#vex and percy really are the blueprint of but together there could be something wrong with us

[utilitycaster]

peak comedy is Vex and Percy "talking? no. only sex" interspersed with Vax and Keyleth angsting about how the time is wrong forever (also I do like the switch to Vax being the one pumping the brakes here; in the adaptation, it's hard to convey Keyleth's reasons for hesitating whereas Vax's are way more obvious)

[lattefics]

I'm just sending a request/prompt for the short critical role fanfics. I really enjoyed your recent Vax/Percy fic and would love to see more Vax/Percy or Taryon/Percy. Something a little bit darker/sadder would be cool but if you don't want to that's ok.

Title: burns

Pairing: Taryon/Percy

Warnings: implied abuse and/or self harm

–I don’t even remember what they did in canon but have some angst. 

Taryonwas mostly silent on the way home from his father’s, aftereverything had been settled. He’d made his big speech and walkedaway with confidence that lasted as long as Howard Darrington couldstill see them, and when they arrived back in Whitestone he slumpedwith a bone deep exhaustion and quiet words about wanting nothingmore than a rest and some hot tea. 

Hewas… different, after that. Percy couldn’t exactly place how butTaryon didn’t seem as vibrant or determined, as though his father’sbrutal treatment had sucked all the life out of him. Percy couldn’texactly blame him, he himself knew what less-than-ideal parents werelike. As the days crept on and Tary’s eyes started to look sunkenin, his words less boisterous, his posture weaker, Percy started toworry. 

Despiteall that, it wasn’t truly Percy’s business. Vex or Pike orKeyleth would pester Tary about it before Percy could, and they’dfind out what was wrong and Percy wouldn’t have to do anything toinvade anyone’s privacy.

Exceptthat he stumbled into his workshop one day to find Taryon there, bentover his lap and clutching his arm, and small, quiet sobs filled theroom.

Percyfroze in the doorway. “Taryon?” 

Thecrying stopped, replaced by quick throat clearing, and Taryon sat up.���Percy,” he said, turning around. The workshop was dark, only litby one lamp, and Percy couldn’t see Tary’s face well. “What–what are you doing here?”

“Iwas going to work,” Percy said slowly, “but I didn’t expect tofind you here.”

“Yes,that’s– that makes sense.” Taryon stood quickly, dropping hisarms to his side. “Sorry, I’ll head out.”

Percyshook himself from his daze and stepped inside, shutting the doorbehind him. “No, it’s fine. I’m more than capable of workingwith you around, you know that.”

“Iknow, but, ah… I should go anyway.” He coughed a few more timesand walked fast, trying to get around Percy.

Percyfrowned and reached out, snatching Tary’s arm as quick as hesnatched arrows in battle. Taryon skirted to a stop and whimpered,shaking in Percy’s hold.

“Taryon,what’s wrong?”

Hedidn’t answer. Percy took his arm with his other hand and pushedTary gently, closer to the light. His sleeve had been rolled up and,when Percy could see it, his arm was littered with scars. 

Thisitself was not abnormal. They all had battle scars, and though Taryonhad started out as fresh as spring grass, he’d seen and takenplenty of attacks after his time with them. But these scars were notsharp lines from harsh cuts or gashes, or tangled webs brought outfrom internal damage to veins by powerful spells.

Theywere circles, dashed across Taryon’s arm like freckles, except eachone was a little less than an inch across. And from the way theylooked, Percy could guess that they were burn marks.

“Idon’t remember seeing these,” he said, looking up at Taryon. Hewould know. He and Taryon hadn’t exactly been chaste with eachother, not since they’d first discovered how much they enjoyedworking with each other. Percy had thought he’d seen every inch ofTaryon’s skin.

Taryonsagged, an empty, far-away look in his eyes. “I hid them,” he saidquietly. “All those patches on my armor? There’s some disguisespells on there, too.” 

“Wedidn’t have sex while you wore that.”

Taryonflinched and blushed. “I activated them beforehand. It lastsa while. Long enough to hide this, anyway.” He jerked his arm freefrom Percy’s grip, tucking it close to his chest and wrapping hisother hand over the worst of the scars. “I suppose I can stop now,” he spat bitterly. 

Percyhuffed out a breath. “Is there something going on, Taryon? Youhaven’t looked well in the past week or so.” 

Taryonlaughed, sharp and loud, the sound echoing in the workshop.“That’s an understatement,” he said through the giggles. “I–I haven’t been well for a long, long time.” 

Percypursed his lips. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’dreally rather forget it.”

Thatseemed like a bad idea, and on some level Percy felt like Vexmight disapprove if she knew about this. But this was Taryon’slife; Percy didn’t have a right to intrude if Tary didn’t wanthim to. Still… “How about,” Percy said, putting a hand onTaryon’s shoulder, “we work in here for a little while? Together?Maybe it will take your mind off whatever’s bothering you.”

Tary’seyes narrowed.  He didn’t answer for a long moment.

“Okay,”he said quietly, and forced a small smile. “What shall we do?”

Percytook Tary’s hand gently and pulled him back toward the center ofthe room. Tary kept a hand clasped over his arm at first, watchingPercy pull tools down from one wall and start spreading papers withvarious blueprints across his work desk, until Percy handed him ahammer. “Come on,” Percy said, “I’ll need your help.”

Taryslowly released his own arm, supporting the hammer with both hands.“O-Okay. Sure. What do you need me to do?”

Itwas as good a distraction as any. Percy had a few projects thathadn’t gone anywhere and might need a different perspective; he talked them through with Taryon to see if he could point out anyflaws that Percy would have missed. Taryon was shy at first, tuckinghis arm close to hide the scars, but as they worked he loosened up,sitting closer to Percy and laughing as they found solutions toproblems Percy had thought impossible to fix. 

Hourspassed, in the warmth of the workshop, neither man bringing attentionto the series of circles littering Taryon’s arm. 

Enoughtime passed that Taryon started yawning. 

Percy rubbed at his eyeswith the heel of his hand. “How long has it been?”

Taryglanced at the lamps on the wall. “Long enough for those to almostgo out.” 

“Toolong, then.” Percy stood and stretched, popping his shoulderjoints. “We should eat something before we go to bed, because if we don’tthen one of the twins will have our heads.” 

“Yes,they probably will.” Taryon started for the door, and stopped,looking down at his arm. Carefully, he grabbed the edge of his sleeveand rolled it down from his bicep, hiding themarks. 

Percywatched, thinking of all the scars that littered his own body, howsurprisingly few of them were from actual battle. “Tary,” he saidgently, “if you don’t want to talk about them, it’s fine. But…you don’t have to hide them. We all have scars.” 

Taryonturned to him with a faint smile. “I appreciate that. They’re notcool scars, though. Not like all the ones you have.”

“Taryon,”Percy said sternly, patting his back, “I can name at least twentydifferent scars that were not gifted to me by monsters or demons orbeasts. They were given by people.” He swallowed, a very specificface flashing in his mind. “People who had no reason to harm meother than their own selfish desires.” 

Tary’sbrows furrowed, eyes darting across Percy, like he could see thescars if he looked hard enough. He’d seen them before; he’d seenPercy naked and all of his scars had been on display, even if Tarydidn’t know where they’d come from. If he asked, Percy couldpoint them out.

“So,”Percy continued, “don’t think that any of us will judge you forsomething that someone else has done. We all have our messy pasts.”He patted Tary again and walked around him to open the workshop door,waving for Tary to follow. “Now, do you want to eat with the restof us or not?”

Tary’shand went to his arm again, brushing the hidden burns. He breathedin, and out, straightening his arms. “All right.” He noddeddeterminedly. “Yes, let’s eat. And– and if you want… we couldgo to bed… together?”

Percysnorted at his hesitation. Even after so long of them being together,Taryon still acted like sleeping with Percy was an honored privilege,that he stood on some kind of pedestal. It was Percy’s favoritemistake that people made about him.