Chapter Text
Their flat is lonely without the painting. She and Scanlan had agreed to leave it in Whitestone to be repaired, but Vex misses it terribly.
She misses a lot of things, but tries to work through that.
Vax is good to her. He spends a lot of time with Keyleth, but that usually means Keyleth spending a lot of time with them both. Her food makes their way to the flat, her cooking filling their space, her herbs and crystals cluttering up once-empty corners. It would be awful if Vex didn’t find her so perpetually endearing.
Together, though, they miss Percy beyond words.
Even Scanlan is sad and bitter about it all.
“No idea what to do with myself, now.”
“You’ll come up with something,” Vex mutters. The weather’s grown warmer, and she’s invaded Scanlan’s backyard to bathe Trinket. And Grog, apparently, who is covered in suds and water. She lets her dog go and the two romp around the yard while Pike laughs. “I’m going to run home and get something, I’ve left Trinket’s brush I think. Don’t open the gate.”
“That happened twice,” Scanlan mutters.
“Three times,” Pike corrects. “I’ll keep an eye on ‘em.”
Vex smiles. “Thank you, darling.” She wipes her hands and heads out, passing Keyleth and Vax in the kitchen, putting some sort of pie together. She almost stops to say something, but they’re infinitely happy these days, and she likes watching them do quiet things together.
Eventually, she makes her way home, rummaging around for the heavy wooden brush she’d bought not long after their return from Whitestone. Her first, and only, purchase with her gold, which has been sitting under her bed for weeks. “Gotcha,” she mutters, finally finding the brush behind the sofa where Trinket had probably hidden it to avoid such a situation as this. “Alright.” Vex turns to leave, moves toward the door –
And finds her nose pressed to a familiar blue coat.
She looks up.
Percy smiles. “Hello, dear.” Vex takes a step back, dropping the brush. Percy bends down to pick it up, but Vex stops him. “I suppose you’re…wondering.”
“I’m wondering a lot of things.”
“I am too, but…perhaps for different reasons.” He straightens, looking down at her warmly. “My sister is quite adept at her post, it turns out. There was talk of my taking over, but I haven’t the experience. She’s been doing this since she was fourteen. What business have I to take that from her?”
“So you…left.”
“Not right away. I worked, learned things about myself, remembered Whitestone. Turns out I have a few permissions, things I’m allowed to do.” He reaches into his coat and pulls out a document. “I can…title people. Did you know that?”
“…Percy.”
“With Cassandra’s approval, of course. Which I have.” He hands her the paper. “Lady Vex’ahlia, Baroness of the third house of Whitestone, and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.” He bows his head. “This is for you.”
Vex takes the paper with trembling fingers. The words are there, just as he said, with all the trappings that go along with it, including –
“A house?”
Percy nods. “There has been a vacancy for quite some time. I suggested it to Cassandra, and she agreed immediately. You don’t have to live there, of course, but it is yours. Whenever you’d like it.”
“Percy. Percy, this is too much.”
“No.” He steps closer. “It’s not enough, Vex. For everything you did, everything you helped me find. For you…there can never be enough.”
She shakes her head. “I can’t accept this.”
“Please do, though. You never have to go back, but it will always be yours.”
“Then what is the point of it.”
Percy swallows, glancing down, then back to her. “I didn’t…want to lose you.”
Vex grips the paper tighter. “…Oh.”
“I…I thought that if you had a home there, if you had another connection, then you and I might…might be able to see each other. Sometimes.” He wraps his fingers around her wrists, gently. Vex hadn’t quite realized before how much larger than her he is. She feels…safe. “You…you have given me quite a lot,” he says. “But you also took something very important from me, which I why I needed to make sure I could see you again.”
Vex frowns. “Whatever did I take, Percy?”
He smiles. The paper falls to the ground.
“My heart, Vex’ahlia.” He takes her hands, turning them upward, thumbs stroking her palms. “Can’t you feel it? Right here?” He curls her fingers into fists, tight.
Vex feels her own pulse, but she swears – she swears – she hears his as well.
“It’s yours,” he murmurs. “Yours to keep.”
She laughs, feeling her cheeks grow wet with tears. “And what of mine, Percival?” She presses herself closer. “Where have you taken mine?”
He smiles. Grips her two perfect, beating fists.
“Right here,” he says. “Right here with me.”
He stays with her.
Vex is certain her pain was real, missing him the way she did. But it’s vanished, now, gone away with their reunion. Two hearts, beating together.
She kissed him there, in the doorway, until she could not feel her feet or her mind or anything but him. And he held her, there, in the doorway. Held her hand all the way back to their little family, and was tackled by each in turn.
And then he stayed.
Vax and Keyleth move in together in her and Percy’s old flat, and Percy stays with Vex and Trinket. He promises her, any time she doubts, that he does not regret a thing.
“I do think we should travel, though.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. All over.” He rests his head in her lap as she strokes his hair, settling his book on his chest. “I suppose after we’re married—”
“Married?”
Percy sits up. “Of course.” He rummages in his pocket. “Is this not a good time to ask?”
“It’s not a good time to assume my answer, Percival.” Vex pulls her legs up under her, staring at him. “Are you—”
“Oh I am,” he says. “I know it hasn’t been long, but I believe—”
“Percy. If you’re going to ask, then you must ask. I could do without your personal exposition.”
He laughs. “Of course, my dear.” And he gets down on one knee. “Vex’ahlia. Vex.” He opens the box, and the most beautiful ring she’s ever seen shines back at her. “Darling.” He kisses her knee. “Will you marry me?”
Vex stares, and stares, and stares. “This…this is too good to be true.”
“Probably,” he says. “But what if it isn’t?” He takes out the ring, setting it in her hand. “What if it is good enough to be true? What if it is—”
“—exactly what I’ve been waiting for.” She looks at him. “Percy.”
“Vex. Will you? Please?”
The ring is heavy in her hand, heavy with promise and a future that is not quite her own. Not yet.
She holds it, and she says, “Yes.”
Percy seems to flinch, almost taken aback. “…Seriously?”
“Yes, Percival. Seriously.” Vex grins, and Percy laughs.
He laughs and he lifts her and spins her and kisses her, taking the ring and sliding it onto her finger.
They dance there, in the living room.
He’s been teaching her to waltz.
She says, resting her head against him, “Could you be any happier, darling?”
Percy smiles, kissing the top of her head. “Where you are concerned, my dear, there is only infinite happiness to be had. And I plan for us both to have it.”