Chapter Text
Vax wouldn’t admit this to most people, a part of him didn’t even want to admit it to himself, but the notion of dressing up and going to a banquet hosted by the Sovereign actually excited him. He thought that after Syngorn he would want nothing to do with high society events that necessitated a sense of etiquette and formal dress code; Vex had always been more partial to those things. But as he stood in his room in Grayskull keep, adjusting the jacket he had bought the day before, he couldn’t help but smile.
Grog had hated the shopping trip, only sticking around for about an hour before grabbing a scrap of cloth and heading back to the keep. Percy had found what he was looking for rather quickly, but was more than willing to help the others out. Vax had to admit, de Rolo had been extremely helpful in picking out something for everyone. Pike and Vex and Keyleth had all settled on something around the same time as Vax, and so they all went back to the keep together. Scanlan didn’t come back until several hours later, something about commissioning a custom piece.
Vax ran a comb through his hair before pulling it into a low ponytail, allowing himself a moment to preen. After years on the streets having nothing, he had earned it, especially since he had to slay a dragon to get here. He ran his fingers along his hairline, mussing it slightly and allowing a couple strands to fall from his ponytail and frame his face. Even with the importance of the event ahead, he wouldn’t take himself too seriously. He grabbed his daggers from the top of his dresser, sheathing them along his belt, and gave himself one last look in the mirror, wondering for a split second if his mother would be proud of what he and his sister had done, or if his father would even care. He shook the thought from his head and opened the door.
And ran face first into Keyleth.
Keyleth, wearing new shoes she wasn’t very comfortable in, lost her balance immediately. With the reflexes of a cat, Vax reached out, hooking an arm around her waist and stopping her fall. Her eyes were wide, disoriented, trying to focus on what had happened in the last few seconds that landed her in this position. Vax let the moment linger for a breath, and then pulled her to her feet.
“Sorry about that,” he said, his hand returning to his side. He tried not to let his mind idle on how it felt to hold her, even if it was just a short while.
“No,” Keyleth said, “don’t be sorry. Thanks for keeping me from falling on my ass.” She laughed softly, eyes to the floor. Vax took a moment to look at her, the green dress she had chosen for herself was simple, but elegant, and reflected her eyes perfectly. Vax always thought she was beautiful, whether they were drunk in a tavern or in the pitch of combat. He didn’t want to stare too long, didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but she was gorgeous, in the way the sunset reflects off a peaceful lake, and it was hard to stop looking.
Keyleth met his gaze after a moment, her eyes doing a quick scan of his face, of his ensemble. “You look nice, Vax,” she said with a smile.
“As do you Kiki,” he said, pondering if he should say more. Every day that passed he found himself more and more drawn to her, and he wondered, more often than he cared to admit, if there would ever be a good time to tell her. To let her know how he felt. But this time, like every time before, he stopped himself.
He noticed her fidgeting with something, and glanced down at her hands. She held a necklace and a pair of gloves between them. “Do you need help?” he asked, gesturing to the necklace.
“Oh, um, yeah… well I was on my way to ask Vex, but…” Keyleth’s eyes went everywhere but Vax’s face. He smiled, not because her nervousness was funny, but because he found her so endearing. So adorable.
He held out his hand, giving her the choice. She nodded, handing him the necklace, turning around to face away from him and gathering up her hair in both her hands. He slipped his hands in the spaces between her arms and her neck, grabbing the necklace in both hands and bringing them together at the nape of her neck. It was a simple gold chain, nothing too fancy, but beautiful and classy.
He was more nervous than he expected. He had done this kind of thing with Vex countless times, help her with a necklace or zip up the top of her dress or braid her hair. But with Keyleth, Vax felt a rush of butterflies in his stomach, and he had to use every ounce of his focus to keep his hands from shaking too much. Being this close to her, in a way that wasn’t pulling her away from danger, it impacted him more than he anticipated. He took a deep breath, smelling the hint of fresh air and cherry blossoms that always seemed to hang around Keyleth.
He fumbled for a moment with the clasp before he successfully secured the necklace. His fingers lingered at the soft skin of her neck and shoulders for a breath, and then he took a step back, dropping his hands to his sides. Keyleth let her hair down and turned back around to face Vax, her hand immediately fiddling with the chain.
“Does it look alright?” she asked sheepishly.
Vax couldn’t help but to grin a little wider. “It's beautiful, Keyleth.” And at least for tonight, he’d allow himself to be a little more forward; it was a special occasion after all. And so he added, softly, “You’re beautiful.” A blush ran to her cheeks, and he was sure his own face was reacting in turn.
“Thanks, Vax,” Keyleth said with a smile. She pulled on the elbow length gloves and conjured some small white flowers in her hands, tucking a few into her hair before offering one to Vax. He accepted it with a smile, placing it into an inner jacket pocket, close to his heart, and offered his arm, which Keyleth took.
These moments were few, the times in between fighting for their lives or drinking away their problems. Between making camp and seeking work. But if Vax could have a moment, any moment, with Keyleth, he would always take it.
And so the two half-elves walked arm in arm down the hallway of their keep, towards the ruckus coming from the kitchen that sounded a lot like an argument between Grog and Percy. There was no telling what this evening would hold, or what their future as ‘Protectors of the Realm’ would look like, but Vax had shaped his own destiny so far.
He often hoped he shared it with Keyleth.