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Up.
Down.
Up.
Down.
Vex watched the rise and fall of Percy’s chest in a state of disbelief. She never thought she would see this again, but he was here. With her. Breathing. Alive.
Within a couple of minutes after the ritual completed, Percy had all but passed out. His strength had completely left him. Vex’ahlia held him close, with tears in her eyes that wouldn’t dry. He was quickly brought back up to Whitestone Castle to rest and recover. Vex sat next to his bed now watching him intently, afraid that if she closed her eyes for even a moment he would disappear. This would all have been a dream too miraculous to come true.
She reached for his wrist and felt his pulse point for what must have been the thousandth time, and found the same rhythmic pattern of blood flow. Vex sighed with relief and sat on the bed next to Percy, placing a gentle hand on his cheek as he slept. He was very pale, his cheeks gaunt and hollowed, but he was warm to the touch. She pressed a soft kiss to his temple. Under her lips, Vex felt his eyebrows furrow.
“Vex’ahlia…?” He breathed in his sleep.
Vex swiftly crawled into the bed next to him, laying her head on his chest, pulling him close to her. She smiled as she listened to the beat of his heart.
“I’m here…” she cooed, snuggled into his side.
She looked up at his face and could see his expression had relaxed once more. Vex shifted until her lips rested next to the shell of Percy’s ear.
“I love you. I love you. I love you…” She whispered over and over.
She had waited so long to say it. She needed to make up for lost time.
~
“So Raishan fused with Thordak’s corpse?” Percy asked incredulously.
“Yes, It’s actually how Vax figured out how to save you.” Vex responded.
A full day had passed since Percy returned to them and he had been awake for a couple of hours by this point, though he still looked absolutely exhausted. He was sat up in his bed, supported by an absurd amount of pillows which Vex had insisted on. She had been trying and failing for the past half hour to coax him into eating some simple chicken broth that Pike had brought up for him, but he seemed much more intent on learning what he missed while he was gone.
“I owe Keyleth an apology, she was right about that monster from day one.” Percy sighed.
“She wouldn’t want that, Darling. She already chewed the rest of us out, and I think you’ve suffered enough punishment for a lifetime.” Vex said.
Percy gave her a tired smile.
“Now please, Percy. You really must try to eat some of this,” Vex insisted, holding out the bowl of broth, “You need to build your strength back up.”
“Yes yes, right.” Percy relented, taking the soup bowl from her.
Luckily the soup was only luke warm now, so there was no chance of him burning himself. Vex watched him as he carefully brought a spoonful to his mouth. The liquid passed through his lips easily, but as he tried to swallow it he immediately started to cough and sputter. Vex’ahlia was instantly at his side, removing the bowl from his hands and rubbing his back gently.
“S-sorry,” Percy choked between coughs, “it’s b-been a w-hile.”
“Shhhhh…” Vex soothed, “We’ll take it slow…”
It took him a long time to finish the broth, as he could only handle the smallest of sips. Vex sat next to him the entire time, a comforting hand on his back, helping him if he had another coughing fit. By the time Percy reached the bottom of the bowl his eyelids were drooping and he looked like he had run a marathon. Vex removed the dish from the bed and placed it on a nearby table.
“That really took a lot out of me.” Percy said drowsily.
“You did great, my love,” Vex said, easing him back onto the pillows, “You deserve a rest.”
“Will you stay with me?” He whispered, his eyes already closed.
Vex’s hand found his as she laid down beside him.
“Of course, darling. I’m not going anywhere.”
~
“Stupid, bloody, legs!” Percy huffed.
He sat on the edge of his bed in a robe, breathing hard, sweat beading his forehead. He had been making several attempts to stand, but his legs refused to listen to what his head was telling them to do.
“Come on, darling. One more try.” Vex encouraged.
It was clear that Percy’s long trip to the world beyond had greatly affected his motor functions. His muscles were painful and stiff and wouldn’t move right. Vex absolutely hated to see him struggling and in pain, but she did her best to not let it show. She could see how frustrating it was for him, he needed all the positivity he could get. So she stood just out of his reach and cheered him on to keep going.
Percy braced a hand on the corner of the bed frame and made another attempt to stand. His legs trembled beneath him like a newborn fawn as he slowly rose. He straightened gradually, keeping his balance in check, until he was supporting his own weight.
“Finally…” Percy breathed out a sigh of relief.
“That’s it, love!” Vex exclaimed, happily, “Now do you think you can make it over to me?”
She held her arms out to him from her position a few feet away. Percy blanched slightly at the prospect of moving his legs any more, but he nodded.
“I can certainly try.”
He let go of the bed frame and held his arms out to keep his balance. The first step was jerky, but stable. The second was less so. His toe caught on the ground and his feet were unable to maintain his momentum. His balance quickly tipped.
“Percy!” Vex ran to catch him before he went face first into the floor. She caught him up in her arms and slowly lowered the two of them to the ground. “Are you okay, darling?”
“Ugh…yes,” Percy wheezed, “Be grateful you weren’t dead for more than a couple minutes, because this is maddening.”
Vex stared at him for a beat before bursting into a fit of laughter.
“What did I say?” Percy asked, puzzled.
“It’s just, of all the things for a couple to bond over, being dead is an odd one.” She giggled.
Percy couldn’t help but start laughing too.
They sat there clutching each other and laughing, for so long they eventually forgot what they were even laughing about. The happiness they shared in that moment covered them like a warm blanket.
A promise for future moments just as perfect as this one.
~
“Is this the one?” Vex huffed as she came running back into the Whitestone Castle entrance hall, holding a walking cane.
“Yes, but you didn’t have to run all the way there and back just to get it, dear. I’m not going anywhere.” Percy said from the chair he was sitting in, with an air of amusement. One of his hands idly played with Trinket’s fur as the big bear dozed on the floor beside him.
“Oh hush, you.” Vex said, handing him the cane.
Percy had mentioned to Vex that his father had a cane when he was alive, and that it still might be somewhere in the castle. Before he had gotten through the end of his sentence Vex was running down the hall on her search.
Percy turned the walking stick in his hands admiring the handle.
“It’s been an age since I've seen this,” He said, wistfully, “It was mostly decorative, as my father had no real issues with his walking, but I rarely saw him without it.”
“Well now it can be like your father is here supporting you.” Vex said
He smiled at her warmly, his pale green eyes slightly misted.
Percy stood from his chair slowly, testing his weight on the new walking aid. Vex’ahlia came around on his other side and looped her arm with his.
“Shall we take that stroll now, darling?” Vex smiled at him.
“Lets.” Percy responded with a smile of his own.
The two of them, followed closely behind by Trinket, walked slowly around one of the castle's many gardens overlooking the city. Repairs of the city were progressing swiftly under the watchful eye of Cassandra, and with Keyleths help, the Sun Tree was already looking much healthier. Recovery was still a ways off, but there was so much hope in the wake of so much tragedy.
Percy had no doubt the city would come back even better than before. He squeezed Vex’s hand, a feeling he would never tire of. She had become a part of his city, a part of him, before he had even realised.
Vex looked out over the buildings as she stood next to the man she loved, and felt something she hadn’t in far too long. She was home.
She couldn’t wait to share it with him. He couldn't wait to share it with her.
“Percy?”
“Vex?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”