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Chapter Text

In the town of Byroden stood a large oak tree, behind which a small girl tried to hide from her brother, her dark hair in a messy braid and her hazel-brown eyes searching the direction from which she had seen him last. She was holding a stick almost as big as her with a piece of string tied to each end in what looked like a makeshift bow.

“Come on, Vex! It’s getting late, and I’m hungry!” A boy’s voice sounded in the distance. The girl, Vex, took a deep breath before she started to round the tree, as slowly and quietly as she could, looking for the source of the voice.

Vex wasn’t as great at hiding as he was, so he spotted her with ease, crouching by the roots of the large tree with her back to him. His equally dark hair fell at the sides of his face, a face so similar to the girl’s, but for the slight change of his features. The boy was able to approach his sister from behind without her noticing, his feet so silent against the dry ground that one could guess he was levitating. 

“Caught you!”

The girl jumped in place, raised a hand to her chest, and screamed as she turned to face him. “Vax! You scared me!”

Vax laughed at his sister’s reaction. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I’m sorry stubby. We really should get going." He pulled her along with him. “It’s getting dark."

The girl finally nodded in agreement and they walked together, his arm still draped around her, until they reached the small wooden house, where a woman with thick dark hair stood in front of a stove, stirring a pot of stew.

The mountain town of Zephrah was located on a hill of the Summit Peaks, surrounded by trees and nature, among which stood a small, modest house, made of logs and stone. The gravel path leading to the wooden door was laden with beautiful flowers of various colors, and the planters in front of the windows sported a few bulbs of flowers ready to bloom. 

There was chatter coming and the nice smell of food cooking from inside the house as a tall, white-haired man stirred a pot on the stove while a small red-haired girl sat at the table, drawing flowers on a piece of paper.

“We learned about flowers today." The girl said as she drew a daisy. “We learned about cherry blossoms, snowdrops, and wildflowers… there are so many flowers with so many colors, and they’re all so pretty!” She finished tracing the daisy, only to start drawing a second one right next to it.

"Yes, flowers are one of the most beautiful things nature has to offer." The man said, looking over his shoulder. “They don't necessarily need to be merely decorative. They can have many uses, as you know." The girl nodded with her gaze still focused on the drawing, seemingly happy with the answer. “Keyleth dear, will you please set the table? Dinner is almost ready."

Keyleth nodded in response before her father turned his gaze back to the pot and started to collect her things by placing her coloring pencils inside a cute green pencil case. “Dad, what was mom’s favorite flower?”

Keyleth’s mother had died almost five years ago, when she was only five, and she didn’t have many memories of her, so she often asked her father questions about her. Keyleth knew that sometimes it hurt him to talk about her mom, but he knew it was important for her to know about her, so he would always answer her questions, especially the ones about what her mom loved and all her favorite things.

“She loved chamomiles." Her father answered with a smile. “They are beautiful, smell good, and they make great tea!” Like every time he spoke about his wife, Keyleth could see the threat of tears at the corners of his eyes.

“I love chamomiles too. I remember when mom used to make me tea when I was sick." Keyleth’s voice was soft and nostalgic. “I miss her so much."

Her father stepped away from the stove, making sure to turn it off beforehand, and approached her, crouching to her height and pulling her into a hug. “I know dear. I miss her too."

Chapter Text

Keyleth's alarm rang loudly on her nightstand, and she groaned as she turned around, her hand blindly searching for her phone to press the snooze button. Not even a minute later, there was a knock on her door. 

"Keyleth, are you awake?" Fatigue supplanted Korrin's soft and caring voice.

Keyleth let out a resigned sigh and finally opened her eyes. It was solely thanks to a sliver of moonlight that Keyleth could discern that the mass of darkness peering through the small gap in her curtains was the sky. 

Korrin knocked on the door again, this time louder. “Keyleth, it’s time to get up. We need to hit the road soon, so please give me a sign that you’re awake."

“I’m awake!” Keyleth grunted with a harsh voice from sleep. “I’m awake…” She sighed again and unlocked her phone, the clock telling her it was three in the morning. It took her a while to remember why she had set an alarm for such an early time, but when she did, she sat up straight in her bed, scaring the large, white cat curled up at her side.

“I’m going to college!” She turned to the cat, who was looking offended at her. “Minxie! I’m going to college today!” With the sleep haziness slowly clearing, Keyleth remembered that she and her father were flying to Emon to settle in her new dorm. They had already sent a few of her boxes with movers a couple of weeks prior, which would be arriving the following morning, hence the need for them to leave, so she could get the keys and prepare everything for when the movers arrived. 

Keyleth jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready, leaving a very confused Minxie still curled up in bed. She decided to wear a yellow sundress with flowers and her favorite pair of shoes – canvas sneakers – and braided her hair just before she finished packing a few things on her carry-on. She made sure to pack her laptop and her backpack and double-checked her extensive list. The last thing she wanted was to forget something important at home.

Korrin was waiting for her in the kitchen with two steaming travel mugs of coffee and a small paper bag on the counter. Minxie padded behind Keyleth and jumped on the counter, looking between the two humans. 

“Are you excited?” Korrin asked her. Keyleth nodded and adjusted the straps of the backpack on her shoulders. “I can’t believe my little girl is finally going to college." There was pride in his voice, but Keyleth could see the sadness in his eyes. 

“Dad, I’ll be back before you know it!” She said smiling, trying not to convey her anxiety about leaving. It was the first time she was going to be away from home, especially from her father, who had been by her side since her mother had died. She almost had not applied to college, but Korrin convinced her that it would be good for her to leave the nest, to see the world and expand her horizons, to meet new people, and learn new things. Consider it an investment . He had told her.

“You don’t have to come home for me, you know? Not every holiday!” Korrin said as he slid a mug and one of the bags in her direction. 

“I know, dad. Are you ready to go?” 

Korrin quickly confirmed he had everything and poured a cup of dry food into Minxie’s bowl. “Lia will come later to check on you." He told the cat. “Be good, I’ll be back in a couple of days, alright?”

Minxie let out a meow in response, and Keyleth sniffled before she picked her up from the counter and hugged her tightly against her chest. “I’m going to miss you, Minxie. Be good to grandpa, okay?” She kissed her between her brows before she set her back down on the counter.

Minxie stared at both humans as they made their way to the front door. It was slightly past four in the morning when they finally left the driveway and headed toward Stillben, a bigger city an hour away, where they would catch their flight to Emon. 

The ride to the airport was silent, and Keyleth kept twisting her hands on her lap – which was something she always did whenever she was anxious or worried about something – while staring out the passenger side window.

"Are you excited to explore Emon?" Korrin asked, trying to break the ice and give her something exciting to think about.

Emon, the capital of Tal'dorei and one of the biggest cities in the continent, if not the biggest, housed one of the best universities of the continent – the University of Emon – where Keyleth would be studying at.

"What if I can't fit in, dad? Emon is so big, and we've never been anywhere bigger than Stillben."

"Well, if you decide that you don't fit in and that you don't like being there, then we can think about bringing you back home." Korrin said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. “Keyleth, promise me you will at least give it a try. You're going to make friends, meet new people from all over, and learn so much. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yes, but..." She mumbled. "You won't be there, I'll miss you, dad."

Korrin smiled as he answered, "I won't be there, but I'm always a call away. I'll be fine, don't you worry about me, I'm the parent. All you have to worry about is making friends and enjoying your classes."

Keyleth exhaled a long sigh as she played with the end of her braid. It was easy for him to talk. He didn’t have the pressure of not wanting to disappoint his family.

“And who knows," Korrin quickly looked at Keyleth with a raised eyebrow and amusement in his voice, “you might even meet a special someone."

“Dad!!!” Keyleth hid her face behind her hands, hiding how beet red she was. 

“What? You know that your mom and I met in college. You never know." He ended the topic with a laugh.

Thankfully for Keyleth, they were almost at the airport. By the time the sun started climbing up in the sky, Keyleth and Korrin were already sitting on the hard plastic chair at their gate, putting any conversation about relationships behind their backs.

Chapter Text

“What’s the name of the building again?” Vax’ildan asked, adjusting the straps of the heavy backpack on his shoulders. 

“Greyskull Keep. It says on the map that it should be, er – ” Vex’ahlia said as she looked around. “Over there, the gray building!” She pointed at a modern-looking tall gray building with lots of big windows. “It seems like we are on the seventh floor, apartment 7B."

Vax nodded and sped up toward the building. He had been carrying his heavy backpack for too long and needed to give his back a break. Vex followed him with a big, black shaggy-haired dog trotting by her side on a leash.

It was a bright sunny afternoon, the summer heat still blazing in the air, and the twins had just crossed half a city on foot, both carrying their heavy backpacks. At first glance, one would think of them as just a pair of students walking through campus. No one would suspect that they had all their lives’ possessions inside those backpacks. 

It didn’t take them long to find the entrance to the building, nor did it take them long to be stopped by a security guard.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t allow dogs." He said, pointing at the black dog.

“But I was told I could bring him," Vex’ahlia answered as she took her backpack off her shoulders and crouched on the floor, looking inside it for something. “I have a letter." Vex found the paper and handed it to the security guard with a smirk. His eyes moved from side to side, and his frown gave way to a smile.

“I stand corrected. Welcome to Greyskull Keep." He said, moving to the side to allow them in.

Once inside, the twins sighed in relief as the cold air hit their skins. Air conditioning was a luxury they weren’t accustomed to, so they would enjoy any chance they got. They crossed the large foyer toward the makeshift reception area, where a girl with a long blond braid greeted them with a smile.

“Hi, welcome in! My name is Allura."

“Oh, hi! I’m Vex’ahlia, this is my brother, Vax’ildan, and Trinket." Vex introduced them with a smile. Allura nodded in acknowledgment and quickly leafed through a few papers. 

“Ah-ha! Apartment 7B! It looks like one of your roommates has already moved in this morning. Here are the keys. Welcome to Greyskull Keep! If you need anything, you can find me in apartment 10A." She smiled as she handed them their keys.

The twins thanked her and followed the signs toward the elevators on one side of the building. Almost there. Vax adjusted the backpack again as he felt a pang on his lower back. 

Keyleth was finishing putting away the last of her clothes in the three-door wardrobe. Although she had picked what she assumed was the biggest room in the three-bedroom apartment, the room itself felt a bit cramped with three beds, instead of two like the other rooms, and only one desk to share. The two positive things about this room were that it had a private bathroom and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in tons of light, which would be great for her plants. 

As she moved about the room, she started mentally taking notes of things she wanted to get to make the place cozier, like a plush rug by her bed – she had claimed the one closest to the window, of course – plants, lots of plants, some fairy lights, a few photos from home that she had taken… yes. Keyleth would make this her home away from home.

Keyleth heard the apartment door open, and she promptly left the room, thinking it was her father returning with the food he had gone to pick up. She was instead met with a pair of very similar-looking people and a big shaggy dog, whose tail thumped against the open door. 

“Oh! Hello!” The girl greeted. Her brown hair was tied in a pretty braid that fell to the front of her shoulder, with a couple of blue feathers placed behind her ear, and she had pretty brown eyes and a charming smile. She was wearing a pair of jeans, which Keyleth thought was weird, considering how hot it was outside, and a blue t-shirt with a white dragon’s head on the chest. She was also the one holding the dark blue leash that was tethered to the dog.

“H– Hi." Keyleth greeted with a small wave. She could already feel the heat of a blush flaring on her cheeks.

“I’m Vex’ahlia, but you can call me Vex. This is Trinket." she gestured toward the dog, “and this is my brother, Vax’ildan."

The guy, Vax’ildan, looked exactly like his sister, except for a change in his facial features and the fact that he was a few inches taller. His hair was also long, but instead of being tied in a braid, he had it up in a bun, with a few strands falling down his face. He had a mysterious aura about him that Keyleth couldn’t pinpoint. Maybe it was the slightly smudged eyeliner, the black nail polish, or the tattoos on the inside of his arms. Or maybe it was the fact that he was wearing all black and a leather jacket, which on such a hot day like today was a grave mistake. 

“You can call me Vax." Keyleth’s cheeks flushed red as the smoky timbre of his voice reached her, sending a million tiny electric shocks down her spine. Oh, he’s handsome.

“H– Hi. I’m Key–." Keyleth choked. Suddenly, any semblance of thought was completely erased from her brain as Vax’s piercing gaze and smirk focused on her.

“Keyleth!” Korrin stood behind the twins – they had to be twins, right? It only made sense, since they looked so much alike – with two brown paper bags in his hands. 

“Dad!” Keyleth’s voice was a tad louder than she intended it to be.

“Oh, hi! I’m Keyleth’s father, Korrin." The man introduced himself, balancing the two bags in one hand and extending the other toward the twins.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Vex’ahlia, and this is my brother, Vax’ildan." Vex took his hand and shook it with a smile. 

“Ah, you must be Keyleth’s roommates, then." Vax took Korrin’s hand after his sister. Korrin lingered on the handshake, carefully examining Vax. There was something about him that Korrin couldn’t describe, something dangerous, mysterious, maybe? Whatever it was, the way his daughter looked at him caused alarm bells to ring in his mind. 

“Please, come inside and set your things down. Those bags look extremely heavy." Korrin said, gesturing toward the spacious living room. 

“Oh. Right. Since I was the first to arrive, I picked the biggest bedroom." Keyleth guided Vex through the open floor common area to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “Uh. Allura? I think that was her name…”

“Blonde hair in a braid?” Vex asked. Keyleth nodded in response. “Yeah, we met her too."

“Well, she told me we were assigned three girls to the apartment, so I picked the room with three beds for us girls," Keyleth explained, stopping in front of the open door to the bedroom in question.

“I see," Vex said, entering the room. It looked too cramped for her liking, especially since it would be the three of them, plus Trinket, but she couldn’t complain much. Vex set her backpack on the floor by the bed closest to the bathroom, and sat on the bed, testing the firmness of the mattress. It wasn’t too bad, not too firm, but not too soft. It would do.

“I’ll leave you alone to unpack," Keyleth said with a smile. She moved to leave the room but turned back as if she had forgotten something. She cautiously approached Trinket and gave him her hand to sniff, which he did, his tail thumping against the furniture. Seemingly happy with his reaction, Keyleth dug her fingers into the fur on top of his head. “Nice to meet you too, Trinket." she cooed. “I’ll be in the living room if you need anything," Keyleth said before she left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Vax stood in the doorway and watched the girls disappear around the corner. He looked around the common area, examining the apartment. The main entrance opened to the living room, where the back of a dark gray three-seat couch created a sort of division between the entrance and the room proper. Two comfortable-looking gray armchairs sat on each side of the couch, with a black coffee table in the middle, sitting on a light gray rug. In front of it was a black TV stand with a 45” TV, a tall bookshelf, and a standing light in the corner.

“You should go pick a bedroom, Vax’ildan," Korrin said kindly, reminding Vax that he was still blocking his path.

“Right." Vax nodded before he walked through the common area, following in the direction the girls had disappeared. The hallway had two doors on each side, and Vax could hear the low murmur of voices coming from the farthest room on the right, so, assuming that was the bedroom his sister would be staying in, Vax opened the door right next to it, finding another bedroom.

The room was pretty small and looked cramped. Two beds sat against the opposite wall, with a floor-to-ceiling window in between them, and each had a desk at its foot. On the wall next to the door were two decent-sized wardrobes, not too big, but not too small either, perfect for people who had enough clothes to fill them, which wasn’t Vax’s case.

Vax quickly set out to unpack his bag and put what little articles of clothing he had in the wardrobe furthest from the door, then stored the bag on top of it. He placed a few trinkets on the desk closest to that wardrobe, a picture frame of him, his sister and Trinket, his old laptop bag, and a few school supplies he had gotten ahead of time. Lastly, he placed his phone charger in the drawer of the nightstand near the bed he had chosen, and sat down, testing the firmness of the mattress. He had slept in worse places, so he couldn’t complain about the firmness. He was glad to be at least warm and to have a roof over his head. It was with this thought that he let himself fall onto the mattress and close his eyes.

Chapter Text

Ding . The elevator doors opened on the seventh floor. A short girl with pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes walked out, carrying a backpack that looked both too heavy and too big for her size, not to mention that she did not look like she was old enough to be in college.

The girl watched the doors close again and then turned toward the wooden door that led to the stairs just in time to see a tall, strong-built guy walk out. He was carrying one suitcase on each arm and had a big backpack on his shoulders. His face beamed into a smile as he saw the small girl.

“Oh! I almost beat you, Pike.” He said, setting down one of the suitcases before the girl. 

“You almost did, Grog!” She chuckled at him. Pike grabbed the suitcase, and they walked down the corridor, looking for their apartment number.

Keyleth and Korrin were eating in the living room when the door to the apartment opened, and in walked the tallest guy and the shortest girl Keyleth had ever seen. She quickly rose to her feet, followed by her dad, and rounded the couch to welcome them.

  “Oh! Hello! I’m Pike,” The girl introduced herself. “You must be one of our roommates.”

  “Yes! I’m Keyleth. Nice to meet you.” Keyleth waved. “This is my dad. He has been helping me move in.” Keyleth gestured toward Korrin, who had rounded up the couch and extended his hand to Pike and the other guy.

  “I’m Korrin. Nice to meet you.”

  “Hi, I’m Grog.” The tall guy said as he shook Korrin’s hand, who winced a little at the strength of the handshake.

  “It seems like our trio is complete, then,” Keyleth said excitedly, clapping her hands together. “Come on. I’ll show you to our room.” 

  Keyleth walked through the open bedroom door with Pike in tow just as Vex closed the wardrobe door after putting away the few clothes she had.

  “Ah… This is our other roommate.” Keyleth gestured bashfully to Vex.

  “Hello. I’m Vex’ahlia. Nice to meet you.” Vex greeted them with a smile and stepped back into the room to let them in. Upon hearing people in the room, Trinket lifted his big head from his paws to see what the commotion was about.

  “Nice to meet you, Vex’ahlia. I’m Pike.” The blonde girl greeted. “Oh! You have a dog. He’s so cute!”

  “Yes, his name is Trinket. I hope you don’t mind him.” Trinket jumped out of the bed, tail wagging, and moved towards Pike, who quickly stuffed her hands in his fur and petted him.

  “Oh, not at all. I love dogs. You’re such a good boy, aren’t you, Trinket?” Pike cooed, not needing to bend down much to pet him, seeing that Trinket was almost as tall as her.

After they all finished unpacking, the girls and Grog gathered in the living room – Keyleth taking the armchair closest to the bookshelf – and decided to order some pizzas for a housewarming party. They were discussing toppings when the front door opened with a loud thud, followed by a grunt.

“Oops. Sorry.” 

They all turned towards the door to see what was happening, and Trinket got up from where he lay at Vex’s feet to round the couch to investigate.

The apparent source of the noise came from a short guy with brown hair, dressed in ostentatious purple clothes, who was holding an equally flashy purple suitcase, much bigger than him, a smaller white suitcase, and what looked like to be a ukelele bag on his back. 

Behind him was another guy, although taller, dressed in a fancy blue coat, khaki pants, and a white buttoned shirt. His hair was stark white, and behind his rounded golden glasses stared a pair of piercing blue eyes.

Vex and Pike got up to help the newcomers with their luggage, wheeling their suitcases inside so that there was enough room to close the door behind them.

“Hello, ladies!” Said the shorter man, looking at the girls. “My name is Scanlan Shorthalt, and I will be your handsome savior and protector for the school year. Fear not, beautiful damsels,” he said, getting closer to the girls and holding Pike’s hand, kissing the back of it, “with the Scanman nearby, no harm will come to you.” He clutched Vex’s hand, and before he could kiss it, a voice came from the living room.

“Oy! They don’t need you protecting them,” Grog had gotten up and crossed the room to stand directly behind Pike. “That’s what I’m here for.” He said intimidatingly. 

Sclanlan quickly backed away, stumbling onto the white-haired guy still waiting at the door. “I apologize!” He said, raising his hands in a surrender pose.

“Nice to meet you, Scanlan,” Pike said with a kind smile. “My name is Pike. And who are you?” She asked the white-haired guy.

“I am Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.” He said, straightening his back and pushing his glasses higher on his nose bridge. Seeing everyone staring at him with open mouths, he sighed and added, “You can call me Percival or Percy, I guess.”

“Well, Percival,” Vex’ahlia said in a sultry voice, “welcome to apartment 7B. My name is Vex’ahlia, but you can call me Vex.” 

If anyone noticed Percy’s cheeks flushing as he nodded in acknowledgment, no one said a thing.

“And this is my brother, Grog. Please don’t pay him any mind.” Pike gestured behind her, rolling her eyes.

“Brother?” Scanlan asked, looking up. They did not look alike at all.

“Yes. Grog was adopted by my grandpa when we were young, and we grew up together as siblings.” Pike explained.

“Yeah, don’t worry. That’s a very normal reaction.” Grog added with a smile.

“Please, come in.” Vex’ahlia gestured to the living room. “We were about to order some pizzas if you want to join us.”

“That sounds great. I’m starving.” Scanlan said, following her into the living room, quickly followed by Percy and Pike.

“You can sit on the couch.” Pike pointed at Percy. “I’ll sit on the floor.”

Percy nodded and took the empty seat on the gray couch next to Vex’ahlia. Only then did he and Scanlan notice the other person, a red-haired girl wearing a yellow dress.

“Oh! Another beautiful lady!” Scanlan said with a grin, approaching Keyleth, who immediately retracted her hands to her lap. 

“H– Hi. I’m Keyleth.” She mumbled nervously. However, it seemed like Scanlan had gotten the message because instead of trying to take her hand, he shortened his smile and took a brief bow.

“Nice to meet you, Keyleth. I’m Scanlan.”

“And this is Trinket.” Vex’ahlia gestured to the big dog resting at her feet, wagging his tail. 

“There’s one bed available in each room,” Pike said. “You can either bunk with Grog or with Vex’s brother.”

“I’ll take the big guy. Sorry, Percival von Musseldorf.”

“That’s not–Ugh.” Percy sighed and raised the palm of his hand to his brow. “Alright, then.”

“Come, I’ll show you to your room.” Vex winked at Percy and beckoned him to follow her.

Vax was sitting on his bed reading a pamphlet with the dorm rules when his sister barged in, followed by a tall, white-haired, snotty-looking dude who carried two suitcases. Vax snorted at that. Good luck stuffing that many clothes in that tiny ass wardrobe.

“This is my brother, Vax,” Vex’ahlia turned to Percy. 

“Nice to meet you, Vax. I am Percival Fredric–”

“You can call him Percy,” Vex interrupted. Vax nodded in acknowledgment.

“Can I help you with something, sister?”

“Well, we are going to order some pizzas and hang out in the living room, and I wanted to know what kind of pizza you two would like,” Vex said, sitting on Vax’s bed. 

“I think I’ll stay in the room tonight,” Vax answered. 

“No, you’re not. You will have dinner with us and socialize like a normal person, Vax.” She stared daggers at him. Vax rolled his eyes at her but admitted defeat. 

“Cheese pizza is fine, then.”

“How about you, Percival?” Vex’s sultry voice returned. And so did the blush on Percy’s cheeks.

“Ah… Vegetarian? No olives, though.” Percy replied. He turned around pretending to open his suitcase, but he was trying to hide the redness in his cheeks.

“Alright. See you all later!” Vex left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Vax and Percy in uncomfortable silence as Percy started unpacking his things.

The group gathered around the living room coffee table two hours later. Vax was sitting on the couch between his sister and Keyleth; Percy and Grog had picked the armchairs, and Pike and Scanlan sat on the floor.

They had gotten four different types of pizza: vegetarian for Keyleth and Percy, cheese for the twins, triple meat for Grog and Pike, and just plain pepperoni for whoever wanted it, which was mostly just Scanlan. They also had bought beers for everyone after Scanlan claimed that every housewarming party needed alcohol and music, which he also provided by connecting his phone to the speakers in the living room.

“Let’s get to know each other a little, shall we?” Scanlan said, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Everyone cheered at the idea. However, Vax felt Keyleth tense right next to him, noticing her knuckles turn white against the bottle in her hands.

“Let’s start with an easy one. What is everyone studying?” Pike asked with a soft smile.

“I’m majoring in theater,” Scanlan answered. 

“Yep, that checks out.” Vex laughed.

“I’m doing sports,” Grog answered next. 

“By doing sports, he truly means doing sports. Grog is not very fond of studying.” Pike teased.

“Engineering for me,” Percy replied, fixing his glasses on his nose bridge.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Vex winked at Percy, who blushed immediately. “Vax and I are both doing the pre-med program, but I’m going into Veterinary afterward.”

“Wait, for real?” Pike asked excitedly. “I’m doing pre-med as well! I’m hoping to follow into medical studies.” 

“That is so cool! Does that mean we’ll have classes together?” Vex asked. 

“Yep, we sure are!” Pike answered. “How about you, Keyleth?” Keyleth blushed as all eyes turned toward her – all except for Vax, who was particularly keen to look at his own hands. 

“I–I’m majoring in Biology, so I think I might have a few classes in common with you all too.”

“Biology? That’s so cool. So all of us girls are science majors.” Pike said proudly. 

“Yes, big-brain girls,” Grog said, grinning.

“Where’s everyone from?” Scanlan asked, sipping on his beer.

“Grog and I are from Westruun, a town not far from here.”

“I’m from Whitestone. It’s pretty far from here and very cold most of the time.” Percy said, as a matter of factly.

“Vax and I are from here,” Vex said quickly. Keyleth could see Vax tense from the corner of her eye, and when she looked up, he was staring at his sister in confusion. 

“I’m from Marquet,” Scanlan announced, winking at the girls.

“And you, Keyleth?” Percy asked this time, bringing her attention back to the conversation.

“Me what?”

“Where are you from?” Vex’ahlia asked with a soft smile.

“Oh. I’m from Zephrah. It’s… on the Summit Peaks.”

“I’ve heard of it, the Summit Peaks. Not too far from Stilben, correct?” Percy asked, to which Keyleth nodded. 

Vax felt Keyleth relax next to him as the conversation moved on. He risked a peek in her direction and noticed her fidgeting with the label of the practically empty bottle of beer on her lap. He lifted his eyes toward her face and saw her looking down, her face still slightly pink from blush and the freckles across her nose prominent against her porcelain skin. Vax’s heart skipped a beat as her bright green eyes met his, filled with curiosity, nervousness, and something else he couldn’t pinpoint.

Keyleth let out a sigh as the conversation moved on. She hated being the center of attention and was never comfortable in big social gatherings, even though she had to attend a few due to her father’s work. However, Keyleth still felt like she was being watched, and when she looked up, she saw Vax looking at her curiously. His cheeks flushed a little when he realized she had caught him staring, and he turned his gaze away toward his lap. 

Vax didn’t seem comfortable either. He had been quiet all night, only briefly answering if questions were directed at him. Keyleth understood how that felt and realized she didn’t feel uncomfortable with him looking at her or just his presence near her. From the corner of her eyes, Keyleth saw him grab his phone and start playing a puzzle game she always played whenever she wanted to distract herself from real life. She allowed a smile at the coincidence and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Chapter Text

The first month of school went the same way all first months go, between the chaos of finding classrooms, gathering all the materials, copying syllabi, and getting to know their class and roommates. 

The weather had started to change as Sydenstar came to a close, and Keyleth had to unwillingly put away her flowery summer dresses and replace them with hand-knit sweaters and jeans. As much as she loved the fall and its beautiful red colors, it always pained her when the days grew shorter.

Due to all the stress of classes, Keyleth barely had time to call her father to let him know how she was adjusting to the big city, so when she returned to the apartment one chilly afternoon, she sighed in relief for the weekend ahead. As she passed Vax and Percy’s bedroom, Keyleth heard the muffled sounds of the twins arguing, so she rushed past the closed door towards the bedroom she shared with Vex and Pike.

“Hello?” Korrin’s voice sounded through Keyleth’s phone.

“Dad!” Keyleth’s cheerful voice masked any sign of exhaustion and sadness. 

“Hey, sprout. How are you doing?”

“Sorry I haven’t called you in a while, dad. I’ve been really busy with school.” Keyleth said, plopping down on the bed. “And I’m good, dad. How are you?”

“I’m good, darling. Are you coming home for Harvest’s Fest?”

“I don’t think so if that’s okay with you?” Keyleth bit her lower lip in anticipation. She wanted to go home, but the last month had been so chaotic, and she had so much schoolwork to finish.

“That’s perfectly fine, honey. Are you going to be alright in Emon by yourself?” Korrin asked, worried.

“Oh. The twins are staying, so I won’t be alone.” 

“The twins?” Keyleth heard Korrin shift on the other side. “I see. Anyone else?”

“Nope, just them. Everyone else is leaving tomorrow.” Korrin hummed at this. 

“And how are things with the twins?”

“Dad… they’re fine. They’re nice.” Keyleth rolled her eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Keyleth.” How the fuck? “I’ve known you for eighteen years. I can hear you roll your eyes, young lady.”

“Sorry,” Keyleth mumbled.

“How have classes been, other than busy?”

“Good,” Keyleth replied shortly. “Some are a bit confusing, but I’ll be alright.”

“Are you sure? Have you been studying?”

“Yes, dad, I have. I’m actually glad that I’m staying. I have a lot of work to do.” Keyleth lied.

“Yeah, maybe staying is not so bad after all. I have to go. I have a meeting in five minutes. I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

“Okay, dad. Good luck with your meeting.” 

“Thank you, sprout. I love you, and I miss you.” The sadness in Korrin’s voice was heart-wrenching.

“I love you and miss you too, dad,” Keyleth said as tears fell down her face.

One of the disadvantages of sharing a room with someone else – or in Keyleth’s case, with two other people – was that there was rarely an opportunity to be alone. She had barely hung up the phone when Vex walked in, slamming the door behind her.

“Ugh.” She groaned, sitting on her bed. 

“Everything alright, Vex?” Keyleth asked, sitting up and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

“No,” Vex rubbed her face with her hands, “my brother is being an absolute ass.” She finally looked at Keyleth, who tried to hide her face behind her hair. “Oh. Are you okay?”

Keyleth nodded with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She really did not feel like talking to anyone. The past week had been horrible, filled with anxiety, and all she wanted all week was to be alone for a while so she could cry and let out her frustrations, but Vex seemed upset, and Keyleth didn’t have the heart to ignore it.

“What did he do?”

“We’re all going out tonight, and Vax is very determined to stay and hide in his room forever and not make any friends. Are you sure you’re alright, dear?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Keylety lied. “So, you want Vax to go out with everyone?”

Vex nodded and cocked her head at Keyleth, not believing the lie but not pushing either. “I know it sounds stupid,” She admitted with a slump of her shoulders, “but it has been just the two of us for years. Vax is always so worried about me, taking care of me and making sure I’m safe. I just wish he would relax for a night, meet new people, and be a normal college student.”

“I’m sorry, Vex,” Keyleth offered a sympathetic look.

“It’s fine,” Vex got up and started looking for clothes in her wardrobe. “At least you’re coming with us, right?”

Keyleth was startled at the question. She had heard Vex and Pike talk about it all week, even with the boys, but not once had she been asked if she wanted to join them, so she just assumed she wasn’t invited.

“Actually…”

“What? Keyleth!” Vex groaned. 

“I’m sorry, I have plans.” Keyleth lied again.

“We’ve been talking about this all week.” 

“We can go tomorrow night if you want!” Keyleth offered.

“Everyone is leaving tomorrow. Do you really want to go out with just Vax and me?” Vex pulled out a black dress and set it on her bed, looking at Keyleth with an arched eyebrow.

Keyleth didn’t know how to tell her that she didn’t want to go out at all, that crowded bars were not her thing, and that she would much rather get some drinks and stay home, so she just shrugged.

“Whatever. I guess you can stay with my brother and be antisocial together then.” Vex walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Keyleth heard the shower running soon after, and she willed her tears back.

It had barely been an hour since his sister and their roommates left for the bar, and Vax was starting to wonder if it had been a good idea to stay home. Not that he didn’t trust Vex’ahlia to be able to take care of herself or that the boys wouldn’t let any harm come to her – especially with Grog around – but sometimes being apart from her made him feel like part of him was gone. Vax decided that just because he didn’t go out, it didn’t mean he couldn’t drink, and he knew their fridge was well stocked with beers – thanks, Scanlan –, besides Keyleth had been studying in the living room for hours, and she probably needed a break.

“Keyleth, do you want a–” As Vax rounded the corner, he saw Keyleth sitting on the rug, between the couch and the coffee table, with her knees up to her chest and her head resting on her knees, shoulders shaking. “Keyleth?” He called softly, pushing deeper into the room.

Keyleth lifted her head slowly in his direction with glossy eyes and a blotchy red face from crying. 

“Hey…” He kneeled next to her, and Keyleth let him pull her into a hug. “It’s okay. Let it out.” Vax whispered reassuringly, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

Vax held Keyleth until her sobs subsided and he felt her pull away with a sniffle. He waited patiently as she grabbed tissues from her bag and blew her nose, and only when she sought eye contact did he offer her a comforting smile as if he was saying I’m here if you need to talk.

“I’m sorry about that.” Keyleth frowned at him.

“Do you want to talk about it over a drink?” Vax asked, getting to his feet. 

“S–sure,”

“So, what happened?” He asked, handing Keyleth a beer and sitting by her side. Their shoulders rubbed against each other, and Vax couldn’t help but feel a weird sense of comfort.

Keyleth sighed and took a long sip before she answered him. “Have you ever questioned a decision you made?”

Vax’s arm stopped as he was bringing the bottle to his lips, and he tilted his head thoughtfully. “I have, yes. Have you been having doubts about something?” 

Keyleth sighed and drank again. “I’ve been wondering if I made the right decision in applying to college. Classes have been so exhausting, and I feel like I’m not keeping up, not to mention that I barely even have time to do any of the things that I like.”

Vax hummed in understanding and let his head fall back to the couch. He could see Keyleth’s shoulders sagging a bit as she fumbled with the label of the bottle, her head lowered so that most of her face was hidden by her hair. Though he couldn’t see her, he could hear the sadness and anxiety in her voice.

“You’re not alone, Keyleth. I’ve been asking myself the same thing, and I know that Pike and Vex have also felt like they’re falling behind in classes.”

“Vex and Pike are so smart. They will be able to catch up before exams come. Sometimes I wonder if I should have stayed home, learned from my father, and taken over the family business.” Keyleth muttered. 

“You are smart too.” Vax touched her shoulder, and Keyleth looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears again. “Have you talked to your father about how you feel?”

“No…” Keyleth’s voice trembled. “I just talked to him today for the first time since classes started. I’ve been so busy.” Tears started streaming down her face, and Vax’s heart clenched in his chest. 

“Are you going home for the holidays?” Vax knew she had mentioned that she was probably staying behind, but a few days had passed since he heard her talk about it. Keyleth shook her head in denial, letting out a loud sob, and Vax pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her and resting her head on his chest. She smelled like lavender and had a hint of dirt, undoubtedly from any lab work she had done earlier that day.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes until Keyleth pulled away, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand and apologizing with a wet chuckle.

“You miss your dad. I understand that,” Vax said reassuringly. “I meant what I said, Keyleth,” He added. “You are really smart. You’ve made it here, and I know you can do this. If you want, we can study together this weekend.”

“T–thank you, Vax.” She smiled softly at him.

“Of course. Now… how do you feel about video games?” Vax asked, turning on the TV and plugging in the console that Pike and Grog had brought. 

They spent the rest of the night chatting, playing games, and drinking. By the time everyone returned home, Keyelth’s mood had drastically improved. She could think about classes and studying later, but for now, she would enjoy a moment of respite.

Chapter Text

As someone who gets overwhelmed quickly in extensive social contexts, sharing a house with six other people can be exhausting, so Vax’ildan tries to enjoy the moments of solitude as much as he can. 

Vax enjoyed being alone in the darkness of his room, with music as his only company and a dagger in his hands, which is what he was doing when his bedroom door opened. At first, he thought it was Vex since Percy had already left, but then he saw a hint of red hair from the corner of his eyes. When he looked to the door, Keyleth’s head was peeking through, one hand in front of her eyes. Vax could see her lips moving but couldn’t hear anything she was saying. It took him a couple of seconds to realize the music was too loud, so he paused the song and took off his earbuds.

“Hi, Keyleth. Sorry. I couldn’t hear you. Did you need anything?” He asked, sitting up and looking at her.

Keyleth let herself in, closing the door behind her. She had a faint blush on her cheek and was thrumming nervously with her fingers.

“I–I was wondering if you wanted to study with me?” She spoke in a sweet soft voice that made Vax’s toes curl.

“Yeah, of course,” Vax set the blade on his nightstand under Keyleth’s confused gaze. He waited for her to say something, but when she didn’t, he got up from the bed and walked towards her. “I did offer to study with you.”  

They sat on the living room rug, their backs leaning against the couch, with their books opened on the coffee table in front of them all morning. Keyleth was amazed at how patient Vax was with her, answering all her questions and explaining the topics. When he didn’t know the answer right away, she would watch him comb the books for answers until he looked at her with the grin of someone who had found the meaning of life.

Keyleth knew should be paying attention to what he was telling her, but instead, she couldn’t stop staring at his dark eyes, so full of mystery but so calm and kind at the same time. She realized that Vax spent a lot of time by himself or with Vex, only joining the rest of the group when Vex annoyed him to death. Keyleth couldn’t blame him. She found it hard to be around people as well. She was always concerned about what they would think or say or about her saying something ridiculous and being mocked, and that was why she was always quiet.

She hadn’t been alone with Vax that often, but whenever they happened to be alone, she didn’t feel like that. She somehow knew that Vax would not mock her for saying anything stupid or that he would think badly of her, and she felt comfortable with him enough to be herself and make jokes. She didn’t see him smile often – and had never heard him laugh – but she could swear that every time she tripped, spilled something, or said anything remotely funny, she could see the corner of his mouth curl into a smile – not in ridicule, but in amusement –, and that was enough of a win for her.

Later that night, Keyleth cooked one of her favorite vegetarian meals for the twins. They ate it together in the living room since the kitchen table was too large for just three people while drinking beer and chatting. Vex was surprised her brother had joined them, but he seemed light and carefree for once, chatting with a smile on his face. 

“You two should totally cook tomorrow, and I’ll take care of the decorations.” She said, pointing at Keyleth and Vax with her bottle and then at herself. She stifled a laugh as they looked at each other in embarrassment. “Just because it’s only the three of us, it doesn’t mean that we don’t get to celebrate Harvest’s Close.”

“Oh. That sounds fun.” Keyleth clapped her hands excitedly, looking at Vax with a begging expression.

“Come on, brother,” Vex teased him. “You can make your amazing pumpkin pie.”

“I don’t know, Vex’ahlia.” Vax’s smile fell, and he started looking around nervously. Shit. He was doing so well.

“You don’t have to, Vax,” Keyleth spoke softly, placing a hand on his arm. Vex noticed how her brother blushed and avoided her gaze, but most importantly, she also caught how Keyleth blushed too. Oh no, this is going to be a problem. “Although, I do love pumpkin pie,” Keyleth added, hooking a finger under her chin contemplative.

“So do I,” Vex pointed out. “And your pumpkin pie is the best in the world. You cannot deprive us of that delicacy, brother.”

“Alright, I’ll do it.” Vax surrendered when Vex looked at him with pleading eyes, but deep down, she knew it hadn’t been her to convince him, but Keyleth. This is going to be a problem indeed.

They spent the rest of the night making plans for the next day. Vex gathered a few coins from the twins’ shared savings for decorations, and Keyleth offered to pay for the food by herself – including the pie ingredients – refusing to take any of the twins’ money. By the end of the night, all three were exhausted but excited. 

Vex couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her brother smile the way he did when he and Keyleth started making plans for the next day. Not the ear-to-ear grin he had as they planned what time they would get groceries together , nor the shine in his eyes when he asked Keyleth what time they should start cooking together . But the cherry on top of the cake for Vex was hearing her brother ask Keyleth – when he thought Vex wasn’t listening – if she would be okay if he helped her with the main dish.

Vex knew she should be happy about her brother, but she also knew he loved so effortlessly and got hurt even easier. She decided not to say anything yet but would keep an eye on them. Vax had done so much to keep Vex safe that she would not let Keyleth break his heart.

Chapter Text

Keyleth loves mornings. She loves the quietness of the world as the sun rises on the horizon, the chirp of birds on the trees welcoming the new day, and the idea that she has an entire day ahead of her. 

When the clock struck 9 a.m., Keyleth was already up, albeit still in her soft green pajamas. Vex’ahlia was still sleeping on the bed next to her, the massive shaggy dog curled at her feet, snoring softly. Keyleth and Vax’ildan weren’t supposed to leave for another two hours, but she wanted to try and get some studying done beforehand, so she picked up her books and headed to the kitchen.

Keyleth quickly turned on the coffee maker, starting a pot of coffee for her and her friends. Since she was usually one of the first people to wake up, she appointed herself with the task of making coffee for everyone. She had found out how much her roommates loved to wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning, and she wanted nothing more but to make them happy. 

As she prepared to start making breakfast, the sounds of footsteps surprised her as Vax turned around the corner, his sleepy eyes half closed, with messy loose hair and wearing only pajama bottoms. The vision of his tanned torso and the unkempt look of his hair was enough to make Keyleth’s heart race as a fire spread through her cheeks. 

“I guess it makes sense that you’re a morning person,” Vax greeted bashfully, his voice still hoarse from sleep, sending a weird warm feeling to Keyleth’s stomach.

Keyleth tried, but she couldn’t stop staring at him, especially his torso, as she noticed little marks of old scars and a bigger one on the left side of his abdomen. She finally willed herself to turn around, and without Vax in her eyesight, she eventually found her words again.

“Wou–would you like breakfast?” She offered, grabbing the carton of eggs.

“Sure, why not.” 

Keyleth tried to distract herself by making scrambled eggs and toast. However, during the whole process, all she could think about was Vax and what he would be doing – she had heard the soft scraping of a chair, so she guessed he had sat down. – Was he staring at her as she made them food? For some reason, that didn’t make her uncomfortable.

“How come you’re awake this early?” Keyleth asked after a while as she placed the sliced bread on the toaster. She heard the scrape of the chair again, and suddenly Vax was next to her, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard – she couldn’t help but smile as he grabbed her favorite cup – and poured coffee into them.

“I couldn’t sleep very well,” Vax replied with a shrug. 

Keyleth hummed and finished the eggs in silence, dividing them into two plates and adding the toast, and they sat at the kitchen table eating, her books long forgotten on the other side of it.

“Do you have insomnia?” Keyleth asked Vax, who nodded. “Yeah, me too sometimes. I have a really good tea for it. It never fails to make me fall asleep.”, Keyleth smiled at him, trying to keep her gaze focused on his face. “If you want, I can make you some next time you can’t sleep.” She offered.

“Thank you, Keyleth. That would be amazing,” Vax replied bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. Keyleth couldn’t resist the temptation anymore, and her eyes traveled to his arm as he flexed it next to his head, feeling herself melt in her chair.

“Are you okay?” Vax asked her with a mischievous smirk that made Keyleth’s stomach jump. She nodded, looking down as if suddenly, her empty plate was the most mesmerizing thing in the world.

“Just… not used to sharing a house with another man,” she mumbled, “you know... other than my dad.”

“I’m sorry, Keyleth. I can put on a shirt if you’re uncomfortable,” Vax offered, but Keyleth shook her head. “You can always tell me if I ever do something that makes you uncomfortable.” His smile was kind and warm.

“It’s okay. And I will.” She tried to reassure him.

“I’ll clean this up. Go get ready.” Vax gestured towards her bedroom as he started to collect the dishes on the table.

“Aren’t you a gentleman,” She teased him as Vax set the dishes in the sink.

“Go. Before I change my mind!” Vax chuckled, pointing the sponge at her with a menacing look.

Keyleth squealed and grabbed her books, running from the kitchen before he did change his mind and made her clean.

Vax knew how to cook. However, it was rare for him to cook his own meals, and because of this, he had never cared much for grocery shopping. He wasn’t a fan of supermarkets either, especially on big holidays and weekends, as they always felt too crowded, but he had to admit that getting groceries with Keyleth was a fun experience.

Vax couldn’t stop admiring how Keyleth fluttered around the stalls, examining all the fruits and vegetables. He smiled as she picked some apples, turned them in her hand to check for brown spots, and then brought them closer to her nose to smell them. Seemingly happy with whatever she was looking for – probably signs of freshness – Keyleth placed them in the cart and fluttered to another display of vegetables.

He was so lost in a trance that he didn’t notice an old couple looking at him with a smile until the older lady approached him, realizing he was standing in front of the display of tomatoes that they were trying to reach. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized with a smile as he pushed the cart a bit forward to give the lady room to reach the red fruits.

“She’s very pretty,” the old lady said sweetly, nodding to Keyleth, who was holding and examining one small pumpkin in each hand. 

“She is,” Vax stuttered, blushing. 

“You two make a cute couple,” the old lady said as she grabbed a handful of tomatoes and left with another kind smile. 

Vax was still speechless and red when Keyleth returned, holding a sizable pumpkin – much larger than what he needed – in her hands.

“Alright, vegetables are all done–” Keyleth scribbled something on the list, thankfully not paying attention to Vax, which allowed him to hide the blush. “Let’s go grab the eggs.”

Vax pushed the cart diligently through the aisles, and as he did, he started noticing that the supermarket was getting full, and a familiar nervousness filled his stomach. He tried to hide it from Keyleth, but soon his hands started shaking, and he stopped paying attention to where he was going, almost hitting someone else’s cart.

“Vax?” Keyleth called his name softly, placing a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t like crowds,” Vax whispered, glancing around, his body tensing.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” Keyleth said before she took off toward the eggs. Although it was easy to keep an eye on her, with her blazing red hair floating behind her back, Vax’s heart only unclenched when she was by his side, placing the cardboard carton in the cart. 

“We can go.” Keyleth nodded toward the registers, and Vax started pushing in their direction. Keyleth stayed close to him, making sure there was some sort of physical contact, either by placing her hand on his arm or pressing their shoulders together. It felt reassuring as if she wanted him to know he was not alone. Once they reached a relatively empty register, Vax tried helping her put the groceries on the belt, but Keyleth must have noticed that his hands were shaking.

“Vax, why don’t you go ahead with the bags? I’ll take care of this.” Her voice was sweet like honey, and Vax felt compelled to do as she told him. He nodded at her and pushed forward, his hand accidentally brushing the middle of her back. Vax felt Keyleth's muscles tense, and she released a shallow gasp as he crossed behind her, and alarm bells started ringing in his head. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. It took her a while to answer, but she eventually nodded with a smile and a light blush on her cheeks.

By the time they arrived home, Vax felt much more relaxed, and his hands had stopped shaking, so he helped Keyleth put away the groceries.

“You can go to your room if you want,” Keyleth told him. He cocked his head at her, confused. “I know that was overwhelming, so it’s okay if you want to be alone.”

Vax lowered his head in embarrassment and didn’t say anything. 

“I don’t like crowds either,” she confessed. “I don’t like people looking at me. I feel like everyone is judging me, and I can’t breathe.”

Vax raised his eyes to her, seeing her lean against the island, not too far from him, and he nodded. “And it feels like something bad is going to happen.” He added, to which she nodded back.

“I felt safe today,” Keyleth admitted with a blush, “with you there. I knew you wouldn’t let anything bad happen.” She smiled softly at him. Vax blushed and started fumbling with his leather jacket. He felt the same way. Somehow, Keyleth’s presence made him feel less scared, and he realized he spent less time looking around for escape routes and more time absorbed in her fluttering about.

“If you really don’t mind…” He mumbled, and Keyleth shook her head, waving him off. 

“Go. I think I’m going to study anyway.”

“No studying today,” Vax scowled at her. “You need a break!”

“Okay! I’ll just go read a book then.” She chuckled.

“Good!” Vax smirked at her before he left her standing in the kitchen with a look of glee on her face.

Chapter Text

Greyskull Keep was first and foremost a student dormitory, even if in the shell of an apartment building, and like any other college dorms, not a lot of money and thought was put into its furnishing: the appliances were good enough so that the students didn’t have to worry about finding repairs, and the cabinets and counters built from cheap wood materials. That said, Keyleth was still glad to have a fully furnished kitchen she could cook in, even if a small one.

One of the things Keyleth loved the most about holidays was gathering her family and cooking with her dad, so it was bittersweet to see the display in front of her: half of the island was covered with an assortment of vegetables and other ingredients for the main meal, and the other half had everything that Vax needed for his pumpkin pie.

“It has been a while since I’ve cooked,” Vax admitted nervously. He had changed into an older set of clothes, albeit still black, and was wearing Keyleth’s pastel yellow apron with embroidered bees and flowers of all colors.

“It’s just like riding a bicycle,” Keyleth grinned at him as she started cutting the squash on the counter in front of her.

“Is this a bad time to mention that I don’t know how to ride a bicycle?” Vax chuckled nervously, holding the bag of flour in one hand and a measuring cup in the other.

“Oh, no.” Keyleth looked at him in amusement. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I didn’t learn until I was ten.” She admitted with a blush, and Vax snickered in reply.

 One of the first things Keyleth noticed as they started cooking was that Vax was really handy with a knife. The second thing she noticed about him was that he always managed to make a mess regardless of what he was doing. After Vax spilled flour and sugar on the floor a few times, his pumpkin pie was finally ready to go in the oven, and he set it aside so he could quickly clean up the mess he had made.

“Is there anything I can do to help you?” He asked Keyleth with a smile. 

“Here,” Keyleth handed him a bowl of potatoes. “Can you cut these into cubes without making a mess?”

“For you?” Vax leaned in closer, his hand resting on hers on the knife handle, making Keyleth’s stomach jump. “They will be perfectly cut and not a single drop on the floor.”

Altogether, it barely took two hours to have a fully finished meal on the table, which Vex’ahlia had decorated with napkins, candles, and a small centerpiece shaped like a black witch’s hat with purple ribbon and a wooden flying broom leaning on it. Displayed proudly in the center was the main dish, a large vegetable casserole that Keyleth had worked hard on, and around it were several other smaller sides, like gratin potatoes – which Vax had kept his word and not a single drop had fallen to the floor –, butternut squash and apple salad with dried cranberries, and spicy cauliflower rice.

“Keyleth, this is amazing,” Vex said with a smile.

“It smells so good. You did an amazing job,” Vax clapped her shoulder with a smirk. 

“T-thank you, guys.” Seeing the twins’ awed faces was a much better reward than Keyleth had ever hoped for. “Let’s eat!”

“So, Keyleth, how do you usually spend your Harvest’s Close?” Vex asked, spooning a large serving of casserole onto her plate.

“The town where I’m from, Zephrah, hosts a big, shared festival every year where all the farmers and producers of the area bring their products to sell and display. It’s a way to show everyone in town the efforts of their labor, the season’s harvest, no pun intended,” She chuckled. Keyleth started feeling some anxiety when she saw how entranced Vex’ahlia was in her story, but when she looked at Vax, who was equally, if not more, enraptured, it all vanished. Vax was looking at her with such adoration and admiration like he needed every word she spoke as much as he needed air.

“We usually have a large potluck, and everyone in town brings food and drinks. My dad and I are in charge of plant-based main dishes since we have a small community of vegetarians, and I’m always the dessert table supervisor, so I have to make sure the little ones don’t go poking their fingers in the numerous pies and cakes we have.”

“Vax used to do that when we were young.” Vex rolled her eyes at her brother, and they all chuckled. 

“Do you have any other traditions at your festival?” Vax’s eyes were glimmering, and Keyleth noticed how Vex’s head whipped in his direction in shock.

“Uh–We do,” she ignored it and continued, focusing her gaze on her plate and only glancing at Vax a few times to boost her confidence. “Besides the display stalls for selling produce and other products from the farmers, we also have artisanal sellers, games for the kids to play, and entertainment for everyone. Then when the sun sets, we light a giant bonfire and share stories and songs around the fire. And we have a large cherry tree in the center of town that we always fill with so many fairy lights, and when night comes, we light it up as well, and it almost looks like it’s daytime. When I was young, I would lay down underneath it, my stomach hurting after I ate so many desserts and candy, and I would imagine the fairy lights swinging with the breeze were the last fireflies of summer saying goodbye. It’s funny because I would always wake up in my bed the next morning, thinking it was magic, until one day when I found out that my dad would always carry me home at the end of the night because I would fall asleep under the tree.”

“You sound like you miss home a lot,” Vex pointed out sadly, to which Keyleth nodded.

“Are you going home for Winter’s Crest?” Vax asked.

“Well, yeah. We have the entire week off, and my dad would probably fly to Emon and drag me home if I didn’t go.” Keyleth joked. 

“Your dad sounds amazing, by the way.” Vex stared at her plate, petting Trinket, who was sitting straight next to her, waiting for his share of the meal.

“He’s pretty cool.” 

“Pretty cool? He came all the way over to help you move in.” Vax snickered, “That sounds like an amazing father.”

Keyleth was about to ask the twins about their father, but she noticed the warning look that Vex gave her brother, and she realized that she had never heard them mention any parents. Several questions flooded her mind – How about your parents? Did your mom teach you how to cook? What does your dad do for a living ? – but by the time she decided to ask the twins how they usually celebrated Harvest’s Close, they were already enthralled in conversation about school, so she dropped the subject for later and enjoyed their company and the amazing meal.

“What the fuck was that at dinner, brother?” Vex asked, sitting at the end of her bed with a huff. 

“What are you talking about, stubby?” Vax smiled, sitting opposite of her. 

“You were drooling all over Keyleth.”

“What?” He laughed. “You’re insane, Vex.”

“Did you just laugh? I haven’t heard you laugh in months. Are you two fucking? Is that why you spent all day with her?” Vex asked in scorn.

“Keyleth and I are just friends, Vex’ahlia,” Vax’s smile fell. “Besides, you were the one who pushed me into baking that pie.”

“I didn’t force you to go get groceries with her or spend the afternoon in the kitchen cooking together. The pie takes 20 minutes to make.”

Vax rolled his eyes at her and leaned in, placing his hands on her shoulders. “We are just friends, stubby.”

“Good, because I have to share a room with her, and the last thing I need is for you to start fucking my roommate, okay? That would be so fucking awkward.”

“What about you and whitey?” Vax asked, cocking his head.

“What about it?” Vex swallowed dry.

“You two have been hanging out a lot, haven’t you?” Vax wiggled his eyebrows in amusement.

“We are just friends, brother,” Vex’ahlia said coldly, getting up from the bed.

“I’m sure he would love to be much more than that,” Vax got up and pulled her into a hug, “but if he touches you, I will have to kill him.”

“Please, I can take care of myself,” Vex sneered, looking him in the eyes.

Vax knew his sister could take care of herself, she had to do so many times before, but he also knew she loved and appreciated how protective he was towards her, especially when men were involved.

“I just don’t want him to hurt you, that’s all.”

“I’m not mom, Vax. I won’t fall for his smooth talk.” Vex pulled away from him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You’re the one who needs to be careful, brother.”

“What do you mean?” Vax stepped back in shock.

“Even the prettiest roses have thorns.”

“I told you, we are nothing but friends, and even if we were, it’s my heart, and I get to choose who breaks it.” Vax huffed in frustration, turning his back on her and storming off the bedroom.

*CW: Mention of dead parents starts here.*

Keyleth finished putting away the last of the clean dishes from dinner, turning around to see the half-eaten pie on the island in front of her. Memories flooded back to her, of meals and pies, of her and her dad cooking early in the morning, of them picking up fresh produce the day before. She furrowed her brow in concentration, trying to recall her mother’s presence in the kitchen with them, the touch of her fingers on Keyleth’s hand as she guided her through the pumpkin patch, or the glimmer of her eyes when Keyleth showed her the perfect pumpkin that she had picked from the ground herself, but all she could remember was an empty face, an empty touch, a pair of dull and cold green eyes that belonged to someone else.

The first Harvest’s Close after Vilya’s death was the hardest. Keyleth was too young to remember much of it, so all she could remember was an overwhelming feeling of emptiness inside her as if something important was missing from her life. It wasn’t until she was a teenager that those feelings started to subside, and, as Keyleth grew up, she learned to relish the moments she had with her dad, so being away from home for the first time, especially on such an important holiday, was being very painful for her – a much as she tried to hide it from the twins.

But now she was finally alone since the twins had disappeared to their respective bedrooms, and all the overwhelming feelings of the day finally rushed through her heart. Keyleth couldn’t remember what her mom looked like anymore, what she smelled like, or what her voice sounded like. She couldn’t remember the mornings when she would open the soft yellow curtains of her bedroom to let the sunlight in or how her mom would always say, “Good morning, sunshine!” as she did so. Keyleth couldn’t remember the warm chamomile tea with honey her mom would make her every night before bed or how her voice sounded rough and exhausted after a day of work as she read her bedtime stories.

What Keyleth could remember, though, was how long it took for her dad to pick up the small habits of her mother in an attempt to fill the void. She remembered how it took him months to greet her the way her mom did every morning, how he always forgot the honey until he saw Keyleth get up one night and walk barefoot to the empty and dark kitchen to add honey to her tea. Keyleth smiled melancholically at the memories of her father, exhausted after a day of work, asking her if she would like a bedtime story, and Keyleth, too scared she would forget her mom’s voice if he did read to her, had told him no, she was okay. She wasn’t okay, though, and deep down, she knew that when her dad kissed her goodnight, his heart tightened in his chest for not being able to fill that emptiness inside his little girl.

Keyleth fell to the ground with a soft thud, her back hunching against the dull cream-colored counter as she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head between them. Her tears were warm and fast, and her shoulders shook as she tried to stifle a sob, then another one, and a third one until she couldn’t hold it anymore. 

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, and the familiar scent of soap filled her mind as she was pulled into someone’s chest, not needing to open her eyes to know who it belonged to. Vax ran one hand up and down her spine comforting her, the other tight against the back of her head, pressing her deep against his sweater. “Let it out.” He whispered barely loud enough, the air of his voice soft against her head, and Keyleth cried harder, burying her hands into his clothing and pulling him closer to her.

She didn’t know how long it took for her to stop crying. What was probably only a few minutes felt like hours, but eventually, Keyleth’s sobs turned into sighs of exhaustion, and she realized she was practically sitting on Vax’s lap, his sweater damp from where she had buried her face. He was still holding her tightly, his hand now rubbing circles on the small of her back, and his slow, steady breath puffed warmly against her hair.

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth’s voice was weak, and her eyes were still glimmering when she pulled away from him.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” his voice was soft and warm, and Keyleth wanted to bury herself into his chest and cry again. Instead, she let him pull her to her feet and drag her to the couch.

“Your sweater–”

“It’s okay,” Vax smiled at her lovingly as he sat on the couch, pulling her with him.

Keyleth sat down by his side, slightly turned so she was facing him, and Vax wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I–” Keyleth’s eyes welled with tears again, and Vax squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I miss my mom,” she finally voiced what she had been trying to hide all day, and tears streamed down again. 

For the second time that night, Vax’s arms wrapped around her and pulled her into his lap, pressing her head into his chest as he pressed soft kisses to the crown of her head. 

“I miss my mom too.” 

From the tone of his voice, Keyleth could tell he understood her pain, so she brought her teary eyes up to meet his and said softly, “I’m so sorry Vax.”

“It’s okay.” He replied with a sad smile.

“I’m here if you ever need to talk,” Keyleth nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. The smell of his cologne was intoxicating, and Keyleth held tightly against him, feeling the hardness of his chest against her hand. 

“I know, Kiki. And I will always be here if you need me.”

*CW ends here.*

Keyleth’s heart pounded so loudly in her chest that she knew Vax could hear and feel it. She didn’t want to let go of him, and Vax didn’t seem to want to let go of her either, not from how tight his arms were around her, so she let herself cry again until exhaustion took over. 

When Keyleth woke up the next morning, it took her a few seconds to realize Vax was asleep underneath her, his arms still surrounding her tightly, and her cheeks flushed red as her heart sped in her chest. Vax felt warm and soft, and his breathing was so relaxed and slow that if Keyleth didn’t have her ear against his heart, she would have guessed he wasn’t alive. She felt comfortable with him in ways she had never felt with anyone else, so once the initial embarrassment vanished, Keyleth found herself being lulled back to sleep by his steady breathing, smiling at the thought of his arms wrapping around her, how his warm his breath felt against her hair the previous night, and how kind he was to her all the time.

Chapter Text

Just like every day, the large dust-filled old auditorium was full of still half-asleep students, most of which were typing notes on their laptops while sipping coffee, and somewhere in the middle of the room sat Pike, Vex, and Keyleth, the last two standing out by the lack of a computer in front of them. Keyleth did her best to pay attention in classes – especially the ones she had the most difficulty understanding the subject – always focusing on what the professors were explaining and diligently taking notes. However, she struggled to focus that morning as the wrong twin was sitting by her side, which bothered her so much that she had not taken a single note during the past thirty minutes. 

"Keyleth, are you okay?" Vex whispered, and Keyleth jumped slightly in her seat, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. 

"Where's Vax? He has never missed a class before," She muttered, back concerned.

"He isn't feeling well. This happens sometimes." Vex replied, lowering her gaze. Keyleth could tell Vex was hiding something from how she fumbled with the hem of her shirt and hadn't taken any notes either.

Keyleth ignored Vex's shocked look as she grabbed her phone from her bag and texted Vax.

— Hey. You're not in class, and Vex said you don't feel well. Do you need anything? —

Keyleth waited, biting her lower lip, but the little grey icon that symbolized her message was sent didn't change into the message read text.

"I'm sure he's fine," Vex said, trying to mask her concern. "Just focus. The class will be over soon."

"Yeah, you're right." Keyleth tried to focus, but the feeling of unease that something was wrong with Vax didn't quiet down.

By the time the last morning class started, Keyleth's anxiety was at an all-time high, so she purposely chose the furthest row in the back because she knew she would not be able to focus on anything. She had barely been able to sit still, much to Vex's annoyance, who sat by her side nonetheless, and, as soon as they had been allowed to leave, Keyleth sprinted out of the classroom, ignoring Vex's calls, and crossed the couple of miles that separated their classroom building from the dorms.

Keyleth swore between her teeth, pacing the entire elevator ride to the seventh floor, feeling like it could not go any slower, and, as soon as there was a wide enough gap in the open doors, she sprinted to the front door of their apartment, unlocking it with shaky hands.

"Vax?" She called, dropping her bag to the floor and slipping off her shoes. Trinket rounded the corner, wagging his tail in excitement for the pets he anticipated, but Keyleth ignored him and ran to Vax and Percy's closed bedroom door.

Keyleth knocked once, and when no response came from within the room, she opened the door quietly and stepped in. The room was dark since the curtains were still drawn closed and terrifyingly silent. Keyleth took another step inside, steeling herself in preparation for what she might find, but all she could see as her eyes adjusted was a curved shadow of what seemed to be a person lying on Vax's bed.

"Vax?" She called again softly, but he didn't move or speak. Keyleth held her breath and focused her hearing for any signs of breathing. She waited for a second, two – anxiety chilled the blood in her veins – three, four… The sound came faint and shallow, but it was a sound nonetheless, and Keyleth released the breath she had been holding, crossing the darkness to where she knew Vax was. 

Up close, she was finally able to see that Vax was curled on himself underneath the blankets, his back against her, and sorrow filled her heart as her eyes started to burn with the threat of tears. Suddenly, everything made sense, how Vax avoided people, how he preferred to be left to himself, the darkness and sadness. Keyleth was no stranger to these feelings, so she could imagine what would be going through his mind.

Keyleth moved as slowly and quietly as she could to avoid disturbing Vax. She found a gap and crawled over his legs, pulling the blankets back and lying down facing her friend in the small space between him and the wall. 

"Hey," she whispered, her legs curled up to her stomach. Vax didn't reply, but she could hear his breath more clearly now that they were both so close under the thick and heavy comforter. She lay there for a while in the darkness, silence reigning over the room again, unsure of what to do or say, until Vax stirred. Keyleth steeled herself, holding her breath, waiting for him to do something, to say something, and, as if he read her mind, Vax moved closer to her, pulling on her shirt at her stomach, and laid his head on her chest with a quiet sob. 

"Let it out," she repeated the words he had told her a while back, and, just like he had done to her, Keyleth rubbed one hand up and down his back reassuringly, the other slowly massaging the roots of his hair. 

"Do you feel better?" Keyleth asked Vax a while later, stopping the hand on his back after his tears had ceased. 

Vax breathed in deeply, counting the different scents he had learned to associate with Keyleth: there was lavender from her shampoo, something floral from her clothes, and was there cinnamon in her perfume? The fog in his brain cleared when her lips touched the crown of his head, making him feel like he was floating, not in darkness anymore, but in bright golden light, light that only Keyleth could provide.

"Yeah," He exhaled the breath he had been holding and pulled away from Keyleth, who was smiling lovingly at him. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Keyleth pulled away, and Vax felt the darkness and the cold creep in again. He wanted her back, he wanted to ask her to stay, but he knew it wasn't possible. He didn't know what time it was or how long they had until their friends returned home, but he figured it wouldn't be much time, and the last thing he wanted was for his sister to chastise him again.

"Did you eat anything today?" Keyleth asked him, and he could tell she knew the answer because she was already getting up. There was no point in lying, so Vax shook his head in reply, and Keyleth nodded, climbing over his legs again. "I'll go make you something to eat." 

"You don't have to," He sat up on the bed, watching her disappear through the open door as fast as the wind. Vax looked around at the state of his room, and embarrassment took over him. There were clothes on the floor from the previous night, his books and papers were all scattered on his desk, and the curtains were still closed, not letting in any light – something that he and Percy had agreed on their first day was to buy blackout curtains since they both had trouble sleeping with light. Vax took another deep breath before he rose to his feet. He wasn't sure if it was the faint remnants of Keyleth's perfume still fluttering in the air around him or the fact that he hadn't had anything to eat or drink in over twelve hours, but suddenly everything was spinning around him, and Vax barely had time to hold the back of his chair. 

"Shit," He cursed out loud, closing his eyes. He waited for a moment until the feeling subsided, and when it did, he walked slowly to the bedroom door with an arm extended next to the wall in case he had to secure himself again.

Vax heard the unmistakable noises of Keyleth cooking in the kitchen, and, focusing a little harder on it, he realized she was speaking. 

"I'm sorry I didn't give you any pets, Trinket. Your uncle wasn't doing well, and I was scared," Vax heard her say, and his heart skipped a beat. She had been worried about him, scared that something had happened to him. He still didn't know how late it was, but he realized she had to skip classes to be there. For me? Why?  

Vax closed the bathroom door behind him, fully aware that he wouldn't be able to hear Keyleth anymore, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. I look like shit. Keyleth saw me like this and didn't run away? She's a saint. His hair was a frizzy mess of knots, his eyes were swollen and red from crying and from not being able to sleep all night, his breath stank because he hadn't brushed his teeth since the previous night, and he had a couple of pimples peeking through from stress and anxiety. 

"Alright, we need to get our shit together, man," He told himself, taking off his shirt. "Keyleth fucking skipped classes for you, dude." He pointed at himself in the mirror. "You need to get your fucking shit together, if not for you, then for her." Vax glared at his reflection.

"Vax?" Keyleth called him somewhere in the hallway.

"Yes?" Vax's voice rose an octave or two. Fuck, did she hear me?

"Oh, there you are," The voice closed in on the door. "I was just making sure you were alright," Keyleth said softly. Vax could almost see her face, her kind eyes, and her smile.

"I'm going to shower if that's okay?" He looked at his hands nervously. Why was he so nervous?

"That's a great idea. It will help you. Come meet me in the kitchen when you're done?"

"Yeah."

Vax waited to finish undressing until he couldn't hear her steps anymore. He glared at himself in the mirror again before he stepped into the shower and allowed the cold water to wash away all remnants of anxiety and depression. He hated these days when he felt like shit and like nothing was going right in his life. Vex would usually let him be, only checking up on him once or twice to be sure he had something to eat or that he at least drank water. His sister knew he would always pull through and that he would get over it by himself. Keyleth didn't know that, though. She was genuinely concerned about him, scared that something had happened, and he couldn't blame her. Even if it started getting better over the past year, Vax still had a lot of bad days, but Vex was the most important person in his life, and he felt like he had to make it through for her.

How can someone go from being loved by so many people to being hated by even more? How was Vax supposed to get over the loss of the person who loved him the most, only to be taken in by someone who not only hated him but also had never wanted him in the first place? 

You're nothing, and you will never amount to anything. You were a mistake, a disgrace to my family. I tried to help you. To make you better, but you're incorrigible, and you will always be a failure. His father's words echoed in his mind often, even after so many years. Vax knew he had to be better than him. He knew he shouldn't be listening to such spite and hatred, but some days the voices took hold of him, paralyzed him to the point where it was all he could think about, making him believe they were true. 

If Vex were there, she would have shaken him and told him to stop listening to the demons in his head. Vex had so much patience with him. She had been there to hear him cry every night after their mother died, she had been there to support him the night they decided to flee, and she had been there every day since. And now Vax had someone else willing to do the same, hold him tight and let him cry, cook him food, and make sure he drank water. Keyleth was a saint, and Vax did not deserve her care, not yet, at least. But he was trying. He was trying his hardest to prove his worth, not to his father – fuck him! – No, Vax wanted to prove to himself that he was worthy of all the love and care he received from his sister and now from Keyleth.

Chapter Text

Keyleth sighed in relief as Greyskull Keep’s automatic glass doors closed behind her. She hated having classes late in the afternoon, especially during fall and winter, since it meant she would have to walk alone at night two days in a row. No matter how many people said the campus was safe, Keyleth was still scared of walking by herself at night in the big city. But it was finally Folsen, and the weekend was upon her, although thinking about the mountain of homework and essays she had due next week made her nauseous and dreading the weekend. 

“Hi! You’re Keyleth, right?” A tall blond girl stood by the elevator with a large backpack and a stack of books in her arms. Next to her was a shorter girl who looked at her surroundings with a scowl. Keyleth recognized the first one as Allura, the girl who had welcomed them on their move-in day, but she hadn’t seen the second girl before.

“Hi! Yes, you’re Allura, right?”

“I am. I remember you from move-in day. This is Kima,” Allura pointed at the shorter woman, who was now smiling, and Keyleth nodded in greeting. “How are you liking the dorms?”

“Oh, they’re really nice. Are you also staying here?” Keyleth asked as they stepped into the elevator. 

“We’re on the top floor,” Kima said, pressing the last button on the list. 

“Keyleth, do you have any plans tonight?” Allura asked with a smirk. Keyleth shook her head and waited, giving the two girls a curious look.

“We’re having a party,” Allura started.

“No, we are not. Gilmore is,” Kima corrected her, and Allura rolled her eyes.

“Our friend Gilmore is having a party at his bar, and we’re in charge of spreading the word. You should stop by.”

“Gilmore?” Keyleth recognized the name. “From Glorious ?”

“Yes! Have you been there?” Allura asked enthusiastically. 

“No, but my friends go there almost every week. I will let them know about the party.” Keyleth smiled. The elevator dinged, and she realized it was her floor, so she rushed to exit before the doors closed.

“I hope to see you there too!” Keyleth heard Allura’s voice, but when she turned around to reply, the doors were already shut, and the elevator was on its way up.

“Welcome home, Keyleth,” Pike shouted from the kitchen. Keyleth toed off her shoes and dropped her bag and jacket on the couch before she followed the scent of food. 

“Hi,” She greeted Pike and Vex, who were busy preparing dinner for everyone. Since only three people in the apartment knew how to cook, they had worked on a cooking schedule between them, so on the days Keyleth had classes until late, Vax or Pike would take over the chore. Keyleth didn’t mind it. She had been the first to step in and offer her cooking services since she loved to cook, which she did to show her roommates she cared about them. Pike, being the pure-hearted person she was, had immediately offered to cook as well, claiming to have tons of practice in cooking for large numbers due to her experience with her church events. Vax, however, hadn’t been as easy to convince. He had hemmed and hawed until Vex stepped up and tried to cook one day, and he felt concerned for everyone’s health if they had to eat his sister’s food, so he agreed to cook at least once a week. 

“Hi, darling. How were classes?” Vex asked, doing a poor job at mincing garlic. 

“They were fine,” Keyleth grimaced as a piece of garlic flew off the cutting board and almost hit her in the forehead. “Do you–Vex, do you need help?” She offered sympathetically. 

“No, I’m alright. Pike says I need to practice,” She frowned, clearly unhappy with being forced to learn how to cook.

“That’s right. You can’t survive on frozen meals and fast food, Vex.” Pike scolded, pointing at her with a wooden spoon.

“I ran into Allura in the elevator,” Keyleth raised her hands defensively as another piece of garlic flew in her direction. “She told me there’s going to be a party tonight at Gilmore’s.”

“Party at Gimore’s?” Vex perked up with a smile. “Oh! We have to go.” She turned to Pike, who nodded enthusiastically. “Is there a theme?”

“I don’t think so. At least Allura didn’t mention anything.”

“You are going, right Keyleth?” Pike asked, glaring at Keyleth, who cowered under the piercing blue eyes. 

“Uh–I am?” 

“Yes, you are, and so is my brother. You two are always home. You need to have fun sometimes.” Vex huffed. 

“I have fun all the time,” Keyleth crossed her arms, outraged.

“Reading books and watering plants?” Vex sneered. “I’m sure it’s lots of fun, but you should try new things. Did you come to Emon to stay home or to explore the city?”

Keyleth felt like she had just hit a wall. Vex wasn’t wrong about it. She had come to Emon intending to get out of her shell and try new things, but she had barely left campus since classes started.

“Can you please talk Vax into going? It seems like he only listens to you these days.” Vex continued, seemingly unnoticing the effect her words had on Keyleth.

“I–I can try. But I won’t promise anything.” Keyleth offered with a shrug. 

“He’s brooding in his room.” 

“Okay, I’ll go talk to him, I guess. Are you sure you don’t need help?” Keyleth asked Vex, glancing at the onion she had picked up and was about to butcher. 

“Nope, I got it.” Vex gave her a fake smile as she slammed the knife into the onion.

Vax’s breath matched the movement of his hands, fast, uneven, and harsh. Sweat beads trailed down his torso and back, and he was glad he had remembered to pull his hair up in a bun beforehand. His arms felt like they were being torn apart from the repetitiveness of the movement, but he wasn’t done yet, far from it. One punch, one breath, in and out faster than his lungs could handle. He was out of shape and knew this was the price to pay for slacking off again.

Vax almost missed the rapping at the door from how loud his heart was thumping in his ears, and the blood quickly rushed from his brain as he stopped abruptly. 

“Come in,” he managed between breaths, his chest heaving and burning.

Keyleth walked with a smile that vanished as soon as she saw the scene in front of her, her face immediately getting as red as her hair.

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth closed her eyes and turned her back to him. “Vex asked me to come to talk to you. She said you were brooding. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Vax breathed in deeply, and as he was exhaling, his breath got stuck in his throat, and he started coughing.

“Are you okay?” Keyleth turned around concerned, walking towards him with her hands up, ready to support him.

Vax nodded and raised a hand to her, holding her wrist as he finished coughing.

“Sorry, I was working out. Out of shape,” Vax was barely able to finish the sentence before he had another coughing fit.

“Sit down,” Keyleth helped him sit on his bed, holding his arm tightly. “Here, drink some water,” She handed him the bottle he had on his nightstand, and Vax drank slow sips, resisting the urge to chug down the entire bottle.

“So, what did my sister want so bad that she sent you to ask for it?” Vax asked once he recovered. Keyleth’s face was still red, and he figured he knew why: he hadn’t bothered to put on the t-shirt casually crumpled right next to him on the bed.

“There’s going to be a party at Gilmore’s tonight, and we are all going, including you,” Keyleth’s smile did not reach her eyes. Vax knew she wanted to go as much as he did, but if she was saying we , it meant his sister had found a way to convince her to go, which meant he had to go. 

“I don’t know Keyleth. It sounds like there might be a lot of people there,” he dragged. If his sister wanted him to go, enlisting Keyleth to ask was definitely the right move, but Vax needed to know if Keyleth wanted him to go or if she was only asking for his sister.

“Listen, Vax,” Keyleth glared at him, and Vax recoiled, smiling in amusement. She looked adorable when she was trying to look menacing. “Your sister was very insistent that I go out and have fun. I get it, okay? You know I don’t like crowds either,” She paused, allowing him to reply, but Vax was speechless, and all he did was nod at her. “You need to go out and have fun as well, and I would–” Keyleth looked down at her lap and started fumbling with her hands, “I would feel better if I had you there with me, someone who would understand…”

Vax’s heart clenched as her voice lowered to barely a whisper. She wanted him there with her. She wanted him to go with her. 

“Alright, I’ll go on one condition,” Vax offered with a smirk, knowing she couldn’t see it.

“What is it?” Keyleth asked, raising her head, her eyes gleaming with excitement. 

“We’re going to have at least one drink and one dance together,” Vax cocked his head, waiting for her reaction. Keyleth seemed to think for a second, a myriad of emotions that flowed through her brain mirrored in her eyes, and he worried, for a moment, that she would reject him.

“I’m not a great dancer, but I would love to get a few drinks with you,” She counter-offered with a smile.

“One dance and a few drinks. It doesn’t matter if you can’t dance. I’m not asking you to waltz with me, Keyleth. It’ll be fun!” he leaned in, pouting in front of her face, which became even redder against all odds. 

“O–okay. If you’re sure it’s fine,” Keyleth mumbled. “Just don’t yell at me when I step on your toes.”

“I would never,” Vax smiled, pulling away. 

“Does that mean you’re going with us?” Keyleth’s face opened in a grin, and Vax could swear her eyes were even brighter.

“I guess,” He said, leaning back with a smirk.

“Yay!” Keyleth cheered, lunging forward to hug Vax, who was caught unaware and fell onto the bed with Keyleth on top of him. Vax wasn’t sure if Keyleth hadn’t noticed they were horizontal or if she didn’t care because she had still to let go of him after a few seconds.

“Uhm, Kiki. Are you okay?” He asked in a whisper, rubbing the middle of her back.

“Shit, sorry, Vax.” Keyleth got up really fast, hiding her face in her hands.

“It’s okay,” Vax sat up, avoiding looking at her as he was sure his face was as red as hers.

“I’m gonna go tell Vex,” Keyleth turned to face him, but her eyes widened, and she turned back suddenly, almost running to leave the room.

Chapter Text

Glorious was indeed an apt name for the bar. It was located in a nondescript small street not too far from campus where the dark brick buildings blended so well collectively during the night that Keyleth couldn’t distinguish between them. The only way she could tell of the bar’s existence was the faint purple aura that emanated from the wooden door, along with the sign hanging above it: a golden unicorn over a dark background and Glorious written above it, in equally gold, beautifully calligraphed lettering.  

Keyleth and Vax had walked side by side, trailing the group who already knew their way to the establishment even with their eyes closed. She couldn’t stop blushing from how handsome he looked. There wasn’t much difference in his clothes, Vax was still wearing all black and his leather jacket, and part of his hair was tied in a bun as the rest fell to his shoulders. But something about seeing him out in the dark of night made him look more mysterious and sexier. Keyleth, on the other hand, had tried to put a little more effort into her look, she was wearing a white mid-thigh skirt and a red long-sleeve top with a curved neckline, and she had traded her canvas sneakers for a pair of black high heels that she borrowed from Vex, which made her even taller than Vax. Pike had helped her do her hair – two braids that pulled from the front, along the sides of her head and tied into a tall ponytail that cascaded past her shoulders – and Vex had helped with the make-up, a light red and orange toned eyeshadow, dark eyeliner and mascara and a soft pink lipgloss. Keyleth definitely felt pretty – prettier than she had ever felt – and seeing the boys’ reactions when the girls left their bedroom was absolutely worth it.

Keyleth wasn’t sure what she expected when Vex opened the wooden door – she had never been to a bar before, which was already making her nervous – but a beaded curtain in different shades of purple, pink, and golden was not it. Her friends disappeared through the curtain into the purple glow and the thankfully not-so-loud music inside, and as Grog stepped in behind Pike, Keyleth took a deep breath, readying herself for what was about to come.

“Wait,” Vax held her wrist softly, pulling her closer to him. His eyes searched for hers, and she saw her anxiety mirrored in them. “You say the word, we go, got it?” His voice trembled in a whisper. Keyleth swallowed and nodded.

“Let’s just–” She sighed. “Let’s just give it a try. For them?”

“Yeah, let’s try to have fun.” They both nodded in agreement, and Keyleth stepped in.

The first thing Keyleth noticed was that the bar looked much bigger inside than the outside appeared to be and that the purple aura they had seen from underneath the door came from the faint purple glow of lights spread around the area. The room was filled with old wooden tables and booths whose black leather seats were worn yet not ripped, and each table had a bowl with what seemed to be floating purple candles and rose petals. The walls were adorned with various curtains and fabrics in diverse shades of purple, lilac, soft pinks, and golden accents. On the opposite side of the entrance was a wall displaying dozens of bottles behind a long wooden counter where a very handsome man in his mid-twenties with long, thick, coarse black hair tied into a ponytail stood, greeting everyone and serving drinks. Even his attire appeared to fit perfectly with the purple and gold theme of the bar. To Keyleth’s right was a set of doors – one marked as restrooms, and the other had an employees-only sign affixed to it – and to her left was a wooden staircase with deep purple carpet and golden trim, that led to a second floor, much to her surprise.

Her friends were already gathered around a booth in the farthest corner, so Keyleth looked back at Vax and nodded in their direction. Thankfully, the bar area didn’t have many people yet, but he still followed her like a shadow, with the tips of his fingers just briefly touching her back in reassurance as she traversed the tables. Keyleth sat on the bench between Pike, on her right, and Vax, on her left. Grog, the bulkiest of the group, had stolen a chair from another table and sat at the top with a grin, so thankfully, they weren’t too crowded in the booth. Keyleth couldn’t help but notice that Vax was pressed to her side, yet his touch was relaxing and comforting, even though she knew he must have been as anxious as she was. 

“Alright, first round’s on me,” Grog announced, getting up. 

“I would like a Margarita, please, Grog,” Vex asked.

“You know what I want, buddies.” Pike chuckled in her seat, winking at Vex.

“Right, a beer. I gotchu, Pikey.” Grog had taken out his phone and was avidly typing on it.

“I’ll take the usual, please.” Scanlan shuffled in his seat, avoiding eye contact with Pike, who sat right in front of him.

“A cospomolitan for Scanlan,” Grog smirked.

“It’s cosmopolitan, Grog,” Pike corrected with a chuckle, much to Scanlan’s embarrassment.

“I’ll take a Long Island Iced Tea, please,” Percy asked.

“Percy, we are here to get wasted, not to drink tea!” Grog complained.

“It is alcohol, Grog. I promise.” 

Grog looked at Pike and Vex, and when they nodded in confirmation, he shrugged and typed on his phone.

“How about you two?” He looked at Vax and Keyleth, who had been watching the entire thing like a game of tennis.

“I–I’ll take a soda,” Keyleth said.

“They don’t have sodas here, Keyleth.” Keyleth could tell from the deadpan look Grog gave her that he was obviously lying.

“O–oh?” 

“Grog, get Keyleth the same as me,” Vex said in a sultry tone. “Trust me, darling. You’ll love it.” She winked, and Keyleth’s face flushed.

“Alright, and you?” Grog turned to Vax eagerly.

“Sex on the beach, please,” Vax replied nonchalantly. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Grog asked, confused, looking around at everyone else chuckling in their seats.

“You heard me, big guy.” Vax smiled and winked at Grog. Keyleth joined the laughter as Grog, rarely embarrassed by anything, nodded with a blush spreading on his cheeks and turned away to the bar.

“I think you broke him, Vax.” Pike joked, and Vax chuckled in reply. 

Keyleth would not have considered Grog particularly dextrous, so she was surprised when he returned to the table a few minutes later, holding one tray of drinks in each hand, his tongue out in concentration. However, Keyleth was also scared because, as he set down both trays, she noticed the second tray was full of fourteen shot glasses, a salt shaker, and a plate with lime slices. 

“O-oh no,” Keyleth blushed as Vax handed her two shot glasses and her drink. 

“What?” Vex smirked at her from across the table. “Scared of a little Tequila shot?”

Keyleth widened her eyes at her and fumbled with her hands in her lap nervously.

“I can take one of yours,” Vax said, glaring at his sister, who raised an eyebrow at him. 

“No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to drinking much.” Keyleth took a sip of her drink, and the hairs of her arms rose at the same time that cold spread down her spine. Her throat felt warm and cold at the same time, and the bitterness of the drink made her shiver. “Oh, this is strong,” Keyleth cleared her throat, and Vex laughed.

“Oh, darling. We’re gonna have so much fun tonight,” Vex winked at Keyleth again, who tried to hide further back in her seat.

“Alright, you guys know the drill,” Pike called to their attention, grabbing a lime slice and setting it on one of her shot glasses. Keyleth observed as, one by one, her friends licked the back of their hands and poured salt over it, and then grabbed a slice of lime. She looked to her side, only to see Vax smiling at her as he licked the back of his hand with a shrug. 

“You don’t have to do it,” He reassured her, pouring salt where he had licked. 

“Yes, she does. Shut up, brother,” Vex complained. “You’ll be fine, Keyleth. We won’t let anything bad happen to you.” Vex offered a kind, honest smile, which made her feel better, so Keyleth copied her friends once Vax was done with the shaker, licking the back of her hand and pouring salt over it. 

“Vox Machina,” Grog shouted, raising his shot glass in the middle of the table, followed by everyone else. “Fuck. Shit. Up.” He screamed so loud that Keyleth looked around to see if anyone had heard them – a few people were looking at the group in amusement – and he brought the glass to his lips and drank the clear liquid at once, bringing the lime slice to his mouth right away to suck on it. 

“It’s easier if you don’t think about it,” Vax said in a whisper next to her, and Keyleth noticed his glass was still full. “Ready?” She nodded. Vax clinked his glass with hers, keeping eye contact, and, with a reassuring smile, he downed his drink at the same time she downed hers. 

Keyleth recognized the same flavor as the one in the tall glass Vex had ordered for her as the warmth spread down her throat. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vax was still looking at her, offering her a lime slice, which she took gladly and sucked the citric juices. That was a mistake. Keyleth shouldn’t have taken his offering. She thought the juices would somehow lessen the effect of the alcohol on her throat, but it did the opposite.

“Are you okay?” Pike asked, on the other side of her, as Keyleth coughed again.

“Yes,” She lied. She couldn’t tell if the short girl believed her because Vex was already up, pushing Percy to his feet with one hand and grabbing Scanlan with the other, who, in turn, was clutching Pike. 

“Let’s dance,” Vex shouted, grabbing her drinks and heading to the stairs. Pike, Grog, and Scanlan followed her immediately, both drinks in hand, but Percy stayed behind, sitting back on the bench in front of Keyleth and Vax. 

“I’m sorry, Vex-” Percy tried to apologize,

“I know my sister, Percival,” Vax took a sip of his drink. “You can go join them if you want. Keyleth and I will save the table.” 

Percy looked at Keyleth, who smiled reassuringly at him, and asked, “Will you be alright?”

“Yes, I will.” She blushed. She knew she would be as long as she was not left alone. 

“Just text me if you need anything, okay?” Percy grabbed her hand from the other side of the table, and Keyleth nodded. Percy followed the group up the stairs with one last glance at Vax, leaving his second shot glass behind on the table.

“Do you want to try my drink?” Vax asked, and Keyleth glanced at it nervously. “It’s sweet and fruity,” he added. She shrugged and leaned to take a sip. He was right, the alcohol was less noticeable, and it had a nice fruity taste.

“I like yours better,” Keyleth said, leaning back.

“Everyone loves sex on the beach,” Vax joked, wiggling his eyebrows at her, but Keyleth stared at him deadpan. “I-it’s the name-” Vax stuttered, obviously nervous, but she started laughing.

“I know. I was just teasing you.” She admitted, holding her stomach. Vax relaxed next to her, his body physically sagging against hers. 

“Here,” he slid his glass to her and took hers, taking a sip with a wince. “I fucking hate margaritas, but they are a cheap and easy way to get drunk.”

“Really?” Keyleth sipped on the fruity drink, much happier now. “Do you and Vex go out a lot?”

“We used to. There was a time when we would go out almost every week, and I hated every single time.”

“You’re a good brother,” Keyleth didn’t even have to ask why he went with Vex if he hated it so much. She knew Vax would do anything for his sister, even if it meant he would be miserable.

“Do you have siblings?” he asked, playing with the lime on the rim of his glass.

Keyleth tensed at the question and looked down at her lap. “Nope, only child.”

“Gods, you’re so lucky,” Vax bumped his shoulder against hers, and when she looked at him, he rolled his eyes, which made her chuckle. 

“Although my neighbor, Lia, has a son. He’s four, and he’s the sweetest boy ever. I’ve basically helped her raise him because his good-for-nothing father left her when he found out she was pregnant.”

“Hmm,” For some reason, Keyleth knew the unpleasant hum was not due to the drink Vax was sipping on. “I love douchebag fathers.” 

“Yeah, he was an ass. So I babysat that boy every day after school for four years. He’s like a little brother to me.” Keyleth’s heart clenched, thinking about the little boy’s green eyes filled with tears when she had to explain she was going away to college and wouldn’t be able to play with him after school every day anymore. He had cried all night cuddled with Keyleth, insisting he wanted to stay with her until she left but compromising with staying for the weekend.

“You okay?” Vax asked, clearly feeling her discomfort.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about him.”

“Tell me more about him,” He asked, bumping his shoulder to hers with a smile. 

Keyleth’s face opened in a smile as she told Vax about the little boy she had grown to love as her brother. They talked until the only liquid in their glasses was the water that melted from the ice cubes. Keyleth told Vax about the adventures they had together, how he was such a great helper in the garden, the cakes and desserts they baked every weekend, and how he was growing to be a fine gentleman who always offered to open the door for her, even when he could barely reach the handles.

Eventually, after almost an hour, Vex’ahlia came looking for them, outraged to see their shot glasses still standing full in front of them and taking the one Percy had left behind.

“You guys don’t have to stay here all night. There is enough room upstairs. Join us. And drink your shots!” She scolded them before she returned to the group. 

“I did promise I would have a drink with you,” Keyleth shrugged.

“You don’t have to,” Vax offered with a smile, but she was already licking the back of her hand. The second shot wasn’t as bad, maybe because she already knew what to expect, and it felt like it didn’t burn as much. 

“Let’s go dance, I guess?” 

Keyleth wasn’t sure if it had been the second shot or the fact that she had been sitting for a while, but as soon as she stood up, everything around her started spinning, and she felt like she was falling, straight into Vax’s arms, who had quickly realized what was happening.

“Are you alright?” He asked, concerned.

“Everything is spinning,” Keyleth closed her eyes and let her head fall onto his chest. Vax tightened the grip on her, holding her upright.

“You got up too fast after drinking. Just take a moment.”

“I think I’m okay now,” Keyleth pulled away after a minute, no longer feeling the room spinning around her. “Let’s go dance.” She said with a bashful smile, holding Vax’s arm tightly and pulling him towards the stairs. 

Keyleth felt a different kind of warmth inside, a low buzz in her navel that made her want to stay close to Vax. His arms felt stronger than before when he held her, his chest was more comfortable than the other times she had leaned into it, and his scent was even more intoxicating. Keyleth was not an experienced drinker, so she assumed that whatever those feelings were, they were due to the alcohol and that everything would return to normal the next day. She wasn’t worried about the chill that traveled down her spine when Vax placed one hand on the small of her back as they climbed up the stairs – Keyleth had felt that before with him – what worried her was the warmth she felt in her lower abdomen and the new tingling sensation between her thighs. 

Chapter Text

The upper floor of Glorious looked even roomier than the lower floor, mostly due to the mirrored wall behind the DJ Booth on a small stage, next to which were a few microphones and musical instruments set aside. The dancefloor took over most of the center of the room, where several people gathered dancing, including Vax’s friends, right under a disco ball spinning on the ceiling, which created fun light effects. Around the dancefloor were several alcoves with couches and armchairs, surrounded by white, and light purple curtains, and gold string lights hanging from the ceiling, creating privacy around each nook. 

Vax immediately felt Keyleth tense at his side as they took in the small crowd dancing. A few nooks seemed taken, some with opened curtains that allowed them to see people talking and drinking, and a couple with closed curtains, not allowing anyone to peer inside.

“Do you want to go back down?” Vax whispered in Keyleth’s ear. The music was louder upstairs, and he realized they would have to speak louder or lean in closer to be able to hear each other. Keyleth swallowed her nervousness and shook her head in response. Vax was about to take her hand when a tall, blonde girl approached them.

“Keyleth!” She screamed loud enough to be heard by the two. 

“Allura,” Keyleth greeted back, allowing the other girl to pull her into a hug.

“You came,” A shorter girl Vax had never seen before was quickly by Allura’s side, one hand resting on the small of her back.

“Of course, couldn’t miss it.” Keyleth gave them a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Well, feel free to dance. We are going to get more drinks, right, Ally?” The shorter woman said, pulling her partner towards the stairs with an apologetic look.

“Catch you later,” Allura waved, heading down the stairs.

As soon as the two women were gone, Keyleth slightly relaxed, although Vax noticed she was still scanning the room. 

“You need to relax,” He leaned in to whisper and felt her shudder. “Come on,” Vax held her hand and dragged her across the dancefloor to where he could see Grog dancing, assuming the rest of his friends were nearby.

“Brother!” Vex’ahlia shouted, wrapping her arms around her brother’s shoulders and pulling him into a hug. Vax felt Keyleth’s fingers slip from his grasp, and he looked back to see Pike pulling her into the alcove, where all their bags and jackets were piled on a white couch. Vex eventually let go of him, slapping his cheeks in amusement and joined the girls. Vax followed his sister and sat next to Percy with a huff. They hadn’t been at the bar long, but he was ready to leave.

“They seem to be having fun,” Percy shouted next to him, nodding at the girls who had formed a circle just outside the curtains and were holding hands while dancing. “Thank you for coming. Keyleth needed to leave the house. She has been studying a lot.”

Vax looked at Percy, whose bright blue eyes moved from the redhead to the brunette dancing by her side, a smile opening on his face.

“I didn’t do anything.” Vax shrugged, following Percy’s gaze to his sister, who was now leaning to whisper something in Pike’s ear.

“Oh, but you did.” 

Vax opened his mouth to ask what he had done, but his sister was coming their way with the look of someone planning something devilish. 

“Percival, darling.” She smirked at their friend, and Vax felt his insides churn as he recognized the tone as one his sister used to flirt with strangers to get free drinks. “If I recall, it’s your turn to pay for a round, isn’t it, dear?” She winked, dragging Percy to his feet.

Vax looked from Vex to Percy, whose cheeks quickly flushed red, and back to his sister, who was now brushing an index finger on the collar of his jacket. Percy bowed his head low, hoping to hide his blush – too late, whitey. I noticed, and so did my sister – as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

“Please,” Vex spread her hands open on his chest, leaning into his ear to whisper something that Vax couldn’t – didn’t want to – hear. 

“Alright, dear.” Percy agreed, still staring at his shoes, his face redder than Keyleth’s hair. Vex clapped her hands and pulled him behind her, gesturing for Pike to follow, who, in turn, grabbed Keyleth’s hand. Keyleth turned her head to Vax with a look of confusion that made him want to follow them, but just as Vax was about to get up, Vex turned her head above her shoulder and shouted at him to keep an eye on their things. Only after the girls left did Vax realize Grog had disappeared into a corner with a woman, and Scanlan was nowhere to be seen. He had no choice but to remain there, so Vax stood outside the alcove with crossed arms, keeping a fixed gaze on the stairs as he waited and tried not to let anxiety take over him.

Keyleth stumbled back up the stairs, furrowing her brow in concentration so she wouldn’t spill the shot glass filled to the brim in one of her hands. Percy had been a generous friend and paid for another round of drinks for the girls, but Keyleth didn’t dare to ask him to pay for an extra one for Vax, so she saved her shot, claiming she would prefer to take it upstairs. In hindsight, now that Keyleth thought about it, that had been a dumb idea, considering she hadn’t brought salt or lime. She took another sip of her now half-empty cocktail – this time she knew what to order, even though it flustered her to ask the barman for a Sex on the Beach – gaining the courage to cross the crowd, hoping she wouldn’t spill the drink on anyone.

Keyleth spotted Vax before he saw her, and suddenly the world seemed to slow down around her. He had taken off his jacket – Keyleth saw it from the corner of her eyes next to her purse – and stood in his t-shirt, its sleeves hugging his biceps tightly as they naturally flexed with his crossed arms. Keyleth took in the sight of him, observing how Vax relaxed when he finally saw her and the smirk of amusement as she stumbled across the dancefloor. It was the way he looked at her that made her heart race and her legs falter. She felt adored and revered, but at the same time, Vax had a hungry look that Keyleth had seen before, although never towards her, not until she met him.

“What do you have there?” Keyleth shuddered at his question. She could hear him clear as day, even through the loud music, which should have been impossible. She turned her head towards his voice and realized he was next to her, leaning into her ear. When had he gotten there?

“I–” Keyleth looked Vax in the eyes, but his gaze was so intense that her brain lost all capacity to form words. She just handed him the shot glass, hoping he didn’t notice the redness she bet had taken over her cheeks, considering how warm she felt.

“For me?” He asked, taking the glass from her. Keyleth shook her head too enthusiastically, and the world started spinning again. She reached her hand to steady herself, and suddenly Vax’s free arm warped itself around her waist, pulling her against him. Keyleth closed her eyes and leaned her forehead on his shoulder, cursing herself for accepting a second cocktail from Percy, and she felt, more than heard, the throaty groan once Vax downed his shot. 

“Vax?” Keyleth straightened up, resting her chin on his shoulder but still keeping her eyes closed. He hummed in acknowledgment, leaning his head on her shoulder. “I think I’m drunk,” she giggled. Vax’s chuckle reverberated through her entire body.

“Do you want me to finish the rest of your drink?” He pulled her away slowly, smiling at her with an understanding look.

Keyleth’s eyes locked on his lips, and she wondered what they tasted and felt like. Were they soft or rough? Warm, for sure. Were they sweet, or did the tequila sour them? She wanted to kiss him and find out. She wanted to bite his lip and draw one of the groans that made her brain fuzzy–

“Keyleth?” The way Vax said her name sounded like a faint memory. It resembled the tone her father always used when he talked about her mom, which made Keyleth feel like she was about to melt.

“Hm?” She forced herself to focus. Work, brain. Stop being dumb.

“Let me take this. Why don’t you sit down for a moment?” Vax’s hand touched hers where she was holding her glass, and she allowed him to slip it out of her grasp. He quickly set it on the small table in the nook without letting go of Keyleth and then turned back to see her pouting at him.

“I want to dance. I promised you I would dance with you.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes. The room stopped spinning.” She said before she took a step away from Vax’s arms.

Keyleth had been right when she told Vax she wasn’t the best dancer. As much as she tried, she was doing a poor job of keeping in rhythm with the beat, going so far as to accidentally bump into him once or twice, which Vax wasn’t sure if it was due to her natural clumsiness or the drinks she had that night. Still, and much to his surprise, her hands held Vax’s hands steadily as she waved their arms back and forth and to the sides, and Vax was glad no one was near them because they would have surely been hit already.

“Spin me,” Keyleth asked with a grin. Vax looked at her, confused for a moment, as she let go of one of his hands and stepped away as far as she could, still holding his other hand tightly. There was a second of realization about what she meant, only enough for Vax to brace himself before Keyleth spun around, wrapping herself with his arm and clashing against his body, accidentally stepping on his toes.

“Oof,” Vax let out a gush of air as she braced herself on his chest, laughing. “You were right. You’re terrible at this,” he joked. Keyleth slapped his chest playfully as her laughter subsided. If she noticed his arms were still wrapped around her, Keyleth didn’t mention anything or move away from him, so he just enjoyed the moment.

The music slowed, coming to a halt as the DJ grabbed a microphone, and Vax looked around to see everyone looking at the DJ expectantly.

“Alright, friends, we have a request tonight. This one is for all the lovely couples out there. So find your partner and get cozy.”

Front the corner of his eye, Vax noticed a purple shimmering blur dart across the dance floor towards the familiar figure of their roommate Pike, as Scanlan invited her to dance with a smug look on his face.

“Look,” Vax nudged Keyleth in their direction, who gasped as Scanlan dragged a willing Pike to the dancefloor and started to slow dance, his hands placed very respectfully on her back.

“Oh, they are not the only ones,” Keyleth smirked, nodding to a corner not far from where they were, where Percy’s blue jacket stood out, his arms wrapped around Vex’ahlia, who rested her head on his shoulder.

“May I have this dance,” Vax asked Keyleth, turning his back to his sister. He did not want to see whatever that was, and his only distraction was still wrapped in his arms.

“Oh, I–I can try.” Keyleth shrugged. “What do I–?” She waved her arms awkwardly around her torso, and Vax wrapped them around his neck, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close to him. 

“Like this,” He whispered, nuzzling his nose to her neck, and started swaying side to side slowly.

“It feels like a hug,” Keyleth mumbled, laying her head on Vax’s shoulder, her lips so close to the sensitive skin of his neck that Vax could feel her puffy breath.

Keyleth smelled like lavender and cinnamon, and her body felt really warm against his, probably due to all the drinks they had. Vax’s heart was beating so fast that he was sure she could feel it, if not on his chest, then the pulse on his neck. 

“Thank you for tonight. I’m having so much fun.” 

“You don’t have to thank me, Kiki.”

“Kiki… I like it,” Keyleth smiled against his neck, moving closer until her lips met his pulse point in a soft kiss. Vax’s heart stopped, and his entire body shuddered, but Keyleth didn’t do or say anything to let him know she had noticed it.

Vax knew why Keyleth had thanked him. He knew they had a mountain of homework and assignments due, and she would be at home stressing if he hadn’t agreed to go out. He knew that, had he said no, Keyleth wouldn’t have gone either, that he would have stayed home, in his bedroom, listening to music in the dark by himself, while Keyleth locked herself in her bedroom studying alone. Was she aware of the power she had in him? Did she know he couldn’t say no to her? Because here he was, arms full of her in the middle of a packed dancefloor, her scent driving him insane as he held on to every ounce of self-control he had to stop himself from kissing her. Vax couldn’t remember the last time he checked his surroundings. – Fuck. – He couldn’t remember where the emergency exit was, where he saw the nearest fire extinguisher, or if anyone looked suspicious. – Oh, no. – All Vax could think about was the beautiful, smart, and kindest woman dancing with him, the smell of her hair, the feel of her body pressed against his, and how much he wanted to kiss her. – I’m fucked.  

The music stopped, and Keyleth brought her glimmering green eyes to his, the endless freckles on her face hiding under the redness of her cheeks, her lips parted as if they were calling him like a siren. Vax knew he would remember this moment for the rest of his days because it was then that he realized that he was completely and utterly in love with Keyleth.

Chapter Text

“I–I need some air,” Keyleth felt like she couldn’t breathe, and her chest tightened as her heart raced within it. She recognized these symptoms and knew she had to find somewhere calm and far from people and loud noises. 

“I’ll go with you,” Vax offered as she moved to grab her bag.

“No, stay. I’ll be fine,” Keyleth quickly dismissed him with a pang in her heart. His concerned look was the last thing she saw before she turned to the stairs, leaving as fast as the damned heels allowed. 

The cold air hit Keyleth’s chest as the wooden door closed behind her, muffling all music inside, which did not help with the tightness. It felt weird to be outside again, and although everything was much quieter, her eardrums were still pounding loudly. Keyleth walked toward a bus stop a few feet from the bar and sat on the old green bench, trying to take deep breaths. 

“Keyleth?” She jumped at the voice and turned around, seeing Percy walking in her direction, already taking off his jacket.

“Percy...”

“Here,” Percy draped his blue jacket around her shoulders, and Keyleth pulled it tighter against her. “I didn’t mean to scare you, dear. Take deep breaths,” Percy sat on the bench by Keyleth’s side, placing a hand on hers. Keyleth had never been more glad to have company at that moment, especially when Percy started guiding her through breathing exercises to help her calm down.

“Better?” He asked after a while, rubbing her hand with a soft smile, and Keyleth nodded.

“How did you know?”

“My older sister used to have panic attacks a lot growing up.”

Oh. Percy rarely spoke about his family. Keyleth knew he was from Whitestone and that he had siblings, but other than that, he was still a mystery. She focused on his body language. Percy seemed relaxed and open, even with a semblance of willingness to offer more information. Keyleth placed her other hand on his and squeezed it reassuringly with a smile, “What’s her name?”

Percy looked surprised at the question, but nothing about him changed. Maybe he wasn’t expecting Keyleth to turn the spotlight on him, or he hoped to pry her for information about what led her to such a state.

“Her name was Vesper,” He smiled affectionately, but his eyes were hooded with pain. Keyleth sat up straight, holding a gasp as the muscles in her throat constricted.

“W–was?”

“Ah…” Percy slipped his hand from her grasp and patted her hand. “Maybe not tonight, Keyleth.”

“I–I’m sorry, Percy.” Keyleth leaned in, pulling him into a hug.

“What happened? I saw you were dancing with Vax, and then you left.” Percy tried to change the subject – which Keyleth couldn’t blame him for – but the sorrow in his eyes was still present.

“I don’t know,” Keyleth mumbled, lowering her head. “I think I drank too much and started feeling weird.”

“Weird, how?” Percy pushed on, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

“O–oh, I–” Keyleth’s cheeks were warm again, and she knew this time wasn’t from the alcohol or her surroundings. “I don’t know how to describe it,” she mumbled.

“Use your best words, dear. I will not judge you,” Keyleth looked up at Percy, searching for any signs of dishonesty, but his smile was reassuring and sincere.

“I always feel good when I’m with Vax,” Keyleth looked at a distant point above Percy’s shoulder, trying to avoid eye contact. “He’s always so kind and… he makes me feel happy, safe… like, when I’m with him, nothing bad will happen, and I can just be… me.”

“I see. And tonight?”

“Well…” Keyleth lowered her head again in embarrassment. “I kinda–I wanted–I… I wanted to kiss him. And I also felt different in a way I have never felt before. Like–”

“Like you were magnetically attracted to him?” Keyleth looked up, surprised. “Like as much as you tried, you couldn’t be away from him? Like something was pulling you to him, or you needed to be close to him as much as you needed to breathe?”

“Y–yes?” Keyleth’s wide eyes were glued to her friend. “Percy? Do you–?”

“Ah… It seems like we have similar tastes,” Percy chuckled.

Oh. It all made sense now. 

“Have you told her?” Keyleth asked, offering a soft, reassuring smile, to which Percy replied with a laugh. 

“Tell her? No, never. I couldn’t. It’s– honestly...” Percy combed a hand through his hair in exasperation. “It’s a crush. It’s nothing, really. She doesn’t look at me that way. I assume Vax doesn’t know?”

It was Keyleth’s turn to laugh at the question. “There is nothing to know, Percy. We are friends,” she avoided his gaze again.

“Keyleth,” Percy’s admonishing tone made her jump. “You did not just tell me all that and then say it’s nothing .”

“I–I don’t know what it is. I never felt it before.” Keyleth looked at her hands. “Vax is one of my best friends, and I love spending time with him, but this is all new to me. I’ve never even kissed anyone. Ever,” she punctuated, looking at him in distress. 

“Oh, Keyleth.” Percy pulled her in for a hug. 

“What if he thinks I’m being ridiculous? What if I ruin everything?”

“Are you serious?” He pushed her back, looking at her as if she had just told him cows could fly. “Keyleth, I have seen the way Vax looks at you. We all have, in fact. That is not the look one gives his friends. Do you know what happened tonight before we came here?”

Keyleth shook her head, biting her lip and furrowing her brow.

“Vax groaned for about ten minutes in front of his wardrobe, trying to find something to wear, then he groaned for another ten minutes trying to do his hair, and when he was done and ready, he asked me a million times, ‘How do I look? Do I look good? Do you think this T-shirt is acceptable? Should I redo my hair?’. Do you know why?”

Keyleth shook her head again, not following his thoughts.

“Because he was so damn worried about looking good for you,” Percy shook her lightly with a smile. “For the life of him, Vax did not want to leave at all. We have been trying to get him out of the apartment for weeks, and we were always met with ‘I hate bars and crowds.’ And then you ask him, and he says yes right away?”

“He didn’t,” Keyleth finally spoke. Percy looked at her, confused. “I had to convince him… I–” Oh, you devil. Keyleth had a moment of clarity as she ran the entire conversation back in her mind. “He said he would only come on one condition.”

“What was it?” Percy asked, even more confused.

“I had to have at least one drink and a dance with him.” Keyleth rolled her eyes, and Percy leaned back in laughter.

“Oh, Keyleth,” He finally spoke as his laughter subsided, placing both hands on her shoulders. “You have nothing to worry about. That guy is head over heels for you.”

Percy was a guy, he knew how guys worked, and Keyleth knew she could always count on his honesty. After all, he was one of her best friends. However, something about it didn’t make sense in her mind.

“Why would he like me?” she bit her lip again, looking down at the hands fumbling on her lap. “I’m… me.” 

“You are beautiful and smart, Keyleth. There are many good reasons why one should like you.”

“But I’m awkward and clumsy. And I’m not that good. I try, I really do, but I’m not perfect, and… I’m not strong like Vex or Pike. I’m not assertive or confident. I don’t know how to get free drinks from guys or–”

“Keyleth,” Percy stopped her rambling, bringing her face up to look at him. “I cannot tell you why Vax likes you. That is something that you have to ask him. But you are strong like Pike and Vex. And yeah, you are awkward and clumsy, but so am I sometimes, right? And assertiveness and confidence are something that you can work on.” Keyleth grimaced, but Percy ignored her and continued, “You are amazing and kind. You care about your friends so much. You wake up early every morning to make us all coffee; you make sure we eat proper homemade meals three times a week; and you remind us to drink water and take our vitamins. Keyleth, you even made Scanlan eat vegetarian meals, and we know he loves chicken too much.” 

Keyleth laughed, thinking about the day she tricked Scanlan into thinking he was eating chicken when, in reality, it was tofu. “Thank you.” she smiled at Percy, a tear running down her red cheek.

“Think about it, will you? Ready to go back inside?” Percy nodded to the door. “I’m sure Vax is pacing in circles, waiting for you to come back,” He raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I guess,” Keyleth sighed, getting up from the bench and handing Percy’s coat back to him.

Percy’s words echoed in her mind, but Keyleth wasn’t sure she fully believed them yet. She thought about Vax’s kindness and proximity to her, the looks he often gave her, or how his touch was always so soft yet reassuring. She didn’t have much of a base of comparison. She never truly had any friends growing up, and the few she had were almost always girls. Percy and Vax were the only two guys she ever had such a close friendship with, so she really couldn’t tell if Percy was right about Vax seeing her as more than a friend. On the other hand, Keyleth had also never really seen Vax with other girls besides his sister, so she couldn’t tell if his behavior and affection were just towards her or if he acted like that with his other friends. 

Maybe it was just the alcohol talking. Maybe Percy was wrong – not that she would ever tell him that to his face. Maybe Keyleth would wake up tomorrow and feel differently. She had never felt this way before, and the fact that it happened after she drank made more sense to Keyleth than her having a crush on Vax. Was it even a crush, though? All she felt was a weird physical attraction to him, the need to stay by his side and kiss him. Yeah, he made her happy. But so did Percy. Either way, Keyleth didn’t feel like she was ready for it. She wasn’t sure if it was a crush or just a physical attraction, but whatever it was, she knew she wasn’t ready. 

Percy held the door open for her with a comforting smile on his face, and Keyleth swallowed her tears and took a deep breath before going back inside, where she knew Vax would be waiting for her. Her heart lept at the thought of how his face opened up into a smile whenever she walked into a room like she was the first rays of sunshine in the mornings. Heart, be still. I know he’s handsome and kind, but we cannot ruin this friendship.

Vax could still feel the residual heat of Keyleth’s body on his flesh and the smell of her perfume on his clothes when Vex’ahlia approached him, looking concerned after Percy ran after Keyleth. She mouthed something Vax couldn’t hear, and not even the loud music was registering in his brain. His mind was dark with negative thoughts as he replayed every moment of that night since they left the dorms, trying to figure out where he had failed or what he had done wrong. Eventually, Vax realized he was still standing in the middle of a dancefloor with people surrounding him, as Vex’s attempts to drag him into an alcove became fiercer. This wasn’t new to her. Vex had seen him like this before, and he saw the look of concern and desperation on her face as she pulled him. 

“I’m fine,” He wasn’t sure Vex had heard him. His voice sounded barely louder than a whisper to himself, but he kept speaking nonetheless. “I’m going downstairs.”

Vax stepped out of his sister’s reach and crossed the room, not paying attention to anything and not caring if he bumped into other people. He found himself sitting on the barstool at the counter just as the man behind the bar was finishing serving some patrons. In a different time and place, Vax would admit to himself the man was extremely handsome, and his smile was charming, but here and now, his brain was full of intrusive thoughts that he needed to shut up.

“Hello there, handsome,” The man greeted, leaning into the counter with a smirk. “What can I get for you tonight?”

“Can I have a margarita and two tequila shots, please?” 

“Of course,” The man busied himself right away, pouring the two shots and placing the salt shaker and a plate of limes on the counter in front of Vax before he started preparing the other drink. Vax barely let the shot glasses touch the surface before he emptied the first one, not even caring about the salt or the lime.

“Thank you,” Vax nodded when the barman placed the last drink in front of him.

“Hard night?”

“Something like that,” Vax emptied the second shot with a groan. “I hate tequila. How much?”

“For you? Five silver,” The barman winked at him, and Vax chuckled. Wrong time and place, for sure.

“What’s your name, handsome? I’ve never seen you here, but your friends come over all the time.”

“Vax’ildan. Vax.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Gilmore, but you,” Gilmore hooded a finger under Vax’s chin and brought his eyes up to meet his. “You can call me Shaun.” 

“Nice to meet you, Shaun,” Vax smirked. “May I have another one?” He nodded at the empty shot glass.

“For someone who hates tequila so much…” Gilmore poured him another shot and slid the glass towards Vax.

“Cheap and easy way to get drunk,” Vax tossed him another silver, which he knew was too much, but he couldn’t be bothered and gulped down the third shot. 

The alcohol burned in his throat, but it had the desired feeling. Vax felt lighter, and the thoughts in his mind quieted enough to allow him to savor the cocktail in peace. Gilmore stepped away to serve another patron on the other side of the bar, and Vax turned around on the stool, canvasing the area. The lower floor of the bar was practically empty since most people were on the dancefloor upstairs, so he found a decently remote corner booth to sit and brood – as his sister called it – making sure he kept the beaded curtain within sight.

Vax was in the middle of not thinking about the dance he and Keyleth had shared when Pike sat on the bench in front of him.

“Vax, are you alright?” She asked, scowling at the half-empty glass in his hands.

“I’m great, Pike. How‘re you?” He slurred. Oh shit.

“Are you drunk?” Pike giggled.

“No… a little?” Vax started laughing.

“What happened?” Pike grabbed his glass and took a sip of his drink with a wince. Vax didn’t care. He couldn’t care about anything anymore. All he wanted was to go to bed and not think about anything ever again.

“What d’you mean, Pickle?”

“Pickle? Is that my nickname?”

“It is now,” he snorted with a shrug.

“I saw Keyleth leave. Did something happen?” Pike’s face switched from amusement to concern.

“Fuck if I know. We were dancin’, and then she left.” Vax let his head fall on the table with a thud. “Ow. It hurts, Pike.”

“Well, you just hit your head on the table. Of course, it does.” Pike rubbed the back of Vax’s head softly.

“Not the head, the heart.” Vax rested his chin on the table, looking at the girl on the other side, and he felt his eyes get warm. “She took it.”

“Oh, Vax.” Pike shuffled on the bench until she was at his side, and she picked him up to hug him. “It’s okay, buddy. She will give it back.”

Vax snorted against Pike’s shoulder. “She doesn’t know she has it. I’ll never get it back. Vex warned me, Pickle.” Vax pulled away to look at her seriously.

“About what?”

“That Keyleth was gonna hurt me.”

“Keyleth didn’t hurt you, Vax. She cares about you so much.” Pike held Vax’s face in between her hands.

“She will never love someone like me. She would never care about me.”

“Vax… she literally skipped classes to check on you the other day. And she’s here tonight because of you. Maybe she just needed to get some air.” Pike’s reasoning was strong, but the demons inside Vax’s head were stronger.

“She sees me as a friend, Pickle. Nothing more. Never anything more.” Vax pulled away from the girl and let his head fall again, this time on his crossed arms on the table. Pike rubbed a hand up and down Vax’s back in reassurance, and when she spoke, her voice was soft and understanding.

“I know it’s hard to care about someone that way, especially when the person we care about doesn’t seem to reciprocate.”

Vax lifted his head at this, staring at his friend in surprise.

“Pickle, who–”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you can’t let it get the best of you, Vax. If you really care about her, which I know you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be like this,” she gestured vaguely at him, “then you need to do something about it. You don’t have to tell her today, but eventually, you need to tell her how you feel.”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if I tell her, and it ruins our friendship?”

“Vax, if you want my opinion,” Pike paused, waiting, and Vax nodded in response. “I think Keyleth cares about you more than she thinks. Maybe she doesn’t know it yet, but we have all seen how she looks at you. Just give her time to sort out her feelings. Keyleth is…”

“Amazing.”

“I was going to say different, but yes. Keyleth is amazing and special. I’m sure she cares a lot about you. Again… She. Skipped. Classes.” Pike punctuated each word with a poke on Vax’s ribs, and a smile crept up on his face. His concerns seemed to ease, even if the demons inside his head still screamed at him. He stared at the empty glass – did Pike finish it? – and knew he would regret drinking so much in the morning.

“Thank you, Pickle. You’re the best.” He hugged her tightly. “I’m gonna find water.”

“I’m sure Gilmore will be more than happy to serve you some water,” Pike winked at him knowingly, and Vax couldn’t hold back a laugh.

He crossed the room back to the bar, where Gilmore was kind enough to give him two glasses of water, each served with a wink and a compliment to his appearance. Just as he was about to turn to head back upstairs, he felt a calloused hand in his and, to his surprise, Gilmore slid a piece of paper into Vax’s hand.

“If you ever need a shoulder, or some company or… you know, if you need to forget about your problems.” Gilmore winked at him and turned away.

Vax looked at the paper and saw numbers scribbled in beautiful handwriting. His gaze returned to the man whose back was now turned to his, and heat rushed up his neck. Oh… 

Maybe Pike was right. Maybe Keyleth just needed to figure out her feelings. They hadn’t known each other for that long, and not everyone loved so effortlessly as he did – something else his sister always reminded him about. Vax had definitely felt barriers around Keyleth, and even though he had transposed a few, he still felt like something else was stopping her, as if she was still too scared of letting people in, including him. Could he still be friends with her and love her at the same time? Would he still be able to be at her side whenever she needed him? Was the pain of seeing her every day and not being able to hold and kiss her like he wanted so much worth it just to have her presence in his life?

Women were complicated, and the more Vax thought about it, the more the slip of paper in his hand came to mind. Things could be much easier if he picked up his phone and texted the man who had flirted with him. It wouldn’t have to mean anything. He could go and have fun with him. But at the same time, Vax felt he was betraying his feelings for Keyleth and somehow cheating on her. 

A headache started growing in the back of his head, and his body became heavy with exhaustion. Vax had drank too much, and the alcohol crash finally got him. There’s no use thinking about it right now. You need to go home and go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and maybe it will bring some clarity.

Chapter Text

The purple glow of the lights had an almost dizzying effect on Keyleth as she stepped back inside the bar. It took her a second to recompose before she searched the dimly lit interior for any of her friends as Percy gestured to the bathroom door. Not finding anyone, Keyleth crossed to the bar and sat, pulling her phone out of her pocket to text Vax.

“Hi there, little dove,” A sweet voice with a drawl caught her attention, and Keyleth found herself staring at a pair of intense brown eyes that belonged to the man behind the bar.

“Hi,” She greeted with a smile.

“Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, I’m just looking for my friend.” Keyleth shrugged. She probably shouldn’t drink anymore. The cold air had helped sober her up enough, but she was getting tired and wanted to go home soon.

“The mysterious, handsome guy that was with you earlier?”

“Yep, that’s the one,” Keyleth laughed.

“He went upstairs not even two minutes ago. You just missed him, dear.”

Keyleth looked at the stairs and hummed. She did not feel like going back into the crowd. She was about to thank the barman when Percy sat by her side with a huff.

“Ah, my favorite patron.” The barman draped himself over the counter and took one of Percy’s hands. From the corner of her eye, Keyleth saw that his tanned fingers held a myriad of gold and silver rings, some with jewels, some without. “Would you like a drink?” He winked seductively.

“Not this time. Thank you, Gilmore.” Percy blushed.

“Gilmore? As in, the Gilmore?”

“I see you’ve heard of me, little dove.” Gilmore leaned back and stood straight with a charming smile, although not quite like the one he had directed at Percy.

“This is a nice bar,” Keyleth smiled politely at him, to which he thanked her with a cocked head. He seemed to observe her like he was trying to figure out what made her tick. Keyleth shuffled in her seat uncomfortably, and the man seemed to notice because he turned his gaze somewhere. 

“Percy,” She turned to her friend with a soft smile, trying to ease her anxiety. “Gilmore said that Vax went upstairs.”

“Oh. I’ll go let Vax know you’re here, then.” Percy gave Gilmore a short nod before he headed up. 

Keyleth turned back to face the counter, and Gilmore looked at her in amusement. 

“So, are you and Vax a thing?” Gilmore asked. He picked up a glass and a clean rug and started to wipe the glass, but Keyleth couldn’t help but notice that it was already clean and dry when Gilmore grabbed it.

“A thing?”

“Dating,” Gilmore wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You two seemed very cozy with each other earlier.

“Nope, just friends.” Keyleth felt the heat on her cheeks at the idea of someone thinking she and Vax were dating.

“Uhm, okay,” Gilmore gave her a knowing look and walked away, leaving Keyleth red-faced by herself. 

“Hey. Percy said you were here.”

Keyleth jumped and almost fell off of the stool, quickly being caught by Vax’s strong arms. Her heart raced again, and she held tightly to his shirt to recompose herself.

“Shit, Vax. You scared me,” She panted.

“Sorry,” Vax started rubbing her back in a relaxing way.

“How are you so stealthy?” She shouldn’t have asked that because the smile he gave her in response made her toes curl. 

“I can’t tell you all my secrets, can I?” The sultry tone with which he spoke, along with the smug look on his face, was so tempting that Keyleth almost instinctively leaned into him. She quickly realized what was happening and stopped herself by jumping from the barstool and his arms.

“I–”

“Ah, I see you found your friend,” Gilmore appeared again behind the counter with his charming look, obviously directed at Vax.

“Uh? Oh. Yeah. Thank you for keeping me company.” Keyleth smiled at him. 

“Well, but of course, dear. It was a pleasure.” Gilmore gave Keyleth a short bow and then winked at Vax, who immediately turned his gaze away, embarrassed.

“Do you want to go back home?” Vax asked her, rubbing the back of his neck. Keyleth nodded, and they waved Gilmore goodbye as she quickly texted Percy to let him know they were leaving.

The cold air biting at Keyleth’s skin made her shiver again, and even though she tried to hide it, it didn’t seem like she had been successful because Vax immediately took off his jacket.

“You didn’t bring a jacket?” He asked, surprised. Keyleth shook her head as she took his leather jacket and put it on. It smelled so much like him, which made her want to grab him by the shirt and kiss him. Stop it. Focus.

“I didn’t think I needed one,” She admitted bashfully. Vax shook his head with a tut, and Keyleth felt like she had disappointed him. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Are you warm now?”

“Yeah, but you–”

“I’m fine. Let’s go?”

Keyleth nodded, and they started walking back toward campus. The only noises they heard were the occasional sounds of cars in the distance and the tap-tap of Keyleth’s heels on the sidewalk. Vax was walking close to her, their arms almost touching at their sides, and Keyleth was surprised he was not shivering in his short sleeves on such a cold night.

“I’m sorry I left,” Keyleth broke the silence after a while.

“Uhm? You don’t have to apologize.”

“I do. I left you out of nowhere. I’m sorry. I–I had a panic attack. I think it was the alcohol.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. Part of it was because of the drinks.

“I get it. I’m just glad Percy went to check on you.”

“Yeah, he was pretty nice about it. It seems like he has experience in dealing with stuff like that.” Keyleth turned to look at Vax, whose stare was focused on the road ahead.

“Oh, yeah?” His tone was so cold that Keyleth felt like it could freeze flames.

“Vax? Are you okay?” She stopped, placing a hand on his shoulder. Vax turned to her and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m sorry if I did or said something wrong. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”

“Y–you didn’t. Vax, it wasn’t your fault. I promise.” Keyleth pulled him into a hug, and her heart broke when he didn’t wrap his arms around her like he always did. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not, Keyleth.” Keyleth?

Keyleth felt the tears prickling in her eyes, and she pulled away, lowering her head. She mumbled a soft “okay” and started walking again. It didn’t take long to reach Greyskull, and once they walked into the lobby, Keyleth took Vax’s jacket off and handed it back. The ride up the elevator was as quiet as the walk back home, but as they approached their door, tension started building up between them, and Keyleth had to try really hard to contain her tears.

“Thank you for tonight. I hope you had fun,” Vax smiled softly at her outside his bedroom door. Keyleth nodded, her head still bowed low, and wished him goodnight.

Trinket came to greet her at the bedroom door. The massive shaggy black dog jumped to lick her face, and Keyleth quickly scratched his head before she closed the bedroom door. As soon as it clicked shut, she let the tears roll down her face, slowly at first, but by the time she found her bed in the dimly lit room, they were thicker and falling faster. She curled in bed, not bothering to change her clothes or take off her make-up, and sobbed into her pillow until exhaustion took over.

The last thing she thought before she fell asleep was the memory of her father crying silently in their kitchen when he thought Keyleth couldn’t hear him. She knew how much he had loved her mother and how hard it had been for him to lose her. Because of this, Keyleth had made a vow long ago that she would never allow herself to be hurt like that. Love may be a beautiful thing for others, but to Keyleth, it meant nothing but pain.

Chapter Text

Percy hated exams with a passion. He loved learning – classes were the highlight of his day, and the hours spent in the workshop were even better – but he hated being evaluated on his knowledge. It was one thing to have practical exams, where he was tasked with building something and then getting evaluated on it – that part Percy didn’t mind since he knew he would be able to prove his abilities – but to have to write down theories and methods was boring. Alas, there was nothing he could do about that. Because midterms were coming up and he strived to be the best – even at boring written exams – Percy had to frequently force himself out of the workshop and into the library. However, and much to his pleasure, none of his trips for the past month had been lonely.  

Percy had to give credit where credit was due: Vex’ahlia knew how to party. He still felt the effects of the previous night, and while Vex had drunk much more than he did, she seemed perfectly fine that afternoon. She was sitting opposite him, wearing a light blue sweater and jeans and her hair in a braid down her shoulder, a style Percy learned was her favorite. Everything about her screamed regal beauty, and Percy had had trouble focusing when they first arrived at the library. 

He loved the furrow of Vex’s brow in concentration as she wrote down something important in her notebook, he loved when Vex absent-mindedly played with the end of her braid as she read, and he loved every single one of her low groans whenever Vex became frustrated with a subject she had trouble understanding. Percy often found himself staring at her beautiful brown eyes, her plump lips – oh, how he would love to bite them – at her slender fingers fumbling with a pen or her modestly manicured nails tapping on the wooden table. She was beautiful, graceful, and mysterious, and Percy wanted nothing more but to discover every inch of her hidden secrets.

“Percival?” Vex’s sweet voice called him back down to earth, and Percy felt his cheeks burn. 

“Yes, dear?” There was no point in hiding. She had to have seen him stare at her in awe.

“Your phone is vibrating, darling.” Vex nodded to his left side, where his phone was displaying the picture of a young girl with brown plaited hair and a gap-toothed grin.

Percy scrambled to get on his feet, grabbing the phone with shaky hands and motioning to Vex, who nodded as he quickly serpentined between the several tables to the large doors that led to the library atrium. He quickly found a secluded nook right outside the front door, under an awning, hoping the rain wasn’t too loud.

“Cassandra?” Percy finally answered the call, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice. Cassandra didn’t call him often, so it always worried him when she did.

“Hi, brother!” His entire body relaxed upon hearing his little sister’s cheerful voice. “I’m sorry I haven’t called in a while. How are you?”

“It’s alright, dear. I’m doing good. How are you?”

“I’m fine. How are classes? Are you learning a lot? Do you go out to bars? Did you meet anyone yet?” Cass asked, all in the same breath. “You need to have fun, Percival. You can’t stay locked up in the workshop all day. Have you met any cute girls yet?” 

“Classes are great. Yes, I am learning a lot, although I think my professors could also learn a few things.” Percy combed his hand through his hair, disheveling it even more, and exhaustion settled in his body. For someone so young, Cass sure knew where to poke at him. “Don’t worry. I have been going out to bars and meeting people.” He purposely avoided answering the last question. The last thing he needed was to mention Vex and be interrogated, especially when he did not have any answers to give yet. “How about you? How is school?”

“School is good. We have been learning about the history of Tal’Dorei this week.”

“Any kids giving you trouble?” Percy’s worries returned. After the accident, kids hadn’t been particularly nice to him and Cass, so much so that she became scared of attending classes one day.

“Yeah. My classmates are much better this year.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Are you being nice to Father Yennen? Please do not give him any trouble, Cassandra.”

“Yes, brother. I’m being nice, I promise. But he makes me study every day, and it’s so boring.”

Percy chuckled, scratching the stubble on his chin, “Oh. I missed you.”

“I miss you too. When are you coming home?”

“I just went home for Harvest’s Close, Cass.”

“I know…”

“I’ll be home for Winter’s Crest, don’t worry.”

“Good. I can’t wait to make snowmen with you. Yours are always so cool.”

“That sounds like a great idea, and we can watch our favorite movie and drink hot cocoa. I promise.” Percy smiled fondly, even though he knew Cass couldn’t see him.

“Yes! That’s a really great i–”

Percy heard the voice of a man calling his sister’s name in the distance, and her voice changed as she announced she had to go. She quickly said goodbye, promising to call him again soon, and hung up without allowing him to reply. 

Percy’s throat constricted in a knot as he searched for the restrooms, tears prickling in his eyes. He knew Cassandra was safe in the care of their family friend, but at the same time, he couldn’t erase the guilt that he felt for leaving her behind in Whitestone. He had promised his sister he would go home to visit her as often as possible. However, Percy had overestimated how exhausted he would be after a week of classes, so he had only been home once since moving to Emon. Cassandra tried to pretend it was fine, but he knew it wasn’t. She was a strong and intelligent young girl but still needed her family. Percy was all she had, and he, too, had left her, and although she never said it out loud, Percy knew she was upset about that. 

Percy allowed the tears to fall down his face, hiding in one of the cubicles in the public restroom. He missed his family so much, his little sister in particular. Hearing Cassandra’s happy voice renewed the conviction that he was doing his best and that she was safe in the care of the temple of Erathis. Percy had gone above and beyond to ensure as much, and he would never forgive himself if something happened to Cassandra while he was away. It took him a while to recompose himself and wash his face. When he finally rejoined Vex, she was chewing on the end of her pen with a look of concern.

“Is everything alright, darling?” Vex frowned as her gaze fell on his red-rimmed eyes.

“Yes, I apologize. It was my little sister calling.” Percy offered a short smile and waited as curiosity filled Vex’s hazel-brown eyes.

“Oh. How is she?”

“She’s fine. She misses me, and I miss her too.”

Vex opened her mouth to say something, but someone at a nearby table coughed, looking sideways at them, and she closed her mouth. Percy tried to focus on a formula in his book, but the numbers and letters were blurry. His mind drifted off to the cold winter days when his family gathered by the fireplace in their large living room. They would pull out the bed on the sofa, build even more beds on the floor out of pillows and blankets, and watch movies and drink hot chocolate, their cheeks rosy after playing in the cold snow all day. It had been five years since the accident. Percy missed his family every day that passed, and moving away from his only living relative had been a tough choice.

“Percy,” Vex called him in a hush, placing her soft hand on his. Percy looked up at her blurry figure and realized he was crying again. “Would you like to get out of here, darling? Maybe we should go grab a cup of coffee?”

He nodded. That was all he could do. Vex quickly packed their things, including Percy’s, since he couldn’t move. She held his hand as they left the building and walked across campus to the small coffee shop their group had adopted on their first week of classes.

The golden light of the afternoon sun made the coffee shop feel much warmer and cozier than it already was regularly. Vex had a steaming mug of coffee with whipped cream in front of her – Percy still teased her every time she ordered her drink – while Percy had opted for his regular, boring black coffee. She was still amazed, even hours later, that he had taken the initiative to ask her to accompany him to a study session at the library when only a few weeks before, she had to practically beg him to trade the workshop for the books, worried that he would fail his written exams.

“What is your sister’s name?” Small talk wasn’t something Vex’ahlia was interested in. She was a hunter: she saw her target, aimed for it, and nine out of ten times, she aimed right.

Percy looked at her frazzled. They had barely just sat down when Vex asked him the question. “Her name is Cassandra,” he finally replied after slowly peeling off his jacket and draping it over the back of the chair at his side. 

“That’s a cute name. How old is she?”

Percy looked exhausted. He had bags under his eyes, his hair was in disarray, and even his clothes were out of his usual attire: a plain white t-shirt, a pair of worn jeans, and a jean jacket instead of his typical long blue coat. Vex didn’t blame him for opting for a comfortable look. They had quite a few drinks and had gotten home late last night. She wasn’t feeling entirely well either, but she had mastered the perfect hangover cure, so she wasn’t as bad as she could have been. The headache was still lurking in the back of her brain, but that’s what the coffee mug in her hands was for.

“She’s twelve. Almost a teenager.” 

“Oh, wow. I thought she was younger from the photo on your phone.”

“Oh, that is an old photo. Cass was much cuter back then,” Percy offers a teasing smile. “She’s quite the menace sneaking out of the house nowadays and giving poor Father Yennen trouble.”

“Father Yennen?” Vex sat straight on her chair, paying close attention to Percy. His facial expression changed from soft, like when he talked about his sister, to a pained look.

“Yes. He’s a friend of our family who is kind enough to care for Cassandra while I attend classes.”

One of Vex’ahlia’s best qualities was her attentiveness, which allowed her to read between the lines, and, in this case, there was a familiarity to the subcontext of the information Percy just shared with her: his parents weren’t around. She wasn’t sure if she wanted – or should – pry further. Percy didn’t seem uncomfortable and unwilling to share more, but something inside her told her maybe this wasn’t the right time or place for such a deep conversation. She filed it in her “later” archive and sipped on her coffee. Percy’s eyes searched hers, waiting. She could practically hear the whirring wheels of his brain as he searched for the answers to all the possible questions she could ask him, but, instead, Vex closed the topic by simply saying, “Teenagers are assholes,” so nonchalantly that it made Percy snort into his mug.

Vex’s mind wandered as her friend took out his books and spread them over the table. A memory of herself walking the long, elaborately decorated corridors of a large mansion in a different city resurfaced. She had a purpose to her step, a goal in mind, and when the beautiful carved white door finally appeared at the end of the corridor, she almost ran to it, entering the room without knocking. She was in a nicely decorated nursery room painted light pink and white. It smelled like talc powder, roses, and something sweet, and a low lullaby played from a nearby dimly lit bear lamp. On a corner of the room sat a handmade crib, and inside it, sleeping, was a baby with short, black hair breathing slowly.

“Vex’ahlia, are you alright?” The image of the sleeping baby in her mind disappeared, and she slumped against the chair. 

“Yeah, sorry. I was lost in thought.”

“Would you like to share?” Percy offered her a kind smile, but Vex shook her head. He nodded and lowered his head, focusing on his books again.

Vex couldn’t help but wonder how the little girl was doing. She had barely turned one year old when the twins ran away, but they had grown closer to each other – or rather, the twins had grown closer to her. Would she even remember them? Her mind raced with questions about the girl’s well-being. Is she happy? Is she being loved and cared for as much as she should be? Does he also yell at her when she can’t achieve his standards of perfection? Vex quickly realized it wasn’t worth dwelling on these questions. She had no way to contact the girl unless she wanted to go through her father, and that was the last thing Vex would ever do.

Chapter Text

When Vax’ildan woke up, the sun was already setting in the sky. It had taken him a long time to fall asleep the previous night. He tossed and turned in bed for hours after Percy returned from the bar, and the first rays of sunlight peeked through the tiniest gap in the curtains. The fact that he had willingly been cold to Keyleth the previous night had already been enough to plant the seed of guilt inside him, but hearing her crying in her room made him feel more guilty than he had ever felt. Vax ran the events of last night in his mind as he lay awake in bed, wondering what was the best course of action. On the one hand, he wanted to give Keyleth room for her to gather her thoughts, and he knew how important the midterms were to her, so he also didn’t want to distract her any further. However, on the other hand, isolating himself from her would probably hurt her – and him – even more. Vax was at an impasse. He figured there was nothing he could do that day since most of it was already over, so he stayed in his bedroom for the rest of the evening and night, only coming out to use the bathroom and eat. 

Vax was surprised when he woke up to no new notifications on his phone the following morning. He assumed that his sister would have been at least slightly concerned and texted him, but there were no new messages. Not even from Keyleth, which he already expected, but still hurt. The apartment was unusually quiet, which could be due to him having woken up late in the morning when everyone was already out and about, so Vax took some time to slowly shower and eat breakfast before he returned to his room with a groan from the prospect of having to study. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon, when Vex’ahlia let herself in his room without knocking, that Vax finally took a break.

“You’re alive, brother,” She said casually, slumping onto Vax’s bed. 

Vax turned his chair to look at her, pointing at the books opened on his desk, and he said, “Alive is relative when midterms start tomorrow.”

“So that’s what you’ve been doing?” Vex crossed her legs and cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Studying? Yes. Have you?”

“So you haven’t been avoiding a certain redhead?” 

“What do you want, Vex’ahlia?”

“I’m just checking on you, brother,” She shrugged. Vax didn’t believe her. His sister had questions he didn’t have the answers for, and he knew she wouldn’t go away until she was satisfied. 

“I’m alright. I’ve been eating and resting. And focusing on studying whenever I’m awake. We have a lot at risk, and I will not jeopardize our safety.” 

“And Keyleth? She was studying at the library by herself today.”

“We cannot afford distractions right now, sister.” He cocked an eyebrow at her in return. He knew she had been studying with Percy lately. “I must ask you to please let me study now.”

Vex nodded, but something in her demeanor changed, making Vax’s stomach feel like it was tied to a rock and sinking into the ocean. Vex’ahlia had something heavy in her mind, something she wanted to say or perhaps ask. He couldn’t tell if it was related to Keyleth or the school. He knew he should just ask her, but, at the same time, Vax was afraid of what she would say, so he paid close attention to his sister, and that’s when he saw the signs of a nervous tick she hadn’t displayed in a while. Vax knew immediately what she was thinking and how much the subject affected her, so he braced himself before speaking.

“What’s on your mind, Vex’ahlia?”

Vex looked up at her brother, nervously biting her lip and fumbling with the hem of her shirt. She looked just as tired as he did.

“I’ve been thinking about–” She paused and looked down at her hands. “Velora,” she whispered. Vax’s heart raced in his chest as the image of the small girl came to his mind. “I’ve been wondering if she’s okay. If she’s safe.”

“I’m sure she is,” Vax ignored the knot forming in his throat. He hated hurting his sister, and more than that, he hated reminding her – both of them – how unwanted and hated they were by his father, but sometimes he had to do it, and this was one of those times. “Don’t forget she was wanted, unlike us. Syldor treats her differently. You know he provides for her.”

“I know,” Vex’s voice trembled as tears pooled in the corner of her eyes. “I just–I wished we could talk to her, tell her we haven’t forgotten about her. Tell her–” Vex wiped a tear with the sleeve of her shirt just as Vax joined her on the bed. “Tell her we love her very much, that she’s our sister, no matter what.”

Vax hugged his twin tightly, willing himself to be tough. He could tell Vex that Velora knew how much they loved her, that she knew they hadn’t forgotten her, but he would never lie to his sister like that. Velora was only a year old when they left Syngorn. The chances of her having any memories of the twins were probably now sullied by their father’s words, who, undoubtedly, had spewed many lies about their departure. 

“I’m sorry,” Vax whispered, rubbing the back of Vex’s head. “I’m sorry I can’t do anything to ease your pain.”

“Vax, no.” Vex’ahlia grabbed her brother’s face with both hands and looked at him with her eyes shining with tears. “None of this is your fault, brother. It’s Syldor’s.”

“I just… I don’t want to fail her too.”

“You haven’t failed me, nor her. Vax, none of what happened is your fault. And don’t look at me like that,” Vex admonished him. “Sooner or later, something would have happened. I’m just glad we made it out alive,” she lowered her voice.

Vax nodded in agreement, wiping his tears with his sleeve, “Yeah. Me too.”

“You’re right. I’m sure Velora is fine. We need to look out for ourselves. So I’m going to let you go back to your books, and I’ll go back to mine,” Vex got up from his brother’s hold and walked to the door, pausing and turning before opening it. “Make sure you talk to Keyleth, will you? She looked miserable this morning.” And with that, she left, closing the door behind her.

Vax’s stomach twisted, making him feel like he was about to throw up. Keyleth was hurting because of him. Vex was hurting because of him. Velora could be hurting, too, because he wasn’t there to protect her like he protected Vex. A crushing weight settled on Vax’s shoulders as he laid down and rolled himself into a ball on his bed. He knew his priority should be passing the exams, but his heavy guilt overwhelmed him so much he couldn’t move. His body started tensing as his muscles locked, and his mind became a messy blur of thoughts. He knew he would regret it later, but at the moment, there was nothing else he could do but lie down and let the feeling pass.

Keyleth hadn’t seen Vax’ildan all weekend, so on Miresen morning, when the apartment door opened to reveal a sweaty and disheveled Vax as Keyleth waited for the coffee to brew in the kitchen, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. He was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, and his hair was a mess in a ponytail, and Keyleth couldn’t help but blush at the sight of him. Vax hadn’t noticed her as his gaze was captivated by his phone, so he almost stumbled onto her. Keyleth willed herself to move out of his way, but it seemed like the message sent by her brain to her legs got lost somewhere between the stray beads of sweat traveling down the shapes of Vax’s arms and the lack of oxygen in her brain as Keyleth started to breathe faster. But fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on the perspective – Vax saw Keyleth just in time.

“Shit, sorry. Didn’t see you there,” He said, stopping right in front of her. 

Keyleth’s blood pumped so loudly in her ears that she almost didn’t hear what Vax said. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her, but finally, her body responded to her commands – now you get the message? – Her legs stopped shaking underneath her torso, allowing her to step back as she apologized to Vax, “No, I’m sorry. I was in the way.”

Vax gave her a short smile and moved to walk past her, but Keyleth, whose brain was still short-circuiting, blocked him instead of letting him through. They danced for a few seconds, Keyleth accidentally blocking Vax instead of letting him through until he finally grabbed her shoulders and stopped her, staring deep into her eyes. For a moment, Keyleth forgot about that night after the bar. She had his gaze again, and she allowed herself to hope. She took a cautious step closer to him and slowly raised her arms as her brain filled with the memories of the dozens of hugs they had shared before and how much she missed them. But then Vax pushed her gently aside and walked past her to grab a cup from the cabinet.

Keyleth’s heart stopped, and her eyes burned. She felt like a thousand tiny shards of glass were piercing her. It had been a long time since she felt like she needed to scream in agony, but she had to hold on as Vax filled a glass with water from the fridge. Vax’s back faced her in a way that symbolized much more than what it meant. All Keyleth could do to hold herself aloft at that moment was to place a hand on the island counter next to her and hope he would leave soon.

“Are you okay?” Keyleth almost believed the fake concern in Vax’s voice. She nodded in response, avoiding eye contact. Keyleth was scared she would start screaming if she spoke, so she didn’t open her mouth. “I need to get into the shower before Grog takes over the bathroom and uses all the hot water.” 

Keyleth didn’t know whether it was true or an excuse to leave her alone – again – but she nodded nonetheless because what else could she do? Fall to her knees and cry? Beg him to stay when he clearly showed her he didn’t care about her anymore? Had he ever cared? All those weeks they spent together, all the talks and hugs. The soft touches and the meals they cooked. Did they mean anything to him at all? And Percy was so sure. Oh, how Keyleth wanted to scream at him – one of her best friends – for lighting the flame of hope inside her. She wanted to tell him how wrong he was and how much Vax had hurt her in ways she had never been hurt before.

She had been used before by people who had gotten close to her with second intentions in mind. People who wanted to use her to climb their way to a better goal, a better life. But this was different. Her friendship with Vax had felt real. She had felt safe with him. She had been herself. Was that the problem? Maybe Vax got tired of her and her issues. She couldn’t blame him. How many times had he found her crying on the floor? How many times had he gone out of his way to comfort her? And for what? She didn’t really do anything for him, did she? 

Keyleth’s mother’s death had left a gaping hole in her, one she knew she would never fill. And yet, all these years later, after getting so used to the feeling of emptiness, she was not ready for this. Keyleth felt like her life force had been stolen from her. She felt like an empty shell of a human being, devoid of all emotion. Her thoughts were loud – screaming words she hadn’t heard in so long – about being unlovable and unworthy of happiness.

It wasn’t until Keyleth heard the faint signs of movement about the apartment and her roommates’ alarm clocks ringing to signal the first day of midterm exams that she realized she couldn’t allow herself to fall deeper into the hole. Keyleth had come to Emon to study, and she needed to focus on that. She had lived eighteen years without friends. Surely she could do another four until she got what she needed and returned home. 

Except that Pike and Vex were good to her – although sometimes Vex gave her looks that made Keyleth feel like she was being evaluated for something she didn’t know about – and Percy was incredibly friendly and listened to her. Even Grog and Scanlan were nice once in a while. It was Vax who was hurting her, no one else. She didn’t have to stop being friends with everyone because Vax had broken her heart, did she? Even that sentence made her uncomfortable. How could Vax – her best friend – break her heart like this? Because that was all they were: friends . Nothing else, nothing more, and that was the only reason why it hurt so much. Because they had become close friends, they had trusted and comforted each other – or at least Keyleth had – in ways they had never trusted anyone before, and it wouldn’t hurt this much unless Keyleth really liked Vax as a friend , right?

Chapter Text

Vox Machina hoped that midterms week was not a faithful representation of what finals week would look like at Emon University because every student of Greyskull’s apartment 7B had either locked themselves in their room or quickly developed a strong relationship with the school library. Even Scanlan, who had made jokes at the beginning of the year about how relaxed he was about classes, spent countless hours in his room, studying lines and pouring over books, and Grog, who hadn’t realized that a sports degree still meant he had to study and read boring things, such as history and theories, and not just work out all day long.

Pike and Percy, who both aimed to excel in all their classes, had traded their usual daily activities – working out and painting for Pike and the workshop for Percy – to share a table at the library with Keyleth and the twins. Meanwhile, Keyleth was rarely alone and, especially, never alone with Vax. He still sat next to her in classes, joined everyone at the library to study, and still talked to her, but whenever people started to leave, he quickly found excuses for something to do or somewhere to go if it became clear that he was about to be left alone with Keyleth. In fact, Vex and Pike had tried to leave them alone on purpose a few times, but Vax had always shown up to where they were with an annoyed expression. 

But everyone tried their hardest to focus on studying as the week went on, Keyleth seemingly borderline obsessive, peering over her books at all times during breaks and meals and not sleeping enough at night. She would often stay until late at the library with Pike and Vex, and whenever she had a free couple of hours, Percy would convince her to join him at the café, so they could at least have a change in scenery and relax for a moment.

Percy, Pike, and Vex were becoming concerned about Keyleth – the girls more, since they shared a room with her and noticed her staying up late every night – so on Conthsen, the day before their last exam, the three of them surrounded Keyleth in the living room after dinner as they continued to study – Percy not so much, since his last exam was practical, but he was there for moral support.

“Keyleth, dear, are you okay?” Percy asked, breaking the silence. 

Keyleth looked so frazzled they all thought she was about to pass out from exhaustion – or worse – if she didn’t take a break soon. Her hair was matted and dull, she had large dark circles under her eyes, her skin was breaking out from anxiety and stress, and she looked like she had lost some weight in just a few days.

“Yes,” Keyleth replied coldly, returning her attention to the book.

Pike and Vex exchanged a look between them, and, with the softest voice Vex could muster, she asked, “Are you sure, darling?”

“Yes,” Keyleth replied, not looking at her roommate, this time with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.  

“We’re worried about you,” Pike tried this time, reaching out to grab her hand. “You haven’t been taking care of yourself.”

“I’m fine,” Keyleth snapped, closing the book with a loud thud. “I’m trying to pass these goddam exams, or I’m going to get kicked out of school. You might be lucky enough to have been born with a smart brain, but some of us actually have to put in some work here.” She said as she started putting away her things haphazardly. “I’m fine, so leave me alone, please,” Keyleth yelled, grabbing her backpack and heading out the door.

Pike squirmed in her seat, looking at her friends. Vex groaned as she called Trinket back – who had followed Keyleth to the front door with concern – and Percy was combing a hand through his hair in despair. 

“She’s not fine.” He pointed out.

“Do you think this has something to do with my brother?” Vex asked no one in particular. She had noticed things were different between them during the weekend, and she hoped they had made up by now, but it seemed like it was only getting worse.

“Probably,” Percy looked down, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Do you know anything we don’t know, Percy?” Pike asked with a knowing look.

“I really can’t say, Pike.” He gave her an apologetic look.

“Darling, Keyleth isn’t alright. Something must have happened,” Vex said as she placed a hand on Percy’s arm. It could have been an innocent, friendly gesture, yet Pike felt like someone had dumped a bucket of iced water down her head. 

“I will not betray my friend’s trust. All I can say is that…” Percy paused, choosing his words very carefully. “I thought Vax had feelings for her, but after this week, I’m not so sure I should have been so certain in telling Keyleth she needn’t worry about him not liking her back.”

Pike was taken aback by the information. Percy might not have been explicit – and oh, how his loyalty to Keyleth made her heart swell – but the little information he said was clear enough to confirm her suspicion that Keyleth had some sort of feelings for Vax. Pike’s stomach twisted with worry. She had spent so much time studying that week that she hadn’t thought about what led Vax to avoid Keyleth like this after what he told her at the bar. No wonder he didn’t want to be left alone with Keyleth. He must have been suffering as much as her. Pike had to talk to him. She had to tell him about what happened, but Vax had locked himself in his room again, and like he had done all week, Pike knew he wouldn’t come out anytime soon. She would have to wait until the next day. Maybe they could talk after their last exam when the stress of midterms was off their shoulders, and hopefully, that will help fix things between Vax and Keyleth.

“Pike, dear. Are you alright?” Vex called her, touching her hand. Pike nodded, realizing she had been staring at the empty spot Keyleth left at the table, holding her pen so tightly her knuckles were white.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I was thinking about all this.”

“It is very concerning,” Percy slumped against the soft pillows the girls had bought to decorate the couch. “Has Vax mentioned anything to you, Vex’ahlia?”

“No, noth—well… ” Vex sat up straight, leaning in slightly as she chewed on the end of her pen, lost in thought. Her friends looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. “He technically hasn’t said anything to me, but I might have seen some compromising messages on his phone.”

“What do you mean? Messages from whom?” Pike asked, leaning forward.

“From and to Gilmore.”

“What did they say?” Pike pushed, intrigued. She had seen Gilmore flirt with Vax at the bar, but Pike didn’t know they had exchanged numbers or that Vax was seeing Gilmore.

“Am I the only one concerned about the fact that you invaded your brother’s privacy?” Percy pointed out with a shocked look.

“I wasn’t snooping on purpose, Percival,” Vex gave Percy a stern side-eye. “I just happened to see them by accident.”

Percy hummed in disbelief, crossing his arms, and, to the girls’ shock, he mumbled, “Proceed. What did those messages say?”

Pike had never seen Percy blush as red as he did when Vex smirked at him. She was conflicted for a moment. While she wanted to stay and hear about the messages between Vax and Gilmore, she also wanted to run out the door, leave the apartment and never look back. She felt so naive at that moment, seeing the redness spread on Percy’s face, the sultry looks Vex threw his way, the soft touches on his arm and hand. Pike could bear the pain of having her heart unknowingly stolen by her friend, but she was unsure if she could cope with the pain of having it unintentionally get crushed by her roommate.

“They were boring at first. Mostly of Gilmore talking about the bar… you know, small talk. But then there was this message of him asking my brother if he has told someone something.”

“Do you think they were talking about Keyleth?” Percy asked, and Vex nodded silently.

“What makes you think that?” Pike asked although she was sure Vax and Gilmore were talking about Keyleth.

“He mentioned something about her sharing a room with me and making things hard,” Vex’ahlia’s voice lowered with sadness. She hated being the reason why her brother didn’t follow his heart, but at the same time, she hadn’t been sure of Keyleth’s feelings before that day – not that she was entirely sure yet. “Unless my brother has a crush on you, I’m pretty sure he was talking about Keyleth,” Vex added, smiling teasingly at Pike.

“But there was more,” She continued. “Vax said she would never feel the same way about him and that he couldn’t tell her because he couldn’t handle the rejection.”

“Fuck,” Pike mumbled a tad too loud. Both her friends looked at her in shock, and she scrambled back on the couch, sweating under Vex’s inquiring gaze.

 “Pike, you’ve been acting weird since we brought this up. Do you know anything?”

“No,” the short girl replied with a trembling voice.

“I don’t buy it,” Percy grumbled. He jumped from his seat and started pacing around the living room, followed by Trinket’s attentive gaze. “You are hiding something, Pike. But I understand that you don’t want to say anything.”

Pike swallowed hard. Percy knew. Percy knew about Keyleth’s feelings, and now he knew Vax had confided in her. Neither of them was willing to break their friend’s trust, even if it meant that this situation would finally be resolved.

“Alright, you keep your secrets then,” Vex rose suddenly. “It seems like I’m the last one to know everything anyway. Come, Trinket.” Vex called her massive dog to her as she walked to the front door. “Let’s go find Keyleth. It’s late, and she shouldn’t be walking alone at night.”

Vex’ahlia left Pike and Percy staring at each other, icy blue eyes versus warm ocean colors. If this had happened a few hours before, Pike’s cheeks would have been flush red by now. But after all that happened – especially Vex’s continuous flirting with Percy – she couldn’t feel anything other than disappointment and embarrassment in the presence of her crush. 

As soon as the apartment door slammed behind her, Keyleth’s ire seemed to vanish. She shouldn’t have yelled at her friends, they were only concerned about her, but in all honesty, Keyleth didn’t understand where all that anger came from. She had never felt that way before. She had been mad at things, but she had never snapped at anyone before – not the way she snapped at poor Pike. Maybe the stress and pressure from the exams made her more sensitive to what others said. 

The cold air nipped at Keyleth’s skin as she roamed the dark campus streets. She knew she should probably turn and head back home, but the embarrassment of facing her friends after what Keyleth told them was worse than the fear she had of walking alone at night. Maybe her friends were right. She hadn’t been sleeping and eating properly, and now that she had a moment to think about it, she couldn’t remember the last time she brushed her hair, let alone washed it. How could she, though? She had so many things on her mind. The exams, the essays, and the projects… Vax. 

Fucking Vax’ildan. 

Vax, who, on Miresen morning, had the audacity to sit next to her in class as if nothing had happened. Who politely talked to her to ask about notes and other boring things regular classmates asked about. Vax’idan, whose face was so damn annoying and punchable, but at the same time the most beautiful and kissable face Keyleth had seen in her life. 

Fuck him.

And then, as if sitting with her in classes wasn’t enough, Vax had often joined everyone at the library or home to study throughout the week. He had rarely done that before, and he chose the time when he decided he no longer wanted to be Keyleth’s friend to start hanging out with everyone. And to do it in her presence, too.

Fuck. Vax.

Keyleth’s blood started boiling again, thinking about Vax. She wanted to push him against a wall and ask him why he had been so cold to her all week when it seemed he didn’t want to be out of Keyleth’s sight. What an asshole. Vax’s presence was obviously unsettling to Keyleth. She couldn’t focus on studying with him so close to her, particularly when he stared at her in a way that made her skin burn when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. Keyleth had wanted to run away all week. She tried to hide as often as she could, but most of the time, she was found by Percy, who would insist they go to the coffee shop to study.

There was no way her friends hadn’t noticed the change in Vax’s behavior, was there? Is that why they kept asking if she was okay? Why they kept making sure she had someone with her at (almost) all times? Couldn’t they understand that Keyleth and Vax were friends, and there was no reason for them to be so concerned about her?

It’s his loss. 

“I hope he wakes up tomorrow and realizes how much of an asshole he’s been,” Keyleth mumbled to herself, sitting on a bench. By then it’ll be too late. “Fuck him.”

“Are you talking to yourself?”

Keyleth jumped, backing away into a lamppost. She didn’t have anything on her to defend herself – which had been very stupid of her – because she wasn’t thinking clearly when she stormed out of the apartment. Nonetheless, she still raised her hands defensively.

“Who’s there?” She asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice.

“Relax, darling. It’s me,” Vex’ahlia stepped out into the light with a kind smile and her hands held up. Trinket’s leash was looped around one wrist. Keyleth saw movement in the shadows from the corner of her eye just before the massive shaggy black dog trotted in her direction, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. As soon as Keyleth realized she wasn’t in danger, she lowered her arms and braced herself just in time for Trinket to jump on her and lick her face.

“What are you doing here?” Keyleth asked, sitting back on the bench. Trinket gently dropped his head on Keyleth’s knees, looking at her with his soft brown eyes, almost as if he could tell she was upset. 

“I was worried about you. You stormed off so angrily, and it was late.” Vex sat on the bench by Keyleth’s side, her free hand rubbing the top of Trinket’s head. 

“I’m sorry about that,” Keyleth dropped her head in embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you guys.”

“It’s okay. I get angry sometimes, too.” 

They sat quietly for a moment, Trinket’s eyes never leaving Keyleth. Her thoughts grew more confused with every second that passed. Vex’ahlia had always been unpredictable in her reactions and feelings towards Keyleth: Vex either acted like they were best friends or would be cold to her and place herself between her brother and Keyleth. It’s not that she didn’t know the twins had been through hardships in their life – Vax had insinuated as much, and Keyleth had witnessed how dependent the twins were on each other – but sometimes it felt like Vex didn’t consider Keyleth good enough to be her brother’s friend. Or more than friends – not that was in Keyleth’s plans.

“Keyleth,” Vex interrupted the silence between them. “Has my brother ever told you how we managed to get into college?”

“No,” Keyleth replied, confused. She looked at her roommate, who was staring at the darkness where she came from. 

“Well, Vax and I are on a scholarship. We have our tuition fee and housing paid for, but in order to keep it, we need to reach a specific grade average that is quite high.”

“Oh. He has never told me that.”

“We don’t like to talk about that because not many people get these specific scholarships,” Vex focused her gaze on her shoes, and for a moment, Keyleth thought she was trying to conceal embarrassment. “So we have to study a lot and keep our grades consistent. We’re not here because we’re smart, Keyleth. We’re here because it looked good on the university’s diversity program.”

“That… that sounds horrible, Vex.” Keyleth’s anger was renewed, this time for different reasons. 

“It’s fine. We’ve been through worse. At least we have a place to stay, and if we finish our degrees, we will have better job opportunities.”

Keyleth’s mind grew louder the more Vex’ahlia spoke. Vax had never mentioned anything about his past, not in such clear terms, and it suddenly made Keyleth feel like perhaps she didn’t know him as well as she thought, and maybe he didn’t trust her as much as he made it seem.

“Anyway,” Vex continued, taking in Keyleth’s silence as an opportunity to change the subject. “I hope you know you are not alone in this. We are all fighting hard to get good grades, and I understand that this week has been exhausting and frustrating. Just remember that some of us have a lot on our backs, and maybe we simply need to focus on that for a while, yeah?”

Was Vex implying that Vax’s distance was due to the exams? Keyleth looked carefully at her friend, examining all the details of her expression. Vex looked embarrassed and apologetic, but there were also signs of stress. Keyleth paid attention, too. She noticed Vex and Percy hanging out more often, studying together until late, laughing, and relaxing at the end of the day. Keyleth knew how Percy felt about her roommate, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he had finally gained the courage to confess his feelings. Still, something about Vex didn’t click, and deep down, Keyleth had a feeling that all the time her friend had been spending with Percy meant less time she spent with her brother. And that made Keyleth think that maybe Vex wasn’t entirely aware of Vax’s real reason for being distant.

“Thanks, Vex.”

“Of course. We should head back. It’s getting late.” 

The walk back to the dorm was quiet, except for the small talk when Vex asked Keyleth what she wanted to do once the exams were over. Keyleth wasn’t sure what to answer. She wanted to do something fun and hang out with her friends – with Vax – but she didn’t know if she could handle the pressure of being around everyone – around Vax . A low simmering heat burned in her navel as she thought about a conversation she and Vax had a few weeks ago, before the stress of exams and his distance. He had suggested they go to the nearby beach to celebrate the end of midterms, and Keyleth had been so excited about the idea. She had never seen the ocean before, and it was something she really wanted to experience. But as the week went on, she felt like that wasn’t happening anytime soon – or ever – unless Vax came around and started talking to her again.

Fuck Vax. Keyleth didn’t need him, she could go to the beach on her own, or maybe she would invite the girls. It’s not the same thing. It wouldn’t be, for sure. Vax was her closest friend, and she had been really excited about sharing the experience with him. Keyleth’s eyes had started to burn as they approached the apartment door. She quickly darted to the bathroom, claiming to have to pee, but as soon as the door closed behind her, thick tears fell down her face. The nails of her balled fists carved half-moons on the palm of her hands, but Keyleth didn’t care. She was angry at Vax for giving her so much hope only to sweep the rug from underneath her feet. 

Keyleth allowed rage to take over her again, filling her mind with anger towards Vax. If he wanted to be cold and distant to her, so be it, but Keyleth was done crying for him. Even though her heart wept loudly for him, all Keyleth could think about was punching Vax’s beautiful – so goddamn kissable – face.

Chapter Text

Keyleth glanced at the clock strategically placed above the whiteboard in the classroom. Bile clawed its way up her esophagus and onto her throat as she realized she had less than five minutes until the end of the exam, and she still had two questions left. She tried to focus on the question she was working on, but the more she read it, the emptier her brain felt. Until, at last, the dreadful cough ensuing from the professor two rows down called her attention.

“Pens down.”

Keyleth tried to control her breathing as she lowered her pen and closed her exam, the blank space of the last two questions taunting her. Her heart started racing, and she stared at the paper in front of her with wide, unfocused eyes. Keyleth tuned out of her surroundings, not paying attention to the rustling of her classmates packing and leaving nor the blur of her professor taking away her unfinished exam. This was one of the most important subjects of her degree, and because of that, the professor had made it clear at the beginning of the year that finals would be worth 60% of their final grade while midterms would take 30% of it. Having a bad grade on the midterm could drastically lower Keyleth’s final grade if she didn’t raise it by finals.

“Miss Ashari?” The professor called her, gently touching her shoulder.

Keyleth looked up at the middle-aged man, the wrinkles around his soft, concerned brown eyes were more prominent at such a close distance. 

“Y—yes?” Her voice was low, barely louder than a whisper, and wavering.

“Is everything alright?”

Professor Uriel was not only one of the oldest professors in the Biology department of the University of Emon, but was also a descendant of its founder. While such a high status could turn the man into a power-hungry narcissist, Professor Uriel was one of the kindest teachers Keyleth had, going as far as to bother remembering his students’ names.

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth mumbled, embarrassed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t able to complete my exam.”

“Ah.” Professor Uriel smiled kindly, the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes shifting with it. “Do not worry about that, Miss Ashari. I have faith that you can still get a high grade. You are, after all, the best student in this class, are you not?”

Keyleth’s face reddened. She did put an immense amount of hours into her homework and assignments, and she tried to participate as much as her anxiety allowed her, but she would never call herself the best student in the class. 

“Let’s find out first what your grade was, and then we can discuss if there is a need for extra assignments to bring it up. Does that sound good to you?”

“Y—yes, that would be… Thank you, Professor,” Keyleth gave the man a hopeful smile before she started packing her things. 

It was already fully dark out when she left the teaching building, but Keyleth tried to not let the feeling of unease take over her. She was still slightly anxious about her exam, and walking alone at night didn’t help much. On a different occasion, she would have called Vax and asked him to stay on the phone with her until she got back to Greyskull, but he was still not talking to her. 

Keyleth started wondering if maybe it was her fault. Had she done something to upset him? Perhaps if she had tried to be less clingy, he wouldn’t be mad at her, or maybe if she had tried to be better, he would still be talking to her. Was there a point in even thinking about it anymore? It had been almost a week since their last conversation on the way home from the bar, and Vax didn’t seem any closer to resuming their friendship. Would it be best for Keyleth to forget about it and move on? 

Keyleth’s thoughts got interrupted by her phone vibrating in her pocket. A picture of Vex’ahlia and Trinket hugging in their bedroom showed on the screen, and Keyleth answered the call with a frown.

“Hi, Vex. Is everything okay?”

“Keyleth!” Vex cheered giddily on the other side of the line, immediately followed by an also cheerful Pike, giving Keyleth the impression that they both had already started drinking. “Where are you?”

“On my way home. I just finished my last exam.”

“We’re going out tonight to celebrate. Will you please come with us, darling? Pretty please,” Vex begged, shadowed by Pike in the background.

“Alright, but just us girls. Is that okay?” Keyleth bit her lip, hoping Vex was too tipsy to consider the reason for her request.

“Sure. No stinky boys tonight. Did you hear that, brother?”

Keyleth’s heart fell to her stomach. Vax was with his sister, and while she might have been too drunk to not add up the math, Vax wouldn’t be. He would surely figure out right away the reason for Keyleth’s request. Did it really matter, though? Did she care about how Vax felt for being left behind while the girls went out to have fun? The answer was an easy yes, because no matter what Keyleth told herself—or forced herself to believe—Vax’s sadness still made her heart ache.

“Well,” Pike’s voice got closer, and Keyleth heard shuffling on the other side. When she spoke again, the shorter girl’s voice was louder, “We’re going to have dinner first, then we’re going to Glorious . A girls’ night.” She offered. 

“Sounds good to me,” Keyleth answered, relaxing her shoulders as she saw the lights of Greyskull on the other side of the road. “I’m almost home. I just need to shower and get ready.”

“I have a dress for you, Keyleth,” Vex replied behind Pike.

“O—okay?” Keyleth was scared because she had seen Vex’s dresses before, and most of them were not something Keyleth could see herself wearing, but she gave her friend the benefit of the doubt and accepted the offer. 

Vex’ahlia and Pike were both waiting for Keyleth when she walked in, Pike holding a shot glass and Vex two. Vax was sitting on the armchair closest to the TV—Keyleth’s unofficially assigned armchair—with an open book on his lap. He didn’t even try to conceal the amusement on his face as his sister and their roommate loudly cheered Keyleth’s return home and promptly handed her a drink. Quite the opposite. His smile towards Keyleth was softer than she had seen him look at her that week, suddenly setting the embers in her navel ablaze. 

“Come on, let’s get ready,” Vex dragged Keyleth behind her to their room, where she started digging through her closet.

“Go ahead and shower first,” Pike instructed Keyleth as she, too, dug through her wardrobe. Keyleth obeyed, not wanting to burst her roommates’ bubble of happiness. 

Keyleth showered quickly, wanting to free the bathroom for the other two as fast as possible. She was still getting used to sharing her space with others, a habit she didn’t have due to being an only child and having lived most of her life with only her dad. While Vex and Pike were comfortable with anyone walking in the bathroom while they showered, Keyleth wasn’t. It had taken her a few weeks to even become comfortable with the idea of changing clothes in front of her roommates, which she had only started doing after Vex rolled her eyes at Keyleth and reminded her they all had the same body parts and that she didn’t have anything Vex hadn’t seen before. Sometimes Keyleth felt guilty for taking over the bathroom when the other two needed to get ready. But thankfully, they had fallen into a natural schedule where Pike and Vex would make up for any lost time by getting ready together.

“I have this dress for you,” Vex said as soon as Keyleth walked out of the bathroom, fully wrapped in a towel. She was holding a hanger with a black dress that already looked too short on her friend.

“I have dresses, too, you know?” Keyleth moved aside, allowing Pike in. Vex cocked an eyebrow, but Keyleth ignored her, opening her wardrobe and looking through her hanging dresses. She found the one she was looking for and pulled it out, showing it to Vex, who gave her an approving look.

“You’re full of surprises, Keyleth. I never thought you would have a dress that short.” Vex smiled, putting her dress back in her closet.

Keyleth blushed at that. She wasn’t sure if Vex was complimenting or mocking her, so she opted not to say anything. Although, in her defense, that was the shortest dress Keyleth owned and one she had never worn before. She had been saving it for a special occasion, and she figured it was either that or having to wear Vex’s dress, which was way shorter than the one she owned. 

“Hey, Pike,” Vex called loudly as she opened the bathroom door. Keyleth saw her browse her make-up kit, unbothered by the fact that her roommate was in the middle of a shower. “How much do you two want to bet the boys are going to show up at Gilmore’s to check on us?” 

“They better not,” Pike replied, her head peeking out of the curtain. “I will kick them out of the bar if they do.”

Keyleth and Vex both laughed at their friend. For such a short girl, Pike had the courage of a giant.

Vax’ildan stretched out on the armchair, setting his book on the small side table. It felt wrong to enjoy the comfort of the plush green pillow behind his back, the one Keyleth had bought specifically for this chair. It felt even worse to be sitting on it, enjoying the view of the entire living area and kitchen, the proximity to the bookshelf, growing fuller every week, and the soft lamp in the corner behind the armchair that provided just the right amount of lighting to read. It felt wrong because this was Keyleth’s spot—everyone at the apartment knew that—and Vax, more than anyone, was undeserving of such comforts after being a complete dick to his best friend all week.

Staying away from Keyleth had cost Vax more than he wanted to admit to himself, both emotionally and physically. Gilmore, who Vax learned had no trouble speaking the truth, even if it hurt his friends, had drilled into him all week about how he was screwing this up badly with Keyleth by being so distant, not helping with the overwhelming guilt he already felt. Almost worse than the guilt were Vex’ahlia’s piercing stares whenever Vax joined the girls to study. It had confused him, of course. Vex had been nagging him to leave his bedroom since classes started, and now that he did, he felt like she almost wanted to kill him for that. It’s not that he didn’t know why. Vax wasn’t dumb. What confused him the most was that the last time he talked to his sister about the subject, she was hellbent on pushing him away from Keyleth. If anything, Vax thought his sister would be happy with their distancing, but she had proven him wrong. 

There was no use in crying over spilled milk. Vax had made a conscious decision and had stuck to it. As much as it hurt him, there was no turning back. Or at least that’s what he thought before Pike sought him earlier that afternoon. The worshipper of the Everlight—of all gods, it had to be a disciple of the goddess of redemption—had come bearing good news and a second chance, which Vax was going to hold on too tightly and try not to ruin everything. That’s why his heart broke when Vex informed him no boys were allowed to go out with the girls that night. Ever since he heard his sister and Pike scheming to get Keyleth out of the house to celebrate, Vax hoped to take the chance to enact his redemption, but Keyleth had other plans. 

Vax had run multiple scenarios in his mind on how he would approach Keyleth to apologize, to justify his behavior, but none of them seemed good enough. She deserved much better than him. No matter what Pike told him, Vax wouldn’t take anything for real until he heard it from Keyleth’s lips. He knew he had to make sure everything was perfect, no matter what his plan was. He was ready to work hard for Keyleth’s forgiveness.

What Vax wasn’t ready for, though, was the sight in front of him as, one after the other, the girls walked into the living room. 

Pike walked in first. She wore a light blue mini dress with a low-cut square neckline, see-through chiffon sleeves and skirt, and white heels that made her barely taller than five feet. Her pale blonde hair was loosely curled down to her shoulders with two intertwined pieces on each side of her head meeting at the back, and she was wearing a golden necklace with the symbol of the Everlight. Her make-up was also done perfectly in shades of gold and light blue eyeshadow—Vax recognized his sister’s signature smoky style—and soft pink lipstick. There was no denying: Pike was as beautiful as she was intelligent, thus emphasizing even further why Scanlan was so infatuated with her. 

Vex’ahlia was right behind Pike, the height difference clearly noticeable as they chatted with each other. Vax had long gotten used to his sister’s fashion style, but it still bothered him sometimes how she would bare herself so much. Vex wore black shorts and a sheer black shirt with embroidered roses with what looked like a white lace bodysuit underneath. She carried a pair of worn-out and cheap combat-style boots—the off-brand pair she bought to match Vax’s. Her hair, much like Pike’s, was also loosely curled down to her shoulder blades with two interlocked pieces on each side that met at the back, and her make-up consisted of her signature smoky eyeshadow in gold and black and sharp eyeliner. Vax noticed she was also wearing the silver bear necklace and the golden ‘V’ pendant he had given a few years back. No matter how much of a hard-ass Vex was to him, it comforted him to know she still wanted him close, even when he wasn’t physically able to be near her.

“Oh, hi, brother.” Vex greeted him, setting her shoes behind the couch and shooing Trinket so she could sit.

“You two look very beautiful. Although, Vex’ahlia, you—”

“Oh, don’t you even start, Vax.” She admonished him with a piercing look.

“Wait until you see Keyleth,” Pike said with a knowing look as she sat next to Vex on the couch.

The girls chatted happily for five minutes, and for five minutes, Vax tried to gather the chaos of thoughts in his mind, praying to whichever gods were listening that they would give him the strength to not act like a fool. It seemed like the gods weren’t listening, though, because as soon as Keyleth walked into the living room, absent-mindedly searching for something in her purse, Vax’s jaw dropped, and all blood rushed from his brain.

Keyleth was wearing a forest green mini dress—Vax had never seen her wear anything that short—with colorful flowers, a low-cut square neckline, and sheer sleeves. Her long red hair was curled down to the entire length of her back, with braids on each side of her head that were fastened by a small green bow in the back—now it was obvious to him that she had done the other girls’ hair, too, since they were all matching. She was wearing Vex’s heels again, the ones that made her almost as tall as Grog, and had a golden leaf pendant around her neck. 

“Finally,” Vex’ahlia muttered, standing to her feet. Keyleth looked at her friends apologetically before her gaze fell on Vax’s still awestruck expression. 

Vax was glad he was still sitting on her armchair because he would have fallen to his ass from the look Keyleth gave him. She had a different shine to her eyes. Maybe it was from the smoky gold and green eyeshadow, or perhaps the sharp eyeliner—Vex’ahlia had for sure been in charge of the girls’ make-up—but something about Keyleth’s look made his entire body numb.

Even worse than Vax not feeling anything was the fact that he also didn’t realize that all three girls were staring at him: Vex and Pike in amusement at his bewildered expression, and Keyleth with an increasing blush in her cheeks. In his defense, though, Keyleth was beautiful.

“Brother,” Vex’ahlia approached Vax, slapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. That seemed to break the hold on him, and Vax shifted his attention to his sister. “We’re going to leave now. Don’t even think about following us, alright? We’ll be fine.”

“Uhm… y—yeah. Sure.”

Vex shook her head as she stepped away from him, joining Pike and Keyleth by the door, who were putting on their jackets. Keyleth allowed the other two to leave before her, holding back and looking at Vax again. Her body shuffled awkwardly at the door as she bit her lower lip in discomfort, and for a moment, Vax could swear Keyleth was waiting for him to ask her to stay. Gods above. Vax wanted to ask her to stay home with him so badly, but just as quick as the thought crossed their minds, it vanished into the unknown, and Keyleth left—not before giving him a soft smile, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes.

It took Vax a lot of strength and self-control not to chase her down the hall, to heed his sister’s words, and not follow them to the restaurant and the bar. After such a long and exhausting week, all that strength seemed to deplete his resources, and Vax was barely able to drag himself to his bed, much to Percival’s surprise, who had been quietly sketching out something at his desk. He had no more energy to change his clothes, so he allowed himself to flop onto the mattress with a soft thud and closed his eyes. His heart ached again as the small flame of hope slowly extinguished itself.

Keyleth would never love him, no matter what Pike said. Vax hadn’t been good enough for her a month ago, and he wasn’t good enough for her now, after all the pain he put her through. Again, he wasn’t dumb. Vax knew very well that Keyleth had asked for a girls’ night because she wanted to be away from him. Could he blame her, though? Keyleth had all the right to be mad at him. Even though it hurt him, Vax felt he had no energy left to fight for her—for them .

The last image that crossed Vax’s mind as sleep took over his conscience was Keyleth’s smile whenever she saw him walk into a room. He loved her smile so much. She had shined so bright in his life, and he ruined everything, dragging himself back to darkness again. He was all alone again, as he should be. Someone like him didn’t deserve to be loved by someone so kind and pure as Keyleth.

Chapter Text

Glorious was already packed and loud when the girls arrived, partially due to the rope at the bottom of the stairs closing the access to the dancefloor on the first floor. Thankfully for them, Vex’ahlia spotted a stray empty tall table in a corner not far from the bar. It wasn’t the biggest table, but they could all easily fit around it. Gilmore was serving students behind the busy counter, his dark hair tied into a braid decorated with purple and golden beads that swung around as he moved. He wore less opulent clothes than usual, having opted for a purple flowy shirt and khaki pants, something that would allow him more freedom of movement for the night. Not far from him was another man, younger in looks, maybe around the girls’ age, if not just a couple of years older, serving the other half of the bar patrons. He had dirty blonde hair tied into a ponytail and wore a tight black long-sleeved shirt with jeans. There was a charm to his smile and attitude that gathered a lot of fawning patrons of all genders to his side of the bar, something that he seemed to be reveling in.

Vex offered to pay for the first round of drinks, and from where they were sitting, Keyleth and Pike witnessed the biggest charming competition as their friend tried to flirt with the new barman—probably trying to get free or discounted drinks—at the same time as he tried to flirt with her. When she returned to the table, holding three drinks, her expression changed drastically to annoyance.

“Here are your drinks, ladies.” Vex set the glasses on the table harder than she intended, making Pike’s beer spill a little as her friend grabbed the glass.

“I take it that didn’t go according to plan?” Pike asked, licking the spilled beer from her hand. Vex’s look was all the answer she needed, so she raised her glass above the middle of the table and tried to diffuse the situation. “Cheers!”

“To girls’ night,” Keyleth tried with a soft smile at Vex, who shrugged her shoulders and clinked her Margarita glass with her friends’ drinks.

“To no dumb boys.”

“Speaking of dumb boys,” Keyleth looked at Pike and Vex with a raised eyebrow. The girls looked at her, confused. Keyleth wasn’t one to start a conversation about boys—mostly because she was scared it would turn against her—so the fact that she had willingly brought up the subject was suspicious. “What’s the deal between you and Scanlan, Pike?”

“What?” Pike almost fell off her seat at the question. “Nothing. We are friends. Not even friends, really. Just… I don’t know. Roommates? Why do you ask?”

“Oh. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That’s all.”

“How does he look at Pike, darling?” Vex’ahlia asked, turning her attention to Keyleth so quickly she feared her friend’s head was about to detach from her neck.

“W–what? I don’t know. It’s… not the same way Percy or Grog does... I think?”

“You think?” Vex pressed on, leaning in closer. 

Pike stifled a chuckle, patting Keyleth’s arm next to her. “Scanlan hits on anything that moves, Keyleth. He doesn’t have serious intentions, and I don’t want the same thing he does.” She replied reassuringly. 

“What do you think his intentions are?” 

While Pike was kinder and more gentle with Keyleth’s innocent questions, Vex wasn’t always able to hold it in as well, so as the last word left Keyleth’s mouth, Vex snorted into her drink, spilling some over herself.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, cleaning up with a napkin while Keyleth burrowed in her chair in embarrassment. “I forget how naive you are sometimes.” 

Keyleth gave Vex a dirty look and opened her mouth to reply, but Pike interrupted them before they started arguing, “It’s sex. Scanlan is only interested in sex, Keyleth.”

The redhead looked back at her friend, who refused to meet her eyes. Keyleth knew that was the answer, but she never truly believed Scanlan would do something like that to Pike. He was charming and kind to her, always ensuring their roommate had someone to walk with her at night, especially when he couldn’t do it himself. Yeah, sometimes he had questionable actions, like spending the night out or bragging about his latest hook-up to Grog in the living room for anyone to hear, but Keyleth had never seen him do anything untoward to Pike.

“What about you and Percy,” Keyleth heard Pike ask Vex with a glint in her eyes. She adjusted her position in her seat, her stomach growing heavier and heavier with anticipation of any questions they might have for her about Vax—not that they had any reason for it. Keyleth and Vax were just friends… or were they still?

“Oh, dear,” Vex sipped on her drink with a smirk for a dramatic pause. “Percival is… complicated.”

“You’ve been hitting on him,” Keyleth’s words spilled out of her mouth without noticing. She quickly grabbed her drink, trying to hide the blush that formed on her face as Vex and Pike stared at her in disbelief.

“I mean…” 

So Keyleth was right. Vex had been hitting on Percy.

“Has he said anything?” Pike asked, more at Keyleth than at Vex. 

“No. He’s pretty clueless,” Vex replied, annoyed, drinking again.

Keyleth snorted into her drink, remembering the conversation she and Percy had just a week before right outside the bar. For someone so smart, Percy truly was clueless on what concerned romantic interactions if he really hadn’t noticed how openly Vex flirts with him. Even Keyleth had seen the touches on his arms and shoulders, the winks and smirks. And Gods, the way Vex speaks at him, explicitly putting any amount of sexual innuendo on her words so often that Keyleth has had to leave the room to splash her face with cold water on many different occasions.  

“Do you like him, or are you just looking for sex?” For the second time that night, words spilled out of Keyleth’s mouth before she could do anything about it. 

“Keyleth,” Pike gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What?” She kept a straight face, hoping it would be enough to fight the embarrassment.

“No, I get it. It’s okay.” Vex replied with a soft smile, yet Keyleth felt like she had fucked up badly. “I don’t know. Percy is nice, but I don’t think he’s looking for something casual, and I’m not ready to be in a relationship right now.” Her smile faded and an uncomfortable silence fell on the table.

“We should play a game,” Pike tried to lighten up the mood after a few minutes of Keyleth and Vex just looking around everywhere and avoiding eye contact with each other.

“What game?”

“How about truth or dare?” Vex suggested with a glint in her eyes. Pike nodded immediately, excited about the idea, but Keyleth was reticent about it. She had never played truth or dare, but she knew about it from hearing other girls talk about playing it in high school, who somehow seemed to trade more kisses than secrets. 

“How are we going to play that just us three? Don’t we need boys?” Keyleth asked, trying to hide her nervousness as she remembered some of the vivid descriptions she had heard.

“Usually, yes. And an empty bottle, but we can switch things up a bit,” Vex replied, looking around. “Besides, there are plenty of boys and girls—” she winked at her friends “—to pick from in the bar tonight.”

Vex’ahlia wasn’t wrong. The bar was still packed with questionably responsible half-drunk college students, so it probably wouldn’t be hard to complete any dares that involved strangers. Keyleth wasn’t sure how comfortable she was with the idea of initiating conversation with someone she didn’t know, but, at the same time, Keyleth knew if she only picked ‘truth’ her friends—no, just Vex—would catch on to her game and start asking riskier questions that she might also not feel comfortable answering.

“What if we don’t want to complete a dare or answer a truth?” Keyleth asked nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. 

“Easy, you just drink a shot,” Vex answered matter-of-factly.

“That doesn’t sound bad,” Pike agreed.

“But we only have three shorts each, so you need to ration them.”

Oh. That definitely changes things. Maybe Keyleth should give in and answer whatever questions Vex had on her sleeve. How bad can they be?

“I’m in,” Pike cheered, jumping out of her seat and walking to the bar. Vex followed her, but Keyleth stayed behind to make sure no one would steal their table. 

The girls returned a few minutes later, holding three shot glasses each. Once they were fully seated, Keyleth jumped from her seat and walked towards the packed bar, not really having a preference for who served her. Luckily for her, Gilmore’s aide spotted her very quickly, and, like a moth to a flame, he quickly darted over, throwing a partly wet rag on his shoulder and completely ignoring a few patrons that stood between Keyleth and him. Now that she was closer to him, his features were more evident. Keyleth noticed he had different colored eyes, one blue and the other hazel-brown, his smile was even brighter and more charming up close, and the tight shirt hugged his strong-looking arms, broad shoulders and well-defined pectorals—not that Keyleth was interested, or really paying attention.

“Hello there, beautiful,” The man greeted her. His voice was deeper and huskier than Vax’s— why am I comparing him to Vax? —but it had the same hint of sultriness he sometimes used with her. Something about him made Keyleth think that he was equally, if not more, dangerous than Vax.

“H–hi,” Keyleth greeted, fumbling with her feet.

“How can I help you, sweetheart?”

“Uh—” Keyleth looked around at the bar, pretending to think for a moment when, in reality, she was searching for Gilmore. Unlucky for her, he was jam-packed with people trying to get drinks on the opposite side.

“I’d like three shots of t–tequila, please?” 

“Sure thing. May I see your ID, please?” The barman winked at her. Keyleth was taken aback. That was the first time she had been asked for her ID for alcohol—not that she had bought alcohol many times before that. 

“Oh… Sure,” Keyleth searched her purse and pulled out her ID, handing it to the man with shaky hands. He looked at it for a second, then looked back at her, making Keyleth shift nervously in her spot. She didn’t have anything to hide, she was of drinking age, and the ID proved it, so why was she so nervous? 

“Here you go,” The barman returned her card with a smile and turned around to prepare the shots. Keyleth took the chance to look around the bar again, biting her lip. Gilmore was mixing a cocktail not far away from them now, glancing at the barman from the corner of his eye and then at Keyleth. When their eyes met, she offered him a soft, nervous smile and a wave, and Gilmore replied with a brighter smile and a wink. 

“Here you go, sweetheart. Anything else?” The barman’s voice caught her attention again, and Keyleth shook her head in denial. She paid for her drinks—making sure to leave a nice tip—and was about to try to grab all the glasses when she had a change of mind.

“Actually,” Her voice rose slightly. The man hadn’t moved yet, still looking at her with that charming smile he had been throwing her since she approached the counter, so he nodded to signal she had his full attention.

“Do you have a tray I can burrow? I’m usually clumsy and don’t want to break any glasses.”

The guy threw his head back with a laugh and grabbed the closest tray. He placed Keyleth’s drinks on it as he chuckled and slowly slid the tray across the counter to her with a smile.

“Here, just make sure you bring it back later.”

“Thank you—” Keyleth hesitated, looking at him in confusion. He hadn’t told her his name yet.

“Kashaw. And you’re welcome, Keyleth.” He replied with yet another wink before he turned around, wiping his hands on the towel, to greet another patron.

Keyleth stood in her place, blushing, taken aback for a second before she realized her friends were probably waiting for her. How did he know my name? She thought as she walked back to the table, carefully holding the tray so she wouldn’t spill anything, only to be greeted with a raised eyebrow from Vex and a knowing look from Pike.

“Well, well, well,” Vex started, sipping her margarita. “This night just got ten times better.”

“So, truth or dare,” Vex supported her head with her hand, one elbow on the table, as she looked at Pike. The girls had briefly come up with some rules and adaptations for the game: they would ask the questions clockwise—which worked perfectly for Keyleth since Vex was on her left—and they had three chances to refuse to do a dare or answer a truth. 

“Truth.”

“Let’s start easy, shall we? Do you have a crush on someone?” 

Keyleth tried to relax, but Vex’s idea of ‘easy’ was still anxiety-inducing to her. What if Pike asked her the same thing? What would she say? The logical answer was no, but would it be true? Keyleth technically did not have a crush, but she was still pretty confused about her feelings. Just the previous weekend, Keyleth was dealing with the fact that she might like Vax a bit more than she should, but after he had been so cold to her all week, did she still feel the same way? She still thought about him a lot, still felt a chill in her stomach whenever she saw him, her legs still trembled when he touched her—which was so rare now—and her voice still wavered when she talked to him. Most of all, Keyleth still felt the tingle in her navel when she was in bed at night, thinking about his soft dark hair or the warmth of his arms around her. She missed him so much, yet, at the same time, she was so mad at Vax.

Keyleth was so buried in her thoughts she didn’t hear Pike’s answer to Vex’s question. Nor did she hear the other two calling her with worried looks. It wasn’t until Vex reached across the table to shake Keyleth’s shoulders that she realized she had blacked out. 

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth apologized with a blush.

“Are you okay?” Pike asked her. Keyleth nodded and offered a smile.

“What did you say?”

“I was asking you, truth or dare. It’s your turn.”

“Uh…Truth.” Keyleth braced herself, silently begging Pike not to ask her if she had a crush on someone.

“Do you really like Anatomy that much? You’re the best in class. Even better than us pre-med students.” Pike giggled. 

“Oh,” Keyleth’s shoulders slumped from relief. She chuckled lightly and replied, “No, I hate it. I’m only taking it because, for some reason, it was mandatory for the first semester. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try my best.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything else from you, Keyleth,” Vex joked. Keyleth nodded and sipped her cocktail before her smile disappeared, and she turned to Vex. She was pleased to see her roommate shuffle nervously in her seat. Oh, how the tables turn.

“So, Vex…” Keyleth paused to take another sip, and Vex tapped her black-painted nails on the wooden table. “How did you manage to get Trinket in the dorm? I thought pets weren’t allowed.”

Vex snorted and gave Keyleth a look as if asking Really? That’s what you want to know?

“I had special permission. I have paperwork for it.”

“Yeah, but… are they legit?” Pike piped in. They were technically breaking the game’s rules, but Vex didn’t seem to mind it so far.

“Of course they are legit, Pike.” Vex feigned offense. “Do you think I would forge authorization to have Trinket? I would get caught so fast.”

“He’s a pretty huge dog,” Keyleth pointed out, to which the others nodded in agreement. “So, how did you get the paperwork? He’s not a service dog, right?”

Vex shook her head and fumbled with the remaining salt on the rim of her margarita glass. “It’s a long story. I’m not too proud of some parts, but I did what I had to do. I couldn’t just leave him…”

Vex finished the rest of her drink in one go, setting the glass back on the table with a sigh. The girls didn’t push for her to continue. They had a feeling it was a story that their friend wasn’t ready to share yet, and even though she hadn’t technically replied to the question, Keyleth let it go.

“Alright, your turn, then.” Keyleth gestured her glass to Vex, who smirked maliciously at Pike.

“Let’s up the game a bit, shall we? Truth or dare, darling?”

“Truth,” Pike replied, bringing her beer glass to her lips as she waited.

“Are you a virgin?” Vex’ahlia leaned in her seat, whispering loud enough so only the three could hear. Pike, however, choked on her beer so loudly that a few eyes turned to them. Keyleth dismissed them with one hand as she slapped Pike’s back with the other.

“I—” Pike looked around, canvassing the tables nearby. Seeing their occupants seemingly buried in their own conversations, Pike relaxed her shoulders and shook her head at Vex.

“No way,” Vex gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. “Pike!”

“Oh, wow.” Keyleth was shocked. “I thought—and Serenrae?”

“It’s not that strict. We can have some fun.” Pike justified. “Besides, it wasn’t that long ago.”

“When was it,” Vex leaned in, curious.

“Oh, you need to get me way more drunk for that, Vex’ahlia.”

“ I need to be way more drunk,” Keyleth shuffled in her seat nervously. 

The girls started laughing, and once it subsided, Pike turned to Keyleth.

“Truth,” Keyleth answered, not even allowing the question to slip from Pike’s lips.

“Why do you wear that necklace all the time?” Pike pointed at the golden leaf dangling on Keyleth’s chest. “I know it’s usually covered up, we don’t get to see it out often, but I’ve noticed you putting it inside your shirt all the time in the mornings.”

“It belonged to my mom. She gave it to me shortly before she left.”

“Oh,” Pike’s hand searched for hers, squeezing reassuringly. Keyleth waited a moment, expecting more questions, but no one else pressed on, so she turned to Vex. It was sudden, but Keyleth still caught a look of understanding before Vex schooled her expression back to neutral. She knew something probably bad had happened to the twins’ mother from what Vax had led her to believe previously, but what exactly was still a story left untold.

“Truth or dare?” Keyleth asked her friend.

“Gods, this is getting serious. Dare.”

Oh shit. Keyleth wasn’t ready for it. She had no idea what to dare Vex to do. 

“Uh… how about—” Keyleth looked around, examining her surroundings. The movement at the bar had decreased, and only the new guy—Kashaw, he had told her— was serving students. From the corner of her eye, Keyleth noticed Gilmore crossing the rope leading to the floor above and a group of people patiently waiting at the bottom of the stairs. “—you go to the bar and get us free drinks?” 

“Easy,” Vex scoffed. She threw her hair above her shoulder and sauntered toward the bar, exaggeratingly swaying her hips. 

Keyleth and Pike watched Vex with bated breath as their friend leaned over the counter, strategically placing one elbow on it to hold her chin. They didn’t need to have the right angle of sight to know that Vex was trying to squeeze her breasts to make them somewhat more prominent in the white lacy bralette she was wearing. The girls weren’t surprised either when Kashaw’s gaze drifted down slightly, only for him to lean over the counter with a mischievous smile. Vex’s finger drifted towards his covered chest, drawing circles on his black shirt as she spoke. Whatever she said, it must have been the right thing because he threw his head back into a laugh and nodded at her. Kashaw then turned and started preparing drinks, placing a margarita and a draft beer on the counter in front of Vex, who thanked him with a wink before she returned to the table, exaggeratingly swaying her hips now that she knew he was looking at her backside.

“And here you go,” She announced, placing the glasses on the table. “I noticed you still had a lot, Keyleth, so I didn’t get you another.”

“Wow,” Keyleth was both surprised and not. She knew her friend was bold enough to try and flirt for drinks, but she hadn’t seen Vex successfully in action. “T–hat’s fine.”

“You need to teach me your ways, you minx,” Pike joked, downing the rest of her beer and setting the empty glass aside.

“One day, I might.” Vex sipped on her margarita and her gaze fell on Keyleth, who jumped in her seat.

Oh no. This isn’t good. Keyleth thought, scrambling to take a sip of her drink.

“Let’s switch things a bit, shall we? Keyleth, darling. Truth or dare?”

“But… the order?” Keyleth swallowed hard.

“Like I said, let’s switch things around. Truth or dare, darling?”

“T—truth?”

“Do you have a crush on my brother?”

Well, shit. Keyleth looked at Vex with wide eyes only to realize both girls were staring at her—Pike’s mouth was agape and Keyleth was pretty sure she was holding her breath. Keyleth’s hand started shaking slightly around her glass. She glanced over at the table, trying to come up with a plan. She didn’t want to answer that question. She didn’t know how to answer that question. She hated being asked something and not knowing the answer. It had always made her feel stupid—which she knew she wasn’t. Her mind twisted with possible answers— Yes. No. Maybe? I don’t know! —but none of them seemed satisfying enough. For once, Keyleth couldn’t give someone the answer she knew they wanted because she didn’t know what exactly they were expecting. Did Vex want her to say yes? Then what? Would she be happy with the answer? Would she be mad at Keyleth? What if she replied with no? Would Vex believe her? No. She wouldn’t. Vex would think Keyleth was lying through her teeth.

Only after her fifth time scanning the table for answers did Keyleth’s eyes land on the three shot glasses in front of her. Fuck it. She thought before she grabbed onto one and downed it without a word. Her hand wavered in front of her chest for a moment as she avoided eye contact with her friends. Against her expectations, she didn’t hear gasps or groans, so when the glass finally hit the wooden table, she let herself look up at Vex, who was leaning back against her chair, gloating.

The air thickened between Keyleth and Vex’ahlia so quickly that Pike shuffled uncomfortably on her chair. The dark-haired girl didn’t say anything, but her body language and her eyes spoke louder than any words. 

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Vex announced, grabbing her purse. Keyleth was sure it was probably just a figment of her imagination, but she could swear Vex’s gaze had softened just as she glanced at Keyleth before she left the table. Once alone, Keyleth dared a glance at Pike, who shrugged and gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay, Keyleth,” Her voice was kind and calm. “Whenever you’re ready to tell us, we will be here for you, no matter the answer.”

The games ended there. Once Vex returned from the bathroom, they noticed that the rope leading to the dancefloor had been taken away in what clearly was a sign that they were free to go upstairs. They drank their shots and grabbed their glasses, turning towards the stairs, but just as they were about to leave, Keyleth lingered back to grab another drink.

“Hey,” Kashaw greeted Keyleth as soon as she was within earshot. Gilmore was nowhere to be seen, and the movement at the bar had died, so he had just been cleaning and organizing things behind the bar.

“Hi,” Keyleth greeted him back, sitting on a stool at the counter.

“Not in the mood to dance?”

“Nah. Too clumsy,” She giggled to herself.

“Would you like a drink?” Kash grabbed a bottle of tequila from the shelf behind him.

“Uh… Do you have anything without alcohol?”

“Designated driver?” He asked, setting the bottle back on the shelf and grabbing a tall glass instead.

“Something like that,” Keyleth replied, not wanting to get into more details.

“Fair enough.”

Keyleth watched the barman’s movements with rapt attention, not so much out of fear for what he was concocting but more out of curiosity. She had considered serving tables and bartending when she wasn’t sure if she could afford college on her own, but her clumsiness spoke louder, and thankfully for Keyleth, her father had no issue helping her pay for tuition. But she was still interested in learning about different drink-making processes, so she watched Kashaw pour ice in a tall glass, bring it over to a series of taps where the beer was drafted, and pull a handle that started pouring a clear, bubbly liquid onto the ice. He then grabbed a bottle from underneath the counter that Keyleth couldn’t read the label and poured a syrupy red liquid into the glass. To finish, Kashaw squeezed a few drops of lime juice, stirred it with a long spoon, and added a cherry on top. The process looked easy enough that Keyleth felt she could recreate it at home if she knew the ingredients.

“Here you go,” He presented the light red drink to her, handing her a straw.

Keyleth took a sip from it and immediately smiled. It was sweet from the syrup, tangy from the lime, and bubbly from the soda. She loved it.

“What is this?”

“It’s called a Shirley Temple. It’s just soda with grenadine and lime juice.”

“Wow, that sounds easy to make. It’s really good.”

“Why, thank you. I poured all my blood, sweat and tears into it.” Kashaw joked, giving her a charming smile. Keyleth laughed and grabbed her wallet, but he waved his hand in front of her.

“On the house. Just… Please don’t tell Gilmore.”

“Oh. Are you sure? Can I at least tip you?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. No need for tips either. Just talking to you is enough.”

Keyleth’s cheeks flushed. She still didn’t trust his mischievous look, but something about him enraptured her.

“Please,” Keyleth insisted, taking her wallet out of her purse, “at least let me give you a small tip. For coffee tomorrow?”

“Why don’t we go grab one together, then?”

Keyleth wasn’t exactly the best person at hiding her emotions, especially when she was caught unaware, so she knew right away that her face had just given away all her deepest secrets. Kashaw laughed again, contemptuously rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Unless you’re busy, of course,” He added, leaning down on the counter. He was closer to Keyleth, close enough that she could see rays of golden amber around the iris on his hazel eye.

“No–no. I mean. I…am not. Busy, that is. Sure—” Keyleth fumbled with her wallet. “Coffee sounds nice.”

“Here,” Kashaw grabbed a napkin and a pen and wrote down a number, signing his name below it. “Give me a call or text me tomorrow morning to set up a time. I’m free in the afternoon.”

“O–okay.”

Keyleth folded the napkin carefully and placed it in her wallet, which she put back in her purse. Thankfully for her, Kashaw was soon called over to the other side of the bar by someone looking for drinks, so Keyleth took the opportunity to grab her drink and leave, hoping she could find Vex and Pike without issues.

“There you are,” Vex’ahlia waved at Keyleth from the top of the stairs. “I was about to go look for—Keyleth, are you alright, darling?”

In the blink of an eye, Keyleth was pulled aside into one of the alcoves to a white couch with purple and gold pillows. Vex and Pike surrounded her, both looking concerned. Keyleth couldn’t understand why they were staring at her. She felt fine. Except maybe for the fact that Kashaw had just asked her to have coffee with him and given her his number. Was he flirting with her? Is that what that was?

“Keyleth,” Pike called her, pulling on Keyleth’s arm so she could bend lower. 

“I’m…”

“Did something happen downstairs? Did someone hurt you? Do you need me to go get Gilmore?” Vex prompted, setting aside her drink without a thought.

“No, I’m okay. No one hurt me.”

“What happened?”

“I think I just got asked on a date?”

“What? Darling, you’re not making sense. Sit down,” Vex pushed her onto the couch, placing a cluster of pillows behind Keyleth’s back. She then sat on one side of Keyleth as Pike sat on the other.

Keyleth took a long sip of her drink before she repeated the conversation with Kashaw to her friends, partially sad she didn’t have alcohol when she needed it the most.

“No way,” Pike tried to hide her amusement.

“Did–did he ask me on a date?” Keyleth looked for confirmation.

“Oh, yeah, darling. You got yourself a date,” Vex replied. Keyleth thought she would have been happier for her, but for some reason, Vex was looking at Keyleth like she was about to smite her in place.

It wasn’t Keyleth’s fault that Kashaw had asked her to get coffee with him. She hadn’t done anything to earn it, had she? They had just talked, barely even did that, in fact. To think about it, he had been looking at her weirdly ever since he first saw her. Did he have that planned all night? Did she fall for his charming trap? No wonder Vax didn’t want anything to do with her anymore. Keyleth was too naive to see when she was trapped by a charming smile. She hadn’t even noticed Kashaw had been flirting with her. Keyleth was just trying to be nice to him. 

Wait. Keyleth hadn’t noticed Kashaw had been flirting with her… now that she thought about it, it was kind of obvious. Does that mean that…? Has Vax been flirting with her, and she’s just been too naive to notice it? Oh shit. Keyleth’s mind ran through all the moments they spent together, all the touches and gestures. The gifts and smiles. The looks… the goddamn looks he gives her. Oh no. What have I done?

Chapter Text

Vax’ildan had never been a heavy sleeper, especially during the years since he and his sister Vex’ahlia ran away from their father’s house, so it was surprising that the loud music and cheering in the living room hadn’t woken him up earlier. He had no idea when the other guys had started partying, but the bright light of his lock screen showed him it was past 11 pm, which meant he had been asleep for hours. It was to be expected since he had been exhausted from a chaotic week of midterms, but Vax never thought he would sleep through Scanlan’s lousy rendition of dumb pop songs or what Grog deemed were heavy metal roars. He considered staying in bed for a while longer, ignoring the others. If they weren’t aware that Vax was awake, they wouldn’t try to convince him to join them, but as soon as Vax heard Grog sing the first lines of Bad Blood, he knew his sanity had to be preserved, and if Percy wasn’t going to put a stop to it, then he had to do something. 

Vax had seen a lot of weird things in his life (he had seen a lot of disturbing things, too), but nothing prepared him for the image of Grog standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a spatula as a microphone while singing Taylor Swift in just his underwear—a pair of soft blue boxer briefs with yellow rubber ducks. The music came from the speakers plugged into his laptop on the dining table, where Vax could see a playlist running. Craning his neck into the living room, he saw Scanlan and Percy playing Mario Kart on the TV, each missing a few articles of clothing. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Vax mumbled to himself. 

Just as confusion settled in further, Scanlan screamed victoriously, standing on the couch and screaming at Percy to ditch another layer. Percy, who Vax knew from experience was a bad video game player, rubbed his face in desperation and tried to argue with the short man that he didn’t have much more to remove. In fact, as he got up, Vax noticed Percy was only wearing one sock and his underwear. How Scanlan had let him go by removing just one sock as a layer of clothing was a mystery Vax never wanted to solve.

“Vax!” Grog’s scream brought everyone’s attention to him. 

Fuck. Vax stumbled away from the shadowed corner, obviously not hiding as well as he thought and tried to smile at his roommates.

“Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

“The girls won’t allow us to go to the bar, so we’re partying at home,” Grog explained. 

“Can you believe the audacity?” Scanlan protested.

Vax shook his head, feigning offense with the others. His eyes landed on Percy, sitting behind Scanlan, who looked like he cared just as much as Vax did.

“Sorry if the music was loud,” He apologized.

“That’s alright.” 

“Wanna join us, Vax?” Grog asked, handing him a beer from the fridge. Vax shrugged and took it, crossing the kitchen into the living room.

“I was kicking Percy’s ass at Mario Kart .”

“Excuse me,” Percy interjected. Vax could tell he was tipsy but not incoherent yet. “ We kicked each other’s ass.”

“I kicked yours more,” Scanlan pointed at the pale man’s almost naked figure. In comparison with Percy, Scanlan was almost fully dressed. For some reason, he had opted to take out his socks and pants, leaving his shirt on instead. 

“D’ya wanna play, Vax?” Grog asked, sitting on the floor and grabbing the blue controller.

“Sure. Ready to lose?”

“Oh please,” Grog snorted, handing Vax the red controller.

It’s not that Vax was bad at video games—scratch that. Vax was terrible at video games. Even worse than Percy, who was now fully clothed. In his defense, though, Vax didn’t have many opportunities to play during his childhood and, especially, none during his teenage years. 

“Shit,” Vax cursed, looking down at his body. He was only in his underwear after getting his ass repeatedly kicked by Scanlan, Grog, and even Percy twice. 

“We should probably end it here,” Scanlan saved him. 

“Scared of what you might see, Scanman?” Vax teased the shorter man, wiggling his eyebrows. Scanlan shrugged in response. 

“Nah. It’s midnight and I’m tired of this. It’s not as fun without ladies, if you know what I mean.” He looked at Vax up and down before he continued, “Not that you’re not a handsome fella. But we have nothing more to drink and I’m still thirsty.” 

“But the girls–”

“Since when are they our bosses, Grog? The bar is a public place. They cannot decide who goes there.”

“But Pikey–”

“Please don’t tell me you’re afraid of Pike, big guy.” Vax teased. He had no intentions of leaving the house, but he still had fun poking the bear.

“She’s scary sometimes,” Grog replied. 

“You can stay home if you want, you coward,” Scanlan teased, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door. The last word seemed to affect Grog, who promptly puffed his chest at the short man. The height difference between them was comical.

“I’m no coward.”

“Then let’s go. You two staying?” Scanlan turned to Vax and Percy, who nodded at him. “As you wish.” 

Just as the door closed behind Scanlan, Vax and Percy heard the poor imitation of a chicken clucking, leaving them to chuckle and finish their beers in silence.

“Percival,” Vax called to his roommate, returning to the living room from the kitchen with a half-eaten sandwich. It wasn’t until his stomach grumbled louder than a freight train that he realized he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch.

“Vax’ildan,” Percy copied his serious tone.

“How’s Keyleth doing?”

Percy scoffed in a combination of disbelief with amusement.

“Really? I didn’t think you cared about her well-being anymore.”

“Of course I do. Things are just… complicated right now.”

“And who made it so?” Percy leaned into his seat, staring Vax straight in the eyes. Ice blue peered through the glass of his round golden spectacles, freezing Vax from the inside out.

“Please, Percival.” Vax didn’t bother trying to hide the desperation in his tone.

“Alright,” Percy leaned back, crossing his legs and his hands on his lap. His gaze was fixed on Vax’s, still cold and angry like he was holding a sharp knife ready to stab him in the heart.

“Keyleth is confused. She is hurt. Deeply hurt. She was already confused about her feelings, and suddenly, you started ignoring her.”

“What do you mean?”

Percy hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to break his best friend’s trust, but this situation had become beyond absurd. Vax and Keyleth’s lack of communication brought them where they stood, and if they were both too stubborn and scared to talk about their feelings for each other, things would only worsen.

“Last weekend, she told me she was confused about her feelings for you. She was scared that you only saw her as a friend, and it would ruin your friendship. And I, the fool I am, told her she had nothing to worry about. That you were head over heels for her,” Percy paused to laugh. “Clearly, I was wrong.”

“You weren’t,” Percy saw more than heard the shame in Vax’s eyes as he spoke. “I’m in love with her. Keyleth doesn’t deserve someone like me, Percy. She deserves someone better. Someone who will treat her well. I’m not that person. I’m… I’m useless. All I do in life is bring pain and darkness to those who love me, and I don’t want to drag her down with me.”

“Is that why you pulled away from her?” Percy’s voice softened. He related so much to Vax’s feelings. If only his roommate knew that’s how Percy felt about Vex’ahlia…

“It was a mistake.”

“Yes.”

“She’s even more hurt. Did you see how much weight she lost? Fuck. If anything happened to her, I would have never forgiven myself.” Vax rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

“There’s no use crying over spilled milk, Vax’ildan. Just do better. You can still fix this.”

“You think so?” A flame of hope ignited in Vax’s eyes.

“If you ask me, I think Keyleth has had feelings for you for a while. I don’t think she was aware of them until recently, and with everything that happened, I think she’s even more scared that you won’t love her back, and that’s why she’s not accepting it. She’s in denial.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“Talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Show her how sorry you are for hurting her.” Percy paused to observe Vax. He looked stressed and scared. His chest was rising and falling faster and his eyes darted everywhere, as if Vax was looking for a place to hide or a swift exit. But above all, Percy recognized the curve of his shoulders over his body as Vax tried to make himself as small as possible. “Be patient. It might take her a while to trust you again.”

“I love her. I would wait all my life for her.” Vax brought his knees to his chest and let his head fall between them. Even if he tried to hide it, Percy could still hear the sharp, labored breaths he had learned to associate with an impending panic attack.

“It’s not me who you have to tell that to.” Percy moved on the couch, trying to get closer, and patted Vax’s shoulder. “Take a deep breath now,” he instructed.

Vax raised his head slightly, only enough for Percy to see the scared glint of a brown eye darting back and forth. He took a long breath in and out and gestured for Vax to do the same, but the other just stared at him with the same fear and anxiety. 

“Everything will be alright, Vax.” He tried again, rubbing Vax’s back. This time Vax breathed with him, faster at first, but then slow until his breath became steady and relaxed.

“Good?” Percy asked. Vax nodded, eyes dropping in embarrassment. “First time you have a panic attack?”

“No. Been a while.”

“It’s alright. You’re safe here. Everything will work out well in the end. You’ll see.”

Vax nodded and curled up on himself, falling into silence.

“Percival?” Vax finally broke the silence after ten minutes.

“Yes?”

“What’s the deal between you and Vex’ahlia?”

Percy’s first reaction—much to Vax’s delight—was being taken aback by the sudden question. His second reaction, however, was everything Vax had expected and more. His cheeks turned pink, then a redness that spread to the rest of his face and down to his neck. His eyes bulged wide open in fear for the fate his answer might bring, but overall, the main emotion was embarrassment. 

“I–we’re—” Percy stammered, dragging himself away from Vax. “—just friends.”

“You don’t sound very convincing,” Vax smiled. Percy was shocked to see that it wasn’t a teasing smile. Vax was being sincere.

“It’s complicated.” Percy mirrored his words from earlier, making Vax chuckle.

“You like her,” It wasn’t a question, Percy realized. “Just… don’t hurt her, please? I would hate to break your kneecaps if you did.”

Percy laughed lightheartedly, but there was doubt in his eyes, “Here I was thinking you would do something worse than that.”

“I might.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Vax. She would never be with a guy like me.”

“Now that’s where you’re wrong, Freddy.”

“Freddy?” Percy combed a hand through his messy hair with a cocked smile.

“You are exactly her type. Dangerous, mysterious… I bet you have a tragic past, too.” Vax leaned down on his seat with a burning hatred in his eyes. “You have seen death and pain. Like recognizes like.”

“Yes, I have,” Percy confessed, dropping his hand back onto his lap. 

“Just don’t do something stupid like get my sister pregnant and leave her. If you do, your kneecaps will be the only thing left in one piece. Got it?”

Percy swallowed hard as cold sweat dripped down his spine. He had no reason to believe Vax was serious, but something inside him told him he should heed his words.

“I would never do something like that to her—to anyone, really. I promise.”

“Rich people like you make a lot of promises they can’t keep, de Rolo.”

For the second time that night, Percy was taken aback by Vax’ildan’s words. He took a moment to mull over what his roommate said (had he really threatened to kill him if he got Vex pregnant and left her?) and the message hidden between the lines. Not only did the twins have experience with death and suffering, but from Vax’s tone, they had been at the hands of someone wealthy. Someone bad enough to get a poor woman pregnant and leave. Could it be—?

“Worry not. Even if I were Vex’ahlia’s type, I would never act on my feelings for her. She deserves someone better. Someone who will bring her happiness. I’m not that person, Vax. My life is surrounded by darkness and suffering, and I will not be responsible for adding more pain to her life.”   

Vax stumbled back as if he had been hit in the stomach. Percy’s words rang true in his heart (had he not professed almost the same thing just minutes before, after all?), yet he had trouble believing them to be true. Not in the sense that Percy was lying, but that Vax couldn’t accept there would be someone in the world who would bring his sister more pain and darkness than their father and the bastard who drained her joy for his own ego.

“Look at us… We’re two idiots digging our own graves, aren’t we?” Vax asked, half-jokingly. 

“Yeah,” Percy chuckled. “Yeah, we are.”

Chapter Text

Keyleth’s stomach fluttered with anxiety. She had been staring at her closet for the better part of an hour, trying to find something to wear to her date ( a date! ) with Kashaw. What am I supposed to wear? She thought. She had never been on a date before, and while she could ask Vex for her opinion, she was worried about what her friend would say. Vex’ahlia had been distant since Keyleth told her and Pike about the date. She smiled and congratulated her, but Keyleth was able to read between the lines that her friend didn’t look very happy about it. Keyleth couldn’t blame her. The whole situation with Vax was wildly out of control. 

“There is no situation with Vax,” Keyleth said out loud, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. Great, now she was talking to herself, too. 

Keyleth’s phone chimed on her nightstand, distracting her from her thoughts and the task she should focus on. She picked it up to see a text message from Kashaw, answering the one she had sent a couple of hours ago to ask him if he was still interested in the coffee. Keyleth could have ignored his advances. Kash had given her his phone number, but Keyleth hadn’t given him hers after all. She could have thrown the napkin in the trash and ignored it, but Kash was so nice to her all night, offering her (and occasionally her friends) free drinks. Keyleth felt bad for him. He hadn’t even allowed her to tip him, and she really wanted to pay him back. So Keyleth swallowed her nervousness and texted him, and now he was confirming that he would meet her at the coffee shop in an hour.

Only an hour? Oh gods. Keyleth groaned, throwing the phone to her bed, where it bounced pathetically on the pastel yellow comforter. She returned to her closet to pull out hangers and pieces of clothing she thought would look good on her and formed two small piles on her bed: tops and bottoms. She sorted through her options and tried to pair them to find the best combinations. It took her over half an hour, but finally, she had it down to two options. Now is the worst part. Which one?

One of her options was a mini white skirt with a brown pullover that she would need something to wear underneath because the fabric always flared up her skin. The other option was a dark red turtleneck with high-waisted jeans. Keyleth chewed on the corner of a nail, looking between her two options for longer than she intended. What would Vex do? She thought, looking around. She would wear something sexy, for sure. She groaned at her indecisiveness and paced around the room like a tiger in a cage that was too small for its size. Keyleth’s breath was shallow, but it was so cold and rainy that she didn’t dare open the window and get her and Pike’s bed wet. With one last grunt of frustration, Keyleth finally resigned to asking her friends for help, so she picked up her phone to quickly snap a photo of both options.

[Girls Only]

Vex’ahlia, Pike & Keyleth

Keyleth: I need help. I can’t pick an outfit.

Keyleth: Please. I only have 30 minutes until I have to leave the house.

Vex’ahlia: What are your options, darling?

Keyleth huffed. She expected Pike to answer before Vex, even if she preferred the second’s advice. She sent the photo she had taken of the outfits on her bed and waited.

Vex’ahlia: Check my closet for a black pencil skirt. It should be on the second shelf on the right. Wear that with the dark red turtleneck and black stockings. You can borrow my heels if you need them.

Pike: Isn’t Kash shorter than Keyleth? Maybe you should avoid heels.

Vex’ahlia: Good point. Just don’t wear those damn yellow sneakers, Keyleth.

“What’s wrong with my yellow sneakers?” Keyleth asked out loud, frowning at the phone as if it offended her personally. With one last glance at the clock (20 minutes until she had to leave the house), Keyleth threw her phone back onto the bed and finally started getting ready. Considering the pouring rain outside, Keyleth didn’t do much to her hair, opting for a simple braid. Likewise, she only added a smidge of mascara, eyeliner, and a simple lipgloss. Nothing too fancy. Kash had already seen her at her best the previous night, so if he didn’t like her at her worst, maybe Keyleth should rethink her options.

“What does that even mean?” Keyleth asked herself in shock, looking at her reflection in the bathroom mirror midway through applying her mascara. “There are no options, Keyleth. This is just a friendly date between friends.”

It’s not like she was trying to get a boyfriend (Keyleth constantly tried to ignore her father’s words about meeting her mom in college), and even if she were to get one, would Kash really be it? She barely knew him. For all she knew, he could be a psychopath trying to kidnap her… or worse. Oh, great. Keyleth raised an eyebrow at her reflection. The last thing she needed was to give herself a panic attack minutes before leaving the house, so she took one long breath and tried to clear all negative thoughts from her mind.

“Kash is not a serial killer,” She repeated loudly, scowling at the mirror. “He was nice to me, and we are just going to get to know each other. Besides, would Gilmore hire him if he was a bad person?”

Keyleth repeated, ‘Kash is not a serial killer. I’m safe.’ in her mind like a mantra as she put on the brown jacket she stole from Korrin’s closet the day before Keyleth left for Emon (Keyleth hadn’t asked her dad, and Korrin hadn’t brought it up yet, so she assumed he wasn’t mad at her about it) and her small handbag, and walked out of the apartment.

Keyleth cursed at herself internally as she tried to stuff her large keychain in her handbag, a task that distracted her so much that she didn’t even hear the echoing footsteps climbing the stairs by the elevator. If it wasn’t for her anxiety, Keyleth would have seen Vax’ildan’s shocked look as he opened the door leading to the stairwell, not expecting to find her standing in the hallway, much less dressed the way she was. The dark red turtleneck was slightly visible through the open zipper gap of her jacket, but it was noticeable how much it complemented Keyleth’s fair skin and the red of her hair without clashing too much. Her legs were covered with dark, almost opaque, tights that disappeared underneath the hint of a black skirt hem just a couple of fingers longer than the jacket itself. While Keyleth had heeded Pike’s words about not wearing heels, she almost ignored Vex’s plea to leave the yellow sneakers at home, but one look in the mirror confirmed that Vex was right, so she borrowed her roommate’s boots instead. They were way more comfortable than Keyleth expected and didn’t look too bad on her either.

“Hey,” Vax greeted her with a bashful smile. Keyleth’s head whipped in his direction, finally realizing she wasn’t alone. Keyleth took a step back, surprised by Vax’s sudden appearance, and brought a hand to her chest, right above her heart.

“Vax. You almost gave me a heart attack,” She had forgotten how sneaky he was. 

“Sorry,” Vax apologized, his cheeks reddening even deeper. 

Keyleth finally took a good look at him. Vax was wearing his usual black ripped pants and his leather jacket, and his hair was tied into a wet mess of a ponytail with water trickling down the sides of his face. He held a black umbrella in one hand, his earbuds blasted loud rock music in the other, and his backpack sat on one shoulder. 

“Is it raining outside?” Keyleth asked. That’s a dumb question. Of course, it is, and you know it, you idiot . Keyleth admonished herself.

“It is, yeah. Are you going out?”

“Yeah—” Keyleth hesitated. Should she tell him? They were just friends, after all, right? Maybe even just roommates now? And it’s not like she was going on a romantic date. “I’m going to meet a friend for coffee.”

“Oh? Do I know this friend?” Vax’s expression changed from his usual kindness to something Keyleth couldn’t discern. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that change, though.

“I don’t think so. I met him at the bar last night.” She explained. Keyleth knew she didn’t have to say anything but felt she had to justify herself.

“Oh. Okay. Well, I hope you have fun, then.” Vax smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Thanks,” Keyleth replied just as the elevator dinged. “Have a good day, Vax.”

“You too…” Vax whispered after the elevator doors closed. He stood in the hallway staring at the metal doors long enough for an entire song to play through his clenched fist, only moving when he heard a door closing in the distance and footsteps approaching. Vax nodded a greeting to his neighbor just as they passed by and finally walked inside. 

The apartment was quiet and dark—just the way Vax liked it—and a chilly breeze ran down his spine. Did someone forget to close the living room windows again? Vax inspected behind the light-blocking curtains. Not only were the glass panes closed, but they were also locked. I’m imagining things again.

His bedroom, just like most of the rest of the house, was also dark and cold. Percy had left early in the morning for the workshop, which meant that Vax would have the room for himself until the late hours of the afternoon, if not the evening. He quickly grabbed a clean change of clothes and hit the shower, making sure to turn the hot water handle as much as he could. 

When Vax had left to meet Gilmore for breakfast earlier that morning, the sky was still dark, with only the faintest signs of dawn on the horizon. He hated waking up that early, but Gilmore had been such a great friend and counselor that keeping the man company as he cleaned and closed the bar was the least Vax could do. Besides, it came with a free breakfast bought by the barman, and Vax would never say no to free food. They talked about Keyleth again as they cleaned the stained tables and mopped the gross floor (Vax appreciated Gilmore’s patience to hear him whine about Keyleth all the time), and Gilmore agreed that it was better if Vax talked honestly with Keyleth. The conversation changed topics a few times as the night progressed, ending up with Gilmore complaining about his new hire over a plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs and a steaming mug of coffee at the local diner. 

The new guy (Kashaw, according to Gilmore) flirted with patrons and offered girls free drinks all night. He had tried to be sneaky, but Gilmore confided in Vax that the register didn’t match such a high volume of customers. From the sounds of it, Vax didn’t have this Kashaw in high regard. Anyone who ripped his friend off was not in his book of good people, for sure. As if that wasn’t enough, the idea that Keyleth and his sister had been at the bar that night started a flame of anger inside him. Did Kashaw try to flirt with Vex? Or worse, with Keyleth? Could he be—

“No! Stop that,” Vax slapped his face under the burning hot water. 

He had been concerned about the girls all night. Although he knew Vex and Pike would be able to handle their own, their safety was still buzzing in the back of his mind. No, it was Keyleth’s safety that worried Vax the most. He felt somewhat relieved when Scanlan texted the boys’ group chat shortly after he and Grog had arrived at the bar to guarantee they were alive. And by ‘they,’ Scanlan meant he and Grog hadn’t suffered a horrible death at the hands of Pike or Vex’ahlia when they saw the guys walk up to the dance floor where the girls were dancing. Scanlan had even sent a photo of them all smiling and holding drinks to further prove his point. Vax had already been in bed by the time the girls returned home, not really sleeping, but not fully awake either, so he still heard their loud stumbling across the hallway that connected the bedrooms, especially the tone his sister used whenever she was too drunk and was trying to keep quiet—which was usually the exact opposite—but the girls sounded fine when they returned, and most importantly, they were alive.

The burning water wasn’t working to release his anxiety as Vax had intended. Not when all he could think about was how concerned he had been all night that someone would try to hit on Keyleth and make her uncomfortable—or disrespect her—and she wouldn’t know what to say or do. A concern that had been nagging him in the back of his mind ever since Gilmore mentioned his new barman hitting on women all night, and that became worse after Vax’s encounter with Keyleth by the elevator. Vax couldn’t shake the looming sense of dread that befell him, colder than a bucket full of ice. Something is wrong.

Gilmore loved being an establishment owner because it allowed him to design things to his liking and be creative, but he simply abhorred the administrative side of it. Every day, there was something boringly annoying that he had to deal with, whether it be vendors, restocking, licenses, or bills. Gilmore had been considering hiring someone to help him with the books, but after the experience with his first hire the previous night, he needed some time to really think about it. Meanwhile, that meant he had to sit through countless paperwork to figure out how many crates of gin he had to buy and which bills had to be paid by the end of the week. 

“Gods, please save me from this nightmare,” He grumbled, combing his fingers through his loose ponytail. 

As if on cue, and much to Gilmore’s surprise, there was a loud, desperate knock at the back door. Gilmore wasn’t expecting anyone, especially not in the middle of the day when he shouldn’t even be at the bar, so he quickly walked out of his office to see who the Gods had decided to bless him with.

“Vax’ildan? Did you forget something?” Gilmore greeted with a flirty smile upon seeing Vax standing on the other side, but it didn’t take him a second glance to change his tone. “What happened?”

Vax was drenched from head to toe from the rain, and, for the first time since Gilmore had met him, he was missing his signature eyeliner, probably related to why he looked so distraught.

“Shaun, I need your help.” Vax propped an arm on the wall by the door jam, the other grasping at the front of his crumbled and soggy t-shirt.

“Come in, please.” Gilmore stepped away to let Vax in, promptly closing the door. Vax stood in the small, dimly lit hallway in the employees’ area, dripping water onto the wooden floorboards, unsure what to do, so Gilmore led him to the small employees’ bathroom.

 “Hold here a moment. I’m going to grab you some towels.” He instructed before heading out. When Gilmore returned, Vax was naked from the waist up, holding his drenched-up shirt in a ball in his hands. 

“Now that is a sight for sore eyes,” Gilmore bantered, handing Vax the towels.

“Thanks, Shaun.” Vax started drying his chest and his hair in quick movements.

“What happened?” Gilmore pressed in with building concern in his voice. It hadn’t even been two hours since Vax left him at the same back entrance after breakfast. What horrible event could have happened in the meantime?

“What do you know about Kashaw?”

“The new guy? Not much, why?”

“I have a bad feeling about him,” Vax confessed. He had dried himself as much as possible and now stood with his balled-up fist gripping tightly around the towel. Gilmore needn’t ask why. He and Vax’ildan had become close (as one can get within a short amount of time) during the past week, and he knew this was about Keyleth. 

“Come, let’s head upstairs.”

“So, what is this about?” Gilmore asked a while later, dropping a manila folder on the coffee table in front of a fully dressed Vax (Gilmore made a mental note about how much purple looked good on his dark and mysterious friend).

“I ran into Keyleth on my way home. She was off to have coffee with a friend she met last night at the bar,” Vax explained. Gilmore nodded, listening attentively. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he did not like that.

“And you think this might be Kashaw?” Gilmore asked, clearing things up. Vax nodded. “What makes you think that?”

“You mentioned he was flirting with women all night, right?” Gilmore nodded again. “It’s too much of a coincidence that Keyleth met someone at the bar the same night and got asked out.”

“So, is it a date?” Gilmore grinned. Keyleth was a beautiful woman, and, from what Vax had told him about her, she was also very smart and kind. Gilmore had no doubt anyone could easily become enamored with the girl. 

“She didn’t say ‘date,’ but—” Vax groaned and hid his face in his hands.

“Well, little raven—” Gilmore had taken a liking to the man. His brooding nature reminded him of himself when he was younger—not that he was much older than Vax’ildan—so the nickname seemed fitting. “—is there a way to be certain? If I recall correctly, your sister and that adorable little blonde girl were with Keyleth last night.”

“Do you think I should ask them?”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?”

Vax shrugged and dug his phone from his back pocket, dialing his sister’s number. She picked up rather quickly, which was unexpected.

“Hello, brother.” Vex’ahlia’s voice wavered.

“Vex’ahlia, hi. Are you alright?”

“Yes, just busy with Trin—Trinket, no! Down!” Vex screamed at the dog. If Vax wasn’t so nervous, he would have laughed at his sister. “Percy, darling, would you mind?”

Vax heard his roommate’s soft ‘Sure, dear” on the other side of the line before a door closed. Vex’ahlia had asked Percival to help her with Trinket’s monthly bath—which Vax had just realized he had completely forgotten about. The list of unexpected events of the day kept growing and growing.

“Sorry. Trinket is an absolute menace today. Did you need something?”

“Uh—Is Percy with you?” That was not the question Vax had in mind.

“Yes. I couldn’t find you anywhere, so I asked Percy if he could help me. Where were you, by the way?” The inquisitor was back.

“Helping out Gilmore close and clean the bar.”

“Doesn’t he have a new barman to do that? Kashaw, or whatever his name was?” Vex asked, annoyed. Vax knew she was rolling her eyes even without seeing it.

“Yeah, good question. Seems like Kashaw dipped out earlier than he should have. By the way, what do you know about him?”

Vex’s sigh at the question was not a good sign. “I assume you know?” She asked him with a sad tone. Vax’s heart dropped a beat.

“Kn–know what?”

“About Keyleth?” 

“I found her this morning, just as I was arriving home. She told me she was having coffee with a friend she met at the bar last night. Was it—was it him?”

Twins usually have a special bond, but Vax and Vex’s bond was even more, considering what they went through together. There were no barriers between them, and they knew the other better than they knew themselves. There was no point in being dishonest and trying to step around the subject.

“Yes. Keyleth went on a date with Kashaw.” Vex confessed with a downcast voice. “Vax, I’m sorry, I—”

“No, it’s okay.” Vax interrupted. He was glad he was sitting already because he might have fallen to the floor had he not. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“Vax—”

“I have to go, Vex’ahlia. I’ll talk to you later,” Vax hung up the call before his sister could say anything and let his phone fall off his hand and onto the floor. “It’s too late. I’m too late.”

“Oh dear,” Gilmore didn’t need to ask to know that Vax’s worst concerns had been confirmed. The man wrapped an arm around his friend’s shaking shoulders and pulled him into his chest. “It’s alright.”

“It’s too late, Shaun,” Vax repeated, balling a fist on his lap. 

“No, it’s not, little raven. Things happen on first dates all the time.”

“That’s not very reassuring, Gilmore,” Vax pulled away, looking at the other man with a burning fire in his eyes. 

“I meant bad things. Things that will prevent second dates from happening. You know…” Gilmore threw his hands up defensively.

“No, I don’t.” Vax pulled in on himself. “I’ve never been on a date, Shaun.”

“Oh.”

Uncomfortable silence settled in the room. Vax sat on one side of the couch, fumbling with the hem of the t-shirt Gilmore had lent him, while he sat on the opposite side, looking at the manila folder on the coffee table.

“Is Kashaw a good person?” Vax asked with some desperation in his voice.

Gilmore wanted to say yes, to put his friend’s mind at ease, but he couldn’t. The truth was that Gilmore didn’t know much about Kashaw other than the basic information he needed to hire him. He had seemed genuine during their interview, but it had been strictly professional, which didn’t allow him to assess his new hire’s personality (which Shaun hadn’t even thought about). 

“I wouldn’t know,” Gilmore admitted bashfully. “All I know about the man is inside that folder.”

Vax looked at it questioningly, then at Gilmore. “What do you have?”

“Boring personal and professional details. His name, address, work, and academic experience.” Gilmore chuckled lightly, “When I interviewed Kashaw, I didn’t think I would need to know about his life story or his intentions with my friend’s love interest.”

Although Vax tried to hide it, Gilmore saw the soft blush that appeared on his face at the mention of their friendship. Something told him that Vax didn’t have many people calling him a friend .

“It’s a good start. I can see if I can dig up more information about Kashaw.” Vax reached for the folder, but Gilmore stopped him with a tut.

“Now, now, Vax’ildan. For legal reasons, I cannot willingly give you this information or allow you to leave with these papers.”

Vax’s shoulders slumped, but it was his pout that brought Gilmore his demise. He made many mistakes in his life and done many things for love and lust, so he knew the path he was walking on would bring him nothing but trouble, but he couldn’t avoid being lulled by Vax’s mischievous aura.

“I am going to make us some tea, and I will be staying in the kitchen to make sure the kettle doesn’t boil over,” Gilmore hinted at Vax, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “There is some pen and paper on that side table.” 

“Thank you, Shaun. This means a lot to me.” Vax grabbed Gilmore’s hand before he could leave. Some of his sadness had died down and had been replaced by determination, but Gilmore wasn’t sure which he preferred.

“If there is anything else I can do to help…” Gilmore patted Vax’s hand, being answered with a nod and a soft smile that didn’t reach the pair of beautiful hazel eyes. 

“You have to be careful what you wish for, Shaun,” Gilmore whispered to himself as he filled the kettle with water. This hadn’t exactly been what he had in mind when he asked the Gods for a distraction, and it did nothing to ease his concerns about hiring Kashaw, but at the same time, it felt like a blessing in disguise. 

Gilmore looked at a second brown folder that sat on the countertop. He had purposely left it out of the main packet of information he had given Vax. While the paperwork in that second folder claimed Kashaw was innocent, Gilmore knew Vax would only look at the charges and not consider the rest. It’s for the best . He tried to convince himself. Who knew what kind of crazy thing Vax would do if he knew about Kash’s record. Vax had a life ahead of him, and if Gilmore could prevent him from throwing that away because of a stupid mistake, he would do his best. Besides, a pretty face like Vax’ildan’s was not suited for prison.

Chapter Text

The cold and slightly damp autumn wind blew against Keyleth’s face and slithered down the lapel of her jacket and inside her turtleneck, making her shiver. She assumed her father’s jacket was warm enough to handle Emon’s fall weather since it did wonders for her back home, but something about the crisp air of the city made her rethink her options. If this is what it felt like, only one month into fall, the months leading up to winter were about to become unbearable soon. There was something about the ocean breeze that seeped deeper into her bones than the mountain cold. Maybe it was because Zephrah was conveniently tucked between two large mountain ranges, protected from the stronger winds and chill, while Emon’s arms were wide open to receive the sea-salted air. 

Thankfully for Keyleth, the dark green awning of the coffee shop became visible just as she turned a corner. The sight of it and the promise of a warm coffee made her smile and quicken her step as she wrapped her brown jacket further around herself. This was not her usual locally owned coffee shop, the one she spent hours in, studying with Percy and the girls, but a franchise chain that Keyleth didn’t care much about. Due to Keyleth’s town being isolated, big franchises like this coffee company didn’t usually bother to open up shop. Because of that, she grew fond of locally and family-owned businesses and preferred those to the big corporations whose wages were barely enough for their employees to survive. The interior was sleek and modern, in wood and glossy black tones, with some green accents that people learned to associate with the brand. 

Keyleth cringed at the loud noise of people chatting, the machines steaming and pouring drinks, and just at the overall racket of the environment. Her stomach dipped as she looked around, seeking Kashaw among the crowd. She finally spotted him at a table not far from the large window that overlooked the main street, hunched over a paper cup of coffee and his phone. Keyleth sighed and took a tentative step toward the wooden countertop, where a female employee with shock-blue hair and the look of someone who was dead inside greeted her with a very fake smile and cheerful voice. Keyleth stumbled a little on her words, halfway looking at the immense chalk-like menu behind the counter as she perused her options. The woman at the counter stared at her, never breaking that annoying fake smile, but her nails tapped impatiently on the counter, making Keyleth’s anxiety worse. When she finally realized they didn’t have any of her favorite drinks, she merely asked for a regular latte. Keyleth didn’t have to wait long for the drink. She had barely finished paying for it when her name was called, and the same white and green paper cup as Kashaw’s was placed on the counter next to the register. She picked it up, glancing a smile at the barista who, by now, was already scrambling to prepare the next order. Keyleth shrugged and walked to the table where Kash was still buried in his phone. She cleared her throat as she got within hearing distance, and only then did the man look up to greet her.

“Hey,” Kashaw said, setting his phone down on the table and smiling at Keyleth.

“Sorry I’m late,” Keyleth wasn’t late. She had arrived five minutes before the scheduled time, but she still felt like apologizing for making him wait. 

“No worries,” Kash waved his hand. “Take a seat.”

Keyleth nodded, set her cup on the table, and peeled off her jacket, draping it over her lap as she sat on the wooden chair on the other side of Kash, who was now sipping on his coffee. From the way his head tilted back, Keyleth figured his coffee cup was practically empty. She asked if he had been waiting for long, but Kash shook his head at her. Yet she didn’t feel relieved. Keyleth finally brought the plastic lid of her cup to her lips, tasting her coffee. It was too sweet, and she quickly regretted not asking for plain black coffee. 

“Not up to your liking?” Kash chuckled. He must have seen the look of offense on her face as she set down the cup. 

“It’s fine,” She lied. Why was she lying? It’s not like Kash made the coffee himself. 

Keyleth started rotating her cup in her hands, head bowed in silence as she analyzed her nails. It had been a while since she had them done. Maybe she should treat herself to a manicure to celebrate the end of the midterms. Perhaps Vex and Pike would like to join her and make it a girls’ day thing, although she had a feeling if they extended the invitation to the boys, they wouldn’t say no—perhaps Grog would—since they all seemed to take good care about their appearance. The awkward silence that settled between Keyleth and Kash was interrupted by a low snort as Keyleth pictured Grog at a nail salon, his large frame trying to fit into the small lounge chairs as he got his feet and hands taken care of. On second thought, maybe Grog would also like the pampering. He has lived with Pike since they were children, after all. She has got to have done some makeovers on him growing up.

“What’s so funny?” Kash finally asked with a cocked smile. 

“Oh? Nothing,” Keyleth offered, sipping on her coffee. “Did you get rain on the way here?” She saw the still-damp umbrella hanging from the back of Kash’s chair. 

“Uhm? Yeah, I did,” He answered, peering over his shoulder and back at her. 

“It seems like I got lucky then. I only realized I’d forgotten my umbrella by the time I was in the elevator. Thankfully, it stopped raining when I got to the atrium, so I was able to get here without getting drenched.”

Kash hummed in response with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. They looked at each other for a while, not knowing what to ask until Keyleth finally settled on starting with the basics.

“So, what do you do? Do you only work for Gilmore as a barman?”

“No. I’m in community college studying business management. Gilmore’s is just a part-time job to pay for tuition. I also work at a tattoo shop, but the money wasn’t enough,” Kash explained. 

Keyleth sipped her coffee again and said, “That sounds cool.”

“It’s okay. It’s whatever. It’s actually pretty boring sometimes.”

The conversation moved on from school without Kash asking Keyleth what she was studying. In fact, he didn’t ask her many questions at all. Keyleth led the conversation, asking him about what he liked to do in his free time, to which Kash told her he loved playing soccer.

“Do you play regularly?” Keyleth asked. She wasn’t really interested in sports, but she was trying to be nice, and asking Kash about what he was passionate about seemed like a nice thing to do.

“No. I wanted to try out for the college team, but their schedule conflicted with my classes and work.” He answered with a shrug. 

Keyleth nodded and took another sip of her latte, which did not get better the more she drank. She figured she could change the subject when Kash didn’t develop further, this time picking questions about his likes. Kashaw told Keyleth about being a huge music fan and how he had been playing guitar since he was younger, going as far as having a band in high school. Keyleth thought she finally found common ground with the man, deciding to ask him further questions about his musical interests and about his band, which he had no problem answering. However, much to her disappointment, Kash didn’t seem to care enough to ask her about her music interests, or even if she heard of the bands he mentioned (which she did, one of them was actually her favorite, but he wouldn’t know that because he didn’t ask and didn’t let her speak). 

The conversation flowed decently from thereon, with Kash talking the entire time. Keyleth felt her anxiety and insecurity grow with every sip of her coffee, which didn’t take long for her to finish, thanks to Kash not allowing her to say anything other than a couple of questions related to whatever he had been talking about at the moment, and not asking Keyleth any questions about herself. An hour later, when Keyleth’s eyes were glazed on the empty cup she kept rotating in her hands, Kash’s phone started vibrating on the table, interrupting his monologue about the time he and his friends decided to explore an abandoned house that other people claimed was haunted. On the screen was a picture of a woman with vibrant red and white hair and a menacing look. Keyleth didn’t have time to see the name before Kash picked up the phone and answered the call, but her curiosity had been peaked by whoever this mystery woman was who made Kash forget all manners.

“Hey Z. What’s up?” Kash answered, not paying Keyleth any mind. She squirmed on her chair and looked around. A couple was chatting and holding hands across their table not far from the window. Keyleth felt some jealousy in seeing them. One of the women was leaning with her elbow on the table, watching and hearing her partner talk with so much attention and care. It must be nice to have someone who wants to hear everything about one’s day or what they have to say. Keyleth spared a glance at Kashaw, whose phone was glued to his ear. From it, she could hear a woman’s voice, although she couldn’t discern what she was saying.

“I was just grabbing coffee. I’ll be there soon, Z,” Kash told the woman on the line. Keyleth’s stomach turned as she realized he hadn’t mentioned her or that he was on a date. Did he not consider this a date, then? Had Keyleth been putting the cart ahead of the oxen?

After another moment of silence where Keyleth focused her eyes on her hands to avoid looking at Kash, he ended the conversation with, “Okay, I’ll get you coffee. I’ll see you soon.” Keyleth finally lifted her gaze to him, offering a timid smile that Kash didn’t see because he was still staring at his phone, texting someone. After sending whatever message was more important than acknowledging Keyleth’s presence, he finally lifted his gaze with a slight look of surprise as if he had forgotten all about Keyleth.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” He said, getting up from his chair and grabbing his umbrella. Before Keyleth could open her mouth to answer, he continued, “It was nice hanging out with you, Keyleth. Text me if you want to hang out again!” Kash didn’t wait for a reply. He strolled quickly to the counter to order a coffee before Keyleth had time to process, and by the time she finally replied, “Likewise,” Kash was already out the door.

Keyleth stared at her empty cup. The annoyance it had brought her earlier was now completely forgotten in the back of her mind. In fact, her mind felt empty, and her senses unfocused. The noise of chatter and espresso machines was suddenly gone, as were the people who occupied the tables around her. Keyleth stared at the emptiness, hands still on her lap, not thinking about anything. It was not a good silence. It was a silence she tried to escape. A silence that preceded a panic attack. Only when a clap of thunder roared outside did Keyleth realize she had been staring ahead. The cacophony of sounds rushed back so hard that she felt an overwhelming need to run away somewhere quiet and isolated. But, as Keyleth turned her head out the window, she saw the pouring rain outside and knew she was utterly screwed without an umbrella. 

“Fuck,” Keyleth swore between her teeth. She grabbed her phone, willing her hands to stop shaking, and opened the apartment’s group chat. She wrote something, then deleted it and typed again. She couldn’t find the right words. What was she supposed to say? ‘My date left me hanging in a really loud coffee shop, and I don’t have an umbrella to return home. Please, someone, come save me before I start panicking’? No. They would surely make fun of her—especially Scanlan, who had teased her endlessly the previous night at the bar once he found Kash flirting with Keyleth. She deleted what she typed and wrote instead, ‘I forgot my umbrella, and it’s raining. Can anyone bring me one? I’ll buy you a coffee”.

Keyleth barely had time to lock her phone when she received a text from Vax asking her where she was. Once she recovered from the initial shock, she texted him her location, to which Vax replied, “I’ll be there in five minutes. No coffee needed”. Keyleth’s shock still locked her on the chair as she stared at the message for longer than she intended. Although Vax had claimed he didn’t need a coffee, Keyleth paid him no mind and ordered a black coffee as payment for him and waited for Vax outside, underneath the green awning. 

Vax kept true to his word—as Keyleth knew he would—showing up five minutes after sending the text and not a minute later. Although Keyleth was expecting him, she was still taken aback by the sight of her slender friend—or roommate?—approaching her in a hurried step, with his hair up in a ponytail and wearing a very different attire than what she had seen him earlier. In fact, Keyleth was so stunned that she didn’t hear Vax say hi to her because all she could pay attention to was his lilac button-up shirt and a vibrant purple umbrella with golden dots. 

“Keyleth, hello?” Vax was still standing under the umbrella, just out of reach of the awning where she had been waiting for him. Only when Vax waved right in front of Keyleth’s eyes did she realize she hadn’t said anything. 

“I didn’t know you owned colored clothes,” She blabbered. Oh no. That’s not—I didn’t even say hi. Keyleth’s cheeks reddened once she noticed. However, from the chuckle Vax let out, he didn’t seem to mind. 

“It’s Gilmore’s. He lent it to me,” He answered. 

Oh. Gilmore’s, Keyleth thought. “Oh, that’s—okay,” She said.

“I heard you needed a way home.” Vax cocked his head in amusement.

“Yeah, I forgot my umbrella,” Keyleth replied bashfully. 

Vax’s gaze moved down from Keyleth’s face to her free hand, where she was indeed missing an umbrella. He then saw the coffee on her other hand, and the corners of his mouth curled upwards. When he returned his attention back to her face, he did so very slowly, looking at Keyleth, wrapped around the jacket that was at least one size too large on her, the soft make-up she had done, and the braid that fell past her shoulder landing with a dark red elastic above her breast pocket. Keyleth swallowed hard at his piercing gaze, feeling a familiar pull in her navel. It had been a while since Vax had looked at her—actually looked —and she realized she missed it. He never made her feel uncomfortable when he did it and never felt disrespectful towards her, unlike other men. Maybe that was why Keyleth’s cheeks grew even warmer as Vax’s lips curled up, almost in approval at what he saw. 

“I–I got you a coffee, like I promised.” Keyleth finally handed him the warm cup. Vax shook his head, saying, “I told you you didn’t have to,” but he still took it from her and sipped it carefully. 

“Sorry if it’s not that good. They—” Keyleth looked above her shoulder to the interior of the shop and then back at Vax with a grimace, “—don’t have a huge selection of coffees for such a famous franchise.”

“Yeah, I prefer the coffee shop on campus.” Keyleth nodded, agreeing with him. “Shall we, my lady?” Vax offered his arm. Keyleth took it, wrapping her arm around his, and stepped under his umbrella. He positioned it so she was fully covered, even if that meant he was slightly exposed. As they started walking home, Keyleth couldn’t help but wonder what this date would have been like if it had happened with Vax. He would have waited for her, ordered his coffee with her, and asked her so many questions about herself. Vax always took an interest in her and what she was interested in. He was always patient and showed curiosity in her opinions. And not to mention, Vax drank every word Keyleth said as if he needed it like water to survive. Vax would have probably pulled her chair or opened the door for Keyleth and wouldn’t have ever left her in the middle of the date to bring another woman coffee. No. Especially that.

Keyleth was so buried in her own thoughts she didn’t realize the awkward silence that had settled, only disturbed by the thick rain pattering on the umbrella, until Vax spoke to her in an uncertain but curious tone, “How was your date?” 

Keyleth opened her mouth to answer but realized she had never told him she was going on a date. In fact, her exact words were, ‘I’m going to meet a friend for coffee.’ So, how did he know about it? A bulb lit up in her head. Vex had told her brother, of course.

“I think it was okay,” Keyleth finally said.

“You think?” Vax looked at Keyleth over the rim of the plastic lid of his cup, confused. 

Keyleth shrugged and replied, “Yeah. I have never been on a date before. I don’t have any terms of comparison.”

“I wouldn’t either. I’ve never been on a date.”

“Are you kidding?” Keyleth asked, stopping on the sidewalk and pulling Vax’s arm with her. 

Vax shrugged and offered a sympathetic smile. “Is it that shocking?” He asked. Of course, it was. He had to know that, right? 

“A little,” Keyleth replied bashfully.

“Why?”

Keyleth blushed and looked for somewhere to hide, but they were still stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. 

“I—” She stammered. Someone walked past Vax and her, giving them an annoyed side-eye, to which Vax replied with a scowl. However, the message was clear, so he moved Keyleth to the side, under a balcony. It took Keyleth all the courage she had to say it, and when she finally spoke, she didn’t dare look at Vax, opting to stare at their shoes, “You’re good-looking. I would assume you’ve been on tons of dates.”

Vax’ildan choked, and his spine stiffened. Keyleth felt it from how his arm tensed around hers. She finally dared to peek at him and saw a timid smile on a very, very scarlet face. When his eyes found Keyleth’s, she swallowed hard. He had pushed her against the cream-colored wall of the apartment building when he had moved them and was standing close enough to where they were both fully covered by the umbrella. His coffee cup was inches from Keyleth’s hand around his arm, warming her cold fingers. She could practically hear his heart beating fast in his chest and wondered if he, too, could listen to hers.

“T–thank you, Kiki,” He said bashfully. 

Kiki. Her eyes widened at the term of affection. She hadn’t heard it in so long. Keyleth missed hearing Vax call her by the nickname. She forgot how he said it with such sweetness and love. Love. 

“So, how come you’ve never been on a date?” She found the courage inside her to take her eyes away from his just so the flame that had lit up within her would ease. 

“I’ve never been in a serious relationship before,” Vax explained. Keyleth cocked her head, daring to look at him again— a mistake. That was a mistake . She quickly averted her gaze before her legs gave out on her. “I’ve had hook-ups and one-night stands with people but never a long-lasting relationship,” Vax finished with a shrug.

“I can’t blame you. Relationships are complicated,” Keyleth mumbled, now looking at Vax’s calloused hands holding the umbrella between them. His black nail polish was flaky and lacking in a lot of places. Keyleth wondered if he did his nails and make-up or if Vex’ahlia had a hand in it. She had never seen Vax without his signature eyeliner, so seeing him without it was weird. He must have been in a rush to go get her. But he mentioned his shirt was from Gilmore, so maybe he had gone to the barman after their meeting by the elevator that morning. ‘I’ve had hook-ups and one-night stands,’ the words echoed in Keyleth’s mind. She couldn’t help but wonder if Gilmore had been one of those hook-ups or one-night stands.

“Yeah, they can be,” Vax agreed with her.

“One day you think you’ve found someone you trust, and that might be ‘the one’—” Keyleth looked up at Vax, rolling her eyes at the expression, “—but then something happens, and they are gone.”

Vax gave Keyleth an apologetic smile, lowered the hand holding his coffee to brush his fingers against hers, and said softly, “Keyleth, all relationships have highs and lows, regardless if romantic or platonic. There are moments of suffering and fighting, but if it is a strong relationship and a relationship that is meant to be, then it’ll work out.”

“Sometimes things that are out of your control happen, and you end up suffering. Like your partner dies, and you’re left with a five-year-old kid that you now have to raise on your own, not really knowing how,” Keyleth’s eyes filled with tears. She had never spoken about this feeling out loud to anyone, not even dared to dwell on it for too long. With one hand still around Vax’s arm and his fingers affectionately brushing her other hand, Keyleth allowed her tears to fall down her cheek as Vax gave her a look of recognition and compassion.

“I’m sure they loved each other very much,” Vax whispered, pulling in closer to Keyleth. He stopped brushing his fingers against her hand and shifted around to unwrap his arm from hers. Keyleth looked at him, confused for a moment, but then he wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her closer so her head rested against his chest.

“They did, but I don’t remember it,” Keyleth’s voice was slightly muffled by Vax’s shirt. It felt warm and comfortable, and she missed being held like this—especially by him. Although his familiar scent still lingered on his hair and body, the smell of lavender and patchouli from his shirt overwhelmed her. Keyleth considered not pulling away for a moment, not while his arms surrounded her with such softness and his breath puffed against her temple. But she was starting to get a headache from the scent, so she straightened up, looking at Vax in the eyes. Even without eyeliner, they were still mesmerizing and sharp. Keyleth didn’t step away from him or remove his hands from her waist. That was his step to take since he had been the one to take the initiative to hold her. Instead, Keyleth stood there, watching him intently, and continued, “All I know are the tales my dad told me growing up. They’re not my memories, so sometimes they don’t feel real.”

“I know how you feel,” Vax let go of her but didn’t step back either. His eyes shone with fear as if he was scared he had overstepped his boundaries with Keyleth. “It was real, though. Was it not? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t have been born if your parents didn’t love each other.”

He was right. Keyleth knew that, but she still shrugged in silence. She looked above his shoulder, her eyes tracking the rain that fell just outside their cocoon of safety. Keyleth forgot how safe Vax made her feel. Even if they were in the middle of the street where anyone could hear their conversation, Vax made her feel like they were alone, in a bubble of silence. 

“I don’t know what a happy relationship is either. My parents never got married,”

Keyleth turned her eyes back to his and saw sadness mixed with anger. “Oh?”

“It’s a really long story,” Vax explained. Keyleth waited, but when he didn’t add on, she didn’t push any farther. She nodded and wrapped her arm with his again. 

“Let’s head back,” She whispered with a soft smile. Vax nodded and followed her. 

“Was the date that bad?” He asked a few minutes later.

Keyleth snorted and gave him a look as if to say, ‘You have no idea.’ With her attention focused on not tripping or stepping on a puddle, Keyleth finally told Vax all about the date with Kashaw: how he didn’t seem interested in her at all, how he only talked about himself, never asking questions about her. 

“He didn’t even say I looked good,” Keyleth all but groaned, moving her free hand to point at herself and gesturing it up and down her body. 

“What? That guy is an asshole,” Vax grunted. Keyleth felt anger radiate from his body.

“Yeah. He kind of is.”

“Are you going on another date with him?” Vax asked, avoiding looking at her by sipping on what was left of his coffee. Keyleth smiled at the blush on his cheeks.

“He told me to text him if I wanted to,” She narrowed her eyes in anticipation of Vax’s reaction. 

“Are you going to?” He asked, nervously biting his lower lip. Either Vax noticed she was looking at him and was ignoring her on purpose, or he was too embarrassed to acknowledge her because instead of looking at her, he threw back the rest of his drink. 

“Probably not.”

Keyleth felt it before he spoke, the slight flame of hope that lit up in him. She smiled, looking ahead at the approaching campus gates. “Do you think he will text you for another date?”

“I doubt it. It’s not like it was a romantic date or anything.”

Vax stopped in his tracks just under the metal archway that said University of Emon . Keyleth stopped and turned to him, surprised to see him smile. “It wasn’t?” He asked with a gleam in his eyes.

“Of course not, Vax. I barely know him. I just met him at the bar last night, and at first, I thought he was trying to be nice. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to know him better as a friend.”

“Oh,” Vax said before he turned back onto the paved road that led into the campus residential area. He swerved to one side of the path, dragging Keyleth with a soft yelp so he could throw away his empty cup into a trashcan. “Well, that’s—” He started but trailed off, not finishing the sentence. Keyleth chuckled and closed the distance between them, patting his hand affectionately on her arm. 

They didn’t speak for the rest of the short walk that took them to arrive at Greyskull Keep. However, just as Vax closed his umbrella and they walked through the atrium doors—welcomed by a warm wave from the central heating—he turned to Keyleth with a flirting look and said, “For what is worth it, I think you look really pretty, especially with those boots. They look amazing on you,” He winked. 

Keyleth blushed and mumbled a thank you. She wanted to bury herself in her jacket and not see his face or that darn look he was giving her. “They’re Vex’s.”

Vax cocked his head, not surprised because he probably could tell Keyleth didn’t own that kind of shoes, but in expectation of further explanation. Keyleth shrugged and said, “She told me not to wear my yellow sneakers. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with your yellow sneakers, Kiki,” Vax said, offended that his sister had expressed that to her. “I love them.”

Keyleth chuckled and bumped her shoulder against his. “Well, at least one of the twins has good taste,” She joked. Vax joined her laughter as they reached the elevators. Keyleth stopped before he did and looked at Vax, still laughing lightheartedly. It was a rare sound, without a doubt, one she had only heard enough times to count on one hand’s fingers. Because of that rarity, Keyleth absorbed every second of it, like a plant absorbs sunlight. 

“Do you want to know something funny?” Vax asked her once the elevator doors closed behind them. Keyleth nodded, leaning against a wall as Vax leaned against the opposite, their feet meeting in the middle, boot to boot. “I completely forgot I had set up with my sister to do Trinket’s monthly bath today, and you won’t believe who she asked to help her instead.”

“Who?”

Vax gave Keyleth a knowing look, wiggling his eyebrows before he spoke, “Percy.”

“No way,” She said, surprised. “He went to help Vex?” Vax nodded in response, and Keyleth snorted, “He totally has a crush on her.”

“Oh, yeah. I know that.” Vax said nonchalantly. 

“Wait, how do you know? Did he tell you?” Keyleth asked, pushing away from the wall and standing closer to Vax as the elevator approached their floor.

“Yep. Percy told me last night. We had a… heart-to-heart conversation about feelings,” Vax replied, stepping away as soon as the doors opened.

A ‘heart-to-heart conversation about feelings’? What does that even mean? Keyleth scowled at Vax’s back so intensively she forgot to exit the elevator. Thankfully for her, Vax noticed and pulled her out just before the doors closed, and she got taken to another floor.

“That motherfucker,” Keyleth cursed, taking her arm from Vax’s hand with a scowl that was not directed at him but at her other best friend. “He didn’t tell me he told you.”

Vax laughed and started heading out for their apartment door, but Keyleth grabbed his arm and dragged him onto the door that led to the stairwell. “Has he told Vex yet?” She asked him, closing the door behind her. They were so close to each other again that she could practically feel his body radiating heat.

“No, because he doesn’t think she feels the same way,” Vax lowered his head, but Keyleth couldn’t tell why.

“Vex totally has a crush on him.”

“Do you think so?” Vax looked at her, worried.

“She could have asked anyone. Why didn’t she ask Grog?” Keyleth arched an eyebrow.

“Maybe he was at the—” Vax started to say, but Keyleth interrupted him, “Please. Grog is the most logical person to help give Trinket a bath. Vex would have thought about him first if it truly was for help . Besides, Grog loves Trinket. I’m sure he would easily skip the gym to help Vex if she asked him. Have you seen how those two snuggle on the couch all the time?”

“I guess you’re right,” Vax mumbled. Keyleth noticed his cheeks were growing redder with each word that she spoke.

“She also invited Percy to study with her all the time this week. She’s totally smitten by him.” Keyleth smiled mischievously. Vax merely nodded, looking everywhere but at her. Keyleth tried to search his gaze, but he still avoided her until she asked what was wrong.

“Your hands are freezing.”

“What?” Keyleth looked down. She hadn’t noticed that she was still holding Vax’s hands from when she dragged him into the small area. Her cheeks flared up as red as his, and she took her hands away as if she had burned herself. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Vax whispered, looking at her from underneath his eyelashes. Keyleth gulped. “Kiki, I—”

“Thank you, Vax,” Keyleth stopped him. She had a feeling she knew what he was about to say, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. “For coming to save me from the rain.”

“Of course,” Vax shook his head. “I wasn’t going to let you return home in the rain.”

Keyleth smiled and stepped away, opening the door and gesturing into the hallway. Vax nodded and followed her, making the short trek to their apartment door in silence. Only when he put the key in the lock did Keyleth speak, with a fake air of importance, “You’re my knight in shining armor, Vax’ildan.”

Vax chuckled and bowed slightly at her, waving a hand toward the dimly lit apartment, “You’re welcome Your Highness.”

Keyleth snorted and walked in, looking over her shoulder to say, “I’m not a princess.”

“Maybe not in this universe. Maybe you were one in an alternate universe,” Vax winked and closed the door behind him.

“Only if you were my personal guard. Sir Vax’ildan.” 

They both laughed as they went through the motions of getting rid of shoes, jacket, and umbrella. Keyleth held the brown coat draped over one arm, stretched the other above her head, and brought it down, only to rotate both shoulders, attempting to relieve any tension on her shoulders. 

“Where did you get that jacket?” Vax asked, nodding at it.

“I stole it from my dad.” When Vax laughed at the answer, Keyleth retorted, “What’s wrong with it? Don’t make me take back what I said earlier about at least one of the twins having good taste,” Keyleth scowled at him playfully. 

Vax raised his hands defensively, saying, “I was just thinking that maybe that’s what scared Kashaw.”

“Why? Is it that ugly?” Keyleth brought the brown jacket up to inspect it, but when she didn’t find anything unpleasant about it, she scowled at Vax again as if daring him to say so about her father’s jacket.

“No. It’s not. But it might have given off a vibe that it’s a boyfriend’s jacket. Maybe Kashaw thought you had a boyfriend.”

“He didn’t seem to care about it and didn’t ask, anyway.” Keyleth pouted. Something crossed Vax’s eyes. Something that made Keyleth take back her pout and turn her back to, walking him towards the hallway. He followed her, his piercing gaze almost digging a hole between her shoulder blades. Once they reached the door to her room, Vax leaned against its door jam and asked, “What are you going to do now?”

“Maybe stud—”

“Kiki,” He admonished her. Keyleth jumped slightly. Who would have known that the nickname he usually filled with love and care could also be firm and threatening? “We literally just finished exams. Give. Yourself. A. Break.” He punctuated each word with a step closer to her, ending up with his feet against hers and flicking Keyleth’s nose. She almost considered looking offended at him, but then she saw the glimmer and the crinkle of a smile in his eyes and lost it (and the only thing stopping her from pulling him into a kiss was her fast heartbeat and the focus she had to redirect from her brain to her legs to keep herself from falling into a mess, or maybe the fact that they weren’t at that stage... yet ).

Oh. Oh, no. Keyleth realized it a minute too late. Vax was already pulling away from her and opening his bedroom door when something clicked in her mind.

“Are you okay?” Vax asked, noticing she hadn’t replied. Keyleth gulped and nodded. Her eyes were still wide in shock at her realization. She shook her head, forcing herself to file that thought away for later, and said, “Yeah. Sorry.”

“No studying?”

“No. I think I’m going to call my dad. It has been a while since we talked.”

Vax nodded, “That’s a great idea. I… I really liked talking to you today. It has been a while since we did that.” Vax admitted bashfully.

“Yeah… it has,” Keyleth looked at her hand on the doorknob. An awkward silence started to settle between the two like a snowflake about to hit the pavement, but Keyleth stopped it before it could land, “I’m gonna go call my dad now. Bye, Vax.”

“Bye,” He replied as Keyleth walked into her room.

The door closed, and Keyleth was left with the gray clouds beyond the window, casting a gloomy light in the bedroom. A tear slid down her cheek when she realized, with a broken heart, exactly how much she missed talking with Vax, how comfortable and safe she felt with him, and how easy it was to say what was on her heart to him. They still had a long path ahead, but this felt like the first stitch to mending her broken heart. A stitch of golden thread, like the lines of fate from the fairytales her mother used to read to her. Keyleth still had that nagging realization from moments ago in the back of her mind, but one step at a time. First, to repair their friendship, and then… then she could think about whatever came after.

Without further thought, Keyleth wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt and grabbed her phone, dialing her father’s number. The calling beep sounded three times before a click, and Korrin’s voice said, ‘Hello?’ on the other side.

Keyleth smiled warmly at her father’s voice and readied herself for what was about to come, “Hey, Dad. You won’t believe what happened today.”

Chapter Text

It happened on the first day of Cuersaar, a month before Winter proper started. Keyleth, who was always the first to get up, was the one to find a white blanket covering the city of Emon as she opened the blackout curtains after she warned Vex’ahlia and Pike. The other two girls dove underneath their covers with their phones to avoid the morning light (their bad habit of scrolling through social media as soon as they woke up didn’t extend to Keyleth). Keyleth screamed once her eyes adjusted to the bright light, making Pike and Vex throw their blankets to their feet and shoot up from their beds.

“What happened?” Pike was by Keyleth’s right side in the blink of an eye, Vex on her left just a second later.

“Are you alright?” Vex’ahlia asked Keyleth, whose mouth was covered by one hand while the other pointed out the window of the seventh floor.

They saw it then. The park behind their building was covered in snow, the tall pine trees sagged with the weight of their own blankets, and the early risers lifted their hands to their heads as they realized they had to clear the snow from their cars. It happened so suddenly and without warning that the city hadn’t been able to dispatch plowers to clear the roads yet.

A knock sounded at the girls’ door, followed by Vax’s concerned voice, “Is everything alright?” Vex’ahlia turned to reply, but before she opened her mouth, her twin was already opening the door and barging in, dancing around a jumping Trinket who tried to lick his uncle’s hands. Vax was still in his pajama pants and shirt, and his hair was all kinds of messy and in knots (Vex told him countless times to braid it before bed, but he never heeded her warnings, so every morning, Vax wasted his time carefully brushing out the knots). To the girls’ surprise, he was not alone. Percy walked in behind Vax, equally disgruntled with messy bed hair and glasses askew on his face.

“We heard screaming. Is everything alright?” Percy asked, looking at each one of the girls for any sign of injury. What did he think had happened? Someone climbed the seven floors of the building and managed to enter the locked window to attack them?

“It’s–” Keyleth turned to the boys with a huge grin on her face and screamed, “–SNOWING!” She started jumping up and down and around in circles, screaming and raising her arms up high. Her braid jumped with her, hitting Pike and Vex in the face a few times. This new wave of screaming was enough to bring out Grog and Scanlan from their bedroom, who looked frazzled from the doorway. 

“What’s goin’ on?” Grog asked, rubbing his eyes. Keyleth stopped her jumping to stare at all of them even more wide-eyed. She took a good look at all her friends still in their pajamas as she panted from exhaustion and made a decision right there and then.

“Everyone, go put on your winter jackets and boots. No need to dress up. I hereby declare open Vox Machina’s first annual snow day. Let’s go!” She clapped her hands in everyone’s faces. They all looked at her like she had just announced she was running for student council president. 

“Why are we starting an annual snow day?” Scanlan asked with raised eyebrows.

“Because,” Keyleth replied, walking past Vax and Percy and opening her closet to bring out a thick, dark green hooded sweatshirt, “I’ve never seen snow.” 

The atmosphere in the room changed as heavy silence and understanding set in until Grog’s boisterous voice asked, “Don’t you live on a mountain?”

“Not all mountains get snow, Grog,” Pike replied instead of Keyleth, crossing the room to her wardrobe. Keyleth nodded in confirmation. 

“What about classes?” Percy asked as Vex’ahlia passed by to reach her wardrobe.

Keyleth, who was untucking her braid from the neckline of the hoodie, turned to her best friend with the most serious face she could muster and merely replied, “Fuck classes.”

Her conviction alone was enough to summon loud gasps of shock, followed by equally loud cheering as every member of self-proclaimed Vox Machina ran to their rooms and respective wardrobes to fetch their sweaters, cold gear and boots. They were all ready in less than 10 minutes, blowing warm breaths into their gloved hands in the park behind Greyskull Keep as the crispy air bit against their skin and the snow crunched beneath their feet. Keyleth was ecstatic like a child on Winter’s Crest morning, jumping around in circles, throwing herself against a particularly fluffy snow bank, and making snow angels. Her friends let her run wild with fond smiles, but no one looked at Keyleth with a more loving expression than Vax, who would give all the clothes in his body to hold Keyleth in his arms and kiss the cold out of her. 

“Keyleth!” Vex’ahlia finally called for her attention, forming a cone with her hands so her roommate could hear her from the other side of the park. Keyleth’s head raised up like an alert dog, and she trudged through the snow to where her friends stood in a huddled circle to combat the cold. 

“Sorry,” Keyleth apologized. Her face was almost as pale as Percy’s hair, except for the redness in her nose and cheeks. She huffed a few breaths, bent over herself, then turned to her friends and said, “Let’s do a snowball battle!”

The groans almost got to Keyleth. She started thinking that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have a battle, maybe her friends’ benevolence had hit its limit by watching her run around in circles like a headless chicken, but then Vax’s face split into a wide grin as he scooped up a handful of snow and threw it at Grog, who looked offended.

“You wanna fight?” Grog growled at Vax, who doubled over in laughter. 

“Give me what you’ve got, big guy,” Vax teased, darting behind his sister. 

Grog scoffed and bent over to grab two handfuls of snow. He was about to throw them when Keyleth put herself between Grog and Vex’ahlia, opening her arms wide. “Wait, wait, wait! If we’re doing this, we’re doing it in teams!”

“Alright,” Vex’ahlia said first. “I’ll pick Percival.”

“What?” Vax looked at his twin, offended, but she gave him a shrug and replied, “He’s a strategist. We’re sure to win together. You can partner up with Keyleth, brother.” Vex winked. She dragged Percy by the arm before he got the chance to complain.

“I’ll take the gnomes then,” Grog wrapped each of his large arms around Pike and Scanlan.

“Please stop calling us that,” Scanlan grumbled, but Pike laughed. “Just because we’re small doesn’t mean we’re gnomes! Rude.” He scowled but followed Grog and Pike.

“I guess that leaves us?” Keyleth said bashfully to Vax, who grabbed her hand and ran to their hiding spot behind a car. “Vax! We can’t hide behind a car. We’ll get in trouble if it gets hit.”

“Which is why it’s the perfect hideout,” Vax winked at Keyleth, making her stomach flutter.

“So, what’s the plan?” Keyleth asked, peeking above the hood of the car. She saw Grog, Pike and Scanlan run towards the children’s playground, but Percy and Vex were nowhere to be found. Keyleth had no idea what either of their plans were.

“We need to destroy the weak links first,” Vax explained, forming balls of snow at his feet. Keyleth looked at him to see her friend smile. Vax was genuinely happy, with his hair messily tucked into a ponytail, the ends peeking out of the black hood of his sweatshirt. She noticed the pair of silver wings on the back and the three daggers along the right sleeve, but no writing or brands’ logos. It was an interesting pattern to have on a hoodie. 

“And who are the weak links?” Keyleth asked, squatting back next to Vax and molding balls of snow. 

“My sister was right about Percy. He’s a strategist, which means that Grog, Pike and Scanlan are probably going to try to defeat us first,” Vax turned to rise slightly so he could peek above the hood. He huffed and sat back down, tapping one finger on his chin. That was when Keyleth noticed the small shadow of a beard on his face. She had never seen him grow facial hair, and at that moment, she couldn't stop thinking what he would look like with a beard. She was so distracted with her own thoughts that she didn’t hear Vax’s warning and barely had time to notice him jump up to his feet and throw three snowballs straight at Grog’s head, who had been trying to sneak past the trunk of the car to launch an attack on them. Pike and Scanlan (or the gnomes , as Grog had affectionately called them) weren’t with Grog, which meant they were probably hiding somewhere, preparing to attack Keyleth and Vax from the other side. She looked around, trying to find any hint of Pike’s yellow beanie or Scanlan’s purple jacket in the white snow, holding her breath to hear the crunch of snow, but nothing. Keyleth was about to turn to Vax to ask what they should do when something flashed behind the trunk of a tree. 

“Get down,” Vax toppled over Keyleth, forcing her to lie on her back as he shielded her from a snowball that passed where her head had just been. “Are you okay?” He asked. Keyleth nodded. Her gaze fell on Vax’s lips, and even if it was a short glance, it was long enough for Keyleth to start wondering what they would feel like on her lips and on her skin. The thought—and the realization of how close they were—made Keyleth’s cheeks grow warmer. If Vax noticed the hitch on Keyleth’s breath when he shifted his weight off her, he didn’t show it. 

“Who do you think did that?” Keyleth asked in a whisper. Vax shrugged and sat with his back to the car. He looked around but saw no sign of anyone other than Grog, who had moved on to build a snowman in the middle of the park. 

“We need to move before they attack again,” Vax said, picking up three snowballs. Keyleth followed him, trying to be as quiet as he was. The cold from the snowballs she held started seeping into her gloves. She made a mental note to double up next time they did a snowball battle (yes, there would be a next time if she had a say in it). Vax found another hiding spot, a minivan that provided a bit of extra shelter, but when they turned around its back, Keyleth tripped on something and fell face-first into the snow.  

“Shit,” Vax cursed. Before Keyleth could even raise her head, Vax was already launching two snowballs at the two small targets that he spotted, successfully hitting Scanlan in the face with one, and Pike in the chest with the second. “Three down, two to go,” Vax announced, helping Keyleth up and hiding behind the van. Scanlan and Pike groaned in frustration, but Grog called them to help him build the snowmen, so they cleared off the battleground.

“This is harder than what I thought,” Keyleth complained. Her braid and eyelashes were covered in snow, and her cheeks even redder than before. 

“We’re at a disadvantage. Percy’s not only a strategist, but he’s also more experienced in snow battles,” Vax explained, making a few more snowballs. Keyleth dared a glance beyond the car as she tried to ascertain the surroundings. The trunks of the trees in the park were thick but not enough to cover two people the size of Vex and Percy—they would have made a perfect hiding spot for Scanlan and Pike, though. The benches were made of wooden slabs that provided barely any covering, and the children’s playground had a small house where the slide started—another perfect hiding spot for Pike and Scanlan—but other than that, there weren’t many more hiding places except for the cars parked on the street and…

“Vax,” Keyleth pulled at Vax’s sleeve and pointed to the small picnic area not far from where her friends were building the snowman. Vax followed Keyleth’s gaze with furrowed brows, not picking up what she was hinting at. “Over there, the hedges,” Keyleth moved him closer to her.

“Oh, I see it. That would be the perfect hideout.”

A row of pine-like hedges divided the picnic area from the children’s playground. Although they weren’t completely bare, the snow that covered them was enough to shelter anyone hiding behind them when looked at from a distance while providing enough gaps for tracking movement. The only problem was that Vax and Keyleth were on the opposite side of the park, and they had nothing to hide between their current hiding spot and the hedges. In order to reach what they assumed to be Vex and Percy’s hiding spot, Vax and Keyleth would have to go around the park, hiding behind other cars and trees.

“We might need to split up,” Vax said, rubbing his gloved hands together. “We can’t both fit behind a tree and that way we can attack from both sides. They’ll never see us coming.”

“What? No! I’m not leaving you, Vax,” Keyleth shook her head. “There must be another way.” 

Vax grabbed Keyleth’s shoulders and locked his eyes with hers, “There is no other way, Kiki. We must do this if we want to win Vox Machina’s first annual snow battle.” Vax said it so earnestly that Keyleth had to bite her lip to stifle a laugh. “You take the right. I’ll take the left. Hide and wait until Percy or my sister is down. Whoever remains will come after me, and that’s when you attack.”

“I’m not going to use you as bait, Vax,” Keyleth countered, amused. Vax shook her shoulders slightly, still not breaking character (he would have been a great actor, Keyleth thought), “You have to Kiki. I will gladly lay down my life for you.” 

“Alright,” Keyleth resigned. Vax was enjoying it so much that she didn’t have the heart to reject his plan. “I’ll never forget you, Vax’ildan.” She said dramatically, stifling another giggle. 

“Stay hidden, stay silent, stay alive, Kiki,” Vax’s warm lips felt like fire against Keyleth’s frozen forehead. He released her with a slight push, turned around as he stuffed a few snowballs in the pocket of his hoodie, and said, looking back at her above his shoulder, “Go.” 

Keyleth did as Vax said, scrambling to her feet and running as silently as possible to the next car. She managed to circumvent the park and hide behind a particularly large tree trunk just in time to receive a text from Vax that said, In place. Ready? She bit the fingers of one glove to remove it and typed a quick response, then put her phone back in the pocket of her sweatshirt. When Keyleth looked out from behind the tree, she saw Vex’ahlia and Percy huddled together behind the hedge, peering between the branches towards the park. Good, they hadn’t heard Vax or Keyleth approaching. However, Vax was right: Percy was a strategist. The pair were safely covered by the hedges at their front and a chain-link fence at their back, but their sides weren’t left forgotten either. They had built a wall of snow on either side of them, tall enough to cover their hunched bodies. Keyleth crossed her fingers, hoping Vax’s aim was really good because if he missed the shot, he would give away his hiding spot, and there was absolutely no way Keyleth was going to be able to take down both Percy and Vex (especially the girl, who Keyleth had noticed owned am archery bow).

“Come on, Vax,” Keyleth whispered anxiously. What was taking him so long? Percy and Vex were getting impatient. Keyleth was close enough to hear them discussing leaving their hideout to look for her and Vax, but Vex was against it. From this angle, Keyleth was only able to see her best friend’s face, so she witnessed the change in his expression when Percy decided that he was done waiting—seemingly not for Vax and Keyleth, but for Vex’ahlia. In a moment, Percy was rubbing at his face with his gloved hands, and in the other, those same hands were cradling Vex’s face and he was leaning in to kiss her. Because of the angle, Keyleth wasn’t able to see the girl’s reaction, but she saw the moment Percy rose to his feet and got hit in the back of the head with a snowball, then a second and a third on his back, just for good measure. 

Percy immediately dropped to a squat to clear the small space between the hedge and the fence so Vex could get up and counterattack at Vax, who evaded the first shot. This was Keyleth’s moment. Vex’ahlia was still standing, grabbing another snowball as she looked for the attacker. Keyleth had a full, unobstructed view of Vex’s back. It was now or never. 

It all happened so fast. Keyleth left the safety of her hideout with a snowball in each hand and launched one at Vex’s head and the other at her back, hoping her aim didn’t fail her. At the same time, Vex’ahlia spotted her twin behind a bench and threw her own snowball at him, but Keyleth was closer to Vex than she was to her brother, so when Keyleth’s snowballs hit true on the back of Vex’s head and shoulders, it didn’t matter if her roommate’s shot hit Keyleth’s battle partner or not, because Vex was technically out. 

“Wooo,” Keyleth raised her arms in victory. Grog, Scanlan and Pike cheered too (they had stopped their snowman project when they saw Percy get hit), but Vex turned around, looking at Keyleth with a glare that would smite her in place if she had that power. 

“You little—” Vex bent over, picked up two snowballs and threw them at Keyleth, who was too slow to avoid them. One hit her right in the face, breaking apart and sliding inside her sweatshirt, the other hit Keyleth’s stomach with such force that she bent over with a scream. 

“Vex’ahlia,” Vax shouted. He ran from behind the bench towards Keyleth, who kneeled on the ground, covering her face with one hand and holding her stomach with the other. “Are you okay?” He asked the redhead. 

“Ouch. That hurt,” Keyleth grimaced. Vax helped her up and glared at his sister.

“I’m sorry, Keyleth. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Vex’ahlia apologized.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting it to hurt so much. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

“Maybe we should head back inside. I’m freezing,” Percy asked, trying to alleviate the mood.

“I think there’s some hot cocoa in the cupboard, and I’m pretty sure I saw marshmallows in the pantry, too,” Pike added as they walked across the park. 

Vax remained glued to Keyleth’s side at the rear of the group, much to her delight. His gloved fingers brushed hers as they walked, and he kept glancing at her, concerned (which made Keyleth’s heart flutter in her chest). Vax slowed his pace, allowing more distance from the rest of the group. Assuming he wanted to talk to her, Keyleth slowed to keep up with him.

“Are you okay? Vax asked. 

“I’ll be okay once I drink something warm. I’m freezing.”

“Here,” Vax stopped just before they turned the corner to the main doors. He grabbed Keyleth’s hand and pulled her into a hug, leaning her head against the crook of his neck. Keyleth wrapped her arms around Vax’s torso, enjoying the feeling of his hands rubbing up and down her arms, the warmth of his hood and neck against the sides of her face, and the sweet smell of his laundry detergent.

“I wish I could stop time right now,” Keyleth mumbled against Vax’s neck, the reverberations of her voice echoing in his throat. Keyleth held her breath when she realized she had professed her thoughts out loud, waiting expectantly for Vax’s reaction.

Vax hummed softly and stopped rubbing Keyleth’s arms (her heart stopped, afraid he was going to pull away and yell at her), but then he slid them down to her waist and pulled her closer, nuzzling his cold nose against her neck (if Keyleth weren’t so scared at that moment, she would have shuddered from the temperature). “I wish we could be like this forever, Kiki.”

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Keyleth’s heart started beating so fast she knew Vax could hear it. She released the breath she was holding, not in a flowy exhale, but in a choked gasp as she held tighter against Vax since her legs suddenly turned jelly. The world around them grew quiet except for the sounds of their beating hearts and ragged, anxious breaths against each other's necks. Keyleth’s vision blurred, so she closed her eyes and nuzzled further into Vax’s warmth by instinct. 

“Are you okay?” Vax asked again. Keyleth replied with a distraught noise— what the fuck was that Keyleth? —and a small shake of her head as she pulled closer to Vax, who chuckled, “Gods, you’re adorable.” 

Keyleth pulled away (trembling slightly) to look at Vax. His eyes were so full of love and adoration. No one had ever looked at her that way (except maybe her parents, but even that was different), and she suddenly felt the rush of emotions she had been trying to keep at bay since the day Vax walked her home from the coffee shop. She was falling for him. She had been falling for a while, but it wasn’t until that day that she realized it. Keyleth hadn’t been ready to deal with it—she still wasn’t entirely ready—so she had tried to ignore it and had tried to focus on schoolwork. But it was obvious to her that Vax cared for her as deeply as she cared for him. She had known it for a while, too, even if she didn’t realize it until that moment. 

“You’re so beautiful, Kiki,” Vax leaned in closer to her, his warm nose touching hers. Keyleth let her gaze wander to his lips—Vax smiled, seeing that—and back up to his eyes. She wanted to kiss him so badly, but she was so scared. 

Kiss me, she begged in her mind, hoping her eyes conveyed the message. Kiss me, please. Vax… kiss me because I can’t. 

One of Vax’s hands cupped her cheek as he leaned even closer and tilted her head down so she could meet his. The second his breath brushed Keyleth’s lips, she closed her eyes and leaned in further. So close. Please, Vax.

“Oy, are you two coming or not?” Vex’ahlia called from the corner. Vax pulled away from Keyleth as if she had burned him and glared at his twin. Keyleth, however, turned her back against her roommate, holding the scream of frustration that was stuck in her throat. 

“Sorry, we’re going,” Vax replied, also irritated. Vex’ahlia nodded and turned back, walking toward the main door. Only when his sister was fully gone did Vax turn to Keyleth, who was hiding her face between her hands. “Ki—”

Keyleth released her scream, muffled by her gloves and scarf, and then looked up at Vax. Although their moment was ruined by Vex’ahlia (of all people), both Keyleth and Vax knew that from that moment on, things were different between them. There was no denying their feelings for each other anymore, not with how close they were to kissing. As the revelation of the moment dawned on them, Vax grabbed Keyleth’s jaw between his thumb and his index finger and looked deeply into her eyes. 

“We will resume this another time, Kiki,” and with that promise hanging in the air, Vax walked away.

Chapter Text

We will resume this another time, Kiki. Vax’s words replayed in Keyleth’s mind over and over again, even after almost a week since the snowball fight. They hadn’t had the opportunity to resume their interrupted moment due to the mountain of homework and essays they had to work on during the weekend, and the even larger mountain of assignments they were given the next Miresen. To make things worse, Keyleth’s anxiety flared up at the first mention of final’s week. It’s not that she had forgotten about it (the looming red circle on her calendar did not go unnoticed), but with everything going on between classes and dealing with whatever her heart was putting her through with Vax, Keyleth had lost track of time. Since Keyleth felt like she had been falling behind in some classes again for the past few weeks, she decided to increase her study hours, and because Vax and her were on speaking terms again, he was back to spending long hours at the library—or wherever it was that Keyleth decided she wanted to study that day—with her.

On Whelsen, after a particularly cold and snowy day, Keyleth decided to stay home to study, so once she got home from classes, she switched into her most comfortable flannel pajama set and draped a fuzzy blanket on her lap as she sat at the kitchen table in front of Vax, who was wearing his hoodie again. The apartment building’s temperature was centrally controlled, and while maintenance had been nice about keeping it cool during the warm weather, they hadn’t made the transition to heat yet, so the residents were forced to bundle up to fight off the cold.

Keyleth and Vax were home alone again (something that had been happening more and more often) since Pike was at the art studio finishing a painting before the stress of the exams took over, Grog was at practice (which seemed inhuman to Keyleth that he had to play sports in this cold), Scanlan was still in classes, Percy at the workshop finishing some super-secret project, and Vex had taken Trinket on a walk with the promise to return home with snacks. 

Ever since the snow day, whenever Keyleth found herself alone with Vax, the memory of their almost-kiss came crashing and taking over her thoughts like a storm. Between how close his warm breath had been to her lips, and the memory of the loud beating of their hearts on repeat on Keyleth’s mind like a scratched disk for the past ten minutes, she was having a hard time focusing. It also didn’t help that every time Keyleth glanced at Vax, he was lost in thought and focused on his books, either biting the end of his pen or with his tongue peeking from the corner of his mouth as he wrote. The tongue in particular was something Keyleth found extremely distracting as it led to very disrespectful thoughts like how it would feel in her mouth, her skin, or—

Keyleth squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, shaking her head to erase the image of Vax’s head between her legs from her mind. These new thoughts had been recurrent from the moment Keyleth realized she was attracted to him, but even more so since they practically kissed, and it was not the moment for that

“Are you okay?” Vax asked, looking up at her. He didn’t seem to have any idea Keyleth had been stealing longing glances at him for the past hour. 

“I’m fine. Sorry,” Keyleth apologized and returned her focus to the book.

It didn’t last for long, though. Not even a minute later, her head lifted back up to glance at Vax. It was hypnotizing to say the least. The hood of his sweatshirt rested on his back, letting Keyleth see the woven braid from the top of his head that fell on the rest of his loose dark hair. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his chin rested on his hand, and his eyeliner was smudged again, as it always happened at the end of the day (it was like Vax didn’t care to reapply throughout the day). He was beautiful in a way most dangerous things are. Charming and mysterious. Even after so many months of getting to know him, Vax still hid secrets that Keyleth wanted to unravel like her life depended on it, but she waited patiently for him to come to her, to share those dark secrets. 

As if Vax felt Keyleth’s gaze on him again, he looked up, locking his eyes with hers. Keyleth loved his eyes but she always preferred to look at them in the sunlight when they became a lighter, almost amber-like, color. Under the fluorescent light of the kitchen, and with no sun in sight, Vax’s eyes were a shade of dark brown that resembled chocolate (which Keyleth also didn’t mind). And then there was also the intensity in his gaze, as if he was trying to peer into Keyleth’s soul to figure out answers for questions he was so afraid to ask. Sometimes it bothered her, others it made her stare even deeper in challenge. This was one of the former moments. Keyleth was afraid that if for some miracle Vax was able to read her mind, he would see that the reason for her cheeks to be tinged with pink was not because of the heat of the blanket on her lap, but the very disrespectful thoughts she had about him minutes before, so Keyleth quickly shifted her gaze back to her book.

The third time Keyleth was caught staring, she was absent-mindedly biting the end of her pencil as she watched her crush write something in his notebook. Keyleth didn’t even realize she had been staring at Vax with a goofy smile on her face until he looked up with a knowing smirk. Keyleth tried to avert her gaze (again), but this time Vax got up with a chuckle and walked around the table into the kitchen to fill his glass with water. Keyleth tried to pretend she wasn’t paying attention to his movements behind her, or that she wasn’t focused on the sound of his bare feet ( how could he walk barefoot on the freezing floor? ) moving about the kitchen and the rustle of his clothes as he approached the back of her chair. Keyleth almost flinched when Vax set his glass on the table next to hers, and she sat ramrod straight when he supported his weight on his left hand and leaned above her right shoulder, whispering with his lips close to her ear, “What are you studying Kiki?” His voice was sweet like honey and his sweltering breath kissed the skin of her neck. 

Keyleth gulped at the proximity. Vax’s left arm brushed against her shoulder, the other one held the back of her chair, and his nose brushed sensually against the shell of her ear as if he was waiting for a sign to kiss her there. “Anatomy,” Keyleth replied, fully aware of the flush that spread up her neck. 

Vax hummed so close to her that Keyleth’s pulse increased. “This is wrong,” He said, pointing at the exercise Keyleth had been trying to work on. One of the reasons why Keyleth loved to study with Vax was because he was great at Anatomy—her worst subject—and he always took time to explain things to her and to answer her questions with such patience that Keyleth almost wished she had more classes in common with him so he could explain everything to her. Even though Keyleth usually paid close attention to Vax’s explanations, this time her focus was definitely not cooperating with her when he told her how to correct the exercise. 

“Thank you,” Her voice wavered. 

“Any time, Kiki,” Vax kissed Keyleth’s neck behind her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Keyleth drew in a sharp breath and she felt Vax smile in triumph against her skin. “You okay?”

Keyleth couldn’t answer. She was too stunned, too flustered to form cohesive sentences. The bottom half of her body was suddenly on fire (especially between her thighs), the hairs of her arms raised with goosebumps, and from the pull in her navel, Keyleth knew she was bound to have very vivid and very disrespectful dreams with the man whose nose still hovered by her ear. Nodding in response to Vax’s question was also a mistake because in doing so, the brush of his nose and lips against her neck created another wave of arousal. Keyleth wanted to ask him for more—her body begged for more—so much so that she subconsciously cocked her head to give Vax better access. He smiled again and leaned in, but just as his lips were about to brush that sweet, sensitive spot on her neck again, the front door opened to a cacophony of voices and the clicking of nails on the floor.

Vax was gone in a blink of an eye, leaving Keyleth shifting in her seat trying to hide how much his proximity had affected her. The sudden cold of his absence didn’t do anything to help cool off the heat, so Keyleth set her blanket on the chair next to her, avoiding eye contact with Vax. Soon after, Vex’ahlia, Percy and Trinket entered the kitchen, chatting boisterously.

“Look who I found downstairs,” Vex’ahlia said, dropping a bag from the store on the table. Percy rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, avoiding eye contact with Vax and Keyleth—and for a good reason, from what Keyleth could ascertain. His lips were a shade of red darker than usual, almost slightly smudged as if he had been eating candy. If Keyleth didn’t know better, she would have thought her best friend had dug into the candy in the bag, but, unfortunately for him, Keyleth knew that the smudge came from Vex’s lipstick (and even more unfortunately for Percival, from the glare in Vax’s eyes, he also knew the same). 

“Hello,” Keyleth’s voice was still shaky, but thankfully only Percy seemed to notice that and the color on her cheeks. 

“We ran into Allura in the atrium. She said that Gilmore is throwing a costume party this weekend. No specific theme,” Vex announced, pulling a chair next to Vax and digging through the store bag to bring out a bag of candy.

“Finals start in a month. I don’t think it’s wise—” Keyleth started saying, but Vex interrupted her, “Yes, yes. We know. Live a little, Keyleth.”

“What do you mean, live a little ?” Keyleth asked, outraged. Hadn’t she been doing just that? Sure, it had been a while since she went to Glorious with everyone else, but she’d been joining them on game nights instead of studying, and it was only a few days ago that she convinced everyone to skip classes so they could have fun together. She was living a little. 

Seeing Keyleth’s reaction and hearing the offense in her tone, Percy intervened by setting one hand on the table between the girls, “I think what Vex’ahlia is trying to say is that we should go to this party together, as a group, and have fun so we can focus on exams afterward.”

“That’s not—” Vex’ahlia started, but Percy gave her a stern look as if to say drop it , so she remained silent. Whatever was happening between them, Vex seemed to listen to Percy more than she listened to her brother recently.

“I personally agree with Freddie,” Vax announced, closing and stacking his books. It seemed like study time alone with him was over. “We should go to this party, and then focus on exams for the rest of the month. And then—” Vax’s eyes glinted with mischief “—when exams are over, we should throw a raging party to celebrate.”

“Now that is an idea I can get behind, brother,” Vex’ahlia slapped Vax’s shoulder, popping candy into her mouth.

Keyleth’s shoulders sagged in resignation, she mumbled a low “fine” and closed her books. It didn’t matter that Vex had brought candy for their study session because there wasn’t a study session anymore, not the way Keyleth wanted.

“Should we do a theme for the party?” Scanlan asked a few hours later. The group sat in the living room after dinner, almost everyone holding a bottle of beer in their hand and a notebook in the other as they brainstormed ideas for their costumes. 

“Allura said there wasn’t one,” Vex replied.

“Sure, but what if we did a group theme?”

“Like what? Do we all dress up as football players?” Grog asked.

“Yes, or we each dress up as a character from a movie or a game,” Scanlan threw the idea at the group.

“There are only two days left until the party, Scanman, and some of us can’t afford to buy a costume,” Vax noted.

Keyleth was sitting on her armchair in the corner. She had refused a beer, opting for a cup of tea instead. The last thing she wanted after a stressful day of classes was to go shopping, not to mention that stores would be closed by the time she was done with classes for the next two days. If only there was a way for them to use whatever they had in their wardrobes… Keyleth’s eyes wandered between her roommates, studying their looks. Grog and Pike had very similar styles: relaxed and comfortable, often opting for sweats and large t-shirts or clothes that allowed them to move. The twins’ styles were also very alike, both going with edgy clothes that could easily be interchangeable. The only people whose style deviated were Keyleth, Scanlan and Percy: the former because most of her clothes were thrifted or handmade; the second because they were sometimes flashy and bold; and the latter due to his business casual style.

“Wait, that’s it,” Keyleth thought out loud, sitting up on her armchair with a smile.

“What’s what, darling?” Vex’ahlia asked. Every head turned to Keyleth in confusion, making her heart jump to her throat from being the center of attention.

“Uh… I had an idea,” Keyleth mumbled.

“Let’s hear it.”

“What if we dress as each other? We can put our names on a piece of paper and each one of us goes and selects someone at random, and we can use their clothing. That way we don’t need to buy new stuff. But we should keep it a surprise until the day of the party.”

“That’s a great idea Kiki,” Vax’s eyes lit up with pride—Keyleth’s heart sank back into her chest from Vax’s words of reassurance.

“How do we keep it a surprise if we need to use their clothing?” Percy asked.

“We steal it,” Vax replied with a laugh. 

“Okay but I don’t think Vex’s skirts will fit me,” Grog pointed out.

“I’d love to see that,” Vex laughed. 

“Well, we might have to buy one or two things, but it should be easy, right?” Keyleth’s anxiety was back. What if they hated the idea of wearing each other’s clothes?

“I think it’s a wonderful idea, I’m in,” Pike said with a smile. 

Scanlan and Vax agreed, then Vex and Percy, who exchanged a knowing look between them, and lastly Grog with a shrug. They wrote down their names on a piece of paper, folded it and mixed it inside Grog’s cap. The hat went around as they took a piece of paper one by one. It took Keyleth all her strength to hide her excitement when she saw the familiar handwriting on her piece of paper. This is going to be fun .

“Did anyone get their own name?” Scanlan asked. Everyone shook their heads, some smiling, others looking worried. “Well then, good luck everyone.” Scanlan winked.

Keyleth knew right away what she wanted to wear, and how she was going to do her hair and makeup, but some of her anxiety returned as she looked at the person she had been randomly assigned—chuckling on the inside at the irony of the situation. She had no idea how she was going to steal their clothes, but she had two days to figure it out.

Chapter Text

Keyleth was so exhausted after a day of classes that had run later than usual thanks to a stupid group project her teacher had assigned, that by the time she got home, everyone in apartment 7B was either already asleep or out partying. She considered going to bed right away without eating dinner but her stomach growled loudly to remind her she hadn’t had anything to eat in almost eight hours, so Keyleth ignored the scream of her muscles as she crossed the kitchen to reach the fridge. According to the calendar on the door, it had been Vax’s turn to make dinner, and if Keyleth knew him well enough, he would have left her serving in a tupperware for her to heat when she got home. Seeing that she was the only vegetarian in the apartment, Keyleth often had to make her own meals on the side whenever it was other people’s turn to cook, but Vax—so kind and caring—always made sure to cook something different for Keyleth so she wouldn’t have to. It never failed to warm her heart to see Vax set a plate in front of her at dinner, not because he made the effort to use different proteins for her—sometimes even going as far as making a full meal for Keyleth—but because Vax went above and beyond to look up vegetarian recipes, seasoning techniques to make the food taste better, and, above all, Vax always cooked without Keyleth asking him to, and most of the time without her knowing (as if Keyleth needed any more reasons to fall for Vax). Just as Keyleth expected, there was a glass container with a post-it note on the lid waiting for her, which she promptly read: Missed you at dinner. I really loved this recipe, let me know what you think. – Vax <3

Waiting for the food to heat was torture, but Vax’s handwriting on the post-it note was worth coming home late. It meant more to Keyleth than just dinner, and she knew it meant just as much to Vax. “Why is he so perfect?” Keyleth mumbled, walking into the laundry room where she dumped her sodden socks in her hamper. She hated doing laundry this late, especially when she was so tired, but she really needed the pair of pants she had bought at lunch the day before. The party at Glorious was the next night, and Keyleth was excited to see her roommates’ reactions—a certain someone in particular—when they saw what she was wearing (although Keyleth still hadn’t figured out how she was going to steal her victim’s clothes). 

The answer came to Keyleth unexpectedly when she was about to switch her laundry. Someone had forgotten to empty the dryer, and just her luck, from the looks of it, it was the person she needed to forget their clothes the most. Keyleth did what any good roommate would do and carefully folded her roommate’s clothes and set them on top of the dryer before she put her clothes in the dryer. What if one of her roommate’s t-shirts accidentally found itself mingled with Keyleth’s clothes? She hadn’t seen it bunched up in the corner of the dryer when she added her clothes, and she especially didn’t notice it the next morning, until she was folding and putting away everything. Only one thing left to steal. Keyleth chuckled. 

It was hard to keep it a surprise once the girls started getting ready, but the good part about finally being able to share the name Keyleth had picked was that Vex could finally help her with the make-up and hair, and Vex even stole the last piece of the puzzle for Keyleth. They had about five minutes left until everyone was meeting in the living room to reveal their outfits, and Vex was finishing the last touches on Keyleth’s eyeliner. A glance at the mirror in the bathroom made Keyleth arch an eyebrow impressed. It wasn’t a look she ever thought she would see on her, but Keyleth had to admit she looked good in it.

Pike and Vex were the first out of the bedroom, followed by Grog and Scanlan, and then Percy and Vax. Keyleth heard her friends laugh in the living room although she wasn’t able to discern what they were saying. She was too busy panicking in the bathroom, pacing back and forth, and reminding herself to breathe. It’s going to be fine. She reassured herself. What if they hate it? What if he hates it? Keyleth stopped, looking at her reflection. Her face was pale with fear, her freckles more prominent than usual, and her hands were shaking slightly. They are your friends, she reminded herself. They will not make fun of you for trying out something new. Besides, it’s a costume party, not you trying to find a new style or a new personality. Keyleth knew she was right. Logically speaking, it wasn’t her tonight, so her friends would not be making fun of her . Keyleth took a long breath in, paused, and then released it. With a last glance at the mirror, she exited the bathroom and the bedroom, nervously rubbing at her hands. 

Keyleth hadn’t emerged from her bedroom yet and Vax was increasingly nervous with every minute that passed. With everyone else in the living room, it was plainly obvious who Keyleth was going to be dressed up as, but not even the irony of the situation was enough to ease his mind.

Vex’ahlia looked incredibly funny in a yellow crop top, sweatpants and fun buns. Between her legs where she sat on the couch, was a canvas tote bag with painting supplies and a fake stethoscope peeking out from the opening. From all the people she could have picked, Pike was an incredible opposite. Sitting next to Vex was the disciple of the Everlight herself, wearing khaki pants, a white buttoned shirt and a dark blue blazer that looked far too large on her, but the funniest thing about Pike’s impersonation of Percival was the plastic toy glasses that had clearly been hand-painted gold. Vax couldn’t tell which of his male roommates looked the funniest, though. Percy, who dressed in gray sweatpants (that had Vex’ahlia gasp and give the man a hungry look), a tank top, and was carrying a backpack and a soccer ball under his arm; Grog in a flashy purple buttoned-up shirt (that he purposely left unbuttoned until halfway down his torso) with matching purple pants and Scanlan’s beret; or the theater major himself, who was wearing a skimpy black skirt, fishnet stockings, one of Vex’s very revealing tank tops, and, to top off the look, a dark-brown haired wig that he wove into a really bad braid. The only thing right about Scanlan’s look was the faithful make-up. Thinking about it, as Vax gave everyone a second look, if anyone were to win a prize, it would certainly be Scanlan.

When Vax picked the slip of paper a couple days ago, he never imagined he would have to sneak into the girls’ bedroom to rummage through Keyleth’s closet in search of something he could wear. He tried to avoid buying clothes unnecessarily since he and Vex’ahlia didn’t have much money to spare, but thankfully for Vax, Keyleth was pretty lithe like him. He had chuckled at the array of colors in her wardrobe—of course, it would look like a unicorn threw up in there. Keyleth wouldn’t be his brilliant, happy ray of sunshine otherwise—but Vax settled for something dark that he felt still defined Keyleth perfectly. Vax picked a dark green sweater with a large sunflower embroidered in the center and an orange butterfly next to it, and a pair of light jeans with hand-painted daisies along the legs (something else that Vax noticed about Keyleth’s wardrobe was that most of her clothes were altered). He braided two pieces of hair at each side of his head and met them at the back, fastened by a green bow that he had seen Keyleth wear before, and Vex’ahlia helped him curl his hair like Keyleth’s. Vax hoped that he looked enough like her that everyone would give him a break for keeping his boots since he couldn’t fit in Keyleth’s canvas sneakers and couldn’t afford to buy himself a pair. 

Vex’s reaction to his final look had been unexpected. Vax thought his twin would tease him endlessly for pulling a paper with Keyleth’s name, but instead, she merely shook her head in amusement and muttered something about fate and soulmates. It never occurred to Vax that his sister believed in such things, but then again, he also never thought she was going to get involved with someone like Percival after everything their mother went through with their father. Everyone else’s reaction, however, had been as he expected. Scanlan mentioned how weird it was to see Vax wearing clothes that weren’t black, and Grog had pointed out that he needed to eat more protein and work out more because he fit Keyleth’s clothes too well. As for Pike, she had been the nicest one, merely complimenting him for a job well done. From everyone so far, Vax had been the one who wore the most pieces of clothing of their pick.

“Should someone go check on Keyleth?” Vax asked when Keyleth didn’t show up ten minutes after the scheduled time—if Vax knew her well, Keyleth was probably freaking out in the bedroom—but just as soon as Vax spoke, the bedroom door opened and Keyleth turned the corner. Vax was glad he was sitting down because he would have probably fallen on his ass otherwise.

For what Vax assumed was the first time in Keyleth’s life, she didn’t have a single piece of color on her. While it looked strange, it was also incredibly sexy, especially because Keyleth was wearing Vax’s favorite t-shirt ( so that’s where it went! ) underneath his leather jacket—certainly stolen by Vex’ahlia—a pair of black pants and Vex’s boots that were a cheap replica of his. Keyleth’s nails were painted black, her make-up was a perfect imitation of Vax’s eyeliner, and her hair had been straightened and was tied back in a half-up style like Vax always did. Keyleth looked beautiful in black—but then again, she would look beautiful in a potato sack— but she was also visibly nervous.

“Sorry I made you all wait,” Keyleth apologized, rubbing her hands in front of her in what Vax knew well as being a gesture of anxiety. Keyleth’s eyes shifted to him and she took a step back, aghast. Vax grinned at her and extended an inviting hand that Keyleth took hesitantly, he then pulled her to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. Vax was perfectly aware that they had five pairs of eyes on him and Keyleth, but he didn’t care about them. All Vax cared about was the pair of bright, stunned green eyes and the smile on Keyleth’s face once she realized they were dressed up as each other.

“Let’s go before you two start making out,” Vex’ahlia rolled her eyes and grabbed the tote bag at her feet. Everyone else followed suit out of the apartment, leaving Vax and Keyleth still standing close to each other for a moment. 

“We should go,” Keyleth mumbled after the last person left, closing the door behind them. 

“You look…” Vax placed both hands on her waist and pushed her away softly to look at her again from head to toe. “Absolutely stunning, Keyleth.”

Keyleth’s cheeks bloomed pink. She looked him up and down, taking notice of everything, then back to his eyes and said, “You don’t look too bad either, Vax’ildan. Green looks great on you.”

“Not as good as you in black, Kiki. Damn,” Vax bit his lip. Keyleth squealed and hid her face in her hands but Vax pulled them away, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and whispered, “You look so hot. Gods be damned.”

Keyleth giggled. Vax had expected her to pull away and hide herself in a shell of bashfulness but she hadn’t done anything to show him she was embarrassed, quite the opposite. Keyleth was staring at him differently, almost as if she was hungry for something she had never had before. Vax didn’t want to assume she wanted him the same way he wanted her, lest he make a fool of himself, so he ignored the urge to lock the apartment door, kiss her, and take her to his bedroom. No, if Keyleth wanted him that way, he would wait until she made a move. He would wait his entire life for her.

“We should go,” Keyleth finally broke away from him, although she clasped her hand in his and pulled Vax behind her. The others were already waiting for them at the atrium, and even though most of them pretended not to notice Vax and Keyleth holding hands, Vex’ahlia didn’t seem to care about hiding it, not with the wink she gave them before she turned around and grabbed Percy’s arm as they all strode out of the building.

But as soon as Vax and Keyleth stepped into the cold autumn air of Emon, Vax felt a weird weight on his chest like something bad was going to happen. Worst of all, he had left his knife behind, safely stored in his nightstand drawer. Shit. Maybe it was just anxiety from going out for the first time in a while. Maybe it was because Keyleth was holding his hand tightly like he was her lifeline. Vax tried to ignore the heaviness of his chest and focus on the warmth and softness of Keyleth’s hand in his and the way she had looked at him before. 

Relax. Everything will be alright. Nothing bad will happen tonight.

Chapter Text

Glorious was already full by the time Vox Machina arrived, although it was not as crowded as the last time Keyleth went out drinking with the girls. Coincidentally, Keyleth realized it had been a month since her “date” with Kashaw and that she hadn’t seen or heard from him ever since. Maybe he wasn’t that interested in her or getting to know her if he was waiting for Keyleth to message him. Regardless, Keyleth was at the bar with her friends and things had changed since the last time. She had no desire to pursue Kash or even talk to him other than to order drinks. 

Gilmore received them at the door, looking incredible as always, wearing a purple wizard costume, a long, pointy hat and a white beard that reached his navel. He greeted them with flair immediately as soon as the group set foot past the door, holding a tray of drinks emitting white smoke. The bar had been appropriately decorated with masks on the walls, streamers of different colors, tealight candles that looked like they were floating, and glowing stars on the ceilings and curtains. It looked whimsical. 

Vex’ahlia was the first to step up to hug Gilmore, saying, “Gilmore, you look—”

“Glorious, darling?”

“Obviously,” Vex replied, taking a glass from the tray with a wink. Gilmore winked back and started handing out drinks to everyone, observing and commenting on each one’s costumes. The man stopped in his tracks once he reached Keyleth and Vax (who were still holding hands), and his face opened up in a broad grin.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He asked knowingly. Keyleth was shocked to see Vax’s embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. 

“We picked randomly to dress up as each other,” Keyleth replied, taking her drink from Gilmore’s hand. “We happened to get each other.”

“I see that,” Gilmore looked up and down at her. “I have to say, you look good in black, little dove. Or should I call you ‘little raven’ tonight?”

Keyleth laughed and shook her head, “Thank you, Gil.”

“And you,” Gilmore turned to Vax, handing over the last drink. “Don’t you look… something alright.” Gil’s eyes drifted down Vax’s body, stopping where he and Keyleth were still holding hands between them. When the man looked back up with a glimmer in his eyes, Vax’s cheeks were red. “I see you have something to tell me.”

Keyleth finally realized she was still holding onto Vax’s hand, so she let go and shoved her hand in the pocket of her jacket. Gilmore’s expression changed at that, the smile turned upside down and the glimmer of joy in his eyes had died when he looked between the two. 

“Or maybe not. We’ll talk later. I need to go make sure Kashaw isn’t bankrupting me,” Gilmore said with a small nod before he turned to return to the bar, but just as he was leaving, he stopped and turned his head above his shoulder, grinning at the group in general, and at Scanlan in particular, “Oh, and we have Karaoke tonight. Make sure you sign up upstairs!”

Gilmore’s mention of karaoke was more than enough to spark a few flames within the group (especially Scanlan and Grog), so instead of doing their usual look-around for a booth downstairs, the group climbed up the steps in search of an empty alcove, which they luckily found without issue. Scanlan and Grog were gone before Keyleth even crossed the curtain, running to the other side of the dancefloor to pick up a songbook. Without them, there was enough room on the big, white sofa for everyone else, but as soon as the two men returned, Keyleth found herself pressed hard against Vax’s side to make room. 

“Is this okay?” Vax asked her, draping his arm over the back of the couch behind Keyleth’s shoulders. He was right at the edge of the seat, and the entirety of Keyleth’s right side was glued to his left. It felt cozy and intimate, and she didn’t mind it at all for a second. Keyleth nodded, finally taking a sip from the drink Gilmore had handed them since the smoke was completely gone. It was sweet and spicy, and it burned going down her esophagus. Between the heat of the drink and pressed bodies, it didn’t take long for Keyleth to start sweating, so while her friends were distracted pouring over the songbook and arguing about who got to duet with whom, Keyleth took off her—nope, Vax’s—jacket. 

“Here, give it to me,” Vax made a grabbing motion. Keyleth handed Vax the jacket and he set it on the back of the couch behind him, but when his arm returned to the back of the couch, he let his hand fall to Keyleth’s shoulder, with his fingers sliding under the short sleeve, and he started drawing circles on her skin. “Still okay?” He asked softly. Keyleth gulped another sip of her drink and nodded, ignoring the twist and turn of her stomach at the touch.

The songbook found its way into Keyleth’s hands after everyone was done selecting songs. She looked at Vax inquisitively, but he shook his head as if to say no way I’m singing . Keyleth shrugged and opened the book between them, making sure Vax could still read in case he changed his mind. There were a few songs in the book that she knew and felt comfortable singing, but one in particular caught her attention. She listened to it for the first time the afternoon after Vax picked her up from the coffee shop and immediately related to the lyrics, so much so that she lost count of how many times the song played on repeat during the past month. Keyleth was almost completely sure that Vax was attracted to her, especially after the moment they shared after the snow battle, but there was still that tinge of doubt inside her that she needed to clear, and what better way than through music?

I’m going to make a fool of myself if this doesn’t work, Keyleth thought, passing the book to Vax, who gave her a surprised look as she got up. Keyleth shrugged as she followed the rest of her friends to the sign-up sheet (receiving another incredulous look from Vex’ahlia), not surprised to see that only Vax and Percy stayed behind.

The karaoke machine was all set up on the small stage on the other side of the dancefloor, next to a table where a woman in her early twenties with thick glasses took note of the participants. Scanlan was obviously the first to approach the woman, greeting her with a charming smile that turned her cheeks bright red even under the colored spotlights.

“Hello,” She greeted the rest of the group as they spread out around Scanlan.

“Hi! Are you Gilmore’s new employee?” Pike asked nicely. The woman nodded timidly. 

“My name is Sherri. Nice to meet you all. Would you like to sign up for our karaoke night?”

“Yes, please, Sherri,” Vex’ahlia replied, also kindly. The woman seemed to relax a bit as she started to write down their names and songs. Scanlan demanded to go first—obviously—then Grog and Pike signed up as a duo, then Vex’ahlia, and lastly Keyleth. 

“I’m going downstairs to grab us some drinks,” Vex informed the group. Pike, Grog and Scanlan volunteered to help, so once Vex took note of Keyleth’s drink, she added two more for Percy and Vax, and left Keyleth to return to their alcove alone.

“Where did everyone go?” Percy asked when Keyleth sat in the middle of the boys. She noted the closed songbook on the table and wondered if Vax had found any songs that interested him. Maybe she could convince him to sing if she worked her charm or gave him enough drinks. She was certainly curious to know if singing was one of his mysteries.

“They went downstairs to grab drinks. Don’t worry, Vex will bring you both a drink.” The boys nodded and Keyleth leaned back into the couch, feeling Vax’s arm around her shoulders, even though it wasn’t necessary at the moment. She relished in the feeling though. “Did you find any songs you like?” Keyleth asked him quietly enough so Percy wouldn’t hear them.

“There are a few good ones, but I’m not singing,” Vax gave her a charming smile. 

“We’ll see about that,” Keyleth replied, winking, and finished the rest of the drink Gilmore had given them at the entrance. Vax’s stunned expression was all she needed to know her first hit had landed perfectly, just as planned.

“You won’t believe who’s downstairs,” Vex said when she and Pike returned a few minutes later, setting their drinks on the table in front of them. Vex sat next to Keyleth, so close to Percy that she was practically on his lap. Pike leaned her head forward from the man’s other side, giving Keyleth a knowing look with wiggly eyebrows as she sipped her drink.

“Who?” Keyleth asked even though she had a feeling she knew the answer. She took a sip of her drink and smiled in thanks to the other girls. They had brought her a sweet cocktail, none of that awful tequila stuff Vex loved.

“Kashaw,” Vex grimaced. Keyleth felt Vax tense next to her, his glass pausing halfway to his lips, waiting as if he knew his sister wasn’t done sharing bad news. “He asked if you were here.”

“What did you tell him?”

Vex’ahlia paused. She took a long, slow swig of her margarita—from the color, it looked like she had asked for a flavored version—and sighed. Keyleth’s fingers became suddenly cold, something she knew was not due to her drink. One of her hands started shaking and she tried to hide it by hugging herself before anyone noticed the tremor. What had Vex told Kash? If he wanted to know that badly if Keyleth had come to the party with her friends, why hadn’t he texted her? He could have invited her or at least told her about the party, but he didn’t. Would whatever Vex had told him even matter? Did Keyleth really care what Kashaw thought of her after he asked her out, behaved like an ass, and then ignored her? Vax shifted, leaning closer against Keyleth (which she didn’t think would be possible considering she was able to feel the entirety of his side pressed against her) as if he was trying to make his presence even more known to her. His hand grabbed her shoulder, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. Keyleth didn’t have to turn her head to know Vax was looking at her with that adoration he always had, the look that filled her with warmth, safety and joy. No. Keyleth decided that whatever Vex told Kashaw and whatever he thought about her afterward meant nothing.

“I told him you were here on a date,” Vex’ahlia finally said, glancing at her brother’s hand on Keyleth’s shoulder and giving them both a wink.

Oh shit. Keyleth didn’t need a mirror to know she looked dumbfounded. She also heard Vax hold his breath at her side like he was waiting to react to his sister’s information depending on whatever Keyleth said or did next. No pressure or anything . “That sounds good,” Keyleth avoided looking at Vax as she grabbed her drink and took a large gulp. “He had his chance and threw it away. I’m not going to sit around and wait for him to man-up and fight for me.”

“That’s the right spirit,” Vex patted Keyleth’s knee and turned to Percy, who was gawking—not at Vex’ahlia, but at Vax, as Keyleth realized when she turned to see Vax’s stunned face. Keyleth bit the end of her straw nervously and closed Vax’s open jaw with the knuckle of her index finger with a wink.

Vax was still staring at Keyleth in disbelief when Sherri’s soft-spoken voice sounded through the speakers, “Good evening, everyone! Let’s open up Karaoke night with our first performance by Scanlan Shorthalt.” Keyleth finally tore her eyes from Vax to cheer at her friend, who picked up the microphone and bowed at the few people gathered on the dancefloor so expertly that it was obvious to anyone that Scanlan loved the stage lights.

Scanlan could sing, everyone knew that, but knowing and seeing it in action was different, and even more shocking to them was that he had picked a ballad. Not just any ballad, though. It was almost like a love declaration. A song that he sang with his gaze fixed on Pike, who squirmed in her seat between Percy and Grog in embarrassment. 

“Does Scanlan have a crush on Pike?” Keyleth found herself whispering to Vax. 

“Worse. I think he might be in love with her,” Vax replied, equally as quiet.

“I didn’t think Scanlan could feel love,” Keyleth thought out loud. Vax gave her a look and they both started laughing. It wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t exactly true. Scanlan loved women of all shapes and sizes, but they never thought that he would ever lower his walls enough to allow his heart to be stolen. Although, thinking about it, if anyone were to steal Scanlan’s heart, Pike Trickfoot was the best contender.

Once the song ended with a soft note, the small crowd that had gathered on the dancefloor clapped and cheered—some ladies even fanned themselves—and Scanlan bent down in a shallow bow before he left the stage. He looked surprisingly timid, especially when he finally reached the alcove and sat by Pike’s side, who was trying hard to look everywhere but at him with flushed cheeks. 

Sherri grabbed the microphone calling for Grog and Pike, the former practically dragging the small girl by the collar of her blazer toward the stage. Keyleth’s stomach leaped as she realized that after them, there would only be one other person before her turn to sing. That realization alone was more than enough for Keyleth to take a large gulp of her drink as she ignored her frigid and shaky hands. 

“Are you cold?” Vax asked. Keyleth looked at him, confused. Somewhere on the stage Pike and Grog sang the first lines of a cheerful song. “You’re shaking,” Vax explained.

“I’m okay,” Keyleth replied, trying to hide her trembling voice. “Just nervous.”

“It’ll be okay,” Vax leaned in and kissed her temple. “You’ll be okay.” Keyleth nodded and looked at the stage. Vex’s words came back to her, I told him you were here on a date . Was it too forward for Keyleth to act like Vex’s implication that she and Vax had come to the party together was not a big deal? She hadn’t thought about Vax’s feelings over what his sister implied —although he didn’t seem to mind it—or what it would mean for his relationship with Gilmore if word got out. Shit. What does it mean? Keyleth tensed as a new wave of anxiety filled her. The increasing heartbeats in her chest did not help her calm down.

“Hey,” Vax held Keyleth’s face back to him. Fuck, does he have to look at me like that all the time? “You don’t have to sing. You can just tell them you changed your mind.” He tried to reassure her. Keyleth shook her head. How was she supposed to tell him she was more scared of ruining his friendship with Gilmore than singing in front of a crowd—which by itself was already dreadful? She couldn’t.

“I’ll be okay,” She tried to reassure him instead, but Vax didn’t buy it.

“Just pretend you’re singing to me. No one else is in the room but me.”

Oh no, he doesn’t know. Vax didn’t know the song she had picked. He didn’t know she already intended on doing exactly that, singing for him— to him—and him alone.

Keyleth was so distracted freaking out on the inside that she didn’t even realize Pike and Grog had finished their song and were hugging each other and sobbing on the stage, the large man on his knees so he could be at a relatively decent height to hug his adopted sister and best friend. Once they cleared the stage—and were safely sniffling on the couch next to Percy—Vex raised to her feet as Sherri called her name and sauntered over. 

Keyleth wasn’t surprised by Vex’s song choice, nor was she surprised when the woman sang without needing to look at the screen with the lyrics since Keyleth had heard Vex sing the song countless times as she got ready for the day. It was a pretty powerful song with a strong message that made Keyleth admire her roommate even more—as if Vex’ahlia could be more of a badass. 

“What’s the deal with this song?” Keyleth turned to Vax, ignoring the dip in her stomach as she saw his concerned gaze on his sister. 

“It’s a long story,” Vax replied. Not entirely his story to tell, then. “She had a really shitty boyfriend, is all I can say.”

“Please tell me your sister didn’t actually set a bed on fire,” Keyleth joked, but her smile faded when Vax looked at her earnestly. Oh shit.

The song was short—too short, in Keyleth’s opinion. Vex ended it with a mic drop (which made Sherri squeal), and she returned to the group, high-fiving Scanlan, Grog and Pike. Keyleth noticed the look Vex and Percy shared as if they were having some sort of mental conversation before her roommate sat beside her and patted Keyleth on the knee, saying, “It’s your turn. Go get them.”

“You can do it,” Vax whispered. She gave him one last long, apologetic look even though he didn’t know why— yet— and she crossed the room. Sherri handed her the microphone after making sure it was still working after Vex’ahlia had dropped it, and Keyleth took a long breath in as the screen changed in front of her.

You can do this. It’s just you and him. No one else. Fuck. 

The music started, the familiar tune sounding through the speakers. Keyleth counted the beats, looking at the bar and the lyrics on the screen, avoiding looking up at the alcove where her friends cheered—avoiding looking up at Vax. Keyleth knew the crowd could see the same thing she did reflected on the TV behind her, and the first verse itself was more than enough to reveal her intentions. Keyleth’s voice was horse and shaky when she sang the first line, but she didn’t let it get to her. Instead, Keyleth kept singing, daring to glance at the crowd that was cheering almost as loud as her friends. Her face opened in a slightly relieved smile and she became bolder, lifting her gaze even higher as she sang, “There’s two of us, we’re certain with desire.”

Vax’ildan was standing with his arms crossed by the opening of the alcove, staring at her with a smirk. The room blurred when their eyes locked. It was just them, no one else. It was him , in all his flaws and perfections, in all his mysteries, unspoken words and feelings. It was Vax in her sweater and jeans, much too bright for his personality. It was his hair braided back in a perfect imitation of her favorite hairstyle, her bow fastening it behind his head. It was his soft eyes full of love, care, kindness, fire and desire. It was his smile, sexy, sassy and reassuring. It was him in his entirety and no one else. Never anyone else, and certainly not someone who couldn’t be bothered to want to know more than her name. It was him, who always asked so carefully, who waited patiently for her to open up, who had nothing but gentle touches, even though he looked like he could kill someone without a second thought. 

“We were meant for one another, come a little closer,” Keyleth sang, and much to her surprise, Vax seemed to obey. He was confident in his stride, not bothering to look behind him at his sister’s incredulous face or Pike and Scanlan’s heads so close to each other, whispering. But instead of stopping in front of the stage, Vax stopped by the top of the stairs, leaning against the railing. 

Keyleth tracked him like a predator tracks its prey. “I got all I need, when you came after me,” She went on. She noticed the presence of another man next to Vax and her heart leaped as Vax leaned in to whisper something in the man’s ear. Gilmore gave Vax a short nod, not taking his eyes away from Keyleth, who was still singing and looking at them. She didn’t care if the crowd noticed. It didn’t matter. This song was for Vax and Vax alone. It didn’t matter that Gilmore left Vax’s side to whisper something to Sherri. It didn’t matter that everyone was now looking between the two, certainly connecting the dots. It didn’t matter because Vax was so close to her, looking deeply with a soft smile. Keyleth’s fears returned, but the song was almost over. She didn’t dwell on her thoughts as she sang the last verse, burn with me tonight , only daring to look away from Vax at the last word.

In her haziness of focusing on Vax, Keyleth hadn’t noticed the two women who ran in her direction and tackled her into a hug. She didn’t even have the opportunity to return Sherri the microphone before they dragged her out of the stage, but her hands were suddenly empty, nonetheless. Keyleth couldn’t see Vax anywhere from where she was buried against his sister’s embrace, and she didn’t get to look around for him before a familiar male voice spoke. 

“Well, then! Is everyone having fun?” The small crowd cheered in response. “Alright, we will interrupt our karaoke time for a very special performance. I promise you will not regret it,” Gilmore assured. Keyleth was still surrounded by Vex’s arms around her shoulders and Pike’s around her arm when the lights dimmed. Gilmore rolled the karaoke machine to the side and set up a single microphone stand, a high chair and an acoustic guitar.

“What’s happening?” Keyleth asked her friends. Vex and Pike shrugged. 

Someone walked onto the stage—not just someone. It was Vax’ildan. He wiped his hands nervously on his jeans—Keyleth’s jeans that she had thrifted and embroidered—sat on the chair and grabbed the guitar. He adjusted the microphone height and tapped it to make sure it was working, and with one final breath, he plucked the second string of the guitar.

“What?” Keyleth looked at Vex, who seemed about just as shocked as her. “Vax can play?”

“Oh yeah,” Vex answered as if it was widely known. “What is he—” Vex stopped talking because her brother finally played through the intro and started singing. 

 He wasn’t Scanlan-level good, but he was a good singer nonetheless. From what little musical ear and singing lessons Keyleth had, she could tell he also had been instructed in singing, but it was what he was singing that made her legs tremble more than his voice. It was a soft ballad, like a love song from what the first verses sounded like. 

“Oh shit,” Vex said, letting her arms fall from Keyleth’s shoulders to her free arm, holding her tight. “Is he—”

He was. Vax’s eyes fixed on Keyleth as he sang, “I was born to tell you I love you,” Oh. This is a love song. “And I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine,” A love song for— “Stay with me tonight,” —me?

“Keyleth, with all due respect,” Pike said from her other side. “If you two don’t kiss already, we will all lock you in a bedroom until you make out.”

“What?” Keyleth broke her gaze from Vax for a second to look at her roommate.

“Pike’s right, darling. I’m tired of seeing my brother pine for you,” Vex rolled her eyes. She was tapping her feet with the beat of the music as if she wanted to help her brother stay in time.

When the second chorus came around, Keyleth found herself smiling foolishly. He loves me? But why? Keyleth was clumsy and shy. She was a ball of anxiety at risk of self-destruction. She spent more time with her nose in the books than hanging out with people. Her nails were more often covered in dirt and fertilizer than pretty, shiny nail polishes. Her clothes were all hand-me-downs or thrifted, old and stained from years of use or dirt. She was lithe and out of shape—she didn’t even remember the last time she ran—and while she wasn’t ugly, she wasn’t entirely beautiful either. What had Vax seen in her ? He was handsome and talented. He was smart and kind, and so sexy. Keyleth had seen him shirtless several times, she had seen the strong build of his muscles work whenever he picked up Trinket—who by itself weighed almost as much, if not more than Keyleth. He was experienced in all the things she wasn’t—with women and men—and wasn’t afraid to wear his feelings on his sleeve (even if it took her longer than everybody else to realize the way Vax looked at her). Keyleth felt herself lacking compared to what Vax’s standards would surely be, so why? Why would he love her?

Keyleth released a breath she didn’t know she was holding as Vax sang the last notes. She took a step back, getting free from Vex and Pike’s hold, and ran down the stairs before anyone—before Vax—could see the tears sliding down her cheeks. She bumped into someone at the bottom of the stairs, a familiar smell of alcohol reaching her before Kashaw’s voice asked, “Keyleth? Are you okay?” Keyleth tried to nod. She tried to run past him, but the man gripped her arms tightly. He said something about wanting to talk to her, but before Keyleth could say no, Kash dragged her somewhere she couldn’t discern due to the blur of tears in her eyes. However, Keyleth felt the curtain of beads and then cold. Freezing cold on her arms. Panic filled her chest and ran through her blood, sending a sharp pain to her brain and making her gasp in fear. She was outside with Kashaw and none of her friends had seen where she went. 

Keyleth’s danger sense kicked in as if she was about to die.

Chapter Text

Keyleth was gone. She ran away. Vax had been so sure it would work after she practically poured her heart out with her song. Maybe answering her call had been a mistake. Maybe he had misinterpreted it? No. It couldn’t be. Keyleth had smiled at him when he sang those damn words to her. He saw the fire and wanting in her eyes. Vax couldn’t have been wrong. Keyleth wouldn’t have sung that song if she wasn’t testing him or setting a bait for him to answer, and like a damn sailor lost at sea, Vax had followed her voice and gave himself to her (and in front of everyone, too). And she ran away. Why?

Someone stepped in front of Vax, but his blurred vision did not allow him to see more than yellow, gray and dark colors. “Vax, are you okay?” One of the figures said. Vax recognized that voice. “Vax?” A different voice called him. They were both females, soft, concerned voices, but neither was the voice Vax needed to hear the most at that moment. “Come on,” The first voice said, and Vax felt someone pull him. He didn’t see where they were taking him because his eyes were still glazed with fear that he had done something wrong (again), that he had ruined everything (again), that he had pushed away the person he loved the most (again, again, again). 

You’re useless. You’ll never amount to anything. Who would want the son of a seamstress who allowed herself to get knocked up? Stupid. You are stupid and useless, like your mother was, Vax’ildan.

“No,” Vax’s voice was hoarse. 

“What?” Vex’ahlia. That’s who it was, the first female voice, the blur of yellow and gray. “Vax, what happened?” Her hands were on his cheeks, warm and calloused from years of labor and archery. His sister. Vax had failed her, too. He had failed her like he failed their mother. He had ruined everything for her, too. “For fucks sake, Vax’ildan,” She was angry at him, as she should be. Did Vex’ahlia know what he had done for her? Did Vex know about the blood that soaked his hands? She couldn’t know. She would never know what Vax had done to save her from that monster. 

Vex’ahlia let go of her brother’s face. The warmth of her touch evaporated like a droplet of water falling on hot coals, and then came the sting and a different kind of heat. “What the fuck,” Vax heard someone say behind them. Another hit, another sting. “Vex!” Another voice.

“Snap out of it, brother,” Vex’ahlia yelled above the music. Vax tried to follow the sound of her voice. The sting was vanishing as fast as her warmth had, pulling him with it. They had gone through the motions of this ritual too many times in their lives to count. Day after day, night after night, when Vax’s demons flared and took over his soul. He hated them. He hated their strong grip, dripping black ichor over his heart, coating it with pain and darkness and death. So much death. 

Vax’ildan saw his sister’s face when he closed his eyes, then his mother, Elaina, the baby he left behind in the hands of that monster, and lastly Keyleth with a blinding halo of radiant light around her. She had run away. He had come for her, and she had run. Why? He demanded to know. As if the gods had heard him, his sisters’ faces in the darkness vanished, and then his mother, leaving only Keyleth’s visage. Vax reached forward, trying to hold on to her, but she ran away—even in his mind, she ran away—leaving only that blinding light that twisted and turned until it became a golden thread that wrapped around his wrist. Vax raised his hand to examine it and pulled at the string that floated in the ether. It didn’t budge. It was tied around his skin, even though there were no knots. Vax felt another tug—not his—and when he turned his face in its direction, he recognized the woman with long dark hair and a face as pale as the moon that held the other end of the golden thread. She beckoned him silently, crooking a finger, tugging on that golden thread that floated from his wrist. Vax’ildan followed. 

“She’s in danger,” A pure crystalline voice said, coming from both the woman and the darkness surrounding them. 

“I can’t save her. I couldn’t save them, and I can’t save her .”

A cold hand caressed Vax’s face, “You did your best. You saved them as best as you could, and you will save her.” 

“I can’t. Please, you have to understand. I can’t save her.” Vax begged. He would have gotten on his knees if he could.

“Vax’ildan,” The woman’s eyes burned with a raging fire. A slap, a new sting. “Go, now !” She tugged on the string again and Vax felt himself fall, and fall, and fall, and just when he thought he would be falling forever, a fourth slap hit him with the strength of a mighty giant.

Vax opened his eyes. He felt a warm liquid in his mouth that tasted like copper. Grog stared at him worried, hand lifted for another slap if needed. On his left, Vex’ahlia sighed and Vax let his eyes follow as she allowed herself to fall into a seating position on the table. On Grog’s right, Pike groaned in relief. Other faces were surrounding them, all concerned, but no one spoke until a white-haired man stood by Vax’s sister, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance, and said, “I don’t know what the fuck that was or what happened, but Keyleth is gone and we can’t find her, so get your shit together, Vax’ildan.”

“What do you mean?” Vax asked hoarsely. His hands came up to rub at his sore cheeks—the last slap was still stinging—as he looked from face to face. All his friends were wearing their coats, gloves and scarves.

“We looked everywhere,” Scanlan said, next to Pike. “Keyleth is not in the bar anymore, not even in the bathroom.”

Vax’s heart skipped a beat. What had happened to make her run away? What happened after? The same dread from earlier wrapped around his chest, tightening with each second, each word his friends spoke. When Vax thought it couldn’t get worse, Vex’ahlia raised her head from her hands with a panic in her eyes that Vax hadn’t seen since Saundor. “Kash is—” Vax didn’t let his sister finish the sentence before he was on his feet with his leather jacket in his hands.

Vax flew out of the alcove. He ran down the stairs as fast as his legs allowed him, jumping steps and pushing people aside. The jacket was on before he reached the landing, Keyleth’s scent still lingering on the interior of the fake leather jacket. Vax whipped his head to the counter, where he saw Gilmore surrounded by patrons— alone . He didn’t wait for his friends to follow. He didn’t care if they did or not. The woman’s warning rang in his ears, and the image of his knife where he left it on his nightstand flashed in his mind. He was an idiot to have left it behind. The only time he did…he was useless and powerless, just like all those years ago, just like that night. 

It was raining again. It was the third night in a row that Vax’ildan, Vex’ahlia and their puppy, Trinket, had to sleep huddled together behind a trash can. Vax had made sure to open and adjust the lid to provide them with some shelter from the rain, but even that wasn’t enough to stop them from getting drenched and cold. Vex’ahlia was sound asleep by Vax’s side, holding the puppy to her chest inside her damp shirt in a lousy attempt to keep them both warm. Her breathing was shallow enough that Vax knew she wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. At least one of them was getting some rest.

The pattering of the rain on the alleyway was so loud and annoying, and even though Vax had barely drunk any water that day, it still made him feel like he had to pee every hour. He had been holding for a while, but a burst of pain shot through his bladder, forcing Vax to go relieve himself, so he stepped away from Vex, carefully so he wouldn’t wake her up, and crossed to the walled end of the alley. He was even more drenched by the time he zipped up and buckled his belt, the only thing keeping his loose pants from falling to his ankles. 

“One more step and she dies.”

Vax stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t heard them because of the loud rain. He hadn’t felt them lurking in the shadows, watching him and his twin, and now a hooded figure held his sister to his chest with a sharp knife against her neck.

“You don’t want to do that,” Vax threatened. He canvassed his surroundings from the corner of his eyes. Another figure stood at the open end of the alleyway holding a knife. He could probably defeat two of them with his bare hands if it wasn’t for the fact that a dark liquid started dripping on Vex’s neck. Shit.

“Oh yeah? And what are you going to do?” The male voice asked. 

Nothing. Vax couldn’t do a single thing to stop them. He had nothing but his hands and he wouldn’t risk fighting hand-to-hand with his sister’s life in danger. So Vax did the only thing he could do. He lifted his hands so the assailants knew he was submitting and took a tentative step back.

“That’s what I thought. Where’s your money?”

“We don’t have any money,” Vax tried to lie. They didn’t buy it. More blood started dripping down Vex’s neck, mixing with the dampness on her shirt. The man asked again, threatening to slit her neck. “That bag over there,” Vax pointed with his chin to his backpack where he had left it by the trash can. 

The second figure ran to it and opened it. They turned it upside down, sprawling all Vax’s clothes and belongings on the dirty, muddy ground, until a satchel fell, the clink of coins muffled by the rain, just like the two assailants’ steps had been. They grabbed it and moved back, just as silent as they had been. 

“You’re in our city, so if you want to sleep on our streets, you have to pay up. Consider this a warning,” The first figure threatened, releasing Vex’ahlia with a shove that made her fall face-first on the floor. Trinket ran to her and licked her face, barking at the man who was stalking back, still facing them, the bloody knife dripping on the ground as he went. They were gone in the blink of an eye, just as quietly as they had appeared.

It didn't take Vax two steps out the door for him to realize that he had no idea which direction Keyleth could have gone—which direction Kashaw took her. Vax would never forgive himself if something happened to Keyleth, and he would surely not let Kash live to see another day if he touched a hair on Keyleth’s head. Vax looked to both sides of the empty, snow-blanketed road and held his breath trying to listen for any signs of life nearby. The only sound he heard was the creak of the door opening behind him and rushed steps coming out.

“Vax?” It was Percy, bundled in a thick jacket and scarf. It was so cold and Keyleth was only wearing his t-shirt. She had to be freezing. 

“Percy, I—”

“It’s okay. Go left, I’ll go right. Call me if you find her. The others are staying at the bar in case she returns.”

Vax nodded and they each took a side. For a large city, and for being located so close to the university, the neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. Vax passed by several closed stores—from bookstores to boutiques, and even a butcher—and a handful of dimly-lit windows on the residential buildings above. There were no alleyways between the buildings, at least not until Vax reached the end of the block. He stopped, walking quietly, trying to listen as he approached the dark alley—and good thing he did.

A hushed male voice that Vax’ildan knew belonged to Kashaw was speaking incoherently. Vax couldn’t decipher what he was saying, but he heard sniffles and Keyleth’s shaky voice saying something incomprehensible. Vax ran, his blood boiling with rage. Please don’t let her be hurt. Please, Gods. Please don’t let him hurt her.

Vax’s heart stopped when he turned a corner. Kashaw braced himself with one hand on the brick wall behind Keyleth and the other hand was gripping her jaw on her neck as he kissed her. Kash was kissing Keyleth. 

“Get the fuck away from her,” Vax growled. He grasped the neckline of Kash’s ridiculous gladiator outfit, pulled him away from Keyleth, and threw him against the wall on the opposite side of the alley. Vax was on him in a heartbeat, his closed fist meeting Kashaw’s jaw. The man was so stunned that Vax was able to land two punches before Kash pushed Vax away and tried to kick him, but unlucky for him, Vax was too fast and evaded him.

“You get the fuck away, I saw her first,” Kash spit blood on the ground between them. He lunged at Vax, managing to land a punch on his stomach, making him double over in pain and spit on the ground.

“Vax, no!” Keyleth cried. Vax couldn’t afford to look back at her. Any distraction could be his end. He lunged back at Kash, kicking him against the wall. The man’s head hit the brick with a crack and Kash cursed between his teeth. Vax took his rival’s moment of distraction to pin his wrists above his head and leaned in until their breaths mixed. Kash reeked of alcohol.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Vax spat. 

“Then why did she go out with me? Do you really think she would ever love a guy like you? Do you think anyone would?”

Kas was torturing him. He knew Vax had feelings for Keyleth, and he was torturing him since he couldn’t land a physical blow. You’re better than this, Vax told himself, trying to douse the flame of rage. 

Who would want the son of a seamstress? You are stupid and useless like your mother was.

Kashaw was right. Vax’s father was right. Vax was no one. He was nothing but vermin. No one could ever love him. He had been delusional if he thought someone like Keyleth would ever look at him. But Kashaw wasn’t much better than him, not after what he did to Keyleth.

“Let him go, Vax,” Keyleth asked. Vax still couldn’t turn his head. He couldn’t bear to look at Keyleth and see whatever damage Kash had done to her. “Please.”

Vax released his grip on Kashaw, but his face was still hovering above the other man’s as he spoke with a deadly voice, “I’m only letting you go because she asked me, but if you so much as look at her again, I will kill you.” Vax took two steps back. Kash must have seen the severity in Vax’s eyes, for his mismatched eyes were filled with fear. He nodded and left, not bothering to glance back at Keyleth.

Only when the sounds of Kash’s steps had subsided did Vax turn around. Keyleth was sitting on the ground, hyperventilating with her knees pulled to her chest. Vax ran and squatted in front of her, but before he could open his mouth, Keyleth looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She had dark streaks from the eyeliner running down her cheeks, and her lip was swollen and bleeding slightly from a small cut, but other than that, she looked untouched. Keyleth grasped Vax by the lapel of his jacket and pulled him. His knees rang with pain as they hit the hard ground on each side of Keyleth’s legs, but then his nose filled with the scent of her shampoo when she crossed her arms around his torso and cried on his chest. 

“Okay?” Vax asked, kissing the top of her head and rubbing the hair on her back. Keyleth nodded. She forced her breaths to follow Vax’s heartbeat—Vax almost stopped breathing when he realized Keyleth was doing that—and eventually, Keyleth calmed down, although she was still shaking. 

“Here,” Vax took off the jacket. Keyleth broke away just long enough for him to help her put it on and hugged him again. “Everyone’s worried sick about you, Kiki.”

“Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, love.”

Keyleth nuzzled further into his chest and released a wet chuckle. Things had been different for a while with Keyleth, but his father and Kashaw were still right. No one would ever love someone like Vax. Whatever was going on between him and Keyleth, it was bound to end, but Vax still tried to enjoy every moment he had until Keyleth saw the truth about him and left like everyone else did. 

“I want to go home,” Keyleth asked after a while. Vax nodded. He helped her up, fixed her hair by tucking a few evading strands behind her ear, and held out his hand in invitation. Keyleth took it without a second thought, and they left the alleyway.

“Shit, I should call Percy,” Vax let go of Keyleth’s hand just long enough to dial his roommate’s number and then immediately grabbed it again. He saw the slight curl of her lips as he laced his fingers with hers, ignoring the pain shooting from his split knuckles. Keyleth’s hand was still cold. In fact, she looked like she was still freezing without a scarf and gloves, so Vax slid both their hands inside the pocket of his jacket and nodded at her to do the same with the other hand. It was a bit awkward, but it worked.

“Did you find her?” Percy asked as a way of greeting when he answered the call.

“Yeah, I got her.”

“Is she alright? Please tell me that fucker didn’t hurt her.”

“She’s okay, a bit shaken up. We’re on our way back.”

“I’m outside. I’ll wait.” Percy said. 

Vax looked ahead, and just as he had mentioned, Percy was outside the bar, one hand deep inside his jacket and the other holding his phone. He hung up as soon as he saw them and ran towards Keyleth, grabbing her by the shoulders. Percy winced at the sight of her split lip and pulled Keyleth into a hug. Vax stood back to watch, having let go of Keyleth’s hand.

“Are you okay?” Percy asked her.

“Yeah.”

“That fucker. I’m going to kill him.”

“Men,” Keyleth shook her head disapprovingly. “Vax already took care of that.”

Percy looked over to Vax, who shrugged and replied, “I’m pretty sure I broke his nose. Let’s just say he’ll be running with his tail between his legs next time he sees Keyleth.”

Percy nodded, “Thanks.”

“You two are insufferable,” Keyleth complained, rolling her eyes, but Vax still saw the smile. 

“What did he do to you?” Percy asked, carefully moving her jaw so he could see her lip better in the light.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, Percy. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Now I just want to go home and get warm.”

“Alright, tomorrow then. Do you want me to walk you home?”

“I got it,” Vax approached, placing a hand between Keyleth’s shoulder blades.

“A word in private, please?” Percy asked his roommate. Vax nodded and they stepped away enough for Keyleth to still be in sight but not be able to hear them.

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you two, but I’m trusting you with her life. Make sure she gets home safe, or you’ll be the one with a broken nose, got it?” 

For the first time since they met, Percy gave Vax a look that made him want to run for the hills, screaming like a little girl. With a name like his, Vax knew his roommate had to have money and status, which meant he could also probably find someone to kill him if he stepped out of line. However, Vax couldn’t afford to let his friend know he had gotten to him, so he schooled his expression into a bored look and replied, “I would let myself get killed before anyone laid a finger on her.” 

Percy’s eyes softened, seemingly happy with Vax’s answer. He moved to turn back to Keyleth, but Vax grabbed his arm. “Oh, and Freddie, I’m trusting you with my sister’s life. You better bring her home in one piece otherwise you’ll get a fate much worse than Kashaw’s. You know what I keep under my pillow, right?”

“Yeah, I know. She’s safe with me.”

“Good. I’d hate to get a new roommate in the middle of the school year.”

“Are you boys done with your pissing contest?” Keyleth asked when they returned. 

“You’ve been spending too much time with my sister, Kiki.” Vax teased, grabbing Keyleth’s hand. He wasn’t sure if Percy had seen the gesture because the man was already pulling Keyleth into a hug and kissing her forehead.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Go take care of that and get some sleep.” Keyleth nodded in response and started leaving, dragging Vax behind. 

“Make sure you let everyone know Keyleth is safe,” Vax said above his shoulder. “And tell Shaun I’ll call him tomorrow to let him know what happened.”

Vax didn’t let go of Keyleth’s hand for a second. They walked in silence for the most part, only stopping to comment on the few decorations that were starting to pop up on storefronts. Keyleth had noticed the redness from the cuts on Vax’s knuckles from punching Kashaw so hard. She had never been more scared—not for her, but for Vax. Kashaw was drunk and he looked violent enough to hurt Vax really bad. She knew Vax had some knowledge of fighting, but seeing him in action… Vax had been so fast she hadn’t even been able to keep up with his movements and so strong that Keyleth had no doubt Kash would be bleeding from hitting his head on the wall, but, at the same time, it looked like Vax had been pulling back punches, like he could do more—worse. 

“Thank you for tonight,” Keyleth said when the first lights of campus appeared around a corner. It was becoming a habit to have Vax come to rescue her. Maybe he was indeed her knight. 

“As if…” Vax shrugged dismissively. Keyleth looked at him. “Did you really think I was going to let anything bad happen to you?” Keyleth smiled and bumped against him, chuckling. 

Keyleth and Vax were greeted with a wave of warmth once they opened the apartment door, and then a woof and a warm, wet nose poked their hands. 

“Hey buddy,” Vax greeted the dog. “I see they finally turned on the heat.”

“It was about time,” Keyleth groaned, taking off Vax’s jacket and hanging it by the door. They removed their shoes and ignored the messy bundle of blankets on the couch. What Vex didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, and Trinket was usually pretty good about obeying the no-couch rules. One time wasn’t all the time.

“I’m going to change into something more comfortable. I’ll give you your shirt back after washing it, I promise.”

“You can keep it,” Vax said. He was still untying his boots by the door, so he didn’t see the shock on Keyleth’s face.

“It’s your favorite,” She argued. Vax shrugged. “No. I’m not taking it, Vax. I’ll give it back after I wash it.”

“Fine,” He said, shrugging again. “I’m going to change and grab the first aid kit. I’ll meet you in your room to take care of that lip.”

“I’m fi—” Keyleth was about to say, but one look at Vax and she backed away (not scared—never scared of him—but with respect). “Fine, but you have to let me take care of your hand,” She challenged him back.

Vax looked down at his fist and shrugged. “As long as you let me take care of you, I’ll let you take care of me, Kiki,” he said, stopping to kiss Keyleth’s cheek as he walked towards his bedroom. 

Keyleth had just finished putting on a t-shirt when Vax knocked on the door. Now that the maintenance had finally turned on the heat, and with Keyleth’s comforter and fuzzy blanket, she didn’t need to bring out her warmest pajama sets. Although she loved them, Keyleth hated sleeping in lots of clothes because sometimes they made her feel trapped and wake up with shortness of breath. 

“That looks cute,” Vax smiled at the embroidered rainbow across her chest. Keyleth blushed. “Do you embroider all your clothes?”

“Not all. Most of them. All my clothes are hand-me-downs or thrifted, and I like to alter them to give them more… personality, I guess,” Keyleth explained. They sat on her bed and Vax immediately got to work on bringing out the supplies and cleaning her lip. The swelling had gone down and the cut was barely noticeable, but she still allowed him to take care of it, if anything, to help him feel better. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Vax asked, dabbing her lip with cotton. Keyleth winced at the sting and Vax blew at it with a soft, “sorry.”

“He didn’t do anything… you know…” Vax paused to look at her. “I promise I would have told you.” He nodded and went back to his work. Keyleth waited until he was done to say, “I bumped against him at the bottom of the stairs. He said something about wanting to talk and brought me outside. I was so disoriented I couldn’t answer.”

Vax got up to wash his hands and throw away the used supplies. Keyleth waited until he returned and started cleaning up his knuckles. “I started panicking because none of you knew where I had gone. He was so drunk I don’t think he realized I wasn’t okay. Or maybe he thought I was drunk, too. But he brought me to that alley because he wanted somewhere quiet.”

Vax instinctively closed his hand in a fist. Keyleth saw anger burning in his eyes and slapped his wrist to help him focus. “Sorry,” Vax said, opening his hand. He let it rest on her lap while Keyleth grabbed more supplies.

“He asked why I hadn’t called him to go out again and if it was true that I was on a date tonight, but he didn’t let me answer. Then he started saying I looked really hot and asked if I wanted to go to his place and shit like that, and when I said no, he said fine. I thought he was going to leave, but then he leaned in and kissed me. Next thing I know, he bit my lip when you pulled him off of me,” Keyleth gave Vax a shy smile.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. It’s no big deal. It was just a kiss,”

“It wasn’t just a kiss, Kiki. He shouldn’t have taken it without your permission.” Vax’s other hand came up to cradle her face. Keyleth leaned into his warm touch. He was always so gentle with her.

“How’s your stomach?” Keyleth asked. Vax let go of her face to poke at where a bruise was already probably forming and shrugged. 

“I’ll be fine in a few days. What are you looking for?”

“Bandaids.”

“We don’t have any. Grog used them all the last time he tried to cook. He cut himself five times until Pike took the knife away from him.”

Keyleth snorted and got up. “I think I still have some, but they have flowers,” She said, opening her closet. She dug out a box of bandaids from inside a travel bag and showed it to Vax.

“I don’t need them. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Is it because of the flowers?” Keyleth asked, pouting as she returned the box inside the bag and back into the closet.

“Of course not. You know I’d wear them even if they were shock pink or bright yellow with polka-dots.”

“Fine,” Keyleth stopped in front of Vax. She grabbed his hand, taking one last look. She had done everything she knew. It looked much better than before—at least it wasn’t bleeding anymore. Satisfied with her work, Keyleth cleaned up the trash and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands. She didn’t flinch at seeing Vax leaning against the door jam, his head cocked as he examined her.

“Can I brush your hair? It’s a mess,” Vax asked. It had been a while since someone offered to brush her wild hair, especially when it looked like she had fallen through a bramble of bushes.

“Sure,” Keyleth handed Vax the hairbrush. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. It was the same way Kash had grabbed her earlier, but it felt so different with Vax. His hands were more calloused, but it was such a softer and more gentle touch. Keyleth would let him guide her wherever he wanted, which, at the moment, wasn’t far. Vax sat on her bed and patted the blanket in front of him. He carefully removed the elastic that still tied part of Keyleth’s hair and expertly started parting her hair in sections.

“Can I ask you something?” Vax asked, brushing the ends of Keyleth’s hair.

“Anything, Vax.”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I was wondering…” He hesitated. Keyleth looked above her shoulder, but he turned her head forward with a tut. “I was wondering if you could tell me about your family.”

Oh. That was a sore subject, not just for Keyleth, but also for Vax from what she gathered. “You’ve met my dad. He raised me by himself. He’s a great dad.”

Vax paused his brushing, “How old were you when—”

“I was five,” Keyleth replied before he could finish. More than anticipated the question, Keyleth had a feeling that was the real reason why Vax asked about her family. “My mom went on a business trip and didn’t come back. Boating accident. Her body was never found.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Vax leaned forward and rested his head on Keyleth’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay. I mean… it’s not… but you know what I mean, right?” She looked back at him. The look of understanding they exchanged was worth more than words. “I have a grandma on my mother’s side. She taught me how to embroider and crochet. She’s really nice. I’m sure she would love you. I know she would put so much food on your plate,” Keyleth giggled so violently that Vax had to pause the brushing again. 

“I’d love to meet her. And your dad. I mean actually meet him.”

“You’re welcome in Zephrah anytime,” Keyleth offered. Vax nodded, but then he realized she couldn’t see him and replied, “I’d love to, but I don’t think I can afford it.”

Keyleth felt bad for him. She knew the twins were in a strict financial situation, although she didn’t know how bad it was. Vax often refused to go out with the group, not just because he didn’t like bars but also because most of the time, the twins couldn’t afford to pay for both to drink, so Vax stayed home to let his sister have fun. Keyleth also noticed the exchanged glances between the siblings whenever the group planned to go out for lunches or dinners, how their contribution to the communal food and household goods seemed to grow smaller and smaller every week (not that anyone had ever called them out on that). Keyleth had even heard the twins fight about something Vex’ahlia had bought out of their budget, and from what she gathered from the conversation, Vax was very adamant his sister returned it to the store, but she refused. 

“Maybe one day?” Keyleth extended the offer. She wanted to tell him she would buy all the plane tickets he needed, but she knew her friend was too proud to accept.

“Maybe,” Vax replied, but she knew he had no hope.

Keyleth’s mind returned to the look of understanding they had shared moments before. The words he had spoken to her months ago when he found her curled over herself against the kitchen counters. She had opened up to him and told him about her mother, and while he didn’t owe her anything, Keyleth couldn’t stop herself from asking, “How old were you?”

Vax knew what she meant because the hairbrush stopped again, and he took a long breath. Keyleth waited patiently, looking at the massive, shaggy dog curled on her roommate’s bed—Vex’ahlia, who also had lost a mother. 

When Vax spoke, there was no ounce of anger or frustration for being asked such a personal question. If anything, Keyleth heard some relief that they were finally brushing up on the subject, as if he had been waiting to share that piece of himself with her. “We were ten.”

“And your dad?”

Vax chuckled, “Long story. He’s an asshole and we’re as good as dead to him, as he is to us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I can tell you about it one day,” Vax finally set Keyleth’s hair brush aside and started braiding her hair.

“I don’t have anywhere to go tonight.” Keyleth tensed and waited. Vax finished the braid, tied it with the elastic, and dropped it over her shoulder.

“I’ll tell you if you make us some tea while I grab cookies.”

“Deal,” Keyleth replied, looking over her shoulder. Vax looked exhausted. She almost faltered for a moment, but then he raised and headed towards the door, and Keyleth decided to follow him.

Keyleth loved the quietness of the house where the only sounds were the boiling water in the kettle and Vax plating homemade cookies for them. They moved around each other in the kitchen so effortlessly that one would think they were a pair of professional dancers who could lead each other with their eyes closed in perfect synchrony. Trinket raised his head and sniffed the air when they returned to the bedroom with hot mugs of tea and a plateful of cookies, but Keyleth tutted at him, reminding the dog that he was not allowed sweets. She took the side of the bed closest to the wall and held the blanket open for Vax to join her, which he did without hesitation.

“Trinket, come,” Keyleth patted the blanket at the end of her bed. The dog looked up at the pair sitting with their backs against the headboard under the blankets and leaped from his bed to Keyleth’s. He spun three times and curled up at their feet with a sigh. “What a rough life you live,” Keyleth joked. With a plate of assorted homemade cookies on her lap—from where Vax bashfully grabbed a chocolate chip cookie—a steaming mug of honey lavender tea warming her hands, and Vax’s warmth pressed against her side under her blankets, it was the perfect cozy mood for long, deep talks. 

“This feels nice,” Vax said, using his half-bitten cookie to point at the string lights around the top of the walls. That had been Keyleth’s doing.

“It’s cozy.”

Vax finished his cookie and looked at the plate on Keyleth’s lap, “I have to warn you, it’s not a pretty story, and you might change your mind about me towards the end.”

“I doubt it,” Keyleth slapped Vax’s hand as he went for a butter cookie. Instead, she handed him a coconut one. “But go on, tell me your deepest and darkest secrets, Vax’ildan,” She half-joked, looking at him. 

“You asked,” Vax shrugged. He bit into the cookie and hummed. Keyleth nodded as if to say, see? “It all started when my mom was 18. She lived in a small town in the south called Byroden. My father was passing by on a business trip and stopped for the night, as travelers usually do. He and his buddies went out for a drink and my mother just happened to be the barmaid on service that night.”

“She was so young,” Keyleth interrupted. Vax nodded. 

“She had just graduated high school. She grew up poor, so college was not in the plans. My father took a liking to her, it seems. They spent the night together and he left the next morning without so much as a goodbye. My mom only knew his name because she had heard the other men say it. A few months later, she found out she was pregnant. She found my father’s contact to tell him, and the bastard had the audacity to say…” Vax paused. He chewed on his lip for a moment, then finally said with growing rage, “The asshole had the audacity to say he had serious doubts it was true, that my mom was trying to bait him for money, and if she did had gotten herself knocked up —his words exactly—how was she so sure it was his and not some random guy she fucked.”

Hearing that, Keyleth dropped her cookie in her tea. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Yeah,” Vax shrugged. His head was bowed low, avoiding eye contact. “The bastard told me that himself.”

“What a fucking asshole,” Keyleth grumbled, fishing the soggy cookie from her tea with a spoon. “What a fucking, bastard, shit-eating asshole.”

Vax chuckled. “Oh, Kiki,” He shook his head. “Just hold on tightly to that rage. I haven’t gotten anywhere near the worst yet.”

“You don’t have to keep going,” Keyleth bumped Vax’s shoulder with hers. She had known Vax long enough to recognize the signs of withdrawal, and the last thing she wanted was to regress once they had become so comfortable and vulnerable with each other. Keyleth watched Vax silently set the empty plate and mugs on her nightstand. She didn’t balk when he arched an arm behind her shoulders, and Keyleth definitely did not stop Vax from pulling her so close that her legs were practically curled on his thigh. Keyleth counted their synchronous breaths, looking at Vax’s hand on his lap, fumbling with the tassels of her blanket. 

One . Vax twisted the green tassel between his index finger and thumb. Two . His hand stopped. Three . Vax turned his head to look at her in the eyes—the pain made Keyleth want to scream. Four. Vax’s arm moved to Keyleth’s lap, where she twisted and turned her hands on the tassels. Five. He grabbed hold of one of her hands and tugged it free. Six. Vax brought their joined hands to his lap and intertwined their fingers. Seven . Both their gazes were fixed on their hands, Vax’s thumb grazing softly against the palm of Keyleth’s hand. Eight. A pause. Nine . Vax opened his mouth.

Ten . “My mother died when we were ten and we were forced to live with him. We ran away when we were fifteen. He almost killed Vex’ahlia.” 

Vax was crying. His tears slid down his eyes and onto Keyleth’s cheek. She didn’t speak, didn’t move, barely breathed. 

“My mom got sick. The town doctor couldn’t do much, and we couldn’t afford to take her to a big city doctor or pay for treatment. She died within six months of finding out.” Keyleth’s face grew wetter the more Vax spoke about his mother. Vax’ildan paused to look at her, and his face contorted into more pain as he released her hand and cradled her cheek. “I’m sorry, Kiki. I can stop talking about it,” Vax apologized. Only then did Keyleth realize the wetness in her face was not just from Vax’s tears but her own as well.

“I’m okay,” She whispered, sniffling. Keyleth leaned into his touch. Vax was so warm and smelled like tea and cookies. “I’ll listen to as much as you want to share.”

A sigh and a kiss on the forehead had Keyleth melt further into Vax’s warmth. He continued sharing his story in a hushed voice as he leaned his brow against Keyleth.

“We were taken to Syngorn, to our father’s estate, by the authorities because my mom had no other family. Our grandparents had died and she had no siblings, so our father was all we had left, and he earned our full custody. We weren’t allowed to bring more than a backpack of clothes and a few belongings. We arrived in Syngorn the day after we buried our mother but my father refused to take us in. He denied knowing about our existence and informed the officer that he would only take us with a positive paternity test. For a week, Vex’ahlia and I were separated into two different foster families in the city until the results came and our father was forced to take us in. It was the first time Vex and I had been separated since we were born, and it was the hardest week of our lives until that time.

“It’s funny. I always laugh at people who tell me to go to hell because I’ve been there. My father made our lives a living hell. We found out that he was part of a big conservative family, rich as the eyes could see, and having children out of wedlock was highly frowned upon. His family refused to accept us. He refused to accept us. For the first few months, we didn’t see him. My sister and I were assigned a maid each to tend to our needs, and then we were forced to attend etiquette classes. The first time we saw our father since we moved in, he threatened to kick us out onto the street if we didn’t do what he told us. He forced us to attend those etiquette classes to make us more ‘civilized’,” Vax spat the word with disdain, “and we were forced to adopt Syngorn’s customs, including changing our accent and wearing Syngorn’s fashion.”

Vax took another pause. Keyleth gave his hand a quick squeeze in reassurance, just in case he thought she had fallen asleep. Her face was still scrunched against Vax’s shoulder, where a large wet stain formed from her tears. It took a moment for Keyleth’s brain to click with what Vax had said, but when she did, she raised her head, eyes glimmering with curiosity, and asked, “Wait. Did you have a different accent before?” Vax nodded. Keyleth’s face opened in a mischievous smile that was enough for Vax to anticipate what Keyleth was about to ask because he quickly stopped her from saying anything else. “No, I will not use it. I don’t even know if I remember it. It’s been so long, Kiki.”

“Oh. Well… You’re safe with me. I won’t think less of you for it. You know… in case you suddenly remember what it sounded like,” Keyleth batted her eyelashes at Vax in a lousy attempt to flirt with him.

Vax chuckled. The sound was enough to inflate Keyleth’s heart like a balloon. He wiped the tears from her face, then his, and then broke the hold he had on her. Keyleth watched him go into the bathroom and close the door. She blocked out all sounds that came next, brought her knees to her chest, and dropped her head on them, thinking. She had known the twins' story wouldn’t be pleasant. She had seen the few trinkets on Vax’s desk and the emptiness of their wardrobes, but had never considered that it would be this hard. Even though she lived most of her life without her mother, Keyleth still had her father’s love, her grandparents, her village. She hadn’t been alone, not like the twins had. And their father… How could someone be so hateful towards their children? They were so young, barely older than Keyleth when her mother died. They were suffering the loss of everything they knew and were forced to live with someone who not just plainly rejected them but who also did nothing to disguise their hatred for them. What a fucking asshole.

Keyleth was still deep into thought when Vax exited the bathroom. She only noticed him when he stopped by the foot of her bed to ruffle Trinket’s head, and then she followed him as he approached her bed and sat by her side again, where Vax bit his lower lip bashfully, avoiding eye contact with her. “Yes?” Keyleth asked. Vax hemmed and hawed, but finally, with his gaze still firmly set on her blanket, he asked, “Do you want to… can we–” He hesitated.

“You can ask me anything,” Keyleth said, laying a reassuring hand on his knee. Vax nodded and mustered the courage to look at her between his eyelids. His cheeks were flushed red, and his voice wavered as he asked, “Can we cuddle?” 

Oh. Keyleth smiled. Please, that’s all I want. “Sure,” She said. Vax scooted closer to the middle of the bed and opened his arms to let Keyleth in. She sat sideways on his lap, legs curled up, and Vax wrapped one arm around her back and brought the other between them, where he intertwined his fingers with Keyleth’s. She finally let her head rest on his shoulder, right on the stupid wet spot of her tears, and Vax lowered his head to hers. 

“Do you… do you want to hear the rest?” He asked.

“Of course, if you’re okay with sharing.” 

“It might make you hate me,” Vax tensed. Keyleth shook her head as much as she could without bothering Vax and replied, “I doubt it. Nothing would make me hate you, Vax.” Nothing would make me stop loving you , is what she didn’t say.

Vax squeezed her tighter, as if he was trying to hold on to that hope, and continued his story. “I tried, for a while, but nothing I did seemed to be good enough for my father, and then he married. She is a good woman, kind and caring. She was always good to me and my sister, always made sure we were well-fed and cleaned. She wasn’t a mother figure, though, but neither of us was interested in replacing our mom with someone else. After the marriage, my father became worse, even stricter in his rules and assessments of our behavior and learnings. I stopped trying, then. I realized that no matter how many hours I put into studying or how many diction classes I had, I would never be good enough for him because he didn’t expect me to ever reach his unrealistic standards.

“So I started skipping classes, and I refused to change my accent and wear the clothes he wanted me to wear. As a punishment, my father ordered all of our clothes to be burned, so Vex and I were forced to wear what he wanted. I was barely older than eleven the first time he hit me when I refused to use his posh accent at an important dinner with his snob friends. He dragged me by the collar of my shirt to his office in front of everyone and slapped me across the face. He threatened that if I didn’t right myself, he would kick me and my sister out.” Keyleth shuddered hearing how badly Vax’s father treated him. Vax only squeezed her tighter, more for her comfort than his, and he kept talking, “I started sneaking out of the house when I was twelve. If Vex knew, she never said anything… at least not at first. I started hanging out with some shitty people back then and did things I’m not proud of. Vex found out when I came home one night with a black eye from a brawl. She scolded me until my ears bled and made me promise her I wouldn’t return to that place. I kept my promise but I still sneaked out at night, and I never told Vex where I went, in case my father found out. We have a sister, you know?” Vax paused.

Keyleth looked up at him, warmth immediately rising to her cheeks from the proximity of their mouths. It would be so easy to kiss him, but that was not the right moment. “You do?”

“Her name is Velora. She was barely a year old when we left.” Vax’s expression was filled with sorrow and guilt. 

“Is that when…” Keyleth asked, remembering what Vax had said earlier, He almost killed Vex’ahlia . Vax nodded.

“It was one of the nights I sneaked out. He went looking for me, surely to punish me for whatever I did that day but found my room empty. He thought Vex knew where I was and was lying to cover my ass, so he–” Vax curled himself, burying his face in Keyleth’s neck. He was shaking so hard that Keyleth wrapped her arms around him and caressed his back affectionately.

“It’s okay. We can stop whenever you want.”

Keyleth’s shoulder became wet through her t-shirt. She kissed the top of Vax’s head with her eyes closed, taking in his scent and the warmth of his wet breath against her skin. She had never been a violent person, had never felt hatred, but at that moment, she knew she could kill the man for all he put his children through if she ever laid eyes on him. She allowed Vax to gather his thoughts, switching from rubbing his back to caressing his head, placing soft kisses to his crown and temple in between. 

The weight on Keyleth’s stomach lifted as Vax’s shakes subsided. He took two long breaths, and once he finally calmed enough, Vax uncoiled from her embrace, wiped his tears, and said in a shaky, wet voice, “He called me into his office the next morning. He said a bunch of shit to me that I still repeat in my head today. I decided I was done and wanted out, so I planned our escape while my sister healed, and when she was good to move, we ran away during the night. Vex wanted to bring Velora, but I told her we couldn’t. It was the hardest decision I ever made, to leave my baby sister behind, but she was safe. She was planned and wanted. She’s safe,” Vax repeated as if he was trying to convince himself more than anything.

“So we were two fifteen-year-olds, lost in the woods with nowhere to go. We eventually made it to a town in the middle of nowhere where we worked odd jobs here and there, helping in the farms or whatever we could do to earn money to buy a bus ticket north. We found our way to Emon after a while, but again, we had nowhere to stay and were running out of money, so we lived out in the streets. It was harder to find jobs here. No one trusted a pair of dirty children like us, so we resorted to finding other ways to feed ourselves. Vex used her charming gifts to get us day-old bread and food from the stores, I would sneak in whatever I could. Only whatever was enough to feed us and then him.” Vax nodded at Trinket, who was sleeping peacefully like he had no worries in the world. 

“We got robbed one night and lost all our money. I couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening. I failed my sister the night my father—I failed Velora by leaving her behind. And I failed us both the night we got robbed. I made a vow to never fail Vex again, so I started stealing money from passersby until we had enough to get us going again. I only stole small amounts, only whatever I could muster that they wouldn’t realize they had been pickpocketed.” Vax lowered his head in shame, “I’m not proud of it.”

Keyleth cradled Vax’s face in her hands, “Is that why you think I would hate you?” He nodded, but before he could say anything else, Keyleth said, “You did it to ensure your sister’s safety, not for greed, Vax. I would never, ever hate you for taking care of her, of yourself… You did what you had to do to survive.”

“What if I told you I killed someone?”

Keyleth shuddered. Her hands fell from Vax’s face and scrunched up the blanket on her lap. Her voice shook when she spoke, “What?”

“I failed Vex’ahlia a third time, when… when that motherfucker took her. I didn’t see her for almost a year, even though she still called and texted me. She managed to convince him to let me see her one day, and I—What my father did to her… what that man also did to her—I was so angry, so desperate, I wanted to kill him right there and then, but Vex stopped me. And good thing she did. I convinced her to leave him. It took a while, but she did it. Then, one night, he found us and tried to take her again, but I didn’t allow it. I had failed her enough times. So he attacked me, and in the middle of the fight, I stabbed him with my knife and… I killed him.”

“Vax,” Keyleth’s voice wavered. He refused to meet her eyes in fear of what he would see, but she lifted his chin with a strong grip. “That was self-defense, Vax. You—”
“I killed someone, Keyleth.” Vax’s shoulders started shaking. Keyleth pulled him into a hug, “No, you saved your sister.” The only response was Vax’s sobs on her shoulder, wetness spreading to match the other side. “You were protecting her. I don’t hate you, Vax. I could never hate you. You know that, right?” 

Vax shook his head just enough to say, “Why would someone even want to be with a useless failure like me?”

“You are not a failure, Vax. You had so many hardships in your life, and look where you are now. The top university in the continent, in the most coveted degree. Do you know how hard it is to get into Emon University, not to mention into Medicine? You’re top three in your class, Vax. You work so hard, and you’re such a nice, kind and caring person. You are not a failure. You are not useless.” Keyleth stopped, pushed him away enough to look into his eyes, and said assertively, “Do you really think no one wants you? I’ve seen the way Gilmore looks at you, Vax.” Vax chuckled a smile, “Besides… I’m sure there’s someone else out there who would want you,” Like me.  

“You think so?” Vax asked tentatively.

“I know so.” Keyleth wiped his tears away with her thumbs, remaining the hold of his face in her grasp.

“Keeks,” Vax looked bashfully.

“Yes?”

“Do you want to go out with me?” Vax asked, biting his lip nervously. Keyleth was taken aback by the abruptness of the question.

“As in–a date?” Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that Keyleth thought it was going to jump out of her throat. Vax nodded. Keyleth swallowed a nervous squeal. 

After everything that had happened that night, Vax still wanted to go out on a date with her, and even more, the fact that he asked her out after he was so vulnerable with her… Keyleth thought she was going to throw up the cookies and tea right on Vax’s lap from how hard her stomach leaped. She wanted this, right? A date… with Vax ? She wanted him, and it was obvious he wanted her, for some gods damned reason. Even though she still shuddered at the idea of being in a romantic relationship with someone–of being loved by someone–the image of Vax’s arms around her, the feel of his breath on her lips, and the way he cared for her weren’t dreadful in the slightest. She could do it with him , right? Maybe? One step at a time, Keyleth reminded herself. First, a date, and then… then we’ll see.

“Of course,” Keyleth answered, leaning to kiss Vax’s cheek. He slumped against her, releasing a breath Keyleth hadn’t noticed he was holding, and laughed. 

“I thought you were going to say no for a second there, Kiki.”

“Sorry. You caught me off guard,” She apologized. Vax shook his head and squeezed her.

“Thank you for telling me,” Keyleth brushed a hand on Vax’s hair, and when he looked at her confused, Keyleth clarified, “About your life. Everything that happened with your mom and your father.”

“Oh. I–There’s still more, but I’m drained.” Keyleth nodded in understanding. She lowered her hands to her lap and her head to avoid Vax’s gaze and mumbled, “Will you stay tonight?”

“Do you want me to stay?” Keyleth gave a short nod, still not looking at him. “I’ll stay. I hope Pike and Vex don’t kill me.”

“They won’t,” Keyleth said, moving out of Vax’s lap. “I’ll be right back,” She said as she got up and headed into the bathroom. When Keyleth returned, Trinket was back on Vex’s bed, curled against the pillows, and Vax was lying on her bed, under her comforter, with a hand behind his head on her pillow. Keyleth stumbled at the sight, at the smirk on Vax’s face as he opened the covers to let her in—she would have to climb over him to reach the other side—and patted the bed next to him invitingly. Keyleth looked him up and down, from his head to his bare feet, back to his head. She didn’t realize she was biting her lip until she felt the coppery taste of blood from her wound, which she immediately wiped with a tissue from her nightstand.

“Are you okay?” Vax asked, concerned, seeing her dab at her lip. Keyleth nodded and threw the slightly bloodied tissue into the trashcan by her nightstand. She then climbed over Vax’s feet and lay down facing him. Vax covered them and turned to his side, setting one arm on the mattress between him and Keyleth. She looked at it, her eyes drifting from his tanned, strong hands—how she would love to feel them on her skin—to where the tattoo of a raven peeked from the inside of his forearm, to his relaxed bicep. Keyleth’s gaze drifted up to Vax’s shoulder, which tensed as he followed her gaze, to the vein popping on his neck—that Keyleth wished to kiss and bite and feel the rushed beating of his heart there against her lips—to Vax’s jawline, his chiseled cheeks, his uncovered, pierced ears. Keyleth let her eyes linger on every beautiful feature of Vax’s face as if she needed to commit every single detail to memory so she could draw his portrait afterward—never mind the fact she couldn’t draw people even if her life depended on it. She smiled as she finally found his chapped lips that looked so inviting, even more so when Vax, too, smiled as Keyleth’s gaze lingered and as she mindlessly licked her lips.

Keyleth didn’t speak, and neither did Vax. Eventually, their gazes met, drifting ever so slowly to each other. The air turned far too warm under the covers, and they both held their breaths as they saw their own need reflected in the other’s eyes. It wasn’t a physical need as much as an emotional connection, at least to Keyleth. She wouldn’t deny the different desire she had felt the past weeks, but that wasn’t the foremost need that she wanted Vax to fill—that she knew only Vax could fill. Keyleth released her breath slowly as if she was afraid to scare him, like Vax was a skittish cat, and let her hand slide to the bed, a mere hairline from touching Vax’s hand where it still lay on the mattress. To Keyleth’s shock, who hadn’t heard him release the breath from before, Vax inhaled deeply, and even though his eyes never left hers, Keyleth knew he was aware of the distance that separated them and how easy it would be to transcend it. 

Keyleth’s body buzzed in anticipation at what the touch would feel like. Would it be warm or cold? Soft or rough from Vax’s calloused hands? Would it be sturdy or shaky from nerves? Would Vax intertwine their fingers, or would he pull away? Would it make his heart skip a beat like hers did in that moment? 

There’s only one way to find out , Vax’s eyes all but said. If someone told Keyleth that Vax had read her mind, she would have believed them because it was either that or that the desperation she felt for his touch was plainly written in her eyes, and that would be embarrassing. It was true, nonetheless. There was only one way to find out. So Keyleth moved by lacing her fingers with Vax’s and took in the layers of his reaction: a slight twitch of his fingers as she wrapped her hand around his; the release of tension on Vax’s shoulders; a shuddering breath; the drooping in his eyes as the man finally relaxed. Keyleth smiled lovingly, knowing he couldn’t see her with his eyes closed. She contemplated letting her own eyes shut, but Vax looked so calm and relaxed that Keyleth felt compelled to remain awake, to observe him and drink in all his features.

“You’re staring at me,” Vax spoke, opening one eye. 

“Sorry,” Keyleth apologized bashfully. Vax brought their hands to his lips and kissed each one of Keyleth’s knuckles. He didn’t say anything, didn’t return their hands to where they had been between them. Vax merely looked at Keyleth for a while, until she finally returned his words, “You’re staring at me.”

“Because you’re beautiful,” Vax let go of their hands and opened his arms. “Come here,” He called. Like a sailor, Keyleth obeyed his call, shimmying her body until her head was on the crook of Vax’s neck and their arms around each other’s torsos. Vax kissed her forehead softly and nuzzled against her hair.

“I didn’t know you could sing,” Keyleth felt, more than heard Vax say. She nodded against his skin and replied, “I had singing lessons when I was young. I didn’t know you could play guitar.”

“The only good thing my father did besides siring me and my sister was force us to have music lessons. I refused the piano, and since Vex was already taking classes, my father didn’t care what other instrument I picked.”

“I’ve never seen a guitar in your bedroom,” Keyleth pointed out. Vax’s sigh against the top of her head tickled her. 

“When we were robbed, even after I started stealing money, it wasn’t enough, so we had to sell a few things, mostly jewels we still had from our father, but even then… Vex’ahlia wanted to sell her bow, and it would have gotten us decent money for a while, but I couldn’t do that to her. She loves archery more than words can describe. So I sold my guitar to buy a knife.”

“The one in your nightstand?” Keyleth asked softly. Vax nodded. She let it sink in, the sacrifice he had made— all the sacrifices Vax had made—to protect his sister. She knew that even though it benefitted both, Vax had done it for his twin more than for himself. His stupid, selfless heart that he still didn’t see.

“I’m sorry you had to sell your guitar. You’re a great brother, Vax.”

“Hmm,” Was all Vax said as he nuzzled further against Keyleth’s hair. Her heart warmed at the feeling of him this close to her, even though it wasn’t the first time they shared a bed. 

“It feels different,” Keyleth whispered, voicing out her thoughts. 

“Hm?”

“Us. It feels different. Has been for a while.”

“It is different,” Vax mumbled and kissed the top of her head. “I like it.”

“Me too,” was all Keyleth said as she nuzzled against Vax’s neck.

The slow and steady beating of Vax’s heart worked like a metronome setting the cadence for her own heart. The rise and fall of Vax’s chest underneath her hand lulled Keyleth into such a deep sense of relaxation that she didn’t even realize the heavy weight of her eyelids had finally won the battle against wanting to keep observing Vax’s beauty. Keyleth drifted off to sleep with the scent of Vax wrapping around her, calming her. Maybe for the first time in months, Keyleth slept through the entire night, waking up the next morning to the sounds of voices in the house and the smell of cooking creeping from underneath her bedroom door. Maybe for the first time in a while, Keyleth didn’t wake up scared in the middle of the night from a haunting nightmare, but even if she had, Vax would have been there to hold her through it, to kiss her head and whisper sweet, reassuring words in her ear. And perhaps, it was with the knowledge of that being true that Keyleth allowed herself a moment of restfulness and happiness.

Chapter Text

Keyleth woke up facing the wall. The first sign that the previous night hadn’t been a dream was manifested by a hard body pressed against her back and a soft, warm breath on her neck. Vax’s arm was still draped around her middle, his hand holding a fistful of her t-shirt on her stomach as if he needed to grab onto it to know she was there, that she wasn’t going to run away. Yes, because she had run away, hadn’t she? Keyleth had set the stage for Vax, and he replied, and when he did, she freaked out and ran away. Her plan had been to simply hide in the bathroom until she stopped panicking, then to go find Vax and tell him how much it had meant to her that he had sung that song for her, that he had replied to her call. She knew it wasn’t the same as a full confession, but hearing him sing those words was enough to ease some of her doubts. Keyleth was scared that Vax had been upset or angry at her for running. She had been especially scared when Kashaw took her from the bar, so seeing Vax appear around the corner, put Kash in his place, and walk her home had been a relief, and even more so when Vax stayed with her, bore his heart to her and told Keyleth his story. A story that she knew she would never forget about a mother who loved her children until the last of her breath and a father who hated his children so much that Keyleth wanted to punch him repeatedly in the face.

The happiness and relief Keyleth felt when she learned Vax’ildan was not angry at her was just a kernel compared to the joy she felt in that moment, surrounded by him, feeling the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest on her back, the warm puffs of air on her neck and hair. She could stay like that for hours—maybe even forever—but the sounds of voices in the kitchen and the smell of sizzling bacon and eggs reminded Keyleth that they weren’t the only people in the apartment, and, if Vax had stayed with her all night, then she had some apologies to make to her roommates. 

Keyleth turned, lying on her back, and gently scraped her nails on Vax’s arm around her torso. The man nuzzled against her, groaning grumpily, and asking her hoarsely for five more minutes. Keyleth giggled, finding sleepy Vax the most endearing thing in the world. 

“I really wish we had five more minutes, but I smell bacon and eggs.” 

Vax opened a sleep-crusted eye. With his back to the window, it looked more like chocolate than amber, and even though Keyleth preferred the second, she would never complain about the former. Keyleth loved Vax’s eyes regardless of their color as long as they were filled with the love and care that always made her heart jump, or the desire that made her toes curl.

“I knew that would get you to wake up,” Keyleth turned to face him. Vax didn’t let her stay away from him for long, though. She had barely finished turning and his hand was already on the small of her back, pulling her so flush against him that Keyleth could feel every single hard pane of his torso against hers—and other hard things, as well. Vax seemed to have realized that too because he hid his face in the crook of Keyleth’s neck and mumbled a ‘sorry’ even though he didn’t move to push away from her (not that she would let him go anywhere).

“It’s okay,” Keyleth whispered, cradling her fingers through his knotted hair. She should have offered to braid it last night, but she got so caught up in the story that she forgot. “We should probably get up, though. I’m sure Vex and Pike want to get ready for the day.”

Something seemed to have clicked in Vax’s brain at that because he finally released the hold he had on Keyleth. “They’re going to kill me,” Vax grumbled. Gods, can he be any cuter?

“I’ll talk to them.” 

“Thank you… for last night.” Keyleth shook her head as if to say it was no problem . “I’ve never told anyone the full story. Especially the parts I’m not proud of.”

Keyleth moved her hand from Vax’s hair to his face, brushing her fingers along his cheeks and down to his jaw, “You can trust me, Vax. I’m not scared of you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” Vax whispered, kissing Keyleth’s forehead. Keyleth practically melted when their eyes met. 

“Thank you for staying,” Keyleth kissed his forehead in return. Vax chuckled, either at the gesture or the fact that she had just thanked him for sleeping with her. “I haven’t slept so well in a long time.”

“Hmm. Maybe we should do this every night, then,” Vax teased her, wiggling his eyebrows. Keyleth laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully. 

“Don’t push it. You need to buy me dinner first,” Keyleth teased back. She wasn’t used to flirting so openly with him, but it felt nice.

“I’m already taking you out on a date next weekend. Is that not enough?”

“I might reconsider if you make me breakfast, too.” Keyleth pouted at his outraged look.

“Fine,” Vax pulled away completely, leaving her cold and longing for him as he rose from the bed. Vax stretched, bringing his arms above his head so high that his shirt rode up to his stomach, and Keyleth, who was still mesmerized at the pull of Vax’s muscles under his t-shirt, did not have time to disguise the lust in her eyes as she followed the stretch of Vax’s torso all the way down to the patch of skin the shirt had revealed, and further down to—

“My eyes are up here, Kiki.”

Keyleth whipped her head back up to see Vax smirk— the jerk did it on purpose to tease me —and covered herself with the blankets to avoid his gaze. Vax just laughed and padded away from the bed, throwing a casual, “I’ll have your breakfast ready soon, princess,” before he left the bedroom.

“Good morning, brother,” Vex’ahlia greeted when Vax’ildan entered the kitchen. She was sitting at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of her next to a disgruntled Pike sipping from a glass of orange juice. The smell and sound of bacon sizzling caught Vax’s attention before he could greet his sister back as Percival flipped a pancake onto one of the two plates already filled with food.

“Morning,” He mumbled, ignoring the crispy bacon on the pan and heading for the fridge. From the corner of his eye, Vax saw Percy set two plates with pancakes, eggs and bacon in front of the girls and return to the stove to finish plating a third serving. 

“Did you sleep well?” Vex’ahlia asked him, staring at him piercingly from across the table and the room. Vax ignored her question in lieu of getting his supplies out of the fridge and setting them on the island. The carton of eggs was practically empty, Keyleth’s almond milk barely had enough for one glass, and Vax couldn’t find her vegan bacon anywhere. They were in dire need of a grocery run.

“Yeah,” Vax finally answered, not paying attention to the smirking girls. Percy turned off the stove and quietly joined them at the table, leaving the kitchen empty for Vax. 

“One would have thought you would have woken up in a better mood, brother.” Vax looked up at his sister, finally seeing the teasing glare in her eyes and the smirk on Pike’s face. As he was about to turn his attention back to the eggs he was cracking, Vax caught sight of a mess of blankets on the couch. Shit.  

Vax’ildan didn’t have time to reply or roll his eyes at his sister as he wanted to do because he heard a bedroom door open and close at the end of the hallway, and the familiar soft steps of Keyleth’s slippers against the wooden floor approaching. He dropped the eggshells in the trash can, quickly washed his hands, and by the time Keyleth greeted everyone with a cheery ‘good morning,’ Vax was already pouring milk into her mug of coffee. 

“Well, at least one of you woke up in a good mood,” Pike teased, winking at Keyleth, who had padded toward Vax. 

“Here,” He said, handing her the mug. Keyleth took it with a soft ‘thanks’, and leaned against the island counter at his side, sipping from the mug. Vax returned to his task of beating eggs, pouring flour, and measuring whatever bit of milk was left. It was barely enough for two people, so he would have to make do with just eggs.

“What can I do?” Keyleth asked, setting her mug down.

“You can just go sit and look pretty if you want,” Vax replied, jutting to the table with his chin and winking at her knowingly. Not to Vax’s surprise (he had promised Keyleth he would make her breakfast after all), Keyleth nodded and brought her mug with her to the table, where an astounded Vex’ahlia and Pike stared at them, and a very confused Percy tried to hide his embarrassment.

“Well then,” Vex sipped on her coffee, eyes jumping between Keyleth and Vax. 

“What happened last night?” Pike asked. Vax knew she was not talking about what she must have seen when the girls got home from the way she looked at Keyleth’s lip.

“It’s a long story,” Keyleth shrugged.

“Did Kashaw hurt you? Because I’ll break his legs if he did,” Vex’ahlia threatened. Vax didn’t say anything as he poured the pancake batter onto a pan. Not even the sizzling was loud enough to tone down Keyleth’s answer to his sister, “Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure Vax broke his nose. I think he learned his lesson.”

Vax stood quietly at the stove, hearing Keyleth tell their roommates what had happened from the moment she stumbled into Kashaw on the steps until he ran from the alleyway with his ass between his legs. Keyleth was breathless from talking by the time Vax set a plateful of pancakes and scrambled eggs in front of her and a measly plate of eggs for him on the table.

“No pancakes for you?” Keyleth whipped her head to his plate. Vax shook his head and dug into his eggs. 

“There wasn’t enough for both,” He explained casually. Vax didn’t need to look to know his sister’s gaze was fixed on him, either judging or trying to guess what else happened the night before. The stupid judging gaze probably didn’t falter when Keyleth picked up one of her largest pancakes and moved it onto Vax’s plate or when she told him to eat and he obeyed.

“So, what are you all doing today?” Keyleth asked, either ignoring or not noticing the astounded looks their three roommates were giving her. She didn't look up when no one answered. Instead, she kept talking—which Vax knew as a sign that her anxiety was flaring up. “Percy, would you like to study with me today?”

“Of course,” Percival answered, finally schooling his expression. 

“How about you, Pike?” Keyleth asked next, lifting her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red. Vax didn’t need to be able to read minds to know she was embarrassed that Pike would bring up the fact that she had slept on the couch because Keyleth asked Vax to stay with her.

“I already promised Grog I would work out with him this morning, but I’ll catch up with you in the afternoon.”

Keyleth nodded and looked at Vex, but before she could open her mouth to extend the invitation, Vex interrupted her by saying, “Vax and I already have plans. Sorry, darling.”

“Oh.”

“We do?” Vax asked, giving his sister a confused look. She looked at him as if to say we need to talk, brother , and then finished her food. “I forgot about it,” Vax lied.

“Is last night going to be a recurring event? Should Pike and I find other sleeping arrangements?” Vex asked. Keyleth choked on her drink, spilling coffee all over herself and her plate. Vax merely mumbled, loud enough for his sister to hear, “I bet you didn’t have any issues finding sleeping arrangements last night, sister.”

This time, it was Percival’s turn to choke and spit his drink. 

“I didn’t mean to intrude in your personal space, Pickle. I’m sorry,” Vax apologized to the girl next to him. She merely patted his arm with a smile and got up from the table, taking her plate with her.

“Don’t worry. The couch is pretty comfortable, but please let us know beforehand next time?”

Keyleth stopped trying to wipe the stain on her shirt to look at Vax. Her face was redder than a tomato, and there was a slight hint of panic growing in her eyes. Vax offered her a reassuring smile from across the table, trying to ignore the urge to extend his hand to grab hers or take her out of the room and away from his sister’s teasing.

“I’m going to shower. I’ll see you all later,” Pike waved as she left the twins, Percy and Keyleth at the table in awkward silence.

“Don’t worry, darling. I’m not mad at you,” The smile Vex threw in Keyleth’s way faded when she looked at her brother. “Or at you, brother.” Yet, from her tone, Vax knew that she might not be mad at him, but he was still about to suffer from another one of his sister’s fierce rounds of interrogation.

“So, what the hell happened last night?” Vex’ahlia asked, sitting on Vax’s untouched bed. A quick look around the room told Vax that his assumptions about his sister’s sleeping arrangement were correct as soon as he noticed the mess of sheets and blankets and the black bra underneath Percy’s bed. Vax didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he bent down to pick up his sister’s undergarment and threw it at her face.

“Keyleth told you what happened,” Vax replied, giving his sister a nasty look when she shrugged and set the bra on her lap.

“You know what I mean, Vax. We got home last night, exhausted and you two were all curled up on her bed.”

Vax climbed onto his bed and sat with his back against the wall. He uncrossed his legs and patted the mattress between them. Vex rolled her eyes but scooted back, assuming the position they were both so comfortable in. Vax undid his sister’s braid and combed his fingers through her hair in silence. Only when he was satisfied with his job did he finally speak as he started parting her hair. 

“I told Keyleth everything.”

“About what?”

“About us,” Vax replied, braiding his sister’s hair like he always did. “About Mom and Syldor. About running away and coming to Emon. About that night we got robbed and what I did to fix it. About—” He hesitated but kept braiding Vex’s hair.

“About what, brother?” Vex’ahlia asked, her voice wavering slightly as if she already knew.

“About… what happened with… him .” Vax knew what just the mere mention of the name would do to his sister. Vex’ahlia didn’t know the full extent of Vax’s actions (which he wanted to remain that way), but Vex also never asked what exactly he did to get rid of her ex. If his sister had any suspicions of how far Vax went, she never mentioned anything.

“Did you tell her—”

“No. No, of course not, Stubby. That is your story to tell, not mine.” Vax tied his sister’s braid with her elastic and slung it over her shoulder. Vex turned to face her brother, crossing her legs between them. She looked scared and worried.

“Why?” Why had he told Keyleth their darkest secrets?

“I couldn’t hide it anymore. Not from her, Vex. Not with how things are changing. And… I needed to know before I—before we went further.” Before he took the leap that could change everything.

“That was a huge risk, brother.”

“I know. Trust me, I know how much of a risk it was, but Keyleth wasn’t scared in the slightest, Vex. She was…” Vax’s smile didn’t reach his tear-covered eyes. “She was so supportive. She reminded me why I did everything, and she didn’t balk at anything I told her. And she’s angry. I think she might actually punch Syldor if she ever meets him.” He chuckled wetly, the first tears falling down his cheeks. 

“She’s a good person,” Vex grabbed her brother’s hands. “Did you two…?”

Vax shook his head. “No. We just talked and talked all night, and then she asked me to stay, even after I told her everything. She asked me to stay, Vex.” He was crying freely now. 

“Oh, brother,” Vex pulled him into an awkward hug. “She cares about you so much.”

“I know.”

“And you love her so much. It’s honestly nauseating, darling. Are you going to stop pining for each other now?”

Vax pulled back with a laugh, wiping the tears with the back of his hands. “I doubt it. But I did ask her out on a date, and she said yes.”

“VAX!” Vex’ahlia screamed, slapping his shoulder. Vax laughed, and his sister joined. “Gods, I do need to find new sleeping arrangements.”

“Again, I don’t think you need to worry about that, Stubby.” Vax looked at Percy’s bed above his sister’s shoulder. “Are you two dating?”

“No. We’re just… having fun, I guess.” Vex shrugged. She started playing with the end of her braid, avoiding eye contact with her brother. Vax knew she was hiding something.

“Is that all there is, Vex? You can tell me.”

“It’s—Percy is not like Syldor.”

“No, he is not.”

“Do you think he would ever want to be with someone like me?” There it was at last.

“Stubby, you are beautiful and smart, and maybe a pain in the ass at times,” Vex slapped his shoulder again at that, “but if there’s one thing I know is that that man is head over heels for you.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so. Percy told me so.” Vax tugged at her braid. Vex’ahlia looked at him, too scared to believe she could have this kernel of happiness. Too scared to believe she was worth being happy at all. Vax knew his sister too well. He knew the demons that assailed her mind were twins to his own. His father had made sure that neither of them felt like they were good enough and deserving of happiness and love.

“Alright.” Vex shrugged. 

“You should ask him on a date, too.” Vax wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe one day we can all go on a double date.”

“Don’t push it. I don’t know what’s worse, seeing you and Keyleth pine for each other or seeing you drool over the other after you start dating.” Vex made a disgusted face at her brother, who looked offended at her.

“I didn’t need to see you snogging whitey either, and yet, here we are.”

The twins laughed, their tensed bodies finally relaxing. Their past was a stain in their lives larger than one could ever wish, but every step they took forward toward their happiness was a step farther away from the darkness. While the threat of their father still lingered in their lives, Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia were both ready to walk into the light that Keyleth and Percival shone on them, guiding them away from the darkness and, maybe one day, the twins will finally be ready to embrace the love and happiness they were told they didn’t deserve.

Chapter Text

The week rushed by like rapids, especially when, on Miresen morning, every single one of Keyleth’s teachers reminded their classes that the clock announcing finals had officially begun ticking. One month. Keyleth had one month to prepare for what she assumed would be the worst week of her college life. She could only hope her teachers took pity on the first years. By that evening, Keyleth had a meticulously developed study schedule, color-coded by class, to help her organize her time. Would she be able to keep up with it, though? She had to. The last thing she wanted was to fail a class and have to repeat it next year. She decided to try out the schedule that week, rotating between the library and the quiet apartment and inviting her roommates to study with her—which Vax’ildan almost always gladly accepted. 

The exception happened in the middle of the week. Although the holiday itself wasn’t widely celebrated in Emon, the Night of Ascension was still a holiday for those who celebrated, so the University had given them the day off classes. That day, Keyleth, Percy and Pike decided to occupy a table at their favorite café, staving off the snow that fell outside with steaming cups of hot cocoa. She had asked the twins to join them, but Vax had explained to Keyleth, alone in his bedroom as he bundled up with the hoodie Keyleth loved so much and a thick woolen scarf that had seen better days, that he and Vex’ahlia had a tradition to pay homage to their mother during the holiday, so they would be going to the nearest temple to make an offering, and then go out for a meal and celebrate their memories of Elaina (Vax had finally shared his mother’s name with her). Keyleth pondered asking to join them and do the same for her mother, but she figured that it was something the twins preferred to stay between just them. Besides, neither she nor her mother were particularly given to deities.

But the week rushed by nonetheless, and on Folsen evening, when Keyleth opened the fridge and saw a container with freshly made soup and a sticky note from Vax ( I hope this helps you stay warm ), the girl was ready to put on a pair of fuzzy socks, her warmest pajama and curl into a ball on the armchair and read until her eyelids drooped. Alas, her dream was interrupted by footsteps walking down the corridor as Keyleth removed the steaming bowl from the microwave.

“Oh. Hi Kiki,” Vax greeted. He was wearing a new long-sleeve pajama shirt (black, as usual), a pair of black sweatpants, and his hair was braided away from his face—it was about time that he heed not only Vex’s but also Keyleth’s advice about braiding his hair before bed.

“Hi, Vax. Thank you for the soup,” Keyleth nodded in gratitude. She sat at the kitchen table and started to eat. Vax joined her, sitting on the chair in front of hers, elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hand.

“How were classes?”

“Exhausting.”

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Vax asked smugly. Keylth looked at him confused, then remembered they were going out… on a date. “Please don’t tell me you forgot about our date?” Vax asked, outraged, seeing the look of realization on her face.

“No... I—I’m sorry.” Keyleth apologized, embarrassed. Vax merely laughed and shook his head. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Oh. What should I wear?” Keyleth asked, trying to get any possible clue from him.

“Something comfortable and warm.” The answer didn’t reveal anything substantial.

“What time are we leaving?” Keyleth tried another route.

“Do you think eight is too early?” Keyleth shook her head. She was used to waking up early, even during the weekends, so it wouldn’t make a difference in her schedule. “Then, we need to leave the apartment at 8:30.”

“Why so early?” Keyleth asked, finishing her soup.

“It’s a bit far and we need to take transportation. It’s going to be a whole day thing, so you might want to clear your schedule.”

Somewhere so far away that they needed to take an early transportation, that would last the entire day, and that she needed to bring warm, comfortable clothes? Where the hell was Vax taking her? “Should I bring anything special? Food? Entertainment?” Keyleth pushed further.

“We can make some sandwiches and bring snacks for the day. Water, too. As for entertainment, that’s what I’m there for, right?” Vax winked. Keyleth blushed and giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I’m sure you will,” She teased. Vax slapped the table softly and grabbed her empty bowl. Keyleth got to her feet, wanting to stop him, but he waved his hand at her in dismissal and washed her dishes for her. Keyleth couldn’t stop herself from biting her lip at how caring Vax was to her. He had made her dinner, kept her company while she ate—even though he looked like he had been ready to go to sleep—and washed her dishes afterward. I don’t deserve someone so good like him.

“You should go to sleep,” Vax said to her, wiping his hands on the towel. He approached Keyleth and kissed her forehead before he turned to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning, Kiki,” he said and disappeared towards his bedroom. Keyleth stood in the kitchen, watching Vax walk away. Only when his bedroom door shut behind him did Keyleth release the longing sigh she had been holding and grabbed her bag to head to bed. Keyleth thought she was going to have trouble sleeping due to anxiety, so the faster she went to bed, the sooner she would fall asleep. However, Keyleth wasn’t expecting the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach, a sensation that seemed to calm her more than agitate her, so she fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.

By the time Keyleth walked into the kitchen the next morning (her personal backpack open in front of her in preparation to get stuffed with snacks), Vax’ildan was already at the stove, stirring eggs and plopping two slices of bread in the toaster. On the island sat an evidently larger backpack—a camping backpack—seemingly full and ready to go. Keyleth stumbled on her feet, coming to an abrupt stop as she gawked at Vax’s bag, then at hers, so small in her hands. She didn’t have time to say anything because Vax was already smiling at her and greeting her. 

“What’s that?” Keyleth asked, all manners forgotten.

“Our stuff for today.”

“That looks—”

“Heavy? Don’t worry. It’s mostly light items. I made a few sandwiches, packed snacks, water and a thermos with peppermint tea.” Vax said nonchalantly, dividing the eggs between two plates. “Don’t worry, I added a lot of honey to the tea,” He added, seeing Keyleth’s stunned face. 

Vax set the plates with scrambled eggs and toast on the table and returned to grab two mugs of coffee. Keyleth finally set her backpack down—now completely useless—and sat at the table. They ate in silence, Keyleth avoiding looking at Vax too much, and then she left him to do the dishes while she returned to her bedroom to finish getting dressed. 

They left the apartment at exactly 8:30—like Vax had planned—after Keyleth replaced her small backpack for her regular knitted crossbody purse with just her personal belongings. Since the sun was shining bright and warm in the clear, blue sky, Keyleth left her thickest jacket behind in exchange for a crochet cardigan with sunflowers covering a beige high-neck shirt and a crochet dark green skirt. She pondered wearing pants for a moment, but then she found a pair of thick winter tights, and her problem of wanting to look cute and fight off the cold was easily solved. Meanwhile, Vax was–well… Vax (still incredibly hot, as usual, nonetheless). He wore his regular black, ripped pants, leather jacket and boots. The only difference was that he had replaced his band and graphic t-shirt for a seemingly brand new plain black high-neck shirt, so tight that Keyleth had held her breath when she first saw him before he put on and buttoned his jacket. 

They took a bus not far from campus, mostly filled with old ladies who gave the pair a weird look—which Keyleth knew was due to her overall sunshine personality, Vax’s dark and broody appearance and the camping backpack he carried—and they sat in the empty back, Vax setting the packed bag between his legs. They stayed in silence for a while, watching the city pass by slowly. People walked on the sidewalks, bundled up in their snow coats and scarves, couples held hands and stopped to watch the shop windows, and children threw balls and built snowmen in the park they passed by, much like what Keyleth and her friends had done a few weeks before, and which, eventually, led to her being in that empty bus, sitting so close to her crush—more than that, actually—that she could practically hear his heart beating in his chest.

“It’s such a nice day,” Keyleth said, more to herself than to him. Vax hummed. His hand found hers on her lap and he took it, intertwining his fingers with hers. Keyleth still looked out the window, now more to try to hide the blush in her cheeks at the gesture. Vax had been so touchy since last weekend… since he shared so much of his life with her. It was like he couldn’t bear to not touch Keyleth, as if her skin on his calmed him. Keyleth wasn’t complaining. She loved every touch, every chill down her spine, every kernel of warmth and softness that emanated from Vax, and she never wanted it to end.

“Is this the part where you kidnap me?” Keyleth asked twenty minutes later when the city landscape outside had given room to large fields and forests. They had officially been out of the city limits for five minutes, and she still didn’t know where Vax was taking her.

“What if it is?” Vax teased, wiggling his eyebrows and smiling mischievously at her.

“Then I regret to inform you that my father will not yield to any ransom requests. Unless you would like a chicken or two in exchange for giving me back.”

Vax snorted and brought her hands to his lips. He kissed each knuckle softly and then said, “I doubt your father wouldn’t give all the money in the world to have you back, Kiki.”

Keyleth wasn’t sure if the heat in her cheeks was because of his gesture of the implication that Vax knew her father loved her so much he would ruin his finances for her.

“Our exit is coming up,” Vax announced, releasing the grasp in her hand and getting to his feet. Keyleth followed him down the aisle, and when the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere, where the only sign of it being a bust stop was a single pole with a hanging sign, Vax gestured for Keyleth to descend before him, following her as he shouldered the backpack. 

“Now I’m really concerned,” Keyleth said, looking around. They were surrounded by tall trees on a single road with practically no traffic. She had no idea where they were in regards to the city proper, but it was clear they were somewhere remote. 

“Do you trust me?” Vax asked, extending his hand to her. Keyleth’s answer was weaving her fingers through his and walking by his side in silence. 

During their short walk parallel to the road the bus had taken, Keyleth glanced sideways at Vax, who looked relaxed and smiled so brightly he could supply enough energy for a small town. His mood was contagious, and soon Keyleth found herself relaxing and smiling as well, walking hand-in-hand with him down the sidewalk and then up a smaller road.

“No way,” Keyleth exclaimed as they reached an ornate iron gate connected to rock pillars. Above it, high enough where a tall van could cross without touching it, was an iron sign that said Emon Botanical Gardens . Keyleth couldn’t hold her joy at the sight of it, and neither could Vax, apparently, because he was shaking with excitement at her reaction, grinning brightly at her, eyes shining like ambers. 

Keyleth squealed in delight as they approached the portico, where a woman waited at the ticket booth. Vax stepped ahead of her and exchanged a few words with the woman that Keyleth couldn’t hear—although, from the look of it, they were familiar with each other—and then signaled her to the barriers that opened on their own accord.

“What?” Keyleth asked, surprised, crossing it behind Vax. 

“Students don’t pay entrance,” Vax explained.

“Do you come here often?” Keyleth asked as he walked towards a large wooden board with the map of the park. She stopped abruptly in front of it, gaping with an open mouth at how large the area was. 

“Vex and I came here often when we needed a break from the chaos of the city,” Vax explained, picking a pamphlet from the holder. “It’s really peaceful. Here,” He handed Keyleth the pamphlet. She opened it to see a smaller-scale map of the park on one side and short descriptions of what the park contained on the other side.

“This park is huge. We’re not going to be able to see it all today,” Keyleth pointed out, noting all the smaller flower gardens, the several ponds and fountains, the orchard and forests of different kinds of trees. “There’s a waterfall?” She asked, not really expecting an answer. “And a butterfly garden!” Her excitement turned up a notch if it was even possible. Keyleth loved butterflies.

“Where would you like to start?” Vax asked, smiling at her. Keyleth pointed at the greenhouse not far from there, and he nodded. He let her lead the way, even though he probably knew the garden so well that he didn’t need a map anymore. 

The greenhouse spawned over a long distance, covering plants from all regions in Exandria, from flowering cacti of the Marquesian deserts to blooming flowers of the Zemni Fields and even a few darker, mysterious flora from the distant lands of Xhorhas. No matter where Keyleth looked, she was welcomed with fragrant scents, a rainbow of colors, and a whole new universe she wanted to explore until the end of her days. She took several minutes to photograph flowers and plants she had never seen before and write notes on the notebook app on her phone, setting up a mental note to return with her camera and a proper notebook. When Keyleth finally uncoiled from where she had been squatting for ten minutes, photographing and copying information from the small description sign next to a bloom of snowdrops, Vax coughed to get her attention. Keyleth’s head snapped in his direction. She had completely forgotten why and who she was there with, so a blush spread on her cheeks as she apologized to Vax bashfully.

“It’s okay. It’s adorable.” He brushed it off, holding out his hand for her to take. Keyleth grabbed it, looking at Vax inquisitively. “Let’s go. I have a surprise,” Vax said, pulling Keyleth with him.

They exited the greenhouse through a side door onto a gravel path. Keyleth’s excitement built up quickly once she saw the first signs pointing in the direction they were going, saying Butterfly House . She found it weird that the butterfly house would be open in the winter since she hadn’t read anything about it in the pamphlet, but maybe it was climate-controlled so they could have viewings year-round. However, Keyleth’s excitement and hope died a little when their path was closed by a barrier, where a note hung from the middle: “We regret to inform the butterfly house is closed until further notice.”

“Vax, what are you doing?” Keyleth asked as Vax transposed the barrier and held out his hand for her. “It’s closed.”

“I know. Trust me,” Vax said. Keyleth followed him down the last of the gravel path and then onto a smaller side path that led to the back of the building. She had no idea where Vax was taking her, but Keyleth trusted him with her life, so she followed as he squeezed her hand tighter in his grip.

“Hello there,” A man greeted the pair when they turned a corner. Keyleth came to an abrupt stop behind Vax, bumping against his back. Shit, we’re screwed , Keyleth thought, knowing they were trespassing.

“Hey!” Vax greeted the man back. He let go of Keyleth’s hand and dropped his backpack on the floor next to the door she realized the man was holding open. Vax then walked towards the man and hugged him tightly. Keyleth finally took a good look at him. He was smiling kindly at them, crow’s feet around his eyes. He seemed to be in his early forties, perhaps, with sun-dappled skin, wild and crazy-looking dark hair, and a black beard streaked with gray, neatly kept in two braids. 

“Is this the lady I’ve been hearing so much about?” The man asked Vax, looking around his shoulder to Keyleth with an even fonder smile. Vax laughed and nodded. He extended his hand to call Keyleth over, wiggling his fingers.

“This is Keyleth,” Vax introduced when she laced her fingers with his. Up close, Keyleth could see the man’s glowing blue eyes and all the signs of someone who had a happy life, even if labored. “Keyleth,” Vax continued, pointing at the man, “This is Kerrek.”

“Kerr is fine,” The man said, extending his hand. Keyleth took it. The handshake was strong but soft at the same time as if Kerrek was holding back on her. His hands were calloused, and there was some dirt under his fingernails, confirming the hard labor Keyleth assumed he did.

“Nice to meet you, Kerr,” Keyleth said politely. Vax had never mentioned him, yet the man seemed to have heard about her. She tucked the information in a mental file to ask Vax later.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Vax asked, nodding at the building. The man nodded and replied with a wink, “Go ahead lovebirds.”

Keyleth blushed, but Vax chuckled. He looked at her nervously and pulled her inside the building with him, the door closing behind them. The temperature changed immediately, and Keyleth was forced to discard her cardigan with Vax’s leather jacket, leaving them on a bench by the door, and pulled the long sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows. She then followed Vax down a dimly lit hallway to a second door. 

“Ready?” Vax asked her. Keyleth swallowed hard and nodded. 

Keyleth wasn’t sure what she expected, but walking into a brightly lit, hot and humid jungle was not it. The roof was a domed glass that let the bright winter light in without any of the cold, and everywhere Keyleth looked was covered with trees and plants, vines and moss. Once again, she allowed Vax to guide her down the tiled path until they came to a rounded room fully enclosed in class. In the center, a stone bench acted as a barrier to flowers and greenery, and around them—

“Oh. My. Gods.” Keyleth whispered, still not believing what she was seeing.

Butterflies—dozens and dozens of butterflies—flew everywhere, from branch to branch, between flowers and vines, up on the glass ceiling and around the walls. Vax led Keyleth into the middle of the room with a soft hand on the small of her back, stopping by the stone bench. Keyleth spun slowly in place, noting every color, wing shape, and different type of butterfly.

“You might want to close your mouth before a butterfly flies in,” Vax teased. Keyleth snapped her mouth shut but didn’t look at him, still mesmerized by the display.

“Vax, this is—” She stopped herself. A small swarm of five butterflies dove to her and landed on her hair and outstretched arm. Keyleth swallowed a squeal of delight as she turned to face Vax and brought a beautiful blue-winged butterfly between them.

“That’s a morpho peleides ,” Vax offered. Keyleth nodded, still awestruck.

“Their wings aren’t actually blue, but—”

“Iridescent, yes. It’s caused by a diffraction of the light from the—”

“Tiny scales on its wings.” Keyleth finished. She looked up at him, surprised that he knew about it.

“I’ve been coming here for a few years. I’ve learned a lot about them,” He explained coyly. Keyleth swallowed, feeling a wave of warmth flow down her body. The butterfly beat its wings and took off to a high branch. Keyleth followed it with her gaze. 

“It’s beautiful,” She whispered, still looking at the emperor on the other side of the room.

“You’re beautiful, Keyleth,” Vax whispered back. She whipped her head back to him, only to realize he was so close to her that their breaths mingled with each other. Vax brought a hand up to cup her cheek and leaned in, making Keyleth’s stomach jump.

Oh gods, is this happening?

“Can I kiss you?” He asked. Yes. Yes! A million times, yes!

“Please—” She practically begged.

Time stopped, or maybe it was Keyleth’s heart that stopped. Something stopped, for sure . Keyleth’s eyes drifted closed, and she surrendered herself to the warmth of Vax’s hand on her face and the firm hold on her waist as his lips touched hers. The kiss started soft and tentative. As if Vax was scared. Keyleth’s hands slid up Vax’s chest to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, full of longing and something else Keyleth’s brain could not decipher in that moment. Some time passed, although Keyleth couldn’t tell if it had been seconds, minutes, or days. But eventually, Vax broke the kiss, his piercing gaze on hers, assessing her. Keyleth smiled against his lips, willing her heart to stop beating so fast. Vax opened his mouth to say something, but Keyleth shushed him before he could utter a word by kissing him again.

Keyleth poured all the intensity of her need for Vax into the kiss. Although she had no idea what she was doing, she had read quite a few romance books, so she pulled all that knowledge off the pages and kissed Vax passionately. When her tongue brushed against his lip, Vax opened to allow her in, the hand on her face lowering to join the other on the small of her back, pulling her harder against him. Keyleth could feel every inch of Vax’s body, her tongue thoroughly exploring his mouth until it met his tongue and started a dance she didn’t know the steps for. Keyleth stopped leading, then, and started following Vax’s experienced instructions. The heat on her body was overpowering, but it was Keyleth’s happiness that screamed the loudest in her ears, together with the thrumming beating of her heart. 

When they finally pulled apart—when Vax pulled apart—they were both panting, eyes wide as saucers fixed on each other, and smiling. Keyleth willed her lungs to work faster and reminded her heart to slow down, lest she pass out from sheer emotion. Her legs were trembling like reeds on a storm, and if it weren’t for Vax’s firm hold on her, Keyleth would surely fall to her knees in front of him.

“That was—” Vax tried, but his breath was still ragged. Keyleth chuckled and nodded, rubbing her nose against his. Their breaths were warm and sweet like a summer night, Vax’s kiss-swollen lips so, so inviting. Tempting. “Gods, Kiki. You’re—” Vax didn’t finish. He leaned his brow against Keyleth with closed eyes and breathed slowly. Keyleth did the same, following his lead once again. He smelled so good and felt so warm and cozy, just like home. “You’re going to be the death of me, Keyleth.”

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth giggled. Vax kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” She confessed.

“Me too.” Vax tugged at the fabric of her shirt on the small of her back, twisting and turning the hem between his fingers. Keyleth gave him a questioning look that made him swallow nervously. Finally, after taking a long breath that puffed against Keyleth’s lips, Vax said, “Kiki, you know I’m in love with you, right?”

Oh. Keyleth’s heart almost leaped out of her chest. It was one thing to feel the love Vax didn’t hide from her, and a completely different thing to hear him say it (like actually say it). Keyleth let her hands slide down from his shoulders and splay on his chest. The jack-rabbit beating of Vax’s heart on Keyleth’s palm made her smile softly as she spoke, “I know. And I–I think I feel the same way.”

“You think?” Vax asked. His tone wasn’t mocking but uncertain. 

“I’m scared,” Keyleth admitted, at last, the feeling she had been trying to repress for a while. “I’ve never felt this way for anyone before and it’s so scary.”

“I know,” Vax replied. His thumbs rubbed tight, reassuring circles on Keyleth’s back.

“My dad was so devastated when my mom died. I—I‘ve never wanted to feel that, or worse… make someone feel like that. I–” Keyleth hesitated. 

“Yes?”

“I never thought I would have what they had. I never thought someone was going to fall for me, or that I would fall for anyone. I promised myself when I was young that I would never fall in love and yet…”

Vax smiled. He rubbed the tip of his nose on Keyleth’s and said, “I understand completely. You know about my father. I don’t have the best examples of what a loving relationship is. I never thought I would ever find happiness in my life, much less something so pure as love. We don’t have to be in a relationship, Kiki, but if you’ll have me, I’m yours.”

“I don’t think I’m ready to be with someone… yet.”

“That’s okay. I’ll wait as long as it takes,” Vax brushed a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. Keyleth smiled fondly at him, basking in the feel of his touch, but her smile faltered as she asked him a question she had been dreading.

“And what if I’m never ready?” Knowing that Vax’s answer could mend or break their future was enough to send her spiraling, so Keyleth closed her fists on his shirt, keeping her aloft, keeping her mind steady and grounded.

“Then I’ll always be here as your friend. I’ll only take what you want to give, Kiki. Never more than that.”

“You would stay?” She asked, her voice wavering. 

“Of course. I’m not going anywhere, Keeks.” Vax replied, kissing her forehead. Keyleth slumped into his embrace, sliding her arms under his armpits and holding tightly. She waited for the first signs of the imminent panic attack to retreat down to her stomach and vanish. Only then did she uncoil to her feet, releasing Vax completely, and smiled. 

“Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re very important to me.” Vax pulled away, but instead of completely letting go of Keyleth, he twinned his fingers with hers and asked, “Are you ready to head back into the cold with me?” 

Keyleth nodded and allowed him to pull her with him, retracing their steps to the back door, where they put their jackets back on and Vax slung his bag back on his shoulders. Kerr was still waiting outside, moving crates and boxes when they exited. He turned to Vax and Keyleth with a fond smile, dropped a box on the ground and walked to pat Vax’s back.

“Make sure you and your sister come over for dinner soon, will you? You’re welcome too, Keyleth.” Kerr added, turning to Keyleth. 

“Oh. Thank you for the invitation.”

“I’ll talk to Stubby and let her know,” Vax replied.

“It was nice meeting you, Keyleth.” Kerr extended his hand. Keyleth took it again, shaking it softly with a smile.

“It was nice meeting you too.”

Vax and Keyleth spent the rest of the morning wandering through the multiple flower gardens, fountains and ponds, albeit sad-looking in the middle of the Winter. When the sun reached its apex in the sky, Vax took Keyleth by the hand down a secluded gravel path and into a small clearing of pine trees (the few trees that still had their canopies). Vax removed a thick blanket from the bag, spread it on the floor, and sat down, patting the ground between his legs for Keyleth.

“I should have known you were bringing picnic stuff,” Keyleth said. She sat between Vax’s legs facing him, her legs crossed between them. Vax took another blanket from the bag and set it on her lap, covering both of them.

“You think I would pass up the opportunity to have an outdoor meal with you?” He scoffed. Keyleth didn’t reply. She grabbed the thermos of tea he passed her and took a sip. It was sweet, just the way she loved it, and it warmed her from the inside out. Vax then grabbed two sandwiches and a bag of chips, and they ate while observing the nature and enjoying the quiet. They didn’t run into many people during their walks in the garden, which Keyleth could only assume was due to the cold weather and the fact that most of the plants were dead.

“We should come back in the spring,” She said after a while.

“I already planned on bringing you back.”

“So, what’s the story with Kerr? How do you know him?” Keyleth asked, passing Vax the thermos.

Vax took a sip of the tea, closed the bottle and set it by his side. He then lifted the blanket from his and Keyleth’s legs and gestured for her to turn around. Keyleth did, scooting and resting her back against his chest. Vax covered them again and wrapped his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest on her stomach, where he started rubbing circles with his thumbs. Keyleth basked in his warmth. She could never get enough of the feel of Vax’s arms draped safely around her.

“Do you remember what I told you about what happened with Vex?” He asked her. Keyleth nodded. She knew it was a difficult subject for him. “Well, after all that, Vex and I decided to leave Emon for a while. We found this garden. We lied and told them we were high school students, and they believed us. Mostly because we looked like high schoolers. We found this spot right here, secluded enough that no one could stroll into us, and we made it our place. We had a small tent big enough for us and Trinket.”

“One day, Kerr caught me after the park closed, but instead of calling the cops on us, he extended a helping hand. At first, he invited us to have dinner with him and his wife. Hot homemade meals were hard to come by at the time, and Vex was getting thinner every day, so I said yes. They heard our story, and just like you, they grew angry at our father. But most of all, they felt bad for us and wanted to help us.”

“That’s really nice of them,” Keyleth said. Vax nodded. He buried his cold nose in her neck, making her squeal. 

“They asked us to stay with them until we came of age, but Vex and I… we had been living on our own for a while, and we—we might have been too proud to take such a huge offer. But we did accept a job offer to work here, and we enrolled back at the highschool, using Kerr’s home address as our location. We often went to Kerr’s for warm meals and never refused their invitation to stay on cold and rainy nights.”

“Kerr and his wife treated us like we were their own children. We finally caved in and moved in for our final year of highschool. They even motivated us to go to college and helped us apply for scholarships and everything. Their house is a home to us.”

“I’m glad you found them. I’m glad Kerr didn’t call the cops on you.” Keyleth said, turning her head to see Vax. She nuzzled her nose against his jaw, making Vax smile. 

“I’m glad too. I don’t know if we would still be alive if it weren’t for Kerr.”

“I’m glad you are. It brought you here… to me.” Keyleth whispered and gave Vax a soft peck on the lips. 

“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today?” Vax nuzzled against Keyleth’s neck. She giggled and nodded in response. “Did you make your skirt?”

“I did. But my grandma made my cardigan.”

“They’re so pretty. You’re both very talented.”

“I’ll make you something one day,” Keyleth promised. 

“Are you cold?” Vax asked, tightening his embrace. 

“No. I’m never cold when I’m with you. You’re always so warm and cozy.”

“Hmm. Same. You’re like a ray of sunshine. You’re so happy and cheerful. It’s contagious sometimes.”

Keyleth thought about his words. People often said she was a ray of sunshine, that she lit up any room when she walked in, but Keyleth didn’t feel that way. She was happy. Keyleth did feel joy in life and enjoyed being around her friends and family. It was the moment she was left alone that Keyleth dreaded the most. When she was by herself with her thoughts, her fears and grief. She had witnessed a few episodes where Vax had preferred to be alone, where his mood was extra broody and grumpy. She understood that better than Vax probably thought.

“Kiki?” Vax called her. Keyleth turned sideways, buried her head in Vax’s chest and grabbed the jacket on his stomach. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Keyleth mumbled against his chest. Vax’s hands cradled the back of her head and he pressed a kiss to her hair. He stayed like that and waited until she finally spoke again. “I’m not as much of a ray of sunshine as people think I am. I also have bad moments—bad days, even.”

“I know. I’ve noticed your moods.” 

“You have?” Keyleth asked, looking up. Vax nodded and caressed her hair down her back. “You must probably think I’m a fraud then.”

“You’re not a fraud, Kiki. Not everyone can be happy all day, every day. I know you try hard to hide the bad side, but you can trust us… you can certainly trust me. I want you to be yourself when you’re with me, even if that means you’re picking at the skin of your nails or chewing on your lip and the inside of your cheek. I won’t be bothered by your jumpy knee or your shuffling around on your seat.”

Oh shit. Vax knew all her fidgets. Was she really that obvious, or was he just very observant? Keyleth always tried to hide her anxiety in front of everyone, and she was almost sure that she did a good job at it, but she had always been more relaxed with Vax. She had always felt safe with him. Of all people, Vax would be the one to understand Keyleth’s faults the best.

As if he read her mind, Vax added, “You and I aren’t that different, Kiki. Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand.”

“I suppose I might have some of yours, too,” Keyleth admitted. It wasn’t for nothing that her father had made her see a professional when she hit puberty.

“And I have some of yours. It’s perfectly valid to have them both, and if someone ever gives you grief about it, tell me, and I’ll punch them.”

Keyleth snorted at the offer. Some of the weight on her chest lifted, but there was something heavy keeping her from being blissfully happy: finals . History proved that academic high-stress situations were not good for Keyleth. “I don’t think you can punch our professors or finals.”

“Ah. Is that what’s eating at you? Here I was, thinking you were freaking out because I’m extremely handsome, and I make your heart almost leap out of your chest.” Keyleth looked at Vax to see him smirking at her. Her face reddened in response. “You’re going to do great, Keeks. You’re smart, talented, and a great student. All our professors love you. If anything, you’re going to do so good that they will need to expand the grading system just to accommodate your knowledge.”

“You’re exaggerating, Vax. I’m not as smart as you or Pike. And I’m falling behind in Anatomy. You’ve seen my midterm grade.”

“Fine, the human body doesn’t agree with you. Does it matter? Are you in Biology for it or for plants, Keyleth? Didn’t you say you were going to drop Anatomy next year anyway?”

“Yes, but I still want to have a good grade,” Keyleth all but pouted at Vax. Couldn’t he understand the high expectations other people had on her? She had always been a top-of-the-class student in high school, and people expected her to maintain that or do better in college, never to go below their standards.

“Keyleth, love. You had a 16 in the midterm,” Vax grabbed her shoulders and looked at her earnestly. “All your assignments have been above 18–and yes, it counts even if I helped you. Even if you have another 16 in your final, you will still get at least a 17 at the end of the semester. I know it’s not as good as an 18 or a 19, but you are still in the top five students in Anatomy, and I know for a fact that you, miss I-will-not-rest-until-I-have-straight-20s , are the best student in your degree.”

When Vax put it like that, Keyleth had to concede to his logic. She knew that she would need a really bad grade on her final to drastically lower her final grade in Anatomy and the general average, as a consequence, but even though it was a low possibility, it wasn’t impossible.

“Fine.” Keyleth pushed Vax away and got up, straightening her skirt. “I guess you’re right.” She said and walked away from him. Keyleth didn’t need to turn her head to see the look of confusion on his face, but she still peeked and threw over her shoulder, “Let’s go see the waterfall… unless you’re done with our date?”

She laughed as Vax scrambled to his feet and packed everything inside the backpack. He was by Keyleth’s side in a matter of seconds, holding her hand and dragging her down the path. Keyleth giggled at his reinvigorated spirits, feeling slightly better herself, too. Vax was right, she knew that, and while she still had a hard time letting go of that particular anxiety, Keyleth knew she had in him a safe harbor. 

“Vax?”

“Yes.” Vax looked at her expectantly, grinning from ear to ear.

“I might barge into your room this month to ask for reassurance. Is that okay?” Keyleth bit at her lip. Vax let go of her hand, only to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her to a stop. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, giving Keyleth a soft, ghostly peck on the lips that made her want more, and said, “I can’t promise I’ll be decent, but my door will always be unlocked for you, Kiki.”

“Good,” Keyleth whispered against his lips. “I might come to collect some hugs then… even if you’re not– decent .”

The kiss was sensual and unhurried, filled with promises of more kisses to come, hugs to be given, and reassuring words to be whispered in the dark. By the time they arrived back at the apartment, lips red and kiss-swollen, the subject of finals was completely gone from Keyleth’s mind, instead filled with the scent of pine trees and snow and the wonderful time she spent with Vax in nature all day. A much needed-rest before the chaos.

Chapter Text

Vax was glad that finals were almost over. The week had been horribly stressful between handing out final essays, studying for exams, and giving final presentations. Vax barely had any time left to do fun activities with his sister and friends, not just during the week, but the entire month. All his professors became even stricter than usual, often forgetting their class wasn’t the only subject the students had, passing mountains of homework and scheduling essays and other projects they had to deliver and present within a tight deadline. The only good thing about that was that the final evaluation for those subjects was divided between the final exam and the projects, so even if Vax had a bad grade on a final essay, he could still make up during the exam. On Conthsen night, Vax was anxiously counting the hours left until Keyleth’s last exam the next day, not just because he missed spending time with her—fun time, not study time—but because that was the sign that exams week would be officially over in apartment 7B and that was all Scanlan would need to open the case of beer they had saved in the fridge and turn on the music.

Vax remembered Keyleth was still in class and that she would probably get home exhausted and go straight to studying without eating, so he closed his book and flicked the light off. He would make her dinner and keep her company while she ate, and then they could study together if she wanted, even though Vax wanted nothing more than to have Keyleth curled against his side on the couch while they watched a movie and he played with her hair. Vax loved taking care of Keyleth, especially by doing small gestures like making sure she ate. It didn’t bother him to cook a different meal for her or to leave a serving from dinner in the fridge. He did it because he loved her and wanted to care for her. So Vax made a fresh batch of miso soup that Keyleth could eat anytime and prepared tofu, eggs and vegetables so that he only had to add noodles to the soup base when she got home. It would be warm and full of nutrients for her.

In hindsight, Vax should have noticed the first sign that something wasn’t right when Keyleth slammed the door and slid her back against it. But Vax was so distracted finishing Keyleth’s dinner that he thought she was just tired, and he certainly didn’t think anything else of her tight hug when she entered the kitchen. Keyleth was usually quiet on days she got home late from school, too socially exhausted to hold a full conversation, so Vax sat by her side at the table while she ate and let her fumble with his fingers on her lap.

The second sign came when Vax asked her if she wanted company to study and she said no. He still didn’t think anything of it because Keyleth sometimes asked him to study alone, which Vax understood. He could be quite distracting. So he kissed her forehead and headed back to his room, letting her know the door was unlocked if she needed anything.

Vax finally realized something was wrong when Percy and Vex returned. They were talking in hushed voices as they stepped into the room, and when Vax heard Keyleth’s name, he turned on his chair to look at his sister and his roommate.

“What’s wrong with Keyleth?” Vax asked. Vex’ahlia was still holding Trinket’s leash, even though the massive shaggy dog was nowhere to be seen.

“She’s acting weird. She barely acknowledged our presence.” Percy answered instead. “Do you know if something happened?”

“She was fine when she got home. Maybe she’s tired. Finals week has been hard on all of us.”

“Keep an eye on her, brother,” Vex said. She crossed the room to kiss the crown of his head, then gave Percy a peck on the lips and left.

Vax didn’t need to be told twice to keep an eye on Keyleth, especially when he looked at the clock and saw how late it was. He knew her classes started early the following morning and that if someone didn’t force Keyleth to close her books, she would stay up all night studying. Again, it didn’t bother him to go out of his way to make sure Keyleth got some rest. Everything he did was for her own good, even if it meant he would have to stay up until late.

Vax wasn’t surprised when he saw the mess on the kitchen table. Books were spread open, notes were scattered, a colorful rainbow of highlighters littered on top of papers, and an empty mug of coffee sat on the table. Everyone else had some level of stress before exams—even Grog and Scanlan—but no one beat Keyleth’s anxiety.

“Keeks?” Keyleth wasn’t at the table anymore.

In hindsight, things should have gone differently. Vax should have seen the signs, but he didn’t, so he was naturally concerned when he saw Keyleth sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and arms wrapped around her knees with her head hiding between them, rocking back and forth with shallow, rapid breaths giving way to sobs, and then chokes.

“Keyleth?” Vax called again, kneeling in front of her. When Keyleth didn’t answer, Vax softly placed his hands on her head and lifted it, seeing tears falling down her cheeks and the panic in her eyes. “Kiki, what’s wrong?” He asked. Keyleth didn’t react to him, as if she hadn’t noticed Vax in front of her. Instead, she tried to put her head back between her knees, but Vax held her steady. He knew what was going on: Keyleth was having a panic attack. He had helped Vex’ahlia through them after Saundor and Syldor, and he had forced himself out of a few himself, so he knew what to do.

“Deep breaths,” Vax cooed. Keyleth was still panting and choking, so Vax cradled her cheeks and asked her again, more firmly this time, to take deep breaths. The touch of skin-to-skin seemed to be enough to bring Keyleth out of it at least a bit, just enough for her to start mumbling incomprehensible words.

“What’s wrong, Kiki? I can’t understand,” Vax tried again. Keyleth was still rocking back and forth, still breathing hard, her arms still tight around her knees. She mumbled something again, and, this time, Vax made up the words “can’t” and “it.”

“You’re safe, Keyleth. Take a deep breath in through your nose,” Vax said, demonstrating. Keyleth stared at him, finally stopping her rocking. “And then out,” he exhaled.

“I–can’t,” Keyleth mumbled. She brought her hands to her chest and throat, leaving her legs free.

“You can’t breathe?” Vax asked, concerned. Keyleth had enough strength to nod, so he extended her legs in front of her and straddled them.

“Yes, you can. Breathe with me,” Vax whispered, placing her hands on top of his heart inside his shirt. Keyleth’s hands were burning, but her fingertips were freezing. “In–” Vax took a deep breath in, which Keyleth finally copied. “–and out…” They both exhaled. “Let’s go again.” Vax kept whispering and rubbing his thumbs across Keyleth’s cheeks. One of his hands slid to the loose hair behind her ears, where he started rubbing reassuringly, always making sure to breathe slowly and guide her.

“You’re doing great,” Vax whispered when Keyleth let out a soft sob. It was an improvement from the raspy chokes that made Vax fear for her life. The hand left on her cheek lowered to her neck, where he found her pulse point and remained guiding her breathing. After a while, Keyleth’s sobs lessened enough that Vax felt comfortable to try something different.

“Can you speak?” Vax asked. Keyleth mumbled a ‘yes’ with a ragged voice. “That’s good. Can you tell me five things that you see?”

“You, the floor, chairs, the table, and the trash can,” Keyleth enumerated. Vax nodded with each word, keeping his breath steady to guide her.

“Very good, Kiki. Keep breathing with me, okay? Now, tell me four things you can touch.”

Keyleth moved her frozen fingertips on Vax’s chest. “You, the floor, the wall…” Keyleth paused. She grabbed Vax’s hand on her hair and brought it to her chest, setting it right atop her heart, and said, “And your hand.” She finished with a long exhale.

“You’re doing great, Kiki,” Vax whispered lovingly. He leaned in, pressed a kiss to her forehead and then rested his brows against hers. “How about three things you can hear?”

“Your heart,” Keyleth said without hesitation. Vax smiled at that. She must have been truly focused on his heartbeat, which was good. “Your breathing and the fridge.” Keyleth’s breaths were slower now, almost back to normal, but Vax knew he had to finish the exercise before he could let her go.

“Good job. Can you tell me two things you can smell?”

“You…”

“And?”

“Just you. All of you,” Keyleth replied bashfully. Vax chuckled but accepted the answer since he was so close to her.

“Last one. What can you taste?” Vax asked, but before Keyleth could answer, he kissed her deeply, and against his expectations, Keyleth’s tongue found his. She hummed and pulled away, leaning her forehead against Vax’s again. Her body relaxed, shoulders sagging with relief, but her hand still remained on Vax’s chest, now fully warm.

“Home,” Keyleth answered. With her breathing and heartbeat back to normal, Vax allowed himself to relax and remove the hand on her neck (although he kept the hand on her chest). “Thank you.”

“Come here,” Vax pulled in closer and wrapped both arms around her, bringing her head to his shoulder. Keyleth leaned into his embrace and sighed deeply. “What happened?”

“I can’t do it. I’m so exhausted,” Keyleth admitted.

“You only have one exam left tomorrow, right?” Keyleth nodded in response. “You need to sleep. You’ve been studying non-stop for a month, Kiki. You’re more than ready. And if you’re not, it’s not the end. You can make up for it in a few weeks.”

“I can’t. I have to go home,” Vax’s heart leaped in his chest. It’s not that he forgot that all his roommates were leaving, but it hadn’t dawned on him that Keyleth would also be going home for an entire month. “I don’t think I can pass the exam tomorrow.”

“You will,” Vax whispered against her hair. The knot on his throat was so tight he couldn’t breathe from what Vax knew was a sign of anxiety for being alone, of not having Keyleth close to him. “I believe in you, Kiki. You’re going to ace it. But you need sleep, and I won’t take a no for an answer, so you’re coming with me.” Vax pulled away and raised to his feet. He helped Keyleth up and started leading her out of the kitchen, but she stopped. “Don’t look at the table, just follow me.” He said. He waited for a sign of acknowledgment, which came in the form of a silent nod, and led her by the hand toward his bedroom door.

“I—Percy,” Keyleth tried to stop him, but Vax shook his head as he opened the door.

“It’s okay,” Vax mouthed, bringing her inside with him. Keyleth looked at him confused and at Percy’s empty bed. “He’s in the shower,” Vax explained, seeing her look. He closed the bedroom door behind him and opened his wardrobe to grab a wrinkled T-shirt.

“Put this on,” Vax handed Keyleth the shirt. She nodded and started stripping out of her clothes, which made Vax take a step back. He stammered an apology and turned, not before he saw the soft white fabric of her bra.

“It’s okay,” Keyleth said, half amused, half tired. Vax heard the rustling of clothes and then her soft, “You can turn now,” and when he looked, she had also removed her pants and was standing in just his t-shirt that fell just at the top of her hips. Vax’s face heated, but he tried to play it cool and gestured at his bed. Keyleth didn’t wait to be told twice. She pulled back his blankets and laid with her back to the wall.

“Good girl,” Vax smirked. Keyleth blushed slightly at that. “I’ll be right back.”

Vax returned a few minutes later, after finding Percy and letting him and Vex know what happened with Keyleth. She was still awake, lying on her side with her knees pulled high to her stomach, but she didn’t speak, nor did she move when Vax started undressing with no reservations.

“It’s not like you haven’t seen me shirtless before,” Vax said, dropping his shirt in the hamper. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants but looked at Keyleth before he took them off. “Don’t get any funny ideas,” He dropped his pants to his ankles and took them off, then added, “You need to sleep.”

“Can you stay like that?” Keyleth asked bashfully. Vax cocked his head inquisitively, and she explained, “Skin-to-skin contact helps me calm. Can we do that?”

“If you’re comfortable with that,” Vax replied, lying next to Keyleth, wearing only his boxers. Keyleth covered him and then sat up on the bed. Vax tried to keep his gaze away while she undressed, but he could still see her from the corner of his eyes.

“Will you hold me?” Keyleth asked in a whisper once she was lying back on the bed. Vax swallowed hard and nodded, opening his arms. “Come here.” Keyleth laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled her nose against him. The rest of her body was pressed against Vax’s, their legs entangled. Vax kissed the tip of her head as he wrapped an arm around her waist, doing his best to avoid thinking about the fact that they were touching from head to toe.

“Does this help?” He asked. Keyleth nodded. “Okay. Get some sleep. I’m right here.”

Keyleth was fast asleep within three heartbeats, but Vax remained awake for a while longer, watching the soft movement of her shoulders rise and fall against his chest, taking in her warmth and the softness of her skin against his body. His heart was both happy and sad. Sad because Keyleth was suffering so much from finals, but happy that she trusted him enough to let him in. In her panic-filled mind, Keyleth saw him and held onto him like a lifeline. She trusted Vax to bring her back because she knew he wouldn’t rest until she was safe.

Keyleth woke up confused, not knowing if what she remembered from the previous night had been a dream or real. The first thing that allowed her to discern reality was the headache that always appeared after a panic attack; the second thing was the fact that she had an arm wrapped around her waist with a hand splayed on her stomach and a warm breath on her nape. The final proof Keyleth needed was the fact that she was half-naked in someone’s bed—a man, from the pressure she felt on her behind. A small moment of panic made her turn around in bed, but then she sighed in relief when she saw raven-colored hair half-covering the tanned face of Vax’ildan, who, she realized, was also half-naked. The panic eased when Keyleth remembered everything that had happened. Even though she still had some gaps in her memory, at least she knew she had asked Vax to stay like that and remembered taking off the t-shirt he had given her. 

It didn’t matter that her underwear didn’t match (or that Vax saw her bare like that). Vax had seen her at her worst last night and hadn’t been scared like everyone else. Keyleth still remembered the times her panic attacks drove people away. She still heard what people called her and told her that day when she had to get dragged to the hospital by the school’s director. From that moment on, Keyleth refused to let anyone else see that vulnerable side of her, including her father ( especially her father). Korrin had more things to worry about than her stupid crisis.

But Vax found her curled on the floor and helped her. The way he guided her through the panic attack with breathing and exercises made her want to cry from gratitude. No one had ever bothered to learn those to help her before, and if they knew those exercises, no one spared a second glance her way when she started choking on her breathing. The fact that Vax did that for her and forced her to rest when he knew she would drive herself to an early grave because of exams meant more than Keyleth could describe. 

Everything was easier with Vax. Coming home after late classes and finding dinner ready; having company for late-night study sessions, but at the same time someone who would remind her—and force her—to take breaks and take care of her needs; having someone to relax with, to laugh and talk and cry over her problems. Someone who would hug her and take her in no matter what or how bad her moods were. Vax was patient with her, always willing to listen, to wait, to care for her. He never once asked for more than Keyleth was willing to give and never took without asking first. Every kiss they shared was either initiated by her or after Keyleth gave her consent; every hug was respectful, and even the previous night, when Keyleth undressed without saying anything, Vax had looked away out of respect. Keyleth was the luckiest woman in the world for having Vax as her friend, and she would be even luckier if she had him as her boyfriend.

Keyleth turned in bed, facing Vax, who was still sound asleep. Even with the curtains closed, she could tell dawn would break soon, which meant she didn’t have much time left in the comfortable warmth of Vax’s bed. Vax’s bed . The idea of sharing a bed with Vax didn’t scare her, nor did the sight of his body pressed hard against hers underneath the blankets. Truth be told, thinking of Vax as more than a friend made Keyleth feel butterflies in her stomach, but more than that, Keyleth felt like she needed that, the easiness of not having to remind herself that she couldn’t kiss Vax willy-nilly, that she needed a reason to hold his hand (which wasn’t actually true). Keyleth wanted all of him, especially after knowing he wasn’t scared of her panic attacks, and this time, she was sure Vax felt the same way.

Even though Keyleth had only shared a bed (and a couch) with Vax a handful of times, she loved waking up before him and seeing him sleep. Vax had told her he often had nightmares, but every time they slept together, Vax was always relaxed. Keyleth never thought much of it, but considering that sleeping at Vax’s side eased her own nightmares, maybe her being there also did the same for him. Yet another sign that dating Vax could be a good thing.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Vax grumbled as a way of greeting. Keyleth turned her head to see a smile that made her melt in place. Vax’s eyes were still half-closed and crusted with sleep, his voice was hoarse, and his hair completely disheveled on his pillow (someone forgot to braid his hair the previous night). 

“Good morning,” Keyleth greeted, turning to kiss the tip of his nose. Vax opened his eyes, giving her a look and a smile that made her toes curl. He slid his hand up to the middle of her back, underneath the band of her bra, and pulled her closer to him, kissing the tip of her nose, then one cheek, the other, and, when he was about to pull away, Keyleth brought his face in to kiss him slowly on the lips.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Vax asked, rubbing his nose against hers. Keyleth shrugged, “I just felt like it.”

“Did you sleep well?” Vax asked her, scratching his nails up and down her spine. Keyleth squirmed with the feeling, getting closer to him, and nodded. “Me too,” He said. 

“I don’t want to get up, but I have to study before the exam today.”

“No studying, Kiki. You’ve done all you could. Studying today will not help any more than the rest of the month.”

“I need to review every—”

“No,” Vax stopped Keyleth by turning her on her back and straddling her hips. “Absolutely not. I’m going to make sure you do nothing but relax until your exam later, even if I have to stay up here all day.”

Keyleth’s entire body flushed red. She could feel him pressing against her like this, even more when he supported his weight on his hands at each side of her head and bent over to bring his face close to hers. They were painfully close and in a very suggestive position.

“What’s it going to be, Kiki? Are you going to do as I say, or do I have to make sure you—” Vax leaned further down, supporting himself on his elbows now. “—don’t go anywhere?”

“I–I don’t know,” Keyleth mumbled softly. Two could play the game. “I really need to study.” Just as she intended, Vax fully lowered himself on top of her, completely locking her in place. Keyleth couldn’t even move her hands as they were pinned to her sides by his arms.

“Keyleth…” Keyleth’s body turned gooseflesh with Vax’s sultry voice and look. Her cheeks were burning and her chest was as red as a tomato.

“C–can I at least go to classes?”

Vax glared at her for a moment, then sat up straight and said, “Only if you promise you will not study anymore.”

As much as it hurt her, Keyleth knew Vax was right. A few more hours of studying wouldn’t make a difference, so she might as well try to relax. “I promise.”

Vax nodded, seemingly satisfied with it, and started to get up, but, as he did, he turned his head over his shoulder to look at Keyleth and said, “If you’re a good girl and keep your promise, I’ll reward you after dinner.”

Maybe it was because they slept so close and bare, or maybe it was the wink that Vax gave her, but Keyleth felt her entire body burn like it was about to combust into fire, and before Vax gave her a second glance, she was hiding underneath the covers, trying to keep herself from squealing.

Vax was very keen on making sure Keyleth kept her promise, either by walking her to class or meeting her at lunchtime. Keyleth knew he didn’t do it because he didn’t trust her but because Vax wanted to make sure she wasn’t overexerting herself (and also because he wanted to spend time with her). They sat at an isolated table in the cafeteria, watching the snow falling outside as they ate in silence. Keyleth almost grabbed her books out of her backpack by instinct once she was done eating her sandwich, but she stopped herself and grabbed her laptop instead.

“When are you going home?” Vax asked, looking at Keyleth above the screen of her computer.

“My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon,” Keyleth still had to pack when she got home. She somehow had to find time to do it during the party Scanlan wanted to throw before they broke for the holidays.

“I’ll take you to the airport,” Vax said nonchalantly.

Keyleth stopped typing to stare in shock at Vax. “You don’t have to. I can take a taxi.”

“I want to spend as much time as I can with you before I have to lose you for an entire month.”

Valid argument . Keyleth blushed. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“It’s still going to be torture,” Vax sighed. He leaned back on his chair, staring her in the eyes. Keyleth kept her gaze locked on his. Ever since their date to the botanical garden, Vax had been more open about his feelings, not thinking twice or measuring his words of affection towards her. The only thing he avoided saying was the three words Keyleth was starved to hear, but, to his defense, she had been pretty clear about not being ready, and Vax was nothing if not respectful.

“I’ll call you every day. You’re going to be so tired of me, you’ll end up blocking my number,” Keyleth joked. She looked at the clock and groaned. She finished typing the edits and delivered her last essay due later. 

“I’m never going to be tired of you, Kiki,” Vax said, getting up and standing behind her chair. Keyleth put her laptop back in her backpack and got to her feet, being immediately swept by an arm around her waist and a kiss on her cheek. “The day I grow tired of you is the day I die.”

Keyleth melted into his chest. Her heart was racing with an aching need to say what was on her mind, of what she almost blurbed, but it wasn’t the right time, and it certainly wasn’t the right place. “I have something to tell you later,” She mustered. Vax looked at her in concern and tensed. Keyleth knew he was running every bad scenario in his mind because she certainly would be if he had told her that. “It’s nothing bad, relax,” She reassured him. Vax’s shoulders slumped and he finally let go of her waist.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Kiki.” Vax pulled away. They started heading out, not before Keyleth joked, “For my sake, I sure hope not.”

The party was blasting in the living room, but Keyleth took a moment of distraction from her friends to sneak back into her bedroom. Her suitcase was open on her bed, clothes strewn on every empty spot on the blanket. Most of her late autumn and early winter clothes were already packed and ready, but Keyleth still had a few things to sort through. Winter in Emon was harsher than she expected, and some of her clothes weren’t warm enough for the winter, but she had to decide if they would be good enough for Spring. She had been rummaging through her clean laundry basket for clothes to pack when she found something that didn’t belong and knew it wasn’t hers from the color alone: Vax’s black hoodie, the one with the silver wings on the back and the three daggers on the sleeve. Keyleth would recognize the sweatshirt anywhere just by the smell of the twins’ laundry detergent.

Even though black was not her color—or any color at all, in Keyleth’s opinion—and that common sense dictated that she shouldn’t steal her roommate’s clothes, the urge to put on Vax’s hoodie was stronger than any argument Keyleth could come up with, so, instead of setting the hoodie aside to give it back to its rightful owner, Keyleth pulled it over her head. 

The sweatshirt was soft and comfortable, and the familiar smell made Keyleth feel like she was burrowing into Vax’s embrace, which brought back memories from the nights they shared together. Blush crept up her cheek when Keyleth imagined it was Vax’s arms that were holding her and not her own, and that it was his chest she was nuzzling, and not the neckline of the hoodie. Keyleth felt so cozy and safe that she knew she could easily fall asleep wearing the sweatshirt, no matter where she was.

Keyleth was so entranced in the feeling that she didn’t hear the door to her bedroom open and close and the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Kiki?” Vax called her. Keyleth jumped in place, realizing she hadn’t heard Vax walk in. The music and voices in the living room were still loud enough to let her know everyone else was still partying.

“Vax!”

“Are you wearing my hoodie?” Vax asked with a smirk. Keyleth’s eyes widened and she took a step back, nervously playing with the strings of the hoodie.

“I–Maybe?”

“It looks good on you,” Vax cocked his head. 

“I’m sorry. It was in my laundry and I–” Keyleth looked down, trying to hide her embarrassment. “It smelled like you and it’s so cozy.”

Vax closed the distance between them, asking, “Do you want it?”

Yes . Keyleth wanted to say. When she looked up at him, she saw the same look in his eyes he always had when he wanted nothing more but to kiss her. “No,” Keyleth replied instead. She knew Vax didn’t have many clothes and she felt bad for taking his only—and favorite—hoodie. She could not take something so important from him when he had already given her so much of himself.

“Are you sure? I can buy another one.” Vax insisted, grabbing at the fabric of the pocket on her stomach. 

No, you can’t . Keyleth thought. The twins’ finances were getting worse and worse by the day. Vax had told her that he and Vex would have to work the entire winter break to save up some money for the next semester. Vax could not afford another hoodie, and to be honest, Keyleth wasn’t sure if he could find one. The one she was wearing already looked like one of its kind. “I’m sure,” She said, smiling lovingly at him. 

“You can borrow it then. Just make sure you bring it back when you return,” Vax offered. He tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I promise it’s okay if you change your mind.”

“I won’t,” Keyleth answered quickly. Vax merely smirked and winked at her knowingly. 

“You said you had something to tell me?”

Keyleth bit her lip. She had wanted to tell him her feelings, but now that time had finally come, she was shaking with fear that it would be too late. “I–I’ve been thinking,” Keyleth said shakily. “About what you told me that day… that you l–”

Vax smiled at her hesitation and finished her thought, “That I love you, yes.”

“Yeah,” Keyleth’s face felt too warm, her chest was too tight and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

“Keyleth, breathe,” Vax reminded her. Keyleth’s eyes were wide open in his direction. He brought her hand to his chest, under his shirt like he had done the previous night, and started taking long, slow breaths for her to follow. Keyleth did, and when her heart rate decreased enough that she could breathe normally again, Vax reassured her, “No matter what you have to tell me, I’m not going anywhere Kiki. I’m right here. I promise I’m not leaving.”

“I know,” Keyleth replied, still shakily. Some tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, but Vax wiped them with his thumbs. “I love you, Vax. I have never felt so safe with anyone before. I’ve never felt so sure of my feelings. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Last night, you showed me you weren’t scared of me and my existential crisis like everyone else is. You didn’t run away like everyone… you stayed and helped me. I don’t want to go through all that alone ever again.”

“You won’t have to, Kiki. I’ll always be with you,” Vax said, hugging her tightly. “I love you so much, Keyleth. I just want to make you happy, even if that means we’ll remain as friends.”

Keyleth pulled away to look Vax in the eyes and said, “I don’t want to be just your friend anymore.” This time, it was Keyleth’s turn to wipe the tears forming in the corner of Vax’s eyes. “Unless you changed your mind about—”

“Shut up,” He interrupted her with a kiss. Keyleth chuckled against his lips, then returned the kiss. 

“Can we keep it between us until I tell my dad?” Keyleth asked when she pulled away.

“I can try, but I’m pretty sure my sister will smell it a mile away.” Keyleth snorted and turned back to her suitcase, resuming her packing. Vax waited, hemming and hawing at something and biting his lip until he finally blurted out, “Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Just sleep, I promise.”

Percy had left for the airport soon after Keyleth got home, having waited only long enough to say goodbye to her. She had cried a bit on his shoulder for already missing her best friend, but she understood his need to go home to his younger sister as soon as he could, but not before Percy promised Keyleth to bring her something from Whitestone. Sleeping with Vax would not be a problem without Percy to worry about, and, to be honest, Keyleth knew if she slept on her bed, she would probably stay awake all night, tossing and turning with anxiety. Really there were more pros about the invitation than cons. 

“Just sleep?” Keyleth asked. Vax nodded, biting his lip nervously. “I think that’s a good idea. I sleep better when I’m with you and I need to rest for the flight tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course. That’s the only reason why I asked…” Vax teased, wrapping his arms around her waist from the back. 

“Mhm. You’re so concerned about me, aren’t you?” Keyleth teased back, looking over her shoulder. Vax smirked at her, gave her a soft peck on the lips, and said, “Of course. It has nothing to do with the fact that I just want to sleep with my girlfriend.”

Keyleth turned around in Vax’s arms and wrapped hers around his neck. Her smile was so big her cheeks hurt. “Call me that again, please.”

“Girlfriend,” Vax whispered against her lips and kissed her. Keyleth hummed, still smiling as they kissed, and when they broke apart, she pushed Vax away with a chuckle and said, “Alright. You need to leave because I have to finish packing.”

“But–” Vax pouted, trying to grab her again.

“No buts,” Keyleth put her hand on Vax’s shoulders, turned him away and guided him to her bedroom door. “You are a very yummy distraction, but the faster I pack, the faster I’ll go back to the party.” Vax stood outside Keyleth’s bedroom door, staring agape at her. Keyleth blew him a kiss before she closed the door and returned to her packing with the biggest smile and feeling of lightness she had ever felt in her life.

Vax was her boyfriend .

Vax was an idiot. A fool in love. And against all odds, the one he loved loved him back. For most of his life, Vax had heard all about how useless he was, how he would never amount to anything, how no one would ever love him, so much so that he believed it with his own heart. Vax never thought he would be in this situation when he started having feelings for Keyleth, he never thought he was deserving of anyone’s love, much less hers, but here he was, lying in bed with a halo of wildfire hair spread on his pillow, Keyleth’s cheek pressing warmly against his chest, and her long and nimble fingers spread out on his bare stomach. Vax was a selfish man because even though he had to wake Keyleth up soon, he wanted to steal these last moments of quiet and safety with her. The early hours of the rest of the morning would be reserved for silent breakfasts and last-minute packing and double-checking of luggage, then they would both catch a taxi to the airport, where Vax would finally let Keyleth go. 

No. Vax would steal these last precious moments with his girlfriend. But because all good things must come to an end, the alarm clock destroyed those final moments. Keyleth sat up on the bed, still half-asleep, but already half-anxious. The blankets pooled on her lap revealed the soft blue workout bra she had picked for the night and the flight (Vax hadn’t complained when Keyleth started taking her clothes off and dove under his blankets, and he certainly didn’t complain when he followed her in just his underwear. She was right, after all. Skin-to-skin contact was more relaxing than just cuddling), and when Keyleth pulled them away, Vax mustered all his self-control to not follow the lines of her back down to where her hips raised from the bed as Keyleth crawled over his legs.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Keyleth swore as she started putting on the clothes she left prepared on Percy’s bed. Vax remained in bed, lying on his side, watching her flutter around the room with a smile. “I still have to pack all my toiletries and brush my hair. I forgot to put it in a braid last night–” Vax didn’t say anything. Keyleth was mostly talking to herself rather than with him, and he let her be. It helped her to go through her to-do list out loud.

“Ugh. My hair is a mess,” Keyleth cried, combing her fingers through her locks, getting them tangled in the knots. She turned to Vax, who was still smiling fondly, and cocked her head to one side. “What are you smiling about?”

“You,” Vax said, sitting up. He stretched his arms high above his head and saw the way Keyleth’s eyes dropped from his face to his torso. “You’re adorable. You still have plenty of time. Grab your hairbrush and come here.” Vax said, leaning back against his headboard and patting the blanket between his legs. Keyleth rolled her eyes but did as he said, so Vax started combing and braiding her hair for her. When he finished tying the braid with an elastic, he pulled it softly and kissed Keyleth’s neck. 

“Stop it,” she scolded him playfully but turned away to face him and kiss him passionately. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, my love.” 

“I’m going to finish packing now,” Keyleth said, giving him a sad look before she got up and headed out of the bedroom. Vax stretched again (it didn’t feel as satisfying without Keyleth ogling him) and started getting dressed. He knew Keyleth wouldn’t make herself anything to eat before her flight, so he headed into the kitchen where he brewed a pot of coffee (which surely all his other roommates would be happy for since most of them were leaving, too), and prepared Keyleth and himself a quick breakfast. By the time Keyleth arrived in the kitchen with her fully packed suitcase and backpack, Vax was leaning against the counter, stirring a bowl of apple, cinnamon oatmeal with honey and walnuts.

“I made you breakfast,” He announced. Keyleth grimaced, but Vax said he wouldn’t take a no for an answer before she opened her mouth to reject the meal. They ate in silence, sitting next to each other at the table. Vax’s free hand rested on Keyleth’s knee the entire time, rubbing circles with his thumb with the intent to help her relax. Keyleth was wearing his hoodie (which Vax was trying to ignore because it made him want to hold her hostage and not let her go back home), but it was missing something. 

“Kiki, can you take that off?” He asked her. Keyleth gave him a look as if to say there’s no way I’m taking this sweater off ever in my life , but Vax insisted, wiggling his fingers, “Please? I’ll bring it right back.” She finally complied, so Vax ran to his bedroom, where he sprayed it with his cologne, and ran back to the kitchen, handing it back to Keyleth.

“Here, I think you’ll like it better,” He said as Keyleth put the sweatshirt back on. He was right because Keyleth buried deeper into it with a pleased smile. 

“Thank you,” Keyleth said, getting up. She fumbled slightly with the strings, hesitating for a moment, then finally found the courage to pull Vax by the opening of his jacket and kiss him. “This will make it slightly more bearable.”

“I figured it would,” Vax said, brushing her cheek. “We have to go. Are you ready?” Keyleth nodded. Vax placed the dirty dishes in the sink to wash later and helped Keyleth with her suitcase and backpack. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much traffic on the way to the airport, so the ride was short. Vax kept Keyleth’s hand in his the entire ride, only letting go of it when they arrived so she could pay for the taxi and when she checked into her flight. They still had a few minutes before she had to go through security, which Vax decided to spend glued to his girlfriend. 

“I’ll call you every day,” Keyleth promised. Vax nodded. He tried to keep his sadness down, but it was hard. This was the first time he and Keyleth would be apart for so long, and it was especially hard because they hadn’t had the chance to be boyfriend and girlfriend for long. 

“I’ll call you if you don’t call me. And I’m going to text you all the time so you don’t forget me.” Vax teased her.

“Oh, please. You’re unforgettable,” Keyleth teased back and kissed him, but then her smile faded. “Unless you’re the one who’s going to forget me…”

“Do you really think so?” Keyleth shook her head, but she still bit her lip nervously. “Of course not. I’m going to be here when you come back. In fact, I might stay and sleep at the airport to make sure I’m here on time for when you return.” 

Keyleth laughed. They both knew there was some truth behind the joke. Vax really would do something like that. “I’ll be back before you know it,” She said, hugging him tightly. Vax squeezed her as hard as his heart was breaking. His eyes were warming with tears, his throat was closing, he couldn’t swallow anymore, and his vision started darkening. Vax wasn’t ready to let go of Keyleth yet, not when he had just finally gotten her. The week they were apart as friends had already been horrible for both, and Vax knew this time would only be worse. 

“I already miss you,” He confessed. “You’ve been my girlfriend for twelve hours and I already have to say goodbye to you… it’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth swallowed hard. Vax saw she was suffering just as much as he was. “I’ve had this trip booked since the beginning of the semester, otherwise I would stay with you.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just grumpy.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head out of my ass,” Keyleth’s eyes were starting to fill with tears, but Vax wiped them before they could fall. 

“I would have waited all my life. I will wait all my life for you, Keyleth, and if I die without you by my side, then I will wait in the afterlife for as long as it takes until we’re finally together.”

“Vax–”

“I love you, my sunshine.”

“I love you too, my grumpy raven,” Keyleth whispered against Vax’s lips before she kissed him longingly. “I have to go now,” She said, adjusting the straps on her shoulder.”

“Text me when you land?”

“Of course. I’ll miss you.”

“I’m right here with you,” Vax pulled the drawstrings of her hoodie. “I’ll always be with you, love.” Keyleth nodded. Neither could stop their tears from falling anymore, no matter how much they wiped at their eyes. 

“I’ll always be with you, too, Vax. I’m yours, forever and ever, and always.”

“And I’m yours, Keyleth. Forever and ever, and always.”

In hindsight, Vax should have known it would be the last time he kissed his girlfriend for a while, and Keyleth should have taken the five extra minutes to savor the taste of Vax’s tongue on hers. In retrospect, things could have been so much different than they were, had either of them known what would be waiting on the other side. But something deep inside Vax, a dark pitch that he had been trying to escape for years and that he finally thought he had gotten rid of with the help of Keyleth, crept closer and closer until, eventually, it swallowed Vax’ildan whole.

That is the problem with last kisses. Opposite of first kisses, last kisses aren’t usually memorable because one doesn’t always know it happened until it’s too late, and when one is finally faced with the truth, one can’t stop wishing they had just five more minutes of it. 

Just five more minutes with her. Just five more minutes with him.

Wishing they had just five more minutes together.

Chapter Text

Percival

Percival de Rolo walked out of the small airfield located at the base of the Alabaster Sierras. The change in temperature from the warm concrete building to the freezing cold air of the region brought back memories of past travels, especially those of when Percy was younger and still had to accompany his parents on their multiple business trips. He hailed a taxi at the main road, loaded his suitcase in the trunk, and sat on the backseat with his personal messenger bag. Percy couldn’t help but smile in anticipation of how his younger sister, Cassandra, would react when she saw the gifts he brought her: a beautiful dress made by one of the best seamstresses in Emon and a snow globe with the city’s landscape. 

He still beat himself for leaving Cassandra behind. Percy knew he shouldn’t have done so, but getting his Engineering degree at University of Emon was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and his sister was safe with Father Yennen—or so Percy hoped. It was true that Father Yennen was a long-time family friend, but the man was still the one in charge of the orphanage, and Percy could not forgive himself if Cassandra ever felt like he had abandoned her like many other kids had been. Cassandra still had him, her only family. 

Percy didn’t notice the landscape change from the wild forest to the urban streets. It was only when the taxi stopped in front of the ominous dark brick building, that the man realized he had arrived at his destination. After paying—with a gracious tip—and getting his bags, Percy crossed the chipped wrought iron gate. Its loud creak was enough to announce his presence, which was, oddly enough, heard from the interior of the building. 

Father Yennen was an older man of about sixty years old. His thick white mustache matched in color to his hair, but not in thickness as his hair had already been receding since Percy could remember. The man that held the door open for Percival wore the same weathered gray robes as he remembered from his childhood. It felt like no matter how long Percy had been gone from Whitestone, nothing ever changed.

“Please, take a seat,” Yennen directed Percy to an old, used chair in his small office. Percy obeyed, trying to contain his nervousness. He was expecting Cassandra to be called right away when he stepped into the house but all he heard was the screams of other children playing in the backyard and playrooms. Instead, Father Yennen led Percy through the long corridor to his office with a solemn face.

“There have been some… developments, I’m afraid.” Yennen said in a low, embarrassed voice.

“What kind of developments?” Percival asked, trying to be patient with the old man. “Where is Cassandra, exactly?”

“About that…” 

Percy’s heart sank to his feet—it would go beyond if it could. He watched as Father Yennen slowly opened a side drawer and removed a stack of papers from it. 

“It seems–” The man spoke, avoiding eye contact with Percy. “–that your parents made amendments to their will before their deaths.” Yennen placed the paperwork on the desk but Percy didn’t touch them. “I’m deeply sorry, Percival. I couldn’t do anything,” The man apologized. 

Percy’s heart raced as he waited for the following doomed words that came out of the old man’s lips, “The Briarwoods came to pick up Cassandra this morning. They had all the legal paperwork for her adoption, the estate deeds, and the refinery shares. Furthermore,” Yennen spread the papers until he picked up a newer, official-looking police report, “you have been banned from the property–both the De Rolo Estate and the company headquarters–and are not allowed to contact Cassandra for risk of imprisonment.”

“What? They can’t do that!” Percy didn’t realize he was on his feet until his fist knocked with the thick wood of Yenne’s desk. “They can’t stop me from getting into my house and seeing my sister! How? HOW DID THEY DO THIS?”

“Please calm down, Percival. The childr–”

“Screw them. YOU LET THEM TAKE HER.” Father Yennen’s eyes changed from deep blue to a much darker gray as fear crossed his face. Percy didn’t care if the man was scared of him. He should have been. He allowed those monsters to take his sister away, to take her from him . What lies would they spin? What manipulations would they weave into her mind to turn her against him? To make her feel like he left her.

But Percy did leave Cassandra behind, didn’t he? He jumped on the first plane out of the city and flew to Emon, miles and miles away from the sister who lost everyone she loved the most in her life. From the little girl whose parents were brutally murdered—no matter that the police investigation said it was a ski accident, Percy knew the truth. 

“This can’t be true,” Percy said. He refused to believe in the legality of the papers in front of him, even if they were signed and stamped with the proper authorities’ seals. “I need Archibald. Where is he?” Percy barked. Yennen would know. Archibald had been one of his dear children. 

“He–he is at the House–” Before the man had time to finish his sentence, Percy grabbed the paperwork and stormed out of the room. 

Percival didn’t care what the papers said. There was no way in the nine hell his parents would let the Briarwoods take Cassandra–take everything they owned. There was more behind this than what it let on, and Percy was going to figure it out.

Keyleth

Flying was not something Keyleth was particularly fond of, mostly due to being closed in such tight quarters with 200 other people and being forced to let someone else take control of her life. The anxiety medication she always took in SOS times was instrumental in keeping her calm through the flight, but Keyleth’s heart started racing again at the sight of the snow-covered caps of the Summit Peaks. Home.

The descent was equally frightening—not even the beauty of the landscape was enough to reassure Keyleth the plane wasn’t about to fall out of the sky and dive into the swampy waters of the K’Tawl Bay—so by the time the airplane reached the loading bridge, Keyleth’s hands hurt from white-knuckling the armrest and her chest burned from trying to contain some serious hyperventilation. All Keyleth wanted was to get out of this metal coffin and hug her father.

Finally out of the airplane, Keyleth felt so much better, but especially so when she read the text message Vax sent her saying he missed her already. From the time stamp, Keyleth could tell he sent it as soon as she disappeared from his sight at the airport, and the thought made her smile. She was, however, sad to not see more messages after that one, but maybe Vax was expecting her to let him know she had landed to text her again. Keyleth had to force herself to change to her father’s contact instead of calling Vax. She would call him later, when she felt calmer and more at home.

Korrin was a tall man—taller than Keyleth’s 6 ft, which is where she got her height from—and so it was easy for Keyleth to spot him among the crowd in the arrivals area. The man’s long gray hair was pulled in a half-up pony-tail that matched his well-groomed beard. Maybe it was because Keyleth hadn’t seen her father in months, but he looked older. The wrinkles around his eyes were more prominent, much to Keyleth’s delight, but so were the frown marks on his forehead. Korrin looked like someone who clearly needed a break from work.

“Dad!” Keyleth cried out, dropping her suitcase to hold her father. He smelled just as she remembered: sweet like cherries with the muskiness of hay and the dampness of the farmed soil. Korrin smelled like home. 

“Hey there, Sprout,” The man greeted, holding Keyleth tight. The strength of his hug was enough to break her. Not wanting others to see her, Keyleth hid her face in the crook of her father’s neck and wept from exhaustion and relief. “It’s alright, baby. You’re okay. You’re home now.”

“I’m sorry, dad. I–” Keyleth tried, in vain, to apologize as she wiped the streaks from her cheeks. The look of understanding in her father’s eyes almost made the tears start right back up again, but Keyleth held on strongly. “I’ve missed you,” Her voice trembled.

“I’ve missed you, too, darling. I’m so happy you’re here,” Korrin said, pushing his daughter away so he could get a better look at her. Keyleth realized she must have looked like a mess when the man grimaced at her. Her braid was falling apart from rubbing on the plane seat, her face looked gaunt and exhausted, and she wore a pair of old, paint-stained sweatpants and Vax’s hoodie. Yet, despite what Korrin must have seen in Keyleth, he didn’t make any comments. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked instead, taking Keyleth’s suitcase.

“Starving,” Keyleth said. She followed her father out of the airport and into the humidity of Stilben. Suddenly, the sweatshirt grew too heavy for her, so Keyleth pulled it off to stay in just her shirt. 

“I booked us a table at your favorite restaurant,” Korrin mentioned, placing Keyleth’s suitcase in the backseat of his old, beaten up and mud-splattered pick-up truck. Keyleth took her place at the passenger seat, setting her backpack between her legs and Vax’s hoodie on her lap, and waited for her father to settle in at the driver’s seat to reply, “You didn’t have to do that, I could have just made something when we got home.”

“But I wanted to treat my daughter to a nice meal. I haven’t seen you in months, it’s the least I could do.” Korrin smiled. 

“Alright, then. Let’s go.” Keyleth ceded. She could never say no to her father, not after so long without seeing him. Vax can wait a little bit longer, she thought, looking at the empty screen of her phone. It was weird that he hadn’t texted or called her yet. Keyleth knew he had all her flight details since he mentioned he would be tracking it. 

“Everything okay, Sprout?” Korrin asked, feeling her silence grow heavier. Keyleth nodded. She put her phone away and held on tighter to Vax’s sweater on her lap. “Changing your style?” Her dad asked, nodding at the garment.

“Uhm? Oh… This is Vax’s. He lent it to me.” Keyleth explained. Her cheeks flushed at Korrin’s raised eyebrows. “Vax? The alt-looking roommate with the twin and the dog?”

“Yep.” Keyleth answered, even though she knew she had talked about Vax before. Korrin was baiting her for something. 

“He lent you his clothes, uh? That’s kind of him.” 

Keyleth waited.

“Is there anything you wish to tell–”

“Dad!” There it was. Korrin looked at her, smirking. He knows. Of course he knows. “Vax is a friend…” Keyleth hesitated.

“A boy friend?”

Keyleth’s cheeks flushed. She would have to tell him, sooner or later. Might as well rip off the bandaid. “Yes.”

Keyleth was expecting a million reactions from her father—from being angry at her, to being disappointed—but what she didn’t expect was for Korrin to laugh wholeheartedly, a sound she hadn’t heard in such a carefree way in so long. “Oh, Sprout,” Korrin tapped Keyleth’s shoulder. “You’re all grown up now, uhm? Maybe Sprout doesn’t fit you anymore.”

Keyleth lowered her head. Sprout was her mom’s nickname for her. She used to say Keyleth reminded her of a plant when she was a baby: needy of love and sunlight, but sturdy and stubborn.

“I will always be a Sprout, dad.” She pouted. Korrin laughed again.

“I’m proud of you, Keyleth. I know I might not say it enough, but I am. You’ve grown into a beautiful, smart and kind woman. You kept your great grades, you moved out on your own, made friends and even have a boyfriend now. You are so strong, daughter. I couldn’t be prouder of being your father. Your mom would be proud, too.”

“Dad…” Keyleth’s voice trembled. Korrin rubbed her shoulder, being incapable of doing more as he was driving. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

They spent the rest of the drive and the meal talking about classes, about Keyleth’s roommates—especially all the shenanigans Trinket got up to—Korrin’s work and general state of the company. Korrin didn’t ask any questions about Vax, instead, he waited for Keyleth to provide information at her own pace, which she was very glad of. She told him about her date with Vax at the Botanic Gardens, about how nice he was to her and how he kept her in line with her social-academic life balance.

“Vax’ildan sounds like a great person, Sprout. I can’t wait to properly meet him.” Korrin said, opening the blue-painted door of their cottage. Keyleth barely had time to step inside when a furball started wrapping itself around her legs.

“Oh Minxie. I missed you, girl.” Keyleth cooed, picking up the fluffy, white cat. She rubbed her face against Minxie’s in greeting, being gifted with a long purr. 

“I’m sure you are tired from your travels.” Korrin said, taking Keyleth’s suitcase to her bedroom. “I will let you rest. If you need anything, call me.” He kissed her forehead then left her to sit on her bed with Minxie still rubbing her face on Keyleth’s.

“It’s good to be home. I have so much to tell you,” Keyleth said, carefully placing the cat on her bed. Her room looked exactly how she had left it, except less dusty. Korrin had clearly cleaned it up in preparation for Keyleth’s arrival. “Remind me to make dad breakfast tomorrow to thank him, will you?” Keyleth asked Minxie. She picked out her phone on instinct to check for any messages, but nothing.

Not wanting to delay even more, and because honestly she missed Vax to death, Keyleth dialed his number, but it went to voicemail immediately. “Weird,” She whispered. An eerie heaviness settled in her chest. She tried again, still nothing. She texted him asking if he was okay, but it also wasn’t delivered. 

Keyleth was starting to get worried. It wasn’t like Vax to stay for so long without at least texting her and for her calls to go straight to voicemail. She thought about calling Vex to ask, and she was about to, when Keyleth was interrupted by a loud thud coming from her father’s bedroom. She threw her phone in the pocket of the hoodie and ran to Korrin’s bedroom, calling his name.

“Dad, are you o–” Keyleth stopped at the door. Korrin was kneeling on the floor, looking paler than a piece of paper. His forehead was sweaty, but what concerned Keyleth the most was the hand clutching to his chest.

“Dad?” Keyleth’s step faltered. She wasn’t fast enough. Korrin fell to his back on the floor, his hand falling to his side like a puppet that lost its master. “DAD!” Keyleth screamed. She took his pulse between tears. “NO, NO. DAD. NO.” Korrin’s heartbeat was very faint and his breathing shallow, but there. That was the only solace Keyleth took as she shakily called the emergency services. 

“Please hang on, dad. Help is coming,” Keylet begged between tears after making sure the front door was open for the paramedics. She kept her hand on his pulse point per instructions of the dispatcher, feeling her father’s heart slow down. “NO. NO! STAY WITH ME, DAD. STAY WITH ME.”

Vex'ahlia

Thud.

The first arrow hit the bullseye.

Thud.

The second arrow split the first in half.

Whack.

“Fuck,” The third arrow failed the target completely and speared the gravel instead. “Trinket, fetch please, darling.”

The big, shaggy dog trotted, picked the arrow by shaft and brought it back to his owner. 

“Thank you,” Vex’ahlia petted the dog on the top of his head and gave him a rewarding treat. She spun the arrow around, looking for splinters—nothing—then pointed it at the target, closing one eye. Not bent. Good. She had already lost one arrow by splitting it in two, she couldn’t afford to lose another one, especially now that her quiver (and her bank account) was growing emptier.

“Ugh…” Vex looked up at the clear sky. Even though there were no clouds covering the sun, it was still cold at this time of the morning. Somewhere in the distance, a plane crossed the city, and Vex wondered if it was Keyleth’s plane. It was about the time her brother had told her Keyleth would be leaving.

“Vax is going to be in a mood, isn’t he, Trinket?” Vex asked the dog, not that she expected an answer. Vax and Keyleth had been getting closer lately, and while Vex was happy for her brother, she knew that the next month was going to be even more excruciating for Vax’s mood.

“We should do something special for him,” Vex continued speaking to her dog. She loaded her bow, took aim and shot. 

Thud.

Bullseye again.

Vex’ahlia had decided to come to the shooting range to keep her mind busy. She couldn’t hear herself think between worrying about Vax entering another depressive episode with Keyleth’s departure, and Percy’s lack of communication. Sure, Percy had a long flight and he was probably hanging out with his sister today, but he hadn’t even texted Vex to let her know if Cassandra had liked the dress she helped him pick up for her. 

Thud.

A fourth arrow hit the target. Vex tried to pick another one but her hands came out empty.

“Shit. Down to four arrows.” She mumbled. She looked down at Trinket who was looking up at her, wagging his tail, expecting her to fail again so he could fetch the arrow and earn another treat.

“At least you seem happy to see me fail, uh boy?” Vex joked, petting the dog again. There was no room for failure in her life, and Vex made sure to correct any possible fails that did occur. Which is why she shook off the weight in her shoulder and picked up the remaining four arrows. 

“Alright, Trinket. Let’s make a deal, darling.” Vex really needed more friends if she was making deals with her dog as if he understood her. “For each shot I fail, I’ll cook you a steak.”

At the sound of the word steak , Trinket perked up and let out a soft whine. His mouth opened in a pant, as if he truly understood what the word meant (Vex had never given him steak, so it was unlikely).

“Seems like you’re in, then.”

Vex’ahlia didn’t miss a single shot for the next hour and by the time she called it quits, she was done to three arrows, having split another one in half (she really needed to stop doing that). 

“Sorry, Trinket. No steak for you, buddy.” She petted the dog’s hairy head. He gave her a dejected look that brought back the putrid feeling of guilt that Vex’ahlia hated so much. “Fine. Maybe I’ll stop by the store to buy us a steak for tonight. I think that would cheer Vax up, what do you think?”

The dog barked in response, his tail wagging insanely fast. It seemed like Trinket was amenable to sharing a steak with the twins. Vex would consider that a win, and therefore, she no longer needed to feel guilty, which was an even bigger win.

Vex’ahlia was feeling pretty good after practicing. Archery always helped her focus and organize her thoughts, so she didn’t feel as worried about Vax and Percy anymore. The day had grown hotter, too, so Vex striped off her jacket and decided to walk back to campus instead. However, she hadn’t even crossed the gate of the range when her phone started buzzing in the back pocket of her jeans.

She didn’t recognize the number, but the area code was definitely from Emon, which was weird. Everyone who had her phone number in Emon she had saved as a contact on her phone, and she didn’t really have the habit of giving away her number to anyone.

“Hello?” Vex’ahlia answered the call, suspicious. 

There was a lot of noise on the other side of the line. People talking and beeping. This was surely a business of some sort. Maybe even someone trying to sell her something?

“Hello, is this Vex’ahlia Vessar?” A woman asked on the other side.

Vex’s suspicion grew at the last name. She definitely did not give up her last name to anyone.

“This is her. Who’s this?”

“Hello, Ms. Vessar. My name is Esmeralda, I’m calling you from Emon Regional Hospital.”

What? Why would the hospital be calling her?

“We just had someone by the name of Vax’ildan Vessar come in. You were his emergency contact.”

Vex’s heart fell to her feet and she dropped Trinket’s leash—thankfully, the dog didn’t start running down the street—as she started looking around, searching for a taxi.

“Is my brother okay?” Vex managed to ask, feeling her limbs start to shake. He has to be. Please tell me he is. Vex would know if her twin wasn’t okay. They’ve always shared this dumb, twin special connection. They’ve always known when the other wasn’t okay.

“I’m not sure. He’s still under observation and I can’t access his chart. But he was in an accident.”

Finally Vex saw a taxi. She waved furiously at it and, for a moment, she didn’t think they were going to stop, but they did. She dragged a confused Trinket onto the backseat and got into the passenger seat. The driver opened their mouth, likely to tell her no dogs allowed, but Vex’ahlia gave him a threatening look and said, “Emon Regional Hospital, right now,” and then, to the phone, “I’m on my way.”

Vax is alive. Vax is okay. Vex’ahlia repeated to herself as the taxi driver wove through the traffic. She had half a mind to tell them to slow down, but she didn’t care. Her brother had an accident. He was at the hospital, and she couldn’t tell if he was okay or not.

“Here,” Vex handed the driver the money—and a bigger tip than she would have given on a normal day—and dragged Trinket out.

“Ma’am, no dogs allowed!” A security guard tried to bar her entrance but Vex’ahlia growled at him, “He’s a service dog!” and, as if the guard needed further proof, Trinket started licking Vex’s hand.

“I–I’m sorry, Ma’am. Please–” The guard gestured to the doors. Vex huffed and scratched Trinket under his jaw, whispering reassuringly that she was okay. 

Vex truly was not okay. Trinket had been right in alerting her, because Vex could feel the anxiety bubbling into panic as she crossed the hospital doors and headed for the reception desk.

“I’m looking for Vax’ildan Vessar. I’m his sister, Vex’ahlia Vessar.” She announced herself. The woman on the other side of the desk couldn’t be any older than 25, which made complete sense when she beamed up and said, “Ah! Yes, I called you.”

Esmeralda was an apt name for the woman, Vex thought, with the large green eyes that were likely the reason behind her parents’ decision to name her after the gem. 

“Let me check if he has left the operating room…”

Shit. Vax had to get surgery? They could barely afford the transportation to the hospital. 

“It seems like Mr. Vessar is in the ICU.” Esmeralda said after typing at her computer for a minute. “If you go through that door, head all the way to the end of the corridor, take the elevator to the third floor and it should be on your right. There are arrows pointing if you get lost.” She finished with a soft smile.

“Thank you,” Vex noded. She rushed Trinket with her, ignoring his attempts to lick at her hand, and followed the instructions. People stared at her as she ran out of the elevator, but no one stopped her from entering the double wide doors under the sign that said Intensive Care Unit.

There was a waiting room right inside the doors to the left with another desk where a much older woman looked at Vex, then Trinket, over half-moon spectacles. 

“May I help you?” She asked, with the tone of voice that reminded Vex of an old tutor that would hit her knuckles with a wooden ruler every time she got an answer wrong.

“I’m Vex’ahlia Vessar. My brother, Vax’ildan…”

“Ah, yes.” The woman typed quickly on the computer. “He had emergency surgery and is currently in recovery in room 305.”

Vex’ahlia finally let out a breath she had been holding since she first got the phone call. Even though the words emergency surgery weren’t a good omen, at least there was no worse news.

“May I see him?” She asked. The woman looked at her intensively, from the strands of hair that fell off Vex’s braid, to the sweat glistening on her forehead, then, after two excruciatingly long minutes, she finally nodded.

“Thank you,” Vex tapped the counter and led Trinket down the corridor, looking for room 305.

“Vax!” She ran into the room. A nurse was leaning over the hospital bed where Vax was, eyes closed as if he was asleep. He had tubes coming out of his mouth, attached to his nose and his arms where the IV was dripping into. Every part of his exposed body was a mess of bruises and cuts, but from the way he was covered, Vex couldn’t see any surgery scars, which concerned her.

“Hello,” The nurse greeted. “Are you Vex’ahlia?”

“Yes,” She replied, dropping the bow bag, the quiver and her jacket next to an empty chair by the bed. “What happened?”

“There was an accident. A truck ran a red light and hit the taxi Mr. Vessar was riding in. The driver died on site. Mr. Vessar has a few broken ribs and had some internal bleeding, so he was rushed to the operating room, but Dr. Callisto was able to locate the source and stop the bleeding.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Vex’ahlia asked, holding onto her brother’s hand.

“He should. He’s still under anesthesia, and he should be for another few hours. We still need to run a few more tests, but he will make it.”

“Thank you,” Vex felt the heat of the prickling tears building up but she swallowed down hard. The last thing she wanted was to allow a stranger to see her cry. 

She sat on the chair, allowing the nurse to finish her job, but her gaze never left her brother’s face, not even when Trinket incessantly started licking her hand. Vex couldn’t understand why the dog was being so insistent about it. She wasn’t any more anxious than she had been five minutes ago, yet the licks grew quicker and more impatient.

“What’s wrong, darling?” Vex asked, finally looking down at Trinket’s brown eyes. 

That’s when the sounds in the room changed. One of the machines connected to Vax—the one that tracked his heart rate—started beeping faster. Vex’ahlia looked up at the same time as the nurse did, and then, both of them cursed between her teeth and the nurse pressed a button at the headboard of Vax’s bed. Immediately, the nurse started fussing around Vex’s brother while the beeping increased.

“Is he—” Vex was a medicine student, but even though she had just finished her first semester, she knew what the beeping meant, especially when it turned into a solid beep and the line on the screen flattened.

“Move, please,” A large middle-aged man ordered. Vex’ahlia stepped aside as another nurse and the person she assumed was Dr. Callisto bent over Vax, yelling orders. 

“No… Please, no! VAX! NO! NO!” Vex’ahlia couldn’t contain the tears anymore, not as she saw the flat line on the screen.

“Ma’am, please,” A soft pair of hands grabbed onto her shoulders. Vex didn’t want to go. She wanted to scream and fight—she might have actually tried to punch someone—and stay with her brother as the doctor ordered a crash cart, but the soft pair of hands was replaced by a much stronger hold and Vex’ahlia found herself being dragged out of the room with Trinket by two nurses, while two other nurses and the doctor tried to bring Vax’ildan back to life.

“No…” Vex’s voice was hoarse from yelling. She had no more strength to scream or fight, so she let herself fall onto the ground, grabbed onto Trinket’s massive head and started sobbing.

“Please…” She begged out loud. “Please don’t let him die. Please, I beg you,” and then, as a wave of deathly cold swept over her, Vex made one last attempt at begging, staring at the dark-cloaked figure with the intensity of a thousand suns. 

Take me instead, you raven bitch!

Chapter Text

Vax'ildan

Vax’ildan was colder than he had ever been before. His body was sore in places he didn’t think would be possible and, even before he opened his eyes, he knew something was very wrong.

There was light, though. Something shined brightly on his face, enough to lighten his eyelids. When Vax opened his eyes, he was shocked to see a bright, blue sky above him, the sun shining through the gaps of the dancing naked limbs of a tree. 

Vax groaned at the phantom pain on his ribs when he sat up, a pain that was immediately forgotten when he took in the sight ahead of him. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff with his back to a large, leafless tree, looking at a mountain range he didn’t recognize and, at the bottom of the steep cliff, a small village with no more than 150 buildings. 

“What the fuck?” He murmured, taking in the ant-sized people milling about their days down in the cradle of the mountains. More naked trees dotted the landscape, empty fields sprawled over plains, there was even a sad orchard somewhere at the edge of town. Vax’ildan had a nagging suspicion of what this village might be, and if the few windmills weren’t enough to confirm it, what happened next was all the proof Vax needed to be even more confused.

“Ugh,” A groan came from somewhere around the tree. Vax got on his knees and listened until a second groan came along with the unmistakable signs of someone sitting up, which made Vax peek his head around the trunk.

His suspicions were confirmed as he saw a middle-aged man with long gray hair clutching his chest. Vax didn’t need to wait until the man turned and looked at him to know he had a familiar pair of green eyes, but his heart still dropped when the man saw him.

“Are you okay?” Vax’ildan managed to ask as he kneeled next to the man, hands shaking as he reached out to touch his shoulder.

“I’m not sure,” The man said. He did a double take, finally realizing who Vax’ildan was and where they were. “Why are you here?”

“I–I was asking myself the same question,” Vax plopped down next to his companion. “You’re Korrin, Keyleth’s father…”

“And you’re Vax’ildan,” Korrin said solemnly.

Something wasn’t right. Vax felt ice cold, as if he had been stuck in a freezer. Even though the landscape around him was that of a winter season, it didn’t seem like it would be cold enough to make him feel this way.

“Is this–”

“Zephrah, yes.” Korrin finished without thinking. He had a fond smile on his face, one that Vax recognized from Keyleth every time she spoke of home.

“It’s beautiful,” Vax hugged himself.

“You should see it in the spring.”

He wished he could, but something told him this wasn’t real; that he wasn’t really in Zephrah, but somewhere in between the world of the living and of the dead.

As if fate (or the Matron of Ravens herself) wanted to prove Vax’s thoughts right, a raven flew above both men’s heads and landed in front of them, right at the edge of the cliff, staring in their direction. 

“Keyleth…” Korrin mumbled. Vax looked just in time to see the man shed a tear. “She’s alone.”

This was a truth Vax had been denying himself since he came to the realization both him and Korrin were in this limbo. Keyleth had already lost her mother and now she was losing her father and her boyfriend at the same time, which she might not even be aware of.

“No,” Vax shook his head. He stood up and walked to the raven. “No she can’t be. Right? We can’t both be dead.” He then turned around and almost fell off the cliff in shock when he saw, where the sun had been shining just moments before, a white porcelain mask surrounded by long locks of raven hair that fused into a mantle of raven feathers.

“Matron,” Vax got on one knee, bending his head. He heard Korrin stand up, and looked just in time to see the man stare at the figure, mouth agape.

“What is the meaning of this?” Korrin asked. The anger in his voice was chilling.

The voice spoke in an even colder tone, “Korrin Ashari, you walk a fine line.”

Vax’ildan couldn’t help but look up now, watching, astounded, the event happening in front of him.

“Please,” Vax begged. He didn’t even know if the Matron would listen to him but he had to try. For Keyleth, he had to try. “Please don’t take him yet. His daughter needs him.”

“No,” Korrin turned to look at Vax now, the anger disappearing for the duration. “She will need you . If anyone has to return, it’s you.”

Vax’s heart broke at that. What could he do in the absence of both parents? Nothing. He knew that more than anyone. No one can fill that void.

“Please, take me instead,” Vax begged the figure again, lowering his head in reverence. He hated begging, but this was for Keyleth. She needed Korrin now more than ever, especially if Vax was already condemned to die.

“Your fate is not mine to take yet, Vax’ildan,” The Matron spoke. 

What?

Both Vax and Korrin’s heads snapped up to the figure looming over the tree.

“Your fate is connected with another.”

A golden thread materialized, leading out from Vax’s chest, right above his heart, down into the village, where it disappeared out of his sight.

“You have a choice,” The Matron turned to the middle-aged man at Vax’s side. Her voice was low with compassion. “But it is your choice to make.”

“What will happen if I choose to return?” Korrin asked, understanding the offer. 

“Your time will be limited.”

“How long?” Vax asked before Korrin could speak again.

“One year will be sufficient, yes?” Korrin asked, then. There was a subtle, almost imperceptible nod from the God-like figure, one that Vax would have missed if he hadn’t been staring daggers at her. “To prepare my daughter?”

“No, please–” Vax tried, again.

“It’ll be alright, Vax’ildan.” Korrin reassured him by squeezing Vax’s shoulder without breaking eye contact with the Matron.

“One year,” The Matron nodded more assertively this time. “And you,” She turned to Vax, who could feel his blood boil in anger. “You are free to go, now.”

“Just like that?” Vax asked, unconvinced of the Matron’s mercy.

“As I said, your fate is not mine to take yet. Consider yourself lucky. Live, Vax’ildan,” And with a final whisper, the figure vanished into the shadows, leaving a bright, chilling sun in its place.

“Korrin,” Vax stood quickly, turning to the man. “Please, Keyleth–”

Korrin stopped Vax by raising a hand and placing it over Vax’s heart. “Keyleth will be alright, especially if this stays between us, right? You will be there for her when she returns to Emon, as you will be there for her when my time comes. I trust you, Vax’ildan.”

“I–” 

“I need you to promise me,” Korrin cupped Vax’s face with his hands and stared deep into his eyes, so deep Vax felt it in his soul. “Promise me you will take care of her, keep her safe and well, be good to her and make her happy. This is all I ask of you, Vax’ildan. Please promise me you will be there for my daughter.”

“I promise,” Vax said with all certainty. 

“You have my blessing, son,” Korrin spoke in a hushed voice, raising the tone at the last word. “Go, now. Live, be happy, and love her with all your heart.”

“I promise,” Vax nodded. He wiped the tears that threatened to fall from the corners of his eyes and took a step away from the man, then another, and another, until Korrin was nothing more than a fond smile fading into the misty fog of the Summit Peak mountains.

Vax’ildan kept walking until the landscape changed from the rough stony range to the flat farming fields just outside Emon, Korrin’s last words echoing forever in his mind, ‘ Live, be happy, and love her with all your heart.’

He would. Vax would love Keyleth with all his heart, he would be there for her. 

With one last glance over his shoulder, he saw the golden thread that followed him  disappear southeast, where Vax knew Zephrah would be. 

Your fate is connected with another.

Keyleth

Keyleth looked at the machine for the hundredth time in the past minute to make sure the screen was still showing the peaks and falls of a beating heart and not a flat line. Her father, Korrin, was still asleep on the hospital bed, having been stabilized quite a while ago, but Keyleth was still scared he would leave her. 

Lia had come as soon as they reached the room, warned by some other on-duty nurse, and had brought Keyleth food and a warm chamomile tea. She would be thankful for the woman’s kind heart for the rest of her life for being honest with Keyleth and telling her what the doctor’s refused to say: her father had had a stress-induced heart attack, and while he had survived this one, there was no telling if he would survive another one, which meant he would have to take it easy with work.

Yet another weight on Keyleth’s shoulders. She knew it was only a matter of time until she had to take over the company, but she hoped she could graduate first. It seemed like the stars weren’t aligned in her favor anymore and, if her father so wished, Keyleth would probably have to take control of the company sooner and forget her degree.

It would be worth it, though, to keep her father out of trouble. If that is what it took for Korrin to have a stress-free life and stay alive, Keyleth would do it.

Keyleth was so lost in thought she almost missed the movement from the corner of her eye. Korrin’s hand flinched, then his arm, and finally, a low ugh , before the man opened his eyes.

“Dad?” Keyleth sat up. Another flinch and her hand was on her father’s, careful not to pull out the tubes. “Dad?”

“Key–” Korrin’s voice was strained and dry. Just saying the first syllable of her name was enough to give him a coughing fit.

“Hold on Dad,” Keyleth rushed to the side table to grab a glass of water. She helped Korrin sit up, adjusted the pillows and then handed him the cup with water while she pressed the button to call for the nurse.

“Hi,” Korrin smiled faintly at his daughter. He raised his hand, trying to reach her face, which Keyleth helped by taking it in her hand. 

“You gave us a scare, Dad.” Keyleth spoke. She tried to hide the tremble of sorrow in her voice, but wasn’t very successful. 

The same nurse from earlier—the one who called Lia—arrived with a bright smile and a cart full of gadgets.

“Well, hello there. I see you’re awake,” She greeted. Keyleth stepped to the side to let the woman work as she checked her father’s vitals, asked him a battalion of questions about the date and who he was—likely trying to find if there had been any brain damage—and how he was feeling.

Other than the lingering pain in his chest, according to Korrin, he was fine, and ready to go home.

“Not yet, you’re not,” Said another female voice from the doorway. 

“Ah,” Korrin blushed at seeing Lia give him a harsh look. If the situation wasn’t so serious, Keyleth would have snorted at how her father balked in front of the woman. 

“You doing alright, sweetie?” Lia asked her. Keyleth nodded truthfully. She was doing much better now that she knew her father was going to be okay.

“How about you, troublemaker?” She then turned to Korrin, who rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“I’m fine,” He said, but the look of exhaustion on his face contradicted his words.

“You’re gonna have to take it easy from now on,” Lia raised an eyebrow at Korrin. Keyleth watched, amused, as her dad was put in his place. “We can’t have you take another one of our beds again, you hear me?”

“Yes, dear.” Korrin blushed.

“Alright. My shift is over. Keyleth, darling, do you want a ride home?” Lia turned to her.

“Uh. Can’t I stay?”

“I’m afraid visitors aren’t allowed overnight,” The other nurse said, apologetically. “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him and we will call if anything happens,” She offered a reassuring smile. Keyleth nodded then.

“I’ll come see you first thing in the morning,” She said to her father, then hugged him lightly and carefully. 

“I love you, Sprout. I’m proud of you,” Korrin whispered with tears in his eyes. Keyleth could tell he was hiding something from her, but she didn’t push. He had to take it easy these first moments after waking up, after all.

“I love you too, Dad.” She kissed his cheek then stood aside as Lia said goodbye to Korrin.

Keyleth sighed in relief when Lia drove away from dropping her off at her front door. The woman might have been a blessing, but she could be a bit much sometimes, and just when Keyleth wished she could have a moment of peace, Lia decided to interrogate her about her first semester at college and the friends she had made.

The house was dark and cold. Keyleth had left in a rush with the paramedics and she hadn’t thought about leaving the heat or lights on for when she returned, so it was quite depressing. Minxie, her large, white cat, was sitting up straight on the Kitchen counter when Keyelth walked in. her large eyes shone in the darkness, scaring Keyleth out of her skin before she could flip the switch.

“You scared me,” Keyleth shook her head at the cat that just followed her with a piercing gaze. “I know you’re hungry. I’m sorry it’s way past your feed time,” She apologized. Keyleth poured food into the cat’s bowl, filled the water bowl next to it, then padded softly to her bedroom, where she found her phone on the bed. 

Five missed calls from Vex’ahlia and nothing from Vax. Keyleth’s stomach dropped. 

Something is wrong.

Keyleth’s hands were shaking as she dialed Vex’s number. She started pacing in her room, holding the breath to the eventually bad news she was going to receive from her roommate. 

Please let Vax be okay, She prayed to herself. Keyleth had never cared much about the gods so she knew none of her prayers would be heard by them. 

The ringing tone stopped and a male voice said, on the other side of the line, “Hello?”

“Vax?” Keyleth asked, shocked but relieved. Why did he have Vex’s phone? Did something happen to her ?

“Hi, Kiki,” Vax greeted with a hoarse voice. He sounded exhausted. Before Keyleth could say anything, she heard a sob, then another.

“Vax?” Keyleth wanted to reach out so bad. “Did something happen to Vex’ahlia?”

“No. She’s fine,” Vax answered, his voice shaking.

Keyleth’s phone beeped and vibrated in her ear. She pulled it away to see Vax wanted to video call, so she pressed the accept button.

Keyleth wasn’t ready for what greeted on the other side. Vax looked like shit. His face was sunken and bruised, his hair tangled, and he was unmistakable lying on a hospital bed with cords around him and a beeping monitor, much like Keyleth’s father.

“What happened,” She asked, shaking. Keyleth managed to find her bed in time and slump on it before her legs gave up beneath her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Vax nodded. He tried to give her a reassuring smile but it didn’t reach his eyes, which made Keyleth even more worried about him. “I had an accident, but I’m okay. I have a couple of broken ribs,” He explained.

Keyleth could tell he was hiding something from her, though. Why did both of the most important men in her life have a life-or-death experience and lied to her? She could tell they were both hiding something, likely wanting to protect her heart from further pain, but that’s not how it worked.

“Tell me the truth, please.” She asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I–” Vax hesitated. Keyleth allowed him a few moments to collect his thoughts, then gave him a piercing look that still worked through the phone.

“I might have died for a moment? But I’m fine. The doctors say there was no brain damage, that my heart is fine, and I’m likely not going to have any aftereffects. They actually say it was a miracle, although Vex’ahlia wasn’t very happy about that, for some reason.”

Keyleth’s heart faltered at Vax’s words, at knowing he, much like her father had almost died—no, they actually died.

Realization hit her with the strength of a boulder on a butterfly. Vax’ildan and Korrin had died. She had almost lost both the most important people in her life on the same day.

“Keyleth?” She heard Vax call her. She looked at the phone, eyes glazed with the sudden realization, and opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Nothing except for a sob.

“Kiki, I’m alright, I promise,” Vax tried to reassure her, his voice full with concern.

He didn’t know. He didn’t know she almost lost him and her father, that she was almost left alone in the world.

“Key–”

“My dad had a heart attack,” She interrupted him. Vax’s eyes widened with shock. “He also went into cardiac arrest, but the doctors managed to bring him back.” She relayed, fully sobbing now. 

“Fuck. Keyleth–” Vax cursed, leaning forward as if he was trying to pass through the phone, across the distance to Zephrah, to hold her.

Keyleth wanted to reach out, too. She needed him so bad.

“He’s stable,” She sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “But it was so scary, and you almost died, too. I almost lost you both today.”

“Love, I’m not going anywhere.” Vax reassured her, his tone calm and full of care. “I’m sorry I scared you. I’m alright. Your dad is alright, too, right?”

Keyleth nodded, feeling slightly better, though she knew she would not feel completely fine until she laid hands on her boyfriend, which wouldn’t happen for a while.

“Fuck,” She swore as she realized that. “I don’t know if I can return as soon as I wanted, Vax. My dad might need me. I’ll try but–”

“Don’t worry about it,” Vax gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Focus on  your dad. I’ll be alright.”

Yes, maybe he would be, but she also needed him.

“I already miss you so much, though,” She confessed, blushing. She had grown used to having him around most of the time (except for that dreadful week) as a friend already, but after only a taste of what it felt like to be Vax’s girlfriend, Keyleth needed more.

“And I miss you, sunshine. But your dad needs you more right now. You should stay with him.”

Something off camera caught Vax’s attention. Keyleth was about to ask what was wrong when another head popped next to her boyfriend and Vex’ahlia waved at her.

“Hi Keyleth!” The woman greeted her. Her eyes were bloodshot and sunken, either from exhaustion, crying or both.

“Hi Vex.” Keyleth greeted back, trying to smile, though it looked more like a grimace.

“Visiting hours are over, brother. I have to go now,” She heard Vex’ahlia say.

“Can I have a minute?” Vax asked and his sister nodded before leaving. “I have to go now. My phone broke in the accident so I have to use Vex’s phone and she has to leave. She’ll come back tomorrow, though. I can call you again.”

“I might be at the hospital, but if you message me first, I can step away to answer.” Keyleth replied, her heart weighing like lead in her chest at the idea of not being able to talk to Vax.

“I can ask Vex to come back during the afternoon visiting hours, so it’ll be evening there.”

“Do you think she wouldn’t mind going to the hospital twice?” Keyleth asked. The last thing she wanted was to make her friend have to go out of her way for her.

“No, of course not. I’ll ask her. I have to go now, though. I promise you I’m fine. Try to get some rest, will you?” Vax looked at her with the characteristic scolding look he always gave her when she studied too much.

“I’ll try,” Keyleth promised. It was all she could do.

“I love you, Kiki.”

“I love you, Vax.” She replied before the man hung up the call.

Keyleth looked at her reflection in the dark screen of her phone, the burn of prickling tears increasing every second, as she started to recollect everything that happened in the last 24 hours. Eventually, the weight of it all was too much to handle and Keyleth let herself fall onto her bed, curl with her knees to her chest, and cry, not even noticing Minxie padding to her and curling in the small gap between her chest and her knees. 

Keyleth felt so alone in her empty house. She needed a hug more than ever and maybe for the first time in her life, the realization that she didn’t have anyone outside of her father, and now Vax, scared her. 

She almost lost both today. 

Almost . 

Keyleth held on to that word as she cried herself to sleep.

Vex'ahlia

Vex’ahlia paced around her bedroom under Trinket’s intense glare. She’d just return home from spending all day at the hospital and she was still reeling with stress.

Take me instead, you raven bitch!

She had said those words hadn’t she? And then her brother didn’t die. Did the Matron hear her? Was she the reason why Vax didn’t die? What did that mean for Vex’ahlia?

Too many thoughts, too many feelings. She needed to empty her mind but it was too late to go to the shooting range and she didn’t have money to go to Glorious for drinks (not that she needed to buy anything, she knew how to get drinks for free). Her other option, her favorite recently, was sex, but she couldn’t do that either, could she?

Percy still hadn’t called her. She knew his flight had arrived because she looked it up, but the man was still radio silence, and even though they were not exclusive or anything like that, Vex knew she would feel like shit if she ended up in anyone else’s bed.

She dialed Percy’s number again, not expecting him to pick up, just as he hadn’t before, but when the call clicked and Percy’s sleep-hoarse voice sounded in her ears, Vex’ahlia let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and sat on her bed.

“Percival? Are you alright, darling?”

“Shit. Yes, I apologize,” Percy grunted. “I completely forgot to call you, dear. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I understand if you were too excited to see your sister that you forgot about me.” She joked.

Percy hesitated, the silence dragging on uncomfortably.

“About that… I haven’t seen Cassandra yet. There was an incident and–”

“Is she okay? Are you okay? Please tell me you’re not hurt! The last thing I need today is for you to be hurt, too.” Vex’ahlia interrupted him.

“I’m not hurt, dear.” Percy reassured her. “Who is hurt?”

“Vax got into an accident. It’s a long story, but he’s going to be fine. What happened with Cassandra?”

“She was taken,” Percy confessed, his voice sounding even more tired. “They took her, took the company and the estate, and banned me from any contact. I spent all day in a meeting with the family lawyer trying to figure out what to do.”

They took her? 

“Who’s ‘they’, darling?” Vex asked, confused. She assumed Percy didn’t have much family other than Cassandra.

“Their names are Sylas and Delilah Briarwood. They were, supposedly, friends with my parents. They showed up with paperwork claiming they have legal rights to Cassandra’s guardianship, the estate, and the company shares, but I don’t trust it.”

“And they took her from…?”

“The orphanage. I told you she’s been staying with a family friend, right? Father Yennen?”

Vex’ahlia nodded, remembering the conversation they had at the library two months ago. When she realized Percy couldn’t see her, she confirmed aloud. “I remember, yes. Was she staying at his orphanage?”

“She was, although I hated it. I shouldn’t have left her there in the first place. It’s my fault–”

“It’s not, darling. You couldn’t do anything from Emon. You didn’t know.” Vex tried to reassure him.

“I shouldn’t have left her, period. She had no one left but me and now…”

Vex’ahlia remained silent, the image of her baby sister flashing back to memory. She had done the same to the little girl, in a way. The twins had left her behind with Syldor, but even though they knew Velora had been wanted, Vex couldn’t help but think if the girl was happy, if she was safe and loved.

“I’m going to fight it,” Percy’s voice broke Vex’s thoughts. “Archibald is already investigating the paperwork and he’s the best Lawyer in Whitestone. If anyone can get this straight it’s him.”

“Keep me informed, will you, darling?” Vex asked. 

“Of course, dear. I’m terribly sorry I did not call you earlier.”

Vex shrugged, forgetting, again, that Percy couldn’t see her.

“It’s alright.”

“And Vax’ildan? Is he alright?” Percy asked, changing the subject.

Vex’ahlia sighed, the tension from the day clutching its claws around her heart. “His heart stopped earlier, but the doctors managed to bring him back,” (or she had brought him back; Vex’ahlia wasn’t sure anymore where the truth lied). “He’s got a couple of broken ribs and is staying at the hospital overnight. We don’t know when he’s getting out yet, but other than that, he seems fine.”

It’s too good to be true.

“Shit,” Percy swore. For a moment, Vex imagined him cradling his hand through his sleep-tousled hair (her favorite). “And you’re alone now, right? Keyleth left? Shit, does Keyleth know?” Percy’s tone grew even more concerned.

“She does. Vax called her earlier from my phone. I’ll be fine, darling. Don’t worry about me, you already have enough on your plate.”

“If you need anything…” Percy insisted. Vex chuckled.

“I’ll let you know.”

“Good. I have to go now, but message me or call me if you need anything.” He reminded her.

“I will, don’t worry.” Vex smiled at the softness in his voice.

Their goodbyes weren’t as heartfelt as she heard Vax share with Keyleth (something that shocked Vex’ahlia to her core even if she expected it to happen sooner or later), but once the call clicked, something tugged at Vex’s heart.

She and Percy had been flirting for months. He had kissed her last month, declaring his affections for her, which Vex’ahlia hadn’t replied in the same manner though she still found herself naked in his bed a few times since then.

Percival seemed perfectly fine with the casualty of their relationship, at Vex’s request, of course, but now, as she sat alone in her bedroom with only Trinket for company, Vex’ahlia started to realize that maybe she missed the man more than casual sex called for. 

She tried to keep herself busy for the next couple of hours, brushing Trinket, cleaning up, preparing food, but every time her mind reeled back to the feeling of emptiness she felt without Percy nearby. 

It was when Vex’ahlia was lying in bed, thinking about her last night with Percy, that her thoughts were interrupted by the noise of her phone vibrating on her nightstand with a message from Keyleth.

Keyleth: Thank you for lending your phone to Vax so we could talk earlier.

Vex: No worries, darling. I tried calling you to let you know, but I figured it would be better if you could speak directly to him.

Keyleth: It was. I don’t know if Vax told you, my father had a heart attack and I was in the hospital with him. That’s why I didn’t answer your calls.

Vex: He didn’t. I’m sorry to hear that. Is he going to be okay?

Keyleth: The doctors say he will have to take it slow but he should be fine to leave the hospital soon.

Vex: Glad to hear that. I hope he has a swift recovery.

Keyleth: Thank you, me too.

Vex: By the way, what the fuck, Keyleth? 

Keyleth: ???

Vex: I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything, but did my brother say the three magic words to you???? 

Keyleth: Oh. You heard that. Shit. I asked him not to tell you until I’d told my father but I completely forgot to let him know he could tell you. Sorry, please don’t be mad at him!!

Vex: Tell me what?

Keyleth: We started dating…

Vex let out a sudden shriek, scaring Trinket as she read that. Oh she was going to have words with her brother for sure. How could he hide this from her ? She was his twin, he should have told her right away.

Keyleth: It happened pretty suddenly. Last Folsen, during the party while I was packing.

Vex: Is that why you slept in his room? Gods please tell me you two didn’t… you know what, I don’t think I want to know.

Vex: Unless you need someone to talk to about it?

Keyleth: No! Nothing like that happened. We just slept. I… maybe I need someone to talk to about it? Would it bother you?

Vex: A little, but I’ll do it as long as we can have alcohol so I forget you’re talking about having sex with my brother.

Vex gagged writing the last message. As much as she didn’t want any details of Vax’s sex life, she knew Keyleth was inexperienced and she would most likely need someone to ask for advice.

Keyleth: That sounds like a great plan. Maybe when I return to Emon we can have a girls spa day, drink mimosas, and talk about that?

Vex: Sounds great Keyleth.

Keyleth: I’m truly sorry we hid this from you… 

Vex: Don’t be, it’s fine. I’m genuinely happy for you two. It was about time.

Keyleth: Thank you. I’m happy, too. 

Vex’ahlia smiled at her phone. Her brother was an idiot when it came to romantic partners in the past, but this time he’d finally got it right, and as much as it would be awkward to be roommates with her brother’s girlfriend, Vex was truly and genuinely happy that Vax’ildan finally found someone who saw him for who he really was and loved all of him, even the darkest parts of his soul.

Now only if Vex could have the same fate…

Chapter Text

Percival

Percival looked up at the white stoned building towering over him atop the hill. The few illuminated windows looked cold and empty, the cracks in the stone looked more prominent, whatever foliage was left in the gardens had turned brown and desiccated. It was as if the house was hanging on by a thread, surviving until its rightful owners returned. 

The gate screeched eerily as Archibald, the de Rolo’s family friend and lawyer, pushed it on its rusty hinges, opening only enough to let both men in. The air was colder inside the estate property lines, a deadly gust of icy wind blowing past both men, seeping through their thick woolen coats deep down into the marrow of their bones. 

Percy hated this. He hated seeing the home he grew up in, a home once full of light, chaos, and joy, looking so dreary, so empty, so full of pain, just as he felt in his heart. He couldn’t fathom what his sister, Cassandra, would be feeling like living in this shell of a house with two people who Percival refused to believe cared for her. He didn’t want to be here anymore than he assumed Cassandra did, but the Briarwoods had lit up a flame of hope within his chest.

Not but a day ago, Archibald had received a message from the couple, an invitation for a meeting at the de Rolo manor with Sylas and Delilah Briarwood’s lawyer so they could come to an agreement about Cassandra’s custody. Percy knew it would be a waste of time. The couple was less likely to relinquish his sister’s custody than they were to leave Whitestone behind, but he’d still accepted.

He would do anything to see Cassandra again, to have the chance to apologize for leaving her behind, to promise her he would do whatever it took to get her back.

They were greeted by an emaciated, ancient man at the door who led the two men inside. Immediately, agony wrapped her claws around Percival’s throat as the man took the sad, dark interior of his former home. The sweet smell of fresh flowers that always seemed to permeate was gone, fully replaced by the scent of decay, of dead blooms rotting in a vase for far too long. The artwork that had captivated him as a child had vanished, too, replaced with dreadful depictions of bloody battles, gory scenes of ancient times that revolted Percy’s stomach.

This was the house his sister was living in. His bright and sassy sister, Cassandra, yet he saw no signs of children, no forgotten toys at every corner or surface as it once used to be, no cheering or laughing or screaming of sibling fights over something unimportant. It was quiet. 

Frighteningly quiet.

“Please sit,” The old butler ordered in a croaky voice that resembled bones rattling against each other, as if he rarely used his vocal chords.

Archibald obeyed, taking over one of the armchairs farthest from the door. Even the furniture was different. Older, faded, broken and beaten. There were gashes on some of the cushions, sewed over haphazardly to contain the stuffing inside them; the wood was scratched and stained; the curtains had been changed, replaced by opaque black drapes that didn’t allow the sunlight in. All in all, it was a sight that didn’t ease the feeling of discomfort in Percy’s chest.

A maid appeared some time later, carrying a rusted tray of drinks, a sour-smelling wine that Percival didn’t dare touch, and a jug of water, leaving just as mute as she had arrived.

“This looks–” Archibald started, grimacing at the words left unspoken.

It looks like a nightmare . 

Delilah Briarwood was a beautiful woman, still somewhat young, although Percival couldn’t tell how much of her youth was natural. She wore her dark auburn hair up in a braided bun that seemed tighter than a spring coil about to snap, and an elegant black dress with a billowing skirt, tapered up to the form-fitting bodice that revealed more of her cleavage than Percy was willing to look at. Her outfit was not complete without a pair of lacy black gloves and a green-jeweled choker around her throat.

Her presence alone emanated respect from everyone in the room, although it was her husband, trailing behind her, who emanated the fear that clutched around Percival’s throat.

Sylas Briarwood was a strong, imposing man with short brown hair framing his chiseled, handsome, unnaturally young, face adorned with a goatee. Although the wisps of gray hair at his temples revealed he could be slightly older than his wife, the man still looked young. He wore a black suit over a black shirt and a black tie, as if he wanted to absorb all the color in the world.

The trio was completed by a second man trailing behind the couple with a malicious smile on his face, as if he knew the secret to rule the world. He had a pale complexion, though the angular shape of his face was oddly familiar to Percival, along with the long, raven black hair pulled back. The man was well-dressed in a fancy suit that could only rival to some of Percy’s old suits that he had left behind (most likely thrown out by the new hosting couple), and a sparkling golden Rolex watch on his wrist that screamed ‘ Look at me; I’m filthy rich and I like to show off ’.

This was undoubtedly the Briarwoods lawyer, Percy gathered. 

Delilah spoke first in a thickly sweet voice that was a notch too exaggerated, “Welcome to our lovely home,” Percival held a scoff down. Her lovely home? 

She sat on a loveseat, crossing her legs. Sylas took the spot next to hers and immediately his hand was on his wife’s knee, bringing bile up to Percy’s throat. Their lawyer, not yet introduced, took the middle seat of the large three-seat couch that Percival avoided taking, having opted for the last armchair, the one closest to the cold fireplace.

“My apologies,” Delilah chuckled behind her hand. “It has been a while since we’ve hosted and I’ve almost lost my manners. Let me introduce you.” She turned to the man sitting upright, his face turned from malicious to just plainly stern, as if he was more than ready and willing to scold his children for a dumb mistake. 

“These are Percival de Rolo–”

“Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III.” Percy interrupted Delilah to confer his full name, something she was clearly incapable of. 

“–and Archibald Desnay, the de Rolo’s family lawyer,” She continued as if Percy hadn’t spoken over her. Delilah then turned slightly on her seat, facing Percival and Archibald, smiling kindly at them, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “This is Syldor Vessar, the best lawyer in all of Tal’Dorei and our legal representation for the foreseeable future as we deal with the matter at hand.”

For someone who was acclaimed to be the best lawyer in Tal’Dorei, Percival didn’t recognize the man’s name, though he couldn’t keep feeling some unease at his oddly familiar presence, as if there was a muffled voice in the back of his mind screaming at him that he should recognize the man.

“So, I heard you would like to dispute Cassandra’s custody, is that correct?” Syldor spoke in a haughty, cold tone. 

“We believe that my client’s sister should stay with her family.” Archiband interfered before Percy could speak.

“Yet, you left her at an orphanage and moved across the continent for college.”

Fucking bastard.  

“I–” Percival started, trying to justify his decision, but Archibald interrupted him again.

“My client has every right to pursue the finest education for himself. Cassandra’s placement at Father Yennen’s orphanage was always meant to be temporary. As such, Percival was coming to get her.”

“So, what you are telling me then,” Syldor continued, sneering, “is that Mr. de Rolo not only focused his attention on his studies this past semester, but he also found a stable housing situation where he can bring his sister to live with him in Emon, as well as looking for and enrolling Cassandra in school so she doesn’t miss classes when he returns to Emon for his second semester, correct?”

Fucking. Bastard.

Percy had absolutely no doubt that Syldor knew he was living at a dorm and that he had no capacity to bring his sister to live with him in Emon.

“I–” Archibald stuttered, giving Percival a look that told him the man had no counterargument for that.

“As I imagined. As such, Cassandra’s well-being and education is better placed in my clients’ hands. However, my clients have a proposal,” Syldor nodded towards Delilah and Sylas.

“We will house, provide for, and certify that Cassandra’s schooling is secure. In exchange, you will be allowed to visit her every other weekend. We don’t believe families should be separated, as such, this is our offer.”

“Furthermore,” Syldor interrupted before Percy or Archibald could say anything, “you will drop your dispute to Mr. and Mrs. de Rolo’s will.”

Percy’s knuckles turned white from gripping his pants. How dared they impose a visiting schedule on his sister? These fucking bastards were up to something, he knew it, but Percy couldn’t figure out what or why.

He found it strange, to say the least, that his parents had left his and Cassandra’s custody, along with the estate deed and the company shares to the Briarwoods when they had barely known the couple. Even stranger was the fact that they had only come to collect after Percival had turned eighteen. 

His parents had died five years ago. If the new will was genuine and the Briarwoods had, not only Cassandra but also Percival’s custody all along, where had they been when a thirteen and a seven-year old’s world turned upside down and they found themselves the last two living de Rolos? Where had they been when Percy and Cassandra were sent to the care of the Desnays? They surely had no interest in their lives or in their assets back then. Then why now, so suddenly?

“Do not make any promises, Percival.” Archibald cut in, taking his silence as Percy pondering to accept the terms.

“Absolutely not. I refuse,” Percy replied instead.

A gasp sounded behind the door as it flew open and Cassandra stood in the doorway, tears pooling in her eyes.

“Cassie,” Percy stood up, reaching a hand towards his sister, though not daring to take a step as Sylas, Delilah, and Syldor also stood up and set themselves between him and his sister.

“I knew you didn’t care,” The girl spoke with a wavering voice. “You left me behind. You promised you would visit every month and you didn’t. YOU LEFT ME.” She yelled out. 

“Cassandra, that’s not true–” He tried. Gods, he wanted to run to her and hug her. Tell her how guilty he felt for leaving her, promise her he would fight for her, but he couldn’t. Not with the three figures imposing in between him and her.

“I don’t care.” She said, determined. Percy’s heart cracked at the finality in her voice. “Sylas and Delilah have been taking better care of me than you did. I’m staying with them. At least they don’t make me feel like I’m all alone in the world, forgotten at the orphanage by my only family member.”

Percy’s guilt overcame him as his heart broke at his sister’s words. The girl swiped her eyes with the back of her hand, jutted out her chin, and left without another word or a last glance at her brother.

She hated him. Percival’s worst nightmare was real. His sister hated him.

“I guess we are done here, then,” Delilah spoke, not trying to hide the victory in her tone.

“We will never be done,” Percival glared at the trio and left.

Keyleth

“Careful now, Dad.” Keyleth instructed Korrin as they exited Lia’s car. 

“I’m fine, Sprout. I can manage on my own,” He complained.

Sure, he probably could, but Keyleth wasn’t about to let him go mere hours after leaving the hospital. She was glad the doctors even allowed him home for Winter’s Crest. For a moment, she thought she’d have to spend the night alone, but, thankfully, not only did Korrin get discharged, but Lia and little Orym would also be coming over for dinner.

Keyleth had done her best in the morning to decorate the house with lights and candles, she went grocery shopping, and started working ahead on dinner while Lia brought Korrin home from the hospital. There wasn’t much left to do now, but with the other woman home, the two of them could finish whatever was left while Korrin rested.

“You’re going to stay here and relax, Dad.” Keyleth rallied her orders, grabbing a book from the nearest shelf at the same time as Lia walked in with a mug of tea and a plate of cookies that dragged behind them the smell of cinnamon.

“We’ve got this, honey.” She said, kissing the man’s forehead as she set the tea and cookies next to him on a table.

“Where’s–” Korrin started questioning, though he didn’t finish as the sound of rushing small footsteps grew louder and a small boy with tousled brown hair and the biggest smile appeared in the living room.

“ Kowin! ” The boy yelled, running and jumping to Korrin’s lap.

“Careful, Orym!” Lia chided. 

“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Korrin laughed, mussing Orym’s hair.

“Are you okay?” The boy asked, his big, bright brown eyes focused on Korrin’s face. 

“I am, Seedling. Don’t worry about me.” Korrin kissed his forehead.

The image of Orym on Korrin’s lap tugged at Keyleth’s heartstrings. People say it’s not until you lose something that you give it value, and for Keyleth, who had almost lost her father, the idea of him not sharing a moment like this with her own children felt unbearable. 

Keyleth knew her father well, she knew how he buried himself in work to avoid his grief, which had always worried her. She hoped that him being close to Lia would make him slow down on work but it seemed she was wrong. Maybe they were due for a serious father-daughter talk about grief for her mother and taking less responsibility at work.

“Orym, would you like to help me in the kitchen?” As much as it pained her to separate the boy from her father, Keyleth knew Korrin would stress too much about keeping Orym entertained instead of focusing on relaxing.

“Okay!” The boy replied, jumping off Korrin’s lap and following Keyleth to the kitchen.

Keyleth pulled Orym’s tower closer to the counter, handed him a small cutting board, a peeler, and a bowl of potatoes as he climbed up and pulled his sleeves up. She missed this, cooking with her faithful assistant as they chatted about nothing and everything. Today the topic was butterflies as Orym recounted his most recent encounter with a butterfly.

“I went to a butterfly garden the other day,” Keyleth told him.

Orym looked up at her, eyes wide in excitement. “You did?”

Keyleth nodded, smiling fondly at the memory of her and Vax kissing.

“And did you go alone?” Lia asked on the other side of the counter, looking at her knowingly with a raised eyebrow.

“No. I went with a friend,” Keyleth murmured.

It technically wasn’t a lie. Her and Vax had been friends at the time.

“A friend?” Lia pushed. “A boy or a girl friend?”

Keyleth sighed, knowing she couldn’t keep the secret for much longer. It was only a matter of time until her father said something.

“A boy friend. His name is Vax.”

“And is Vax your classmate?” Lia interrogated, still smiling.

“He’s my roommate. He’s in pre-med so we have a few classes together, too.”

“Ki, you have a boyfriend?” Orym asked, scowling at Keyleth as if daring her to deny it to him.

For someone so small, he sure was perceptive.

“Yes,” She confessed. “Do you want to see a picture of him?” Keyleth asked, to which the boy nodded enthusiastically. 

Keyleth brought out her phone and showed Lia and Orym a few pictures of her and Vax, taken during the last month. She had to confess, even though they hadn’t been dating yet when they were taken, the chemistry between them was undeniable.

“Is he good to you?” Lia asked. 

“He is. He always leaves me dinner on the days I get home late from school, he helps me study while also making sure I don’t spend the entire time with my nose in the books, and he’s very patient and listens to me ramble all the time.”

Keyleth could go on about Vax and all the ways he was good to her and made her feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Maybe that’s what Lia saw reflected in Keyleth’s face, the dumb smile she’d caught herself having when she thought about Vax, and maybe that’s why the woman laughed affectionately.

“It sounds like you’re happy with him.”

Keyleth smiled back, blushing. “I am.”

“If he hurts you, I’ll stab him.” Orym affirmed assertively, holding the peeler up threateningly in a stabbing motion.

Keyleth blanched while Lia chuckled behind her hand. “No need for that, little blade.” Keyleth lowered his hand back to the potatoes. “I appreciate you jumping in to save me, but I can deal with Vax on my own, I promise.” She chuckled.

Orym shrugged as he resumed his potato peeling task. Keyleth knew he saw her as a big sister, just as she saw him as her younger brother, so the protective vein in him wasn’t new but the boy had never been so vocal about it. It was funny, even if scary.

“Do we get to meet him soon?” Lia resumed. 

“We’ll see. I need to ask dad if we can fly him here. I think he’d like it here.”

Keyleth didn’t want to expand on why she needed Korrin to pay for Vax’s plane ticket yet, even though she knew it was only a matter of time until Lia was, officially, part of the family.

“Well, I look forward to meeting him.”

“Me too,” Orym pitched in.

Lia switched the conversation again, back to school and classes, which Keyleth didn’t mind as much since she was no longer stressed about her father being in the hospital, so she told her about the paper she wrote for one of her classes about the fauna and flora of the Summit Peaks, specifically of Zephrah, that got her a high grade and made her teacher very proud and interested to know more about her town. She was halfway through her retelling of Vox Machina’s Annual Snow Day when her phone started ringing in her pocket with a video call request.

“Is that Vax?” Lia asked, looking over Keyleth’s shoulder at the screen, then looking back confused when she saw a picture of Vex’ahlia and Trinket.

“Yeah. Do you mind?”

“Go ahead, sweetie. Take your time. Orym and I got this, right buddy?” Lia ruffled the boy’s head as he nodded.

“Thank you,” Keyleth blushed, leaving the kitchen as she answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hi gorgeous,” Vax’ildan answered, smiling. He looked much better since the day Keyleth heard about his accident. His face was less sunken and his bruises were starting to fade slightly. 

“Hey handsome. You’re a sight for sore eyes. How are you feeling?” Keyleth closed her bedroom door behind her to give her some privacy.

“I’m okay, still in pain but it’s more manageable. How’s your dad?”

Keyleth sat on her bed with an oof , rotating her shoulders to release some tension. “He’s doing good. He got discharged today and he’s now relaxing while Lia, Orym and I make dinner.”

“That’s good. I’m glad he’s doing better.”

Keyleth nodded in agreement. “Do you have any plans for Winter’s Crest?” Keyleth asked, noticing Vax’s background looked different.

“Yeah. Kerr and his wife asked Vex and I to come over for dinner and we might stay the night. Vex didn’t want to cook for us, and, honestly, I’m glad. Pike might be a great teacher, but she can’t do miracles.” He laughed.

Keyleth smiled, transfixed by the sound of her boyfriend laughing. 

She missed him so much.  It had only been five days since she left Emon, and with the new developments, her plan to return a week before the semester began was completely off the table.

As much as she loved seeing Vax happy, Keyleth knew there was no good way to break the news. “Uhm… Vax, I have something to tell you.” She bit the inside of her cheek nervously.

“What’s up?” The man sobered up instantly, tugging at Keyleth’s heart.

“I won’t be able to return to Emon when I planned to. I might not be back until the weekend before classes resume.” 

Vax tried to smile but Keyleth could tell he was faking it. He hated hearing the news as much as she hated telling them.

“Oh. I understand, Kiki. Your dad needs you.” He said.

Keyleth nodded, as if that reason wasn’t what hurt her the most. Vax’ildan also needed her right now (and, honestly, Keyleth needed him, too).

“I’m sorry, Vax.” She apologized, though he shook his head at her.

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for, Kiki. This is beyond you. You should spend time with your dad, love. We’ll have time when you return.”

Maybe, but how much time would they have between classes and exams? Keyleth had already felt like she was falling behind in the first semester. If rumors were true and the second semester was worse, she was scared about keeping up for the rest of the school year.

“We will,” She nodded, though with a tight heart. She wasn’t lying, but she didn’t feel fully confident in her answer either. “Maybe we can spend Spring Break together?”

This time Vax’s smile was genuine. “I’d love that.”

“Yeah? Me, too. Maybe you can come to Zephrah with me? It’s beautiful in the spring and I’d love to show you around.”

Vax grimaced—Keyleth knew it was because of money issues—but nodded. “Maybe. We can plan it when you get back.”

Keyleth took the compromise. She would have to do some work to get Vax to accept the plane ticket as a gift but there was no need to start just now.

“Oh!” Keyleth suddenly remembered. “I assume you’re going back to the dorms, right?” Vax nodded. “I hereby give you permission to raid my closet and get anything you want from there.”

“To wear?” Vax asked hesitantly.

“No,” Keyleth laughed at the idea of seeing Vax in one of her crop tops or t-shirts. “You can keep it with you… you know… to snuggle with if you miss me?”

Vax’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Really?”

Keyleth nodded. She pulled his hoodie from where she’d left it folded on her pillow and showed it to him. “Like how I have your hoodie. It still smells like you and it helps me calm down at night.”

Vax bit his lip, looking at her with teary eyes. Fuck, she loved him so much. It hurt to be away from him, as if a piece of her soul was broken.

“I’ll do that, then.” He said, wiping the tears with the back of his hand.

“Do you need me to send it in writing so you have proof?” Keyleth joked and, to her delight, Vax laughed again.

“No need. I’m sure Vex’ahlia will find it weird but she’ll take my word for it.”

“Good.” Keyleth laughed, too.

A sound in the distance caught her ear and Keyleth perked up, just in time for someone to knock lightly on her door.

“Come in,” She called out, pulling the phone away from her face.

Orym peeked in with the biggest smile and excited round eyes. “Hi, Ki. Can I?”

“Sure, come here, little blade,” Keyleth patted the bed next to her and the boy obeyed. “Do you want to meet Vax?” She asked. Orym nodded, so Keyleth put the phone in front of them, hugging the little boy with her free arm.

“Vax, this is Orym, the little boy I told you about. Orym, this is Vax.” Keyleth introduced them.

Through the selfie camera, Keyleth could see Orym close his face off, trying to look serious and grown up, though it only made him look even more adorable.

“Hello, Orym!” Vax waved with a big smile. “Keyleth has told me a lot about you! I heard you’re her fierce protector!”

Orym preened at that. “I am,” He huffed. “You are her boyfriend.” 

Vax chuckled. “I am, yes. Did she tell you that?”

Orym nodded. “You make her happy.”

Another affirmation that didn’t pass unnoticed to Keyleth.

“I try. I don’t want to take your job, I promise, but I’m keeping an eye on her when she’s in Emon, too.” Vax said, seriously. 

Orym nodded, “Good. You do that.” Then, finally, the boy’s face opened with a smile.

They chatted for a bit longer, Vax asked Orym questions about what he liked to do the most with Keyleth and if she taught him a lot about plants, until Lia came knocking at Keyleth’s bedroom door to let them know dinner would be ready in a few minutes.

“Go wash up, I’ll be there in a minute.” Keyleth told Orym, who quickly said goodbye to Vax and ran with his mother.

“He seems like a fiercely protective little guy,” Vax smiled fondly.

“He is. He’s my little blade,” Keyleth smiled back, recalling the day she gave him the nickname. 

He was about three and he’d just started making friends with Will, Captain Derrig’s son. The man had taken Orym under his wing and showed him around the martial arts gym he taught at during his time off, and Orym, impressionable as he was, took the man’s talk of defense very seriously and promised Keyleth he would join the team (called the Tempest’s Blades in honor of the history of the town) when he was bigger so he could always protect her. 

Keyleth didn’t take the boy seriously until one night, when she was babysitting him, she completely forgot she’d ordered pizza until the delivery driver knocked on her door and startled her to the point where Orym jumped and ran to answer the door to protect her from an intruder. Keyleth had blushed redder than her hair when she apologized to the poor teenager delivering the pizza for Orym wanting to punch him in the shins.

“As long as he keeps you protected.” Vax chuckled. 

“I have to go now. Can I call you again tomorrow?” 

“Of course, love. I’ll let Vex know. I hope you enjoy your Winter’s Crest dinner.”

Keyleth nodded, smiling, though a knot formed in her throat for having to say goodbye to Vax. They’d been able to talk to each other every day, as they planned, but only for an hour at most since Vex’ahlia had been working. 

“Thank you. I hope you enjoy yours. I love you.”

“And I love you, Sunshine.” Vax smiled before he hung up, an image Keyleth wished she could burn in her memory forever.

“How was your chat with Vax?” Lia asked a few minutes later when Keyleth joined everyone at the table.

She tried not to blush but her father’s conspiratorial smirk towards Lia stole her breath. The woman had definitely told him that’s why Keyleth wasn’t at the table yet.

“It was good,” She replied, deciding not to avoid the topic. 

“Just good?” Korrin asked.

Keyleth gave her father an exasperated look. “Dad… Orym was with us most of the time.”

“Vax is pretty,” Orym chimed, stabbing a carrot and eating it.

“He is very pretty,” Keyleth agreed. 

“How is he doing?” Korrin asked, still smiling fondly at her. 

Keyleth’s stomach lurched at the ease with which they talked about the topic. Her father had joked about her finding someone in college, but she never truly thought he would be so open and okay with her getting an actual boyfriend, especially not so soon during the school year. 

“He’s doing okay. He told me he was still sore, but that’s normal.”

“I wish you had told me sooner, Keyleth. I could have come and stayed with you,” Lia said. Keyleth hadn’t wanted to be a burden to anyone, so she kept the news of Vax being in the hospital too for a couple of days.

“It’s okay, Lia. The initial shock is gone. Now I just need both of you to get better and take it easy so you’ll fully heal,” She gave her father a pointed look.

It was a lie. The shock wasn’t gone yet. Keyleth had started having nightmares about losing her father and her boyfriend.

Korrin nodded, looking down at his plate in embarrassment. “I will take it slow, I promise.” He looked at both women.

“Good.” Lia chided him.

“Oh, I’m going to move my flight.” Keyleth announced.

“To when?” Korrin asked.

“The week after I was supposed to return to Emon.”

“Keyleth, you don’t have to, darling. I’ll be fine,” Korrin reached her across the table and grasped Keyleth’s hand.

“You need me, dad.”

“Yes, but I don’t want you to miss out because of me. Lia will be here… We have been talking and we decided it’s time she moves in. She will be here to help me, so you can return to Emon whenever you want, Keyleth.”

Keyleth swallowed hard at the news. It’s not that she didn’t know they were heading there, she just wasn’t expecting it to happen so suddenly, but it made sense. Lia was a nurse after all, no one was better qualified than her to take care of Korrin.

“How about I keep my flight for now, we see how you’re doing, and then we decide?” She proposed.

“That sounds like a great plan,” Korrin nodded, followed by Lia.

“Are we going to see the lights?” Orym suddenly interrupted the conversation. 

“Oh,” Lia looked at Korrin, then Keyleth.

Every year the town draped the trees in lights and decorated with candles for the holiday, and every year, Keyleth, Korrin, Lia, and Orym would go together, buy hot cocoa and look at the pretty lights, but this year, with Korrin recovering, they couldn’t do that.

“Why don’t you two go?” Korrin suggested, looking at Keyleth and Orym. “Lia and I will stay tonight, but you two should go.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay if I go?” Keyleth asked, the undercut of the double meaning behind her question was not lost on her father.

“I am. You go and have fun, Sprout. You deserve it.”

Keyleth had a hard time accepting that, and she wouldn’t for a while, but her father was right, and she knew that, ultimately, he was in good hands. She wouldn’t have to miss out on anything just yet and, to be honest, Keyleth was looking forward to having a free week with Vax’ildan to finally dip her toes in a relationship and see what the fuss is all about.

Vax'ildan

Vax’ildan always felt bittersweet after hanging up a call from Keyleth. On one hand, he was happy he got to talk to her, even though it was only for an hour a day, but, on the other hand, it made him sad that he couldn’t chat with his girlfriend all day. Vax missed sending her random texts to remind her to drink water and take a break, he missed sharing the small every-day things with her and sharing photos of something that reminded him of her. But above everything, Vax missed hugging Keyleth and just spending time with her.

She’d just told him she might not return to Emon as early as she thought, and while he had reassured her he would be okay, Vax knew he would be miserable by the time she finally returned, though he couldn’t let her know that. Keyleth’s father needed her. He had almost died.

It was weird, though. Vax had a faint memory, almost like a dream that one forgets when they wake up but they know they dreamed about something. In that memory, Vax had been in Zephrah with Korrin—which was how he knew it couldn’t be possible since he’d never step foot in the town—and the man had made him promise he would take care of Keyleth and he would stay by her side when he died, as if he knew he was going to die soon. 

It didn’t matter if it had been a dream or not, Vax would still keep up with his promise for no other reason than the fact that he loved Keyleth and he had no issues staying by her side through the good and the bad.

“Hey,” Vex’ahlia interrupted his thoughts, opening the door of the small bedroom that had been theirs for a few months before college. “All done?”

“Yeah. Thank you,” Vax smiled, handing his sister her phone back. He would be eternally grateful to her for letting him use her phone to talk to Keyleth. 

“How are you feeling?”

Vax sat upright against the pillows, checking his body for any soreness and pain. 

“Better than day one, for sure.” He joked, though Vex’s mouth didn’t even curl up in a smile.

“You scared the shit out of me, brother.” She admonished him. “I know it wasn’t your fault, but you still scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” Vax grabbed his sister’s hand. “You know you can’t get rid of me that easily right?”

Something in Vex’s eyes changed, a glazing that triggered something in the back of Vax’s mind, but she quickly returned to her senses, the corner of her lip curling up in amusement.

“Of course. As you won’t get rid of me that easily either.”

Vax chuckled. 

“Speaking of. Do you have anything to tell me?” Vex asked, cocking her eyebrow.

Vax’ildan hadn’t been avoiding sharing the news with Vex’ahlia, but he also hadn’t been forthcoming with it. Although, something about her tone told him she already knew.

“I’m guessing from your tone that you already know?” He cocked his head to the side, smirking.

“Keyleth told me.” Vex smirked back.

“Are you mad at me for not telling you sooner?”

Vex shook her head, her gaze softening. “No, of course not. Are you happy?”

Vax shrugged. Was he happy? Yes and no. 

“I haven’t had much of a chance to be a boyfriend yet, but I’m happy to get to be one in the future when Keyleth returns.”

Vex nodded. “She is good for you, brother. I’m sorry I gave you grief about it before.”

Vex’ahlia apologizing and admitting she was wrong about something? An angel was about to fall from the sky.

“Thanks, Stubby.” She immediately rolled her eyes at the form of endearment. “How about you and Freddie?”

Vex sighed, slumping next to Vax on the pillows. “He’s dealing with some legal shit in Whitestone.”

“What happened?”

“Apparently this couple who used to be friends, but not really, with his parents showed up with paperwork that gives them Percy’s sister’s custody and he’s fighting it.”

Vax grimaced. “That sounds stressful.”

Vex nodded in agreement. “I haven’t talked to him much, but he sounded stressed the last time we spoke. I don’t know if he’s returning before the semester begins.”

“Keyleth might not, as well.” Vax said, sadly. Vex’ahlia gave him an understanding look. “I told her to focus on staying with her dad…”

“You did the right thing, Vax.”

Vax let his head fall to his sister’s shoulder. “Then why do I feel like shit for it?”

“Because you love her and you want her by your side.” Vex combed her fingers through his damp hair falling between them.

She wasn’t wrong and that made Vax feel even guiltier.

“How did we end up talking about my relationship again? We were talking about you and Freddie.” He suddenly said, catching his sister’s grimace at a foiled plan.

“Fine,” She rolled her eyes. “What do you want to know?”

A few hours later, after a stuffing meal, a steaming mug of hot cocoa, and quite a few unexpected gifts (mostly new clothes and some cash to share between the twins), Vax’ildan found himself sitting with Kerrek on his garden bench, bundled with a thick blanket to stave off the cold, while Vex’ahlia and his wife, Mellie, busied themselves inside, chatting.

“Thank you for inviting us over for dinner and letting us stay,” Vax smiled. 

“It’s our pleasure,” Kerr smiled back, the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes more prominent when he did so. “You know you are always welcome here.”

Vax nodded. The couple had been instrumental in the twins' survival. 

“How are things going along?” Kerr asked. Vax knew he wasn’t asking about classes (they’d already exhausted that topic at dinner).

“Not good,” Vax confessed, leaning his head back to look at the star-speckled sky above him. “Our bank account is empty and with me recovering, I won’t be able to work like I planned. I’m not sure how we’re going to make it through the month with Vex’s meager barista paycheck, especially with the added hospital bills.”

It hurt him to confess his problems, but if there was ever anyone who would help the twins without asking for anything in return, it was Kerrek.

“Your scholarship is still paying for tuition and your dorm, right?” Kerr asked. Vax nodded. That was the silver lining. “Why don’t you two stay here for the month, then?”

Vax turned his head to the man, searching his gaze. 

“You won’t have to pay rent or pay for food, and you will have someone with you. The gardens aren’t too busy these days, so I can stay home half of the day and Mellie the other half. It would help you heal faster if you didn’t have to take care of yourself.”

Kerrek was right. It would help Vax heal quicker if he had some help and having a place to stay and food on the table would be great, but he knew Vex’ahlia was too stubborn to accept help.

“Thank you for offering,” He smiled, grateful. “I’ll talk to Vex’ahlia. Maybe I can use my broken ribs to convince her.” He joked.

“You do that. Like I said, you two are always welcome here.” Kerr smiled back.

The twins returned to the dorm the next morning and, immediately, Vax told Vex’ahlia about Kerrek’s offer the previous night. Of course, stubborn as always, Vex said no.

“I don’t want to be any more of a burden to them. I can find a second job if we have to.” She complained, walking into her bedroom and taking off her coat. Vex had a shift at the coffee shop soon, so Vax had to hurry up.

“Vex’ahlia, come on. We can’t afford food right now and even if you got a second job, you won’t be paid for it until the end of the month. Besides, it would help me heal from the accident.” He pouted.

He honest-to-God pouted. If the argument and the pout didn’t work, Vax didn’t know what else would.

“Fine!” Vex’ahlia agreed, though not without rolling her eyes. Pack a bag and we’ll go after I return from work. 

“Thank you, sister” Vax hugged her. “Oh, by the way, Keyleth gave me permission to do this.” Vax said, opening his girlfriend’s closet and taking two articles of clothing (a t-shirt he’d seen her wear to bed, and a sweater).

“Do I even want to know?” Vex’ahlia asked, aghast.

“Nope,” Vax replied, leaving the room. “Don’t forget to pack your bag, too!” He said over his shoulder as he returned to his bedroom where he called Kerr to let him know he’d been successful in convincing his sister.

Even if Keyleth decided to return a week earlier, the twins would still have a good month of luxury and not having to feed themselves and Vax would still have the chance to heal (almost) completely before his girlfriend arrived. 

He fully intended on only taking care of her when Keyleth returned to Emon, and he needed to be fully healed for that.

Chapter Text

Vax'ildan

Vax’ildan leaned against the back wall of the elevator, watching the numbers on the digital display ascend. He huffed in frustration, jingling the keys in his pocket. Vex’ahlia had asked him to retrieve a shirt for her from the Greyskull Keep dorm while she was at work, claiming she’d forgotten it and she was going to need it later.

Vax had tried to argue with his sister that she hadn’t needed it for a month so she could wait since they only had a week left before they returned to the dorm, furthermore, she was asking him , who was still healing from two broken ribs, to walk all the way across the city to retrieve a shirt . Suffice to say, Vax wasn’t happy about it, but his sister had insisted.

She’s so fucking stubborn , Vax thought, unlocking the apartment door. Immediately, he was hit with the sense that something was wrong.

The curtains were open, letting the late morning light in the living room, and some of the lights were on. Considering Vax had been the last person leaving the apartment, and knowing he had turned off the lights and closed the curtains, it was obvious that someone had let themselves in.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Vax called out, grabbing a knife from his pocket and readying himself.

From the corner of his eye, the flash of something red caught his attention as a person turned the corner of the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

“Hi there, handsome,” A soft-spoken voice sounded.

Vax’ildan barely managed to hold himself up at the sight of Keyleth leaning against the wall, arms and legs crossed with a victorious smirk on her face. However, he did drop the knife he was holding in shock.

“Key–” She didn’t let him finish. Keyleth crossed the distance between them in a light jog and threw herself against Vax, slamming softly against him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Although his girlfriend was light, Vax was still healing and the impact still made him wince as he hugged Keyleth back.

“I’m so sorry,” She said, pulling away slightly to look at his torso. “I forgot.”

“It’s okay. Come here,” Vax said, pulling her back into his hold.

Fuck. He had missed her so much. Keyleth fit his body so perfectly, resting her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him as he did the same. She still smelled like lavender, but there was a faint new scent to her, almost like the smell of damp trees in the winter. Whatever it was, she smelled like home.

“I’ve missed you,” Vax’s voice was muffled against her damp hair, evidence that she had showered recently.

How long had she been back for?

“I’ve missed you, too.” Keyleth replied, pulling away and leaning her forehead against Vax’s. “Can I kiss you?”

“Of course, silly.” Vax smiled.

Keyleth’s lips were softer than he remembered and they tasted like strawberry, which was insane considering they were nowhere close to being in season. She was gentle when kissing him, her lips moving slowly, her hands were firm on his chest as she moved them up to his shoulders under his jacket and started pushing it down.

“What are you doing?” Vax asked, his lips brushing against Keyleth’s as he spoke.

“Ssh,” She chided, kissing him again as his leather jacket fell to the floor.

Vax kept a firm hold on Keyleth, her hair tickling the backs of his hands on the small of her back as he deepened the kiss, searching the seam of her lips with his tongue. She opened up for him shyly, allowing his tongue to find hers, and she followed his lead. It saddened him how Keyleth had lost the confidence with which she had first started kissing him once he deepened it, but he was still proud that she had let him in and hadn’t broken the kiss.

“Hmm, wait.” Keyleth said, pulling away.

Maybe I spoke too soon, Vax thought.

“Too far?” He asked, loosening his hold on his girlfriend as she took a step back.

Keyleth shook her head, smiling. “No, that was great.” She said, then lowered herself on one knee and started undoing Vax’s boots.

“What are you doing?” He asked, confused.

“Taking care of you. You had to walk all the way over here and you’re still recovering.” She said, removing his boots and setting them aside on the shoe rack by the door.

Vax sputtered. He had planned to take care of Keyleth when she returned to Emon, that was the whole reason why he was so keen on getting better, yet here she was, turning the tables on him. 

Maybe it was possible for Vax to fall even deeper in love with Keyleth after all.

“Come,” Keyleth ordered, grabbing Vax’s hand. 

He let her guide him to her bedroom where she sat down on her bed, her back against the headboard, and patted the mattress in front of her. “Sit.”

Vax was still stunned that Keyleth was here, in Emon, right in front of him and not across a phone screen.

“When did you get back?” He asked, sitting in front of her. Keyleth immediately pulled his hands to her lap and started fidgeting with his fingers.

She was nervous. This was one of her tells, along with her biting her lip. 

“A couple of hours ago. Are you upset with me because I didn’t tell you?”

“No, of course not. I would never be upset with you, Kiki.” Vax said honestly. Yeah, he had wanted to be at the airport to greet her, but he would never be mad for having his girlfriend back in his arms.

This seemed to relax Keyleth, her lips even curling slightly at the corners.

“Did Vex’ahlia know?” Vax asked.

Keyleth nodded, chuckling. “She did. I let her know I was flying back and that I wanted to surprise you, then I texted her when I landed and she told me she was going to send you off.”

Suffice to say, Vax’ildan had a feeling his sister didn’t truly need the shirt she had asked him to get after all.

“Of course,” He sighed and rolled his eyes in amusement. “That explains why she was so adamant that I had to come get her shirt and not her.”

Keyleth laughed. Even though she was almost fully relaxed, she still kept fidgeting with Vax’s fingers on her lap. It was adorable that she still did that, even though it was more for comfort than stress release at this point.

“How’s your dad?” Vax asked, rubbing his thumb on Keyleth’s palm.

“He’s doing alright,” She shrugged. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to return before classes began, but Lia has been helping keep him in line and he’s been taking it slow. He insisted I should return earlier, so I did.”

Vax smiled. Keyleth had told him about Lia and Orym moving in with them and how full and cheerful the house was again. She’d also cried a few times on the phone with him, confessing that she was scared and felt guilty that she was letting her mother be forgotten, but Vax had reassured her that her mom (who Keyleth had told him was named Vilya) would never be replaced or forgotten, no matter how much Keyleth, or her father, loved Lia.

“I won’t argue with that,” He said. “I’m glad he’s doing better, not just so I can have my girlfriend for myself for a whole week before chaos reigns upon us again.” He joked.

Keyleth laughed again, shaking her head in agreement. “And how are you doing?” She sobered up, cocking an eyebrow that let Vax know she would not take any bullshitting.

“A bit sore sometimes,” He confessed. There was no point in lying when she would figure out soon enough. “But I’m feeling much better. I’m still taking it slow but I should be okay to go back to classes next week.”

“Good,” Keyleth bit her lip absent-mindedly. “So… does that mean  you’re good enough to make-out?”

Vax choked at Keyleth’s forthrightness. Gods, he was so proud of his girlfriend.

“Is that what you want?” He asked, raising his eyebrow with a smirk. Keyleth nodded shyly, blushing. “Then absolutely.”

Keyleth pulled him by the hands, lying down on her pillows as Vax hovered above her. He placed a hand on her knee as he settled himself halfway on top of her while Keyleth placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled him for a kiss, her other hand setting gently on his stomach over his t-shirt.

The kiss was slow at first, gentle and soft, as if Keyleth was worried about rushing too fast and getting lost in it. Vax wasn’t against it. If it was up to him, he would stop time so he could cherish this moment for the rest of his life. But the more they kissed, the bolder Keyleth became, and soon, her lips parted to allow him in as Vax slotted his leg between hers, drawing a small moan from his girlfriend.

“Is this okay?” He asked, his voice a hoarse whisper against her lips.

“Yes,” Keyleth muttered with a wavering voice, then kissed him back.

Vax’ildan loved this new side of her. He loved seeing his girlfriend grow more confident in herself and in her kissing, especially when she moved his hand to her waist under her t-shirt with a smirk against his lips. Vax obliged her silent request and held firmly, rubbing his thumb in slow circles against her soft skin. 

They stayed like that for a while, their kissing intensifying, making Vax’s body tingle with arousal, though he tried to keep it contained (the last thing he wanted was to spook Keyleth). His resolve faltered when Keyleth pulled at the hair on the back of his head, whether on purpose or by accident, he didn’t know, though he couldn’t control the moan that escaped his lips.

“Sorry,” He apologized to her. Keyleth chuckled and shook her head at him.

“This is nice,” She said. Her cheeks were blushing pink and her pupils were wide in a sign that she was, in fact, enjoying this just as much as Vax was.

“It is. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.” He confessed.

“Me too,” She whispered before kissing him again.

Keyleth moved, probably trying to get more comfortable as they kissed, ending up bringing Vax’s thigh between hers. Vax felt the moment she involuntarily ground against him and gasped, breaking the kiss.

“Are you okay?” Vax asked, pulling away and hovering above her.

“Can we pause?” Keyleth asked in a shaky voice.

“Of course, love.” Vax sat up, quickly followed by his girlfriend. “Here,” He handed Keyleth the water bottle on her nightstand.

“I’m sorry,” She apologized after taking a few sips of water. 

“What are you apologizing for?”

Keyleth looked away, embarrassed. “For stopping.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Kiki.” Vax tried to reassure her. He turned around so he could face her in bed and placed a gentle hand on her knee. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Keyleth shrugged. “It’s–it’s not something easy to talk about.”

“I’m not here to judge you, love. You can tell me anything.” 

She looked up at him, still embarrassed, so Vax smiled in response. He needed her to know he would be there to hear whatever she had to say, that he would never judge her.

“You–you know I don’t have experience in–” Keyleth raised her eyebrows.

“Sex? Yes. Is that what’s bothering you?” Vax frowned. If Keyleth was afraid of not being good, Vax had no issues in helping her with that.

She nodded, looking down at her lap again as she fumbled with the bottle. “The thing is… I’ve never–” She hesitated but Vax squeezed her knee reassuringly, hoping to remind her she was safe with him. “I’ve never felt attracted to anyone before.”

Oh .

“Like–”

“Like I’d never thought about kissing anyone even, so anything more than that–” Keyleth hesitated again. 

“But you’re attracted to me, right?” Vax asked, confused since they had just been making-out. He couldn’t blame her if the answer was ‘no’. What was there in him that would make him special? Absolutely nothing, now more than ever. It saddened him because Vax thought he and Keyleth had chemistry, but upon hearing that she’d never felt attracted to anyone before, he couldn’t stop wondering if maybe it had all been one-sided on his part? Maybe Vax had been delusional to think that he could, finally, be good enough for someone.

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter. Vax loved Keyleth and he would do anything to make her happy and comfortable, even if that meant they would have to go back to being friends or just kissing. Whatever she wanted from him, he would willingly give her.

“I am.” She replied. Vax sighed in relief. “You’re the first person I’ve ever felt that for, the wanting to kiss and… more,” She gave him another shy smile. “You’ve always been so nice to me, and you’ve made me feel safe and comfortable.”

“Okay,” Vax released a stuttering breath but he sobered up quickly. He hadn’t been insane. Maybe he was good enough for Keyleth. “So, you’ve never felt attracted to anyone until me?”

Keyleth nodded. “I just never really thought about it, if that makes sense? I know about sex, but it just never felt like it was something I needed or wanted until–” 

“Me?” Vax smirked. Truth be told, he felt slightly smug about it.

Keyleth chuckled, totally seeing through him. “Yes, you. I want to be with you. I’ve thought about–” She suddenly stopped talking. 

“About…?” Vax tried to look at ease, to keep reassuring Keyleth, but he couldn’t stop the smirk on his face.

“Uhm… doing things with you.” She mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

Vax laughed but quickly stopped at his girlfriend’s hurt look. “Sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you, I promise you.”

“That would be rude,” She scowled at him.

“It’s just that the idea that you’ve fantasized about having sex with me but you’re too shy to admit it is adorable.”

Keyleth blushed at his bluntness. “Have you–?”

Vax snorted. “Oh yes. But I’m not going to act on it until you’re ready, Kiki. And I mean this truthfully, I don’t mind waiting for you, however long it takes you.”

The corner of Keyleth’s mouth curled up in a tentative smile that was far from reaching her eyes. “What if I’m never ready? Sometimes these feelings are overwhelming with how intense they are.”

Vax shrugged. “Nothing will change, love. I will still love you. I will still care about you. I will still want to live my entire life by your side.”

Keyleth’s eyes glazed over with tears at that, the smile finally reaching the corner of her eyes. “Do you mean it?”

Vax leaned forward, grabbing her hands and bringing them to his lips, he kissed her knuckles. “I promise you I mean it. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, love.”

“What about your…needs?”

“I have two perfectly good hands, Kiki.”

Keyleth choked a laugh at his answer, her shoulders drooping slightly when she looked back at him, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I’ll be fine,” He reassured her. “ We will be fine.”

“Just so we’re clear,” —Keyleth’s expression changed, becoming more serious, which Vax mirrored— “I’m not saying that I don’t want to have sex with you, I’m just saying that it might take me a while to get used to having these feelings, and I might need to take breaks if they get too overwhelming.”

Vax nodded. “I’m not in a rush, Kiki. I’ll wait and help you through it as much as you’ll allow me to.”

“Thank you.” Keyleth leaned closer to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Thank you for telling me, Kiki. It means a lot to me that you confided this in me,” Vax replied, kissing her forehead.

“I’ll always be honest with you, Vax, and I want you to be honest with me. If it ever becomes a problem for you, for us, I want you to tell me.”

“I won’t be, but I’ll tell you.” Vax promises. “I’m not with you for sex, I’m with you because I love you and I enjoy spending time with you. You’re brilliant and a light in my life, Kiki. Sex is secondary.”

Keyleth nodded, smiling. “Do you have to go back tonight or would you like to stay?”

“I’d love to stay,” Vax replied with a smile at the prospect of spending the night with his girlfriend. “I should stop by Kerr’s to grab my stuff, though. There’s no way I’m leaving you here alone all week.”

“I’ll go get some groceries. I noticed the fridge is empty,” Keyleth said, giving Vax a knowing look.

That was not a conversation for right now.

“Sounds like a great plan. I can cook for us tonight, if you want to relax.” He offered.

“Sounds like a date!”

Percival

Percival looked at the ivy and moss-covered stone that blocked the entrance to the tunnel he and his brother, Julius, had used so many times to sneak out when they were younger. His parents hadn’t known about it so he had serious doubts the manor’s current residents did. Nevertheless, he still tried to be quiet when he moved the stone out of the way and made his way through the damp, dark tunnel, only illuminated by the flashlight of his cellphone.

This was risky, he was fully aware of it, but after a month of looking through the paperwork and every piece of legislation he could get his hands on, Percy and Archibald were nowhere close to being able to dispute Cassandra’s custody from the Briarwoods, not to mention the estate and company ownership. Worse than that, Percy had, quite literally, been left with nothing but the money he had in his personal bank account overnight as he learned after the meeting with the Briarwoods and their lawyer that his parents had decided that, starting from Percy, all his siblings’ trust funds would be locked until they turned 21.

This was why he found himself crawling through a tunnel that led to the manor’s cellar, the secret entrance hidden behind a large barrel that Percy hoped no one had found and closed. He was hoping to go through the Briarwoods’ office (his father’s old office) and dig through their paperwork to confirm his suspicion that they’d been forging documents. If he managed to meet with Cassandra and explain everything to her, even better, but he had no hope left when it came to his sister.

Lucky for Percy, the entrance wasn’t boarded and he managed to move the barrel just enough to pass through a small gap. He paused, listening for movement in the dark room, and when nothing revealed its presence, he started moving around the crates and barrels that had been in the cellar before he had been born. The familiarity of the situation was uncanny. It had been over five years since the last time he traversed the obstacles, yet he knew he could still do it with his eyes closed. 

Percival missed his siblings. He hadn’t been extremely close to all of them (there had been too many to be able to have one-on-one bonding time with each), but Julius, his oldest brother, and him had been close enough in age where he would allow Percy to hang out with him a few times. Percy’s favorite moments with Julius were when they would sneak out of the house with their father’s gun and shoot cans in the woods. Their father had taught Julius to shoot when he was sixteen and, in turn, Julius had taught Percy, although he had been a boy at the time. 

The house was even scarier at night than it had been in the daylight, the shadows of the tree branches on the walls made Percy’s heart skip a beat a few times, but other than the eerily silence occasionally broken by the skittering of rats, he didn’t find any living soul on the hallways and was able to reach his father’s office seemingly unknown.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. The memory of opening the large mahogany doors and being greeted with the scent of pine and leather didn’t match what Percy’s nose picked, the scent of rusted copper and mold taking over his senses and dizzying him for a moment. 

The sight wasn’t pleasant either. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were practically empty except for a few tomes; the art on the walls (some of them paintings of previous de Rolos) had been replaced with hanging mounts of animal skeletons, heads and bodies alike, and even a few taxidermied trophies; the curtains, much like what Percy had seen on his first visit, were dark and opaque, though they were open to let in the moonlight that shone like a beacon on the desk where he had once found his father pored over documents, even at a late hour such as this one.

He wasted no time searching for other signs of his family’s presence that he knew he wouldn’t be able to find and, instead, went straight to the desk, opening drawers and shuffling papers, hoping to find something— anything —that proved his parents hadn’t forsaken him and his sister in favor of the couple that they had barely known.

Percival searched for longer than he should have but all he found were ledgers with the company’s accounting, house expenses, and other irrelevant information that didn’t tell him anything. He was getting ready to search for any false bottoms on the drawers when the sound of shuffling outside of the door caught his attention. Quickly, silently, he dipped under the desk, holding his breath.

The door clicked open, then closed, and footsteps approached the desk. Percy hugged his knees to his chest quietly, paying attention to the minimal sounds. If whoever had walked into the office turned the corner and looked down, or even tried to sit at the desk, he would be in a lot of trouble.

“There’s no point in hiding, I know you are there.” A male voice said, dripping with charm that compelled Percy to obey.

Fuck.

Percival had no other choice but to leave his hiding spot. Sylas would get him out sooner or later and he had a feeling the sooner he left, the easier it would be for him.

“Do pray tell, little pup, what are you doing here so late?” Sylas asked with a crooked smile that revealed his canines.

Percy remained silent, clutching his fists at his sides.

“No answer? Well, in that case, I have no other option but to” —Sylas took his phone from his pocket and unlocked it— “call the police.”

“No, wait!” Percy stopped him, raising his arm over the desk that separated them. “I’ll leave.”

“I’m sure you will,” Sylas cocked his head amused. “But what I want to know is how you got here in the first place.”

Percy couldn’t reveal his secret, he needed an opening in case he had to return to save Cassandra or to get more information. He just couldn’t reveal the secret entrance.

“No?” Sylas smiled victoriously. “Well, in that case… you were warned, Percival.”

“If you let me leave, I won’t come back.” He lied.

“Tsk. We both know that isn’t true, don’t we, pup?” Sylas drawled on. “Did you find what you were looking for?” 

Percy gulped. He didn’t want to give anything away but the man had lowered the phone and was waiting for his answer. If he were honest, maybe he could leave.

“No.”

Sylas smirked. “There is nothing to find anyway, at least nothing you are entitled to, of course.”

“Please, let me leave.” Percy tried, taking a step to the side of the desk, hands up in supplication.

“Oh, I will. As soon as the cops arrive.” Sylas grinned as he dialed the police station’s number.

Percy could have tried to fight, he could have probably punched the man to gain him enough time to escape, but he was scared doing so would make his sister’s living situation worse, so he stood by the desk, clutching his fists until he felt blood pool where his nails carved his palms.

As if reading his mind, Sylas Briarwood shook his head, not a single piece of hair was out of place, even this late. Now that Percy noticed it, the man was still dressed for the day, as if he had been expecting company this late. “If I were you, I would take a seat and wait. Your sister is safe—for now—but your behavior tonight might change that. You’re already on thin ice, pup.”

Percival cursed the man and his entire bloodline, but he obeyed, glaring daggers at him. 

No matter what, Cassandra’s well-being was his first concern. This was why he had come to the manor, why he had searched for any sign of the original will his parents had left and any possible forgery. None of this would make sense if his sister was in danger. If that meant he had to bite the bullet and obey her sadistic captor, he would do it as long as it meant Cassandra was safe.

“Maybe a night in jail will help you rethink your behavior tonight.” Sylas grinned as, a couple minutes later, a knock sounded at the door and two cops walked in, handcuffs already opened and ready to detain Percy.

They had been too fast. He knew. Sylas knew Percy would be coming tonight. Someone betrayed him.

As he was handcuffed, Percival vowed whoever it was who had given up the information would pay just as much as the Briarwoods would.

Chapter Text

Vex'ahlia

After one month of having to share her room with her brother, Vex’ahlia was happy to have a room for herself. One of the cons of staying at Kerrek’s was having to share a room with Vax’ildan, but the pros heavily outweighed the cons. Her brother wasn’t a bad roommate but Vex had gotten used to having her own privacy from him since college started, even if she had to learn to share a room with two other girls.

Although it was hard for her to ask other people for help, Vex had to admit that not having to worry about what the twins were going to eat—if they would even be able to eat at all—was a huge relief off her shoulders, especially now that she was the sole money-maker, even if all the plans she had made for the money she would be getting from the month’s work went down the drain with Vax’s accident (which she didn’t fault him for).

Vex’ahlia had been enjoying the solitude of her morning before her shift at the coffee shop when her phone rang on her nightstand, distracting her from her thoughts. On the screen was a number she didn’t recognize, and while she didn’t usually answer unknown numbers, something about it tingled the back of her mind.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Hello, is this Vex’ahlia?” A female voice asked. 

“Yes, this is her.” Vex sat up. She recognized the voice, though she couldn’t remember the face that went with it.

“Oh, thank goodness. It’s Devana, your father’s wife.”

Vex’ahlia felt as if a bucket of iced water had been dumped on her head.

“I–I understand you might not want to hear from me” —the woman continued upon Vex’s silence— “but I was wondering if we could talk?”

“T–talk? Did something happen? Is Velora okay?” Vex straightened up, clutching her sheet as if she was ready to fly out of bed and run to her sister’s aid.

“Velora is fine, dear. So is your father. I’m staying in Emon for a few days and I was wondering if we could meet? ”

Vex bit the inside of her cheek. On one hand, Devana had always been nice to her and Vax and she wanted to know how Velora was, but, on the other hand, the last thing Vex wanted was for her father to find out where the twins were.

Like a brick hitting a glass pane, Devana’s words suddenly bashed through Vex’s thoughts.

“How did you know I’m in Emon?”

“What do you mean?” Devana asked, confused. “Your father told me you and your brother have been living in Emon, that you both enrolled in college there. I’m so proud of you for that, dear.” Devana’s tone lightened. 

Vex’ahlia could tell the woman was being genuine but the alarm bells in her mind were blaring at the information she shared.

Maybe a meeting with her stepmother wasn’t a bad idea. If anything, Vex could at least get more information about how her father knew the twins’ whereabouts when they’d been so adamant not to share their lives with the man.

“When and where would you like to meet?” Vex asked, still spooked about the idea of Syldor knowing where they were.

“How about tomorrow?”

“Sounds great.” Vex nodded even though the woman couldn’t see her, and they scheduled lunch at a restaurant in Abdar’s Promenade, far away from college campus. Even if her father knew she and Vax had enrolled in university, Vex’ahlia couldn’t tell if he knew which one, so the best course of action was to stay away from campus as much as possible.

“Is Velora with you?” She asked Devana after they set the details of the meeting.

“She is not, not this time. I bring her with me sometimes but I wanted to meet with you first before bringing her. I–I will explain everything tomorrow, I promise.” The woman vowed.

Vex’ahlia didn’t trust her, but she had no other option. “Alright.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Devana said, wishing her a good day before she hung up.

Vex stared at the wall for a moment, filing each piece of information in its own folder.

Devana had her phone number; she was in Emon and, seemingly, came here often, sometimes even bringing Velora with her; Syldor knew the twins had been living in Emon and that they had enrolled in college, and he’d told his wife, who had sounded like Vex should have known about this; and lastly, Devana wanted to meet with Vex, although she didn’t want to say why.

No, something about this was weird, Vex decided. Maybe it was the fact that Syldor knew they were in Emon and that he hadn’t done anything to find them.

Why would he even try to find us when he clearly doesn’t care about us? Vex’ahlia reminded herself. Yes, the twins had run away from his home, but he had been the one who almost killed her that night… 

No, Syldor definitely should not have a reason to want to look for the twins, so the fact that he’d told Devana where they were and she went looking for them sounded strange.

Vex knew she would have to tell Vax’ildan about Devana seeking them out eventually but her brother was still recovering from his accident and he was with Keyleth, and Vex had no desire to have a fight with him about this lunch. Besides, what harm could it do to them anyway? Their father already knew about them being in Emon and Vex had specifically picked a restaurant far away.

She decided she would go alone, hear what Devana had to tell, and then she would decide if she should, or not, give the woman more of her time and tell Vax about the meeting.

Keyleth

Keyleth woke up in a good mood. Maybe it was due to her boyfriend’s body pressed against her back, his hand splayed on her stomach protectively, or maybe it was because it was the first night since her father’s heart attack and Vax’s accident that she didn’t have a nightmare. Either way, she was happy to have had a full night of rest. 

She turned in bed to face Vax’ildan, smiling at the sight of him still sleeping next to her. Yesterday, he’d sent her a list of things he needed from the grocery store and, unbeknownst to Keyleth, he’d cooked her favorite dish for dinner and made a pie for dessert, which they ate on the couch while watching a movie together. 

Keyleth loved being able to cuddle with Vax on the couch, she loved being able to fall asleep on her boyfriend’s chest without worrying when was the next time she would be seeing him, she loved talking to him about everything and nothing until they fell asleep exhausted. She simply just loved him.

“Good morning,” Vax’s sleep-hoarse voice brought Keyleth back to the present. She smiled at the sight of his eyes opening and focusing on her and how they lit up when he saw her facing him.

“I love you,” Keyleth blurted, smiling foolishly. The feeling was so overpowering she didn’t want to let it fester inside of her. It needed to be let out.

“Hmm,” Vax nuzzled against her neck. “I love you, too.” He said before kissing her neck.

The tingling feeling that spread from the kissing spot to the rest of Keyleth’s body was light compared to the arousal she’d felt the day before and it made her giggle. 

Keyleth was glad she’d finally talked to Vax about how her attraction to him sometimes was overwhelming, although, in reality, yesterday had been the first time that Keyleth had panicked about being that intimate with Vax.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, his voice reverberating against Keyleth’s neck, giving her a more intense tingling sensation. Vax must have felt it or sensed her breath changing because he pulled back, looking at her with bewildered eyes. 

Keyleth swallowed hard before answering, lowering her head to his shoulder instead. “I did. And you?”

Vax nodded. His hands started rubbing up and down her spine over her t-shirt. Even though they’d slept practically naked before Keyleth went home, she had felt too vulnerable after their talk and had opted for an oversized t-shirt, which Vax had been supportive of (as he always supported any of her decisions).

“I’ve been having weird dreams since the accident,” Vax’s breath puffed against her hair. Keyleth raised her gaze to him, wanting to give her boyfriend her full attention. “They’re usually the same dream; I wake up in Zephrah and there’s someone else with me. I don’t know who they are but I always feel anxious, like I have to save them before it’s too late. Then the scene changes and I'm in darkness with a golden thread wrapped around my arm, leading me somewhere but I don’t know where.”

“You wake up in Zephrah?” Keyleth asked, confused. As far as she was aware, Vax had never been to her hometown.

“Weird, right? I’ve never been there but I just know it’s Zephrah. Like something inside me is sure.”

“That’s interesting. And when you wake up in the darkness, you’re alone?”

Vax nodded. “The person that was with me is nowhere to be found, yeah.”

Keyleth frowned, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. “I wonder if there’s a meaning to those dreams. It’s interesting–” She digressed. 

“What’s interesting?” Vax asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve been having nightmares since the accident, too. They’re usually the same but with different people. Sometimes it’s you, other times it’s my dad. But every time, someone I love is dying and I’m stuck in the darkness, wanting to save them but being unable to move. There’s always a golden light in the distance that I can’t reach in every dream, too.”

Vax hummed.

Could their dreams be connected?

“You’ve been under a lot of stress,” He reminded her. 

“So have you,” Keyleth raised her eyebrow at him.

“Exactly,” He kissed her forehead. “But I didn’t have a nightmare last night. That’s what I was trying to say.”

“Me neither. I sleep better when I’m with you,” She confessed shyly. 

Keyleth wished the week didn’t have to end. She wanted to sleep with Vax every night. 

“Me too,” Vax said, stretching. 

Keyleth sat up in bed, resigning herself that she’d probably need to get up and get the day started as much as she wanted to stay in bed all morning with Vax. As she did so, her gaze fell on the brown paper bag she’d forgotten by her empty suitcase and her face opened up in a smile.

“Hey Vax. I forgot I got you something,” She said, looking at her boyfriend knowingly.

“What do you mean?” Vax asked, sitting up. He gave Keyleth a look that she couldn’t discern if it was scolding or curiosity.

“That bag over there is for you. It’s your Winter’s Crest gift.” She pointed at the paper bag.

“You didn’t have to, Kiki.”

Although there was sadness in Vax’s tone, Keyleth could tell there was more behind it. She knew her boyfriend pretty well already, and she could tell when he tried to mask guilt behind other emotions, so she observed him as he got out of bed to grab the bag and opened it.

There. In the split second it took Vax to bring out the garment she had bought him, Keyleth saw the guilt in his eyes.

“A hoodie?” Vax asked, looking up at her.

Keyleth nodded with a knot in her throat. “I figured that since I borrowed yours, you could have an extra one for the next time it happened.” She smiled at the hint of it being a recurring thing in the future—more to remind herself that they would have a future together.

“The color is… interesting,” Vax snorted, unfolding the dark green hoodie.

Keyleth had wanted to bring more color to Vax’s closet but she’d purposely picked a dark tone to avoid a sudden change. Small steps.

“Oh, wow. Keyleth did you embroider this?” He asked, looking at the front of the hoodie.

Keyleth smiled proudly. “I had a lot of free time.”

She had embroidered different types of flowers on the front of the hoodie, flowers that she picked specifically, that represented love and loyalty. It looked like a wild bouquet of varied flowers in different colors: tulips, carnations, orchids, and even lilies and chrysanthemums. 

“Look at the sleeves,” She instructed. 

Vax’s face opened in an even brighter grin when he saw the snowdrops embroidered on one sleeve (with a golden ‘V’ at the end of the stems), and the sunflowers embroidered on the other sleeve (with a golden ‘K’ at the end of the stems, just like the other sleeve).

“This is beautiful,” Vax hugged the garment to his chest, tearing up. Keyleth shrugged. All the hours she put into it were worth it to see her boyfriend’s smile.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it,” He said, putting it on. “It fits perfectly.”

“I knew it would. And it looks great on you, too. It really brings out the green in your eyes.”

Vax scoffed. Okay, maybe Keyleth was trying to flatter him, but it did look great on him.

“Are you hungry, sunshine?” he asked, changing the subject

Just in time, Keyleth’s stomach growled.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” He laughed. “You can stay here if you want. I’ll go make us breakfast.” He said, turning around and heading to the door.

“You’re spoiling me, Vax’ildan!” Keyleth yelled out as he left the room.

“You love it,” He yelled back.

Keyleth didn’t even try to deny it to herself, she loved being pampered by her boyfriend, which was only possible because he loved pampering her.

Vax'ildan

Even though it had only been a month since the accident, Vax’ildan felt so much better, not just physically, but emotionally, too. Although, perhaps the latter was due to the redhead holding his hand as they walked on the park by the river. 

Keyleth had tried to convince him to take a bus to their destination but he’d declined, so they ended up walking across the river, heading towards Abdar Promenade for lunch. As much as Vax was excited to go on a date with his girlfriend, he was also dreading the conversation he needed to have with her. After today’s lunch, he would have no more money and it would only be a matter of time until Keyleth found out.

“You’ve been quiet. Are you okay?” Keyleth asked, as if sensing the turmoil in his mind.

“Sorry. I’m okay,” He tried to give her a reassuring smile but it seemingly had no effect.

Keyleth stopped abruptly, dragging Vax to a stop with her. “Are you in pain? We can get a taxi for the rest of the way.”

“I’m not in pain, Kiki.” Vax promised, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait until we’re at the restaurant.”

Keyleth didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t push. 

“Fine,” She said, walking again. “Will you tell me the truth when we get there?” 

Vax ignored the knot in his throat. “I will,” He promised honestly. 

Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long. In less than fifteen minutes, he and Keyleth took a semi-private corner booth, sitting side by side with a clear view of the rest of the restaurant.

“Spill it,” Keyleth said, not waiting for even a breath after the waitress left from delivering their drinks.

Vax sighed, leaning back against the seat. He knew Keyleth wouldn’t judge him but it was still hard to admit his shortcomings, especially when he already felt like he wasn’t good enough to be her boyfriend.

“Do you know that Vex and I are on a scholarship?”

Keyleth nodded. “She told me a while back.”

Of course she did…

“Well, thankfully it covers both tuition and housing, but that’s it. Meals and other expenses all come from our pockets.”

Keyleth nodded. “I figured. And you two don’t have a lot of money…”

Vax shook his head. “Actually, we have none left. All that I have is in my wallet to pay for lunch. Vex got a couple of jobs during the break but they won’t pay until next week and even when they do–”

“They’re going for the hospital bill.” Keyleth finished.

“So… we’re fucked. I couldn’t get a job like I planned because of the accident and now we basically can’t do shit. If it hadn’t been for Kerr inviting us to stay at his place, we wouldn’t have been able to eat all month.” Vax confessed, looking dejected.

“I’m glad you have him.”

Vax smiled. “Me too. But things might be a bit hard when classes start again. We won’t be able to participate with groceries, we probably won’t be able to go out either, and… I won’t be able to take you out on dates anymore.” He finished sadly.

“Oh, Vax–” Keyleth placed her hand on his thigh. The touch was gentle and warm, and it brought a good kind of buzz to his navel. “Don’t worry about that. We can just hang out, we don’t have to do anything fancy.”

Just as she finished her sentence, the waitress arrived with their food, smiling knowingly at Keyleth’s proximity with Vax. “Enjoy,” She said before leaving.

Keyleth’s blush was endearing when she realized her hand was still on Vax’s thigh and that she was almost on his lap. She quickly settled back in her place and stared at her plate as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“I know we don’t have to do anything fancy but I want to be able to spoil my girlfriend,” Vax continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“Is that why you looked sad when I gave you the hoodie earlier?”

As usual, Keyleth had seen right through him.

“Yes. I felt guilty for not being able to reciprocate the gift.” He admitted. “It’s only temporary. Once I’m fully healed, I’m going to get a part-time job.”

“Is there any way I can help in the meantime?” Keyleth asked.

While Vax was proud, he wasn’t as proud as his sister was to ask for help from people who cared about him, which is why he had accepted Kerrek’s invitation to stay at his place, but things were different with Keyleth. 

Vax felt like he had to prove himself—prove his worth—even though Keyleth had never made him feel inferior or incapable. His father’s words were still a constant presence in his mind, reminding him of the dark times he wished he could forget, not just for what the man had put him through but for what he had done to his sister. Although Keyleth had shone a beacon of sunshine in Vax’s life, he still had some dark thoughts that had only been amplified by her absence and the powerlessness that came with the accident.

“There are things you could do but I don’t want to burden you.” He ended up admitting shyly.

“You’re not a burden, Vax.” She said seriously, grabbing his arm. “I understand where you’re coming from. It’s not easy to ask for help from the people who care about us, but not even you can face this alone, no matter how strong you are.”

Vax wanted to scoff. Strong was definitely not the first word he would pick to describe himself. But Keyleth was right. He couldn’t do this alone (Vex’ahlia didn’t count; she was in the same boat).

“I’ll share my food with you, obviously” —Keyleth offered, although she didn’t have to since they’d already been sharing food before the break— “and I can cover your part of the house expenses when it comes to your turn.”

Vax lowered his head in shame. Keyleth was being so nice to him, offering her food and to cover for him. He truly didn’t deserve her.

“I also understand if you don’t want to tell the others. This can stay between us, but I think you should tell them. They will understand, Vax.” She finished, squeezing his arm.

Vax nodded, looking down at his untouched plate. She was right, as usual. 

“Will you help me with that, too?” He asked.

“Of course. We can brainstorm what to tell them later if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Vax smiled, feeling like a weight has just lifted off his shoulders. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Positive. I don’t mind helping you at all.” Keyleth replied and Vax knew she didn’t mean just with what to tell their friends, but everything.

“I promise I’ll pay you back.”

“You don’t have to. I’m doing this out of love,” She said, making his heart skip a beat. 

“You’re amazing, did you know that?” Vax leaned into his girlfriend, fully aware that anyone at the restaurant could see them if they happened to look their way.

Keyleth’s blush returned in full force, painting her whole face red as she mumbled incoherently to her plate. Vax chuckled and pulled away. He didn’t want to torment her, not when she’d just kindly offered to help him. 

Vax might not have been able to afford to give his girlfriend gifts but he had something that was priceless—his love for her—and he would make sure she knew that.

“Since I can’t take you out, what do you think if we had a movie night tonight? You and me, cuddling on the couch with popcorn?” He proposed. Keyleth smiled happily, a sight that made Vax’s breath catch in his throat, and nodded.

“That sounds like a great date to me.”

That was the incentive Vax’ildan needed to not allow his lack of money stop him from asking Keyleth out on dates. He would just have to find new creative ideas that didn’t involve money. Easy right?

Keyleth deserved the best, and even though Vax didn’t feel like he was the best—yet—he would still try his damn hardest to make her happy.

Chapter Text

Vex'ahlia

Vex’ahlia approached the restaurant nervously clutching Trinket’s leash in her hands. She knew she should have left him home but she couldn’t bear to face today without him by her side, the dog calmed her and he knew when to tell her that she needed to slow down and take a moment, that’s what he had been trained for, after all, even if, at the end, Vex hadn’t had enough money to complete the legal paperwork to certify his training. 

It was a small lie she told on occasion, like when she got permission to bring him into the dorm, even if, in reality, Trinket had completed his training. Did a piece of paper really matter at the end of the day?

Devana was waiting for Vex outside of the restaurant she had picked, a Marquesian food place that the twins had found when they first arrived in Emon and that they would drool over the scents that wafted through the back door whenever they camped in the alley behind the building. She couldn’t help but smile with a light hint of pride that she’d finally been able to try it out a few months ago with Percy (the man paid, of course), although she knew that if it weren’t for Devana paying for the meal, she had absolutely no way of eating here.

“Vex’ahlia! It’s so nice to see you.” The woman greeted her with a kind, honest smile. It had been almost four years since the last time Vex saw the woman, yet she’d barely changed, except, perhaps, for the wrinkles around the corners of her eyes.

Her long, wavy blonde hair still shone brightly from the expensive products Vex’ahlia knew the woman used, her full-face of makeup was impeccable as usual, and she wore a navy blue pantsuit with a pearly white shirt that cost more than Vex’s yearly tuition, not to mention the designer bag slung around her arm. Being on good terms with Syldor Vessar had benefits.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Devana.” Vex greeted back honestly.

“You look…different,” Vex’s stepmother smiled, looking at her from head to toe, her gaze stopping momentarily at the dog sitting properly at her feet. Vex’ahlia had always been perceptive so she didn’t miss the hurt in the woman’s tone upon seeing how grown up she was.

“Not that different, I assure you.” Vex smiled back. That was a lie.

Vex’ahlia was not the same little girl she had been when she and Vax left Syngorn behind, she wasn’t scared of the future or tried to obey her father in hopes that he would finally love her. She couldn’t give a fuck about his opinion anymore.

“And who’s this?” Devana asked, looking at Trinket.

“His name is Trinket, he’s my service dog, so he’s okay to come inside with us.”

Devana nodded in understanding. “Shall we go in and find a table, then? The food smells amazing.” Devana opened the door, allowing Vex and Trinket to enter first.

Thankfully the restaurant wasn’t crowded so they were able to get a table by the window and Trinket immediately laid down at Vex’s feet under the table. Devana ordered rose and mint tea for both, and hummus with bread as an appetizer that left Vex’ahlia salivating instantly.

“Have you been here before?” Devana asked Vex’ahlia.

“Only once a couple of months ago. The food is just as good as it smells.”

Devana nodded, sitting back on the chair and looking at Vex, her head tilted to the side as if she was analyzing her to the depths of her being.

Vex’ahlia squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable with the woman’s piercing gaze. She wished she would just go ahead and ask whatever she wanted to know instead of building up the tension between them. Things were already awkward as they were, no need to make it worse.

“How’s Velora?” Vex asked, deciding to put an end to the awkward silence.

“She’s doing great. She’s very smart and creative. She puts up little plays with her dolls every week and forces me and your father to watch. I see a lot of you in her.”

Vex smiled through the pain of not being there to watch her sister grow up, of not being able to witness her plays and how similar the little girl was to her.

“She sounds lovely,” She said, hurting.

“She is,” Devana smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure you miss her. I tell her about you a lot. She would love to meet you, and your brother, of course.”

Vex nodded, acknowledging the woman’s words as truth. She knew Vax would love to see their sister, too, but there was absolutely no doubt in the world that he wouldn’t do it if it meant seeing their father.

“So, tell me about yourself. I know you and Vax’ildan enrolled in the University of Emon and that you have been living in Emon for almost two years, but that’s the extent of my knowledge.”

Shit.

No, no, no. That was not possible, was it? How did she know which University the twins were studying at? Did Syldor tell her that? Does he know? He couldn’t know… Fuck. Vax was going to flip whenever she told him.

Sensing Vex’s feelings, Trinket perked up and looked at her from under the table, a gesture that Vex replied by digging her fingers in the fur at the top of his head.

“I–” Vex tried to speak over the multiple emotions she was feeling; fear, anger, insecurity, desperation. 

Just in time, the server arrived with the appetizers, immediately departing with a smile that Vex wanted to wipe off their face. Did they not realize the shock she was in? How dared they smile when her world had just been turned upside-down?

“Vex’ahlia?” Devana reached over the table to grab Vex’s free hand. “Are you alright, dear?”

Alright? Vex was everything but alright.

“I’m sorry,” She shook her head, trying to get out of the fearful headspace that she had just congratulated herself earlier for escaping. She kept herself grounded by the feeling of Trinklet’s fur in her palm. “I wasn’t aware you knew so much, that is all.”

Devana cocked her head confused, her hand still holding onto Vex’s, the iciness of her wedding band was a shock against the warmth of her skin. “Your father told me, of course.” She said as if it should have been obvious all along.

Did Devana think that her husband had gathered that information directly from the source? Was this why she was acting as if this lunch was just a simple catch-up meal?

“He did?” Vex asked, faking disinterest as she freed her hand and dipped a piece of bread in the hummus.

Gods, it was delicious. 

“You sound confused,” Devana pointed out, following in Vex’s steps.

“Well…” Vex looked back at her stepmother, “Considering my brother and I haven’t had contact with Syldor since we left Syngorn, you can probably understand why I’m concerned about him having so much information about our whereabouts.”

Devana blanched. She sputtered sounds that never truly formed words, much less any cohesive sentence, which Vex interrupted, pitying the woman. “I should have known he would find us sooner or later.”

“I–I wasn’t aware. He told me you two left in the middle of the night without a word, not even thanking him for all he ever did for you” —Vex couldn’t help but scoff at that— “and that he had tried to look for you for years but hadn’t been able to find you until recently, when you enrolled back in high school.”

Ah, so that had been it. Vex had known, even then, the risk of their father finding the twins had been higher once they’d enrolled back in public school but she’d never considered the man cared enough to actively seek them.

“It seems like Syldor keeps doing what he does best, then; gaslight and manipulate the people in his life.” Vex had absolutely no wish to measure her words anymore. 

Devana was a good person, she was kind and caring, and she didn’t deserve to be led by Syldor. If she hadn’t been aware of his nature, she would be now, and if she still stayed with him… well, then Vex guessed that said everything about the woman.

“That night I ended up in the hospital, did you know what happened?” Vex asked.

Devana opened her mouth then shut it again as the server approached with their meal.

“Thank you,” Vex smiled at them, grateful for a break in the tension.

“Syldor told me you had sneaked out and had been attacked on the way home,” Devana finally replied when they were alone. Her attention was divided between Vex and her chicken shawarma and salad.

Vex scoffed again, shaking her head. She expected the man to lie, but she never considered he would lie to his wife. She should have known better.

“Vax was the one who sneaked out. I had no idea where he was but Syldor didn’t believe me so he tried to force the answer out of me.”

Devana blanched again, squirming in her seat. Vex paused to take a sip of her tea—it was sweet and minty, just how she liked it—before she continued, “He hit me badly and kicked me when I was down. He broke my arm and a few ribs and it took me months to fully  heal. During all that time Vax planned our escape. We couldn’t stay any more.”

“Vex–” Devana reached for her again but Vex’ahlia shook her head. She didn’t need the woman’s pity, not anymore.

“It was hard to leave Velora behind, please don’t think it was a decision we made lightly, but we knew she was different. Syldor had wanted her, as opposed to how he saw us as a burden. We knew she would be safe. Please, tell me she is safe.”

Devana nodded, tears pooling in her eyes, though Vex noticed some uncertainty in her expression.

“What happened after you left?” She asked.

Vex stirred her red lentil soup, more to give herself time to consider how much she wanted to share with her stepmother. Trinket was doing his job, like the great dog he was, pressing his body weight against Vex’s legs and feet to keep her grounded when she couldn’t touch him. 

She knew for sure that she didn’t want the woman to learn about Saundor, but should she reveal about the rest of the difficulties she and Vax went through? About them wandering through the streets of Emon without a roof over their head and knowing when their next meal would be, about wondering if, one day, they just wouldn’t wake up from the cold? 

That would mean exposing more of herself than Vex’ahlia ever wanted to. She hadn’t even told Percy about that, though she knew she would have to eventually. Vex had traumas that would come up sooner or later and the better prepared Percival was to deal with them, the better Vex would be able to deal with it herself.

“We traveled for a while, not knowing where to go” —that wasn’t a lie— “until we found ourselves in Emon. We got jobs and eventually found a place to stay” —that was a slight exaggeration— “and enrolled in highschool again to finish schooling.”

Devana smiled fondly when Vex told her the twins applied for a scholarship and college, were accepted, and that they were both working hard to keep up and maintain good grades. 

“I’m so happy you and Vax’ildan were able to turn your lives around after you left Syngorn,” The woman expressed honestly.

Vex nodded, putting down her falafel sandwich to take another sip of tea. “We are nothing if not resilient,” She said, smirking.

“You’ve always been resilient.”

Vex’s fondness for the woman was growing, although she was still concerned—if not suspicious—about her motives for finding her.

“I have to ask,” Vex decided it was time to stop skirting around it. “How long have you known that we were in Emon?”

“Not long. A month, or so. I wanted to reach out sooner, but I couldn’t travel until now.”

A month? Devana had only known about the twins’ whereabouts for a month? 

“So Syldor didn’t tell you about us until a month ago?” Vex asked, trying to keep judgement out of her tone.

Devana lowered her head, embarrassed. “I didn’t ask. I always assumed that he would tell me if he found you. I was surprised he answered me so soon after I asked, but I didn’t think he already had the answer before that.”

“He most likely has been keeping a track on us since he first found out we enrolled back in school,” Vex confessed, knowing she was poking an already festering wound. “Why did you only ask now?”

Again, Devana’s embarrassment was obvious. “Velora has been talking a lot about you two lately, expressing how she would like to meet her siblings. Syldor always tells her that is impossible, that you two are ungrateful to everything he did for you, and I always have to comfort her after. I tell her stories about you two every day to try to keep your father’s words about you away from her.”

Vex swallowed hard upon hearing that. The last thing she wanted was for her baby sister to hate the twins, or worse, fear them.

“Did he give you my phone number?” She asked, ice traveling down to her stomach at the idea of Syldor being able to track their phones. Trinket booped her knee but Vex ignored him. She didn’t want Devana to see that she was anxious about it.

Thankfully for her, Devana shook her head. “No, I also have my own contacts.” She smiled knowingly. “He doesn’t know we’re meeting.”

Vex was taken aback at the confession. She’d expected her stepmother to have told her husband about meeting his daughter, especially since she hoped she could meet Velora one day, which would never happen without Syldor’s knowledge.

“I’d appreciate it if you did keep this meeting between us, then. In light of everything that came up and all…” She insinuated.

Devana nodded. “Don’t worry. He won’t find it from me.”

“I would love to meet Velora, and I’m sure Vax’ildan would, too.”

Devana sat upright, folding the napkin and placing it next to her empty plates. Vex did the same, assuming the conversation would be ending soon.

“I could try to get Syldor to come with me next time I come to Emon and bring Velora. Maybe we could all have dinner together.”

Vex’ahlia froze in place at the suggestion. The last thing she wanted was to see her father, a feeling she knew would be shared by her brother.

“I’m not sure Vax’ildan will accept that,” She said, hiding the real reason for why she refused the offer, fear of her father and what he would do—and say—if they encountered each other again.

Devana sighed, placing enough money on the table to pay for both meals and tip the server. “I understand. I’m returning to Syngorn tomorrow anyway and I won’t be back until Thunsheer, so you have more than enough time to reconsider.” 

Vex nodded, getting up at the same time as the woman. They walked together to the door, stopping just outside.

“It truly was nice seeing you, Vex'ahlia. I’m proud of the wonderful woman you’ve become. I think you would be a good example for Velora and I would be happy to have you back in her life.” Devana reached a hand to Vex, grabbing her hand and squeezing it affectionately.

Vex nodded, the heavy weight of guilt sinking back into her stomach. “I would love to be part of her life, too.”

“I’ll talk to you soon, then. Don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Vex nodded, waving as the woman left. 

Fuck . Vax was going to kill her, but Vex’ahlia was truly considering accepting Devana’s offer for dinner with her father and Velora.

Just the idea alone of being able to meet her sister was enough to move her in that direction, but the thought of being able to be part of the girl’s life, of being a role model… Vex couldn’t argue with that.

She had to be strong, if not for herself, then for the example she could set with her sister, even if that meant seeing her father again and hearing the vitriol he would surely spew towards the twins. One way or another, Vex’ahlia would convince Vax’ildan.

Keyleth

Keyleth’s grin grew the closer she and Vax’ildan got to their destination. When her boyfriend told her about the adoption event he’d volunteered for at the local animal shelter before the accident, Keyleth hadn’t even hesitated before announcing she would go with him. 

“I’m so excited,” She said. She’d never volunteered for an adoption event but she’d helped out at her local shelter plenty of times. 

“I figured you would be,” Vax squeezed her side. 

Keyleth had been worried about him coming alone and setting back all his healing since she knew her boyfriend was stubborn to not take care of himself properly and stop if it got too much, so she was going to make sure he took it easy.

The building was still fairly quiet when they arrived an hour before the event was meant to start so they could be shown around. The owner, Ilya, a middle-aged woman with sun-kissed skin and a sweet smile, gave them a tour of the facilities, ending on the front of the building where two sets of tents and large cage-like play-pens were set, tucked to each side of the front yard, separating dogs and cats. 

“You’ll start with the cats,” She told the pair, handing Keyleth and Vax a clipboard each as a few other volunteers started bringing the animals. “You just need to make sure none of these rascals escape, seek to their needs and if anyone is interested in adopting them, you can just hand them this form and instruct them inside.” She pointed at a stack of papers under a table then to the door to the main building.

 “All the kitties' information is right here,” She brought out a set of laminated sheets. “If you have any questions, you can reach me via the walkie-talkies.” She finished, handing them two walkie-talkies.

Keyleth and Vax nodded, taking in all the information. Once the woman left them alone, Keyleth started spreading the cats’ laminated sheets on the table and placed a stack of forms on one corner, ready to hand out, as well as a cup with pens.

By the time the first people started arriving, Keyleth had already made her rounds to get familiar with all the cats, getting specially attached to an orange kitty that would not let her go. The cat was snuggled in her arms, sleeping peacefully when Vax joined her after sending a family inside with a fully filled form and the information sheet of a tabby that had been at the shelter for a year.

“I see you were adopted,” Vax teased her, rubbing the head of the cat in Keyleth’s arms with a finger.

Keyleth nodded with a chuckle. “Yeah, he didn’t want me to go. He kept trying to escape but as soon as I grabbed him he calmed down and passed out. His name is Copper,” she pouted.

“A cute name for a cute kitten. You’re a natural at this.” 

“I sure hope so, considering Minxie.” Keyleth looked down and squeezed the cat closer to her chest. She already missed her fur baby and it had only been a few days since she’d returned to Emon.

“You’ve never told me how you got her.”

Keyleth snorted. That was a funny story now , though she had a feeling Vax wasn’t going to like it much. 

“I rescued her from a tree… on a cliff.” 

Just as Keyleth expected, Vax’s spine stiffened. 

“Please explain,” He mumbled.

“A stray cat had given birth to a litter of kitties near my house and we had brought them in to foster them until they were old enough to be separated from their mom. Minxie was the last one left. One night, there was a storm and she got spooked and ran up a tree at the edge of a cliff.

“My dad wanted to call the firefighters but I told him I could get her, so I just… climbed the tree. She was on a branch overlooking the cliff and it was scary as shit, but she trusted me, so she came to me and I saved her. We never tried to find a family for her. After what happened, my dad said I might as well just keep her.”

“Shit, Keyleth… How old were you?” Vax shook his head in disbelief.

“Fifteen?” She grimaced at her boyfriend’s reaction.

“I’m glad you were able to rescue her safely,” Vax sighed.

“Have you ever had pets before Trinket?” Keyleth asked.

Vax shook his head. “We couldn’t afford another mouth to feed before my mom died and my father is not the kind of person who cares about animals. He sure didn’t care about me or Vex’ahlia. I just hope he’s a different person to Velora.”

Keyleth nodded, leaning closer to Vax for support. “Do you miss her?”

“Every day,” Vax said, lowering his head so Keyleth couldn’t see his face. She knew him, though, and she knew he was trying to hide the guilt he felt for leaving his sister.

“Have you thought about trying to see her?”

Vax shook his head with a scoff. “There’s absolutely no way my father would let me see her without him being present, and I don’t want to see his face ever again.”

“Sorry I asked,” Keyleth apologized solemnly.

Vax, always kind and soft, leaned over the short distance between their chairs and kissed her cheek affectionately. “You don’t have to apologize, love.”

Keyleth gave him a reassuring smile. She wanted to tell her boyfriend she would be by his side if he changed his mind, but her words got cut off by a family of four people approaching, and since she still had little Copper in her lap, Vax took over them.

By the time Keyleth and Vax’s lunch break came, a third of the cats had been adopted, a mixture of Vax’s charm and Keyleth’s expert knowledge in felines, although Copper remained glued to her (until she had to put him back in the pen for lunch).

They had lunch under the shade of a tree by the dog playground, sharing sandwiches, juice and fruit the staff had provided for the volunteers as they watched the dogs playing around, among them was a three-legged lab, running happily with his companions.

“That’s inspiring,” Vax said, nodding at the dog in question. Keyleth nodded with a smile.

“Sometimes life gives you lemons, sometimes it takes the lemons away from you. Either way, you should always make lemonade.”

“How do you make lemonade without lemons, Kiki?” Vax teased.

“Shut up,” Keyleth mumbled.

Vax laughed, bumping shoulders with her, which made her smile. She loved hearing him laugh, something he’d been doing more often. 

“I get what you mean, tho.”

They stayed in silence for a moment, enjoying the cold biting at their exposed skin and the sun’s attempt to warm their faces.

“Vax?” Keyleth broke the silence. Vax looked at her, indicating he was listening. “You’re aware this counts as a date, right?” She smiled.

Ever since Vax had told her about his financial situation, they’d been discussing how to go on dates that didn’t rely on spending money and what exactly constituted a date. For Keyleth, spending time with Vax and doing any kind of fun activity together was a date.

“Seriously? This is a date?” He asked, shaking his head. Vax had expressed that, for him, a date was something where they could dress up and do something out of the ordinary, although most times that meant spending money.

“You have to admit, this is a pretty unusual event,” Keyleth argued. “And we get to spend time together.”

“Do you want this to be a date?” He confirmed. Keyleth nodded enthusiastically so he sighed. “Fine. This is a date,” He said, though he was grinning.

“Fuck yes,” Keyleth whisper-shouted, raising her fist in the air. “How many dates have we been to now?”

Vax pretended to think for a moment before he answered her (Keyleth knew he had the answer on the tip of his tongue just as she did). “The gardens was the first,” —he started counting out loud— “then lunch yesterday–”

“You forgot dinner the day before yesterday,” Keyleth pointed out.

“ That wasn’t a date. We didn’t go anywhere…” Vax counter-argued.

“You literally cooked for me, Vax! That counts as a date in my book,” She reinforced. 

“Fine. Then today makes it four dates.”

“Three dates in three days? I think we’re doing a good job at catching up,” She preened. 

Vax laughed. “I agree.” 

“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow then?” Keyleth asked, curious.

Vax smirked and got up, taking the trash with him. “Guess you’ll find out,” He teased, leaving Keyleth behind.

Keyleth smiled absent-mindedly, looking up at the sun. For the first time in a while, she felt happy and so light she could almost fly. It was a freeing sensation, like she had no worries in the world and could just enjoy her time with Vax. He was, after all, the reason for such joy. Falling asleep in his arms and waking up by his side every morning boosted her in ways not even the sun did. Not even the countdown to the beginning of the semester, and when Keyleth would have to return to sleeping alone, were dooming enough to burst the bubble of happiness she was in.

Vax'ildan

Vax’ildan was ecstatic at the news Ilya had just given him and Keyleth: for the afternoon period, the couple would be stationed at the reptile and exotic animal area. Even Keyleth sounded excited at the prospect of taking care of little critters.

“Here are our snakes,” The woman led them through a large room filled with terrariums housing different types of snakes. “You won’t have to feed them or anything, don’t worry. You just need to keep an eye out in case anyone is interested in adopting one. Their information is hanging by their tanks, so it’s easy to access at any time.”

Vax saw Keyleth approach a tank from the corner of his eye and looking inside it curious. He admired her bravery. Vex’ahlia would have turned around and run away as soon as she realized what was in the room.

“Who’s this little guy?” Vax asked, noticing a tank with no information.

“That’s our most recent rescue. He’s not up for adoption yet, so we didn’t print his card.”

Vax looked inside, searching for the rogue snake that blended almost perfectly with the bedding at the bottom of the tank. Curled in a corner was a brown snake with black swirls, its small head peeking from behind a decorative branch with his tongue flicking in Vax’s direction.

“Is this a ball python?” Keyleth asked, suddenly appearing next to Vax.

“It is,” The shelter owner replied. 

Vax cocked an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

“What? We have lots of snakes in our yard. I had to learn about which ones to avoid and which ones to approach,” She shrugged.

Vax snorted. He could clearly picture his girlfriend as a child poking around a snake, trying to make a new friend.

“What’s his story?” Vax asked.

“He was rescued from a foreclosure house. The owner couldn’t afford to pay the bills and the house was in a bad state. This little guy was badly neglected but he’s improved a lot since he’s been in our care.”

Vax’s heart clenched. The snake had started to uncurl, as if it knew they were talking about him, and started slithering towards the glass, flicking its tongue at Vax and Keyleth. With him uncoiled, Vax could tell he was slightly smaller than a normal ball python, noticing a few scars on its body.

“You’ve been through a lot, uh, buddy?” He said, squatting so he was at eye-level with the snake who kept flicking its tongue.

“Does he have a name?” Keyleth asked, still standing beside Vax. 

“His name is Simon,” Ilya replied.

“Hi Simon,” Vax gently booped the glass separating the snake’s nose.

“He seems to like you,” Keyleth pointed out when the snake started slithering up the glass.

“We’re still working on contact,” —Ilya started grabbing a thick glove from under the terrarium and putting it on as she spoke— “so I don’t feel too confident with letting you hold him, but here…”

Vax stood up, taking a step away from the glass enclosure as the woman opened the lid and put her gloved hand inside. Simon gave it a few flickers, unsure, but coiled around the hand and wrist.

“Hi, buddy,” Vax greeted when she brought Simon closer to him. He didn’t dare touch the snake, but he did extend his hand so he could smell him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Keyleth holding her breath with wide eyes. “It’s okay,” he said to reassure both his girlfriend and the snake.

To everyone’s surprise, Simon stretched out of Ilya’s hand towards Vax, flicking his tongue intensively with what Vax could guess was curiosity and, just as he was about to fall, Vax extended his hand and caught him.

“Shit,” Keyleth cursed in a whisper.

“It’s okay,” Vax reassured her again as Simon started curling around his arm, constricting gently. “He’s just curious.”

Right on cue, Simon stretched part of his body over Vax’s arm, raising his head up as if he was trying to look Vax in the eyes.

“Hi,” Vax smiled, petting the snake's head, a move that made both women gasp.

“Melora bless you. He seems to like you,” Ilya said, shocked. “He’s never let anyone grab him without a glove.”

Oh. Vax looked between the snake now climbing his arm and the woman staring at him. Keyleth was behind her, covering her mouth with her hands.

“Would you like to adopt him when he’s ready?” She asked.

Vax’s heart jumped at the idea of adopting Simon. He’d never had a snake and had no idea how to care for them, but something told him Keyleth could be a great teacher about snake care. 

“I can’t afford it right now,” He replied, dejected. 

The woman nodded. “I see. Well, you can come visit him whenever you like.” She offered.

“I–I think I would like that,” Vax nodded with a smile. He was already fond of the little guy that was now sliding down his back. “I could help around in exchange if you need.”

“We always need more help.”

“Can I come, too?” Keyleth asked, biting her lip. 

“Of course,” Ilya replied, smiling back at her. “I hate to separate you, but we need to put Simon back now.”

Vax chuckled, looking at his waist where Simon had wrapped himself around him like a belt. He gently pried the snake away and placed him back in his terrarium, closing the lid behind him.

“We’ll play again later, Simon.” He said, softly tapping the glass.

“You okay, love?” Vax asked Keyleth a few minutes later when they were alone. She’d been stealing heated glances at him since Simon all but threw himself at Vax.

“I wish I could turn into a snake. It would be fun to wrap around you, too.” She said, blushing as she realized what that sounded like.

Vax raised his eyebrow at her with a smirk. “Oh yeah?” He leaned in suggestively, whispering close to her ear, “You can wrap around me anytime you want, love.”

Just as he intended, Keyleth’s blush deepened as she tried to mutter over her fluster. When she couldn’t find words after her third attempt, Vax chuckled and kissed her deeply.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Keyleth sighed, looking away shyly.

Vax’ildan was glad the reptiles section was quieter than the cats and dogs as not many families found themselves looking for lizards or snakes, which provided the perfect opportunity for him to tease his girlfriend the rest of the afternoon. By the time they returned to the dorm, Keyleth had become very touchy and kept giving Vax furtive glances whenever she thought he wasn’t looking at her.

It was amusing and endearing, and Vax knew exactly what she wanted without her having to say a word.

“Come here,” he said, opening his arms after dinner and she immediately wrapped around him on the couch as they watched a movie.

He was incapable of saying no to his girlfriend and he would do anything to make her happy, even if that meant being crushed to death under her weight.

Chapter Text

Keyleth

The weekend before classes began finally arrived and Keyleth was not happy about it. The past week had been one of the greatest weeks in her life; she’d slept next to Vax’ildan every single night, had gotten breakfast in bed every morning, had gone on a date with her boyfriend everyday, and had kissed him so much her lips were chapped. She was definitely not ready for her roommates to return and kick her boyfriend back to his room where she wouldn’t be able to join him either because of Percy.

The first person to return was Vex’ahlia, early in the morning when Keyleth and Vax were still asleep in her bed. The woman had gagged so loud at the sight of them cuddling that she actually woke them up.

“What the fuck, sister?” Vax scolded her, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Why are you being so fucking loud?”

Vex gagged (again), dumping her bag on her bed. “Is this going to keep happening? If so, you need to start putting a sock on the doorknob, darling.” She addressed Keyleth with a raised eyebrow.

Keyleth sat up, too, holding her sheet in front of her even if she’d slept with a shirt on. She felt exposed nonetheless, especially under Vex’s piercing gaze.

“Why are you back so early?” She grunted, fully aware this was also Vex’s room.

“I have work,” Vex’ahlia shrugged, stripping off her jacket and throwing it on the bed, too. She then opened her bag and took out her work outfit, as if to emphasize her response.

“Ugh,” Vax groaned, letting himself fall back in bed and turning on his side, facing Keyleth. “I’m going back to sleep.”

“In your bed, you are.” Vex scolded him again. “I need to get dressed.”

Ignoring his sister, Vax pulled Keyleth down with a yelp and curled around her. “Then do. I don’t give a fuck.” He said, nuzzling against Keyleth, who was redder than a tomato at the blatant display of affection in front of Vex’ahlia.

“You two are gross,” Vex shook her head, though Keyleth noticed her smile before she walked to the bathroom.

“You’re just jealous,” Vax yelled out before she closed the bathroom door.

Pike and Grog were the next to return a few hours later, after Keyleth and Vax had showered, eaten breakfast and were almost feeling like normal people again. 

Keyleth’s stomach turned when she heard her friends at the door (Grog and Pike weren’t exactly the stealthiest of the group) and she got up from where she was sitting on the couch next to Vax and sat on her armchair by the bookshelf. They hadn’t talked about telling the others they were dating yet, so she didn’t know how her boyfriend felt about their friends seeing them close together on the couch.

“Oh, hey!” Pike greeted as soon as the door closed behind her and Grog, setting down her backpack and running around the couch to hug Keyleth who had gotten up to greet her friends.

“Pike!” Keyleth hugged her friend back. “I’m so happy you’re back.” It technically wasn’t a lie. She was happy to have her friends back but she was also sad she couldn’t be alone with Vax anymore.

“How are you doing? Did you have a good break?” Pike asked both Keyleth and Vax.

They exchanged a knowing glance between them and shrugged. “It was okay,” Keyleth said at the same time as Vax said, “It was fine.”

Pike frowned at both, but she didn’t push, shrugging instead. “Alright. I’m gonna go unpack.” She said, dragging her bags by herself since Grog had already disappeared.

Scanlan returned in the middle of the afternoon, carrying a suitcase almost as big as him and yet another instrument case (this one looked like a violin). By the time Vex’ahlia returned from home, only Percy was missing amongst the group, his absence felt even despite the cheering and laughter.

“We need to go out and celebrate Vox Machina’s reunion tonight,” Scanlan prompted the group, standing on the coffee table and raising his ukelele. 

The twins shared a look that Keyleth only caught because she had been looking at them to see their reaction. There would be no way for them to go and pay for their own drinks, which meant–

“Maybe we could do something smaller and just stay home. We could order some pizzas, get some drinks and chat?” Keyleth proposed instead.

“That sounds like a good plan,” Vex rushed to agree, giving what Keyleth assumed was a smile of gratitude.

“I’m also down for staying and chilling at home,” Vax shrugged. He was sitting in the middle of Vex and Keyleth, which made her very jumpy every time they brushed against each other.

“I agree. Grog and I had a long drive,” Pike replied, sitting on the rug between the coffee table and the TV.

“I’ll go with you, Scanlan,” Grog boasted but his adoptive sister gave him a look and he sat down instead, saying, “Or not.”

“Fine,” Scanlan shrugged, sitting down too.

An hour later, three boxes of pizza were opened on the coffee table, along with a bottle of beer for each person (Keyleth had covered for the twins without anyone else knowing). The atmosphere in the apartment resembled the first day of classes, except for the clear absence of Percy and, to only Keyleth’s perception, the tension between her and Vax as she was still adamant at staying at a safe distance from him to avoid hinting at anything.

“What did everyone do during the break?” Pike asked.

“Absolutely nothing,” Grog replied, grinning. 

To no one’s surprise, the small woman punched him on the arm affectionately.

“I mostly tried to get some gigs back home to get some money,” Scanlan shrugged. 

“I helped my grandpa around while Grog did nothing,” Pike offered next and the three of them looked at Vex, Vax, and Keyleth expectantly.

Vex’ahlia cleared her throat, looking sideways at her couch companions, and asked, “Who goes first?”

“You,” Both Vax and Keyleth replied at the same time, though she was the only one who blushed at it.

Vex shrugged then turned to her very curious—or confused—friends. “I’ve been working my ass off, really. Got a part-time job in the mornings as a barista and a part-time job at night at a club.”

“That’s nice,” Pike smiled, though she looked unsure at her words. “Vax?”

Vax’ildan grimaced. “I had an accident and broke a couple of ribs, so I spent the entire month on bed rest. Also my phone is broken, so don’t bother trying to reach me.”

Scanlan, Grog, and Pike stared at the man for a second, processing everything he said. Keyleth saw the slow change in their facial expressions as it finally clicked.

“Shit, are you okay?”

“What happened?”

“Did you get any hot nurses?”

Pike, Grog and Scanlan all asked at the same time. Vax laughed, slumping on the couch and falling closer to Keyleth. She steeled her spine at the contact and her heart started racing.

She hated keeping secrets. She hated keeping this secret even more because she wasn’t even sure it was meant to be a secret. Why hadn’t she talked to Vax before their roommates arrived to clear everything up? She’d only asked him to keep it a secret from Vex’ahlia until she’d told her father and that had been long gone.

“Keyleth,” Pike waved a hand in front of her face and she realized she’d completely missed Vax’s reply to their friends’ questions and possibly them trying to get her attention for a while.

“Sorry, what?”

“How was your break?” Pike asked, smiling.

“Vax and I are dating,” Keyleth blurted, heat burning her face, neck, and chest. “And my dad had a heart attack the same day Vax got into his accident.”

“Well, shit.” Pike swore. 

Even Scanlan and Grog were staring at her, not with pity, but concern.

“I’m okay,” She shrugged, chugging the rest of her beer to keep her from blurting anything else humiliating.

To her surprise, it was Vex’ahlia who intervened. “You’re clearly not okay and it’s fine to not be okay, Keyleth.”

All their roommates nodded (even Grog) as Vax grabbed her hand but Keyleth was too busy feeling the effects of her drink to acknowledge their concern.

“Sssiriussssly, guysss. I’m fiiine,” She slurred, sighing.

“Clearly,” Grog snorted.

“How’s your dad?” Pike asked, carefully.

“He’s recovering,” Vax replied in Keyleth’s stead, something she was glad for because she was having serious problems forming thoughts. “And a few more days and I’ll be back to normal, too.” He added.

“How come no one wants to know about us dating?” Keyleth blurted again, looking at Vax. Either she was seriously drunk or her boyfriend had grown two more beautiful hazel eyes. Regardless, she fucking loved him.

“It was kind of predictable,” Scanlan replied with a snort.

“Yeah, it was about time,” Pike nodded, smiling kindly and even Grog nodded.

“At least you put us out of our misery of seeing you two pine for each other all the time,” Vex added, rolling her eyes.

“Fine,” Keyleth slumped against her boyfriend, finally relaxing and letting her head drop to his shoulder. Immediately he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

“Does anyone know when Percy is returning?” Pike asked, changing the subject. Keyleth shook her head and felt her boyfriend do the same.

“He hasn’t contacted me in a few days,” Vax spoke, her tone shifting to serious concern. “I’ve been worried. Every time I try to call him, it goes straight to voicemail.”

Pike squirmed in her seat. “Do you think something happened?”

Vex lowered her head, hiding her face behind her hair. “He told me his sister was taken by some people who had been pretending to be family friends and he was trying to get her custody. Last time I talked to him, he wasn’t any closer to getting it, but I haven’t heard from him in a while.”

What?  

Keyleth perked up at the news. Percy was one of her best friends, the person she was closest with after Vax’ildan. How come did she not know he was in such a serious situation?

“What d’you mean his sister was taken ?” Keyleth slurred at Vex. “When?”

Vex shrugged. “Sometime before he arrived in Whitestone.”

“A month?” Keyleth clarified. Her roommate nodded, shrugging. “Shit.”

Percy hadn’t told her anything. To be honest, they’d barely talked since he left Emon before the break, which she assumed was because he was busy with his family, but hearing the news… 

Keyleth didn’t know Percy’s situation. She had assumed he had no parents since he usually only spoke of his sister, but she thought he’d left her with family, not that he’d left her in a situation where she could be taken from him. What the fuck was that about? 

More and more she realized she didn’t know her best friend as well as she should have. Did she actually know any of her friends at all? Sure, she knew about the twins’ past because Vax had told her about it, but even Vex’ahlia was a big unknown.

I need to spend more time with them and less time with books, Keyleth thought to herself, looking around the room, letting her eyes pause at each of her friends still discussing Percy’s absence. 

Pike and Vex’ahlia would be the easiest people to spend time with, since they were both her roommates, but Grog and Scanlan sounded impossible. But she would try anyway.

“Wait,” Keyleth whispered suddenly, looking at Vax. The speed with which she turned her head to her boyfriend made her momentarily dizzy and she had to grab his arm to steady herself.

“You okay?” He asked, steadying her with a hand on her back. 

“Ugh,” Keyleth closed her eyes, waiting for the world to stop spinning. “Moment, please.” 

When she finally stopped wobbling, she opened her eyes to find Vax staring at her worried.

“Okay, better.” She said with a smile that made him relax, though he still kept his hands on her. “Percy isn’t here.” 

Vax looked confused. “Yes, we were just discussing that.”

“Percy. Isn’t. Here.” She repeated slowly, raising her eyebrows at Vax. It finally dawned on him what she was hinting at. “Yeah, there you go.” She teased him.

“You’re right,” He winked with a smirk, which Keyleth replied in likeness before she allowed him to pull her back into a cuddle.

Keyleth found out that she didn’t mind this, being affectionate with Vax in front of their friends. No one seemed to be paying them attention, either because they were used to seeing the two of them so close already, or because it genuinely didn’t bother them. Either way, she was happy she wouldn’t have to change who she was—hide what she wanted—when it concerned dating Vax’ildan. More and more Keyleth felt like she’d truly found a good group of people who she could be her complete, unmasked self, with.

Vax'ildan

Vax’ildan had a great week and even if, against all odds, he’d woken up to Keyleth in his arms again that morning, he couldn’t help but feel the dooming weight of the beginning of the semester on his chest. He knew the first couple of weeks would probably be lighter with them getting used to new subjects, but the ones he was continuing from the first semester were what he dreaded the most. 

Suffice to say, Vax had already been anxious before he saw his sister approach him at lunch, looking like she had swallowed an entire lemon.

“Oh no. No, no–” He raised his finger at her. “Whatever the fuck you’re going to ask, the answer is no!”

Vex’ahlia took a step back, shocked at his tone. “Easy, brother. I’m not here to ask anything,” She said, though Vax knew she was lying. 

He scowled, quietly, as she sat in front of him at the table.

“I–I wanted to talk to you about something,” Vex said.

“I figured as much… What’s up?” 

“I see we’re having a bad day,” Vex nodded. “I’ll go straight to the point, then.”

Vax appreciated that. He wasn’t up for bullshit and small talk.

“But first, I need you to promise you’ll let me talk without interrupting me,” His sister asked, seriously driving him even more anxious.

“Vex’ahlia…” He warned, but she glared at him. “Fine, I promise.”

“In that case…” She paused, sighing. “Earlier this week I received a phone call from Devana wanting to have lunch with me.”

Vax opened his mouth to interject, but Vex’ahlia raised her finger, stopping him. “Ah! You promised!” She chided him, so Vax leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms in front of him and stared at his sister in annoyance.

“I was obviously suspicious, not only because she had my phone number, but also because she knew we’d been living in Emon and were enrolled in college.” Vex’ahlia continued.

Vax’s stomach boiled with anxiety at this. Not only did Devana have sensitive information about the twins’ whereabouts, but she’d also have a way to communicate with them, and if she was able to communicate, then Syldor–

“Before you start panicking,” Vex interrupted his thoughts, clearly seeing his expression change. “Syldor doesn’t know she has my number and that we had lunch. She also promised me she won’t tell him.”

“And you believe her?” Vax risked speaking.

Vex’ahlia nodded. “She was always kind to us, Vax. And… Well, I did go to lunch with her” —Vax’s heart fell to his feet— “and we talked. She told me Syldor has known we’ve been living in Emon since we enrolled back in high school and that he knows where we go to college. Trust me, I was just as shocked as you are.”

Shocked wasn’t enough to describe Vax’s feelings. He was frightened.

“Devana only found out about a month ago, which is when she tried to get my phone number to set a meeting. She was shocked when she saw my reaction to finding out Syldor knew about us because she thought he’d gotten the information from us. Apparently he told her we left in the middle of the night like ungrateful children and that my visit to the hospital was because I sneaked out of the house and had been attacked.” She scoffed.

Vax didn’t react. He was frozen in fear, hearing his sister’s download of information.

“So, anyway, I told her the truth about that night, what he did to me,” Vex swallowed hard. “She seemed genuinely concerned and I fear she might be rethinking her safety, too.”

“Velora–” Vax perked up.

“Velora is fine,” Vex smiled, though it didn't assuage his concerns. “Devana says she’s smart and she resembles me in a lot of things. That’s why she wanted to meet me. Devana invited us for dinner the next time she’s in Emon so we could meet Velora but that means–”

“Syldor will be there,” Vax finished. He wasn’t surprised at his sister’s nod. “No.”

“Vax–”

“Absolutely not ,” He said, kicking himself out of his frightened state and standing up so suddenly his chair fell to the floor with a loud crash. “We can’t, Vex’ahlia. You know what will happen if–”

“We don’t know shit, brother!” She stood up as well, though more gracefully. “Velora might be safe now, but from what Devana said, Syldor keeps spewing lies to her about us. We have to–”

“No,” The word came out weaker than Vax intended. His heart was racing way too fast in his very tight chest. “No,” he choked, feeling his throat constrict. 

No, no, no. Vax repeated in his mind as he recognized the familiar symptoms of a panic attack. It was too late to stop it. His chest was already burning, his throat tightening as no air passed through.

“Fuck, Vax!” Vex’ahlia rushed to him, helping him sit on the floor. “Take deep breaths,” She ordered as if he could.

“Can’t–breath–” He tried to get out hoarsely. 

“Yes, you can. You know you can. It’s all in your head Vax. You’re fine, you’re safe.”

He wasn’t fine, and sure as fuck wasn’t safe . Syldor knew where they were. He could show up at any point and ruin their lives.

“Vax, come on,” Vex’ahlia tried louder.

Suddenly loud footsteps echoed through the corridor and a mass of red hair fell in front of him as Keyleth’s green eyes bore into his, down to his soul. They looked scared—just as scared as he was, although for different reasons—but were still comforting and Vax found himself being able to take a gulp of air as he spoke her name.

“You’re okay. It’s just a panic attack,” Keyleth said, speaking softly and as calmly as she could despite the fear in her voice.

Vex’ahlia was still fussing next to Keyleth, her hands shaking in Vax’s arms.

“Your heart is fine,” Keyleth continued, placing her hand on Vax’s chest. She brought his own hand to her chest, pressing it hard over her heart so Vax could feel her heartbeat. “Your lungs are okay. You can breathe.”

Keyleth’s heart was also beating fast, though it was slower than Vax’s. He focused on its rhythm, then on her mouth as she inhaled and exhaled slowly, counting to six with him.

“That’s it, love. You’re doing so good,” She praised him and his stomach swooped. “Do you think you can ground now?” She asked.

Vax nodded, sitting upright and breathing slower. His heart had also slowed down but his chest still felt way too heavy.

“Okay, start by telling me five things you can see,” Keyleth instructed.

Vax took one long breath before he spoke, his voice still hoarse from the panic, “You, Vex’ahlia,” he turned to his sister who smiled at him with tears in her eyes, “the chair on the floor, the table, my half-eaten sandwich.”

“Good job!” Keyleth praised him again, though there was no swoop this time. “Let’s take another deep breath and then you can tell me four things you can feel, yes?”

Vax nodded, obeying. “Your hands are warm,” He said, smiling softly through the still lingering anxiety, “Vex’s is cold,” He frowned but his sister left her hand on his arm. “The floor is hard, and my socks are itchy.”

Keyleth chuckled, nodding. “Okay. Another breath and three things you can hear.”