[ It was not that Gale was reconsidering his invitation. He would not rescind it, though he would fully expect Astarion to act with grace if he did. However the hopeful smile had disappated, that touching bit of vulnerability gone and suddenly he was drawn back into the room, and he struggled to close the door as he was drawn away.

And lock it; normally he would consider the wisdom of locking oneself in with a vampire-- but this was Astarion and also there was a lot of things that he would do as opposed to not.

The room was sparse as he'd not had appropriate time to decorate, but there was a couch before the fire, with a rug spread out in between-- then there was a bed that while nondescript was at least sturdy. He, decided to direct Astarion toward the couch-- the bed was just too.. intimate.

Not like allowing Astarion to juice pack his neck wasn't intimate too but well, one thing at a time. ] The couch will do just fine for our experimental purposes but I do not know how people sit when they are doing it, do I just well.. sit down and then bare my neck..?

[ And gods, Gale was already undoing the buttons of his tunic to reveal that strong neck with those veins running through it ]