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Somewhere, deep in his mind, he knew this was wrong.
Something about this was, not right.
But then the body in his arms shifted with the usual grunt of annoyance that came with waking. He felt the stretch and shift of the man lying atop him as the familiar blue eyes opened,
"You're getting weirder," Percy murmured.
Vax huffed while gently twisting the white strands between his fingers, "Why? Cause I'm admiring what's in front of me?" He felt Percy's laugh as he dropped a kiss on his lover's temple.
Percy reached upward and traced the bridge of Vax's nose, followed the curve of his eyebrow, brushed carefully across the tip of his ear, then traced the half-elf's jawline, and stopped at Vax's lower lip.
He kissed Percy's finger before tilting the human's chin to place one on his lips.
(His ears were ringing as the weapon in his hand jolted.)
(It smelled like something was burning as smoke dripped from his armor.)
The kitchen of Greyskull was empty, with only the two of them puttering around.
Vax was sorting out food for breakfast while Percy stared intently at the slowly brewing coffee, "Not going to make it go any faster, Freddie. Watched pot and all that, you know?"
Percy huffed, hair flopping in the process.
Vax loved his hair like that, unkept and ruffled, a bit fluffy also,
"If it over brews it tastes too bitter,"
"Even with all that sugar you put in it?" He gave a half-hearted glare to Vax who merely grinned.
They sat next to each other at the table, hands entwined as Vax ran his thumb over Percy's knuckles (The blood on his hands was dry.) and kissed the top of his head (White hair turned red.)
"Any plans for the day?"
Percy shrugged as they began cleaning up, "We haven't heard from the Council about any impending missions that would require the two of us,"
"Hm, day to ourselves then?" Vax grinned while molding himself to Percy's back and nuzzled into the human's neck,
"Once we've cleaned," But Percy tilted his head back to allow Vax more access to his pale throat.
(His hand ached as blood splattered across his face, but Vax didn't drop his arm and instead moved it toward his next target.)
They were in the library now, his head in Percy's lap and his hair free from its normal half-tail. Vax's arms were wrapped around his lover's waist and would occasionally press a kiss into the man's stomach.
Dexterous fingers were scratching across his scalp and fiddling with the ebony strands that slipped between them. Vax arched up into the feeling with a satisfied grin as the sun set beneath the horizon.
(Screams barely reached him over the recoil of the weapon.)
(Smoke burned his throat and poured through the stretched smile being sported across his face.)
Vax was kissing Percy, had him pressed against the door to their room as his hands traced the pale skin beneath the shirt. His fingers were back in the white hair, mussing more than it already was as he began grinding lightly against Percy's hip.
Percy braced his hands against Vax's chest and pushed him back toward the bed. Vax stumbled against the frame and was shoved onto the mattress. The rogue grasped Percy's shirt and tugged him down so that Percy was hovering over him. He ripped the shirt open which sent buttons flying as he kissed the man above him.
Vax trailed his hands up Percy's stomach (His hands were slick with blood.) as he sucked on his Lover's bottom lip. (Blood dripped across his face, a few drops fell into his mouth.)
He felt Percival gasp as he (Held a blade to his chest.) began rolling rose colored nipples between his fingers.
Percy stared down at him with (Relief as the black faded from his eyes.)
Vax knew this was wrong. But he shoved the thought away as Percy sank into him,
"I love you," He whispered to Percy. (He never got to say those words out loud. Not until it was too late.)
Vax grasped Percy, digging his nails into scared shoulders in an attempt to ground himself against the images of (blood, blackened eyes, that fucking mask, a dagger in the chest, and the breathless thanks as the man on top of him went limp.)
They lay side by side this time with Vax curled under Percy's chin and his hand pressed against the beating heart of his Lover,
"I love you," He whispered.
Percy scratched his scalp, "And I you, Vax," (They never had the chance to say it to each other.)
The rogue was making breakfast, a recipe he remembered his mother teaching him and Vex (He ignored that Vex should have been there. That there should be more people than just him and Percy.) when they still lived with her. Percy was once again studying the brewing coffee.
Vax began filling their plates when something burned him
(Holy light cut across his side.)
and he dropped the food with a pained hiss,
"Vax! ("Vax!")
What happened? Are you alright? (Vax! Can you hear me?")"
"I-" Vax blinked as Percy inspected his hands ("For fuck's sake, Vax! Snap out of it!") before pressing a kiss to each palm,
"I think you just (Please wake up, brother!)"
The half-elf blinked again,
"What?"
Something warm was trickling down his side.
He saw a gush of blood that was racing toward the ground,
"I'll get new plates (Sorry about this my dear) this later,"
A painful shock raced up Vax's spine and burned at the back of his scalp as he fell to his knees.
Percy kept walking around, hair ruffled, as though nothing were wrong,
"Hold on!"
Vax tried reaching for Percy, but his were locked at his sides-
"Now Pike!"
"Everlight, bring him back!"
Vax's lungs seized mid-scream as a bright, golden light burned at the edges of his vision, burned at the walls of the keep, and burned Percy away.
It was gone in a blink of an eye.
He ached.
He burned.
Something deep within the recesses of his mind screamed,
"Vax?"
His vision cleared to see... He didn't know where he was, but he searched until he found the voice that had called his name,
"St'bby?"
Vex stepped into view, her eyes shining and her face cut and bruised as she turned to the cleric standing in front of him,
"Pike?"
"It's still there. I don't know how long I can hold it back!" Sweat beaded around Pike's temples as she gripped Vax's wrist.
She was also cut and bruised, but there was a hole in her armor that was leaking blood while claw marks covered the metal plates.
More people came into view now, Scanlan and Keyleth were both being supported by Grog, while Gilmore shuffled behind them with a grimace. Following him where the ladies Allura and Kima, the former of the two had her hands outstretched with magic dancing at her fingers that matched the arcane bindings that wrapped around his arms and torso.
There were also vines twisting around his ankles, and crushing the bones beneath if the pain was anything to go by.
But what surprised Vax, was that when Trinket came lumbering up, was the de Rolo who was braced against the bear.
Cassandra stared at him with anger, rage, and grief,
"Vax-"
"Where's Percy?" His throat ached,
"He's gone, Vax. He's dead," Vax shook his head at Vex,
"Jus' saw him-"
"Vax! Listen to me!" Vex was on her knees and grasping his face in her hands, "Percy died seven months ago underneath Whitestone!"
He shook his head, despite his heart reminding him.
The screaming grew louder,
"No, just saw him. I just saw him!" Vax began to struggle against his bindings, "I saw him!"
"You killed him," Cassandra's voice was quiet, but it brought a deafening silence down around them.
And Vax already knew she was speaking the truth.
The last de Rolo walked forward, her hand pressed against a bleeding gash on her arm and knelt beside Vex. She reached for one of his daggers and held it in front of his face,
"You killed him with this. You tackled when it became clear that demon had taken full control, and stabbed Percy with this,"
Vax was shaking his head, he knew it was true, but he shook his head,
"He had you on the ground,"
Percy was over him, a knee on his chest and a hand painfully fisted in his hair as the Pepperbox was shoved under his chin,
"That thing was taunting you,"
"Didn't you say you would kill us if this happened?" The laugh that came out of Percy's mouth wasn't the one Vax remembered, "What's wrong? Lost your nerve? Pathetic! But not surprising,"
Percy leaned forward, shoving Vax's head further back with the gun as the manic grin stretched wider,
"So many nights together, and you couldn't even tell us what you were thinking!" He kissed Vax.
It was harsh. It was painful,
"Please,"
There was no harsh echo of a second voice,
"Not this, not him!"
Something warm hit Vax's face as Percy growled above him.
Teeth sunk into his lip and drew blood to the surface,
"It was going to kill you,"
Percy's mouth was still on his as the burning metal of the Pepperbox continued pressing against his chin,
"Forgive me," The words were muffled against the human's mouth, but the sound of a blade sinking into flesh was clear.
Percy jolted, blood trickling from his mouth into Vax's, and slowly pushed himself up on his arm. Black eyes landed on the Dagger of Life-Stealing sticking between his ribs, and barely twitched as Vax swiftly pulled it free to sink the dagger into his sternum.
The gasp he let out was wet and spattered more blood onto Vax's face,
"You struck before it could,"
Percy was shaking, his blood smearing against Vax's hand.
The black in his eyes started to fade as smoke leaked out of him,
"Vax-"
"I'm sorry,"
The Pepperbox clattered to the ground as Percy gingerly grasped the side of his face,
"Thank you, thank-," His thumb traced over Vax's cheek as he rasped, "Love you, I love you,"
Percy slumped over Vax, and didn't move,
"You refused to let him go. Grog had to pry him out of your arms,"
The gun was laying there, almost innocently, as Vax cradled Percy to his chest while he whispered over and over,
"I love you, Percival, I love you- Wake up, I love you!"
"Vax?"
"Just wake up-"
"Vax you need to let him go," He shook his head which made his sister sigh before motioning at Grog.
The Goliath carefully grasped the rogue's arms and began pulling them away from Percy,
"No! Don't-"
"He's gone, Vax. Ya can't do nothing for 'im,"
"You killed my brother, and subsequently set him free, Vax'ildan," Cassandra's eyes watered as she dropped the dagger and grasped his shoulders, "But then you put those chains on yourself,"
He was still on his knees as Grog carried Percy's limp form away with Cassandra close behind. Keyleth was stumbling along as her shoulders violently with Scanlan leading her by the hand.
Vex tried getting him up, but Vax jerked out of her arms,
"Vax-"
"Don't- I just-"
His sister sighed but nodded while squeezing his shoulder before slowly following the others.
He saw the Pepperbox, and picked it up without thinking.
Something cold nestled at the back of his head and then-
"One of Yennen's people saw you leaving with the Pepperbox. Vex'ahlia went looking for you and came stumbling back with a bullet lodged in her shoulder,"
He-
Vax didn't-
He looked up at Vex, then around at the others.
Each of them had some sort of injury that could be attested to a dagger slicing them, while Vex and Pike both had holes were a projectile had torn through them.
His gaze went to the wrist Pike was holding, and saw the Pepperbox clenched tightly in his hand,
"What-"
"You can see me again," Vax jolted at the voice,
"Percival?"
"Perceptive as always, Vax'ildan," Smoke wafted and morphed as Percy sat in front of him, blood still pooling from his chest, "But I meant what I said: You can see me again,"
This shouldn't be possible, Vax just saw Grog carry Percy out. He began to lower his gaze to the gun in his lap-
"Hey," A hand grasped his face, burning against his skin, "Just say yes and we can be together again,"
Vax tried to shake his head, he knew this was wrong. But there was smoke grasping at his mind and making his head feel fuzzy,
"I can't stay here forever, Vax. You need to say yes now or I'll be lost forever-"
"No! No, we can get you back. We just need Pike-"
"I don't have that long, Vax!" Percy's grip on his chin tightened, "I'll be gone soon I- I don't want to be lost,"
"You won't be, we'll get you back I swear we will," Vax grasped Percy's hand, ignoring how the man's skin burned,
"It's not a guarantee, Vax'ildan, it may not work," He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Vax's, "But this, now, will. I just need you to say yes!"
Vax shut his eyes as smoke poured from Percy whose voice had begun to echo inside his head,
"We are running out of time, Vax. He'll be gone forever, but I can give an eternity with him,"
"Percival-"
"Will never leave your side, if you just say yes!"
He chocked on a sob, "Percival, come back to me, yes,"
Burning lips mashed against his before dissipating into smoke that forced itself up into his nose and past his teeth, Vax even felt a few tendrils slip into his ear before he-
"Vax!" He blinked as Vex shouted for him.
He saw Cassandra sprawled a few feet away, her face bleeding as she cried out,
"You need to let go!"
His hand ached as he whispered, "But he's there,"
"No! He's not!" Pike said as he continued to grip his hand, "Vax, Percy's gone. Whatever it is that Orthax has been showing you, it's not Percy," A sob tore through him,
"I saw him, Pike-"
"But it wasn't him, brother," Vex said, "And deep down, you always knew it wasn't him, it will never be him,"
"Vax'ildan," Cassandra was leaning against Trinket again with tears cutting through the blood on her face, "You need to let him go, Percival, is gone,"
Vax collapsed against his bonds, crying in an anguish that reached beyond the physical pain that wracked his body, and forced his hand to release the gun. Vex kicked toward Kima and the Paladin's maul light up with a holy light before she brought it down on the Pepperbox.
They all heard the screech as it shattered into pieces and saw the small explosion of shadows.
Vax blacked out a bit after that, and just floated in his head for awhile.
When he woke up, there his sister was laying in front of him and Trinket at his back. The pain that had been constant since being awoken from Orthax's influence had dulled to something manageable. He carefully pushed himself up and saw the rest of them scattered around the fire.
Shaun was slouched against a nearby tree with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Allura and Kima were curled together with their cloaks wrapped around them. Keyleth had gone Minxie and was sprawled near the fire with Scanlan near her head. Pike was snoring in Grog's lap while the Goliath kept a sharp eye on the woods surrounding them.
The only other person who was awake was Cassandra. Her back was to Vax as she poked at the fire while the coat she wore (It was Percy's, Vax hadn't realized she'd been wearing Percy's coat.) nearly swallowed her whole.
As carefully as he could, Vax stepped over Vex and stumbled toward the fire. Cassandra didn't look up when he sat across from her.
They sat quietly for a moment before Cassandra said, "A part of me will always be angry with you, but, I can understand why you did what you did," She lifted her eyes to his, "It may have been the only way to free him,"
Vax said nothing and stared at the flames before him,
"Why did you do it? Say yes to Orthax after seeing what he did to Percy?"
Vax swallowed as his eyes stung, "It promised me Percy. And I- I knew it was wrong, I knew so many things would go wrong but-" He shuddered as the tears began to fall, "At least he would have been alive to me,"