Chapter 20

Author's note-Sorry for the delay, wanted this chapter to be perfect. Thanks for reading.

"Why did you apologize, Percival," Vex leaned against the doorway of his new workshop with her arms crossed. He cringed at her use of his formal name. He'd grown fond of her calling him 'Percy dear'. She was the only person who did. Putting his tool down, he straightened up and his shoulder became rigid. He knew this conversation was coming but still couldn't face her.

"Because I fucked everything up," he stated quietly, gripping the edge of his work bench more. "Elaina chose me before we even entered the city. And what's worst, I went along voluntarily. I feel like it doesn't matter how much good I do, there'll always be this shadow over my head," he leaned forward sighing heavily. "You deserve better, Vex. Better than what I can offer." The silence hung heavy between them. He reluctantly turned towards her and blinked in disbelief. She remained against the doorway scowling but that wasn't what caused him to stare. It was the silky long blue nightgown with matching robe she wore. The slit on the side went up just high enough and the neck line plunged for the perfect view.

"So I don't get a say in any of this?" He almost didn't hear the question, distracted by her cleavage. "Why do you feel like you have to keep apologizing for past mistakes? Certainly doesn't help to keep carrying them with you." He dropped his gaze.

"I wish it was that simple," He barely got his statement out when he heard the door slam closed before she stomped towards him. He put his hands up and leaned back as far as he could in fear of what she might do. "Please don't hurt me," he added quietly, daring to open one eye to look down at her. She was particularly angry now.

"Then stop being such a dumb ass. You're complicating something that isn't complicated." She suddenly realized she couldn't say what needed to be said either. She turned away from him rubbing her forehead trying to figure out how to tell him how she felt, the entire time feeling his confused gaze on her. "I swear Vax is so much better at this kind of thing." Her statement cause Percy's shoulders to relax some.

"You know, it seems a lot of this is his fault."

"Most things are," Vex muttered more to herself than to him.

"I will say, it's the first time anyone's called me a dumbass," he smiled back realizing she wasn't as angry. "Seems that you're more upset with your brother than me." She quickly turned her annoyed look his way causing him to tense up again. A smirk played into her expression as she placed a hand on her hip. Despite his nerves he couldn't look away from her. Every curve was perfect. It was something he never dwelled on but had definitely noticed.

"And here I thought you like when I'm mad, I believe the word was 'cute'?" He narrowed his gaze and let out a quiet growl.

"Ugh, Vax. Should have known drinking alone with him was a bad idea," he grumbled, "I didn't mean anything by it, I promised. It's just…," he trailed off actually needing to think through the predicament he put himself in. "I don't know if 'cute' is even the right word."

"Excuse me," Vex leaned in and poked a finger in the middle of his chest. "I'm very cute."

"I think terrifyingly…attractive? Maybe?"

"Oh attractive, now that's interesting," She suddenly realized he seemed flushed. Scratching the back of his head he desperately tried to explain.

"Look, I know it doesn't really make a lot of sense…" While Percival tripped over his words, Vex'ahlia found herself more interested in features she hadn't noticed before. She'd caught herself staring deeply into his intense emerald gaze. Her eyes moved down to see his shirt was untucked and a bit dirty. It was abnormal for him to appear so disheveled and she realized she liked it.

"Sorry Percy, but I don't know what you're getting at." His mouth pulled into an irritated frown and he glanced upward knowing she hadn't been listening to his ramblings.

"I…I'm just not sure how…I don't know what you want me to say," he admitted in an exasperated tone. She pressed up against him and his attention snapped back to her quickly.

"I'm not asking you to say anything, darling," she was only inches from his face and without thinking he leaned forward just enough to close the gap between them, their lips connecting. Suddenly she felt his hands wrap around her in a desperate embrace as he leaned more into the kiss and she welcomed it. Vex placed her hands on the bench as she pressed herself into him more, feeling his heat. Suddenly things she'd never thought of came to the forefront of her mind. How he smelt like soap and black powder and she couldn't get enough of the oddly familiar scent. His lips tasted salty making her want to kiss him even more. She was surprised at how toned his arms were, something he'd kept hidden under layers of clothing. His grip relaxed as his hands slid down to her waist. This invited her to bring her hands around his neck. At some point he pulled away to take several breaths. She caught the hunger in his eyes as he looked over her in a way he hadn't before.

"Is…is this actually happening," he asked her. It was clear if she left him like this right now it could crush him. She smiled sweetly and nodded back, "Good, otherwise I was going to go crazy." Quickly, he switched their positions to hoist her onto the bench. She immediately pulled him between her legs, wrapping them around his torso. His fingers slide down her legs, hiking the nightgown up more. Her hands made their way to his chest to undo his buttons. Somewhere along the way her robe slid off her shoulders. She felt his touch run up her arms and stop at the straps keeping him from her bare skin. There was a quiet growl that escaped his throat.

"Not going to let that stop you?" Her voice was just above a whisper and he could feel her warm breath against his ear. Her fingertips softly pushed his shirt out of the way. Her expression shifted when she saw scars that she knew were there but had never really seen. Another thing he'd kept hidden. Some appeared newer and recently healed. He'd told her and the others about the torture, about how cruel Ripley had been. It wasn't that she didn't believe it but she just didn't expect it to be this bad. Was this why he was so private? Because he was self conscious about it? This constant reminder of what he went through? Her sudden change caused him to pull back to see the look in her eyes. There was an unintentional sadness seeping into her expression.

"Vex?" His quiet concern pulled her attention up. His gaze dropped as he took a step back. She gave him a genuine smile and she pulled one of her straps down.

"So I got this one from Vax…," slightly under her collarbone was a three inch long tear that clearly hadn't healed well. "One of the few times he's missed, we didn't have a healer back then so he decided to stitch it up himself. He certainly isn't the best at sewing." She earned a faint smile from him as he ran his fingers over the rough scar before pointing to a smaller one on his chest.

"Hot ricochet. One of the first times I fired my weapon and it didn't misfire." She placed her hand back on his chest and could feel his heart pounding. She felt his calloused fingers run over her shoulders bringing the material down along the way. Vex'ahlia sighed quietly as she tilted her head up to kiss his neck and her touch slowly moved down his torso.

The abrupt knock at the door caused both of them to freeze. They made eye contact: a silent agreement to stay quiet in hopes whoever was there would just go away. When the doorknob started to turned they realized they weren't that lucky.

"Percy? Are you in here," Keyleth called out, "Your sister wanted me to come and…" Percy dared not turn around but knew the mage had seen them. His embarrassment was written all over his face and Vex was certain he couldn't tell their uninvited friend to leave. She decided to make a move before things got worse and poked her head around his lengthy frame to lock eyes with Keyleth.

"Just tell her you didn't find him, okay love?" There was a nod in response and the door closed quickly. She felt Percy start to breathe again as the color returned to his face.

"Great, now everyone will know."

"Don't worry about Keyleth," she answered flippantly, "Now where were we?" She brought her arms around his neck, lightly rubbing away the tension she found there. Impulsively he wanted to go lock the door before they continued but didn't want to leave her. He wondered if they would be better off back in his room but worried that would seem presumptuous and it was on the other side of the castle. "Percy…" she knew he was overthinking their situation which would ruin the mood. He turned his attention back to her, blinking several times. "Maybe there's a more comfortable place in here?" Her suggestion got him thinking and he moved, pulling her off the table. She quickly held onto him tighter so she didn't fall backwards. By now all the movement had caused the top of her nightgown to slip down around her waist. Percy felt her breasts press up against him and he found it difficult to think for a second before remembering where he was going. Towards the back of the room was an oversized lounge chair, ideal for some much needed privacy.

"How's this?" He set her down on the soft material.

"Perfect." He unintentionally took in every curve as his gaze wondered down. He realized he was hovering over her and straightened up. Vex adjusted her legs, exposing more skin as she rested back. "Are you going to join me?" Red tinged his face as he looked away awkwardly.

"Yeah, it's just…"

"Are you overthinking this again," she couldn't tell if this was his inexperience or if he was just trying to be overly polite. Either way she was losing her patience.

"I..I don't really know what to do next. I'm not exactly Scanlan when it comes to this kind of thing."

"What kind of thing," she leaned on her palm with a smirk. He caught on and let out a huff.

"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"

"First of all, never bring Scanlan up during foreplay."

"Foreplay? Is that what this is?" He practically laughed at the idea.

"And secondly darling, you're gonna have to take your clothes off. Otherwise this isn't going anywhere." Without hesitation and little effort he shrugged his shirt off before moving quickly to slip his boots off his feet. He the undid his belt and dropped his pants. He'd managed to be smooth about it only to struggle to kick the pile away. Vex however had lost her calm demeanor as she was now fixated on him. She only realized she was staring when he cleared his throat. He considered complaining about her ogling but found he liked the attention for a change. It also meant he was allowed to stare too. Vex managed to slip her nightgown off her legs.

"So how does this 'foreplay' work exactly," he inquired as he leaned over her propping himself up on the back of the lounge.

"You've been doing pretty well so far. Don't think you need my help," she moved her legs further apart in a not so subtle manner and had to resist the urge to laugh when his gaze dropped. "Percy,…dear," her hand came up to his cheek bringing his attention back, "I'm here with you because I want to be but for gods sake you have to touch me before I lose my mind." He nodded back but she knew it was going to take more than a pep talk. The interruption earlier had cooled things down between them. She casually pulled his glasses off and set them on a side table before pulling him down to kiss his mouth again. Her hands made their way to his and she guided them to her breasts. He inhaled in surprise but recovered quickly going back to kissing her. She felt him drop down from his knees, settling between her legs. His mouth left hers as he kissed her chin and started to make his way down her jawline. She softly kissed the bridge of his nose and then his forehead before he was out of reach. His lips moved along her neck and he felt her pulse rising before he moved to her collarbone. Despite his earlier uncertainty he seemed to have a pretty good idea of what he was doing. He kissed down her sternum before he abruptly went for her one nipple. His lips barely made contact when she let out a quiet moan. That sound had an immediate reaction from him and she couldn't help but smile. She brought her one hand against the back of his head while her fingers ran through his hair messing it up along the way. She felt his tongue and she arched more against him as he sucked and teased her.

He decided to go for the other nipple, giving it the same attention. Vex wasn't expecting him to take charge so quickly and she realized as much as she liked how this felt she wasn't really able to enjoy his body the same way. Her other hand ran down his back and barely made it to his butt and pinched as hard as she could. He immediately arched away from her with a startled noise.

"Vex'ahlia!"

"Yes, dear?"

"What the hell was that for?"

"Well I want a turn too," she pouted at him.

"You specifically told me to touch you," he reminded her rubbing the faint red mark.

"Yes and while I love the touches, I would also like to touch you." The grin on her face told him he wasn't going to win this argument with logic. Before he could put much thought into it he felt her hand slide down past his navel. It was the first time she'd ever seen him speechless. She kissed his shoulder followed by the side of his neck before she stopped at his ear. He felt her nibble at his earlobe before her tongue licked around the edge. For whatever reason this simple gesture felt so intimate and he brought his arms around her more. Her movement became more determine and Percival rested his forehead on her shoulder. Somewhere along the way he got lost in the moment. Details with Elaina had been a blur, a distraction from dark thoughts but right now being with Vex was like time had slowed down. He pulled away from her grasp and she gave him a disappointed look. His one hand slid behind her neck while the other pressed against her hip. He brushed his nose against hers before he took her mouth again. She felt his hardness at her inner thigh and shifted more to give him access. Vex knew he got the hint when she felt him at her entrance. She inhaled sharply as he started to enter her and Percy immediately broke the kiss as his hips stopped moving forward.

"Is..is this alright," his worried tone matched the concern that seeped into his handsome features.

"It's fine, darling," she promised him as she moved up more, "keep going." he nodded before wiping the sweat from his forehead. He pushed in slowly and had to pause as the feeling of her overwhelmed him. His breathing stifled and he closed his eyes. He knew this feeling but it wasn't like this before. Last time he wasn't in control of what was going on, this time the sensation felt different. Again he brought his arms around her back and held onto her as he withdrew only to thrust forward immediately. Vex was not expecting this to be amazing sex since it was their first time together and neither of them had a deep knowledge on the subject but even so, the waves of pleasure were more intense then she expected as he picked up the pace. She let out a moan louder than expected and she matched his intensity. Just as she started to lose herself in the moment she barely heard her name.

"Vex," his voice came out in a whisper and he cleared his throat before continuing, "I don't think I can keep going like this," he admitted as he started to slow down. Considering how sick they both were just a day ago this probably wasn't the best idea.

"…it's okay,…I'm almost there," she assured him as she kept the pace going and brought her hands around his waist. Despite his words he continued until he heard a particularly pleasant sound from her. She held on tighter to him as she pushed herself upwards. Percy suddenly felt the effects from her orgasm and joined her as they both went over the edge. It had been rushed but intense. Vex'ahlia softly ran her nails up and down his back in a calming manner as Percy adjusted some, laying against her quietly. There was no telling how much time had gone by before he dozed off. The chill in the air bought him back to their intimate moment.

"Vex, you awake," he brought his head up to hear her grumble an answer. Shifting off her carefully he disappeared around the corner for several minutes. There was a bang as though he knocked something over followed by a slur of cusses before he came back with a large blanket. She was relieved considering how cold his absence made her feel. She scooted over to give him more room next to her and he brought the blanket around the two of them. She was quick to snuggle into his frame before closing her eyes. She vaguely remembered him kissing her forehead before whispering 'Good night' in her ear.

Morning seemed to come sooner than normal. Vex was the first to wake up as sunlight came in through a small window. They were still wrapped up in the blanket and she felt Percy's arm draped over her side. She could feel his steady breathing just above her head where his chin was resting. Their legs seemed to be a bit of a tangled mess but she didn't mind. Quietly she adjusted some and settled more against him. These lazy moments were rare and she wanted to enjoy it a little longer. Of course this also meant she was alone with her thoughts. She realized that even though she hadn't heard everything he said last night he had pretty much poured his heart out to her and he still didn't know how she felt about him. He had no idea if this was a one time thing or the beginning of something more. Just thinking about it caused her heart to skip in her chest and she knew what she needed to do. She started falling back asleep before hearing him stir.

"Percy?" She felt him stretch out more, his feet hanging off the end of the chair. He let out a loud yawn before meeting her gaze. A pleasant smile spread across his face and she found herself staring back at him.

"Morning," he managed out before clearing his throat. "Did you sleep alright?" She snapped out of her stupor and smirked back at him.

"Not as nice as my other room but I suppose the company was much better. I really should complain to the management," she teased.

"Oh really," he let out a laugh before sitting up to stretch his back more.

"Not even breakfast in bed, it really is a shame."

"Would it make you feel better to know management doesn't even get breakfast? The cooking staff here has really gone down hill." There was an odd pause in their banter before she came to a realization. "Next time we do this, might want to consider a more comfortable location, like a bed." she shifted closer to him to keep from falling off the lounge. Percy blinked back at her.

"Next time?"

"Mmm, remember last night when you said a bunch of stuff," she pursed her lips in amusement as she quickly changed the subject.

"That…was just me babbling. Really a bad habit, best to just forget it," he tried to brush it off as casual as he could muster.

"I wasn't listening," Vex'ahlia admitted and he inhaled his next breath sharply. His response made her giggle and she dropped back down into the covers to get comfortable again.

"Wait, than why bring it up?" He leaned on his elbow and staring at her intently. She let out a groan before answering him.

"Because I realized I should tell you something, just not sure how to say it. So I'm kind of stalling," she explained being surprisingly honest.

"O…kay." Her gaze shifted away and she got quiet still trying to find the right words.

"I…I fucking like you," she blurted out feeling her face heat up. He arched an eyebrow at her as he tried to hold back an amused grin. She frowned some as she started to lose her nerve. Taking a deep breath she kept going. "When you were missing,…I felt like I was going to lose my mind if we didn't find you." Vex reluctantly looked up at him to see him smiling contently at her. An expression she rarely ever saw. He leaned his forehead against hers, brushing their noses together.

"I feel that way all the time," Percy admitted sighing quietly and closing his eyes. "When…when you died back in the tomb," his voice cracked slightly just bringing it up, "I felt so helpless. It was so sudden and brought on all these feelings I didn't know I had about you, about us. The thought of losing you…like that. I don't know what I would have done." He felt her fingers interlocking with his and looked back at her, pain in his eyes.

"We've both been through a lot, have lost so much," sadness was now etched onto her voice, "but we found each other along the way and I wouldn't change anything for this." She squeezed his hand lightly, "You are a bright spot in my life, something I need." He tilted his head to the side and lightly kissed her mouth. She felt her heart flutter in her chest as her eyes drifted closed. At some point his hand cupped her cheek as his mouth barely separated from hers.

"I need you too," his voice came out just above a whisper causing tears to prick the corner of her vision. Before she could say anything back they both heard the door hit the wall.

"You two do know you can't hide in here all day," Scanlan called out. They both instinctly pulled away from each other.

"I told you Keyleth couldn't keep her mouth shut," Percy whispered, clearly exasperated, "It was only a matter of time before everyone started looking for us."

"Please, I can handle Scanlan," Vex answered with a wave of her hand as the archer grabbed her nightgown off the floor.

"Vex?" Somehow Percy managed to go paler than normal when he heard Vax call out for his sister.

"Oh I'm dead," he muttered now desperately looking for his clothes.

"You're not dead, they haven't found us…yet," her attempt to calm him was not reassuring.

"So can someone tell me again why we think Vex and Percy are in here, I mean it's pretty messy, right," Percy turned back to Vex looking more panicked now.

"They brought Grog with them," his hushed tone pitched as he gestured wildly towards the exit.

"It's fine, darling. Just go out there and act like nothing happened." Rushing to get his clothes on only added to his frustrations.

"Easy for you to say," he smoothed his hair as best he could and put his glasses on before bringing a single finger to his mouth to remind her to be quiet.

"De Rolo, we've search the whole bloody castle," Vax'ildan hollered, "I know you're in here!"

"Must you be so loud?" Percival came out rubbing his temple. Scanlan arched an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Been here all night? Alone?" His tone irritated the gunslinger.

"Not that it's any of your business but yes I was working late, lost track of time and fell asleep. Is that a crime?" Vax clearly wasn't buying it.

"Where's my sister?" Percy's gaze shifted towards his work bench and immediately noticed Vex's robe.

"Why would I know where she is?" He tried desperately to act casual as he moved over blocking their view of the extra clothing. Vax moved uncomfortably close, narrowing his gaze.

"I know you're up to something," the rouge accused but was still unable to get a reaction.

"I don't know what you're talking," he finally brought his emerald gaze up to meet Vax's glare, "If we're done here, I have a lot of work to do." Scanlan shrugged before letting out a yawn turning towards the exit. Vax gave one last glare before leaving as well.

"So what is all this stuff," Grog asked looking around.

"It's a lot of parts and things I have to go through." Percy moved for the door in an attempt to get the giant to leave as well.

"Oh you dropped this," he paused and reluctantly turned back to watch Grog pick up the lingerie, "This doesn't look like somethin you'd wear though. Percy attempted a smile as he walked over and took it from him.

"Must have gotten left in here by mistake, maybe it's Cassandra's," he mused as he led the way back to the door and this time Grog followed. Once the door was closed he turned and rested his back against it, letting out a tired sigh. Vex'ahlia poked her head around the corner.

"Are they gone?"

"Yes, no thanks to you." He moved away from the door clearly annoyed by the situation. Vex made her way over to him and brought her arms around his neck. "Also I don't think you can ever wear this around Grog otherwise he might figure us out." She took the robe and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Are you so ashamed of 'us'?" He looked away from her and let out a groan.

"Not ashamed, just not ready for everyone to know is all."

"Alright, alright. I get it. You like sneaking around a little longer. So are we meeting in your room tonight or mine?" Before he could answer her the door was pushed open and Scanlan pointed an accusing finger as the two of them.

"Aha! I knew it!"

"You didn't lock the door," Vex shouted before glaring at the gnome.

"I always knew you were as depraved as me. It was only a matter of time before it came out," Scanlan moved in further with his hand out to high five Percy, "Way to finally hit that." Percy pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh.

"This is exactly what I was afraid of."

"Don't leave me hangin," Scanlan joked.

"I'm not giving you the satisfaction," Percy told him, "Besides I have no idea where that hand has been." The gnome scowled back before his attention shifted to Vex. She'd somehow managed to move in closer without him noticing.

"I suppose you are smarter than we give you credit," Vex commented with a wicked grin. "So the real question is what will you do with this information?" Scanlan crossed his arms while scratching his chin.

"That is a good question,…I mean the idea of Vax chasing Percy around making wildly inappropriate threats does sound appealing."

"Oh definitely but it really would be so short lived and then you'd have to deal with the consequences," She was now behind him and leaning dangerously close.

"Your threats don't scare me, Vex."

"I'm not making threats. He is," she tilted her head towards Percival who gave her a confused look. "I mean we've all seen what happens when he gets unhinged. I wouldn't want to be the cause of that kind of relapse, would you?" Scanlan eyed him suspiciously.

"Please, that can't happen…can it?" the bard waited to see what Percy would say.

"Don't know, but probably best not to provoke me, right?" Scanlan gulped when the gunslinger kept his icy cold gaze on him.

"Wait a second, I've finally have you two by the balls and you're threatening me? Should have offered the carrot first," he noticed the confidence dwindled and he let out a laugh, " That's right, I'm the one calling the shots now and I have demands…I'm thinking a threesome sounds interesting."

"There's not even a remote chance of that happening."

"Okay, okay, that's fair. Then I at least get to watch." Percy crossed his arms and leaned down to level the gnome with a glare.

"I'm just gonna go tell Vax now what's going so we can save everyone the trouble." Scanlan growled back before throwing his hands up dramatically.

"Fine, I'll be content and keep your secret if you name your first born after me," Now both of them were glaring down at him. "This is a good deal, yah know," he added before groaning, "At least give me details?" At this point they turned away from him to have their own private conversation but he could still hear them.

"So I'm going to leave first and you wait about five minutes after I'm gone to come out," Percy told Vex. She nodded back and he left the room quickly. Scanlan's dropped his shoulders finally accepting defeat as Vex put her robe back on. Before she could move towards the door Percy came back in suddenly, brought his arm around her waist and gave her a quick kiss. She blinked in shock before noticing the faint goofy smile on his face as he left for the second time. Vex realized she was smiling as well when she heard Scanlan grumble. Putting his hands into his pockets he shuffled over to the door.

"You're lucky you two are cute together," he admitted.

"Thanks for keeping this quiet," Vex'ahlia answered in a none threatening way.

"Yeah, yeah."