Vash wants a new nickname.
It's a silly thing to be annoyed about (he's not that annoyed), but he expected someone like Wolfwood, who dishes out nicknames like it's nothing, would give him a more affectionate pet name, especially after dancing around each other and confessing their feelings, the whole spiel. They haven't been together for that long, but still, Vash thought Wolfwood would give him a better term of endearment than just spikey, or blondie—he's not even blond anymore!
Okay, maybe he's a bit too fixated on this, but he can't help it after overhearing a couple while out on an errand in town with Wolfwood. He was waiting by the bench alone while Wolfwood was busy getting a few things at the store.
"Honey, do you want anything?"
Vash looks over to see the couple entering the store. They're an older couple, judging by the rings on their fingers and grey strands on their head. He's out of earshot when the husband answers his wife. A few minutes later, a younger couple exits the store that piques Vash's interest.
"Do you want to grab ice cream, babe?"
"Sure," her boyfriend answers. "I'm getting chocolate. What do you want?"
Vash should ask if Wolfwood wants some ice cream, too. He also wants a cute pet name after eavesdropping on the couples. What would he like? He waits a couple of more minutes thinking about nicknames until he sees Wolfwood with a bag of groceries.
"Let's go, spikey," Wolfwood says while walking up to him. When Vash pouts in response, Wolfwood raises a brow at him. "What?"
Vash shakes his head. "Nothing. Let's get some ice cream."
He wants a disgustingly sweet pet name.
Vash brings it up to Wolfwood when they are making breakfast together for everyone. Actually, Wolfwood is making breakfast while Vash is in charge of the toaster and heating up everyone's toast to their liking.
"Spikey, can you pass me the milk?" Wolfwood asks, stirring the beaten egg in the pan.
Vash purses his lips. "Can't you call me something else?" he grumbles, grabbing the milk from the fridge and passing it to Wolfwood.
Wolfwood takes the milk and pours a bit into the pan. "What do you mean?"
Vash fidgets while starting at the toaster. "Like something better than spikey."
Wolfwood glances at him, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Vash avoids his gaze. "Like something…cute."
"Cute," Wolfwood parrots.
"Yes."
"Well I find spikey cute."
Vash huffs. The toaster makes a sound that the slices of bread are done heating. He replaces them with bagels and pushes down the knob to start toasting them. "I meant something more intimate." Vash cringes at his cheesy request. "You're good at nicknames." He continues to ignore the look Wolfwood is shooting at him by staring at the toaster.
Wolfwood hums as he thinks. "What, something like babe? Or baby?"
Vash makes a face. He doesn't like those. "I'm too old for that."
"Okay, old man."
Vash pouts. "Maybe I should call you a meanie."
Wolfwood chuckles. "Right." He finishes cooking the scramble eggs, putting the pile on a plate, ready to be served. "Tell me what you like."
"It's not the same when I think of one! You gotta pick it!"
Wolfwood rolls his eyes as he sets the plate of eggs on the table. "Whatever you want, sweetheart."
Vash flushes at that one. It sounds nice, and it scratches a particular spot in his brain.
"Don't tell me you like that one," Wolfwood says behind him.
Vash reddens even more. "No! I mean—it's nice but maybe something less cheesy…" He jumps when Wolfwood's face pops into view, standing right next to him to take a look at his face.
Wolfwood grins at him. "You do like it."
"No!" Vash complains. His red face tells Wolfwood otherwise.
"Sure, you don't." Wolfwood still shoots him with a smug look. "Anyways, we gotta tell everyone that breakfast is ready.
Vash complains under his breath. He does not like sweetheart.
The next time Wolfwood calls him sweetheart Vash almost misses it.
It's a rowdy evening with the kids playing board games. Vash and Livio join in on the fun while Wolfwood is content to just watch from his spot on the couch. When Melanie bakes cookies to snack on, everyone takes a break from playing until it's back to business. After a couple of rounds, Vash lets the kids have their own fun and joins Wolfwood on the couch. Vash starts yawning not long after and rests his head on Wolfwood's shoulder, making himself comfortable by shuffling closer and pressing his side against the other. Wolfwood leans closer to give him easy access to his shoulder.
"Tired already?" Wolfwood asks.
"Hmm." Vash tucks his hand under Wolfwood's. "It's hard work playing with everyone." His head jostles slightly from Wolfwood letting out a snort.
"I'm sure." Wolfwood reaches over to card his finger through Vash's hair.
The chatter in the background becomes white noise to Vash as he gets sleepier and sleepier, especially with Wolfwood being so warm next to him. Soon, he falls asleep.
Vash wakes up briefly when he's lifted in Wolfwood's arms. The orphanage is dark as Wolfwood carries him to bed. When Wolfwood takes off his prosthetic and pulls the covers over him, he spots Vash gaze on him.
"Go back to sleep, sweetheart," Wolfwood whispers, petting his head.
Vash hums before reaching for the other man. "Stay with me?"
Wolfwood answers by slipping under the covers and throwing his arm around his middle. He buries his face into Vash's hair and sighs after breathing in his scent. Vash purrs happily and falls back to sleep.
Vash gets a nightmare.
He wakes up with tears on his face and a racing heart, remembering the images shown in his dream when he destroyed a city. The horror causes him to crawl under the bedsheets and cry silently for the next hour.
There's a knock on the door. "Spikey? You awake? Breakfast is ready."
Vash clears his throat, hoping his voice sounds convincing. "Just sleeping in. I'll be there in a bit."
It's silent for a few seconds until he hears the door knob turn. Vash curls further into himself.
"Pardon the intrusion," Wolfwood says lightly, entering the room and closing the door behind him.
Vash hears Wolfwood hum behind him before rounding the bed to stand in front of him. The bed dips where Wolfwood sits at the edge of the mattress. Wolfwood pulls the covers off Vash's head to look at his face, seeing his red eyes and the wetness on his skin. Vash doesn't look at him, but he can see Wolfwood's shoulders droop from the corner of his eye.
Wolfwood wipes the wetness away from one of Vash's cheeks. "Rough night?"
Vash closes his eyes. His silence is enough of an answer.
Wolfwood clicks his tongue before moving, lifting the bedsheets and shifting closer, causing Vash to make a confused noise.
"What are you doing?" Vash rasps.
Wolfwood slides under the sheets and settles close next to Vash. He wiggles an arm under Vash's head and throws his other arm around his middle. "I'm sleeping in," he answers, resting his chin on top of Vash's head.
Vash stares at the exposed skin of Wolfwood's neck. He doesn't realize he's shaking until Wolfwood combs his fingers in his hair and lets out a shaky breath. Vash cries all over again.
"Nothing to cry about, sweetheart."
Vash cries for a different reason, thinking about how he got lucky to be where he is right now.
Vash wakes up with a headache and sniffling. Yesterday, he noticed his body feeling a bit tired. He hoped sleeping in early would get rid of the lingering exhaustion but it didn't, feeling worn out despite sleeping through the night. Sighing, he gets up and gets ready for the day. There's a lot of errands to do.
He manages to help Miss Melanie with breakfast for everyone, attempting (and failing) to hide his sniffles from her. Vash tells her he's okay when she looks at him with concern. Next, he works on the garden, moving sluggishly as he plants new seeds and picks the vegetables that are ripened. He grooms the tomas in the stables and then joins Livio to pick up baked goods at the local bakery. When he arrives back at the orphanage, the kids ask him if he'll come outside to play in the courtyard. By the time evening rolls around, Vash is dragging his feet from how tired he is. He's almost falling asleep at the table while eating his food.
When he gets up to clean the table, Wolfwood stops him with a hand on his chest and takes his plate away from him.
"Oh, no you don't. You look like you're gonna fall over."
Vash blinks at Wolfwood and sniffles. "No I'm not."
Wolfwood gives him a stern look. "You looked like you were dragging dead weight all day. Judging by how congested you sound, you're getting a cold."
"A cold?" He hasn't had a cold in years.
"Now go to bed," Wolfwood says, nudging backwards.
"But—"
Wolfwood kisses him on the temple, avoiding his lips so he doesn't get sick. "Go rest, sweetheart."
Vash pouts at Wolfwood for weaponizing his kiss and the pet name to make him do what he says. "Fine." He says goodnight to everyone and retires to his room to wash up. Before laying in bed, he grabs a book to read since it's a bit early to fall asleep just yet. He gets through two pages before he passes out from exhaustion.
The next day, Vash is coughing and sneezing, confirming he has a cold. He whines and complains about being sick to Wolfwood while the other looks after him for the next couple of days, bringing him soup and brushing his fingers through his hair while he sleeps.
Vash sees it coming after he gets a bit too flirty, pushing Wolfwood's buttons, giving the other heated looks and always trying to make contact, whether it's innocently hooking his ankle around Wolfwood's or brushing a hand across his body—above the waist of course.
Wolfwood jumps him before he can say goodnight. Vash lets himself be dragged into his room and pushed against the wall, loving the rough hands on his waist.
Wolfwood breathes heavily against his ear. "Are you trying to hog my attention?"
Vash slides his arms around Wolfwood's shoulders, grinning cheekily at his words. "Is it working?"
"If you don't stop pawing at me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Wolfwood huffs at his response before leaning to press his lips to his neck. Vash tilts his head to give Wolfwood more room, sighing when teeth brush his skin. The hands on his waist slip under his shirt while the mouth on his neck slides lower to where his neck meets his shoulder.
"What do you want, sweetheart?" Wolfwood murmurs, squeezing his middle.
Vash shivers at the pet name, dragging his fingers into Wolfwood's hair. "You."
Wolfwood chuckles and leaves a kiss on his exposed shoulder. "You already have me."
"You know what I mean."
"Do I?"
Grumbling, Vash moves his hands to grab Wolfwood's jaw and drags the other to his mouth to kiss him.
Vash sits at the tables and stares at Wolfwood's back while the other cooks eggs by the stove. He rests his hand on his chin and thinks: just a while ago, he was in the kitchen asking Wolfwood to give him a pet name and now he's grown accustomed to sweetheart.
Wolfwood feels his gaze on him and peeks over his shoulder. "What're you staring at?"
"Nothing," Vash hums.
"Sure," Wolfwood answers doubtfully.
After some more thinking, with thoughts of what pet names Wolfwood likes, Vash walks over to hug the other, burying his face into Wolfwood's shoulder.
"Can I help you, spikey?"
Vash shakes his head. They stand like that, with Wolfwood working away at the stove while Vash clings to him. He hooks his chin over Wolfwood's shoulder to grab the other's attention. Wolfwood glances at him.
"I love you, sweetheart," Vash says cheekily.
Wolfwood blinks at him before clearing his throat and looking away. "Really? Right in front of the eggs?"
Vash laughs, seeing the red on Wolfwood's cheeks and ears.
Wolfwood turns off the stove and turns towards him, grabbing his face and pulling him closer. "Get over here."
Vash happily lets himself be dragged and kissed with a pet name falling off Wolfwood's lips.