Vax smiled wide at the most grudging welcome he'd ever heard.

"Ooh, like passing a kidney stone," he couldn't help himself from piping up merrily. He was inclined to be a little giddy from everything on Steph's balcony before, and now he did actually feel better for having Percy's blessing, grudging though it was. He hadn't even had to make any black promises to get it. "That was painful, I can tell. I would kiss you for it, right now, but then we'd have more explanations to make and I am beat where that's concerned."