WHO Vax'ildan and Shaun Gilmore WHERE Vallo Youth Center, then Gilmore's shop WHEN Late afternoon of October 5 WHAT After days of wearing it, Vax finally finds out that the sweater that Gilmore gave him was hiding a piece of jewelry. ART CREDITHere WARNINGS Just, you know, all the feels
Summer, it seemed, had officially begun to wane, making way for autumn to take its place. As leaves turned colors and pumpkin spiced most beverages and pastries and the temperature started to dip, it was hard to deny. It was the last of that list that had led Vax to shrug on the newest sweater that his boyfriend had gifted him that morning--this one blue and somehow even more cozy than it looked, which was an incredible feat given that it already looked very cozy.
An additional perk had been the downright pleased look that Gilmore had given Vax when he'd seen his chosen attire, before exchanging a quick kiss of goodbye as they headed in their different directions for the day.
With an "I love you" and a promise to see the other that evening, Vax had taken off into the city for a relatively normal day of work. Between meetings and event planning, nothing really seemed all that amiss--until he was getting ready to leave to pick up Velora for school and realized that his wallet was nowhere to be found. Patting down his pockets, both front and back, on his jeans and those in his sweater, he tried not to panic too much as he resorted to turning the pockets inside out, as though there was somewhere else they could have gone in his skinny jeans and the shallow pockets of the sweater.
That thought crossed his mind just as he turned the sweater pocket out and multiple objects toppled out and to the floor. Vax stood still for a short, puzzled moment before the thought bag of holding crossed his mind. He'd never owned one himself, but he knew exactly what the capabilities were based on the one Grog had dragged around Exandria, filling it with the oddest assortment of items. This pocket, he assumed, had a similar enchantment; he really ought to have known better than to think that anything from Gilmore wouldn't have a little something extra, he thought with a smile. Luckily, rather than holding things like eyes and dragon blood, this pocket just had his wallet and a small box.
Vax scooped up both, wallet sliding into his back pocket and promptly forgotten once more as he turned the box in his hand. After a brief debate on whether or not he should wait to open said box until he was with Gilmore, impatience won out and Vax opened it, revealing a ring that glinted off the overhead light in his office.
Several thoughts occurred to Vax at once and, as they flooded his mind, a part of him was glad that he was alone as he's sure his expression was something else as each took root. The first was that he absolutely knew what this was, which finger this ring was meant to be on. He knew what accepting this meant and he smiled warmly at the realization. The next thought brought a bark of laughter, because of course Gilmore would find some way to propose that reflected the teasing, playful side of their relationship--because, though he wondered briefly if perhaps the ring had been placed there by accident, the meaningful looks and leading questions in the last several days suddenly made sense. Which, of course, brought Vax to his final thought: he had been wearing this sweater for days.
Well, if anything, it was a good troll in response, if unintended, making Gilmore watch and wait.
The box was placed back in the pocket (and then summoned from it, just to confirm Vax's suspicions on how the pocket worked) and then off Vax went to retrieve his littlest sister from school and escorted her home to the Xhorhaus. He had a feeling that Velora caught onto his change in energy, but she didn't question it much when he told her to listen to the other adults that were in the house before going as fast as his Boots of Haste would get him to Gilmore's shop.
Most of the time when Vax showed up at the shop, he tried to slip in undetected to test the radar that Gilmore seemed to have for him. This time, though, he strode right in, bypassing the wares and going directly to the handsome, kind, glorious man himself. Leaning forward, hands on the counter, a smile played at the edges of his mouth as he asked, "Could I borrow you a moment?" and glanced once toward the beaded curtain that led to the back of the shop.
Around day 2 of Vax having The Sweater and revealing nothing, Gilmore had started to think that maybe, perhaps, he should have come up with a different idea. Not that all of his ideas werenât clever and witty and awe-inspiring, of course!! Just that maybe, perhaps he should have dropped another clue or ten. The thing of it was, the actual proposal was just a technicality, they both knew what they wanted and who, they wanted out of life, that the asking bit really was just a formality. Still, a nice, official formality.
Alas, the love of his life had yet to indicate any such knowledge, so! Heâd give it anotherâŚweek? No. Three days? Well, if it took that long, heâd start the frantic signaling to Vexâahlia and hope that sheâd be able to drop some hints.
It was another bustling day in the shop, down to a dull roar now in the late afternoon, and Shaun was at his usual spot at the counter, staring intently at a long copper bracer studded with gems, as if it would give up its secrets about what spells he should enchant it with. Vaxsense or not, this wasnât the typical time Vax came by, a fact that had Rodrigo all a tizzyâas much as a spectral form could be a tizzy. Gilmore leaned across the counter and kissed Vax in greeting, smoothing his thumb over his dagger dagger dagger sharp cheekbones. âHello, my love. You can borrow me for any number of moments depending on what you have in mind.â
Wagging his eyebrows, Shaun hooked a finger over Vaxâs collar to tug him behind the beaded curtain. âHelp, help, Iâm being kidnapped by an incredibly handsome rogue!â
Rodrigo did not find that funny.
Clueless as ever to Rodrigo--or any of the unseen servants that kept a close eye on his shenanigans in the shop--Vax laughed, head tipping back as he allowed Gilmore to lead him. "He'll be returned whole and in one piece, I promise," he called, giving a final wave behind before slipping into the familiar space.
And, because it would be quite the shame to not live up to the rogueish title bestowed upon him, Vax wasted no time in pulling Shaun down by the robes to kiss him.
And, because rogue meant many things, Vax let his hand slip into his pocket, summoned the box that held what he was very sure was an engagement ring, and then deftly placed it into the pocket of Gilmore's robes. The move was as fluid as any pickpocket he had done before, a skill he never had to use in Vallo, but had apparently been honed for just such an occasion. His younger self that was picking the pockets of the Syngorn elite would have never guessed.
Satisfied, at least by the ring placement, Vax broke the kiss, tipping his head back with a certifiably shit eating grin. "Hello." His head listed to the side, clearly smug. "How's your day been?"
Shaun chuckled, looping his arms around Vax's neck and pressing their foreheads together. Sneaking away for a few minutes in the back of the shop never failed to remind him of the shop in Exandria that also had a beaded curtainâthat one came with Vox Machina, Vexâs knowing, teasing wink, Grog inevitably knocking over the loudest piece of armor in the entire building. They hadnât even done anything really, except flirt like mad, usually followed by Vax talking about their latest adventures and picking Gilmoreâs brain for ideas on where to go next. Now, obviously, their lives looked much different, still with Vexâs winks of course but also with the knowledge that their fledgling under-defined something could be (and was) a true, deeply rooted, forever type of relationship. Gods, he was grateful to love this man. âOh, you know, magic and mayhem and nothing that canât be put on hold for you.â
But he pulled back just a bit to arch an eyebrow (perfectly groomed as always) at Vaxâs expression. âDonât you just look like the cat that ate the canary? Dare I ask why?â He feigned a gasp, hand to his mouth. âDid you, an incredibly sexy roguish rogue, attempt to steal something from me, an incredibly skilled and sexy as well might I add, sorcerer shop owner and now Iâve caught you and have to convince you to give it up? Iâm very into it, by the way, Iâm certain there are ropes around here you can attempt to wiggle out of.â
This was one of the many (many) reasons that Vax loved Gilmore. Though they had their moments of being serious, where one or the other or sometimes even both needed to have a conversation or was seeking an opinion about something that required the levity to be put aside, so much of their time was spent laughing, teasing. Silliness had never been hard for Vax to embrace, except during perhaps the darker periods of his life, but it was almost part of their unique love language.
"Hmm. You are a tempting target," Vax played along, grin turning a bit more toward a playful smirk. He ran his hands down Gilmore's chest, before one of his hands circled to the very same pocket he had just placed the ring into--because, he was realizing under the jokes, he apparently was too good of a pickpocket at this point in his life. How had Shaun been able to go multiple days knowing that the ring was hidden away in his sweater when Vax seemed to not even be able to last a minute?
"I suppose that depends," Vax continued, arching an eyebrow in an approximation of the exact look he'd been on the receiving end of from Gilmore himself. "Have anything good in your pockets that I might want?"
âIs that your way of asking, âis that a Rod of Lordly Might in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?ââ Gilmore asked, chuckling once again at both the joke and Vaxâs expression as whenever he attempted to imitate an eyebrow arch his brow tended to furrow and lift at the same time. It was, as could be expected, ridiculously cute.
But given that Vax was very clearly hinting at something, Gilmore obliged him and reached into one of the pockets of his embroidered robe, pulling out the box he had put in Vaxâs pocket. The box itself was distinct only in colorâa black that seemed to absorb any and all of the light that hit it, like some physical manifestation of a shadow. There was no trick to it, Gilmore had thought the pocket of holding in the sweater had been enough of one, but it also couldnât be just any old box. Teasingly, Gilmore tapped the end of Vax's nose, adding, "You absolute scamp."
He took Vaxâs hand and while it was cooler now, it still had the familiar calluses from throwing daggers, a scar from something innocuous or dire, both equally likely. It still fit in Shaunâs, like it was meant to. âYouâd think with how long weâd talked about itâhow long Iâd thought about it, Iâd have prepared something,â he admitted. And Gilmore never suffered for a lack of words, always finding ten when two would suffice. But over time heâd discovered that the most important things didnât require flowing analogies, or long, poetic extrapolations. Those things that lived so close to his heart deserved nothing less than words straight from it.
âVax, darling, I canât think of anything else I want more than to wake up next to you every morning with your very odd familiar staring at us,â Shaun couldnât help both the laugh that came out of him, and having to run a knuckle under his eyes from the sudden swell of emotion, but even that felt right instead of breaking the moment. Sincere and real. âAnd have arguments about knives under the pillows, and how many eye creams someone needsâthe answer is as many as I deem necessary, by the way. I want to love our family, and see it grow, and constantly support you and be in awe of you. I want all of the good days, all of the bad days, and all of the days in between, by your side, for as long as we're given."
This had been a conversation--it had been many conversations. Teasing comments about who would propose to who and when and how as they shared meals. Whispered musings that dripped into sincerity in the way they only could when it was the middle of the night and they were wrapped in each other and a plethora of blankets. Practical decisions made with the knowledge of just how secure they were in their future together. This had been a conversation and therefore none of what Shaun said was a surprise to Vax. He knew just how loved he was and that they had reached the next inevitable step in their journey together.
And yet, there he was, reaching up with one hand to swipe away any wayward moisture from Gilmore's cheeks with his thumb as though there weren't tears building up in his own eyes thanks to the man himself. Once upon a time, Vax would have shied away from such a rush of emotion, even when it was good emotion, but that was a Vax of a very long time ago.
"I'm not as good with words as you," Vax murmured, lifting his other hand to hold Gilmore's face in both hands gently. "But it's real good luck, because everything you just said you want? I want it, too." Vax slowly ran one of his thumbs over Gilmore's cheek, smiling softly. "I love you, Shaun Gilmore, and I cherish all our adventures together, big and small, but I'm real excited about all our future ones to come and being by your side through it all."
Vax's cheeky smugness of just a few moments before was gone, replaced with adoration and a sliver of wonder--because this really was happening. It had been a conversation and now it was happening and wasn't that something?
There was, Gilmore thought, an ease and lightness that came from the confidence of surety. He had always been certain of Vax, from the time they had become âthemâ, and the joking, throw away comments about things being forever very quickly and simply became certainty. He kissed Vaxâs forehead, both cheekbones where the freckles were if you looked closely enough (Shaun had, many times), the corner of his mouth. âI love you.â It was a promise, vow, and statement all in one go. The simplest, best sort of magic out there.
But he was still holding one little black box and he held it up, looking far too thoughtful and contemplative for it to be actually true. To heighten the effect, Gilmore tapped at his lip and stared up at the ceiling, as if in deep reflection. âIs that an agreement, or do I officially have to ask? Iâm not entirely certain how this worksâtechnically Iâve already given you the proposal item, youâve now given it back to me, which some may construe as you asking me in turn, yet this is most definitely yours and it appears as though youâre asking me to ask you twice, which does seem a bit excessive but I suppose I could be amenable.â
Leaning his head back, Vax watched Gilmore as he spoke, his eyes roving over his face, taking the moment in. Though they had both known this was inevitable, he hadn't allowed himself to consider too hard what the moment of asking would actually look like. Though he had first joked that he would leave it to Shaun to do the asking, he'd unexpectedly found that leaving it to his partner actually felt right and important. After what had transpired between them at home, then the evolution of their relationship in Vallo, he had wanted it to be on Shaun's terms. They were on this path together and their relationship was a partnership in every sense of the word, but it felt important to him that it was in Shaun's hands.
Even so, he hadn't let himself imagine what Shaun might come up with. Vax knew him. He knew that he had a presence that could not be missed and that he loved fine things and wearing colors with names that Vax himself would never remember (the difference between purple and aubergine would forever be a mystery), but Vax also knew him. He knew what he was like in their quiet moments, what existed beyond that outer layer of pomp and personality. This moment--even if it had been kicked off by a pocket of holding in a comfortable sweater--in the back of the shop felt more right than anything his imagination might have cooked up.
Vax reached up, holding Gilmore by the chin and directing him down to steal a kiss. "Maybe it is selfish--" he paused, stealing (selfishly) yet another gentle kiss, "or perhaps it is just the romantic in me, but... I would rather like to hear the words."
âItâs not selfish,â Gilmore promised. âI donât think you know how to be, truly. Darling, if you wanted, Iâd ask you every day.â He paused then, just a moment, an inhale before the exhale, to just look at Vax. It was silly, they literally saw each other every day, multiple times a day. Heâd seen Vax groaning in the morning when the sun won the war against the curtains, heâd seen him just before he fell asleep, his eyelashes as dark smudges against his skin. Heâd seen Vax in tears from laughter, so open and expressive, and heâd seen him retreat into himself. Heâd seen Vax as a brother, a friend, a champion, a partner, a protector, and in so many, many other situations and with so many different facets to him. Heâd never get tired of the view.
Gilmore knew what the answer was, just as he knew what his own answer was and had been for a long time now. Vax was, as Shaun had told him once, a foregone conclusion. Even still, he wanted to ask, and wanted Vax to know that he didnât take any of this for granted, ever. Would never, in fact.
There came the exhale. He kissed Vax, tucked the beaded bit of hair behind his slightly pointed ear, and against his lips murmured just for the two of them, âMarry me, please?â
The moment that the words were murmured, Vax did the only thing he could imagine doing and pressed in, kissing Gilmore once again. There were so many events in his life that he had needed to pause and reflect on just how the winding path he had taken had somehow led to that moment--some good, some bad, and some in between. This was very much one of the good ones, among the very best of them. There was a duality to Vax, two very different lives lived in two very different worlds. He didn't understand much of the magic in Vallo, nor did he know any better than anyone else why they were there, but right then it didn't matter because they were here, right now, and fuck if that wasn't very, very good.
After what might have been seconds or hours as time had ceased to exist, Vax pulled back from Gilmore just enough to be able to meet his gaze. He smiled, bright and adoring and reserved for this man alone, as he nodded. There were so many silly, teasing responses that came to mind that would have been just as in character and befitting of their relationship as any other, but he set those aside to give this moment, and Gimore himself, the sincerity that it deserved. (Before it would inevitably give way to levity once more.)
"Yes," Vax murmured, hands moving to push the fingers of both into Shaun's hair. "Yes, I will marry you."