Chapter Text
It started as an accident. Most habits do.
They were walking down the street, alcohol infecting their system and the liberation of Whitestone at the forefront of their minds. Vax walked beside Keyleth, barely a word said between them. Gilmore had split off towards his shop a few streets before. Pike sat atop Grog’s shoulders precariously, singing drunken songs with him and Scanlan, who was riding Trinket like a King on his steed. Someone would probably file a complaint in the morning, but they didn't care. They defeated a fucking vampire city. They liberated Percy’s hometown. Emon could handle a few drunks singing for one night.
Percy’s arms were around Vex, supporting her as they walked just as much as Vex's grip was keeping Percy upright. Despite the fact that Vex had ingested much less alcohol than Percy, they stumbled just the same down the cobbled streets.
The Keep was a welcome sight and the group all stumbled up to their rooms. Except one pair.
The next morning, Percy awoke to a strange feeling his chest, a splitting headache and a warmth against his side. He usually didn't get that drunk, so the headache, at least, was accounted for.
It took a few seconds of blinking for Percy’s eyes to adjust to the blurry surroundings. His workshop. Right. He probably wanted to get some work done and disappeared down there. Typical of him, really.
Groping along the floor, Percy found his glasses and slipped them onto his face. His hand slapped over his mouth to stop his shout of surprise when he looked to his side.
Vex’ahlia!
In his bed!
Percy very quietly looked down at them both, praying that neither of them were naked. (Oh, Vax would have his head if they were).
The sigh of relief at seeing both of them still dressed as they had the night before (minus their coats and weapons) was enough to gently bring Vex to the edge of consciousness.
Her eyes opened blearily and took her a moment to find Percy’s. A look of panic suddenly overtook her.
“Oh no.” She breathed, sitting bolt upright. One hand gripped her head to stave of the headache Percy imagined she was also suffering from. “Oh, Percy. Tell me we didn't.”
“Well we’re both fully clothed.” Percy said, sitting up as well. The small cot in his workshop almost wasn't big enough to the both of them. “And I don't recall us…” He trailed off, a faint tinge of pink spreading across his face.
“I can't remember having sex, either. That’s good. That’s very good.” Vex agreed, nodding her head absently. She pulled herself off the bed and quickly searched the floor. Her cloak had been dumped on the floor by Percy’s desk and her weapons were laid out on the the workbench.
Percy watched as Vex tied the cloak around her shoulders again, tweaking the outfit as she did so. Trying to look like she hadn't slept in her clothes.
Suddenly her body tensed and Percy felt a stab of panic. Her ear twitched in the direction of the door.
“Keyleth.” She hissed, turning to look at Percy imploringly.
“Hide under the desk, I’ll get rid of her.” Percy said, instantly adjusting his own appearance. He realised that he wasn't wearing his vest but the knock on the door forced him to put that out of his mind.
Composing himself expertly, Percy answered the door and smiled dutifully at Keyleth, standing on the other side. She was missing her iconic circlet but wore a bright smile and held a tankard in her hands.
“Morning Percy.” Keyleth said brightly. “I brought you some water. Figured you might need it.”
“Thank you, Keyleth.” Percy said, gently taking the offered tankard. “I fear a healing potion might be in order for this headache, though.”
“Do you want me or Pike to use Lesser Healing?” Keyleth offered, taking in Percy’s dishevelled appearance.
“No, no, I’ll be alright. As long as I take it easy, I should be fine today.” Percy admitted, taking a small sip of the water.
“Oh, alright.” Keyleth said, her mood dampening just the slightest amount. Her eyes slid past Percy and saw something on the desk. “Is that Vex’s bow?” She asked, looking back at Percy curiously.
“Hmm? Oh, yes. I agreed to make a few new arrows and work on a modification for her bow for her last night in my drunken state. She gave them to me before we all went to bed.” Percy said, the lie rolling off his tongue smoothly. He hated lying to Keyleth, he really did.
“So you haven't seen her this morning?” Keyleth asked, seeming to accept the lie without question.
“Not this morning, I’m afraid.” Percy said, taking another sip of the water. He could taste something vaguely earthen in the drink and wondered is Keyleth had infused it with herbs or roots of some kind.
“Well she isn't in her room. I’ll keep looking.” Keyleth said, brightening a bit. “Foods ready, by the way, if you can stomach it right now.”
“Maybe in a little while. I would like to get some work done with these arrows.” Percy promised. Keyleth smiled and waved her goodbye before disappearing back up the stairs to the rest of the Keep.
Carefully, Percy shut the door again. He nearly spilled the tankard when he turned back around and saw Vex perching on the corner of his desk.
“Am I going to get some new arrows now that you’ve told Keyleth I am?” Vex asked, a slightly mischievous smile on her face. Percy sighed, hoping that his own was as visible.
“I suppose you will.” He admitted, holding out the tankard for Vex to take a drink. Percy tried to pretend that he didn't feel that little sting of electricity when Vex’s fingers brushed against him. Maybe his head was just all over the place.
His hands began to fidget and he picked up one of his custom crafted arrows from Vex’s quiver to distract them.
“I assume you want this to be kept just between us.” Percy said, forcing himself to meet Vex’s gaze.
“Well, do you want my brother to find out we shared a bed?” Vex asked, wiping the corners of her mouth and placing the tankard down on the desk. “Or any of the others, for that matter?”
“That’s a very good point.” Percy agreed. “You should go find Keyleth and pretend you got up early, or something of the sorts.” He said, rubbing his temple to try and force away the worst of the headache.
“Very well.” Vex said, hopping off the edge of the desk. She walked around to Percy and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, laughing at the small blush that rose on his face. “For being a gentleman.” She said, leaving the room and slipping up the stairs unnoticed.
The next time it happened, it was less of an accident.
The threat of the dragons still hung over their heads and the refugees in the temple all talked amongst themselves quietly. Children clung to parents or each other, desperate for some comfort.
Percy sat.
The wall against his back was cold and his head felt heavy. He couldn't even go to his bed. Every bed and blanket in the keep had been brought down and used as small comforts for the scared people of Emon. Even the cot in his workshop had been brought up and he could see a mother gently tucking her two children into it.
Impossibly, it brought a small smile to his face. How the mother gently brushed the children’s hair away from their faces, whispering soft words of comfort in an effort to help them sleep. But even from that distance, Percy could see the children’s scared faces.
Gilmore had been set on another bed, not too far from where Percy sat. The worst of the injuries had been healed, and now it was just a waiting game to see how he was when he woke up. Vax was sat on the bed beside him, not wanting to leave for too long and only trusting Keyleth to watch over him when he was needed elsewhere. Percy had lost sight of any of the others in the throng of people.
A baby started crying and Percy saw Pike hurry over. He stood up as well and walked over. The father of the crying child was rocking them softly and shushing them, embarrassment evident on his face. Pike was standing beside the father, doing her best to quiet the child. Pulling funny faces, playing little games.
The child cried on.
“Could I be of some help?” Percy offered, kneeling beside the father and the child.
“Anything to quiet her down would be appreciated. She’s scared, my wife and I- we- we couldn't find each other in the panic. I don’t know where she is.” The father said, looking at Percy with a silent plea of his face. Percy could sense the nervousness in the room, as if the baby’s crying could bring on another attack.
“May I hold her?” Percy asked. The father looked at him skeptically for a second before gently transferring the baby to Percy’s arms.
The baby still cried, so Percy gently began to rock her in his arms.
Then he sang.
The language was beautiful to listen to, carrying its own melody and rounding out the harsh pauses between lines. The song was a lullaby from Whitestone. One that Percy have etched into the foundation of his very being just from how many times he’s heard and sang it in his lifetime.
It sounded better in Celestial than in Common. Percy had found that out in his youth when he would help his mother calm down his younger siblings.
The baby’s cries grew quiet as Percy sang. She looked up at Percy curiously, a small laugh bubbling up every so often. Percy sang until he saw the baby’s eyes began to droop and handed her back to her father, still singing until she had calmed down entirely.
He made to stand up when he felt the father’s hand on his arm.
“Thank you.” The father whispered, his eyes shining. “Thank you so much.”
“It was no bother.” Percy said, offering a small smile. Pike gently patted his arm, turning back to the father and offering a small ration and a bit of water.
Percy stood up. He saw a few eyes quickly avert their gaze as he walked back to where he had sat before.
Vex sat by the wall, watching him with an odd expression on her face. Her eyes were red, like she’d shed a few tears recently but she smiled as Percy approached.
“You continue to amaze, Percival de Rolo.” Vex said, a teasing edge to her voice. “How did you know to do that?”
“I used to help my mother settle some of my younger siblings when I was a child.” Percy admitted, sitting down against the wall as exhaustion began to settle in his bones. “When I learned Celestial, I would sing to Cassandra to help her sleep. I thought it would apply here.”
“How long have you slept recently?” Vex asked, taking in the dark circles under his eyes and the weary look about him.
“Obviously not enough if you're asking after me.” Percy said.
“Well get some sleep now, I’ll keep watch.” Vex said, shifting so their sides were pressed together. He could see her weapon on her other side and remembered a hundred campsites and stakeouts where Vex had said those same words.
Percy shifted so his head rested against her shoulder. It was uncomfortable and Percy knew that he’d have a pain in his neck the next morning, but he didn't mind when he felt Vex’s hand timidly find his. Her fingers twined amongst his, feeling the rough pads from where she would pull back her bowstring and his calluses from his tinkering.
They kept their hands hidden behind behind their knees, but the connection was still there.
Sleep finally caught up to Percy and he could feel himself drifting off against Vex’s shoulder. He hoped Vex would get some sleep as well. Just before he dropped off, Percy felt a weight on his head and he knew that Vex was leaning against him as well.
An impossibly small smile curled his mouth as he finally let his exhaustion take over him.
The third time was on purpose. That was the simplest way to put it, really.
Whitestone castle was too large. That was at least how Vex saw it. No one needed a castle that big. Maybe if the people living there were a family as big as Percy’s, but not every generation of de Rolo would have been made up of seven siblings.
For someone who had been forced to live in a heartless mansion, castles were never high up on Vex’s list of favourable places. The very essence of them always seemed too cold for her.
Vex’s feet were silent as she wandered the halls, looking for anything to distract her from the thought of dragons. Or the thought of Thordak, in particular.
Someone was in the hall. Vex stopped and melted into the shadows, watching.
She relaxed when she saw the shock of white hair, but stayed hidden, silently observing. Percy was stood in front of something, looking up. He had an odd expression on his face. Not quite serene, not quite contemplative, not quite sorrow.
Bravery took over and Vex stepped out of the shadows, padding up to stand beside Percy. He didn’t seem to respond, but she knew him well enough to know that he knew she was there.
Her eyes followed what he was looking up at. It was a portrait. Something painted with a painstaking attention to detail. A couple. Both dark-haired, a man and a woman stood next to each other. The woman’s arms were wrapped around the man and the man had an arm around the woman’s shoulders, holding her close and almost protectively. They both wore gentle smiles and fancy clothes. They looked happy.
They looked like Percy.
“Who are they?” Vex asked, shattering the fragile silence between them.
“My parents.” Percy said, his voice barely above a fragile whisper. He cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to Vex. “I’d forgotten that this portrait was still up. I’d assumed that the Briarwoods had destroyed it.”
Vex nodded and looked back at the painting. It really was beautiful. Something in Vex’s chest panged at the idea that these two people - the people that gave Vox Machina their Percy - were murdered by a pair of monsters. She almost wished that she could have met them, if only to know the kind of people that Percy knew in his youth.
“Percival, how old were you when…” Vex couldn’t finish the sentence as she glanced over at Percy. He was looking at the painting again, a faraway look on his face.
“I was a month from being eighteen years old.” Percy admitted.
Something in Vex took over and she reached out towards him. Her cold hand found his and she held onto him. His hands were warm and Vex wondered if he’d been tinkering recently, or if his hands were just always warm.
Percy looked over at her with a small frown on his face. But he didn’t move his hand away. Vex still looked at the portrait, but she felt Percy’s hand shift very slightly to hold hers more firmly.
“How much have you slept recently?” Vex asked, suddenly. She didn’t look at Percy, too busy taking in every detail about the people who raised Percy to adulthood.
“I find it difficult to sleep at the best of times.” Percy said. “What about yourself? Is the castle to your liking?”
“It’s too... big, Percival.” Vex admitted, finally looking over at him with a small smile on her face. “How do you ever know where you’re going?”
“A lot of getting lost as a child.” Percy admitted, with his own small smile. The kind that only Vex could seem to elicit from him. “I’d be happy to give you the grand tour sometime.”
“Maybe when there are less dragons in the world.” Vex suggested, letting the world crash around her once again.
“I shall hold you to that, Vex’ahlia.” Percy said, his smile almost faltering. Almost. He looked out a nearby window and frowned at the night sky. “It’s late. Shall I escort you to your room so you don’t get lost?”
“How proper, Percival.” Vex teased, detangling her hand from his and instead gently wrapping it around his upper arm. “I would be honoured.”
Percy led the way through the virtually identical hallways and corridors until their surroundings became a tad more familiar to Vex. They passed countless portraits and small knick knacks that Vex made a mental note to find again one day. There was so much history here that it practically bled into the air.
They stopped outside Vex’s door and Percy gestured to it in an almost playful gesture. Vex let go of his arm and moved to stand opposite him. She suddenly felt nervous again.
“Percival,” Vex started, lowering her voice just a little, “can I ask you something of you?”
“Of course.”
“Could you stay with me tonight?” Vex asked, wishing she was just a bit more like her brother and just a bit braver. “And before you ask, I don’t mean in that way. I’m not looking for sex. I just don’t want to be alone when the world’s going to shit.”
Silence hung between them. Vex couldn’t hold Percy’s gaze and dropped it to the ground by her feet. Usually she was braver than this, but usually there wasn’t the threat of four dragons hanging over her head.
There was a pressure on the side of her head and she looked up to see Percy’s hand gently brushing a few stray hairs behind her ear. He leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Of course.” He promised. Vex’s eyes snapped up and she searched his face, looking for any sign of dishonesty. But he was genuine. Maybe he didn’t want to be alone either. “After you, Vex.” Percy said.
Vex let herself smile just a little as she opened the door to her room. As soon as she was inside, she stripped off her outer layers until she stood in her underwear, rummaging through the drawers for a tunic that she’d left there. It was a bit old and threadbare in places, but it was comfortable to sleep in and that was all that really mattered.
She pulled it over herself, letting it hang just above her knees and turned around to look at Percy. Vex had to stifle a laugh when she saw Percy’s vestless back facing her.
Silently, Vex crept up to Percy as he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Ever the gentleman.” She said teasingly, putting her mouth close to his ear. Vex could feel the slight tense of his shoulder muscles as he realised her proximity.
“Some habits are very hard to break.” Percy said, stubbornly refusing to turn around.
Vex let him go and walked to the bed, pulling back the covers. She slid onto the far side of the bed, closest to the window and looked at Percy expectantly. He frowned at her, dressed only in his shirt and trousers, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
“Well, you weren't planning on sleeping on the floor, were you?” Vex asked. It wouldn't have surprised her, in all honesty. For someone raised in nobility, certain habits must have been hard to break. (Like introducing yourself with your entire name and title; or politely refusing to look when anyone of the female - and occasionally male - variety was not fully decent.)
Percy didn't respond, but he answered Vex’s question with his silence. She smiled and patted the mattress beside her.
“You won't wound my honour by sharing a bed. Especially not if I've invited you to.” Vex promised.
It took Percy a few seconds to respond, but he did get under the covers next to her. Leaving an appropriate amount of space between them, of course.
Vex sighed and shuffled closer, resting her head on the pillow beside Percy’s. She didn't touch him. As much as he was wary of her boundaries, Vex certainly wanted to grant him the same respect.
“If you're not comfortable with this, I won't force you to stay here, Percival.” Vex promised, keeping his gaze. Percy’s face softened and she felt his arm slowly begin to encase her, pulling her just a bit closer.
She responded instantly, letting her arms and legs wrap around him and moving so that her head rested on his chest. His hands began to gently detangle her hair, letting it fall heavily against the bed.
Neither of them would admit it - either to each other or themselves - but it was striking how right it felt, lying together with their limbs tangled. Not even in a sexual way. Just… Being close. Being intimate with the other.
It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep that night. Their shared body heat staved off the cold of the castle and the gentle sounds of breathing were a comforting lullaby.
And in the morning, if Percy woke a little bit early to sneak back to his room, leaving Vex’ahlia with a kiss on the cheek, well that was their business, wasn't it?
And if that somehow became a habit over the next few nights….
Well, they were called secrets for a reason.
Their first kiss came after a tragedy.
Scanlan’s mansion was impossibly big. Really, it was as large as he needed it to be. New rooms were added at will; the house itself dynamic in its very nature. Constantly shifting and adjusting as Scanlan saw fit.
(It showed how much Scanlan paid attention to his work when Percy realised that his room and his workshop were in opposite ends of the mansion to each other.)
For once, Percy was in his room. Preparing to go to sleep. In a bed.
The Tomb had taken all sense of normality from him.
He could still see it all so clearly.
The damp walls. The armour. The blast. Vex’ahlia lying on the floor. Vax’ildan kneeling beside her. The ritual. The figure.
Percy rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands. He scrubbed the images away with the slight pain that entailed. Nothing he’d tried so far seemed to have worked.
He still couldn’t scrub away the images of Vex’s death.
That he caused.
Oh, Pellor.
The amount of times a person could fuck up in a single lifetime was immense, but surely, surely, Percy was getting close to his quota.
Abandoning Cassandra; leaving Whitestone; building his gun; all the times he failed his friends - his family - when he should have been better; all the times he could have reacted faster, aimed better, spoken more convincingly; letting a demon take over him because he couldn’t contain his rage, his fear, his anguish, his need for revenge; not being able to fight Orthax on his own; not being smart enough or cautious enough to let the twins do what they do best; not being the one to take the brunt of the blast; not-
“Percy?”
The voice was small and ripped Percy from his thoughts almost violently.
He looked down and realised that he’d been irritating a small scratch on his wrist. A small welt of blood stained his shirt cuff. Percy sighed.
“Yes?” He called, suddenly feeling the weight of all his Twenty-something years falling on him. “Who is it?”
“It’s Vex.”
Oh….
Fuck.
Percy held his breath and counted to three.
Then he opened the door.
“Hello Vex’ahlia. It’s a bit late to be wandering, isn’t it?” Percy said, slipping back into his cool detachment like a well-worn glove.
Vex looked up at him with an unamused look on her face. He couldn’t quite tell how he pissed her off in the the eight seconds that they had been interacting, but he was sure it was something he would pay for later.
“I need to speak with you, Percival.” Vex said. She didn’t sound overtly annoyed, but Percy knew he well enough that ‘Percival’ was usually reserved for moments of fondness, or moments of angry detachment. (Oh, Percy wished this would turn out to be the former.)
“Is that so?” Percy said.
“Yes.” Vex said. “May I come in?”
“If you must.” Percy said, stepping to the side.
As Vex stepped inside, Percy realised that she wasn’t wearing her cloak. Or her armour. Or her bow. She was defenceless and Percy refused to think of the implications and what they meant.
“You've been avoiding me.” Vex said, folding her arms across her chest and never breaking eye contact. “I can tell because the first place I would think to look for you is your workshop, and you're not there.”
“I would appreciate it if you just said what you wanted to say, Vex’ahlia.” Percy said, trying to sound bitter and angry but only managing to sound tired in the process. He looked at the ground, the far wall, his bed, his sleeve cuff, the small wound on his wrist, anything but Vex.
“Stop beating yourself up over my death, Percival.” Vex said, bluntly. “Yes, I am still annoyed at you for not letting me check for traps, and I am well aware that Vax hasn't fully forgiven you. But hiding from me like a school child isn't the right thing to do.”
Percy didn't come to his own defense. He just let Vex talk.
“There are bigger things to worry about in the world than what happened in the tomb. It's been days and you still can't look me in the eye.” Vex stepped closer so Percy had to look at her. Her gaze scrutinised him, taking in everything. The bags under his eyes, the bruise from her twin’s fist, the small scratches and nail marks.
Vex’s hand reached out and took Percy’s, lifting it so it rested over where her heart beat in her chest. She could feel the warmth of his palm through the shirt material. It was comforting. Something she’d missed in his self-imposed exile from her.
“Percy, I’m alive. I'm okay.” Vex said in a reverent whisper. “Whatever happens after this, I want you to be okay as well. I want you by my side and not consumed with this guilt.”
Percy barely dared to breathe. He felt her heartbeat under his fingers. Felt her warmth as she stood so close they were almost touching. She was alive and present and the same as she always was.
“I miss you, Percival.” Vex said, both a secret and unbidden confession.
He lifted his other hand and rested it on her cheek. His eyes burned and his throat felt tight but he forced himself to speak.
“I'm not sure what I would have done if that ritual hadn't worked.” Percy said. “The idea that we are not invincible and can fall from something so simple as a curse is terrifying and I'm sorry that my fear got the best of me. I thought that maybe distance could clear my head but it didn't.”
He could feel Vex’s fingers curl in his shirt front, gently holding him in place. Not pushing away. Not pulling closer. Just keeping him in place. Or keeping herself grounded when everything felt so up in the air.
“Vex, I’m sorry for being such a dick.” Percy said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.
Vex laughed and they both felt the tension melt away as Percy began to laugh as well. Percy’s hand didn’t move from Vex’s cheek and Vex’s hand didn’t move from his shirt, and when the laughter subsided all they could do was just watch the other.
Percy found himself running his thumb over Vex’s cheekbone, the calloused pad of his thumb barely brushing against her soft skin. Somehow, Vex had moved closer and Percy could feel her heart rate pick up under his palm.
“Percival,” Vex said. Her gaze flickered down to Percy’s lips. A blush crept up Percy’s face. Oh.
He detangled his hand from Vex’s cheek and Vex was suddenly afraid that he’d crossed some invisible line between the two of them. Instead, Percy only brushed a finger along the feathers in Vex’s hair, gazing at her with the same kind of look he gave a particularly wonderful piece of machinery.
“Vex’ahlia of Syngorn,” Percy said grandly, but still his voice was soft, “may I kiss you?”
“I thought you’d never ask, Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the third.” Vex said, her cheeky smile defusing any anxiety in Percy’s chest.
The kiss was, admittedly, Percy’s first. It was not Vex’s. Percy didn’t really know what to do past placing your lips to another person’s. But he tried his hardest to pretend he did. After all, his sisters had read (and then discussed, loudly, and often in his presence) enough romance books for something to have rubbed off on him, right?
But he could never fool Vex.
When they broke apart, Vex was smiling up at him, her eyes opening and a look of mirth in them.
“Percy? Was that your first kiss?” Vex asked, already aware of the answer, but wanting confirmation.
“In a way, yes.” Percy said, the flush beginning to rise on his face once again. “I was never the sociable de Rolo child, nor was I seen as the most attractive. Apparently smelling of oil and metal was not appealing to any potential suitors.” He spoke with a tone of vague amusement that only hindsight could bring.
“Well, I don’t mind it.” Vex said, shifting her hands so she could pull Percy closer. “In fact, I kind of like it. It’s very masculine. Very… Percival.” She said decisively. As if describing the smell of black powder and cinder as something intrinsically him, and by extension something enjoyable and pleasant, made it a ineffable truth.
“I’ll gladly take that compliment.” Percy said. He felt Vex’s hands wrap around his waist and pull him closer. Quickly, Percy removed his hand from Vex’s heart and gently ran it down her arm.
“And for the record, Percy. You are a very attractive man.” Vex said, smiling at the blush that was now very clearly visible on Percy’s pale skin. She reached up and grabbed his cravat, pulling him down so his face was closer to hers. “A very, very attractive man.”
“I think it goes without saying that you are one of the most divine creatures I have ever had the honour of meeting.” Percy said, completely and utterly sincere.
Now it was Vex’s turn to turn pink, but she distracted Percy before he could comment on it. Distracted, as in pulled him down into another kiss, threading her hands through his hair. It took Percy a few seconds to grow brave and place his hand on Vex’s hips, holding her close as he let her take the lead.
For the first time since the Tomb, Vex stayed the night in Percy’s room. They slept in the same bed; Percy with his arms clutching Vex tightly like he wanted to protect her from any stray nightmares that might try to harm her, Vex letting herself be caged by his limbs in a way that made her feel strangely safe.
The first time they had sex, the world was missing a dragon.
Umbrasyl was dead, and Grog had killed him.
The hot spring had been well deserved, Vex thought as she let the hot water swaddle her. It felt wonderful.
She spied Percy sat in a corner of the hot spring. He looked peaceful as he rested his head on the edge of the pool with his eyes closed and his glasses folded on a towel somewhere behind him. Vex almost didn’t want to disturb him.
Vex swam up beside Percy, disturbing the water enough so that his eyes opened and focused on her.
“Come by my room later.” She whispered, gently pushing off him and swimming away. Vex didn’t see his surprised expression or the very slight, sly smile on his face. She did feel the light spatter when Percy had flicked water at her playfully.
Not even her kind of heavy conversation with Keyleth could dampen Vex’s mood.
Yes, she would have rather not discuss her theism and views on death with one of the loves of her brother’s life when all she was looking for was some gossip, but Keyleth always had thoughts that ran deep.
One cannonball competition later, and Vex sat in her room. She wore her night clothes as she tried to dry off her hair. A small bag with… provisions… lay by the foot of her bed.
(Part of Vex wanted to kill Scanlan when she saw him next when she had been packing that bag. Another part of her wanted to hug the bastard.)
Of course it would all depend on whether Percy showed up at her door.
Vex smiled as she heard a light knock at her door.
“Vex.”
Vex’s smile grew wider when she heard Percy’s voice.
Quickly, Vex opened the door and dragged him inside her room by the hand. He’d cleaned up most of the blood from his raw sodium bath bomb that had earned him five pounds of jewels. His hair was still a little damp but he cleaned up well enough.
“What did you want to see me for?” Percy asked, not being the one to drop his hand away.
“Okay Percy, before I ask you this, I want you to know that you are well within your right to say no. I’m not going to ask anything of you that you don’t want to do.” Vex said, immediately wanting to lay out the boundaries between them. If she was his first kiss, then she was almost certainly his first anything else past that.
Percy was always smart enough to infer information. That much was obvious by the blush on his face.
“Now?” He asked, trying to keep his voice level but failing horribly.
“Why not, Percy? We killed Umbrasyl. We’re a quarter of the way there to getting rid of the Chroma Conclave. We saved this town.” Vex said. She pulled Percy closer just a little bit and wrapped her arms around his waist. Something in her mind relaxed when she felt Percy’s arms wrap around her in return. “And I know I don’t say this enough but you are a wonderful and attractive man.”
She looked up at him when she heard him laugh and loved the image of Percy when he was genuinely happy. Even if it was fleeting, Vex adored it.
“Are you serious about this, Vex? About me?” Percy asked, an odd sense of insecurity taking over him for a moment.
“Of course I am, Percy.” Vex promised him. “But not here.”
She could only smile at the confused look on his face.
Gently, Vex stepped away from Percy and took his hand. She picked up the bag from her bed and pulled him out of her room. Trinket watched them from where he lay on the floor, but went back to resting once Vex had given him the task to stay put and defend her room.
Percy could feel his skin begin to tingle as he realised Vex had cast Pass Without A Trace over the both of them. He grew increasingly curious as they neared the front door, more so when Vex pulled him through the front door. A rock was wedged in the door so it didn’t shut fully.
Vex lead him past the black dragon’s slowly self-digesting body, past their trap, down the mountain side. She didn’t answer any of Percy’s questions until they passed the tree line of the forest and found a sizable clearing.
He watched as Vex took a blanket out of her bag and spread it across the ground. Surprisingly, Percy didn’t need to pick up a hint when Vex lay down on the blanket and patted the space next to her.
The stars above their heads were beautiful. Different to the stars above Whitestone, or above Emon. Just enough to remind them how far away from home they both were. There was a chill in the air as they curled up on the blanket, limbs tangled and another blanket pulled over them.
“Percival,” Vex said quietly, her head resting on his arm that curled around her, “I think I love you.”
Just like that.
She didn’t look at him as she said it, in fact she pointedly didn’t look at him when she said that. She didn’t see the look of relief on his face and the slight blush that had snuck up on him.
“I think I love you too, Vex.” Percy said, his voice gentler than she had ever heard it. “I think I have for a long time.”
“How long, I wonder?” Vex asked, fiddling with one of the buttons on his jacket. Trust Percy to never be underdressed.
“Oh, dear…” Percy mused on his answer for a little while. He thought about all the small moments between them. All the grand ones as well. “It might have started at the Winter’s Crest Festival in Westruun. That’s when the infatuation started, then it faded for a while when I knew that a woman like you would never look twice at me in that way.”
“So when did you realise I would look twice at you in that way?” Vex asked, finally looking up to meet Percy’s gaze.
“Well I’d started to hope again whenever you tried to coax me back to myself when Orthax was controlling me. But I think it wasn’t until that first night the dragons attacked that I realised just how deep my feelings for you ran.” Percy looked down at her and gently ran his thumb over her cheek: the most loving gesture that wasn’t a kiss and wasn’t a gift of new trick arrows he could think to do. “What about you, Vex’ahlia?”
Vex thought for a moment, her gaze shifting to the sky as she moved to lay on her back. She watched the stars blink as she shifted through her thoughts.
“The night when we accidentally shared a bed in your workshop.” Vex said eventually. “It was the first time I’d ever shared a bed with someone that hadn’t wanted something from me. I felt safe, and you were nothing but a perfect gentleman, Percival. I felt strange, and it took me a long time to realise what that feeling was.”
“I never knew you were such a romantic, Vex’ahlia.” Percy said, a rare teasing tone in his voice. She gently hit his stomach, but she was smiling as she did so.
“Oh shut up, Percival.” Vex said, settling back down against him and letting the silence fall around them once again.
Percy let his arm drop so it just held her arm gently. There was something about sleeping under the stars that had never appealed to Percy on paper. But there was something wonderful about looking up and seeing a million constellations and feeling so small under the weight of the known universe.
“Vex, were you serious about what you implied in your room?” Percy asked suddenly.
“Of course, but not if you weren’t comfortable with it, Percy.” Vex said easily. There was no hesitation in her voice, and Percy felt incredibly grateful for that.
“We can, you know.” Percy said. “Have sex tonight, I mean.”
“I gathered that much,” Vex said teasingly. She turned serious and sat up to really study Percy. “Are you sure?”
“As long as my dreadful lack of experience doesn’t put you off, then of course I’m sure.” Percy said, his face showing nothing but honesty as he sat up and faced her.
Vex smiled down at him. Carefully, she moved so her legs were either side of Percy’s hips. The blush started to rise on his face as Vex ‘settled’ against him, letting her arms hang around his neck loosely.
“Don’t worry, Percy,” Vex said, letting her hands slide down his arms until she could gently cover his hands with hers. She slowly moved his hands so they trailed up underneath her tunic. She winked at him. “I’ll go easy on you.”
Vex kissed him and there was a fire there that hadn’t existed before. Every kiss before that one had been warm, comforting, safe. This one was new, exciting, speaking of something more.
With a sudden surge of bravery, Percy moved his hands around to Vex’s back, holding her tight as he flipped them so she lay against the blanket on the ground. He broke the kiss for long enough to discard his jacket and unbutton his shirt. Hands gripped his bare shoulders and pulled him back down into a fierce kiss, gently tracing the various scars that littered his torso.
Percy suddenly flinched, breaking the kiss as he winced in pain. Vex’s eyes raked over him, catching sight of the small cuts that hadn’t quite healed from the cannonball contest.
Sparks of arcana wound around Vex’s hands as she ran them down Percy’s chest. He could feel the healing energy flow through him, making him whole again. Could feel Vex’s fingers gently brush against the small marks that would fade soon. Felt her press a gentle kiss to a scar along his collarbone that he wanted to forget existed.
“You’re incredible.” Percy whispered, covering one of her hands that was gripping his shoulder.
“What would you do without me?” Vex said playfully, taking this opportunity to sit up and pull her tunic off. It found Percy’s jacket and she practically basked in the blush on his face when he realised that she wasn’t wearing underwear.
“I suppose I would be in a lot worse shape.” Percy said, honestly. Vex laughed and Percy wanted to immortalise this moment for future generations to stumble across and know what true happiness was.
He kissed her again, letting his bravery take over as he kissed a gentle line to the waistband on Vex’s trousers. Her hands ran over every inch of his exposed skin, mapping out every scar, every freckle, every inch of muscle and fat.
The sex itself wasn’t rough or dangerous. It wasn’t erotic and loud enough to draw attention/scare away woodland beasts.
It was gentle. It was safe. It was loving. It felt alien to both of them, so they figured it out together. Learned where they could touch the other person and where they couldn’t. It was more laughter and fumbling with the contraceptives (oh how Vex laughed at the look on Percy’s face when he was told that Scanlan had put them in every bedroom) than breathy moans and desperate whines.
When all was said and done, they lay side by side, spent and naked and still giggling about something that would never have been funny otherwise. Percy rested his head on Vex’s lap and she played with his hair fondly, twisting the longer strands into little plaits. She wore Percy’s jacket around her shoulders to shield her bare skin from the worst of the cold.
“So how was that for your first time?” Vex asked, fondly adjusting his glasses for him. Percy looked up at her with a smile on his face. She liked this side of him much more than she liked ‘Percival, Lord of Whitestone’.
“I suppose I’ll know when I have something to compare it to.” He said, a cheeky look on his face.
“Is that your way of asking to go again, Percy?” Vex asked, leaning down just slightly.
“It is if it works.” Percy admitted.
It worked.
When dawn began to break over the skyline, they hurriedly pulled their clothes back on, stuffing the blankets back into the bag as they went. They ran, hand in hand, back into the cavern. The dragon’s body was almost completely digested by its own acid as they caught a glimpse of it on their way to the freestanding door they left through.
The mansion itself was quiet as they snuck back inside. No one else seemed to be up and they met no one but the servants as they crept along to the bedrooms (they could keep a secret, Vex was pretty sure). Before she broke off to go into her room, Vex pulled Percy into one last gentle, lingering kiss.
“For being a gentleman.” She said, a smirk on her face as she disappeared back into her room.
Percy didn’t stop smiling as he quickly hid himself in his room, getting an hour or two of sleep before the others woke up and they began to plan what to do with the dragon’s gold.
Their first kiss in front of the rest of Vox Machina was only kind of regrettable.
The entire time they had sat with Syldor, Percy had sat with an irritatingly calm mask of features. His ‘diplomat’ face that only broke for a very brief moment when Velora found an idol in Scanlan.
Other than that, Percy was a perfect diplomat.
“May I say that really quickly?” Percy had asked, gesturing to the scroll in Vex’s hand that would grant them permission to see the High Warden. He could feel his heart start to pick up as he formed his next few sentences in his head. Percy read over the scroll for a moment, before he turned back to Syldor. “This grants an audience for all of us, then?”
“Yes.” Syldor said, reserved as always. Percy could feel a childish excitement begin to build inside him as he passed the scroll back to the father of the woman he loved. The same childish excitement Grog or Vax felt when watching a prank that was about to pay off.
“You’re going to have to amend that one name though, to be fair.” Percy said, keeping his voice cool and noble. “It’s Lady Vex’ahlia.”
“Lady?” The surprise in Syldor’s voice was well hidden, but Percy had a knack for knowing when someone was trying to bluff him.
“Lady Vex’ahlia.” Percy affirmed. He couldn’t keep the smallest tell of a smile off his face as he continued. “Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt.”
The silence in the room was filled with surprise as Percy felt his friend’s eyes fall on him. But Percy sat still, his back perfectly straight and his hands folded in front of him. He could see Vax’s face mold into a mask to stop himself reacting, and hoped that he hadn’t offended him in some way.
Percy keep Syldor’s gaze, letting the man silently scrutinize him as much as he wanted.
“So good Sir, despite your relationship with her, do watch your manners.” Percy couldn’t help it. After seeing Vex’s tears the night before, after hearing her small sniffles as she fell asleep in his arms, after everything the twins had told them about their father; Percy doubted they would deny him this one small thing.
Behind Syldor’s back, Percy saw Keyleth’s hand fly to her mouth in surprise and mirth. Grog was never good as controlling his glee, but he did stifle his laugh fairly well. Even Vax cracked a smile.
Scanlan, dramatic as ever, spat out his tea in surprise. Luckily, it mostly drenched Grog.
“My apologies, Lady Vex’ahlia.” Syldor said, turning his attention to his eldest daughter.
“Well, you didn’t know.” Vex said nonchalantly, absently playing with the end of her plait. Her father looked confused by the news, but - impossibly - there was a small smile on his face.
“I will make the amendment immediately.” He said, taking the scroll with him as he left.
“Thank you good Sir.” Percy reached forwards and took a drink of his abandoned tea, hiding his self-satisfied smirk behind it. Oh it felt good to snipe insufferable nobility. The weight of his friend’s gazes was daunting but Percy make a point to outwardly ignore it. He’d answer their questions when he wasn’t in the middle of enacting subtle revenge.
Syldor returned, handing the scroll to Vex. Something in his posture had changed ever so slightly as he looked at his children.
“Good luck.” He bid them, a small nod his only show of affection. Percy felt smug as he listened to Syldor talk to his children and the rest of Vox Machina. His jobs was done, so he only nodded along when Vex told her father to send word to Whitestone, when Keyleth tried to piece together something in her mind in the most awkward fashion possible.
Percy smiled to himself as he watched Vax encouraging Velora to be almost as reckless as him. He smiled as Vex gifted her with the feather and watched as the young girl looked between the both of them, her eyes wide and full of love when they promised her they wouldn’t let matters of blood interfere with family ties. He smiled sadly as this young, innocent girl looked up to her older brother and sister, asking them so politely to come back to her soon.
Percy smiled to himself as he saw the ghosts of his own family in her.
Percy laughed as his friends all started giving Velora the words that they knew would drive her mother mad.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Percy felt Vex’s weight crash into him. Without thinking, Percy’s arms wrapped around her, shifting his weight to stop them both from toppling over.
“Percival!” Vex exclaimed, the widest smile on her face. He set her down and she looked up at him with bright eyes. So different to how he found her the night before, and Percy couldn’t help but feel relieved. For once, he hadn’t made things worse.
“It’s the gift of smugness, it never goes away.” Percy said, retracting his arms just a second too late. His smile was much more genuine now. Much more like the one that was human and not noble.
Vex’s face suddenly fell and Percy felt his heart stop for just a second.
“Wait, is it real? No, was it- Was it all just a-” Vex said, looking over his face. It suddenly made sense. She thought it was too good to be true. Thought it was an empty bluff to get back at her father. Percy just gently smiled at her: the kind that only Vex saw in their quiet moments.
“No, it actually occurs to me that we did kill two of the three barons of Whitestone the last time that we were there.” Percy said, feeling relief at the shocked laughter from the group. “There’s no house, there’s no money, there’s-” He began to reel off the small list in his head.
“It’s the one Scanlan burned.” Keyleth corrected helpfully, appearing somewhere by Percy’s shoulder.
“It’s the one that Scanlan burned.” Percy said, nodding towards Keyleth as he mentally went through his list again.
“You’re the Lady of the house that I burned down.” Scanlan chipped in redundantly, watching the whole situation with an air of amusement about him. Percy ignored him as he continued with the list.
“And there’s just a crypt that’s being used for other things, but-”
“But you have a title!” Keyleth said excitedly, throwing her arms out in a grandiose gesture. Percy smiled at her and looked back at Vex.
“But you do have a title,” he said, watching her expression grow increasingly ecstatic, “at the very least and once a year you have to do something very ridiculous.”
“Even so Percy,” Vex’s hands gripped his head and Percy felt his heart speed up in his chest.
“You’re welcome.” He muttered, the smile not seeming to want to budge.
“I thank you so much.” Vex said, just so it was said and clear between them.
“Use it in good health.”
Vex pulled Percy towards her and kissed him. Right on the mouth. In front of everyone.
When they entered the Feywild, it had felt like something had happened to time itself. Like they’d been exempt from its rules for a little while, until their feet touched the ground again and they were whole again.
That feeling came back when Vex kissed Percy outside her father’s house.
They were both aware of the others watching them, of the dangerous threats that waited for them, of the objective they had yet to complete that day. That didn’t stop Percy from kissing her back for all of two seconds before they split apart.
Vex stepped back, a small blush on her face as she turned away. As they walked, Keyleth looped her arm in Vex’s, whispering something to her that Percy couldn’t hear.
The real danger, Percy knew was the look that Vax kept throwing him. He had a distinct feeling that they were going to talk at some point. Percy just wished that daggers and gun were not invited to said talk.
The shovel talks after the fact were the regrettable part of their first kiss in front of Vox Machina.
For Vex, it was less of a confrontation and more of a gossip session.
The three women sat in the hot spring, enjoying the hot water before they knew they had to face an unspeakable evil. Pike’s heavenly glow reflected off the water and threw mesmerising patterns on the walls.
Soft music seemed to float through the air from the ghostly servants and Vex couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Scanlan’s theatrics.
“So, Vex,” Keyleth said, sliding up beside Vex and almost splashing her with the water. “What was with that kiss after seeing your dad?” Straight to the point. Vex could respect that.
“It was just a kiss, Keyleth.” Vex said, tucking a strand of hair back up into the knot on top of her hair. She didn’t want to have to bother drying it once she got back to her room.
Pike suddenly broke the surface beside them, shaking out her hair and looking at Vex with a kind expression.
“It was more than that, Vex, wasn’t it?” Pike said, the soft glow around her making her hair seem much whiter than usual. “He kissed you back.”
“He did.” Keyleth confirmed, her hair swirling in the water around her shoulders like the air her people guarded. She was grinning as she saw the tiniest smile on Vex’s face.
“Alright, well. Truth be told, that wasn’t the first time we’ve kissed.” Vex admitted, hoping that if she told breadcrumbs of the truth, then she wouldn’t be obliged to admit everything.
Keyleth’s hands flew to her mouth as she took in this new piece of information.
“What? When? When have you guys kissed before?” She asked, leaning forwards excitedly.
“Well, it was after we got the Raven’s Queen’s armour,” Vex said, not wanting to bring down the mood with the mention of her death, “and I didn’t like how he was avoiding me, so I went to his room to confront him. We started talking and one thing lead to another and we kissed. Simple as, really.” She shrugged as she recounted the story, not quite looking at the other two women.
“Did you like it?” Pike asked, her voice a bit quiet like they were exchanging secrets.
“It was lovely, actually.” Vex said honestly. “A little awkward. Percy doesn’t have the most experience with kissing.” She felt a little bad saying that in gossip, but it was true at least.
“You were Percy’s first kiss!” Keyleth said, accidentally splashing some water as she clapped her hands together. “That’s so cute!”
“Vex,” Pike said, drawing her attention. “Do you like Percy?”
“Of course I like Percy, he’s-” Vex said, but Pike cut her off with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t mean as a friend. I mean as more than that.” Pike said, gently trying to coax an answer out of her friend. Vex sighed and ran her hands down her face.
“Yes.” She admitted, her voice more breath than words. “Gods above, I do. I like him. I really do. I love that white-haired bastard.”
It was like someone flipped a switch and the room fell silent. Vex realised a second too late her mistake.
Keyleth gasped and threw herself at Vex, tackling her into a hug and almost drowning the both of them. Luckily, Pike dragged them to the surface and pulled them both into a hug.
“Vex is in love!” Pike declared, as Keyleth smushed Vex’s head against her chest. It was teasing, but honestly, Vex just wished that Keyleth wasn’t intent on suffocating her in bizarre ways.
Suddenly, Keyleth released her and gripped Vex’s shoulders so they were forced to look eye-to-eye.
“Vex, have you told him that? Have you told Percy that you love him?” She asked, fixing Vex with what she thought was a slightly-menacing look.
“It- It might have come up in conversation.” Vex said, trying for nonchalance.
“Is that why he gave you a title? Because he loves you?” Keyleth asked, not releasing Vex just yet.
“Keyleth, you don’t know if he loves me-” Vex tried to protest, but gave up when she saw the look on Pike’s face. “Did he tell you?” She asked, looking very nearly shy.
“It was pretty obvious, Vex.” Pike said, shrugging.
They asked a few more innocent questions, but Vex was careful to avoid the important things. She didn’t tell them about the nights when she fell asleep in Percy’s bed, or with his arms wrapped around her, before they’d ever admitted any feeling between them. She didn’t tell them about how they had sex under the stars barely hours after killing Umbrasyl, or how it was the best fuck she’d ever had even if it was clumsy and inexperienced.
And Vex certainly didn’t tell them about how hard it was for her to sleep without the smell of black powder around her.
For Percy, the ‘talk’ was much less pleasant.
Though, in all fairness, it was only with one person.
It just so happened that it was Vax’ildan.
“Percival, a word please.” Vax hadn’t even said hello as he opened Percy’s workshop door.
‘Could it wait a moment?” Percy asked. The magnifiers on his glasses were down as he carefully poured a trail of black powder into the shaft of an arrow.
“No. It can’t.” Vax said. Percy didn’t feel like arguing further, so he carefully placed the components down and stood up. He dusted off his hands, removing a pair of gloves and walked over to the door to face Vax.
“How can I help you?” Percy asked, flicking the magnifiers up as he faced off Vax.
“Walk with me, de Rolo.” Vax was already leaving by the time he finished his sentence. Percy had no choice but to follow, locking his workshop behind him.
They walked in silence along the corridors, no particular destination in mind. Percy walked with his hands folded behind his back, waiting for Vax to be the one to break the silence.
“Just tell me one thing, Percival.” Vax said, stopping sharply and whipping around to look Percy in the eye. The intensity in Vax’s gaze and the bite in his voice was a little jarring, not that Percy showed it. “Tell me that you’re genuine.”
Percy frowned.
“I’m not sure-”
“Vex and I- We had a really shitty childhood.” Vax said, interrupting Percy. “And when we ran away, all we had was each other. We didn’t have time to settle down somewhere, we did what we needed to to survive. Before Greyskull, the last permanent home we had was our father’s and we were miserable there.”
“Vax, I’m not sure what you’re trying to ask me.” Percy admitted, the frown only deepening. Vax fixed him with a harsh look, but there was some pain there in his eyes.
“You gave her that house.” Vax said, looking at Percy like he was waiting for the penny to drop. “Once it’s rebuilt, you gave Vex a house. Somewhere permanent. I don’t care if you only gave her that title to piss off my father, honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised. But now that you’ve promised her somewhere that she can use when she needs stability, I need your word that you’ll keep that promise, Percy.”
“Vax,” Percy said, his whole posture softening as he understood, “I have no intention on going back on my word. For one, your sister is far too good of a shot.” Vax cracked a smile at that and Percy relaxed a little more.
“Good. Now I know that you won’t go back on your word, I feel I must ask you about your intentions with my sister.” Vax said, still retaining most of his stony exterior.
“My intentions with Vex are pure, I assure you.” Percy said. He didn’t like the distrusting look on Vax’s face but he could understand where it was coming from.
“Have you had sex with her?” Vax asked bluntly.
“Yes-”
“Then how do I know that you aren’t using her for a pity fuck-” Vax’s voice was full of venom, but Percy calmly raised his hand in an open gesture.
“Because I wasn’t the one to initiate it.” Percy admitted. “And because the desire for sex is not a common one for me.” The look Vax gave him was confused and still slightly distrusting, like he didn’t believe Percy’s reasoning.
“What do you mean, Percy?”
“I mean, that I have been alive for over twenty years and the first time I had sex was less than a month ago.” Percy admitted. He’d known this fact about himself for a very long time, but admitting it out loud wasn’t something he was used to. “I would never use Vex for any kind of personal gain, I care for her too deeply to betray her like that.”
Percy’s words were sincere, and Vax seemed to acknowledge this. He dropped the distrust in his body language, but he still didn’t look happy with the idea of Percy and his sister being in a secret relationship.
“This goes without saying, but if you ever think of stepping out of line-” Vax began, pulling out a dagger and aiming it at Percy.
“I fear you’ll be second in line after Vex to deal out punishment.” Percy assured him, knowing full well what Vax was going to say. Vax eyed him for a second, sliding the dagger back into its holder.
“Do you love her, Percival?” He asked, the anger and the fight leaving him all at once Percy sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Vax wasn’t a fool, and he could read people alarmingly well.
“Would you believe me if I told you that I didn’t?” Percy asked.
“For how long?” Vax continued, wondering if he’d been too distracted with his own problems to realise two members of their party were slowly falling for each other.
“The feelings have been there for over a year now, but I realised what they were just after the Chroma Conclave attacked.” Percy admitted. He looked at Vax curiously. “Was it the same for you, Vax?”
“I’ve always loved Keyleth. It didn’t take a city to fall to realise that.” Vax replied, not liking the shift in attention all that much.
“So she told me, but I was referring also to Gilmore.” Percy said. His question was innocent enough. There was a thud somewhere down the hallway and he made the mistake of turning to look.
When Percy looked back, Vax had vanished into the shadows.
That night, when Vex was curled up in Percy’s arms and Percy was gently playing with her hair, they talked.
“So who came and talked to you?” Vex asked, her arms wrapped around Percy’s middle. (She’d loved the fact that since sharing a bed had become a regular occurrence between them, Percy had started wearing his longjohn’s again. It was so endearingly Percy that she adored it.)
“Vax, unsurprisingly.” Percy said, twisting a lock of Vex’s hair around one of his fingers.
“Did he tell you to stay away from me unless you declared your undying love for me?” Vex teased, leaning back enough to look Percy in the eye.
“Close,” Percy said, pressing a kiss to Vex’s forehead just because he could. “He basically wanted me to prove that I would treat you well.”
“Well, you’re doing a rather fine job of it so far.” Vex said, settling her head back against his chest. “Keyleth and Pike just wanted to know the gossip.”
“How awful.” Percy teased.
“I know, right?” Vex said, but they both knew she wasn’t serious. The room grew quiet as sleep began to overwhelm them. “Goodnight, Percy.” Her voice was quiet and Percy saw her barely conceal a yawn.
“Goodnight Vex.” Percy said, reaching over and snuffing out the candle beside the bed. “Sleep well.”