them, but to him it was bonding time. Teaching them some skills that only he could pass on down to them.

"But what if I mess it up and then the other person gets angry and hits me?", Shael asked with a tiny frown on her sweet face, she looked so much like her mother whenever she did that, just a tad bit lighter skin than Arista had.

"That's why you have a backup person close to you so they can knock out the person that's trying to hit you and you can run away together", he explained, "Teamwork is very important."

"I want Shael to be my backup!", Lyari now exclaimed with a big boyish grin. Having inherited his fathers silver locks but a darker skin tone he reminded him about how happy his childhood had actually been. And it just felt so fucking good to have joy in his life now after so many hardships.

"No!", Shael instantly retorted, "I want you to be my backup!"

Astarion laughed. "It depends on which of you is better at the card trick who gets to be the backup", he said and was about to explain something more when both his kids suddenly froze up and stared at something behind Astarion.

Astarion didn't have to turn around to know what they were seeing, but he had to anyway, the kids bolting off as he turned with a sheepish grin, facing his wife who was tapping her foot.

"Teaching them card tricks again?", Arista asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-It's ... uh...", he stuttered out, "We're bonding?", he tried and she sighed.

"That's fine and all but not through morally wrong means Astarion", she grumbled and he knew she was really mad because she never called him Astarion!

"S-Sorry!", he instantly said, lifting his hands palms up and got up, walking over to her, "Do you forgive me?"

She glared at him but he could already see her face softening up. "Only because I love you", she whispered, "And I can never stay mad at you. But you're only giving me more work with the kids if you teach them stuff like this", she ended with another sigh.

He smiled, tilting her head up by the chin and kissing her, she melted into him and everything was alright.