Chapter Text
“Who wants a drink?” Grog shouted, thrusting an empty mug high into the air. Vax smirked over the rim of his own drink, catching the mischievous twinkle in Grog’s eyes as they flicked over to Scanlan.
“Another round,” Vax cheered. When Vax and Grog’s gazes met, they nodded with mirrored maniacal grins.
Ironically, it would be Scanlan who provided the distraction. No sooner had the party clinked their glasses of Basilisk wine that the bard leapt onto the table, and struck down the first crescendoing chord of the ballad of Vox Machina and the rescue of Whitetower. So it was all Scanlan’s fault that no one heard the pop and sizzle of a potion uncorked. That no one noticed as a stream of shimmering pink liquid slid into Scanlan’s glass, shifting the deep red ever so slightly across the colour wheel.
Winking at Grog, his partner in crime, Vax shoved the glass back into the Scanlan’s hand. The last note of the ballad echoed around the cavern, and a sea of drunken strangers cheered as Scanlan drained the wine all at once, gobbling it like a more responsible singer would water. Vax and Grog shared another shark-like grin; this was going to be hilarious.
Yet, as Scanlan’s eyelashes began to pull apart, clarity crashed through Vax’s drunken mind. This would actually be very unhilarious if a horny and obsessed Scanlan was harassing Kiki. Vax didn’t think in words but in actions as he launched himself at the girl he’s in love with his friend, shoving her safely under the table.
At the same time, the love potion settled into Scanlan’s bloodstream and spread through his body. The last note of the lute melted back into the cacophony of the crowd, and Scanlan opened his eyes. He looked to Pike, as he did at the end of every performance. He searched momentarily for a small, amused smile, or for any other sign that she was impressed and entertained. A fond slant to her eyes, in reaction to his music, had always been more satisfying than anyone else’s loud praise. He could no longer remember not feeling this way. Their locked glance only held for one single second. It was enough time for him to catch her small smile, and brief enough for no one to notice how focused his attention was. Not unless someone was paying close attention to him.
“Vax, what the hell are you doing!” Keyleth shrieked, shoving him off of her. As he hoisted Keyleth back up from the floor, Vax looked to Grog with a question in his eyes. Grog grinned, pointing indiscreetly at Pike. Let the chaos begin.
“Vax,” Keyleth shook his shoulder, “seriously what did you do that for?” She followed his gaze towards Grog and then to Pike. An uneasiness beginning to spread through her stomach. “Vax,” she repeated, grabbing the side of his face gently and twisting it to face her own. She knew him well enough to know what that smirk meant. “Fuck, Vax, what have you done?” A chuckle broke through Vax’s smile, he leant in just a little closer to Keyleth, and whispered, “Keep an eye on Scanlan.”
Scanlan was sitting on the edge of the table, lute on his lap and legs swinging. Pike was suppressing a smile as he layered reason after reason as to why she should join him in a duet.
“But Pike, your voice is so beautiful! It would be a sin to deprive this crowd of it, a sin.”
“Scanlan shut up, you just think it would be funny if I sang with you.”
“No,” Scanlan retorted, “It would be funny if Percy duetted with me, you’re actually good.”
“What?” Percy squawked next to them, “Why are you insulting me? I don’t sound that bad.” Pike averted her eyes as she took another sip from her glass, Scanlan grimaced sympathetically.
“Grog, you don’t think I sing terribly, do you?”
Grog dragged his hawk-like stare away from Scanlan. When he looked at Percy he shrugged, “Well you don’t sing good.” Percy guffawed at the eruption of laughter around the table. Vex’halia laid a hand on Percy’s shoulder, “You don’t sing terribly, darling.”
“Thank you, that’s all I wanted to hear.”
“But whenever you do sing," she smiled, "it is quite amusing.”
In the ensuing group debate, Scanlan leaned in closer to Pike, his swinging foot gently nudging her right knee to recapture her attention.
“I still want to sing a duet with you,” he whispered with a smile. Her mouth dropped open to begin another protest, but he shoved his index finger in front of her lips. “Your voice is beautiful,” he rushed out. Cheeks pinking minutely, he quickly added, “And you know that ballad sounds better when we sing it together.”
Across the table, Keyleth kicked Vax hard in the shin, “What did you do?” she hissed, “What am I looking for?” Vax frowned, eyes narrowing on Scanlan. The gnome was not shamelessly and hornily throwing himself at Pike’s feet. He was not confessing embarrassing sexual desires and pathetically begging their friend to recreate them. Grog strolled behind and whispered loudly in Vax’s ear, “Why’s nothing happening? I thought you put the potion in his drink?”
“What potion?” Keyleth hissed frantically.
“I don’t know, I think the potion might be defective. All he’s doing is asking her to sing with him, which he does almost every other day anyway.”
Keyleth whacked Grog’s arm, “Grog, you tell me right now what you two have done!” Grog scanned the room and then leaned over in what could only be described as incredibly conspicuous. Vax facepalmed as the barbarian snickered into Keyleth’s ear, “We put a love potion in Scanlan’s drink.”
“Or what was supposed to be a love potion,” Vax muttered. Had Gilmore sold him a faulty potion? Vax picked up Scanlan’s forgotten glass and drained the lingering remainder on the bottom. He swirled the taste around his tongue, comparing it to his own untampered glass. He tasted nothing different. This potion was nothing.
“Isn’t that Scanlan’s glass?” Vex’halia said, she looked upon her brother with the unimpressed scorn of a sister. Vax opened his mouth to make some sort of defence, when he caught a glimpse of pointed, white hair shifting over his sister’s shoulder. Percy’s adam apple bobbed as he sipped gracefully from his own wine glass. In the same movement, his chin tilted in the direction of the twin’s conversation, a relaxed stare trailing lethargically after. The words never left Vax’s throat, getting entangled with a breath that had also caught there. Feelings of physical desire, and a crashing wave of emotional need were sparking and very quickly spiralling.
Fuck.