#it’s about how vax is the sun and vex is the moon do you get it | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shadowofmoths · 6 years ago

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honey don’t feed me (i will come back)

Vax'ildan is fucked. He didn't think before rushing in to confront the Briarwoods, and now he has to deal with the consequences. Percy...helps. (6.6k, Perc’ildan Vampire AU)

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Vax’ildan is fucked. He knows that—he’s man enough to admit when he’s made a mistake, and this—well. This is a big one. He had been reckless, and foolish, and everything that Vex would no doubt accuse him of being if he somehow managed to see her again. But he isn’t counting on that. Vax is going to die here. That, or something worse. Delilah Briarwood stands before him, eyes dark and flashing. Vax lets out an involuntary hiss of pain through his teeth as her husband’s incisors dig needle-sharp into his neck. Unwilling to lose face in what may very well be his final moments, Vax flashes a smirk, albeit a weak one, at his assailants. He can feel his blood beginning to drain from his body as Sylas feeds, feels his collarbone beginning to bruise and go numb where the vampire’s teeth cut into him.

“Man,” Vax laughs, slightly hysterically. “You guys are into some weird shit.”

Neither Briarwood reacts, save for Delilah’s dark gaze somehow growing darker. Vax closes his eyes. My sister is going to kill me, he thinks. He can no longer feel Sylas’s fangs bearing into him, numbness spreading through his right side. As his thoughts begin to grow hazy, he thinks of his family—of Vex, young, sitting with their mother; he sees her older and striding through the forest as though it knows her by name. He remembers Keyleth, beautiful, her red hair like a halo in the fading sunlight. He sees Pike, glowing and gleaming in battle, Grog bloody and boisterous at her side; Scanlan smiles, lively and taunting. He thinks of Percy. Remembers his laughter, his anger—his face streaked with grease and soot as he emerges from hours locked in his workshop. Remembers how his face turned hard-set and stony at the mention of the monsters that took his family.

“Sorry, Freddie.”

And the world goes dark around him.

What Vax doesn’t see is this: Vox Machina bursts into the Briarwoods’s chamber, sees him limp and bloody in Sylas’s grasp. His sister screams—not piercing, but powerful; a rage to rival Grog’s. She unleashes a volley of arrows into the vampire and his wife as Keyleth and Scanlan back her up with their own attacks. The Briarwoods sustain heavy damage before fleeing, Delilah ripping open a tear in reality and pulling Sylas through, leaving Vax’s body behind. Scanlan skids to a halt at Vax’s side, summoning what remains of his energy to sing a song of healing, shaky words replacing his trademark confidence. His healing does nothing. Vax does not stir. Scanlan pulls the collar of Vax’s tunic to the side, sees the bruise on his clavicle, mottled blue and purple—sees the puncture wounds. Vax’ildan isn’t bleeding.

“We need to get him to a temple,” Scanlan says, voice tight. Without another word, Keyleth shifts, skin rippling with white fur, and Minxie nudges Vax onto her back with her nose. With characteristic gentleness, she plods over to the door of the chamber where Vex stands. Vex does not appear to be moving, remaining frozen in the doorway. Her gaze is vacant, unfocused. But Keyleth notices her shaking, sees the white-knuckle grip she has on her bow, the tears threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes. Keyleth nudges Vex with her nose, makes a soft purring sound as she does. Almost absently, Vex’s right hand uncurls from a fist and comes to rest on Keyleth’s head. Scanlan comes up on Vex’s other side, pries the bow from her grasp, and takes her free hand in his.

“Come on,” he says. Vex doesn’t meet his eyes, even as he and Keyleth begin leading her out of the Briarwoods’s room. “We’ll swing by and grab Trinket, and I’ll message the others and tell them where to meet us, okay?” He gets no response. “Vex?” “Alright.” She doesn’t make eye contact, and her voice shakes. They keep moving. None of the healers at the temple of Sarenrae know how to help Vax. Father Tristan, at once gentle and severe, examines him, face grim. “If his attackers were what you think they were,” he sighs. “I’m not sure that there’s anything we can do.” He breaks eye contact to stare at the stone floor, mouth pressed into a thin line. “I couldn’t tell you for sure, but it’s possible, certainly that he may…wake up.” Vex—who had been absent through the cleric’s examination, pressing herself against Trinket as though she wanted to disappear into his fur—blinks back into the present. She fixes Tristan with her steely, calculating stare. “He could what?” “Well, knowing only the—the myths, the rumors about these creatures…it is not impossible that whatever they did to him could, ah, have some sort of necrotic element attached to it.” “He could be a vampire,” Vex spits, harsh and blunt. Tristan sighs again. “Yes.”

They take Vax home. Keyleth, shifted back into her half-eleven form, allows Grog to carry him. Vex continues to lean heavily against Trinket, Keyleth holding her hand and speaking to her softly. Scanlan, feeling unusually restless, splits off from the group to figure out how to get a message to Pike. Percy is silent. The walk home is grim, a pressing sadness hanging over the group. When they arrive back at Greyskull Keep, Grog and Vex lay Vax in his room, and Vex posts herself as guard outside. Percy retreats to his workshop, refusing to say a word or look anyone in the eye. Grog, Keyleth, and Scanlan find themselves downstairs, drinking in relative silence until Grog and Scanlan collapse asleep on the table. Keyleth gives a small smile and leaves them there, darting back to the kitchens to swipe a loaf of bread and some other simple foods. By the time she has prepared this simple meal, the sun has long since set, and the moon is high and bright in the dark sky. Keyleth brings the plate of food up for Vex’ahlia, finds her still sitting against Vax’s door. She wouldn’t have thought Vex had moved at all, save for the tear tracks on her face. In her pale and still-trembling hands she holds one of Vax’s daggers, flipping it absently over and over. “Hey, Vex,” Keyleth keeps her voice deliberately soft, standing several feet away. To her credit, Vex’ahlia only flinches slightly. She gives a brief, toneless murmur of acknowledgment as, anxious, Keyleth sinks down next to her. “I, uh, I brought you food,” she says, setting the plate down next to Vex. As soon as her hands are free, Keyleth begins to fidget anxiously, fingers twisting around each other and into her hair. Vex’ahlia seems to break from her own headspace for a moment as she notices Keyleth’s hands moving frantically as she tries to think of something to say. Wordlessly, she passes Keyleth the dagger. The druid stills immediately, running her fingers slowly over the cool metal. Vex’ahlia breathes out, shakily, as Keyleth sits next to her in silence. “You should—you should eat something,” she says after a beat, gesturing to the plate she brought up for Vex. “I’m not hungry.” “I know. B-but, Vex, you can’t help him if you’re not taking care of yourself, too.” Keyleth doesn’t make eye contact, her fidgeting becoming more agitated. Vex falls silent again, her face twisting into a grimace. The silence lays heavy over the hallway before Vex breaks it.

“Fuck you,” she sighs. There’s no real venom in her voice, despite her expression, just a deep sort of exhaustion in her tone. Keyleth stutters for a moment, tapping the dagger rhythmically against the armor on her chest. “I—sorry,” Keyleth trails off, voice lifting as though she’s asking a question. “No,” Vex’ahlia sighs, leaning heavy against the wall and slumping her shoulders. “No, you’re right, I just don’t like it,” “Yeah.” Keyleth sounds as tired as Vex feels. Relenting, the ranger tips her head, leaning on Keyleth’s shoulder. Without pause, Keyleth tucks the dagger into her belt and brings her hand up to card it through Vex’s hair, which already was coming loose from its braid. They lapse back into silence once again, but despite their exhaustion the lull feels comfortable, the two finding safety and sympathy with each other. “I’m so tired, Keyleth,” Vex says eventually, her eyes having slid shut as Keyleth combs ever so gently through her hair. “I, uh, I’m fine to take watch if you need to rest—“ “It’s not that kind of tired.” “I know.” Keyleth pauses, her hand hovering nervously above Vex’s hair. “The—the offer stands, though. I’ll be here.” Vex smiles into Keyleth’s shoulder, reaching up to grab one of her hands and threading their fingers together. “Thank you.” She gives Keyleth’s hand a brief squeeze, feeling a brief rush of affection go through her when the druid reciprocates. The two sit there, leaning against Vax’s door and each other, until Vex’ahlia falls asleep. Keyleth can feel it when Vex’s breathing evens out, and sits there for as long as she can before she gives up her own sleep as a lost cause. Very, very gently, she moves Vex’s head from her shoulder, laying her carefully on the floor. There is no movement from the half-elf, and Keyleth sighs in relief before going to fetch her a pillow and a blanket. She tucks the pillow under Vex’s head, and then tucks Vax’s dagger under the pillow before laying the blanket over her sleeping friend. With a soft smile, Keyleth leaves, slipping into her Minxie form as she heads to her own room. There, curling up on a cushion she keeps by her hearth for this very purpose, she finally sinks into sleep.

Vex’ahlia dreams. She is home, in Byroden, sitting on her mother’s lap. A fire crackles in the hearth, and her mother sings softly to her and Vax as she braids their hair in turn. Vex is warm and content, and she leans against her brother, taking his small hand in hers. Everything is soft and lovely, Vex feeling a safety deep within her that she hasn’t felt for ages. And then—her mother screams, horrified. The warmth drains from Vax’s touch as he goes deathly cold in her grasp—his face begins to crack and shatter like fragile porcelain. The fire in the hearth roars, licking up Vex’s back, as it becomes the maw of a great red dragon who grins razor-sharp and swallows her family whole. As fire takes the house, she hears her brother calling out for her. Vex wakes with a start, breath quick and heart racing. There is no fire, no dragon, and she relaxes for a moment before she notices one thing that did not stay confined to her dream—her brother is still calling out for her.

“Vex? Vex’ahlia?” A gentle tapping accompanies the voice from the other side of the heavy wooden door she is leaning against. Vex is awake in an instant, returning suddenly and painfully to reality.

“Vax?” Even to her own ears, her voice sounds desperate.

“Oh, thank the gods,” he breathes. Her brother. She can picture him so clearly, knows the way he would have slumped against the door in relief. Before Vex is even really aware of it, there are tears streaming down her face. Of their own accord, her hands go rifling through her pockets, producing the ring of keys she had locked Vax’s door with earlier that evening. Despite her violently shaking hands, she manages to unlock the door, and Vax has the sense to step back as she bursts in, heedless of consequences as she all but tackles him to the ground. Her arms flung around his neck, she sobs helplessly, face buried in his shoulder. Immediately, Vax’s own arms come up around her midsection, pulling her closer.

“Vax,” she chokes. “Vax’ildan, we thought you were dead, we thought—I thought—Vax,” She can feel Vax’s own tears, damp as they fall on her hair.

“Vex’ahlia,” he breathes. “I’m here, Vex. I’ve got you, I’m here—“

“I came in that room, Vax, and you were dead, no one could do anything, I—“ she cuts herself off, sniffling into Vax’s shoulder as he rubs soothing patterns on her back.

“Hey,” he says, voice gentle. “It’s going to take a lot more than some pasty bastard in an ugly cloak to keep me from coming back to you, alright? I’m here, Vex. I’m—I’m okay.”

“Okay. Okay.” Vex breathes out, slow and steadying, trying to wipe some of the tears from her face. She lets herself hold on to Vax for a long moment before she speaks again. “Are you really okay, though? How…how do you feel?” Vax grimaces.

“Cold, mostly.” He laughs, quiet and humorless. Impulsive, Vex reaches up and cups his cheek in her hand, pushing back his upper lip with her thumb. Vax sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth, hissing softly as Vex brushes up against a fang.

“I’d really rather you didn’t, Stubby.” This earns him a searching, scrutinizing gaze from his sister, as she looks for some sort of answer in his dark eyes.

“Alright,” she says finally, soft as she shifts her hand to run it through Vax’s hair instead. “Will you let me fix your hair, at least? It’s a mess.” Without pause, Vax turns around, pulling his hair out of the loose, half-up ponytail it had been in and passing the tie to his sister. He settles comfortably against her knees as Vex, unwilling to stand up to find a comb, resorts to pulling her fingers through his hair until it’s more manageable before twisting it into a loose, simple braid.

“I thought braiding hair was my thing,” Vax jokes, and Vex laughs.

“Hush, you, I’m trying to be nice.”

“And you’re doing a wonderful job of it, sister.” Sensing his sarcastic tone, Vex sighs, allowing them to lapse back into silence until Vax breaks it again.

“How is everyone doing?”

“I don’t honestly know. Keyleth seems okay, she brought me food and stayed with me while I was keeping watch outside. It helped, she helped keep me from falling apart—” At that, Vax makes a soft, wounded noise, but allows Vex to continue. “—but she still seemed more restless than usual. Other than that…I don’t honestly know. I haven’t been focused, really. I sort of…went away, for a while. Just while I was sitting out there, it felt like I just…left. Like all of this was happening to someone else instead of me.” She finishes the braid and ties it off, just as Vax turns around and pulls her in close again, arms around her neck. He is far too cold, but Vex does her best to ignore it, allowing herself to be held.

“I’m so, so sorry, Vex’ahlia,” he murmurs, and Vex knows too well the pain in his voice—its the same pain she has been holding onto all these hours. “I was reckless, and foolhardy, and all of it, and I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.” Vex pulls back, taking his face in her hands and looking straight into his eyes, open and earnest.

“You are a stupid, impulsive, foolish man, Vax, and you did a ridiculously thoughtless thing today.” There is a pause, and Vax nods, brow furrowing. “And I love you very, very much. And I forgive you. But if you ever try something like that again, I’ll kill you. Because you’re—you’re all I have. I couldn’t ever be without you. Alright?” Tears are shining in her brothers eyes when she finishes.

“Yes—yes to all of it. I was stupid, and I love you, and I promise I’ll be more careful. I promise I won’t leave you. Never again, Vex’ahlia, I swear it.” He covers her hands with his and leans forward, tilting their foreheads together. Vex gives a laugh, verging on hysterical.

“We’re going to be okay,” she tells him. When he grins back at her, tears still in his eyes, she can’t help but notice his fangs.

“It’s you and me, Stubby. Always.” There is a brief moment of quiet as they breathe in unison, leaning against each other as the stress of the day sinks into them.

“I’m scared of this,” Vax whispers. “Whatever this is. Whatever…whatever I am.”

“It’s you and me, brother,” Vex echoes. “We’ll figure it out.” Vax smiles, and though Vex still sees his tension there is relief there, too. As they realize they have nothing left to say, and as the night grows closer to morning, they get ready to sleep. Though the twins have grown used to sleeping separately as of late, they know without. having. to speak that Vex is staying. The two pull all the pillows and blankets off of Vax’s bed, arranging them on top of the rug that he has in front of his fireplace. With a fire crackling in the hearth, the twins fall asleep together in a way they haven’t in years, in the way they used to sleep at home in Byroden—curled into mirroring half-moons, facing each other. Vax clutches his sister’s hand, holding it to his chest. He doesn’t sleep, even as Vex drifts off, filled with some unidentifiable restlessness. He watches her, tries to match her slow breathing, but its a fruitless endeavor. For the few remaining hours before sunrise he simply lays still, trying and failing to will himself to sleep until the sun begins to beam over the horizon.

When Vex wakes up, Vax is not beside her. Immediately, she is hit with the dread that the night prior was a dream, that he truly is dead, and she sits up with a racing heart which only quiets when she hears a voice from behind her.

“Morning, Stubby.” Vex nearly wants to cry from relief.

“Morning, brother. You’re up early.” She swivels, stretching her sore back, and looks to Vax where he’s perched on his bed. He winces.

“Didn’t sleep,” he admits.

“Because you’re worried, or because of…?”

“Either. Both, I don’t know, Vex’ahlia—” He tugs at the end of his loose braid nervously. “I have no fucking idea whats happening to me, I don’t know what to expect, I’m counting the hours until I turn into some bloodthirsty fucking beast—”

“Vax, breathe.” He does, shaky. “ I promised that we’d figure it out, and I meant it. But right now you’re exhausted. And don’t give me that look, you dick, you’re my brother, I can tell. So you just…stay here, and sleep, or at least try to rest or…or something, and I’ll go talk to the others, and we’ll figure this out, alright?” When Vax sighs, she can see the tension in his frame. “Alright?” she repeats.

“Alright! Alright, asshole, have it your way.” He flashes her a brief, playful smile at her as she heads for the door.

“Get some rest, Vax.”

“You’re younger than me, Vex’ahlia!”

With a light laugh, Vex descends the stairs, tugging at her earring to rouse the rest of Vox Machina for a team meeting. She finds herself in the dining room, where Scanlan and Grog are passed out face-down on the table, and sighs, sitting across from them. They wake up soon enough, hangover but aware. Keyleth, having received Vex’s message, comes stumbling into the dining room soon after, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her hair is sticking up wildly, and Vex almost smiles—she is adorable. But rather than acknowledge that, she shakes her head and gets down to business.

“Vax’ildan is awake,” she says, abruptly and without preamble. An immediate silence hits the room. Keyleth’s eyes go as wide as saucers, while Grog’s brow furrows in evident confusion.

“He is alive. Or, he’s, well, he’s…something. He is awake, anyway, and he’s sane, and if any of you so much as thinks as laying a hand on him just because of what happened I will have an arrow through your heart before you can even say ‘Jenga.’ Are we clear?” The three in front of her nod, clearly intimidated. “Lovely,” Vex says. Her smile is tense. “Any questions?”

Keyleth nods, raising a meek hand. “C-can I see him?”

“He’s resting, right now,” Vex tells her, voice finally gentle. “But yes, just…give him a couple hours, maybe?”

Keyleth nods again. She gives Vex a small smile. “I’m glad he’s—better.”

This time, when Vex smiles, it’s genuine.

When Keyleth knocks on Vax’s door, the sun is just beginning to set. Golden light spills into the rooms, peeking through Vax’s curtains. Keyleth notices, in spite of herself, how Vax sticks to the shadows of the chamber.

“Vax? Are you awake?” She knows that he is, can see the dark glint of his eyes, but she asks anyways.

“Keyleth?”

She smiles, soft. “Yes. May I come in?”

“Of course,” Vax says. Keyleth can’t see him, as dark as the room is, but she can imagine him smiling crookedly at her nonetheless. She enters the room and pushes the door shut behind her, sitting at the edge of the bed. Vax, for his part, has pushed himself into the darkest corner of the room, hugging his knees to his chest. He is nearly hidden, darkness shrouding him, his dark hair and black cloak helping camouflage him. There is a brief, terrible silence before Keyleth speaks. “How are you feeling?” She winces immediately. “That’s—that was a stupid question.”

Vax barks a laugh. “It wasn’t. It’s not. I’m, well, I’m tired, and I’m a lot colder than I’m used to. But I’m fine, Kiki, really.”

Keyleth squints at him, distrusting. “You’re not.”

“Do we have to talk about this?” He asks, a sort of misery in his voice. “Are you going to walk away from me, Vax?”

Vax sighs, dropping his head onto his knees. “No,” he tells her. “But really, I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Then what can I do, Vax?” Keyleth asks. Despite her words, she is sincere, voice gentle rather than exasperated.

“Will you—“ Vax cuts himself off. “Could you come here, maybe?”

Keyleth does, and as she slides down the wall to sit next to Vax, he practically throws himself into her arms. He tucks his head under her chin, his arms going around his waist. Keyleth lets out a little, shocked, oh! of surprise, but lets it happen. After a moment, she begins to comb her fingers through Vax’s hair, while her other hand rubs soothing circles on his back. It takes her a long moment to realize he’s crying.

“Oh, Vax,” she sighs.

“Keyleth,” he murmurs, voice thick. “Keyleth, I’m fucking terrified.” Silence falls as Keyleth waits for him to continue. “You know what…you know what those bastards have done. Those monsters. They destroyed Percy’s family, and who knows how many others—how long until I do the same? I can’t hurt you, Keyleth, I can’t hurt any of you, I—“

“Vax.” Keyleth’s voice is quiet, but clear. “You are a good man, Vax’ildan. T-the fact that you don’t want to hurt anyone—that’s what counts. The Briarwoods are evil, horrible people. But you…you would go to the ends of the world for the people you care about. That’s the difference, Vax. You could never be like them.”

Vax’s voice is weak; it cracks when he replies. “How can you know that?”

Keyleth’s bright eyes meet his, intense in a way she rarely is. “Because I know you, Vax’ildan.”

He looks away. “You can pretend all you want, but I do. We’re…we’re friends, Vax. I care about you. And I know you would never hurt any of us.”

Vax ducks his head, breathing shakily. “I don’t want to, Keyleth, I really don’t but after everything—Keyleth, you know what they did. You know what I could do. How can you trust me?”

“Don’t be an idiot, Vax.”

He laughs humorlessly. “That’s never been my strong suit.”

“You know what I can do,” she says. “You’ve seen my magic, you’ve seen me fight. You know that I can be dangerous. So why do you trust me?”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” Vax scoffs. “You would never use your abilities to hurt any of us—oh.” The realization hits him, and Keyleth smiles.

“Yeah.” She smiles. “See?”

“Yeah,” he sighs. The tension begins to leave him, slowly, and he leans against Keyleth. “Yeah. Thank you, Keyleth.”

Giving a soft hum, she tilts her head against his. “Of course, Vax.”

As soon as their team meeting had ended, Vex stormed down to Percy’s workshop. As far as anyone knew, he hadn’t left it since their return after the incident with the Briarwoods. No one had seen him, and Vex was sure he wasn’t eating or sleeping. She understood, to an extent. But she was tired, and if she couldn’t isolate herself, neither could he. So down to the workshop she went. Percy seemed not even to notice as she entered, until she slammed the door behind her.

“Percival.”

He flinches, startled. Even still, he doesn’t meet her eyes. He doesn’t respond.

“You can’t keep avoiding this.”

At that, he huffed a harsh laugh, continuing to work on some project that had left his face streaked with black powder.

“Well, I can certainly try,” he tells her.

“Bullshit, Percy. Do you think that we’re just going to let you stay here, isolated, working yourself to death?”

“Well, it’s worked so far.” His voice is tight, brittle.

“My brother died, and you’re going to blame me for—for taking a day to come down here, to try and get you out of this self-punishing spiral that you’re in? For all the good that that’s done, when you won’t even look at me, gods—”

“Vex, no, I didn’t mean—”

“Well, it’s what you said, Percival.”

Percy sighs, defeated.

“I…I’m sorry, Vex.” He drags his hands over his face, streaking it with even more soot. “Gods. I’m sorry.”

“Percy, you need to talk to us. Don’t leave us like this, please.” “Why?” Percy sounds exhausted, his voice weak.

“You’re our family. We love you. Ignoring us, it’s—it’s just going to hurt all of us.”

“I don’t know what else to do.”

“Just talk to me. Talk to him, when you’re ready. Please.”

“I can’t talk to him, Vex. It’s my fault, what happened, I can’t—“ He shakes his head violently, pressing his fingers to his temple.

“Percy.” Something about Vex’s voice finally convinces Percy to make eye-contact. She looks wrecked, exhausted, but manages to maintain her quiet, intense composure anyway. “He blames himself too.”

Percy looks away.

“I’ll talk to him.”

It is well past sunset by the time Percy leaves his workshop, and the stars are beginning to peek out from the darkness. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Had he not promised Vex, he wouldn’t be. Despite taking the time to calm down in his workshop, he feels stretched-thin, on edge. Volatile. His knock on Vax’s door is hesitant—he wonders if Vax even hears it. Part of him hopes that he doesn’t.

“Come in,” Vax says. Percy has to resist the urge to bang his head against the door before he pushes it open.

The light in Vax’s room is dim and grey, making Vax look even paler than normal. The curtains have been thrown open, and the weak moonlight makes the shadows on his face stand out even more. Even in this lighting, Percy can see how exhausted Vax looks.

“Percy?” Vax blinks a few times, as if to clear his head.

Percy clears his throat, awkwardly. “H-hello.”

“What are you….” Vax trails off, unsure. Percy fidgets.

“I thought we should talk.”

Vax drags his hands down his face. His answering smile is wry and edges on sadness. “Alright.”

The door closes behind Percy as he steps into the room, gesturing at the foot of Vax’s bed. “Can I…?”

“Oh, yeah. Yes, go ahead.” Percy sits. His fingers twist anxiously, though he tries to hide his fidgeting as best he can. There is a long, tense silence, before Vax sighs.

“Why are you here, Percival?”

Percy ducks his head, as though trying to hide himself within the tall collar of his coat.

“Your sister—“

“Ah.” Vax smiles that humorless smile that Percy has so often seen from him. “Say no more, my friend. We can just not talk, and tell her that we did. Problem solved. Terribly sorry to be an inconvenience to you—”

“Vax’ildan.” The worried set of Percy’s shoulders shifts; he looks directly at Vax and Vax cannot find it in him to look away. Percy’s eyes are grey-blue and unyielding.

“Percival,” he teases, but Vax’s humor is not able to ease Percy’s gaze.

“I came in here,” Percy says, maintaining the now too-long eye contact. “Because your sister let me know that I was isolating myself. Some of the things that I said, well��evidently she thought it would do us both good to talk things out. So I am here because I trust your sister’s judgement.” He pauses, and his voice is low when he speaks again. “And…because I was worried about you.”

Vax makes a low sound at that, a hum trapped in the back of his throat. “I’m fine, Percival, I swear. No need to worry.”

“Somehow, Vax, I sincerely doubt that.”

“Why does everyone keep asking me about how I’m doing? How the fuck do you think I’m doing? Gods damn it, what do you want me to say, Percy? That I can’t sleep, day or night? That I’m completely fucking terrified that I’m going to lose control and hurt one of you? That I—” Vax’ildan cuts himself off abruptly, pressing his lips into a thin line.

“That you what?” It isn’t a good idea to push him, Percy thinks, but he does it anyway.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Vax.” Impulsive, Percy moves closer to him on the bed, and raises a hand to rest against Vax’s cheek. Vax’s eyes widen; he sucks in a sharp breath. “Tell me.” Vax’s eyes flutter shut, and Percy can feel the half-elf’s breath quicken as Percy brushes his thumb over his cheekbone.

“I’m…Percy…” He trails off, bringing his hand up to wrap around Percy’s wrist. Percy’s hand does not leave Vax’s face; when Vax’s eyes open, Percy’s bright eyes are still locked with his own. Vax’s breath hitches, stutters as Percy’s thumb brushes the corner of his mouth. “Percy, I could hurt you.”

“You couldn’t.” Percy can feel Vax’s shaky exhale against his wrist. “Vax, tell me what’s wrong, please.”

“Aside from the fact that I’m a vampire?” His voice hitches on the last word, as, in vain, Vax tries to dispel the strange energy of the room. Once again, humor is his last defense against emotional vulnerability. Abruptly, Percy pulls his hand away from Vax’s face, leaning back out of his space with an almost imperceptible sigh. Vax has to bite back a whine at the loss of contact.

“I don’t know what you want from me, Vax. I—I don’t know that this is getting us anywhere,” he shifts as if to leave, and Vax is reaching out for him before he can stop himself.

“Freddie, wait.” The nickname leaves him without thinking. When Percy looks back to him, there are tears shining in Vax’s eyes. “I’m just…I’m scared. I don’t trust myself around you.” His voice is soft, like he can barely bring himself to say it. Percy sits back down, hovering just on the edge of Vax’s space. Even though Percy doesn’t touch him, Vax’s anxiety quiets, somewhat.

“Why not, Vax?”

Vax shuts his eyes tightly. “My instincts have changed, Percy. I…the things I want…the way I want…”

“What do you want, Vax’ildan?” Percy’s voice has dropped, and Vax leans closer to catch his words.

“I’m hungry, Percy.” With the emphasis that he puts on the words, Percy immediately knows what he means. Even so, he leans further into Vax’s space. Their knees are touching. Percy is so near Vax that his nose almost brushes his cheek.

“Will you let me help you?” Percy asks, breaking the brief silence that seemed to stretch on for ages.

“You—you can’t mean that,” Vax chokes. Before he has finished speaking, Percy’s hand has found its way back to his cheek, fingers brushing across his cheekbone. Overwhelmed, Vax’s eyes fall shut, and Percy hums interestedly.

“I think you’ll find that I can,” he says, his smile audible in his voice. His fingers are so gentle on Vax’s face.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Percy.” Vax’s protests sound weak, even to his own ears. They are undermined by the very audible hitch in his breath as Percy’s thumb presses against his bottom lip.

“So you keep saying. Have you considered that I’m asking you to, Vax?” The warmth of Percy’s hand seems to have ignited Vax’s entire body.

“I am trying so hard,” he murmurs. “To have some amount of self-control here.”

“And I am trying so hard, my dear, to tell you that that isn’t necessary.”

Vax forces his eyes open, fixes Percy in his gaze. There is tension in the set of the half-elf’s face, but his eyes flash hungry and wanting. “I need you to promise me that you aren’t doing this just because you feel bad. Or out of some fucked-up sense of obligation, or self-punishment. I need to know why, Percy.” The human nods back.

“That’s perfectly reasonable.” Some of the tension leaves Vax. “I am not doing this just because I feel bad. What happened to you was…regrettable. But it is something I know you can manage. And, while some of me does feel responsible for what happened to you—getting you involved in my family’s issues—that’s not why I’m doing this either.”

“Then why?”

When Percy laughs, he knocks their foreheads together. Vax register’s vaguely that his hand has, at some point, found its way to rest just above Percy’s knee. “Has it not occurred to you that I might want you, you absurd man?”

Vax starts. Eyes wide, he looks at Percy, finding his gaze, soft and sincere.

“Oh,” he breathes.

“Indeed.”

Vax sighs, finally beginning to relax in full. He tips his head against Percy’s and shuts his eyes again.

“Will you kiss me, please, Percival?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely.”

The kiss is slow, Percy is achingly gentle. Vax’s head is swimming at the soft, slick slide of their mouths, unable to stop himself from arching into it. Percy makes a low sound and his hand slides to the back of Vax’s neck. It is overwhelming how warm Percy is; the contrast with Vax’s bloodless lips almost unbearable. Vax presses closer, wanting all of Percy’s warmth for himself. One of his hands moves to rest on Percy’s chest, and he can feel his heartbeat--Vax was unprepared for the way that would make him feel. He keens into the kiss, a sound that Percy eagerly swallows with his own mouth. As Vax’s mouth falls open, Percy’s tongue presses cautious against the tip of a fang. As pressed close as they are, Vax can feel the full-body shudder that runs through Percy at that. He smiles, a wicked edge to it, and bites down on Percy’s lip. Percy’s resulting gasp is beautiful. Blood flows from the cut instantly, and though it isn’t much, Vax swipes his tongue over the wound, sucking Percy’s lower lip into his mouth for good measure. The little taste of Percy’s blood has made Vax dizzy, and he is panting hard as he pulls away. Percy, for his part, looks wrecked already. His bottom lip is swollen, puncture marks just barely visible, and he is flushed pink. Vax cannot stop himself from pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“Alright, Percy?” he asks. His voice is light, but the question is serious.

“Oh, yes, quite.”

“Can I…?” Vax hesitates. Percy moves to kiss him once more, a hand tugging just slightly on Vax’s long hair.

“I would truly appreciate if you did.” The hand in Vax’s hair scratches lightly at his scalp, and he makes a small, content sound.

“Tell me,” he says, momentarily serious, “If you need me to stop. Or pull my hair, or…something.”

Percy nods. “I will.”

At last, Vax ducks his head, pressing his lips to the pale skin of Percy’s neck. He is so warm—Vax can feel his heart beating at his pulse point and it makes him shudder. He kisses down the column of Percy’s neck, the sharp points of his teeth dragging against the skin but never breaking it. Vax becomes lost in the cacophony of sensations—the pulse of Percy’s blood, just under his skin, the hitches in his breath, the hand twisting in his hair. The more coherent part of his brain thinks, vaguely, that he could stay like this forever. That is, until a soft moan tears itself from Percy’s lips.

“Vax, please,” he sighs. And who is Vax to deny such a request? His mouth finds purchase in the space between Percy’s neck and his collarbone, and he lays an open-mouthed kiss there. Anticipation rising in Vax’s stomach, he presses one last brief kiss to Percy’s skin. And then he bites.

Vax had thought that simply kissing Percy was overwhelming. This was indescribably more intense. The taste of Percy’s blood is perfect, sweet and cloying; richer than any wine Vax has ever tasted. Percy has thrown his head back, soft sounds escaping him as Vax drinks. He kisses the wound, tongue soothing, and moans.

“Gods, Percy.” He swipes his tongue over the bite once more, notices the bleeding beginning to slow. He pulls back, making eye contact with Percy as he licks the blood from his lips. Percy’s resulting whimper brings a dangerous grin to Vax’s mouth. When Vax kisses Percy’s jaw, he leaves a blood-sticky mark there. He drags his fangs up Percy’s jaw to his ear just to hear him gasp, teasing until Percy grabs him by the neck and pulls him in to kiss him again. Percy’s other hand pushes gently on his chest, bearing him back into the headboard. He licks into Vax’s mouth, and Vax wonders if Percy can taste his own blood on Vax’s tongue. After what may as well have been an eternity, they break apart, keeping their foreheads pressed together. Vax’s hand rests against Percy’s cheek, and both are panting. Vax, for one, is glad they did this sitting—he doubts he would have been steady enough to stand. He feels sated and heavy after feeding, and Percy doesn’t look too steady himself. Vax breathes out slow, a smile on his face.

“Percival Frederickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III,” he says, and Percy laughs breathlessly. “What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?”

“Oh, quite a lot, darling.” Percy’s answer leaves a fluttery feeling in Vax’s chest, and he can’t help giving him another chaste kiss. Vax feels floaty, and warm—something about feeding, and about Percy, has left him feeling safe and nearly boneless with contentment.

“I love you,” Vax whispers. He doesn’t mean to say it, and nearly starts when he realizes that it slipped out. But he doesn’t try to take it back. He just looks back up at Percy, and smiles, and says it again. “I love you.” Percy kisses him again, sweet and gentle as he pulls Vax’s bottom lip into his mouth.

“I’m afraid I’ve been very obvious,” Percy tells him. “But I am rather in love with you, Vax.”

“Will you stay the night?”

“There is nowhere else I would rather be.”

And for the first time in nearly two days, Vax sleeps.

#perc'ildan #vax'ildan #percy de rolo #critical role #lgbt crdnd week #lgbt crdnd #jason writes #there is: no vampire sex in this #there is: kissing and 100% consensual blood-drinking #those two things happen at the same time #vax dies but he gets better #you know the drill #sO much hurt/comfort #so much people having to get vax to feel his feelings and not be an avoidant bastard #hes so hard to write bc its like ''ok lets talk about feelings'' and vax is just like ''i will do everything in my power to avoid #emotional vulnerability''#ANYWAYS TAKE THIS #its the longest thing ive ever written holy heck

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mollymauk-tieflief · 6 years ago

Text

Man to Man

Percy was standing tall, his back straight as a rod, his hands clasped behind him. He was particularly formal, even more so than usual. If Grog and Vax had been there, they probably would have made jokes about something in his ass. They weren’t though there, in fact there was nobody there to make fun of him, not even Vex to smile to herself and admire him before cracking a joke to make him lighten up.

The only one there to see Percy more stiff than he had been in years was Trinket.

The large, brown bear was sitting down under the Sun Tree, sitting almost exactly where Vex had been sitting that morning. That thought alone set his heart racing all over again, but he focused back on the almost black eyes that watched Percy with an intelligence that took him a long time to get used to.

Percy was looking at Trinket as he would any equal, very few ever received such recognition and he hoped the bear understood that he meant it. “I know we don’t spend much one on one time together,” Percy realized that if anyone had told him years ago he would be talking to bear like this he would have assumed it was because he had a mental break. That was technically not wrong, but it was certainly not how he had expected his life to go. Which, he supposed, could be used to describe much of the last couple of years.

Trinket grunted and scratched at his stomach. Percy took it as a good sign, he had seen Trinket when he was not interested and that usually meant someone had to clean up after him. Percy straightened up even more, and took a single breath before he said, “I wanted to tall you that I asked your mother to marry me this morning.” He felt a rush go through him again.

You could marry me, he’d said with a laugh. It’d been a joke. It’d been a passing comment about how they didn’t want to be like Vax and Keyleth.

A slow smile formed on her lips, Don’t tease me, darling, I might say yes.

They were sitting under the Sun Tree, taking in their city, their home, their new life together. It was calm, they had come out to see the sunrise because Percy insisted that there were few places more beautiful than underneath the Sun Tree watching the sun crest the mountains. Vex had to admit, he was right.

If you think that scares me off you might want to think again, it was still a joke, but it wasn’t a lie. He had known for a long time, he could spend the rest of his life with her.

I’ll do it, I’ll say yes and then we’ll be engaged and you won’t be able to back out. A teasing threat, but her heart was pounding and she couldn’t imagine being the first to back down.

Engaged? You’re underestimating how quickly I can put together a wedding, dear. I can have us married by the end of the night. You could have people calling you Lady de Rolo before dinner if you’re not careful. It was true. And…well Percy hadn’t really thought about it much, he’d been so happy with the way things were that he hadn’t thought much about taking it farther. Now that it was out in the open…well it felt right.

Don’t make a promise you can’t keep, she bit her bottom lip, the smile only growing as she thought about it. Percy. Her husband. A wedding in her home with the man she loved.

All you have to do is say yes and I can get started right now.

Yes.

Both of them were silent, smiling at each other with bright eyes and a sudden swell of adrenaline. I’m going to do it. Right here at sunset there will be a wedding. It was still a warning, Percy was grinning and looking at her like he couldn’t believe that they were even talking about it.

Do it then. I’ll be here in a lovely dress waiting for you. They fell quiet for a moment, soft smiles gracing their lips. She reached up to touch his cheek and Percy instinctively leaned into her hand. I mean it, Percy.

We’re really doing this, aren’t we? He covered her hand with his and turned his head to kiss her palm.

She didn’t exactly answer that question so much as pose one of her own. Marry me?

Absolutely.

Trinket huffed and started to shift about, drawing Percy out of his memory. “It just sort of came out, if I had planned it I would have come to you first. Talked to you man to man,” man to bear technically, but Percy knew not to underestimate how human this bear truly was. “She wanted to tell you of course, but I asked her if I could.”

Trinket was standing at full height now, towering above even Percy, and looking down at him. Percy could see why so many people believed him to be a threat. Percy adjusted his shoulders and lifted his chin to look up at his fiancé’s bear. “I wanted to make sure that we were on the same page and I, well I know how important you are to Vex’ahlia and perhaps I could have been more upfront about it but you are important to me as well. I suppose I wanted to ask for your blessing. I love her,” his chest felt tight and full to bursting because gods he couldn’t think of her without being absolutely positive all of the love in the world was being contained inside of him, “I love her but I want you to know that—”

A long, rough, and disgustingly wet tongue went over the top of his head with a terrible slurping sound. Percy could feel the spit in his hair and knew that his hair had been flattened and slicked back at the top compared to the fluff over the rest of his head.

And then Trinket dropped back down to all fours and bumped his head into Percy’s chest. Percy raised his eyebrows in surprise, then smiled and scratched him behind the ears, and then said. “Come on, we have a lot of work to do to get everything ready by sunset.”

Percy was standing under the Sun Tree, candles and ornate (though mismatched due to time constraints) torches lit up the square. Keeper Yennen was standing beside him, looking down at the pages in his hands and mumbling something under his breath, practicing or rewriting perhaps. It’s not like Percy had given him much time to prepare.

His sister was there, people who had been passing by and stopped to see what the Lord and Savior of Whitestone was doing with Keeper Yennen underneath the Sun Tree, dresses in his formal version of his dark blue travelling coat. It was obvious he was in the middle of something big and there were those who wanted to see what it was.

They had decided that this would be theirs, that it was for them and no one else and sure, one day they would tell their friends and the rest of their family, but at least for a little while…it was only theirs.

For a moment though, despite having asked her again a few hours ago, he wondered if she was going to show up. He had gone to her room, a sly grin on his lips, and he had told her once again that he was working on it and pretty soon she wouldn’t be able to back out. She had teasingly answered by telling him if he wasn’t ready he could just say so. And when he had assured her he was more than ready she shooed him out so that she could pick a dress and get ready.

Even so, as the sky began to shift to reds and oranges, Percy wondered if perhaps he had taken it too seriously. What if she really had meant it all as a joke?

Music began to play, nothing major just a few of the locals who could play. It was simple and anyone who had been walking by probably wouldn’t have assumed it was the wedding of two of the most important people of the city, but it filled the cooling air and Percy felt like he was on fire and frozen and above all like he was in love.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder and there she was, walking down the aisle with a huge brown bear at her side. She was wearing a navy dress, one he had always loved on her. The straps fell from her shoulders, the bodice had silver and gold moons, stars, and suns embroidered on it, and on this cool night she wore a cloak on her shoulders.

And she was breathtaking.

She smiled at him as she walked towards him, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the other on Trinket. And he could see it in her eyes, the overwhelming weight of the love he felt for her that he was positive only he could ever feel? She knew it just as intimately.

Yennen said his words, Percy hoped that later he would remember them, but honestly the only thing in his entire world that night was Vex. Her face the only thing he could see, her perfume the only scent in the air, the sparks where her skin touched his the only thing he felt, the sound of her voice the only one he heard, and her lips the only thing he could taste.

They danced to the most beautiful music in the world, played by average musicians Percy had managed to scrap together last minute, and ate the most wonderful food the cooks had whipped together in record time, and they were married in the most beautiful place on earth, Whitestone at sunset.

---

Feel free to give me a kudos on ao3 if you want to show some love, username inadistantworld since I can’t link you guys to it anymore

#critfic #critical role #vex'ahlia #percival de rolo #perc'ahlia #trinket #sometimes i just think about how much i love them and i have to put it on a page

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maxbegone · 7 years ago

Note

The percy and vex baby fic you wrote was so adorable!! Can you write another part??

HOO BOY I GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS ONE WHOOPS.

part one

“I’m so tired of this, Percy!”

Vex was slumped against her husband in the bath he had drawn for her. At full term, her back ached, her head was throbbing from being holed up in the castle all day, and she was growing restless. If she was being honest, she felt as if she was suffocating.

“I know, dear,” Percy whispered, continuing to dig his fingers into the small of her back. “But it won’t be much longer.”

“I just wish it happened already,” she groaned. “That way it’s already over and we don’t have to keep waiting.”

Percy pressed his face into Vex’s shoulder, their skin hot from the steam rising from the water. “I do, too. Mainly because I just want to hold them already, but I also hate seeing you in pain.”

Vex huffed. “You’re going to hate me when I’m in labor, then.”

She sunk deeper into the water until her lips were bobbing at the surface. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment or two before speaking again.

“Are you scared?”

A beat.

“I’m terrified.”

Vex sat up enough to turn and face him. “Are you really?”

“Yes. I’m not going to lie to you.”

“It’s good to know I’m not alone, then.”

Percy looked at her quizzically. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be scared?”

“Well, yes. I mean, you’re much stronger than I am.”

He laughed. “That is the furthest thing from the truth. You know, I didn’t think I’d ever get this far. I didn’t think I’d ever have a family again. My own family.”

“But you do. We do.” She pushed his damp hair away from his eyes, smiling. “We’ve been over this, you’re going to be the most brilliant father.”

Percy averted his gaze into the water. “I don’t want to fail either of you.” It seemed he was speaking more to himself than to Vex.

“Percival.” Vex tiled his head so had to look right at her. “That is impossible,” and she kissed him deeply.

“Impossible…”

—

It happens a week later, and rather inconveniently.

Cassandra was holding a council meeting in its routine way. They were talking about revising something about the trading they do with Syngorn, so Vex knew she should really be paying attention, but she was unable to. She had too much on her mind already.

Half an hour into the meeting was when Vex started feeling uncomfortable. Twinges of pain were coming and going, and for a while she was able to ignore it but it eventually became all that she was focusing on.

She needed air, really. That’s all it was. Air, and a moment alone without any diplomatic conversations, and nobody doting over every move she made.

She stood from the table abruptly, Percy immediately standing as well as the room fell silent.

“I just need to use to toilet. I’ll be quick.” She kissed Percy’s cheek and walked swiftly out of the room.

Halfway down the hall she stopped again in pain, clutching the banister nearby.

“Is this it then?” Vex looked down at her belly and sighed, her nerves immediately beginning to shake her. “Is this your way of telling me you’re finally ready?”

There was a little movement as Vex rubbed the underside of her belly, but for the most part it was just intensifying pain. When nothing happened after a few moments of standing in place she made her way back down the corridor towards one of the open windows just outside the war room.

Vex stood there for a little while, taking in the crisp air that filled her lungs while she tried her best to clear her head. She was just about to return to the war room when the pain returned. Vex steadied herself against the windowsill and let out a whimper, eyes shut tightly and teeth gritted. She was pulled away suddenly as two arms wrapped around her, and there she was buried in Percy’s chest.

“Vex, why didn’t you tell me?” He was doing his best to keep the panic from his voice, and he was doing quite well.

“Because it just started,” she whimpered. “I’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Percy ignored her. “How long has this been happening?”

“A-an hour, maybe? I was able to ignore it earlier, but-“

“An hour?” He gave her a quick kiss on her hair. “Can you walk?”

Vex glared. “Yes! I’m not completely incompetent, Percival!” She paused. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite alright. But let’s get you settled, alright?”

“But-“

“Vex. Cassandra can handle it without us. The council knows what to do. We’ll go back to our room, get you settled and take it from there.” His eyes were soft, but there was a sense of nervousness in them.

“Alright.”

It took them a little while but they returned to the room, Vex collapsing heavily onto the bed with Percy kneeling in front of her.

“Are you in pain?”

“A little.” Her voice was small. “I’m not ready, Percy. We’re not ready.”

He immediately enveloped Vex, undoing her braid and running his fingers through the waves of her hair. She panted heavily while she cried into his shirt and gripped his free hand tightly.  “Yes we are, darling. Yes we are. The baby’s ready, and we’re ready, too.”

Vex could hear the thickness in his voice as Percy tried to keep his own tears back.

“I can’t, Percy. I can’t do it. Not without him, not without Vax.”

The hand running through her hair stilled. She was about to say something, anything, to get Percy to start speaking again, but him pressing his face into her neck stopped her entirely. She wasn’t heaving, she wasn’t audibly crying. Vex stayed incredibly still for a moment as Percy had begun to cry, himself.

When he pulled back to look at her, glasses a little wet, he said, “Yes you can. Because he is still right here with you. And I’m here with you. Vex’ahlia, your brother would never let you do this on your own. I promised him I would look after you, and he knows how strong you are.”

“I’m so scared…”

He shushed her. “I know, I know. You’re going to be ok. Our baby will be in our arms very soon, and Vax will be there every step of the way, I promise you.”

“You won’t leave me?” Vex was shaking again.

“You couldn’t get me to leave you if you tried.” He kissed her hair. “Ever.”

Percy helped her through another bout of pain a few moments later, Vex now laying on her left side with her robes discarded onto a nearby armchair along with Percy’s coat. He was rubbing her arm as Vex tried her best to relax once the pain faded away, eyes closed and breathing a long stream out of her mouth.

“Has anyone alerted Pike?”

“We’re very lucky Allura decided to stop in this meeting,” Percy noted. “She’s already sent the word to her. It shouldn’t be much longer now.”

Vex looked up at him, and with her best effort gave him an honest but exhausted smile. “Last chance to guess. Boy or girl?”

“You know I don’t mind,” Percy responded.

“You’re not making this any fun!”

“I don’t think labor is supposed to really be fun,” he mused.

“Percy. Just answer the damn question.”

“Alright, alright. I’ve had a couple of dreams recently, and I really do think it’s a girl. What about you?”

Vex sighed. “A boy. I’m happy either way as well, but I just have a feeling. I don’t know why. I guess it’s just some sort of…intuition.”

They traded idle conversation back and forth for a while as they waited for Pike to arrive, who, as always, immediately eased the worry that was in the room. She greeted them both with gentle hugs and looked over Vex thoroughly, two healers trailing behind to assist.

Of course, nothing sped up for quite some time and it became a waiting game. Vex did everything in her power not to snap at Percy, Percy did everything in his power to ease her pain, and Pike mixed up the herbs and solvents Keyleth had sent their way. The room soon smelled of mild lavender, pine, and mint, the windows were cracked, Vex was now in a loose nightgown and was curled into Percy. Through everything, Vex managed to get in some very restless dozing and she felt drained. Cassandra had come in to chat for about an hour, sternly telling Percy to alert her when her niece or nephew had finally arrived.

Hours after the sun set and the moon had risen, a fire was lit, things had been quiet in the castle for most of the evening besides her yells and moans. Vex managed to eat a little food but her appetite was completely consumed by the nerves and pain she was experiencing.

Just as she was going to start complaining to Pike again about how uncomfortable she was and how this was all taking too long, the gnome smiled at them both.

“You’re about ready to go, Vex,” Pike chimed. “You hold on to Percy, alright? Percy, get behind her and keep her upright. We’re just about there, now comes the hardest part.”

Vex smiled weakly. “What would be ever do without you, Pike?”

The gnome blushed. “The same to you.”

—

The pain was blinding.

She’d been tossed into rock and stone, she’d watched loved ones die, had gone through tumultuous heartbreak. She’d been stabbed, hit, kicked, burned, and has even died herself-although the pain of those moments were rather blurry, themselves.

But this…The pain Vex had been going through lived on a whole different scale.

It went on for what felt like forever, Percy and Pike encouraging her. Vex swore, and swore she heard Vax a few times in the back of her head as well cheering her on.

It was pain, and pain, and pain, then crying.

Shrill, beautiful crying. And then Vex was crying again and Percy was hugging her tightly and kissing her from her shoulders to her hair and temple. She didn’t care about the blood, she didn’t care about the fact that she was exposed to two women she had never met before and a close friend. After long last, after an exhausting mix of months and of hours, she was a mother. Their baby was in her arms. It was a few hours later, now well past midnight by the looks of it. Vex was laying against Percy’s chest watching as he cradled the baby in his arms. She was tired, but it wouldn’t stop her from taking in this incredible moment.

“Have I told you how beautifully you did,” Percy whispered.

“A few times, now.”

“And have I told you how beautiful you are?”

Vex blushed. “You really should be talking about her, not me.”

Percy hummed. He ran his finger over the tiny hand that was sticking out of the swaddle she was in.

“We have a daughter, Vex. We have a little girl.”

Vex could feel her eyes begin to sting with tears. She blinked. “We do,” she mused. “How did we get so lucky?”

“I have been asking myself that for a very long time.”

There was a few minutes that passed in content silence where both of them just watched as the baby slept peacefully. Vex was trying her best to memorize every last feature of their daughter’s face when Percy spoke again.

“I think we should name her Elaina.”

Vex sat upright in surprise. “Percival…”

“It’s only right,” he continued. “You and I have a long future ahead of us. I just wish I had gotten to meet your mother. I know how much you miss her and your brother. I believe that our daughter is lucky to have such a diverse and wonderful family, as messed up as we all are. And I don’t want you to feel drowned out by all of the names we have on my end.”

“But, what about you? Percy, you have your entire family to name her after-“

“I’d suspect that in the future, we may have more children. I would much rather we carry memories of your mother and brother into the world.”

Vex was at a loss for words, but when she looked down at their daughter she knew it was only right. Elaina. It suited her perfectly.

“Elaina Cassandra,” she recited.

Percy chuckled. “Oh, she will be so pleased with that. You’re giving my sister a big head, you know.”

Vex smiled. “Full name and all. Elaina Cassandra Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo. All the frills and bits of noble names that your family is cursed with.”

“We don’t have to keep the names,” he offered.

“No. We honor both our families,” Vex said. “We combine our traditions, and we create a new meaning to our family. We bring them together.”

Percy kissed her forehead. “I love you very much, Vex’ahlia. You are much too good for me.”

Vex let her eyes flutter closed as she listened to Percy whisper to their daughter, telling her stories of their past and promises of the future.

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