Chapter Text
Vax could barely believe what he was seeing. Percy? Doing multiple shots? Absurd. And what had he said? ‘You are going to be the death of me, Vax’ildan.’ What was that about? It didn’t really seem like a response to what Vax said, but who could say for sure?
Percy shook his head again after taking the shot, but didn’t cough as much. His eyes were squeezed shut as he passed the flute and bottle back to Vax. Which was probably for the best, because Vax didn’t know that he could keep himself from staring. Percy was just so fucking cute.
Vax took the flute, poured himself another shot, and took it without ceremony. It burned, sure, but it was nothing he wasn’t used to. He screwed the cap back on the bottle and set it and the flute aside. They could always return to it if they wanted.
“Tapping out already?” Percy asked.
“Oh just give it a second, you’ll feel it. And we can always have more.”
“You’d know better than me.” Percy leaned back against the bedframe, tipping his head back until it was resting against the mattress.
“That I would,” Vax said distractedly. He was never much of an artist, but seeing Percy like this made him wish he was. He looked relaxed, truly a rare sight. The messy hair, the growing flush- Vax could look at him forever. Percy rolled his head to look at Vax. Shit .
“See something you like?” What?? Since when did Percy say anything like that?
“Every time I look at you, yeah.” Vax needed to make up his mind. Because if Percy was going to flirt with him, he wanted to flirt harder. But he also didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
Percy’s face grew redder “I can never tell if you’re hitting on me or if you’re just.. Like This.”
“You could always ask,” Vax offered.
Percy rolled his head back so he was staring at the ceiling. “You’re impossible.”
You sure? I’ve heard many times that I’m easy. Vax thought, but- thank the gods- was able to stop himself before he said it.
They sat in companionable silence for a bit. Vax could feel the alcohol hitting him- Vex had a sixth sense for the strong stuff- and he had to imagine Percy was having a similar experience, even if he couldn’t identify it.
“Is it weird? Getting sexiled?” Percy asked, still facing the ceiling.
Vax shrugged- which Percy couldn’t see. “Not really.”
“I feel like it would be awkward.”
“Nah. She’s been sexiled too, it’s a pretty equivalent exchange.” Vax leaned his head back against the mattress, joining Percy in staring at the ceiling.
“Oh right. I guess I forget..” Percy trailed off.
“Forget what?”
“I forget that you- that most people our age have.. uh..”
“Had sex?” Vax filled in. Percy made an affirmative noise. “Have you not? There’s no shame in that.”
“No.. I haven’t. You know I don’t get out much.”
“What have you done?” Vax remembered too late that was a bit of a rude question. “You don’t have to answer that.”
“I.. I’ve held hands? It almost went further once, but Cassandra barged in.”
“You’ve never kissed anyone?” Vax that’s also rude . “There’s nothing wrong with it if you haven’t.” He turned his head to look at Percy, who was still looking at the ceiling.
“On the cheek, yeah. But I assume that doesn’t count.” He paused. “I just don’t know who would want to? And even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to make that.. happen.” Percy’s words were starting to blur together, not that either of the two noticed.
“You could always ask.”
“But I don’t want to make anybody uncomfortable.”
“So you’ve just been waiting for someone to offer?” Vax asked, sensing a potential opportunity he didn’t presently have the faculties to pass up.
“…Yeah. But when you put it like that-“
Vax sat up. “I’d kiss you. If you wanted to.” Not his best work, but hopefully good enough?
Percy looked at him, seemingly going through several emotions that Vax couldn’t place at the moment. “You don’t have to say that.”
“I know. But I mean it.” Percy opened his mouth to say something, but Vax continued before he got the chance. “If- at pretty much any point since we met- you had asked to kiss me, I would’ve said yes.”
Percy sat up as well, swaying slightly as he did so. “Well.. I’d be lying if I said I never wanted to..”
And that was all Vax needed to hear.
~~~~~
Percy felt like he was watching from the third person as Vax leaned forward and kissed him. Just a gentle kiss on the mouth. It awakened a frankly concerning amount of lust in Percy.
“So that’s what people are on about..” Percy said, more to himself than Vax.
Vax snorted. “That? Oh Freddy, that’s not nearly as good as it gets.”
Percy felt himself flush. “How am I supposed to know that?”
“No, I know. I know. I don’t mean to laugh. It’s just-“ Vax clearly was not going to be able to get through that sentence without laughing, so Percy didn’t let him.
“I mean, you’re more than welcome to enlighten me. If you’d like.”
That seemed to get Vax’s attention- specifically get it off whatever was so funny. “I would. If you’re sure.”
“What, do you want me to beg?” Percy realized this may have been an unwise way to phrase it a little too late.
“I mean…”
“Rhetorical question. In any case. Vax’ildan, kiss me. Please.”
Vax put a cold hand on the side of Percy’s face. “I’ll take it, we can work on your begging another time.”
Hello??????
But before Percy could counter that, Vax’s mouth was on his again. This was nice. This was really nice. But Percy needed more. Vax was a pretty slender guy, it wasn’t hard for Percy to pull him into his lap. This got a surprised sound from Vax, but was met with no resistance.
Vax was right, he did feel the alcohol now. He was just trying to keep up with the sensations. One of Vax’s cold hands on the side of his face, Vax’s tongue in his mouth, his own hands in Vax’s hair.
Eventually, Percy’s hands ended up on Vax’s hips. There was a sliver of exposed skin where the smaller man’s shirt failed to meet his pants. Just another small thing to awaken far too much lust in Percy. And much like that small kiss earlier, he needed more of this too.
Percy’s hands slipped under Vax’s shirt, exploring the expanse of skin he’d seen before but never allowed himself to touch. A sober Percy would be aghast at this sort of crass behavior- not from Vax so much as himself- he’d think this was perhaps the exact opposite of gentlemanly behavior. He’d be right. But he wasn’t there.
Vax seemed to follow Percy’s lead, and Percy felt his hands- which seemed far colder now than they had before, probably because they were on more sensitive skin- untuck his shirt. They rested on the bare skin just above the wasteband of Percy’s pants.
It felt nice. Percy’s whole body felt so hot, it was nice to have a cool touch. That was, until Vax’s hands stared to brush their way slowly up Percy’s torso. Percy tried to focus on everything else- anything else. The way Vax’s hair smelled, the way his skin felt, his intensity. Fortunately, Vax must’ve felt Percy flinch when his hands reached the bottom of his binder. His hands immediately left Percy’s skin- a blessing and a curse- and moved their focus to his arms, moving along his shoulders and biceps. Percy felt Vax mutter a near-silent apology against his lips.
After gods know how long, the two broke apart to catch their breath. Vax rested his face in the crook of Percy’s neck.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered.
“As are you,” Percy countered.
“I’ve had years of practice, what’s your excuse?”
Percy couldn’t keep from smiling as he kissed the side of Vax’s head. Vax hummed contentedly.
“Do you.. Want to move this to my bed?” Percy asked in by far the boldest move of his life.
“Percival, you’re drunk.”
“So are you.”
Vax, still in Percy’s lap, sat up again- his deep brown eyes meeting Percy’s green ones. Percy fought the urge to look away, Vax could just be so intense sometimes.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have sex with you- I’ve wanted to for years- but when you’re sober. If you still want to, we can talk about it then.”
For years? Percy tried to push that out of his mind as he felt himself flush. He knew Vax was right, and there was no point arguing it- no matter how much he wanted to.
“O-oh… I meant.. because I’m tired. Finals week and all that..” Percy said in what he knew was the least convincing lie of his life. There was no question that Vax saw through it, all Percy could do was pray to the Dawnfather Vax didn’t call him on it.
“Ah, my mistake.” Vax said. On all levels except physical, Percy let out a sigh of relief. “You should probably take this off, then.” Vax tapped one of the straps of Percy’s binder.
Percy froze. “Oh.. Uh….”
“I can close my eyes, I can leave- whatever makes you the most comfortable. I just know you shouldn’t sleep in that,” Vax said hurriedly. Gods dammit why did he always have to be right.
“Oh, you don’t have to leave.” Please don’t leave. The thought came unbidden. Too many people had left when they found out. Vax already knows, and he’s still here. Percy told himself. “Just uh.. Close your eyes?” Percy asked.
“Of course.” Vax said, closing his eyes. Percy hadn’t meant at that exact moment, but close enough.
Percy somehow managed to get his arms under Vax and pick him up in one fluid motion as he got to his feet. “Oh! I sometimes forget just how strong you are.” Vax sounded…. Well, if Percy had to put a finger on it, he’d say aroused. Dammit, why did he have to be drunk.
He almost lost his balance as he turned and put Vax down on his bed, but managed to keep his feet under him. “Yeah, I really don’t get many chances to show it off.” He said as he made his way to his closet. He kept his back to Vax as he changed out of his current clothes and binder and into pyjamas, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure Vax hadn’t opened his eyes.
“That and you’re a fucking nerd.”
Percy smiled. “Yeah, that and I’m a fucking nerd.” He finished changing and turned back around. He noticed Vax- eyes still closed- was fully wearing jeans. He had no doubt Vax could sleep in jeans, but Percy wasn’t about to let him. Percy turned back to his closet and grabbed a random shirt and pair of sweatpants and tossed them to Vax. “Pyjamas.” He said.
“Oh, I’m fine. I can sleep in this.”
“I’m sure you can, but I’m not going to let you.” Percy his back to Vax to let him change.
“If you wanted to get me out of my clothes, you could’ve just asked.” Vax joked. “Who would I be to deny you?”
“Careful Vax, I may hold you to that sometime.”
“I hope you do.” Percy heard Vax sit back down, and went to turn off the light. He turned to look at Vax one more time while he could still see- only to find that Vax clearly had not opened his eyes to change clothes, the shirt was on backwards. At least he was respectful. Percy smiled to himself and flicked off the light. “You can open your eyes.”
“Gods you’re handsome.”
“How on Earth can you see that well in the dark?” It was a question Percy had asked many times, it didn’t fully make sense in this context, but tradition. Or something.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“That’s why I asked.”
“A magician never reveals his tricks.” Vax said. “Stop standing there like some sleep paralysis demon, get over here.” Percy rolled his eyes as he walked over, laying down next to Vax. “Don’t roll your eyes at me.”
“Okay, there’s absolutely no way you saw that.” Percy laid his head on Vax’s chest.
“I guessed.” He could hear the impish grin Vax must’ve had, and felt him kiss the top of his head. He wanted to keep Vax talking just so he could feel his voice rumbling in his chest, but he really was tired.
“You are going to be the death of me, Vax’ildan.” Percy couldn't keep from smiling as he said it.