what if Vax had said yes and danced with Keyleth?
The visage of the matron vanishes when Keyleth touches his shoulder. Vax gasps softly, startled by both the vision and Keyleth appearing beside him.
The druid in question, clearly drunk smiles, slurring, "Hey you, I've been thinking and...do you want to dance? With me?"
He wants to say no, he wants to go outside and brood and pretend there's not a goddess pulling on the threads of his life. But he doesn't. Maybe it's because she's smiling at him, maybe it's because they got Westrunn back.
"Yeah...yeah, Kiki, I would."
Her face lights up and she grabs his arm, pulling him away from the wall and to the middle of the room. He wraps her in his arms, delighting in the way she leans against him immediately.
As they dance, her feet are clumsy in her drunkenness. But gods she's beautiful, and she just won't stop smiling at him.
"You're very drunk," Vax chuckles softly.
Keyleth giggles, "Sure am, blame Pike and Vex for that." She steps closer to him and hugs him, leaning her head against his chest as they step side to side. "You're really warm, you know."
Vax can't help but laugh breathlessly, "Your nose is freezing cold." They both laugh and fall into a brief beat of silence as they dance, the music washing over them like waves.
"Do you think..." Keyleth begins softly. "Do you think that we would have liked each other if we met in other circumstances?"
Vax sighs, "I don't know. I honestly don't think you would have liked who I was before you all changed me. I was...harder and all I cared about was protecting Vex."
"You wouldn't have liked me either," Keyleth admits. "If you think I'm awkward or anxious, it's nothing on how I was then."
Vax shakes his head, looking at her softly, "I always like you, Keyleth."
"Really," he runs his thumb across her lower back, pulling her a little closer. He wants to kiss her so badly, he can tell she wants to too, but she's drunk. She's not in her right mind and he can't have that on his conscious.
So he kisses her cheek, "You should go to bed, Keyleth. We both should. I'll see you in the morning."
And like the coward he is, he walks away.
