Work Text:
“Vex’ahlia, I haven’t been ice skating in years.”
Vex looked up at him from where she was bent over, tightening the laces of her skates, and grinned. “Neither have I, darling.”
“So why are we doing this?” Percy asked, frowning a bit, glancing at the skates dangling from their laces in his hand.
“Because it’s supposed to be fun.”
“Hm,” Percy hummed, thoroughly unimpressed.
“Cassandra is already out there,” Vex said, gesturing towards the pond where Whitestone citizens were circling the ice with varying levels of ability. Cassandra was a bit wobbly, but Vex could see her pleased smile above the burgundy scarf she wore around her neck. Kynan was beside her, much more stable on his feet, always a hand half-extended in her direction in case she wobbled too much. “Aren’t you afraid of your little sister showing you up?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Percy muttered.
Vex laughed. “Fair point.” She tucked the laces into the skate and placed her regular boots to the side of the bench she was sitting on. “Put your skates on, Percy. Please? I don’t want to make a fool of myself out there alone.” She batted her eyelashes and tried to look as sweet as possible.
Percy sighed and sat down beside Vex on the bench, kicking off his shoes. Vex smiled smugly and pushed her gloved hands deep into the pockets of her coat. Whitestone was gorgeous in the winter, but it was also cold as fuck and her little southern soul had not yet managed to completely adjust to the cold. She had fine things now for the cold weather; a snug blue coat, well-made gloves, a cozy cream colored scarf, and a warm handmade blue and white hat that was a gift from one of the sweet women that staffed the castle, and she was still chilly. Percy was in a coat only a smidge heavier than his usual one, a pair of pants, and a loosely draped scarf. He gave no indication he was even a bit cold, the gorgeous asshole.
Percy pushed his feet into the skates and tied them with the subtle grace he managed to do everything with. “And you’re sure Tary didn’t want to come?”
“He said he wasn’t feeling well,” Vex said, sliding her skates back and forth in the snow. “He can be a bit dramatic, but he looked awful, so I didn’t push it.”
“Lucky him,”
Vex shoved her shoulder into Percy’s and rolled her eyes. “You’re really annoying when you want to be.”
Percy’s grumpy facade cracked and he smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Vex shook her head at him affectionately.
“Okay, we both have our skates on now, but how are we going to get to the ice?”
Well shit. Neither of them were bound to be steady enough to pull off the awkward but effective little march through the snow to the pond most everyone else was doing, but crawling would be embarrassing.
“Very carefully,” Vex replied simply, carefully pushing herself up to her feet, balancing on the blades of the skates precariously.
“Oh dear,” Percy said, pushing himself up to join her.
Vex’s eyes grew wide as she pitched forward and Percy threw his arm out. She latched on and righted herself and Percy nearly lost his footing as well.
Thankfully, Trinket escaped from where he had been being lavished by love by some of the children of Whitestone, and trotted over.
“Oh thank goodness, Trinket. Mummy’s in need of some help.” Vex said. “Do you think you could help us get to the ice, buddy?”
Trinket grumbled and turned around, backing up a bit, and Vex and Percy let go of each other and both leaned onto the bear.
“Good bear,” Vex praised. “Good boy. Go slow, okay?”
Trinket almost nodded and started guiding his humans to the ice slowly. Vex focused on balancing as they moved, trying to lean less and less on Trinket with each step as they made the short five-foot trek. She glanced over at Percy to see how he was faring and almost tripped, so she quickly looked straight ahead. He was fine, probably. Those quiet curses under his breath were a good sign he hadn’t given up, at least.
Finally, they made it to the edge of the ice and Trinket stopped.
“Thanks, buddy.” Vex cooed, scratching Trinket.
“Thank you, Trinket.” Percy added.
Trinket lowed and gestured with his head as if to say go on.
Vex took a deep breath and stepped onto the ice, making sure she had her balance before she let go of her companion. She managed to stay upright and beamed at her small success. She heard two other skates step onto the ice. Percy. Good.
Trinket grumbled and sat down right at the pond’s edge to watch.
“Are you ready?” Percy asked, managing the tiniest of side-shuffles and offering his arm to Vex.
She took it. “Yes,”
“On the count of three,” Percy began. “One, two, three.”
They both took one step forward and no one fell and there was hardly a wobble.
“Okay, good,” Percy said. “Let’s actually skate now, shall we? One, two, three.”
Unfortunately Percy stepped to glide with his right foot as Vex did with her left and their feet crashed into each other, getting their legs crossed and knocking them both to the ice. Vex had enough sense to hold her head up, so she wouldn’t crack it open, but her tailbone immediately flared with some pain. Oh great, a wonderful spot to have a bruise.
Vex laid there on her on the ice, stunned and embarrassed with a vaguely throbbing backside. Trinket whined at her. “I’m alright, buddy.” Vex assured, waving her hand behind her at the bear. Only her ego was truly wounded. “Are you alright, Percy?”
Percy hadn’t moved from his sprawled position flat on his back. Trinket whined again. A few people glanced over at them, concerned.
“Percy? Oh god, are you hurt?” Vex asked, flipping to her knees and crawling over to him. Ice felt so impossibly hard when you touched it and the cold seeped through her gloves.
Percy started shaking with laughter. “That was a fucking disaster.”
Vex scowled and slapped Percy’s shoulder. “You shithead, I thought you knocked yourself unconscious!”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Percy promised around his laughter. “I just… that was ridiculous! We’ve fought how many monsters? And we can’t even make it two steps onto the ice without falling! Incredible!”
Vex grabbed his hand and yanked him up to sit and he was still shaking with laughter. Upon seeing Percy was fine, the citizens returned to their skating.
“Okay, it was pretty ridiculous.” Vex agreed, starting to laugh too. Less at their predicament and more out of how funny Percy seemed to find it. It was so very rare to see him like this, so loose and giddy and free and it brought her so much joy to see it. Was this how his siblings knew him? Someone willing to let go when the time was right? Had he ever gotten a case of the giggles at a formal dinner when he was a boy? She hoped his parents and brothers and sisters had all shared a laugh with him at some point. He had a beautiful smile and a fantastic laugh.
Vex, still giggling a bit, carefully stood up and offered her hand to Percy. “Want to try again?”
Percy put his hand in hers, an easy grin still on his face. “Sure, as long as we both start with the same foot.”
Vex tugged on his hand as he stood carefully. “Let’s start with our right-! Oof!”
They had fallen again, Percy fell back and Vex had fallen on top of him, and they both immediately lost it, breaking into a hysterical giggle fit once more. They laughed so much, Vex’s cheeks started to hurt more than the cold could sting them.
Percy grabbed Vex’s face gently after a moment and pulled it close to his own. “Thank you for letting me be happy,” he said softly before closing the last bit of distance and kissing her.
Vex returned the kiss eagerly, a you’re welcome and a thank you, too darling said to him without words.
Percy pulled back and brushed a stray piece of hair from her braid off her face so tenderly, she could have melted into the ice herself. And despite the cold, there was nowhere else she would rather be.