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minister-for-femslash · 17 days

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The Truth?

Summary; After Imogen accidentally falls into Laudna's dream, she finds herself face to face with Delilah Briarwood, who wants to show her exactly what happened on the day Laudna died.

Pairings; Laudna/Imogen

Warnings; Torture and mentions of character death

Word Count; 1,885

Imogen doesn't mean to, dream walking is something she's never really done before. But its been so stressful recently and they finally have a chance to stop and not quite relax - that feels like an impossibility at this point – but there's a moment of calm where her and Laudna can curl up together just the two of them. She takes off the circlet because she needs the peace that comes with being immersed in the melody of Laudna's thoughts.

Laudna drifts off first and with their psychic link open, Imogen drifts off with her.

Her mind tumbles.

She finds herself in a corridor, high ceilings and thick stone walls. It's cold, there's a harshness in the air. Dark and dank. Water drips from the ceiling. There's a small wooden door behind her and lanterns on the wall. It feels familiar, but this isn't hers.

“Hello.” Her voice echoes back at her. “Anybody here.” She takes a tentative step forward and peers down the corridor. She's reluctant to go too far. Exploring her own dreams is one thing but accidentally tumbling into someone else's is different.

“Laudna! Are you here!?”

There's a whimper. It's faint, not soft and gentle but coarse like somebody's throat is dry.

“Laudna!”

Another whimper, louder this time. Imogen takes another tentative step, and then another and another. There are bars, thick rusted steel. The stone wall turns into a cell.

Imogen freezes. She knows what this is, where this is. When this is. She doesn't want to see. She doesn't.

“Laudna,” she whispers.

“She can't hear you, dear.”

The voice comes from behind her. Imogen has only heard it once or twice, a faint response to a desperate message sent but she recognises it instantly. A deep seated anger swells inside her chest, an unintentional snarl creeps onto her face as she spins around.

Delilah Briarwood stands in front of her in a long flowing dark purple dress, a choker necklace with a green stone in the centre and the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. “She's a little busy. Reminiscing.”

“Is this because of you? Is this what you make her dream?”

“Only sometimes, when she needs a reminder of exactly who made her.”

Imogen doesn't hesitate. Rage flashes and her hand shoots out, a psychic lance aimed straight at Delilah's heart.

It misses.

Delilah's form shimmers, flicker out for just a moment and the psychic lance slams into the wall behind.

A pain filled cry comes from the cell.

“Stop it! Stop this now!” Imogen yells.

“Now now dear, there's no need for tantrums. Don't you want to see the beauty of her creation.” Delilah brushes past her and heads towards the cell, stepping through the bars as if they're not there. “Sylas, darling. Don't be too hard on our sweet girl. She needs to be recognisable.”

Imogen turns away. If she can leave, if she can propel herself out of this dream then she can wake Laudna up. She can free her from this. But the corridor is gone, a large stone wall now inches away from her nose. There's pressure on her shoulders like hands grasping tight. She's pulled back. Her feet scrap against the ground as she tries to resist but this isn't her dream. She isn't in control.

She's dragged up against the bars.

Delilah is in front of her, twirling a large curved blade between her fingers. Behind her is a man, broad shouldered. He has slick-backed dark hair with a white streak running through the middle. There's blood on his hands. He's bent over a figure. Over Laudna.

“My husband, Sylas.” Delilah says. “Such a beautifully vicious man.”

“Don't touch her.” Something raw and bitter wedges itself in the back of Imogen's throat. Her vision blurs and she knows there's a risk of tears.

Delilah laughs. “This moment is long over, it can't be changed. Just relived. And I do hope you aren't lying to yourself, my dear. Even if you could change this, you wouldn't.”

“You're wrong. I won't let you hurt Laudna, ever.” She rushes forward, expecting to move through the bars as easily as Delilah did, but instead she slams into them. Locked out.

“This isn't Laudna. This is Matilda.” She steps back and allows Imogen to see.

Laudna is on the floor, curled up in a tight ball. Blood coats her skin, seeps deep into the fabric of her clothes. There are so many wounds, too many for Imogen to be able to focus on. Her limbs are twisted, bent at odd angles.

“Why would you change this? This is the day of her ascension. Matilda dies so that Laudna can be born, and you, the one who claims to love her the most should see the beauty in this moment.” Delilah brushes past Sylas and kneels down next to Laudna. She picks her up and cradles her almost gently.

Laudna's eyes are open and Imogen can see the pain in them. The fear. She makes another move for the bars, but they hold firm

“It's Laudna you care for, Matilda is just a tragic story. It's Laudna you want, so watch me create her for you.” Delilah brushes the hair away from Laudna's face. It's slick with blood. She brings the knife down against Laudna's ear.

Imogen tries to grasp at the knife with telekinesis, tries to yank it out of Delilah's hand. “Don't!” Imogen tries again. “I said don't!” And again.

It fails.

At the last second Imogen turns away. She can't watch this. She can't. Her eyes slam shut and she tries to will herself awake. To will herself somewhere else.

Laudna screams.

It's the most horrifying sound Imogen has ever heard.

“She made me so proud that day.” A finger presses against her chin, forces her head up and there stands Delilah, blood on her hands.

The stone walls are gone. The bars are gone. They're outside now, the Sun Tree in the distance behind Delilah, it's decaying branches seem to sprout from her shoulders like a grotesque parody of Laudna's beautiful transformation.

“She was Sylas's favourite. Of all the people he hurt, she was the one he loved the most,” Delilah says. “The others were weak, they couldn't survive his viciousness. They were long dead before our presentation. But my Laudna, she lasted.”

“I hate you. What you did to her...” The tears begin to falls. “I hate you.”

There are heavy footsteps behind her, the crunch of gravel under thick boots. Sylas brushes past her. Laudna is in his arms. Her head lolls against his shoulder. Her clothes have been changed, the blood washed away and a single feather placed into her hair.

Delilah and Sylas head off down the path. That invisible force wraps itself around Imogen once again, her arms are pinned as she's pulled forward, forced to walk just behind them. She struggles, tries to fight against the bonds. In her head she screams, rage and desperation battering against the inside of her own mind. She reaches for that connection, for that blinding white light and the power that caused her to level an entire city block. She needs it now. But she's alone.

“We're the same, you and me,” Delilah says.

They're suddenly at the base of the Sun Tree. Quickly. Too quickly. A noose already hangs from a branch.

“No. We're not.”

“I was willing to fight death herself to save the one I love -” Delilah runs her hand down Sylas' shoulder - “and you will do the same. For her.”

Sylas lays Laudna on the ground and then steps back.

“Witch!” A voice comes from the ether.

The night slips into day. The Sun Tree and the noose fades, the house and taverns slowly transform into carts and market stalls.

“She's a witch!”

A crowd slowly forms, their faces twisted with anger and fear. With hatred.

Laudna fumbles, and this is Laudna, not Matilda. She looks exactly as she did the day they met. Pale skin, a flowy black dress, her hair pinned up with a tiny rock hammer. Paté is hooked on her belt, not yet animated but still a piece of her. The small basket falls from Laudna's hands, the fruit she's brought spilling out.

The murmurs are growing, the whispers turning harsher, more vicious.

“It's her. She's poisoning our crops!”

“My horses died because of her!”

This isn't Whitestone, this is Gelvaan and Imogen knows what happens here. What she does. The crowd is growing bigger, a harsh tension building and there's nothing Imogen can do.

Laudna stumbles backwards, tries to speak, to explain, but she stutters unable to be heard over the bark of the crowd.

A rock is thrown. It catches Laudna in the side of the head. She's knocked to the ground, a drop of blood appearing above her eye.

“Leave her alone!” The words are ripped from Imogen's throat. She charges forward, physically forcing her way through the crowd.

Laudna is curled up trying to make herself as small as possible.

“Laudna.” Imogen drops to her knees. “It's okay. You're going to be okay.”

Another rock is thrown. This one misses but it comes close and Laudna visibly flinches.

Something in Imogen snaps. “Back off!” There's an explosion. It rips from the centre of Imogen's chest, this cacophony of pure defensive energy whips through the air.

The crowd is blasted back. Market stalls are thrown into the air, crashing into walls. Windows smash, bodies go flying. A storm of debris, wood and stones, and heavy rocks swirl, forming a protective ring around them. Imogen clings to Laudna tight.

“How do I bring her back? Tell me what to do. I'll do anything.” Imogen's own voice echoes in the air. It doesn't come from her lips, these are words spoken what seems like a lifetime ago.

The storm suddenly drops. Bodies are scattered across the thoroughfare, streaks of blood splashed across the path.

Delilah stands before them, larger than she's ever been. She towers over them. “You begged me once, to save her. I want you to understand, Imogen Temult. Look how far you will go to protect her. Without me there is no Laudna and if you want to keep her, you need me.” Delilah walks towards them, her shadow stretching out behind her.

Delilah kneels in front of her. Imogen's arms wrap tighter around Laudna in some futile attempt at protecting her from the monster.

Delilah grabs Imogen's chin. “This is why I can trust you. You will give me everything I want as long as it keeps her by your side.”

Delilah leans in. Imogen tries to pull back but Delilah's grip is like a vice. She presses a kiss against Imogen's cheek. “You're going to make an excellent daughter-in-law.”

Imogen wakes with a gasp.

Laudna is still asleep beside her, her arm draped across Imogen's waist. She feels nauseous, there are tears on her cheeks. She reaches for Laudna, her fingers brushing just above Laudna's eyes, the wound is long healed but sometimes Imogen can still see it.

She gently presses their foreheads together. “I love you.” Imogen can still feel Delilah's grip on her chin, the ghost of that kiss on her cheek. “I won't let her take you from me.”

#critical role #laudna #imogen temult #delilah briarwood #laudna/imogen #imodna #fic #torture tw #character death tw

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angelltheninth · 2 years

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SFW Masterlist 2

Part 2 of my SFW Masterlist!

ARCANE

Making Up with Sevika

Soulmate Headcanons with Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn and Ekko

Viktor with a Touch-starved S/O

Arcane Character Helping You with Period Cramps

Catching Feelings for Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Sevika and Ekko

Jinx, Silco, Viktor and Vander with an Overworked S/O

Arcane Characters with a Vampire S/O

Alpha!Jinx with an Omega!S/O

Jayce Talis x Reader - Forging Bonds

Sevika x Fem!Reader - Eye Candy and Muscles

Enforcer Grayson x Reader - Protection Services

Enforcer Grayson x Reader - A Much Needed Break

Arcane Characters with an S/O That Sings in the Shower

Sevika Comforting You

Arcane Characters + "I Love You"

Sevika with a Supernatural S/O

Soulmate Headcanons with Vi

First Meeting with Ekko

Kidnapped by Jinx

Ekko with an S/O who Can't Work Machinery

Staring at Arcane Characters

Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Ekko, Viktor and Mel See Your Tattoos

Jinx, Vi and Caitlyn with a Paladin S/O

Unrequited Crush and Confession with Vi

Ambessa Medarda Being Vulnerable with You

Morning Fluff with Ekko

Viktor Being Clueless About Your Crush on Him

Arcane Men Finding Out You're Pregnant

Jinx Being Romantic with You

Making Food for Arcane Characters

Reunion with Ekko

Arcane Characters with a Plus Sized S/O

Jayce and Viktor + Favorite Spot to Kiss

Jayce with a Musician S/O

Jayce with a Clumsy Assistant

Arcane Characters + How They Sleep

Domestic Morning Fluff with Arcane Characters

Ambessa Medarda x Fem!Reader - Offering to the Warlord

Arcane Characters with PDA

Cuddling Headcanon with Sevika

Sitting in Arcane Character's Lap

Arcane Characters After a Long Day at Work

Taking Baths with Arcane Characters

Enforcer Grayson x Reader - Early Bird Gets the Worm

Arcane Characters with a Vastaya Reader

MCU

Meeting and Dating Jake Lockley

Working with Steven Grant and Marc Spector

Morbius with an S/O who Just Became a Vampire

Mornings with Steven Grant and Marc Spector

Being Best Friends with Steven Grant and Marc Spector

Dating Steven Grant and Marc Spector

Dating Headcanons Michael Morbius

Xu Wenwu with an Assassin S/O

Xu Wenwu Taking Care of You While You're Injured

Xu Wenwu with a Dirty Minded S/O

Xu Wenwu Meeting Your Toxic Ex

Xu Wenwu Celebrating His Anniversary with You

Xu Wenwu with a Mindreading S/O

Xu Wenwu Accidentally Compares you to Ying Li

Kissing Headcanons with Xu Wenwu

Xu Wenwu with an S/O who wants to Get Married

Xu Wenwu Goes to Rescue You

Xu Wenwu with a Pregnant S/O

Love at First Sight with Xu Wenwu

TWISTED WONDERLAND

Leona, Jamil and Idia with a Sunshine S/O

TWST Dorm Men + Didn't Know They Were Dating Trope

TWST Dorm Men Confession Reaction

Leona Kingscholar with an S/O who Worships Him

Leona, Jamil and Ruggie with a merfolk S/O

Diasomnia Dorm Men Taking You to the Dance

Idia Shroud x Reader - Inner Flame Burning Hot

Pomefiore Dorm Men Waking You up with a Kiss

Touch-starved Shroud Brothers

Morning Headcanons with Kalim Al-Asim and Jamil Viper

TWST Men Confessing to You

Octavinelle Dorm Men Being Yandere for You

Savanaclaw Dorm Men Growling

Cuddles with the Heartslabyul Dorm Men

Neck and Wrist Kisses with Riddle Rosenhearts

Malleus Draconia x Reader - Bed of Thorns Kiss of Roses

CRITICAL ROLE

Mollymauk, Essek, Caleb, and Fjord Reacting to You Wearing Their Clothes

Staring at Vax'ildan and Percy de Rolo

Relationship Headcanons with Critical Role Men

Kissing Vax'ildan and Percy de Rolo in Private

Polyamory Headcanons with Vax'ildan and Percy de Rolo

Sylas and Delilah Briarwood x Reader - Xtra Kisses for Departure

Grog Strongjaw x Reader - The Caring Goliath

Clothes Sharing with Vox Machina

Love Triangle with Percy de Rolo and Vax'ildan

Percy de Rolo x Fem!Reader - Food for Thought

Percy de Rolo and Vex'ahlia with a Briarwood S/O

Betraying Percy de Rolo

Vaxildan x Reader - Quiet and Caring

Enemies to Lovers with Vax'ildan

Reunion with Percy de Rolo

Dancing with Percy de Rolo

Percy de Rolo Saves You

Comforting Percy de Rolo After a Nightmare

Flirting with Vax'ildan

Keyleth x Reader - Fireflies for the Nightmares

#masterlist #arcane x reader #mcu x reader #twst x reader #critical role x reader

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raeynbowboi · 6 months

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What Is the Best Party for a Necromancer

With enough time and preparation, a Necromancy Wizard can create a small army of powerful undead, but I got to wondering: what party formation does the best job at supporting the Necromancer's undead horde to reach its maximum potential? So, that's what I'm seeking to do. To create a party of 4-5 characters that best empowers and emboldens the Necromancer's army.

WIZARD SCHOOL OF NECROMANCY

The star and most likely the official team leader of the party, the Necromancy Wizard is the focal point of this team composition. With their 6th level feature: Undead Thralls, the Necromancy Wizard adds their Wizard level (6-20) to each undead's hit points, and their proficiency bonus (3-6) to each undead's weapon attack damage. This means that the Necromancy Wizard makes the strongest possible undead thralls in the game. At 14th level, the Necromancer can place any undead under their control with Command Undead. This gives the Wizard the ability to gain a free Wight, a high CR undead like a Nightwalker, or even notable villains like Acerack, Vecna, Strahd Von Zarovich, or Sylas Briarwood. Intelligent Undead can make saving throws, but a simple Feeblemind can take care of that pesky detail.

PALADIN OATHBREAKER

The Oathbreaker Paladin was chosen because of their 7th level feature: Aura of Hate. Any undead within 10 feet of the Paladin adds the Paladin's Charisma modifier (1-5) to all weapon attack damage. At 15th level, that Aura expands to 30 feet. Not only can this stack with the Necromancy Wizard's Undead Thralls feature, making undead near the paladin stronger, but the Paladin does not need to be the one who created the undead. So the Oathbreaker can lead the undead into battle on the front lines, while the Wizard stands further back sniping enemies with cantrips and low level spells. Unfortunately, only one Aura of Hate can effect a single undead, but in theory, one Necromancy Wizard with 3-4 spaced out oathbreakers each with a 10 or 30 ft aura can effectively organize your undead army into tight formation battalions. But there are other good allies to have in the game.

CLERIC GRAVE DOMAIN

We want the Grave Cleric for many reasons. Firstly, they get a lot of necromancy spells, so while their horde won't be as strong as the Wizard's they too can create a horde of undead, making an even bigger army. Their Channel Divinity: Path to the Grave makes it so that an enemy is vulnerable to the damage of the next attack that hits them, which sets up nicely for the Oathbreaker to lay down a devastating smite, or the Necromancy Wizard to ensure a fresh thrall from their Finger of Death. Sentinel at Death's Door can be used to nullify critical hits, which can keep not only party members, but even undead minions from being obliterated. The wizard's Wight that controls 12 zombies is probably an asset you don't want to risk losing, so having a way to save that valuable asset is useful. And, should the Necromancer forget to reassert control over their horde in time, the Cleric's Destroy Undead feature can help the party mow through the bodies.

DRUID CIRCLE OF THE SHEPHERD

I know, I know. A Shepherd Druid and a Necromancy Wizard in one party is a DM's nightmare, but there's a reason we're choosing this subclass. It's not the animal summoning, it's the Totem Spirit. See, the Totem Spirit radiates an aura in a 30 ft radius. And that aura bolsters as many creatures as you want within that aura. Meaning that not only can the shepherd provide aerial support with swarms of ravens and buzzards, but that aura also applies to the Wizard's undead horde. The Bear totem grants the undead Temporary Hit Points, and the Unicorn Spirit makes it so that when the Druid heals anyone outside the aura, they're also healing every creature inside the aura. While they can't target undead creatures with their healing spells, the aura's healing factor does not exclude undead, allowing the Druid to heal a party member, and in doing so, heal every undead within 30 feet of the totem spirit. The fact that the Druid can summon a stronger horde of animals is just a nice little cherry on top. There's also nothing saying you can't reflavor your animal army as being undead animal corpses with DM approval to fit in with the necromantic themes.

WARLOCK FATHOMLESS PATRON

This is the least useful of the five, but it does have its uses, so while it is the most expendable of the options, there are reasons to use it if you have a five man party. At 6th level, the Fathomless Warlock gains the ability Guardian Coil. Their summoned tentacle can defend a single ally creature, reducing damage the creature takes by 1d8, or 2d8 at level 10. At 14th level, Fathomless Plunge can be used to teleport the Warlock and up to five other creatures to any source of water within 1 mile. The Fathomless Warlock, The Shepherd Druid, and the Grave Cleric can cast Create or Destroy Water, and a puddle is a source of water, letting the warlock teleport fresh undead to the front lines, or move injured undead to the backlines. If the Druid has their Unicorn Totem, this can be a useful way to teleport party members or important undead like Wights to the Totem's aura, and giving the party ways to move important creatures. The teleported creatures also do not need to be near the Warlock, they simply need to be able to see them within 30 feet, allowing the warlock to give the undead horde greater mobility. Make your patron Davy Jones, The Captain of the Flying Dutchman, or the Eldritch Lord of Shipwrecks to keep on brand with the themes of undeath and necromancy within the party, tying yourself to those lost to watery graves.

SPELLS AND SYNERGY

The core spells of Animate Dead, Create Undead, Danse Macabre, and Finger of Death can be used to create undead thralls. Wizards get all four spells, while the Cleric only gets Animate Dead and Create Undead. Oathbreakers also get Animate Dead, but only get up to 5th level spell slots. Warlocks can learn Animate Dead through an Eldritch Invocation, but only once per long rest, and only at 3rd level. Warlocks also learn Danse Macabre and Finger of Death. They also get Create Undead, but can only cast it at 6th level.

Both the Warlock and the Wizard get access to Negative Energy Flood, which can be used to heal an undead, or to damage a living target. Like Finger of Death, a creature killed by Negative Energy Flood rises as a zombie.

Aura of Vitality is a spell for Clerics, Druids, and Paladins that creates a healing aura within 30 ft of the caster. The spell's text does not exclude undead from benefitting from this aura, however only one creature can be healed with a bonus action. While this isn't super useful given it only heals one creature, the Druid using this spell to trigger their Unicorn Totem every turn with a bonus action does make this more useful, as you're able to heal the undead army multiple turns in a row while only using one spell slot. And unlike Healing Spirit, the initial healing can also be applied to an undead. The only caveat is that the healing needs to go a creature outside of the unicorn totem's aura in order to trigger the healing. Luckily, the Totem does not have to be within any given distance of the Druid, which gives the Druid more flexibility in their positioning.

Every creature that can be created with Animate Dead and Create Undead (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls, Ghasts, Wights, and Mummies) are immune to Poison damage. As such, AoE spells that deal Poison damage, such as Cloudkill can be dropped on top of your undead horde without harming them, but harming any living enemy near them. Your undead can also attempt to grapple foes, holding them in the Cloudkill, preventing them from leaving as they suffocate. The Necromancy Wizard is the only member of the party that can learn Cloudkill.

Both the Grave Cleric and the Druid can learn Antilife Shell, which pushes living creatures away from the caster, while allowing undead creatures to move through the shell harmlessly. This can be a great way to keep Strength-based enemies at a distance. Unfortunately the shell is not a proper force field, as weapon and spell attacks can still pass through, so this is not a way to protect the Wizard. It only keeps melee-ranged threats at bay.

BALDUR'S GATE III

While we can't recreate this team set-up perfectly in Baldur's Gate III, we can still do a weaker version with four party members: TAV as a Necromancy Wizard, Astarion or Karlach as an Oathbreaker, Shadowheart as really any Cleric subclass, and Wyll as a Fiend Warlock with a Pact of the Tome. The Tome will allow Wyll to cast Animate Dead and Create Undead, Tav and Shadowheart will also be able to create undead, and Astarion or Karlach will be able to use their aura of hate to strengthen those undead thralls. It's not as good as what we built above, but short of mods, it's the best we can do. It doesn't really matter who's what, this is just an example of a party composition. Astarion could just as easily be the necromancer and TAV the Oathbreaker, you could have Gale as the Necromancer, or Lae'zel as the Oathbreaker. What really matters are the classes. The Cleric can still clear any undead that turn on the party, the paladin still bolsters the already stronger undead, and every member of the party is pretty much able to make equally strong undead, the Wizards undead are just juiced up to the max.

#necromancy #necromancer #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #dnd #dnd 5e #wizards of the coast #undead #grave domain #oathbreaker #circle of the shepherd #fathomless warlock #wotc #dnd fifth edition #dnd 5th edition #critical role #baldur's gate 3

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acesofstars · 6 months

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WOE BRIARWOODS BE UPON YE.

But for real I started this 3pm on the 30th bc I wanted a hallows eve thing and boy did I do the thing!

youtube

#art #character art #my artwork #my art #artists on tumblr #delilah briarwood #sylas briarwood #Briarwoods #percy de rolo #vexhalia #vaxildan #vex'halia #vax'ildan #critical role vox machina #critical role #animation #happy halloween #Youtube

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house-of-kolchek · 11 months

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Twisted Tango (18+)

Vax'ildan x Reader

Enjoy the elf smut. That's all.

Word Count: 6169 (nice.)

It wasn’t often you found the opportunity to dress up.

So, when the Sovereign Uriel of Emon called for a formal dinner… gala… whatever the hell Percy had called it, you couldn’t help the surge of excitement at the opportunity to let your hair down - literally - and find a nice dress that would outline the smoother aspects of your battle-hardened form.

That, and you hoped to maybe catch the attention of a certain half-elf.

You arrived to the venue, feeling bright and tall in a fitted dress embellished by twin slits on either side, reaching your mid-thigh. Though they felt a little wobbly, you’d chosen the pair of striking heels Keyleth had suggested, giving you an extra couple inches of height and complimenting the colour of your outfit. Having just barely arrived, you’d already received multiple compliments and stares. Even Vex had voiced her approval, shooting you with a knowing look and a quirked brow that sent a flush to your cheeks.

But they were nothing compared to the moment when Vax noticed you.

The rogue - who was dressed quite handsomely himself, with his usually loose hair gathered to a low ponytail - faltered in his steps, nearly running into Scanlan as his eyes stuck to you. As the gnome started shouting a few choice words, Vax simply ignored him, his attention solely stuck to you. You couldn’t help but catch the slight warmth that dusted Vax’s cheeks, and the quirk in his lips, his gaze flickering from your feet to the top of your head.

At that moment, Percy took the opportunity to lecture the group on proper etiquette, breaking whatever spell had fallen over the two of you. With that, you simply sent Vax a bashful smile, turning your attention to the gunslinger and preparing to break out your admittedly rusty people skills.

As your group finally entered the expansive castle, a hand gently brushed against the back of yours, and you glanced to your left to catch Vax’s soft grin. He dipped his head towards yours, stealing your breath away as he dropped his voice to a near-whisper.

“You look fantastic,” he uttered. It was simple and quiet, yet it still sent your heart rate into overdrive. You thanked him, offering a look and a compliment of your own that decorated his cheeks with a matching warmth.

Cute.

Surveying the room, you strayed off towards one of the walls, though you felt Vax’s gaze follow. With a fairly noble history, you found yourself slipping into a pleasant smile, meaningless greetings and empty chuckles. When a racket of noise sounded from the middle of the room, you had to bite back a snicker at the sight of Grog and Pike, throwing back glasses of champagne as if they were shots.

Your amusement was short lived, however, as your gaze slid over to Percy, your heart dropping at the expression painting his features. Gone was his excitement, his wonder at speaking with all the diplomats, lord and ladies. You instead saw a strange combination of visceral fear and rage swirl in his eyes, and excused yourself from the bland conversation you’d been sharing with a Lady who’s name you’d already forgotten.

By the time you’d reached him, the rest of the party had joined, surrounding the man in a small circle. His gaze was haunted and distant, and you were nearly at the point of snapping in front of his face before Vex pulled him from whatever trance he was in.

“Those two…” Percy uttered, describing the fall of his home at the hands of the couple - you’d overheard their names as the Briarwoods - Sylas and Deliliah. They seemed unassuming, like perfectly reasonable, if anything rather pompous characters, but if Percy spoke truth…

“Should we say something? To Uriel?” Vax offered, sending a curious glance towards the retreating couple. His brows had furrowed in that slight way, deepening with suspicion. Percy refuted - how could you say anything without any proof?

“Well, it looks like they’re staying overnight,” Vex commented, laying a supportive hand on Percy’s shoulder. You followed her gaze, noting the trunk that was being dragged up a distant stairway. In your sympathy for Percy, and newfound distrust of the couple, you began circulating different ideas of how to find any proof of wrongdoing.

Naturally, Vax beat you to the punch.

“Why don’t I make myself scarce, and slip into their chambers. See if I can figure anything out,” He suggested, this time earning the group’s agreement. Nodding his head, he turned towards the staircase, until you caught his arm.

“I’m coming with you,” you stated. No room for questioning. “You’ll need a lookout. Y’know, just in case someone else decides their bedroom is a good place to throw a party.”

Vax didn’t resist your grasp, and his lips twitched upward at your joke. With a whispered agreement, he offered you his arm, and you looped your hands around the bend of his elbow.

He guided you through the room, matching the pleasant greetings and smiles you sent towards other guests. If he was impressed by the way you swiftly and politely dodged conversations with the nobles, directing their attention to other bragging opportunities, he didn’t show it.

Though he did gently elbow your side as you turned towards the staircase, fixing you with an amused grin.

You slipped up the staircase easily, your arms parting at the end of the hallway, though you continued to crave the soft warmth he’d provided. You followed his lead, ducking behind an archway in the oncoming hallway. You held your breath, waiting for one of the guards to pass through the hall, before Vax ushered you to creep along the wall. He stalked behind the guard, flicking his foot to the side to gain their attention towards the opposite wall, motioning for you to slip past. You watched as he expertly circled around the guard, remaining completely unseen as he caught up to you.

He sent you a quick, cocky grin, quirking one of his brows before motioning for you to follow him into the next hallway. To say you were impressed was an understatement, and you nearly got caught up in your distraction, as by the time you reached him, he was…

Why was he unbuckling his belt?

You watched him throw the belt into the hallway, incredulous as you peeked into the room. The article hit the ground, forming into a snake that clearly caught the attention of the two guards in front of the door to the chambers. With mirroring exclamations of confusion, they raced after the snake, leaving the hall empty. Vax caught your hand in his, leading you towards the door as he picked the lock, the both of you sparing a last glance around the hall before slipping into the room.

“You weren’t going to tell me you’re literally wearing a snake?” You whispered, shaking your hands out. Vax only chuckled, shooting you another cocky grin as you stepped further into the room.

“One of the many tricks up my sleeve,” he remarked, glancing at the door. You huffed out a laugh, keeping next to the door to listen for any commotions outside.

Vax swept through the room, rifling through drawers, papers - even checking under the bed. Finding nothing, he let out a disgruntled sigh, catching your gaze before turning to the last item in the room. You watched as he opened the trunk, yanking out article after article of clothing until it was empty.

“Wait - look at this,” he uttered, and you stepped forward, watching him run his fingers along the top of the trunk until it made a clicking sound. The item shifted, shelves full of strange items emerging from the sides. The top panel opened to display a wicked looking book with a skull plastered across the front.

“Well there’s your evidence,” you commented, leaning over Vax’s shoulder as he picked up the book, running his fingers along the cover before flipping through a few pages. Most of the scrawled writing was incoherent, scribbled out in a language you didn’t quite recognize. However, the ominous pictures and sketches of skulls were enough to carve a pit in your stomach.

“The whispered one?” Vax muttered, hesitating on one page before a muffled voice rang through the hall. Both of your heads snapped up, and you cursed, rushing to refill the trunk as he tucked the book into his jacket.

“We need a distraction!” You hissed, reaching to pull him to his feet. Your thoughts raced for a moment, gaze desperately flickering throughout the room until your eyes rested on one of the pillars of the bed. Vax grunted as you spun around, leaning your back against the pillar and yanking him forward until his chest nearly pressed against yours.

You couldn’t words, your stomach dropping and your eyes widening at the position you’d put yourselves in. Suddenly, it felt like a stupid idea. What the hell would Vax think? But then the voices continued to get closer - the deep echoing timbre of a man that had to be Sylas Briarwood.

Vax’s lips parted, his brows raising in a sort of confused shock. As you dropped his hands, they hovered in place, right above the curves of your waist. You swore his pupils dilated, his eyes searching your own, before dropping to your mouth. And then, as dread and horror all started to twist their way into your brain, he blinked, a choked sound forming in the back of his throat before he surged to crash his lips against yours.

Your chest exploded in sparks, your brain quickly catching up with you as you attempted not to fall into the kiss. This was a distraction - a way to excuse your presence in the room. It would be easy to play the eager couple getting too hot and heavy to find the right room. You hiked one leg over his hip, pulling him flush against you as his hand cupped the bare skin of your thigh. You found his free hand, guiding it to slide up the side of your torso until his thumb just barely brushed the underside of your breast.

This was a distraction.

Was it?

Vax let out a short gasp, seeming to buckle further into your form at the brush of his thumb. His mouth was hot against yours, a low sound clipping in the back of his throat as the door opened, and light filtered into the room.

It was over before you’d even processed it, and Vax broke away from his lips, swinging his head to the doorway and feigning surprise at the new presence. Your lips still tingled as you followed his gaze, catching the eyes of Deliliah Briarwood. Vax’s grip grew tight along your hip, and you fought to ignore the sparks it shot up into your chest.

“Oh dear- we must have ended up in the wrong room,” you drawled, and you didn’t really need to try and add an extra husk to your voice. You caught Vax’s gaze quickly, his eyes flashing with something you hadn’t seen before, something almost hungry as he moved to drop your leg to the ground. “I’m sorry about that, as you can see, we got a little eager.”

The Lady Briarwood’s lips parted, as if she were about to say something, and you finally processed the fact that you might have actually gotten away with it, until her gaze fell on something just past your feet. You dared to follow her sight, your heart dropping as you noticed the open trunk, which must not have latched properly.

Fuck.

Vax also seemed to acknowledge the fact that you were, in fact, busted, as he scrambled to stand fully, his hand finding yours to pull you behind him.

“Right, we’ll just get out of your hair then,” he rushed, beginning to yank you toward the door with him, when Sylas Briarwood caught his collar. The man grinned, looking absolutely wicked as his eyes flashed with gold, and then Vax froze, dropping your hand.

“Wait- Vax!” You cried, rushing to get between the two, when Sylas punched you - hard. You flew backwards, crashing into the wall and falling to the ground. Your head throbbed and the world around you grew fuzzy, Deliliah’s form blurring as she draped herself onto the bed. Shaking your head, you propped yourself onto your elbows, your vision snapping back into place just as Sylas sunk his teeth into Vax’s neck.

He cried out, his eyes flickering back to their normal hue as he fell forward, hitting the ground just in front of you. He was on his feet in the next second, catching sight of you and reaching to pull you up. He stood in front of you with one arm outstretched from his side, and the other clutching at his blood-soaked neck.

You uttered his name, watching as the Briarwoods approached you with matching wicked smiles. Vax’s hand found yours, and suddenly he was running in the opposite direction, only turning around again to wrap his arm around you, pulling you into his chest as he jumped backwards, crashing through the window.

You barely had time to gasp before you jolted in midair, Vax grunting in pain as his back hit something solid, and then you were spinning the rest of the way down, only coming to a stop when you both landed in a pool of water. He grunted again, a rush of bubbles tickling your face as you hit the bottom of the fountain.

With a gasp, you broke through the water’s surface, adrenaline forcing you onto your feet. The water came up to your knees, and you reached to drag Vax up with you, the rogue looking closer to unconsciousness than you liked. You could feel the Briarwoods’ gazes from their window as you hooked your arms under his, struggling against the water to drag him from the fountain.

“Shit.. Shit- Vax! C’mon we gotta go!” You hissed, earning a half-coherent groan from him as the ground shook below you. You dared to glance up, pure visceral fear striking through you as you watched Sylas step out of the now cracked concrete, and towards you. You had no weapons, no real way of fighting back as Deliliah appeared next to her in a cloud of dark purple smoke.

Your heel caught on something beneath the water, sending you tumbling back, Vax falling with you and into your chest. You heard a rumbling chuckle from Sylas, as Vax gasped awake, reaching to clutch at his neck again. You wrapped a feeble arm around his waist, feeling his hand brush against your leg pressed against his side. You were fucked, and you knew it.

And still, Vax leaned forward, pushing off the ground as your arm fell away from him. Seemingly out of nowhere, he unearthed one of his daggers, surging forward on unsteady feet and taking a swipe at the man standing twice his size. You followed suit, rushing to stand and raising your fists.

Vax swung the dagger again, just barely missing the sleeve of Sylas’ arm. You surged forward in an effort to distract the man, swinging a fist, which he easily caught. He bent your wrist back, drawing a sharp gasp from your lips, until Vax’s dagger dug harshly into the top of his shoulder.

Sylas barely even flinched, swinging you backwards and reaching around to catch Vax by the throat. You landed back into the water, spitting out a short stream and looking up just in time to see Sylas swipe, leaving angry red slices across Vax’s stomach. He yelped out, growing limp in the man’s grip, and you scrambled onto your feet once more. Without thinking, you plucked one of your shoes from your feet, hurling it at the man’s head and catching him across the cheek.

He barely flinched, his gaze darting your way before returning to the half-elf. Whatever words he said were drowned out by a shrill cry, and a bird - whom you had to assume was Keyleth - dove across his face, slashing across his cheek with her talons.

This time Sylas did flinch, throwing Vax across the fountain before whirling around to face Keyleth. Your surge of relief was once again overpowered by fear. You rushed to Vax, your heart dropping at the pool of blood dying the water around him, when a sudden force of dark energy hit your side, sending you flying back once again. You shouted, gripping at your side and flicking your gaze to meet Deliliah’s menacing grin.

“For fuck sake, I am getting real tired of being thrown around!” you roared, kicking your other heel off and rushing towards the woman. You dodged another burst of magic from her, diving in close to swing a leg towards her. She caught the kick, extending a hand and curling her fists. Your eyes couldn’t help widening as a force seemed to squeeze on your throat, fully constricting your airway.

Fuckfuckfuck.

Just as quickly, that force was gone, and Deliliah darted to the side to avoid a sharp gunshot from Percy. Stumbling backwards, you just barely brushed soothing fingers against your neck, sparing a brief glance towards Percy - his teeth gritted and eyes wild.

You hadn’t seen that look on Percy before.

A shout from Grog caught your attention instead, and you almost wanted to cry at the sight of him covered in angry cuts, Sylas’ blade hovering and seeming to glow. Another shout from Pike had you whirling around, as she fell against a burst of Deliliah’s magic.

“Wait, where’s-”

Your babble was cut off as a hand caught your arm, tugging you back out of the fountain. You could hear Vex’s voice, her familiar deep timbre and accent, though you couldn’t make out one word she was saying. Suddenly, a huge wall of green vines erupted in front of you, snapping you from a daze as you fell back into Vex’s grasp.

“Love- are you alright?” She asked, and you frantically met her gaze, before searching the rest of the group.

Your gaze finally settled on Vax, upright and missing those horrifying slashes across his torso. While Pike must have taken the time to heal him, he still looked worse for wear, blood dripping from smaller cuts as Keyleth supported one of his arms over her shoulders.

“I’m okay yeah,” you breathed, catching his gaze, and the flickering relief that settled between you two.

Until Percy let out a wicked scream.

The group whirled around, catching sight of the retreating figures of the Briarwoods. Percy took aim, emptying his barrel without any luck, before whirling around again, his eyes seeming to glow with anger.

You stepped back.

“You let them get away!” He cried, pointing at Keyleth.

“Hey!” you snapped back, though he wasn’t listening, his attention returning to the Briarwoods’ abandoned footman. He stepped towards the trembling figure - who looked no older than just a boy, really - demanding questions, and receiving shaky, desperate answers.

“I don’t know anything!” the boy cried, stretching his hands out in front of him. A black smoke seemed to surround the two of them, and the world around you felt like it was growing cold. A gunshot rang out, and the boy screamed as his fingers flew off his hand.

“Percy!” Vex shouted, dropping your arm to rush forward a few steps. You barely heard the argument between the two of them as you watched the boy curl in on himself, a wave of confusion, sympathy, and fear washing over your shoulders.

And then the palace doors opened, and everyone was ordered to their knees.

–

In the grand scheme of things, you’d gotten off easy.

It didn’t stop you from grumbling as your weapons were stripped away from you, and the doors to your keep slid shut, clicking with a heavy lock. House arrest, until the council and the sovereign could all determine just what the hell had happened that night.

While your bones and your head ached, you decided against going to Pike, opting to give her some space as she kept a distant stare at the wall. You could always take the edge off with a spare elixir or two that you’d stashed in your room.

As you stalked away from your chambers, still tired, but feeling more refreshed than before, you caught sight of Vax’s door, which was just slightly ajar. Peeking forward, you saw him laid back on his cot, his gaze fixated somewhere along the ceiling. Surveying his form, he looked relatively unscathed, save for a few slight scratches, and two angry looking pinpricks along the side of his neck.

A heavy breath of relief left you. He was okay.

“Are you gonna continue to stare at me or come in?” his voice rang out, startling you out of your thoughts. With all that had happened, you’d forgotten just how good his hearing was.

You stepped into the room, closing the door as he pushed himself to a seated position. The silence between you grew stuffy and awkward, your gaze darting from the dim expression in his eyes to the cracked stone tile that laid just at the foot of his cot. Your fingers tangled together, your foot tapping on the ground as you chewed on your lower lip.

“Almost lost you back there.” You intended it as a lighthearted joke, though it felt like it couldn’t quite reach your eyes. Vax was quiet, his brows falling and his lips turning downwards as he took in your expression. Leave it to him, being able to see right through the meek defence you put up.

“C’mere,” he soothed, and you didn’t hesitate to follow, stopping just a few inches from his knee. Vax reached out, catching your tangled hands and gently tugging you forward until you stood between his legs, having to tilt your head down to meet his gaze. You watched his eyes brighten with every step you took, his shoulders sagging from the tensed position you’d noticed the second you walked in.

It was like all your words left you, as you grew acutely aware of the way his hands brushed against yours, the little bit of body heat you could feel from him.

“I’m glad I had you there to watch my back,” he breathed. His thumb swiped across your knuckles, and you felt that tension in the back of your head slowly start to melt.

“I wasn’t worried,” he breathed. “I had you there to watch my back.”

“Your back took too many hits for me,” you argued, your mind flashing back to the moment he threw you both out the window, how he took each impact on the way down. You reached across, draping an arm over his shoulder to rest along his back, hearing a sharp intake of breath from him.

“It was worth it,” he hummed, gently pushing you back so you could meet his gaze. “I’d rather take the hit if it meant you didn’t have to.” Your heart squeezed at the earnest look in his eyes.

“Why?”

“You’re incredibly important to me,” he answered, sincere as he met your gaze. This time, your heart felt like it might have actually burst. He seemed to notice, a grin forming on his face as his tone grew lighter. “That, and I have to keep you in top shape if we’re gonna make a team.”

It wasn’t necessarily his words that drew you to the fact, more of a combination of everything. The way he gently kept his hands on you, as if reminding himself that you were real. The way he’d kept you out of harm's way, not just that night, but many more in the past. The way when his gaze held yours, it seemed to soften and grow bright again. It was all those moments, and this one now, when he looked up at you as if you were the brightest treasure in the world.

“A team, hmm?” You played along, the fears and worries melting away as his presence drew you in closer. Vax brightened even more, and you watched his eyes flicker with something new and playful.

“Of course. Who else would have come up with such a…” You watched his ears twitch, his throat bobbing up and down. “..clever idea on the spot like that,” he stated, gaze flickering to your lips. Your cheeks grew warm, the memory of his kiss tingling on your lips again.

“Psh- it didn’t even work,” you rebuked, clearing your throat. Vax’s grin grew wider.

“I would argue that it did work, just perhaps in a slightly different way.” Your raised brow was replaced with a gasp as Vax wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest and spinning the two of you around until he was hovering over you, your back flat against the sheets of his cot. His hair fell loose, fanning over you like a curtain and just barely tickling your collarbone as he met your gaze, a sincere grin on his lips and mischief behind his eyes.

“Vax,” you breathed, reaching to curl your hands around his forearms. He didn’t move from that position, simply watching you for a moment. It mirrored that moment hours ago, before all the blood was shed when you’d held him in front of you, in that breath between admittance and action.

“If you haven’t been able to tell already, I am quite hopelessly in love with you,” he muttered. His gaze flickered between your eyes, your lips, studying your reaction to those fateful words. Your heart, on the other hand, felt like it was exploding through your chest, as you played the sentence over and over in your head, your brain taking a hell of a long time to process it.

Just as a slight uncertainty pulled at his expression, you reached up to wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him in to meet your lips in a deep kiss.

You felt his breath catch in the back of his throat, dropping to his elbows and allowing his body weight to fall on you. You reveled in the warmth, feeling it spread throughout your chest as he tilted his head, pulling back just slightly before catching your lips again. Vax’s kisses felt desperate, as he led one of his hands to tangle between the strands of your hair.

He held you close as he tasted your lips, and it almost felt like he was trying to fuse you together. Breaking from your lips, he hovered over you for a breath, taking in your features before he was kissing you again, and again, and again.

Your hands slid across his shoulders, resting against his chest as he parted from your lips again, brushing his nose against your nose, against your cheek as he trailed his focus down towards your jaw. Vax sighed against your skin, vocalizing the relief the two of you felt, the sudden outpouring of emotion that had been stewing between you for who knows how long.

“Do you think we can finish what we started?” he muttered, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of your jaw and letting his hand trail down to guide one of your legs over his waist.

And Gods were you eager to agree.

Vax chuckled at the urgency of your legs wrapping around him, pulling him even closer than before. You toyed with one of the many belts across his torso, humming as his lips trailed down the side of your throat. As he reached your collarbone, teasing the skin with his teeth, you managed to unclasp the first buckle, fingers flying to work on the next, and the next, until each strap had fallen loose.

Seeming to catch the hint, Vax sat up, letting your legs drape across his as he shrugged off his tunic. The pieces of hair that usually remained tied back had fallen across his forehead, framing the sides of his face and scattering across his eyes. It was a beautiful sight to take in, his pupils blown wide, the darkness of his hair and his eyes complimenting the golden hue of his skin.

It was so different from the put together and suave Vax you knew. There was something unseen that glinted behind his eyes. And you loved it.

You reached forward to let your fingers trace along his surprisingly soft skin. He sighed, melting into your touch as his hands rested on your thighs, tracing upwards and dragging the fabric of your own shirt up as he lowered himself towards you again. He pressed slow, gentle kisses to each exposed inch of skin across your stomach, grumbling low in his throat as your muscles tightened beneath his lips. It felt like you had all the time in the world, and Vax took his time to strip your shirt off, hesitating for a moment to take in the full sight of you.

“Gods you are beautiful,” he breathed, and you felt beautiful. You let out a soft breath of his name, drawing his gaze for a brief moment as he brushed his thumb across the underside of your breast. Again he repeated the action, edging closer and closer to the sensitive flesh of your nipple, until he caught the peak, eliciting a long, admittedly whiny breath from you. Immediately, his head dipped towards your skin, his lips taking place of his hand as he savoured the touch, massaging and flicking his tongue across your nerves. Your hands tangled into his hair, tugging on the strands as you drew his face even closer, heat drawing down and flaring in your core.

Vax took his time, his free hand drifting along the back of your thigh as you hiked it higher along his waist, a groan catching in his throat at the friction of your core. He rolled his hips against yours once, and you gasped, digging the tips of your fingers into his shoulder.

“Do that again,” you whispered, meeting his hips with your own. You matched his sigh, your brain slipping into a haze as he ground into you again, the motion sending shots of pleasure into your lower stomach.

And then he slipped his nimble fingers past the band of your pants.

As two fingers brushed against your clit, you tipped your head back against the sheets. Your lips parted as his continued to savour every inch of your skin, worshipping each dip and curve and scar. Vax shifted to his side, and you lifted your hips, allowing him to shimmy your pants off and toss them to the floor. His hand returned to your core, his thumb tracing your clit as he slid a finger between your folds. You let out a breathy moan, turning to press your lips against his shoulder.

He curled his fingers inside you, massaging that perfect spot and drawing an involuntary buck of your hips. You continued to press merciless kisses and bites against his skin, drawing quiet, clipped moans from him and leaving pinkish marks across his collarbone and throat. Vax continued to massage your clit with his thumb, practically meeting his curled fingers and sending strikes of pleasure up into your chest and down to your toes.

“Tell me that feels good,” he whispered against your ear, groaning when you answered him with a gravelly voice.

“Feels so fu-” you cut off with a whine as he spread his fingers to stretch you open. “So fucking good. Keep going,” you pleaded, and he was not one to deny you. He kept up the pace, curling and scissoring his fingers until your back was arching off the bed, and your voice grew higher in pitch. As if he could sense you growing close, he picked up the pace of his fingers, adding one more for good measure. Your eyes screwed shut, and just as your hips lifted from the bed, he slipped his fingers free, fixing you with a teasing smile. “You fucker,” you cussed as your eyes flew open. Vax was quick to soothe you with a harsh kiss, drawing your frustrations away within seconds. As he broke from your lips, sliding his tongue along his shining fingers, your own spark of mischief emerged.

With a gentle push, he was on his back, looking up at you with hooded eyes and pupils blown wide. His lips were parted, slightly swollen, and he dared to run his tongue between them with a growing grin. Seeing him all shaggy, painted with marks from your own lips and drawing hot, heavy breaths was absolutely delicious. And he knew you liked it.

He barely had the time to blow a stray chunk of hair from his face before your lips were on his. He wasted no time running his tongue against yours, propping himself up on one elbow and reaching to tangle one hand into your hair. This kiss was sloppy, growing desperate and hot as his tongue fought against yours. You brushed your hand against his clothed length, adding more pressure as you ran your palm down, drawing a long, broken groan from him. You repeated the action, earning more pitchy breaths and moans, until-

Oh my God,

“Vax, I need you inside me,” you nearly whined. He knew what this had been leading to, had actively been working towards it, but still those words had his breath hitching in his throat. He flicked his tongue out to wet his lips, gaze settling on you once more before he scrambled to strip off his pants.

Before your gaze dropped down, he cupped your jaw with one hand, guiding your lips into another steamy kiss. You whimpered, tongues meeting and teeth brushing against his lower lip as he gingerly pushed you onto your back, draping a leg over until he was hovering over you again. His eyes met yours, a crooked grin on his lips as he ran his length along your slick, before finally letting out a broken “Fuck,” as he entered you.

You groaned at the stretch, feeling every inch of him until his hips were flush with yours. He gave a shallow, experimental thrust, which you eagerly met, sliding your hands to brace against his shoulders. You felt frantic in your movements, grinding against him in an effort to find some friction. To get him to move.

“Love, there’s no need to rush,” he hummed, his lips brushing against your collarbone as he rutted into you. “I want to enjoy you.”

Everything else outside the room simply slipped away. All you could feel was his lips hot on your neck, his fingers digging into your back, and the absolute fullness of him pressing deep into you with each shallow roll of his hips. You panted against his hair, pulling on the strands and drawing low growls from his throat. He voiced his pleasure with a particularly hard snap of his hips, his pace slowly beginning to quicken.

You eagerly bucked against him, letting one hand fall to trace against his abdomen, across the freshly healed skin of his stomach, and the tightening muscles that drove you wild. He stuttered in his pace, growing distracted at your touch. Muttering obscenities into your ear, his movements grew less calculated, more focused in chasing that release you both so desperately craved.

You arched off the bed, your chest falling flush with his. The added friction of your skin against his, the constant pressure of him hitting that spot deep within you had you frantically clawing at his back, a shout building in the back of your throat. One of Vax’s hands fell from your waist, wringing into the sheet beside you as he gave a harsh buck of his hips, snapping the coil in your lower stomach in two.

You barrelled over the edge, crying out his name as you pulsed around him. Vax whined, losing himself in your new tightness and riding out his high with a stutter in his hips. When you came down from your high, his arms were shaking, his eyes fluttering open to meet yours.

He looked absolutely wrecked, though you were sure you didn’t look much different.

Slipping out of you, he rolled onto his back, guiding your head to rest on his outstretched arm. Your breathing slowly calmed, and you found his other hand, playing with his fingers. You felt his breathing against your side, felt the warmth beating off his skin. He was there, and he was solid and he was real.

You glanced up at him, the messy hair that stuck to his forehead, the slight sheen of sweat painting his features and the dazed look in his eyes as he took in your presence. His fingers curled against yours, pulling your hand up to place a kiss against your knuckles, and then one more against your temple.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, his voice low and growing hoarse. “Let’s do that again sometime.”

#vaxildan x reader #vaxildan #vax x reader #vax critical role #critical role x reader #tlovm x reader

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