Hey dude, just wanted to say that your writing is amazing and I really enjoyed how you wrote Keyleth in a recent Vexleth prompt. I was hoping you could write something similar with Keyleth getting triggered and/or overstimulated and Vex is the only one who realizes what’s happening. Maybe she gets protective and snaps at the rest of VM to back off and then calms Keyleth down?
Percy had promised Keyleth they would only be staying in the tavern for a short time. Judging by the inebriated state of Grog, they’d been there at least three hours, if not longer.
“Just long enough to get some information from the locals and do some people watching.” He’d said, but Keyleth knew the white-haired man well enough to know when he was lying. Though he was one of her closest friends, Percy was still greedy when it came to things he wanted, even if it meant putting the other party members in tough situations.
If it was any other night, Keyleth might have even enjoyed herself at the tavern, letting the cacophonous sounds of merriment drown out the loudness of her own thoughts and senses. This was not the case tonight, as Keyleth was drained from their fight earlier. She’d been hit by a particularly nasty Chain Lightning spell by the mage they were tracking. The combination of the lingering ache from that and the exhaustion she felt after spending most of her spells during the fight meant she was quickly overwhelmed by the environment of the tavern.
Currently, Keyleth had her hands wrapped tightly around a half-full tankard of ale and her eyes fixed firmly at the bottom of the cup. Looking around the room was out of the question, as there was some music act going on that used flashing lights and bright colors. A particularly loud yell went around the room as the patrons cheered over something she couldn’t see, and Keyleth’s hands immediately clapped over her pointed ears to save herself from the auditory onslaught. None of the other members of Vox Machina seemed to notice how poorly she was doing, a fairly normal occurrence, but that didn’t mean her friends didn’t care.
The druid began to struggle out of the booth she was tucked into when her skin prickled as it had just before being struck with lightning. The task was made more difficult given the stupid dress she’d decided to wear today. It was new, and she’d wanted to wear it out because it swished around her knees so nicely and the silk felt like cool water running over her skin. In her hurry to escape from the oppressive heat, sound, and sights of the tavern Keyleth managed to knock into one of the various tavern patrons with a boney elbow. This of course sent the cup they held and its contents flying for a brief moment before spilling down the front of her dress.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in.
All of her calming and coping techniques went out the window when the well-meaning patron reached out to try and dab some of the ale off of Keyleth’s dress with a handkerchief. Their touch on her already buzzing skin and the shrill sound of their voice was too much to handle. Keyleth knocked their hand away from where it was touching her shoulder, feeling uncontrolled defensive magic sparking at her fingers as she did so.
The only thing that kept her from releasing the spell was a gentle and familiar voice right by her ear.
“Keyleth, darling? Will you take a walk with me?”
Oh, Vex.
Keyleth nodded frantically and squeezed her eyes shut as Vex placed a single hand on the small of her back to guide her through the rowdy crowd and out into the cool night air. The relief of being outside lasted for two seconds before she heard her name being shouted by Vax and Percy.
“Keyleth! Where are you going? We were about to -”
The grounding touch of Vex disappeared for a brief moment as the ranger behind her spun around to berate the two men for being blind to the obvious distressed Keyleth.
“We are going for a walk, alone.” Her eyes narrowed as Percy continued to approach, hands reaching for Keyleth before Vex stepped in between the gunslinger and the girl she loved.
“Did that mage knock all of the sense out of your brain, De Rolo? You told Keyleth we’d only be here a short time, and after the day she’s had…” Vex shook her head and pointed to her twin as well. “And you! Vax did you even notice that you kept knocking into Keyleth at the table? You two should feel like shit because you’ve ignored your friends obvious signs of discomfort the entire night.”
Vex watched her brother and Percy open their mouths multiple times to say something before thinking better of it and dropping their head in shame. She nodded, satisfied with their responses. “Now apologize.”
“Sorry Kiki…” Percy murmured, cheeks turning a brilliant shade of tomato in response to the verbal berating he’d just received. “Um, we’ll meet up with you later?”
“Sorry Kiki…” Vax echoed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment before tugging at Percy’s arm to drag him back into the chaos of the tavern.
The druid didn’t offer a response to Percy, mainly because Vex had wrapped an arm around her waist and was leading her towards the lush forest at the edge of the small town. For the first few seconds, she enjoyed the weight of Vex’s arm against her body, but as soon as they broke the treeline she was squirming away from the half-elf and pulling frustratedly at the dress that wetly clung to her skin and assailed her with unpleasant sensations.
When she couldn’t seem to work her hands well enough to get the dress off she turned to Vex and just threw herself at the woman, tears flowing freely now as she struggled to breathe through the panic rising in her chest. The motion sent both her and Vex tumbling ungracefully to the ground, but the ranger accepted it and maneuvered their connected bodies so she could clutch Keyleth tightly to her chest.
The steady thud of Vex’s heart beneath her breastbone cut through the electricity sparking in Keyleth’s brain and across her skin. She never pushed Keyleth away, not even when the woman dug her nails just a little too hard into the soft flesh of her bicep.
“Breathe my love. Can you do that for me?”
Keyleth nodded slowly against Vex’s shirt, her shoulders rising and falling in sync with the rhythm of Vex’s breathing over the next few minutes until her shaking had stopped and her body had lost some of its tenseness.
“Good girl. I was really worried for a moment.”
The druid whimpered at that and turned her face up to look at Vex, eyes wide and seeking comfort in the familiar sight of Vex’s deep green eyes that often reminded her of winter evergreens and mossy forest floors.
The gentle brush of Vex’s hand across her back paused momentarily as the ranger fell deep into Keyleth’s trusting eyes and deeper in love with her. The woman on her chest clenched the fabric of her shirt tightly in one fist before surging forward to bury her face in the warm crook of Vex’s neck. She laid there for a few moments, just relishing in the scents of peppery Queen Anne’s Lace and sweet Honeysuckle that followed Vex wherever she went. Keyleth had never fully settled on whether or not it was a perfume, soap, or just Vex’s natural scent, but either way, it was something she rarely allowed herself to appreciate this closely.
The silence stretched on for a few more minutes, the two women just basking in the sounds of the nighttime forest around them before Keyleth stirred and pulled her head back so she could look the dark-haired beauty in the face again.
“Vex?” Keyleth’s voice was still hoarse from all the tears she’d cried, but at least she was able to speak again.
“Yes darling?” She watched the druid held in her arms as she chewed nervously at her bottom lip before wetting those perfect lips and-
“Thank you…”
Vex tried not to let her expression fall when Keyleth thanked her. She’d honestly been hoping Keyleth would kiss her, but that was stupid. Keyleth didn’t like her like that. Didn’t feel the sparks Vex felt every time they touched.
A soft pair of lips brushing across her cheeks pulled the ranger from her miserable thoughts with a start, her hands gripping Keyleth slightly harder as the woman pulled back with a shy expression settling on her beautiful freckled face.
“Can I-”
“Will you-”
The two laughed nervously before their gazes met again and time melted away until all that remained were the stars above and the thundering of two hearts as their lips met tentatively in the most saccharine of first kisses.
Keyleth felt lightning across her skin again, everywhere Vex was touching, but this time she welcomed it.
It's me, ya pal crow with a favor of Vexleth with soft cuddles that lead to wandering hands because they can't help it? 👀
When the door to her room slammed open Vex'ahlia immediately reached back to grab her bow.
When her fingers met only air, she sighed and silently chastised herself for forgetting that Fenthras was in its revered resting place above the fireplace. Old habits die hard, and even after years of peaceful living in a quiet cottage deep in the woods outside of Whitestone, she still found herself jumping at any loud noise that broke the normal cacophony of birdsong and leaves dancing in the wind.
The figure in the doorway was a surprise, but not an unwelcome sight.
"Keyleth darling, what's wrong?" Her wife- Vex still couldn't believe she got to call her that- stepped into their house with her antlers askew, shoulders lifted so high they almost touched her ears, and face pinched in a familiar expression of panic and overstimulation.
Vex could finish braiding her hair later. She rose from the vanity where she'd been getting ready for bed and walked quickly but quietly over to the druid who was taking shallow, shaking breaths. Keyleth shifted her weight from foot to foot, wringing the hem of the indigo nightshirt she wore between her two pale freckled hands. Vex watched the red-head open her eyes and immediately fix them on the wide wooden planks making up the floor. So it was one of those kinds of storms.
In the years they'd spent together Vex and Keyleth had come up with the term "storm" to describe those moments when every inch of her skin lit up with electricity like she'd been struck by lightning and her brain was full of thunder so loud that it stopped her ability to think or speak.
The Voice of the Tempest had been in Zephrah for official business the past few weeks and had been so busy she hadn't returned home to spend the night with her wife in nearly a week. Seeing as Keyleth had Tree Walked here so late at night, something was definitely upsetting her love.
"I'm going to step past you and shut the door, can you sit on the couch, or do you want to lie in bed?" Vex lowered her voice to a hushed whisper that wouldn't be as abrasive to her overwhelmed lover. Keyleth swiped at tears leaking from the corners of her eyes and hummed lowly as she shuffled haltingly towards the bed.
Vex frowned and gently shut the door before going to fetch one of the scraps of soft fabric they kept in a drawer for these occasions. Keyleth had found her way to the bed and was sitting with her arms wrapped around knees that were drawn as tightly as possible to her chest, as if trying to compress herself so much she disappeared. Vex soaked the rag in water for a moment, wrung the excess out, and moved to the side of the bed.
“Keyleth love, is it okay if I touch you to take your antlers? I have a cool rag here…” The druid was nodding before she even finished her sentence, so she gingerly climbed onto the canopied four-poster bed Keyleth had crafted out of twisting mahogany and black walnut wood last summer. The druid paused her rocking momentarily as Vex removed Keyleth’s antlers and set them on one of the nightstands, resuming the soothing motion once the endlessly patient woman beside her had laid the cool cloth across the back of her neck.
Vex started to move her hand away but Keyleth made a soft sound of distress before practically throwing her body at Vex, who welcomed her with open arms.
She allowed Keyleth to continue her soothing routine and rocked slowly with her in silence for a minute before hearing Keyleth’s tear-choked voice.
“Nightmare.” Aha.
“It was just a dream Keyleth, okay? You woke up, and you came to find me, so it must have been pretty bad, but I’m still here and I’m okay.” Vex kept her voice pitched low and as soft as Keyleth’s favorite velvet cloak. She felt the redhead nod against her chest and smiled softly as one of those hands she knew so well settled right over her breastbone to make sure her heart was still beating strongly.
Over the next half hour and two more trips to the basin to rewet the rag Keyleth’s storm slowly cleared and the pair of them were left a mass of tangled limbs and lazy hands that traced exposed skin wherever it was accessible. This was their routine for the times when the storm was so bad it left Keyleth feeling fuzzy and disconnected from her own body. They would lay there, sometimes for hours, just tracing the familiar planes of each other’s bodies while Keyleth came back to herself, and the rumbling thunder in her head faded.
Vex knew the moment the storm had completely passed because she felt Keyleth’s body finally relax into the softness of their bed, the tension draining out of her like the water from Vex’s favorite clawfooted bathtub.
“Better my dear?” Vex inquired, lips pressing to the top of Keyleth’s head affectionately.
Her wife pushed up onto one elbow, holding herself slightly above Vex now, and nodded with a shy smile as she removed the nearly dry rag from the back of her neck.
“It was the tower…”
That’s all Keyleth had to say. Vex still had nightmares about that tower in Thar Amphala where they’d made their final stand against Vecna. Even with their victory, the day had been a traumatic ordeal and Vex knew that Keyleth had likely dreamt that her Banish had failed and Vecna had fully ascended.
Keyleth’s calculating verdant gaze traced Vex’s form with a kind of scholarly precision as if committing every inch to memory in preparation for some kind of exam. An ember caught low in Vex’s stomach, heat pooling there as Keyleth reached out a hand which she promptly nuzzled her cheek into.
“Kiss me better?” Keyleth asked, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth until Vex surged forward and took over for her.
By the time the sunlight was beginning to filter through the trees, Keyleth had completely forgotten about her nightmare. How could she think of nightmares when she lived a literal dream?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
REJOICE!
11,179 words of Vex’ahlia/Keyleth featuring a ND!Keyleth because I wanted to work through some of my own experiences and anxieties regarding physical intimacy.
18+ because this is rated E for Everyone Gets Naked
---
“I...I really like you Vex.”
The half-elf smiled adoringly and sighed, “I like you too, Kiki. You’re my closest friend, other than Vax of course.”
Keyleth shook her head, teeth dragging across her bottom lip before she took a shaky breath and buried her face in her hands so she wouldn’t have to see Vex’s concern turn to rejection, “I like you more than...than just friends.”
The familiar touch of callused fingertips ghosted across her knuckles, gently tugging at Keyleth’s hands until her teary eyes were revealed to Vex who took in Keyleth’s expression and shaking hands and…
16. things you said with no space between us (pikeleth)
“Did you know your eyes have gold flecks in them?”
“Uhm…”
“It’s so pretty Kiki, I dunno how I didn’t notice before!” Pike grinned, setting her now silent tattoo gun aside as she stripped the black nitrile gloves from her hands and tossed them in a nearby wastebasket.
Though Keyleth and Pike had been friends for years beforehand, the last few months they’d grown even closer during the multi-hour tattoo sessions as Pike finished Keyleth’s intricate mantle tattoo. Today the tattoo was finally done and Pike couldn’t help but feel a bit cocky, because it was some of the best work she’d ever done.
Keyleth remained quiet as Pike gently applied a second skin bandage over the newly tattooed sections, her teeth worrying at her chapped bottom lip while she watched the small white-haired woman go about her usual “post-tattoo” routine.
“So I know this was our last session...but um...do you want to maybe-” The red-head’s freckled cheeks turned a bright pink shade as she screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Do you want to maybe go on a date with me?”
After a moment of silence, Keyleth felt the black leather beside her dip as Pike returned to her side.
“You beat me to it, Kiki.” The tattoo artist crooned, gently resting her palm against Keyleth’s flaming cheek. “I was gonna ask you out at the cash register.”
Pike threw a ripped jean clad leg over Keyleth’s slender torso so she was straddling it and pressed her small hands into the chair on either side of Keyleth’s head, “Open your eyes, please.”
She could feel the soft puffs of air as Pike spoke, which meant their faces had to be inches from each other.
Oh gosh. Keyleth’s eyelashes fluttered softly before she finally opened her eyes to see Pike’s baby blue hues staring down at her with a soft expression.
“Why don’t you come to my place on Friday? I’ll cook, and you can make some of your famous snickerdoodles,” Pike offered, waggling her brows to try and get Keyleth to snort-giggle at least once before she left.
The red-head rolled her eyes at Pike’s silly antics and brought her arms up to pinch at the back of the smaller woman’s thigh where she was known to be ticklish.
“Hey!” The white haired woman exclaimed, pouting and sitting up so she could cross her tattooed arms over her chest.
Keyleth followed her up, easily supporting Pike’s weight as she sighed and put on her best puppy-dog eyes, “If you make my favorite French Toast for dinner, you have yourself a deal.”
“It’s a date!”
After the words faded they realized their faces were still inches from each other, and as much as Pike wanted to take Keyleth by the sides of her face and kiss her until they both were gasping for breath, she didn’t want to overwhelm the woman just after they’d agreed to go on a date.
There was a small sound from Keyleth as she chased Pike’s lips and pressed a single, sweet kiss there before pulling back to rest her forehead against the gnome’s, “So what do I get since I beat you to it?”
Pike laughed heartily and brushed a few curls out of Keyleth’s face before pulling back as she descended from the tattoo chair and threw a wink over her shoulder, “I guess you’ll have to find out on Friday!”
11. things you said when you were drunk (pikeleth)
“Wow, you’re reeeeally cute…”
The gnome’s cheeks, already rosy from being out in the cold, darkened in response to Keyleth’s slightly slurred compliment.
“Piiiike, you were right about needin’ mittens!” Grog lamented loudly, looking briefly at the small, well-bundled gnome perched atop right shoulder, the other shoulder was currently occupied by Keyleth’s lanky form as she’d had a little too much fun at the Winter’s Crest Market earlier and was now sporting a sore ankle.
After indulging in one too many mugs of Vax’s Spiked Hot Cocoa, Keyleth started arguing with Percy about what tricks both of them could still land after years away from the skating world. Both of them had skated for a while during their childhood- though Keyleth skated well into high school- so the rest of Vox Machina watched amusedly as both of them took to the fairly empty ice rink in the center of the Winter’s Crest Market.
Despite the slightly wobbliness that came with being tipsy, Keyleth landed a surprisingly solid double lutz- though Pike wasn’t sure of the terminology- much to everyone’s surprise. However, the jump wasn’t the cause of her sprained ankle. No, it was what happened after she landed the jump. Keyleth had thrown her arms up victoriously after landing on a single skate, but she was a bit tipsy and wasn’t paying much attention to what might be behind her still gliding body.
Pike hadn’t even had time to shout a warning before she watched Keyleth hit the wall of the ice rink and flip backward in a wild flail of limbs before landing in a pile on the other side of the wall.
Vox Machina and a few bystanders rushed to check on Keyleth, and a sigh of relief was heard all around when Keyleth sat up laughing heartily with twigs and leaves sticking out of her copper curls and her earmuffs acting more like an eye patch. The fall had just left a few sore spots here and there, but when Vex and Vax offered their hands to help Keyleth up she’d immediately walked forwards- forgetting she was wearing skates- and rolled her ankle after two steps.
Despite Keyleth’s protests Pike found a first aid kit and spent a few minutes wrapping and splinting Keyleth’s bruising ankle, blushing the whole time as Keyleth babbled aimlessly about figure skating and how good of a doctor Pike was. She had always been prone to rambling, but when she was tipsy it was a whole new level of talkative.
The rest of Vox Machina stuck around long enough for Pike to finish wrapping Keyleth’s ankle before they began saying their good-nights and heading back to their respective homes, it was getting late enough and some people unfortunately had work in the morning. Pike asked Grog to carry Keyleth back to her place, much to the delight of the giggly Keyleth, and the trio had set off down the quiet streets of Whitestone.
Logistically it made sense, seeing as Pike’s place was closer and Keyleth was in no shape to be hopping around her studio apartment trying to take care of herself, but of course those weren’t the only reasons Pike wanted to spend a little more time with Keyleth.
Unbeknownst to the rest of Vox Machina, Pike and Keyleth had technically been on their tenth date tonight. They weren’t necessarily trying to hide the fact that they were dating from their friends, rather that they wanted a chance to explore their feelings for each other before the rest of their found family started meddling. No one seemed to notice the gooey looks they shared, nor the way they reached for each other whenever they were together (everyone else had definitely noticed but continued to act as if they didn’t see the very poorly veiled affection).
The sight of her apartment building pulled Pike from her recollection of the night and she rolled her eyes at Grog’s complaining. “I told you how cold it was gonna get this morning when you texted me,” Pike reminded gently, waving sheepishly at the front desk attendant who just chuckled at the sight of Keyleth thrown over Grog’s shoulder.
---
“Do you need another ice-pack?”
Pike turned her attention from the movie playing on TV to where Keyleth was now comfortably lounging on the couch with her foot propped up on an ottoman and a few pillows.
The red-head scrunched her nose up in thought and wiggled her toes a few times before shaking her head, “No. Still nice and cold...but now everything else is cold.” Keyleth said with a pout.
She was readying herself to get another blanket from the basket in the corner when she noticed that Keyleth was opening the blanket she was wrapped in and motioning for Pike to snuggle in. Baby-blue eyes widened in surprise and the gnome found herself frozen to the spot for a few seconds before she shuffled over to Keyleth’s side. The sudden grip of hands around her waist made Pike squeak in surprise, her rounded cheeks flushing a deeper pink when Keyleth set her down in her lap so she still faced the TV.
“You’re warm Pikey…” Keyleth murmured as she wrapped the blanket back around both of them and snuggled further into the cushions.
Pike didn’t reply to that because she honestly felt like her brain was two seconds from melting like warm chocolate because it felt like she was being wrapped in a hug made of pure sunshine.
Golly, she liked Keyleth so much.
---
“I had sooo much fun tonight,” The red-head murmured a while later as the credits scrolled across the screen. Pike hummed in agreement before stiffening as Keyleth sleepily pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
The gnome was glad she wasn't facing Keyleth right now because her cheeks were a cherry red. Pike knew touch could be difficult for Keyleth and physical affection was usually very hit or miss, so right now felt even more precious to her.
“I did too,” Pike said sweetly, turning to bury her face in the crook of Keyleth’s neck as she yawned. When her nose met the smooth and freckled skin there she paused and let the familiar scent of Keyleth’s favorite perfume- a simple one that smelled of vanilla with the soft background scent of campfire smoke- wash over her and soothe her nerves. This would be such a nice place to fall asleep.
“I like you so much,” Keyleth whispered conspiratorially, pulling back to look in the eye as she continued, “Do you like me, Pike?”
The gnome laughed lightly and cupped Keyleth’s cheek with a single hand, “I like you, Keyleth. Why don’t we get ready for bed? I have rounds at 8:30 and you have a hurt foot so we both need our sleep.” Keyleth grumbled indistinctly and let Pike slip out of her grasp. “I’ll grab the air-cast from the freezer so you can sleep more comfortably. I’m telling you, it’s the most genius invention! A splint and ice-pack at the same time?”
There was a soft tug on Pike’s wrist and she turned back to see Keyleth bent over at the waist, her verdant eyes shining so brightly in the LED light of the television.
“I don’t think I’m moving off this couch, Pikey. I can sleep here...Look, I’m already doing it…” Keyleth gradually laid herself across the couch- despite Pike’s protests- and opened the blanket again, beckoning Pike to join her open the couch. There was a dopey, sleepy smile on Keyleth’s face and a look in her eyes Pike had never seen before.
She sighed heavily before holding up a single finger, telling Keyleth to wait as she retrieved the air-cast from the freezer. “Future Keyleth” of tomorrow morning would thank “Now Pike” for insisting on getting the air-cast, she just didn’t know it yet.
Keyleth let Pike fuss over her ankle again, wincing every now and again as she unwrapped the injured joint and slid on a compression sleeve before carefully adjusting the air-cast that now cradled her foot in gel ice packs and stiff plastic to immobilize it.
When she could delay no longer, Pike flipped off the lights and shuffled back to the couch where a half-asleep Keyleth smiled and reached out with a single han. Pike let herself be led onto the couch, settling on her side and shutting her eyes so she wasn’t tempted to look at Keyleth’s face laying inches from her own.
After a few moments of silence she heard rustling as Keyleth leaned forward and brushed the softest kiss against her cheek.
Before she had the chance to talk herself out of it, Pike turned her head so their lips met briefly, fleetingly. Keyleth looked like she was thinking about asking for another but after she had to pull back to yawn so widely her jaw cracked, she sighed and tucked her arm under head. “That doesn’t count, Pikey. ‘M too sleepy and tipsy to appreciate it.”
“Well, then kiss me goodbye when I leave for work, and be here when I get back. We can have a do-over.” Pike explained, smiling in the dark as she turned over and tucked herself into the curve of Keyleth’s form.
“Goodnight, Keyleth.”
“G’night, Pike. Love you.”
Keyleth wasn’t awake enough to notice how Pike’s breath hitched in her chest, and perhaps she wouldn’t even remember it in the morning, but the gnome gathered her courage and replied to the quiet room, “Love you too.”
