Chapter Text
He’d felt the scrying that morning. He didn’t always - sometimes Keyleth was completely focused on what she was doing, and he didn’t feel a thing, only finding out about it when he got home and she talked about something she would never of known. Other times - like today - when he knows he’s been gone for a while, or she’s been anxious about her own work, he feels a tickle in the back of his mind, or the overwhelming sense that someone’s watching him, even when he knows he’s alone. At first it was unnerving, but after double-checking his surroundings and realising it was just his partner, he smiled to himself. They’d never discussed whether she could or couldn’t do it - it’s not like he wasn’t aware of her abilities, given the amount she scried on the Chroma Conclave, or Vecna. He wasn’t about to take away the one comfort she had in all the uncertainty he’d caused her over the years, and it wasn’t as though he had anything to hide; he’d prefer she see it.
Still, he thought faintly how they needed to invest in some other communication devices now that they’d fallen into this steady routine over the past six months since his return - two of which he’d missed due to his current mission, following rumour after rumour, handling those who seeked to desecrate temples to the Matron, no longer fearing consequences.
He made a mental note to visit Emon and Shaun to buy some sending stones and gatestones—anything to keep him and Keyleth connected, even as they both had their responsibilities in the world.
As if reading his mind, he saw a faint light in a tree beside him pulse, then grow brighter and wider, a doorway opening in it. He didn’t even flinch when he saw someone appear from inside it. She wasn’t dressed in her mantle or anything that screamed ‘Voice of the Tempest’, just a simple set of leather armour, her staff still at her side. When the tree closed, he smiled softly. He’d told her she could always join him on his missions, but duty had prevented that from ever coming to fruition so far.
“You were spying on me again.”
“I was scrying, not spying. Two completely different things.” She murmured, wrapping her arms around him. He breathed in her scent as he clung to her, the scent of Zephrah and home making him ache in homesickness. He hadn’t realised how touch-starved he’d beenfor her until this moment, and after two months apart, he didn’t want to let her go. He kept his arms around her waist as she pulled back to look him over, checking for injuries.
“Has the Voice of the Tempest been keeping busy?” He asked, softly, when what he really meant was ‘Have you been kept busy enough that you haven’t had time to miss me again?’
“Mm… I had an urgent meeting this morning, then not all much else… What about you? Any luck with your work?”
“Last lead just went cold on us. A child was left outside an old temple to the Matron, the clerics there thought it might be a sign. Turns out it was just some woman down on her luck who didn’t know where else to turn.”
“Gods… Is the baby okay?” Keyleth frowned, her eyes shining with tears, and Vax nodded, stroking her face.
“The clerics were taking good care of her, and one of them decided to take her in.” He explained, sighing. It still felt strange to think of clerics, priests and paladins tending to the shrines of the gods while they sat so empty, almost like caretakers rather than clergy at the moment. Even as mystical as the Matron’s followers could be, even they had an air of anxiety about them, quelled only by the sight of her Champions. He made a mental note to check in with Pike to see how she was doing with her own goddess’s absence. “You didn’t need to come to me, love. I was just waiting for Morrighan to get back from the temple– she’s just checking in on any last-minute leads, and if all was right, I was going to start my way home.”
“I just… I had to see you.” She said softly, her voice shaking, and it was only then that Vax realised that her hands were shaking as well. Her skin was paler and clammy too.
“Kiki, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” His eyes widened in concern as she looked away from him, unable to meet his eye.
“N-nothing! What… What makes you think something’s the matter?”
“Because you’re stammering, and you only stammer when you’re anxious, or upset, or trying to put on a brave face for me.” Vax murmured, pulling back a little to look over her, it being his turn to check for any signs that she’d been hurt. His hands ran over her face, her arms, and rested on her hips, opening his mouth to press for an answer. And that’s when he saw it.
A small double thread winding from Keyleth to himself. He’d seen the single one so many times, but the second seemed to shine brighter. Newer. He moved his hand to her waist, pressing softly and gasping. There was the smallest of curves to her stomach, under the loose fabric of her shirt. He finally looked up at her face, seeing the nervous smile and tears in her eyes.
“Twelve weeks, the healers think.” She whispered, pressing her hands into his, squeezing them. Vax was lost for words.
“How… How long have you known?” He forced out, cupping her cheek. She blushed slightly.
“That’s… The urgent meeting I had this morning. That’s why I was scrying on where you were, I… I had to tell you as soon as I could. I didn’t want to send a message, I needed to tell you in person.” She squeezed his hands again, looking for any sign of hesitation in him. They’d talked about this before, of course, when babysitting for Gwen, or watching children playing in Zephrah. It’d been more longing than anything practical, a sad memory of ‘what could have been’ than anything they thought would actually happen. “I… I thought I was stressed because of the council meetings, there’s so much uncertainty with the Gods, some cities are denouncing them altogether, others are full of zealots wanting to return them, there… there’s just so much unrest right now that this is probably the worst idea but I kind of nearly passed out at council–”
“Keyleth!” Vax grabbed her arms tightly, panicked.
“I’m fine! Pike was there, she… she’s the one that kind of floated the idea, and then I made the arrangements to find out for sure, and… she hasn’t told anyone, I promise, I mean I guess she hasn’t told Scanlan because everyone would know if Scanlan knew, and I–”
“Kiki,” Vax said softly, pressing his forehead to hers, recognising her panicked voice when she was overwhelmed or scared. His tone was nervous, but he didn’t move away. “You’re… happy, right?” He asked, not wanting to show his own feelings until he knew hers for sure. There was a pause where he feared the worst, but then her shoulders relaxed and she laughed, nodding. It was all he needed, and he swept her up in his arms, spinning her around, laughing as she started giggling.
“Okay, okay! Morning sickness is a thing right now, so making me dizzy is so not a good idea!” She squealed, kissing him once he put her down.
“Oh? Uh— I didn’t realise we were… bringing guests?” Came another voice, Morrighan’s ears twitched as she approached the couple. Vax blushed, having been so enchanted by the news that he hadn’t heard her approaching. Keyleth jumped back and smiled nervously at the lagomore she’d only met once or twice, when she showed up looking for Vax.
“Hi, Mor… Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt…” She blushed, pulling back from Vax and waving awkwardly. She waved just as awkwardly back, which made Vax laugh.
“Oh, you weren’t. We were just wrapping up, I was about to tell him to get his butt home.”
“Keyleth just needed to come and tell me something important. I’d say I can’t tell you, but I’m sure you can see it yourself.” He snorted, wrapping an arm around Keyleth again, barely containing his excitement. Morrighan frowned, tilting her head.
“I can?”
“Mmhmm. Just focus.” He said, reassuringly.
“Right. Focus.” She muttered, looking at the two of them, her brow furrowed. A beat later, her eyes went back up to Vax’s, slightly wider. “She– You– oh.” She hesitated, looking back down at Keyleth’s stomach, then back at Vax, her expression unreadable. “And uh… is… She going to be alright with this?”
Vax felt Keyleth tensing a little, and he squeezed her arm, reassuringly.
“She told us to rest when we can. She told me to go to her. I’m sure She knows exactly what that would mean.” He smiled softly, his words meant for both women. Mor’s shoulders physically relaxed, and she smiled, nodding.
“Good, good! Then… I’m really happy for you. You’re… happy about this, right?”
“We’re very happy,” Keyleth said, leaning into Vax’s arms, a little tension in her as she thought more about her words, and Vax’s response. I’m sure She knows exactly what that would mean didn’t sound like the Matron would be okay with it, more that he wasn’t giving her a choice. And she knew what defying her had cost Vax in the past. “Can we get home?”
“Yeah, of course! Sorry… I’m heading back to her realm. I’ll let you know if I hear of anything.” Mor smiled awkwardly, disappearing a few seconds later.
Silence filled the forest, and Keyleth cleared her throat, awkwardly, wiping at her eyes. Vax could sense the tension in her– the excitement and the giddiness from her earlier news had disappeared. His stomach dropped, remembering the same awkwardness from decades beforehand, after he returned from disintegration with one foot in the grave. The conversations they pushed off having because talking about it made it real.
“Kiki, do you wanna talk about–”
“So, do you think it’s too early to tell anyone? I mean, I’m already showing, right? Pike already guessed it so that’s not a problem, and Vex? Gods, she’s been pregnant so many times she’ll know the second she sees me.”
“Keyleth…”
“Let’s just.. Go straight to Whitestone! I know you’re dying to let her know as well. And the children are going to be so excited about a cousin at last.” Keyleth smiled, kissing him. He opened his mouth to argue, to tell her that they needed to talk about what was upsetting her, but she just stared at him. “Please…” She whispered, tears in her eyes. Before he could respond, she began the teleportation spell, pulling him through to the Sun Tree.