Work Text:
The day had been tough, to say the least. The party had received notice that a fugitive was hiding in a series of caverns, and upon hearing the reward amount, had quickly agreed to take on the task. Yet, one clumsy step from Keyleth upon entering the main chamber within the caverns had caused a series of detonations to set off, leading to a seriously hurt Vax.
Vex, filled with rage at the behest of her brother, had turned on Keyleth, lancing cruel words that were designed to hurt the half elven Druid. Keyleth had stumbled back, eyes wide with shock and unshed tears, before turning away.
The walk back to their inn had been tense, with Pike and Vax dancing around the stiff-backed ranger until she shot them both a steely glare. But as the adrenaline began to wear off, the guilt at her words began to worm beneath her armor. The unrest within her became even more apparent when Keyleth headed straight to her room instead of eating dinner with the rest of Vox Machina.
That was why, two hours later, after tossing and turning in her bed for what felt like eons, Vex found herself standing outside of Keyleth’s room. She felt her heart drop into her stomach as she heard the faint sound of sobbing through the wooden door. The cowardly part of her wished to turn, to walk back to her room, and to forget this ever happened. But she knew that Keyleth deserved better. Keyleth, who had been nothing but kind, despite every time Vex had been harsh to her, despite every misstep that had been met with a judgemental stare or scoff from the ranger.
She took one last measured breath and reach up her hand, knocking three times on the door. The crying inside ceased almost immediately, and for a long moment, there was silence.
“Just a moment!” Vex heard the Druid shout, the fake cheeriness of her voice making Vex’s stomach turn. She heard rustling through the door for a moment before it opened.
“Pike, I said I’m fi-“ Keyleth halted, eyes widening as she took in the sight of the ranger shifting nervously outside her door. Keyleth’s eyes were rimmed red and glassy, the smile to wide to be believable.
“Oh. Vex. I- uhm, is there something I can do for you?” She asked, voice raising in pitch the longer she spoke. Vex opened her mouth, and then close it again, eyes dancing around to look anywhere other than the red head. Finally, her eyes landed back on Keyleth, whose eyebrows were now furrowed in concern, her mouth pulled down into a slight frown.
Vex hated it. Hated the way that Keyleth still cared, after everything Vex said. Hated the way tears had begun to burn at the corners of her eyes. Most of all, she hated how her voice cracked as she asked softly, “May I come in?”
There was another pause before Keyleth moved aside wordlessly, and Vex entered the room. It was unnerving to see the ranger so anxious, wringing her hands in a way that made Keyleth think of herself.
Vex took a moment to breathe, staring around at the neat room. Everything seemed untouched apart from the bed, where an indentation gave away where the Druid had been laying. Vex sat down on that spot, staring at the far wall. After a moment, Keyleth joined her, sitting close enough to feel the warmth emanating from the other woman, but still far enough away to feel the distance.
Another moment of quiet.
“Keyleth, I-“
“Vex, I’m so sorry.”
Vex paused, whipping her head around to stare at the the other woman, who’s eyes were trained on the floor.
“What? No, Keyleth, I should be the one apologizing.” She breathed out, alarmed. Keyleth shook her head vigorously.
“No. Everything you said was true. If I hadn’t been so reckless, if I just did what I was supposed to, nobody would have had to get hurt.”
Vex reached forward, grabbing the sides of Keyleth’s face and turning her head towards her. She searched Keyleth’s eyes for a moment, more guilt welling up inside of her at the Druid’s resigned expression.
“No. Keyleth, you’re wrong.” Vex said, words sharp and clear enough that the other woman stilled, staring back at her, eyes wide. “I said what I said to hurt you. It wasn’t true, I was just angry. But that doesn’t make it right.”
Keyleth began shaking her head, opening her mouth, but Vex continued quickly, “This isn’t the first time I’ve hurt you, Keyleth.” Her voice softened, “This isn’t the first time I’ve made you cry.”
“I wasn’t-“ Keyleth interjected, but Vex quickly reached down, grabbing the pillow where the Druid’s head must have laid, and turned it over. She gazed pointedly down at the damp spot on the pillow, where Keyleth’s tears had seeped onto, before she had hastily turned it over at Vex’s knock on the door.
“I…drool?” The woman said, the half hearted lie lilting up into a question at the end. Vex sighed, a small shadow of a smile flitting across her lips for a moment before her expression schooled back into one of sincerity.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry, darling,” Vex murmured, the hand that was still on Keyleth cheek traced across it slowly, as if the ranger was mapping out her freckles like constellations. “I’ve been careless with your heart, and I’ve cause you pain, and I don’t mean to. I just get scared, and when I get scared I lash out, and.. and you scare me, Keyleth.”
Keyleth’s mouth opened slightly, surprise written clearly across her face. “You’re scared of me? Why?” She asked.
Vex let out a wet chuckle, only now realizing that tears had begun to leak down her face.
“You open your heart to others, even if that means you get hurt. You care. Your selfless. And most of all you never stop trying,” Vex whispered, gazing into Keyleth’s endlessly green eyes. “I’m scared because your everything good in the world, and I don’t know what to do with that.”
Keyleth reached out as Vex’s sniffle’s turned into hiccuping breaths, and she pulled the woman into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, I am so so sorry,” Vex kept repeating, tears now streaming freely down her face as she burrowed her head into Keyleth’s chest.
“It’s okay, Vex. Everything is gonna be okay,” the Druid murmured, tracing a hand through Vex’s hair as she leaned back against the pillows. Keyleth pulled down the ranger with her so that Vex was almost fully on top of her.
After a handful of minutes, Vex’s cries lessened, and she felt herself growing tired, the weight of the day finally crashing down on her shoulders. She could gladly stayed curled up in Keyleth’s arms forever, but she reluctantly pulled back a few inches. She gazed up and saw the Druid’s face filled with affection, and her heart lurched again, this time, for another reason.
“I will try to do better. No. I WILL do better, Kiki,” she said. Keyleth smiled down at her, tenderly wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks.
“I know, Vex. Because you can do anything you put your mind to.”
——————————————————
Pike woke up early the next morning, determination set in her bones. She was going to march into Keyleth’s room, drag her to see Vex, and fix all of this.
She walked up to the druids door, pushing it open quietly, mouth opened as she prepared to shout her awake, only to freeze at the sight in front of her. Keyleth was laying on her back, mouth open slightly as she slept, one armed pull protectively over the other figure nuzzled into her chest. Vex was curled up, almost completely over the other half elf, with her head pillowed under Keyleth’s chin and her arm wrapped around the Druid’s torso.
Pike smiled, relief and amusement washing over her as she shut the door quietly. It seems that all had righted itself, and that with whatever fate would throw, the members of Vox Machina would face it head on.