[ oh. does he want really sappy romantic statements? because this is how he gets really sappy romantic statements. he needs to be sooooo serious for a second here, so he pulls back enough he can reach up to take astarion's hands in his and sort of hold them together. ]

And I was wrong.

[ and he does, actually, look somewhat ashamed. ]

I believe at the time in the week after you died I had convinced myself that the only way to prove how much I cared for you was to be the one to fix all of this by myself, as ridiculous as that is. I was terrified and grieving and it did not serve me well. Being here with you again has chased all of those thoughts away so much more quickly than I thought possible.

This ritual, the scripture, figuring out the pieces and parts of a god, life or death and what side one remains on - it does not matter, compared to being with you. Whatever happens, I would rather face it together.