#grogildan

He slumps down, sitting with his back pressed to the wall. Almost absently, he traces the words on the inside of his bicep. The black letters look no different than they did a day before, he’s not sure why he expects them too. 

The door opens suddenly and surprisingly quietly given the massive form that steps into the room. For a moment, Grog and Vax both just stare at each other. Grog’s brow furrows. “What’re you doin’ on the floor?”

He doesn’t have a good answer for that, so he turns it back on him. “What are you doing just barging in on people?”

“Thought this was the way to the trainin’ room. Must’ve got turned around,” Grog says, scratching his head. “Swear this place’s different everytime Scanlan poofs it up.”

Grog turns to go and Vax is on his feet without thinking. “Wait.”

Stopping, Grog turns back to look at him, decidedly unimpressed. Vax approaches almost cautiously. There’s no new scars on Grog’s form. It sees wrong somehow, there’s no evidence it happened, no proof that he was just gone. 

“Don’t hit me for this, big man,” he says, the only warning he gives before wrapping his arms around Grog’s middle and burying his face in a massive (warm, living, moving) chest.

There’s some vague unhappy noises that rumble in Grog’s chest, but, to Vax’s immense surprise, he’s not forced away. After a moment there’s a sigh and a large hand awkwardly pats his head. “Don’t go gettin’ all mushy on me. ‘m fine now. Could’ve at least gotten dressed first, you’re makin’ this weird.”

“Am not,” Vax says, or tries to. It comes out a little muffled and he can almost hear Grog roll his eyes. Pulling back a little, he fixes a stern expression on his face and jabs a finger into Grog’s chest. “Don’t you do that again, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, no more talkin’ swords, I get the idea.”

“Not that. The dying bit, you’re not allowed to do that again.” 

Grog opens his mouth, probably to protest and say something about the dragons or whatever, but Vax cuts him off. “I mean it, Grog. Never again, you hear me?”

It looks like Grog’s still about to argue for a moment before his shoulders slump ever so slightly. “Alright. No more dyin’.” 

“Good.”

Vax isn’t sure where to go from there. Grog solves the problem for him and pushes him away by the shoulders (surprisingly gently). But he doesn’t leave. Instead he holds out one hand. “That goes for you too. No dyin’.”

It takes a second for it to click and then a little smile slides onto Vax’s face as he nods. “That’s a deal, big man.”

“Then shake on it.”

“I’d rather kiss on it.”

They’re at a party and he’s bored, which is rarely good for anyone. Vax has had a drink or two (or five) and he’s tired of pretending not to roll his eyes at the city’s ‘elite’ they’re all supposed to be entertaining. He can’t remember how they ended up hosting this nonsense. It was probably Scanlan’s idea. The gnome is the only one that seems to be enjoying himself. He’s up on a table, reenacting some harrowing story. 

Vax’s attention has wandered so much that he doesn’t hear all the question he’s being asked. Blinking, he turns back to the guests he’s supposed to be chatting up and flashes a bright smile. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I was just saying that it’s a wonder no one’s snatched you up yet,” says an older woman in a way that makes Vax sure he’s an inch away from getting his cheek pinched and offered a date with someone’s granddaughter.

“Well, actually,” Vax says, pausing for dramatic effect, and to check his options. Scanlan’s across the room, Keyleth and Percy are doing their best wallflower poses in the corner, and Vex and Pike seem very occupied at the snack table. 

But Grog is within reach and always easy to pick out of the crowd. 

Vax snakes an arm through a wall of guests and grabs Grog, managing to catch the goliath by surprise enough to pull him close. He sees the question forming as he latches onto Grog’s side and wraps his arms around his massive shoulders. “Grog and I have been getting pretty serious, isn’t that right, big guy?”

He leans up on tip toe (he almost doesn’t reach even then) and presses a kiss to Grog’s cheek. Or he means to. Grog’s already turned toward him, and Vax finds chapped lips and a tickling beard. “Just play along,” he mutters against Grog’s lips.

That’s where he makes his second mistake. Grog never does anything halfway. There’s a massive hand on the small of Vax’s back and another in his hair as he’s dipped back. He grips tighter at Grog’s shoulders, half sure he’s going to fall, but that only seems to encourage the rough lips against his own. 

It’s not bad honestly, as far as kisses go.

They come up for air almost a minute later and Vax is pleasantly surprised to see a vaguely scandalized looking crowd staring at them. 

The first time Grog kisses him, Vax expects just about anything else. 

They’ve been messing with each other for a few weeks. Well, Vax has been pushing Grog’s buttons at every opportunity since the party and Grog has been retaliating. It started off small with Vax making comments and sneaking kisses to his cheek and slaps to his ass at every opportunity. Grog’s tripped him multiple times and flicked him in the balls. 

He’s not sure what game they’re playing, but Vax can’t stop because that would mean admitting defeat. Usually, he’s quick enough to dart away after grabbing a nice handful of goliath ass, but it’s not his lucky day. Grog’s foot catches his and knocks him off balance long enough for Vax to find his back forced against a wall, one massive hand holding him in place. 

Grog’s fingers are splayed wide, his thumb brushing the side of Vax’s neck. He’s almost certain that the frantic thump of his heart has to be audible. His hands go to Grog’s wrist, barely able to wrap around it. Funny how he always seems to forget how strong Grog actually is until it’s about to bite him in the ass (or the balls). 

“What’s the matter, big guy? Can’t handle a little teasing?” he asks, grin wide and a lot more confident than he feels. 

It’s a mistake. For a moment, Grog just stares at him, then a wicked grin curls onto his lips as he leans closer. There’s a look in his eyes that Vax can’t quite read. “Oh, I can handle it jus’ fine.”

And then Grog’s lips crash against his with almost bruising force. Another hand finds Vax’s hip, gripping tight. It’s not the punch to the face he expects, and he’ll take it. 

The first time they fall into bed together, it’s a little more complicated than Vax would have expected. 

Rough teeth and bruising hands have to slow as they figure out just how to actually do this. Neither of them are exactly new to this, but as it stands, Vax hasn’t gotten laid in a while, and he’s never fucked a goliath before (or been fucked by one, which is more of an issue) and he’s not exactly a large man himself. So they have to slow down a little or risk seeking out Pike for an injury that Vax has no interest in explaining to anyone. 

He still finds himself with more than a few bruises the next morning and several prominent hickeys and he’s still a little sore, but in a good way. And he left plenty of marks on Grog to match his own. They fade faster though.

(Va pretends that’s the reason why he gets Grog into bed again a week later.)

The first time they fall into bed just to sleep, Vax is so drained, he’s not sure how they even got there.

Things have been rough. The city is under siege. All of them have almost died a dozen times. And their shitty apartment burnt down. 

It’s a day and a half before they’re really able to get some rest. The new place is smaller than the old one and it doesn’t feel like home, but they’re all still breathing, so it’s not as bad as it could have been. There’s not enough rooms for all of them, or enough beds, so they split off. They don’t really discuss who’s going to share with who, but he’s not surprised and he doesn’t object when the mattress creaks loudly as Grog settles on it next to him. 

He’s half tempted to reach out and start something, but his arms feel like they’re made of lead. The most he can do is roll toward Grog and rest his head on his chest. Vax is half asleep just a moment later and barely feels it as a large arm wraps around his shoulders to keep him close.