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Vox Machina was celebrating. What, exactly, they disagreed on. Whatever coherence to that story had left the moment drinks were brought out. Pike said it was for killing a dragon, even if they'd already celebrated that. Keyleth was convinced it was someone's birthday. Vex was convinced it was Percy’s birthday, and he was refusing to confirm or deny her accusations. Grog and Scanlan just argued that they could drink and party whenever they wanted because they were adults with disposable income. Percy was barely partying, so he couldn't care less about the reason.
Vax really didn't want to figure out what they were celebrating. He was fine with the opportunity to drink from their plentiful storage of ale, even sneaking a few drinks from Percy’s wine bottle when the gunslinger was too distracted by Kiki trying to get him to dance to notice. Music blared from speakers as Scanlan’s servants played. Keyleth danced, too tipsy to care if she looked ridiculous. Pike was right beside her, with significantly more coordinated moves. Scanlan was betting Grog how much he could drink, which would surely end in disaster later.
Vax drank the rest of his cup, his arm wrapped around Vex's. As he set the cup down, he leaned his head on her shoulder. “I love you. You're the best twin… like, ever,” he slurred, trying to attach to her further. Vex sighed and tried to push him off, to no avail. Somehow, Vax got five times clingier while drunk and ten times harder to get off. He was determined to stay attached to Vex’s side, no matter how bad she wanted him away from her.
“I’m your only twin,” Vex replied, exasperated. Vax scoffed and attempted to hook his leg around Vex’s. “Oh my gods, you are insufferable!" Vex tried to shove him off again, but he was attached to her like a barnacle. “Go cling to Kiki or something!" Vax groaned and seemed to cling to Vex harder at her suggestion. "Brother!” She growled out in frustration.
Fortune was smiling on Vex'ahlia, it seemed, because right at that moment, Percy walked over to refill his wine glass from the bottle Vax had not-so-subtly stole. Percy refilled his glass far past where any normal person should and gave Vex a look when he noticed her watching him. “What? Everyone else is drunk or getting there. Don’t judge me. I’ve only had one glass. Your brother has drunk far more than I have.” To prove his point, Vax grabbed the bottle from his hands and drank directly from it. Percy made a disgusted expression. “I am not drinking any more from that. He can have it.”
Before Percy could leave, Vex stood, effectively pushing Vax off of her and onto the floor. He landed harshly on his ass and frowned up at his sister. When he stood, Vex evaded his attempts at a hug. “Percy! Why don’t you and Vax dance? Keyleth looks lonely.” Vex flashed Percy a flirty smile that threw him off balance enough for Vax to attach to his arm. Immediately, Percy tried to push the rogue off, but he wouldn’t budge. “Good luck,” Vex called over her shoulder as she walked over to Grog and Scanlan.
Percy watched her helplessly as Vax attached to his side further. “Vax’ildan, get off of me.” Vax shook his head, wrapping his arms around Percy’s middle in a hug. Percy rubbed the bridge of his nose. How had he allowed Vex to shrug her drunk brother off on him? “Vax, off,” Percy protested again, trying to pull Vax’s arms off of him. The man was deceptively strong, apparently, because he barely reacted.
“Do you want to dance?” Vax slurred, turning his head to look up at Percy. His entire weight was braced against the human, forcing Percy to hold him up. Vax didn’t wait for a response before grasping Percy’s hand and pulling him towards Keyleth and Pike. Percy resisted the pull, but he evidently wasn’t strong enough to deter a very drunk Vax’ildan.
Vax grabbed both of Percy’s hands and began to dance, albeit horribly. Percy didn’t move with him, just watching with a frown on his face. Vax didn’t seem to mind his lack of reaction, even twirling himself with Percy’s hand. He sang along terribly to the song Scanlan’s servants were playing. Thankfully, Keyleth came over to save Percy from this strange nightmare. She took Vax’s arms and danced with him, freeing Percy to return to his previous seat with his wine glass.
Vax and Kiki matched each other’s drunken stupidity. They sang at each other and moved around wildly in a way that could technically be called dancing. Pike had left the dance floor to compete with Grog, Vex, and Scanlan in their drinking contest. Percy rolled his eyes and opened the book he’d been reading. It was something random from his library he’d grabbed on the way down here. Grog had demanded everyone come downstairs for a party, and no one argued. It was nice to be able to relax without the fear of being kicked out of a pub.
Percy was deep into his romance and halfway through his second wine glass when he was interrupted by someone laying across him. Namely, Vax’ildan, who had a mug of beer in his hands. “Who keeps letting you pour yourself a drink?” Percy asked, taking the cup from the drunk rogue. He handed it to Keyleth as she passed. She looked ready to puke for the second time tonight, so he wasn’t as worried about her drinking it. Vax frowned and sat up. He pressed his back against Percy’s chest and pulled the gunslinger’s arms around him.
“What are you reading?” Vax slurred, his eyes narrowing at the words. He likely couldn’t read them – Percy barely could with how blurry his vision was from the alcohol – but he was trying very hard. He snatched the book from Percy’s hands and brought it closer to his face. “Her dress…” Vax cut off with a laugh and turned to Percy in surprise. “Freddie, this is porn! You’re reading erotica!” Percy didn’t have the mind to be ashamed of his literature of choice.
“Gilmore gave it to me. It’s pretty good, even with all the smutty parts,” Percy elaborated with a shrug. He tried to take the book back, but Vax was back to reading. He giggled as he read, evading Percy’s attempts to snatch it from his grip. “Vax,” Percy warned, even if he knew it wouldn’t work. That tone rarely worked on sober Vax. It was doubtful to work on a drunk Vax. “Can I please have my book back?” Percy asked politely. If threats wouldn’t work, maybe playing nice would.
It didn’t. When Vax finished the chapter, he threw the book across the room. Percy shouted in alarm, but Vax’s weight on him kept him from getting up to get it. Vax adjusted so he was straddling Percy’s legs. He messed with Percy’s cravat, tugging it off and throwing it in the direction of the book. “Please refrain from undressing me,” Percy demanded sourly. Despite his words, he made no move to stop Vax from undoing the top of his shirt. He likely wouldn’t be able to stop him if Vax was dead set on it, and he thankfully stopped after the first few buttons.
Once Vax decided Percy was sufficiently undressed, he snuggled up against him. “Cuddle time, Freddie,” Vax mumbled as his arms wrapped around Percy’s middle. Percy only sighed and wrapped his arms loosely around the half-elf. There seemed to be no point to resistance to the cuddle bug Vax had become in his drunken state, so he didn’t even try. Percy caught Vex’s eye from across the room. She flashed him a smile and mouthed an apology. She didn’t look the least bit sorry.
In response, Percy made a slitting throat motion. Vex’s face paled slightly as Percy mouthed, You’re dead when he’s off me. She looked away from him before he could make any further threats. Percy turned his attention to Vax, expecting to find him asleep. Instead, he caught the rogue’s wrist as he reached for his wine glass. “Nope. You’re done drinking for tonight. You’re intoxicated as it is.” Vax frowned at being caught and pulled his wrist back.
“I’m an adult. You don’t get to decide that,” Vax retorted, sitting up to properly glare at Percy. Percy kept his stare casually, grabbing his wine glass and taking a sip, as if to brag he was still able to drink and Vax wasn't. Eventually, Vax gave up on trying to win the staring contest with a huff. He crossed his arms childishly. “Whatever. You don’t decide what I do.” Vax tried to detach himself from Percy, but the gunslinger placed his hands on Vax’s thighs, keeping him in place. Vax paused and looked up at Percy’s face with a flirty smile. “What, do you like me in your lap, Freddie?” He teased, leaning close to Percy’s face.
“If it makes you easier to keep track of,” Percy responded with a shrug. Vax seemed delighted by his response, moving back into his previous position. When Vax reached for his wine glass again, Percy blocked his hand. “No more alcohol, remember? You’re already going to have a monster of a hangover. Don’t make it worse.” Vax frowned at him and brushed his hand away.
“I’m not drinking it.” Percy raised an eyebrow, but he allowed Vax to grab the glass. It wouldn’t be hard to stop him from drinking if he tried. Vax, true to his word, didn’t drink from the glass. What he did instead was infinitely stranger. “Open,” he instructed simply as he placed a guiding hand on Percy’s chin. Percy wasn’t sure why he complied. He blamed it on the alcohol clouding his senses and not on the way Vax was looking at him.
Vax tipped the glass to his lips, allowing some of the wine to slip down Percy’s throat. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Vax pulled the glass back after a moment and wiped a bit of wine from Percy’s lip where it had spilled. Percy’s breath hitched, just slightly, when Vax’s touch lingered too long to be accidental. He was settled in Percy’s lap as if this was the most natural thing in the world and there was an intensity to his eyes that had Percy swallowing hard.
Neither of them spoke. Percy tried to reset his brain. He tried to think anything remotely intelligent. That feat proved impossible with the way Vax was looking at him. Percy realized with a start that his mouth was very, very dry. Vax tilted his chin up ever so slightly as he leaned close. “You’re allowed to want things, Freddie. Even if they’re stupid. Even if they’re me,” he whispered. Percy hated the way his heart started beating faster.
“You’re infuriating,” Percy muttered at last. Falling back on his stubborn nature and stoicism was easy. It was routine. Their banter was normal. It broke the charged atmosphere ever so slightly. Vax smiled at his avoidance, his eyes falling down to Percy’s lips momentarily. His gaze snapped back up as he snaked an arm around Percy’s neck.
“You’re still not asking me to move.” Vax leaned closer, his lips so close to Percy’s the gunslinger could smell the alcohol on his breath. He hated how it made his head spin with desire. The world seemed to narrow to the two of them as Vax tangled his fingers in the hair at the base of Percy’s neck. Percy forgot their friends were seated across the room. He forgot they were in clear view of them. He forgot his image and his reputation among the group.
“No, I’m not.” He tugged Vax down and kissed him. Vax’s lips tasted like ale, but Percy didn’t care. Vax braced one hand against his chest while the other played with his hair. Percy placed one hand on Vax’s hip and the other on his thigh. Vax tilted his head to deepen the kiss, gladly parting his lips when Percy requested entry. The taste of red wine was still fresh on his tongue and it made Vax feel even more intoxicated than he already was.
After far too long for someone to have not noticed them, they pulled apart. Percy’s face was flushed, and it wasn’t as much from the alcohol anymore. Vax smirked and ran his hands down Percy’s chest appreciatively, unbuttoning his vest as he went. “Not bad, de Rolo…” he purred. “You wanna… take this up to my room?” Vax gave him a flirty smile. Before Percy could answer, Vex was pulling her brother off of Percy’s lap.
“Ok, cuddle bug. Stop bothering Percy. You need to get to bed before you drink so much you black out.” Vax shouted in protest as he was pulled to his feet, but Vex wouldn’t let go. “Thanks for babysitting,” Vex called over her shoulder as she pulled Vax out of the room. Vax gave Percy a flirty wink and blew him a kiss before Vex finally managed to pull her twin out of the room.
Percy stared straight ahead for a moment, unsure of what to do. He glanced at Scanlan, Grog, and Pike, who hastily looked away when he caught their eyes. He heard Scanlan laugh to himself and ran a hand through his hair. So they definitely saw. Percy touched his lips, remembering the way Vax’s had felt against them. His face flushed and he looked down, noticing a tent in his pants that hadn’t been there a few minutes ago.
Fuck.