Chapter Text
The sun shone down brightly on the small café where Volo and Emmet were having breakfast. It was pleasantly warm out, a far cry from a few weeks ago when they were in the forest. That night was still burned into Volo's mind, despite the fact they'd fucked plenty of times after that. Something about seeing Emmet's blissed out face in the dim light wouldn't leave him alone.
Emmet himself was sitting across from him, nose buried in a newspaper, though that was just a ruse. He was really keeping his eye on their target, a rich man that frequented this café. Or he was actually reading, it was hard to tell. Emmet's leg bounced in anticipation and it was starting to get annoying.
"Don't get your hopes up, this is probably another false lead," Volo said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"You are too pessimistic," Emmet said. "It is a verrrry bad trait."
"So is overconfidence." Volo leaned back and carefully looked at their target. The man was dressed to the nines even though he was just at a small café in the center of the city. The Furfrou laying at his feet might pose a problem later, but the man surely wouldn't. He looked soft, like old money that had never had to work a day in his life. If their intel was right, he had inherited more than just money. He was supposed to have the legendary flute that was said to summon Celebi.
Volo scoffed and turned back to Emmet. "This will be too easy."
"Overconfidence." Emmet quipped, turning the page.
"Fuck off," Volo said over his coffee cup.
A waitress came by to check on them. Again. Volo was pretty sure she was trying to flirt with him, but he couldn’t care less. "Everything going alright boys?" she asked with a smile.
Volo immediately put on his nice persona, smiling sweetly at the woman. "Everything's perfect. Thank you so much for taking good care of us."
The waitress's smile grew like he knew it would. Flattery was king in this world after all. "It's no problem, just call me over if you need anything."
"Will do," Volo said, even though he had long forgotten her name. She walked off and Volo turned back to Emmet. He was caught off guard at how intensely Emmet was watching him.
"What?" Volo asked. Emmet stared at him for another moment before going back to his paper. Weirdo.
Volo dropped it and propped his head up on his elbow as he looked out onto the busy street. People and Pokemon went to and fro, each one embroiled in their own private little world. Five hundred years and nothing had truly changed. People were still the same as ever, predictable. Although he'd find some outliers here and there, such as Emmet. The man was hard to read with his ever present smile, and he was able to read Volo entirely too easily for comfort sometimes. Volo's nice act had never once worked on Emmet and after a while he'd just dropped it completely when he was alone with him. It felt good not to have to act all the time, to let himself be himself, even though he did have to be careful not to let any of his plans slip.
"Is he done yet?" Volo asked once people watching grew boring.
Emmet's eyes quickly glanced at their target before going back to the paper. "No."
"What are you even reading?" Surely there wasn't anything interesting in a small town newspaper. Though Emmet was the kind of guy that got excited about trains of all things, who knew what he'd consider interesting.
"An alleged sighting of Ho-oh. It apparently flew over this town a few nights ago," Emmet said, eyes never leaving the paper.
"I find that hard to believe." Volo said. Ho-oh typically didn’t fly this far southeast at this time of year.
"As do I. The description is off. A blazing red bird with a trail of embers."
Volo laughed. "These idiots don't even know a Moltres when they see one."
"I did not think Moltres typically flew in these parts." Emmet looked over his paper at Volo.
"They prefer mountains, but they can be sighted as far south as this sometimes." Volo drained his coffee and grimaced at the bitter taste of the last swallow.
Emmet studied him for a moment before asking, "How do you know?"
"Legendary Pokemon and their myths are an interest of mine." Volo answered honestly. No use in trying to hide it, it was the one subject that he couldn't hold back on.
"I do not know many myths. Though I do know of the Unovan kings and their dragons."
Volo tried to reign in his excitement, but he could feel his face light up. "That's one of my favorites. I would have loved to see the original dragon, it must have been incredibly powerful." Reshiram and Zekrom were strong enough to destroy an entire region, what was the original dragon capable of? Giratina hadn't been able to beat that brat Akari, but he bet that dragon could.
"Agreed. It is a shame it was split in two. I could not imagine arguing with my brother to that point." Like always when his brother was mentioned, Emmet's eyes turned sad for a split second.
"It was split into three," Volo said with a smile. Emmet's expression turned to interest and Volo couldn't help but continue. "Reshiram and Zekrom everyone knows, but Kyurem is the third piece. The so called husk of the original."
"I have never heard of that Pokemon," Emmet said, setting his paper down.
"Because it makes for a better story if it's just two dragons," Volo said, wagging his finger, "that way both brothers get one. Also there are legends of Kyurem coming from space on an ice meteor near Lacunosa Town. Ever wonder why that town has a wall around it? Legends say Kyurem would wander out after dark to eat people and Pokemon."
Emmet's interested focus was solely on him. Like always it was a bit unnerving to be the subject of such laser like scrutiny, but Volo had long since gotten used to it. He quite enjoyed it at times like this.
"Is that true?" Emmet asked, leaning in a tiny bit.
Volo raised his hands and shrugged. "There are a lot of missing people reports in that town, but a lot of them have been solved over the years and the people definitely weren't eaten. I think people just jumped to conclusions after someone-"
"I hate to cut you off." Emmet said, eyes shifting to something behind Volo. He actually did look sorry which was a surprise. "Mr. Lawrence is leaving."
Volo tilted his head to look behind him surreptitiously, spying their target walking down the street. With a nod at Emmet, he got up and casually followed. Emmet put some bills on the table for their waitress and soon fell into step beside him.
They followed behind at a good distance, but not too far that they'd lose sight of him. Lawrence didn't leave his mansion very often, which meant they had a small window to act in before they'd have to stake out the place and wait yet again.
Emmet had been opposed to using threats, but Lawrence had flat out turned down their bid for the flute. It had been a substantial sum of money too, one that had Emmet raising his brows at. Volo had little use for the vast amount of money he'd accumulated over his long life, so long as he had enough to pursue his goals, that was enough for him.
They had no idea where Lawrence was going, but it turned out to be a busy park so he could let his Furfrou run around. Volo and Emmet sat down on a nearby bench and watched people and Pokemon frolic about without a care in the world.
"Please continue with what you were saying earlier," Emmet said after it was apparent they were going to be sitting there for a while.
"Where was I?" Volo asked, attention captured by a Growlithe chasing after a pair of Sentret. He was struck with a sudden pang of loss for his own Arcanine. She had died many, many years ago though, so he shoved the feeling down.
"People jumping to conclusions." Emmet supplied helpfully. Thankfully his attention was elsewhere and he didn't see Volo's momentary melancholy mood.
"Oh, right. People probably saw Kyurem and just blamed everything on it since they didn't know what it was. It happens all the time. Take Absols for example, they've been mistreated for centuries because people didn't bother to try and understand." The same could be said for Spiritombs, though in their case their bad reputation was kind of earned. His own Spiritomb had been a pain in the ass, but a loyal one.
Emmet turned to look at him, those sliver eyes intense. Volo looked away back at Lawrence, lest he wander off somewhere.
"You are passionate about this." Emmet stated. It was said as a fact, and Volo hated that it was true.
"I don't like misinformation," Volo said simply. He always strove for the truth in the myths he loved so much, and it had bled into the rest of his life at some point.
Emmet nodded and finally released Volo from his intense stare. "Ingo is much the same." Not was, but is. Emmet was still so certain that his brother would come back despite the five year absence. Volo wasn't so certain. If they did get Celebi's flute, he planned on using it to go back to the moment before Akari beat him and turn the tides of battle against her. He had no plans on bringing Emmet with him, but he supposed it didn't matter if Emmet came along for the ride. He would be stuck in the past with his brother, but that was none of Volo's concern.
They sat there in companionable silence as the cries of various Pokemon rang out over the park and the wind blew a pleasant breeze. It was a nice day, and Volo wanted nothing more than to find a quiet secluded place outside the city and take a nap. He'd gotten used to modern civilization over the many years, but nothing beat out nature.
Lawrence finally called his Furfrou back and left the park with Volo and Emmet not far behind him. To Volo's delight, Lawrence lead them to more secluded streets with a lot less people to get in the way. Now all they needed to do was pull him into an alley and make their demands.
As if he read his mind, Lawrence turned down a barren side road. Volo and Emmet shared a glance before heading in after him.
Volo had a split second to register the Pyroar standing before him before its flames roared straight for him. He jumped to the side, Emmet doing the same in the other direction, and somehow they managed to avoid the flames. Too bad that wasn't the end of the onslaught. The Furfrou came barreling down the alley aiming for Emmet while an Umbreon prepared to send a Dark Pulse at Volo.
Now this was the kind of Pokemon battle he liked, where the trainers were in just as much danger as their Pokemon. He sent out his Togekiss as Emmet's Eelektross jumped from its Pokeball to tackle the Furfrou away from its trainer.
The Umbreon let loose the Dark Pulse and Princess ate it up like it was nothing. "Moonblast!" Volo called out, scrambling to get up and looking for Lawrence. He was standing behind his Pokemon, looking fierce. So old money had a spine, who knew.
The fairy move went sailing toward the Umbreon who almost managed to avoid it. The blast clipped its hindquarters as it jumped away and it cried out in pain. Volo released his Garchomp who went flying toward the Pyroar.
He didn't have to order his Pokemon around, they had long learned how he wanted them to move during battle, so he took off straight for Lawrence. The man didn't run, too attached to his Pokemon to leave them behind. He did throw a punch as Volo neared, but he was woefully outclassed as a fighter.
Volo dodged and grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it up behind him and forcing him to the ground in one fluid motion. "Call them off before we beat them down." Volo said, other hand keeping him pinned down. He glanced up and the Pyroar was dodging Slash after Slash from Chomper, while the Umbreon struggled to keep away from Princess. Emmet's Eelektross had the Furfrou paralyzed and twitching on the ground while Emmet stared at Volo. Why the hell was he staring at him? Emmet should be more focused on Lawrence or the other Pokemon, not Volo.
Whatever, it didn't matter because Lawrence called out, "Cease! I concede!" All the Pokemon stopped what they were doing, though the air was still tense.
"Why are you following me?! If you want money you won't get it!" Lawrence cried out, still struggling against Volo's grip. Volo twisted Lawrence's arm a little more, enough for the man underneath him to finally stop.
"We don't want your money, we want the time flute." Volo said. No need to beat around the bush, their hand had been forced.
"What? No! That is a prized heirloom of my family!" Lawrence started struggling again and his Pokemon were tensing up, ready to resume their attack.
"Dammit Emmet, stop being useless and come get his Pokeballs." Volo said, tossing his head to get the hair out of his face as he looked up at him. Emmet shook himself and hurried over, grabbing the Pokeballs and recalling Lawrence's Pokemon.
"Now, want to reconsider?" Volo asked sweetly.
Lawrence shook under him, gnashing his teeth. "You both will be persecuted for this! I will make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your lives!"
"Uh-huh, I'm scared. The flute? We will take it by force, but I'm more than willing to pay for it. Your choice," Volo said.
Recognition sparked in Lawrence's eyes. "The buyers from last week were you? I already told you it isn't for sale!"
"Then we steal it," Volo said simply.
"No!" Lawrence said. Volo could tell he was warring with himself, considering all his options, and unfortunately for him all options lead to the relinquishment of the flute.
"Then sell it to us and be done with this," Volo said reasonably. He could feel Lawrence tensing up under him, but finally he submitted.
"Double the price." Lawrence glared up at him, daring him to turn it down.
"Deal." Volo grabbed Lawrence by the back of his jacket and hauled him up to his feet. He could feel Emmet tense in surprise beside him, but he ignored it.
"What?" Lawrence said, looking flabbergasted as Volo helpfully dusted him off. Volo recalled his Pokemon and after a second Emmet did as well.
"Double the price, like you asked." Volo smiled at him, taking a step back to give the man some room. Now that the fight was over, Lawrence didn't seem to know what to do. Emmet either for that matter.
"I… Are you serious?" Lawrence said. Volo could understand his disbelief, it was now a tremendous sum of money.
"As a heart attack. Come, lets head to the bank shall we?" Volo put his hand on the small of Lawrence's back and guided him out of the side road. Emmet trailed behind and Volo could feel his stare on the back of his head. He should be paying attention to Lawrence in case the man bolted, but no, all his focus was on Volo.
It was hard to ignore the intensity of Emmet's gaze, but ignore it he did. He casually started a conversation with Lawrence, keeping the man calm as they navigated through the city streets. His hand never once left Lawrence's back, a constant reminder of the position Lawrence was in. For his credit, Lawrence didn't bolt, he joined the conversation easily enough, though he seemed a bit dazed at everything that had just happened.
The trip to the bank was quick and easy and they agreed to transfer half now, half after Volo received the flute. After the first transfer, they headed to Lawrence's mansion and Volo finally held it, the flute said to summon Celebi. It was a simple wooden flute, a pretty curling vine pattern painted onto its surface. He'd held several supposed time flutes in his lifetime, but every time he couldn't help the thrill humming through him at the prospect of using it.
Volo grinned at Emmet as he held their prize and he was momentarily taken aback by Emmet's expression. It was pure desire, a hunger he couldn't quite hide. So that's why he was staring, he wanted Volo right then and there. Volo's grin turned wicked, the tension in the air ramping up. Lawrence glanced between the two of them and cleared his throat, reminding him of their deal. Volo immediately turned his attention back to Lawrence, his grin melting into a smile. He reassured the man as easy as breathing and off they were back to the bank.
A short while later Lawrence was safely back at his mansion with his Pokemon returned to him and several times richer. Volo and Emmet walked down the street, Volo still inspecting the flute and grinning to himself at how tense Emmet was beside him.
"We should find a hotel," Emmet said, not looking at him for once, focus trained in front of him. Volo liked to imagine that Emmet wouldn't hold back if he kept staring, that he'd drag Volo into an alley and take what he wanted.
"Why?" Volo said teasingly, "It's the middle of the day, and we need to head to Ilex Forest."
Emmet made a frustrated noise, but he didn’t try to argue. There was no argument unless he admitted he didn’t want to wait to get his hands on Volo. It was exciting, knowing that Emmet was so turned on and it was all his doing. It was even better knowing that he hadn't even tried.
They took the first bus out of town heading toward Cherrygrove City where they would then take a short hike to the next town. It'd take them a few days to get to Ilex forest, but that was fine. Volo had waited this long, he could wait a bit longer. And after all, if this flute worked he'd have nothing but time.
As they boarded the bus, Volo made sure to place a hand on the small of Emmet's back. It had Emmet tensing up, just as Volo hoped it would. He continued his teasing by resting his hand on Emmet's thigh once they sat down. In the crowded bus Emmet was helpless to do anything but sit there. Volo rubbed his thumb in soothing little circles which had Emmet practically vibrating next to him.
The tension was suffocating, and it didn’t get much better when they left the bus behind for their hike. Volo walked close enough to Emmet that their shoulders kept brushing against each other. He kept looking out of the corner of his eye at Emmet, letting his gaze linger, and he could tell it was driving Emmet up the wall. Emmet wasn't too bad to look at Volo admitted to himself, though his hair was goofy.
It was just getting dark when they reached the next city over, and neither of them wanted to keep traveling. Volo could feel the tension in his own body at the prospect of getting his hands on Emmet, so he had no objections when Emmet beelined to a hotel. The wait to check in was excruciating, as was the elevator ride up to their room. Volo knew damn good and well that if there wasn't another passenger in the elevator with them they would have been on each other in a heartbeat.
The moment the hotel room door closed and they shed their backpacks, Emmet pounced. He shoved Volo back against the door and kissed him like he was drowning and the only air to be found was on Volo's lips. Volo tried to give as good as he got, but Emmet was on a mission and it left Volo breathless. Emmet didn't relinquish his lips as he pulled him toward the bed, but Emmet's feet caught in the straps of their backpacks and they fell to the floor gracelessly with Volo on top.
Volo couldn't help but laugh once he caught his breath. He felt giddy with the triumph of the day and the desire flooding through him. "Moron." Volo said, though it had little bite in it.
Emmet laughed too, a sound that Volo didn't get to hear often. There was no time to appreciate it, Emmet was back on him in a heartbeat. He rolled them over and pressed down against Volo, determined to kiss him stupid. It was working.
Volo had to turn his head away from the kiss to catch his breath and Emmet took the opportunity to go after his throat. He sucked on Volo's adam's apple as he slid his hands up Volo's shirt, causing Volo to squirm under his touch and grip the back of Emmet's coat. He hated himself that he let Emmet undo him like that, but he couldn't really complain at the moment.
Emmet kissed his way back to Volo's mouth as his hips ground down, pressing their lengths together. It was like a shock went through him and he moaned into the kiss. Emmet eagerly swallowed the sound, his hips never ceasing their movement.
Volo tugged Emmet's head back by the hair, not only to catch his breath, but to say, "you are not fucking me on a hotel floor."
"Then get up," Emmet said, his voice husky in a way that Volo had never heard before. It was like a gut punch and he quickly got to his feet. Emmet shrugged off his coat and kicked off his shoes as Volo did the same, but that was all the time he had to compose himself before Emmet was back on him, kissing him hard.
Rough hands grabbed at the front of Volo's pants and fumbled to undo the button with how eager he was. Volo would have teased him if he wasn't too busy trying to undo Emmet's shirt buttons before the bastard pulled away again. He got half of them done before he had to kick his pants off and Emmet was shoving him back onto the bed.
Volo scooted back toward the pillows as Emmet crawled over him and pressed him down. Emmet couldn't get enough of him and it was exhilarating. Once again he was the center of the world as far as Emmet was concerned and Volo could only bask in the feeling.
Volo waited until Emmet was distracted by their kiss before rolling him over and determinately undoing his shirt. Volo's hands slid up Emmet's bare chest, brushing against his nipples. Emmet made a delicious noise at that so Volo kept playing with them as he kissed his way down Emmet's jaw and neck. Emmet slid his hand into Volo's hair, undoing his messy bun. Volo was starting to think Emmet had a thing for his hair with how he took it down at every opportunity.
Volo kept going on his journey down Emmet's neck, taking the time to bite down and suck at the hurt, eliciting a moan from Emmet. Unlike Volo, Emmet's bruises would last for more than a few hours. Volo moaned at the thought of Emmet walking around with a mark he had made.
He trailed kisses down Emmet's chest, circling one of Emmet's nipples with his tongue before continuing south. Emmet's breathing was shaky, exactly what Volo wanted. Volo dipped his tongue into Emmet's belly button as he played with the fastener on Emmet's pants, teasing him until he could feel Emmet tremble under him.
Finally, Volo undid Emmet's pants and pulled him out, giving Emmet no time to relax before Volo took him into his mouth. Emmet gasped and bucked up, almost making Volo choke, but he pulled back enough to prevent it. He held Emmet's hips down as he took him back into his mouth again. Emmet was big, but Volo had years and years of experience. He shifted and relaxed his throat, slowly but steadily taking Emmet into his mouth until his nose hit curls. Emmet whimpered, a sound that Volo wanted desperately to hear again.
He swallowed around Emmet and was rewarded with another sweet sound and the feeling of Emmet's hand tensing in his hair. Volo slowly pulled off, giving himself a moment to breathe before going right back down. Emmet couldn’t stop trembling under him, his breathing turning into pants that were constantly being interrupted by moans. Volo kept the pace slow, not only for his own benefit but to drag out as many sounds as he could from Emmet's lips. He could feel Emmet's restraint in his hand, forcing himself not to speed Volo up. Maybe some other day Volo would let Emmet set the pace, but for now he was reveling in the power.
It was almost embarrassing how little time it took for Emmet to tense up under Volo's hands, a sure sign he was close. Volo had every intention of blowing him through his orgasm, but Emmet pulled him up by the hair before he could come. The tug of his hair had Volo moaning, and Emmet dragged him up his body for a crushing kiss.
Volo found himself on his back once more as Emmet practically attacked his neck with lips and teeth. The hand in his hair kept his head pulled to the side, giving Emmet plenty of room to work with. Emmet bit down hard as he grabbed Volo's length and stroked him fast. Volo arched against him with a moan, eyes sliding closed. He knew Emmet was trying to mark him, he had been for a while now, but Volo just wouldn't stay bruised for long. He almost wanted to, to show the world what Emmet had done to him, if only because he knew it would drive Emmet wild.
Emmet didn't stay on him for long. He slid off the bed to fetch the lube and condoms, leaving a cold void where he just was. Volo turned to his side to watch Emmet tear into his backpack, propping up his head as he stroked himself nice and slow. When Emmet turned back around, he paused with a dazed look. It didn’t last long though, he was back on the bed and kissing him before Volo could really process what it meant.
Emmet wasted no time in getting the lube open and sliding a finger into Volo. No matter how often they fucked or how desperate they were, Emmet had never once skipped that step.
"You are always verrrry tight." Emmet said, voice strained as he slid his finger in and out of Volo.
"Can't help it," Volo said honestly, voice just as strained. He relaxed into the intrusion as Emmet slid a second finger inside, hand moving fast into Volo. Right as Volo was about to tell him to hurry it up, Emmet pulled his fingers out and slide a condom onto himself, kissing Volo deeply as he pressed inside.
The stretch, like always, was nice and Emmet didn’t give him a chance to get used to him before he was thrusting hard and fast. After a whole day of anticipating this moment, it didn't take long before Volo was shaking. He wasn't going to last long at all, and he would feel embarrassed if he didn't know Emmet was in the same boat. Volo reached down and stroked himself just as fast as Emmet's hips were going and he could feel his orgasm barreling towards him.
Just when he thought he was going to come, Emmet grabbed his wrist and stopped him, his hips slowing down until his thrusts were shallow. Volo whined and writhed under Emmet as his orgasm left him. He glared up at Emmet, face flushed and panting. "Don't fucking stop!"
Emmet grinned a shaky grin and Volo realized he had been just as close. Emmet leaned over Volo and said, "I am not stopping any time soon. I will drag this out until you are screaming."
Volo's dick twitched in his hand at the thought and he moaned, leaning his head back and taking a shaky breath. Emmet kept up his shallow, slow thrusts until they were both edged back from their orgasms. It was a blessing when Emmet sped up again, quickly returning to his previous pace. The bed creaked with the force of Emmet's thrusts and Volo shook from it.
Volo's toes curled as he felt his orgasm creeping back up to him. He closed his eyes and panted wanting nothing more than to come, but yet again Emmet slowed down. Volo didn't though, he kept stroking himself fast, chasing after that bliss.
Emmet grabbed his wrist again and pinned it above Volo's head and the feeling of being manhandled almost set him off. When was the last time he was with someone strong enough to overpower him? He couldn't remember, couldn't really think at the moment.
Even though he was slowly inching away from his orgasm, he couldn't stop shaking. Emmet wasn't doing any better, leaning over Volo and sucking in breath like he couldn't get enough air. Sweat slid down the side of Emmet's face and his eyes were the most intense Volo had ever seen them. They pinned Volo down and it felt like Emmet could see right through him. It was both incredibly terrifying and sexy at the same time.
This time, instead of quickly ramping up the pace, Emmet kept things slow and steady. For some reason it was even hotter than getting his brains fucked out and all he could do was close his eyes and let the pleasure course through him.
Lips met his and he didn't hesitate to return the kiss, his free hand going into Emmet's sweaty hair. Slowly but surely Emmet's thrusts got harder and Emmet slid his lips across Volo's face to kiss at his jaw. Volo moaned loudly into Emmet's ear, trembling so hard he thought he might fall apart. For the third time that night his orgasm came at him like a freight train and this time Emmet let him come. Volo wasn't sure if he screamed or not, his world whited out and his ears rang with pure bliss.
He kept his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath afterward, absolutely spent. Emmet pulled away from him after what could have been seconds, could have been years for all Volo knew.
He was starting to drift off when droplets of cold water were flicked onto him. He gasped and jerked upright, glaring at Emmet who was holding out a glass of water for him. Volo blinked, taken by surprise. He took the glass and drained it gratefully as Emmet sat down on the other end of the bed.
"We must travel through Union Cave tomorrow. We will need more supplies," Emmet said as if they hadn't just had a round of mind-blowing sex.
Volo smiled, ever the pragmatic Emmet. "We'll stock up tomorrow."
Emmet nodded and then tilted his head in contemplation. "I cannot play a flute."
Volo huffed a laugh. "Just now worrying about that?" Emmet narrowed his eyes at Volo, though his smile remained loose and genuine. "Don't worry, I can play."
"Good. We should have no problems then," Emmet said as if that were the end of that.
Volo leaned back against the pillow and watched Emmet as he began discussing their route through the cave. Emmet was relaxed, more so than Volo had ever seen him before. But the same could probably be said about himself too. When was the last time he actually felt comfortable enough to doze off during a conversation? He wasn't going to of course, that would be embarrassing.
Emmet's low voice was like a lullaby though and before he knew it he was waking up the next morning. Thank Arceus Emmet hadn't done anything sappy such as cover him up with a blanket, Volo would have killed him if he had. Still, how fucking embarrassing. Emmet didn't say anything as they got ready for the day though, so at least Volo could save a little face.
As they set out for another long day of traveling, Volo couldn't contain his giddiness. Soon, soon they would know if this flute was the real one, and if it were, soon he would be able to correct the biggest failure in his life.