vax'ildan đĄď¸đĄď¸đĄď¸ (vax) wrote in valloic, @ 2022-11-17 08:29:00
Log: Vax'ilmore
WHO: Shaun Gilmore and Old!Vax WHAT: Vax woke up a bit displaced in time, so he and his not-yet-husband have a chat about it. WHEN: Morning of October 27 WHERE: Their bedroom WARNINGS: Lifespan angst, just absolutely so much flirting ART CREDIT:Here
If there was ever a constant in Vax's life in Vallo, it was that he would always, always wake up surrounded by soft pillows and blankets. Once upon a time, his sleeping conditions were far from luxurious--straw mattresses at the cheapest inn, the forest ground after moving away as many rocks and pebbles as he could, Trinket. Even from when he'd first arrived in Vallo, it had been quite a while since he had slept somewhere that didn't have a proper bed--thank you, Scanlan's mansion.
During his time in Vallo, though, he had gotten used to an even higher level of comfort, all in thanks to sharing his sleeping space--as well as most every other space--with Shaun Gilmore. And while the bed that he woke up within felt a bit off as he slowly came to consciousness, he didn't need to open his eyes to feel the soft familiarity of high thread count blankets, sheets, and pillowcases. No, it felt like just another morning to Vax. At least, until he finally did open his eyes.
It had been decades since he and Shaun had lived in the Xhorhaus, but it became increasingly clear as he rubbed bleary eyes and pushed himself up to rest on one bent elbow that that was exactly where he was. This was something that probably should have inspired a bit more panic, but at 49-years-old, well. Vax was more than used to the trials and surprises that Vallo liked to throw at its inhabitants. This was just par for the course.
Still, the realization woke Vax, the sluggishness of morning gone with time travel, it seemed. Sparing a very long glance at the sleeping form of Gilmore next to him, he indulged in his favorite party trick of using his rogue skills to slip out of bed, slip on some clothes, and then slip out of their room in total silence. If he knew his husband--though he knew that he most likely wasn't Shaun's husband at this moment--he would be waking soon and Vax thought it might soften the blow of waking to one's normally younger partner suddenly being older than you to have some tea on the side.
It was early enough that the Xhorhaus was quiet and his tea making venture went without issue. After brewing a blend to how he knew Gilmore preferred it, Vax went back upstairs. The tea was left on the bedside table at Gilmore's side of the bed, while Vax himself sat in one of the chairs, waiting and sipping his own tea, finding the nearest book to peruse in an effort to not stare. Staring at sleeping people was best left for his familiar.
Shaun Gilmoreâs own party trick was to always know where Vax was, whether it was in a crowded room or when he was trying to become one with the shadows. Once he started seeing Vax, he couldnât not see him, and it may have extended to their roguishly inclined daughter as well, which pleased him. It was the idea that he knew where the people he loved were and that they were safe, call it a throwback from the Exandrian days of staying behind and waiting for the heroes to come home, but there you had it.
The one time Vax tended to give him the slip was when he was asleep, and the mountains of blankets and throw pillows didnât help, serving as a soft barrier and thus enabling a roguish rogue to slide out unnoticed. Hopefully he wasnât waiting all that long before Shaun blinked awake, and because they didnât have anything pressing that day (besides their absolutely tremendous kids, who would take priority over anything else, always), he took a minute to stretch, sit up, and tie his hair back into a bun before he actually noticed the tea. And Vax, sitting nearby.
Because Shaun knew Vax, knew and loved every inch of him, he may not have noticed the tea right away but he certainly noticed that the Vax here and now was not exactly the one he went to bed with. It was still him, of course, long dark hair threaded with beads (Gilmore thought he spotted a few new additions but couldnât be sure in the morning light), cheekbones that were as sharp as daggers and dotted with freckles that were only really noticeable up close. But he saw a few changes too, laugh lines that were finally making inroads, and oh, a beard. That was new. Shaun tilted his head to the side, considering. âGood morning, love of my life. I am very into this,â he said, with a gesture to, oh, all of his partner. âThe beard can definitely stay. I did wonder for a moment if you were attempting a joke about your sage age, but I donât think thatâs actually the case.â
Vax had been watching Gilmore from the moment he first started moving, patient and happy to simply observe the man who held his heart so thoroughly in this younger, sleepy state. The small smile that had already been on his face only bloomed when Gilmore spoke, prompting Vax to sit up and unfold himself from the chair he'd claimed, having never learned how to properly sit without tying himself up into what should have been an uncomfortable knot. The book was set aside next to his own cup of tea, immediately ignored as Vax's attention shifted.
He brushed a hand over his beard, fingers scratching against his chin as he gave Shaun a rueful sort of chuckle. The beard had been a relatively new addition to his look, at least in the grand scheme of things. He'd been keeping it for a couple of years, in an effort to look more his age in a way that the elven half of his lineage wouldn't allow him to. Well, that and the fact he pulled it off well and his husband appreciated it--as was evident in this moment, here in the past.
"I'm definitely of an age," Vax said, stretching his legs out and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "And I think it could qualify for being a sage one, if I was sagely at all in the first place." He looked once at the tea, then back to Gilmore. "I brought you some tea as an apology for replacing your more spry... boyfriend? FiancĂŠ? I don't know when I am, just yet."
âOh, yes, what a terrible trial you have placed upon me, however shall I bear it?â Shaun drawled, a hand to his forehead, causing him to look like a portrait titled âDramatic Sorcerer Teases Partner.â Honestly, he made it through a teenage Vax attempting to rob him, after throwing himself out the window in the morning, and the hardest thing about it had been knowing how alone and unloved that version of Vax had felt. So having this version, so comfortable in himself, simply older? Very little rattled Gilmore, minus cursed items and an incomplete outfit, an older Vax was nothing to even frown at.
âAnd to be fair, Iâm also not your husband-partner-fiance-boyfriend,â he added, with another stretch to shake off all of the remaining kinks and knots from sleep. Shaun rose and after tying the rope of a paisley printed chiffon hued robe, took Vaxâs face in between his hands and smiled at him. Altered by time, with the addition of facial hair, this face was still one of the faces he loved most, the core of Vax would always be the same and Gilmore would always wear his heart on his sleeve for him. âI think we can forgive each other for it. Two of ours are here, by the way, two out of our, how manyâŚ?â Gilmore trailed off teasingly, an eyebrow arching. Not that the number mattered in the slightestâeach of their kids heâd looked at and known they were meant to be family
"Six," Vax replied without hesitation, because there was no version of Gilmore that he wouldn't tell everything to. He had been in Vallo far long enough to be familiar with the slips in time and had seen enough of his life still play out as planned despite them, so he found himself less worried about spoilers, as one might call them, than others may. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to a palm--because there also was no version of Gilmore that he couldn't help himself with when it came to bestowing his affections.
Turning his face once more, Vax looked up to peer at Gilmore and really take him in. There were changes, of course, as there always would be when there was a difference of two decades and there were some parts of aging that just couldn't be avoided, no matter one's fastidiousness when it came to skincare, not that Vax would ever say such a thing within earshot of his beloved. The changes hardly mattered, outside of cementing Vax's understanding of being in the past; this was the man he loved, no matter the age.
He indulged with one more kiss to the palm before he asked, "Who are all here, then? Have they been handfuls?"
Gilmoreâs gaze was warm and soft and ever so pleased with the familiar gesture, even as Vaxâs face felt different under his hands. It was a sense of home that had eluded him in his younger years as a man who had struck out to an entirely different continent, changed his name, learned a new language, and built a business out of nothing. He had loved and missed his parents, of course, but the sleepy desert village hadnât had anything else for him. And after feeling somewhat settled in Emon, dragons came along and burned it all down, which sent him to rebuild in Whitestone. But home was here in Vallo, with Vax, their friends, and their temporary visitors who would someday soon (he thought, he hoped) become forever.
He kissed the top of Vaxâs head before going back to sit down on the edge of the bed and pick up the teacup, where a little prestidigitation would keep it warm.âJai and Hazel, theyâre tremendous handfuls, how did we get so lucky?â And it had been fun over the past few days seeing himself and Vax in their grown kids, but more importantly than that was getting to know them for who they were as individuals. Gilmore tried not to think too much of the future, choosing instead to let things fall into place naturally and be surprised along the way, but it was hard not to wonder. âAlthough,â he added, chuckling. âI should have let you guess so Iâd know the rest of them.â
Laughing, Vax leaned back once more in the chair, leg pulled up with his foot resting on the cushion as he once more sprawled in the most ridiculous way. He, too, reached for his tea, bringing it to his lips but pausing before taking a drink to say, "You know that I would tell you absolutely anything you wanted to know, no guesswork on my side required."
He took a sip before letting his head tip to the side. "They're all handfuls in their own way, but you're right that we're ridiculously lucky. Sometimes I wonder if I need to be pinched, but I don't want to risk waking up." Lucky, fate-touched--they were both used to describe him back home and he knew that they were true, for him to have survived as long as he ended up doing so, with as much love and adventure as he'd gotten. It was the same in Vallo, even if it manifested in a different sort of way. He had Gilmore, he had his sisters, their friends, and then six absolutely perfect children to care for. Lucky, indeed.
Once again, Vax set his tea aside and gave his full attention to Gilmore. "I'm going to assume that Hazel is convinced she is sneaking around. Has Jai shown you his spellbook?"
âShe spent a good half an hour sitting around eating sandwiches and thinking she was invisible. I almost didnât have the heart to tell her I could see her,â Gilmore confessed. But honestly, that, combined with her mischievous grin had been the first clue that she was theirs even without talking to her. Jai had been the same with his arcane work, easy charm, and confidence. âThe spellbook was, I think, the second thing he told me. And heâs dating Caleb and Essekâs son, darling, donât tell me if my future self had any more chill about that than I did here.â Which was to say, no chill at all.
He smiled down at the cup and turned it on Vax, knowing and fond. âYou are terrible at keeping secrets.â It was entirely charming. They didnât have much in the way of secrets anyway, but Vaxâs inability to not spill everything had been a running joke even in Exandria. Likely the years hadnât changed that all that much. âWeâve had these dreams for awhile now, and these glimpses of those dreams turned into reality are so good that I donât want to ruin the rest. That being said,â Gilmore trailed off, an eyebrow wagging. âIf there were things that you felt like you had to get off your very strapping chest, well, who am I to stop you?â
Vax's ability to keep secrets from Gilmore hadn't changed in age; if anything, whatever control he did have only eroded as the years had passed on. Even in that moment, it felt as though he was bursting to spill all, though he logically knew that wouldn't do. They had rather loved living the life that Vax had lived the past couple of decades and he wouldn't rob that of the man he loved most.
But, well--he could bend that self-imposed rule at least a little.
Pulling himself to his feet, Vax shuffled the short distance needed to sit next to Gilmore on the bed, abandoning his tea. "You had the most chill," he said in a tone paired with a smirk that made it clear that perhaps there had been a distinct lacking of chill involved. "But, then again, I was pretty lacking in chill, too. They're good for each other." And he believed that, truly, and not just because it really was a bit of a lovely turn of events for their Exandrian family.
"Despite it going against literally every instinct, I don't want to spoil too much," Vax admitted with a smile. "But, you're still putting up with me and my bullshit, so--I call it a pretty good life."
Shaun took Vaxâs hand in his own and found the calluses from throwing daggers, the small scars on his fingers from the times heâd nicked himself, the ring heâd just started wearing. The scars and calluses were softer and faded from time, but still there nevertheless, the ring was a little worn in places from where heâd inevitably rubbed at it. Vaxâs hands held other stories too, about their marriage, their kids, joyful times, times of sorrow, and times just like this, where they were spending a few moments before the actual start of the day.
âItâs a good life now,â he promised, pressing his lips to Vaxâs still dark hair. There were new beads threaded through his hair and Shaun wondered about those stories too, which color was for whom, and why. Yet another thing heâd learn over time, he supposed. âAnd with our additions, I can only imagine how much better it gets.â They were impossibly lucky, he knew that much, and really, that was the only thing he needed to know.
Well, one of the only things. âWhatâs your plan now, handsome stranger who just appeared in my bed?â Shaun asked, with a shimmy of his shoulders and a wag of his brow. âDo you think my future self will be cross with me for being so incorrigible?â
Vax let out a soft hum, one of clearly feigned consideration as he looked Gilmore over once more. One hand reached out, following a path over his hair that went right through to the bun he'd put it in; Shaun didn't know it--and like hell Vax would be the one to break the news--but his fingers traced the place that single streak of white would one day grace his own dark hair. His heart did complicated, warm and happy, but complicated, things in his chest as his gaze settled back to meet Gilmore's, his expression downright adoring for just a moment before snapping back to the smirk that the situation clearly called for.
"I think your future self would be genuinely shocked if you were anything less than incorrigible," Vax said, still failing at lifting one of his eyebrows despite decades of practice. That was all right, he decided, as he attempted to distract by leaning in a bit closer to Gilmore. "Just as I think my past self would be utterly unsurprised by my own behavior."
Shaun thought he knewânot about the white hair, perish the thought, but he thought he knew the source of the microexpressions crossing Vaxâs face. It was the elephant in the room, the reason Vax, although ridiculously handsome, but even with a beard still didnât look as though heâd aged half the amount of time that had passed. And he knew that that was the reality of their situation, the reality of their relationship. It didnât change Shaunâs feelings one way or the other, but if he were a betting man, he would have put money on all the skincare in the world not providing a strong enough defense against being human.
Again, perish the thought.
He kissed both sides of Vaxâs cheeks, right on the freckles that marked his human side, still there, still adorable. âWeâll talk about it when you get back, darling. I keep intending to and we simply donât, but that will change.â he promised. âOn the off-chance we havenât had that talk for you yet, I want you to know, we could be together for a hundred years and it wouldnât be enough. There will never be enough time with you, our children, any of it. But I am so very grateful for the time we have.â
In all honesty, it wasn't surprising to Vax that Gilmore could read him so well, even twenty-five years in his past. It had always felt that once the shopkeeper had decided to truly see the rogue in the party of chucklefucks with barely two silver to rub together, he would forever see him. There was no sneaking up on him, no hiding in the shadows; the only time he succeeded in either of those was when Shaun was still asleep in bed and it was touch and go even then. The same went for now, with Shaun being able to read between the lines of what Vax wasn't saying. It was comforting to have the reminder of just how early on in their relationship that had slid into being just the truth of the matter.
Vax knew that they would have the talk that Gilmore was referring to, though. He remembered it with great clarity, when they looked head on at their differing lifespans--in Vallo, at least. It hadn't changed anything, of course, but Shaun's words rang true for Vax, as well.
"It will never be enough," Vax agreed, his fingers tucking a nonexistent bit of hair behind Gilmore's rounded ear that was prime proof of what it was they were talking about. "But it would never be enough if we were as immortal as the gods, if you ask me." He smiled, just a hair rueful. "I'm a greedy man."
Shaun couldnât help it, he smiled even with the more somber topic. And it was somber, no one wanted to think about their own mortality and what it meant for the person left behind. But the truth of the matter was that when he said he was in it for the long haul, he meant it, and everything that came along with it. No one was guaranteed any time at allâeven being in Vallo itself proved that, with people leaving at any moment. That didnât stop people from forming friendships, falling in love, starting lives together. They chose love, in all of its forms.
He cupped the back of Vaxâs head with both of his hands, pressing his forehead against Vaxâs once again. âAn incredibly wise and ridiculously sexy man once told me that it doesnât count as greed when what you want is for me.â Gilmore remembered that conversation too, even though it had happened more than two years ago. It was a time when Vax was just beginning to dream of a future and something beyond dragons and a promise to a death goddess. And now here he was, their kids not far away, the proof of that future coming to fruition. It was a far cry from that conversation, and even farther from when Vax had been to Vallo as a teenager, so entirely unsure of himself and resentful of everything thanks to his time in Syngorn.
âNow, darling, as fun as staying here all day and convincing you to give up all of your secrets sounds, and believe me, that is a very tempting option,â Shaun added with nothing less than a salacious eyebrow arch. âI think our kids would be vexed if you didnât say hello at the very least.â
Vax let out a bark of a laugh, because how could he not? After a brief spot of considering their mortality, it felt good to laugh--even if there had also been their trademark teasing and trading of compliments wrapped up in there. Besides, he rather did want to see his kids; he had no doubt of their resilience and ability to just roll with the punches that Vallo gave them, having spent their entire lives doing exactly that, but it would put him at ease to see them and know that they were as fine as Shaun made them out to be.
Still, he couldn't stop himself from leaning in and pressing a kiss to his young husband's arched brow, both playful and promising. "You're absolutely right," Vax conceded, stepping back to his feet and holding out a hand to help Gilmore to his own. "Besides, there's always time for you to try to coax my secrets out later."