Vax & Keyleth - Critical Role One Shots

2

Vax sees her. He's been making sure she's been okay since she climbed that first roof. In the best way he could he's been keeping an eye trained on her position and if a few times, during his stealthy stalking through the city, he's had to stop and hide from trouble. Only to take a long way round and find her again. Even a few times, seeing a few unfriendly's almost catching a glimpse of her, he sends a dagger to deter any further investigations. He's been using the small house rooftops to travel, leaping from one on to the other nearly sliding off one or two but never enough to cause damage. He's been getting a bird's eye view of the whole situation and right now, could see a small group of guards leaving a tavern and about to exit on to the road Keyleth was charging down. There's no way to warn her without letting guards know so, in the expense of some pain, he jumps down from the short roof just head behind her getting an instantaneous jolt of pain in his legs.
From the sudden noise she stumbles in a panic and soon is speedily grabbed by the waist and pressed into the shadow in the corner of an alley she was about to pass. A hand covers her mouth, she's about to raise her staff and whack them where the sun doesn't shine when they spin her around and press her back against the brick and they're engulfed in darkness.
"Hey Kiki" Vax whispers into her ear as his covers them with his cloak and presses them the shadows. Her eyes widen, feeling his chin lean against her temple. "Sorry for grabbing you but-" He stops talking as the rowdy voices of the guards pass them by completely unawares of their presence. His hands hold his cloak all the way up , surrounding them both and he rests his hands above her head. He's panting slightly, feeling the adrenaline slowly leave his body and theres pain everywhere from their excursion across the city.
"No, thank you" She whispers, very aware of their closeness. "I just worried-erm" She flushes.
"About what?" He waits, still listening if anymore are coming.
"That, I hurt you" Her hands fiddle with her staff as she carefully tilts her head up.
"You hurt me? How?" He's smiling, she can tell even in the darkness.
"My antlers, I didn't whack you by accident" She replied honestly and she feels him chuckle, a deep gentle one that makes her stomach twist. "You'd be surprised how often it happens"
"I'm too talented at what I do to hurt you, or get myself hurt." He smirks. "I think we're in the clear" Lowering the cloak the light starts to flood back to them and surrounds him like a halo as she gazes up at him. Now out of the darkness the realise just how close they are. "Are you alright?" Vax asks unwilling to step away just yet.
"I'm exhausted" She breaths out making them both laugh a little. "But I'm glad to see you, to have someone with me. I hate when we all split up and I was on my own" Her face blushes lightly and her eyes lower to her hands that gripping her staff. Vax adjusts his cloak again.
"You were never alone, I've got your back" He reassures.
"How'd did you escape?" She asks curiously, unsure how things transpired for the rest of the group.
"Like I said, I'm talented-stealthy" He mused, casting her a wink. Keyleth rolls her eyes but she smiles none the less. "What you don't believe me?"
"I know your stealthy Vax" She mocks. "Everybody does but we do notice when you disappear sometimes, it's not like you vanish in a puff of smoke"
"So your saying you'd know when I was sneaking around?" He tilts his head amusedly. Keyleth raises her chin.
"Yes, I would"
Vax nods, jutting out his bottom lip before leaning forward with a hand place on the wall above her head.
"So you must've knew I've been tailing you since the you hid behind those barrels behind the tent vender?"
He steps back with laugh seeing her expression falter. She opens and closes her mouth a few times trying to think of something to say but he's walked away and checked if the coast was clear.
"If you did tail me then why didn't you help?" She walks after him. Vax turns around, happy with them continuing their journey.
"How do you know I didn't help?" Another smirk but this time he reaches out and grabs her hand. "Come on Kiki, you can thank me later when we get to the Kirk yard"
They run again, back down the street their hands holding each other as they weaved through the end of the city.