Purrfect comfort

Vash wakes up from the sun hitting his face.

He rubs his eyes, letting out a yawn, and flops to lie on his other side. Squinting his eyes, Wolfwood is sound asleep next to him, half his face pressed into the pillow. Vash stretches his arm to brush a thumb across his cheek—he can do this now without hiding his feelings.

He and Wolfwood are together, more than just partners who travel together for the sake of convenience and a common goal. Between Wolfwood almost dying and saving him with Plant powers, Vash couldn’t go another day without telling him how important he was to him.

Vash confessed right after Wolfwood woke up in the infirmary on the floating ship.

He was exhausted after fighting Legato, his brother, everyone, using up too much power that he knows will have consequences in the future. So when Wolfwood woke up while he was keeping vigil, he was too happy to care about confessing while sobbing.

Wolfwood gave him a look of bewilderment when the first thing he saw was him crying and quickly attempted to calm him down. Hearing Vash confess got him to blurt out a me too and kiss him to stop his crying. Vash ended up lying on the hospital bed next to him until the doctors found them. He got a scolding for not alerting anyone that Wolfwood was awake, but he was too happy to care.

When Wolfwood recovered from his injuries, he asked Vash to stay at the orphanage with him.

Vash couldn’t stay. He has to clean up what his brother started and work with Earth’s fleet to spread resources across the planet so surviving could be less harsh. A responsibility he imposed on himself.

Wolfwood decided to come with him, quoting, “Can’t have you feeling lonely.”

They said goodbye to Miss Melanie and everyone and set off on Wolfwood’s motorcycle.

It’s been months since then, but it feels like yesterday. Most of their time was spent travelling from town to town or wherever Chronica needed him. Having her and Earth’s protection made travelling easy without anyone coming after his head, making his bounty null. Vash helped the engineers understand Plants more, making sure they knew what they were doing, while Wolfwood acted like a glorified bodyguard.

There’s more greenery on the planet with everyone’s collective effort, growing more types of plants—the vegetable and fruit kind—made easier with the help of Earth’s technology. Considerable progress was made in just a few months.

Vash is glad Wolfwood was with him throughout all of it, keeping him company.

Not much has changed between the two. They’ve cared for each other before. That hasn’t changed. What’s different is now they can express it. Wolfwood shows it by being attentive, buying him donuts at the end of a hard day, shooing away people who pester Vash (in admiration or disdain), and all-around making sure he’s okay. Vash does his best to reciprocate, though he realizes the best way he shows it is through touch. That’s hard when he both craves it but is averse to it, second-guessing when he wants to initiate contact, cautious of Wolfwood having his own issues with touch too.

Wolfwood notices, of course, telling him, “I don’t want you hurting yourself for overthinking. If you want to do it just do it. And besides.” He gives him a grin. “It’s not like we’re hiding anything anymore.”

So Vash worries a bit less, sticking to simple things like leaning his head on Wolfwood, resting a hand on his back, and sleeping a little closer to him.

Kissing is a blushing ordeal, but they’re getting over it.

Vash continues tracing his fingers across Wolfwood’s sleeping face, pulling away when he rouses.

Wolfwood blinks his eyes open. “Poking me in my sleep?”

Vash smiles. “Sorry.”

Eyes closed again, Wolfwood grunts as he shifts, wrapping an arm around Vash and bringing him closer. Vash’s heart races at the proximity.

“What’s our next stop?” Wolfwood asks.

Vash thinks—he finished helping out this town’s engineers yesterday. Chronica said it was one of the last towns to check up on, and that the Earth Federation can take care of things from there. Most Plants on the planet have been cared for and more and more greenery has spread across the land. Maybe he can relax after months of running around.

“Everything’s been taken care of. I'm on vacation now.”

Wolfwood snorts. “Then I’ll sleep in a bit longer.”

Vash whines. “It’s almost midday! We should go try out the bakery across the street!”

“Fine.” Wolfwood sighs dramatically. He lets go of Vash to climb out of bed, heading towards the bathroom.

Vash curls up in the sheets while Wolfwood rummages around. He hears water running followed by a curse. The water is freezing.

“Y’know,” Wolfwood starts, “for coming all the way here you would think they’ll give us better hospitality.”

From the months of travelling and sleeping in either the desert or barely functional inns, they’re getting tired. Well, Wolfwood more so. While the Earth Federation looked after the Plants in more established cities and towns, Vash was tasked to help the ones on the outskirts. The only respite is that they don’t have to run or hide from Vash’s bounty anymore.

Maybe they should find a place to stay long-term.

The floating ship is an option. But that’s not Wolfwood’s scene, neither is it Vash’s after spending so long outside. He loves his family there, but he doesn’t think it’s the best option. Though it’s a place they’re familiar with if they have nowhere to go.

They can build something, but where? They’re on the outskirts of December, maybe—

Hopeland Orphanage is nearby.

“Nick,” Vash calls.

Wolfwood pokes his head out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth.

“Do you…want to visit Hopeland?” Vash tenses for suggesting it, unsure how Wolfwood would respond.

Wolfwood considers it for a moment. “Sure, haven’t been there in a while now.”

Vash lets out a breath.

A day later, they’re on their way to the orphanage on Wolfwood’s motorcycle. They pass through town before driving up the hill, the familiar building visible at the top. It looks bigger than last time when they left. There are also small decorative shrubs around it.

As they approach, they see Livio outside hanging up the laundry. He turns around, hearing the motor of the bike, waving happily once he recognizes them.

“Nico! Vash!” Livio shouts.

Wolfwood cuts the engine, hopping off. Vash climbs out of the sidecar and follows suit. Livio runs up to them and gives Wolfwood a big hug with tears in his eyes.

“How’s it going, Liv?” Wolfwood wheezes.

Livio pulls back. “I didn’t think I’d see you this soon!”

“Yeah, well, Vash decided he wanted to spend his vacation here.” Wolfwood points behind him.

Vash, who’s idling behind Wolfwood, rubs his neck as Livio turns to him. Livio scoops Vash into a hug too.

Vash lets out an oof. He pats Livio on the back. “How’s it going, Livio?”

Livio loosens the hug. “The kids are keeping me busy.”

The front door of the orphanage opens. Miss Melanie pokes her head outside. “What’s all the commotion?” Her face lights up when she sees Wolfwood and Vash. “Nicholas!”

Melanie walks up and gives an equally strong hug to Wolfwood. She reaches an arm towards Vash, motioning him to come closer. “Come here, honey.”

Vash blushes at the term of endearment for someone like him—from Melanie, no less—and joins the warm hug.

A voice shouts from the entrance. “Nico is back!”

The sound of hurried footsteps fills the air as a group of kids surrounds them. Wolfwood breaks the hug to greet them, bending down for the smaller ones.

Wolfwood pats one of the kids on the head. “Hey squirts, not giving Miss Melanie too much trouble?”

The kids shout out various nope. One of the youngest ones points at something behind Wolfwood, at Vash.

“It’s the angel!”

All eyes divert to Vash, making him fluster at the attention, waving his hands. “I’m not—!”

Wolfwood claps him on the shoulder with a grin. “This is spikey, but you can call him Vash.”

Some yell out a spikey to greet him, and the same young kid precedes to call him an angel. Vash elbows Wolfwood.

Melanie, watching the scene unfold, claps her hands to grab everyone’s attention as she walks up to the commotion. “Alright, everyone! Nicholas and Vash need some rest. Please help Livio with the laundry while they settle in.”

They let out okays as they scurry towards Livio who welcomes the attention.

With everyone's attention away from them, Melanie turns to both men with a bright smile.“It’s good to see both of you.” She beckons at both of them towards the door. “Grab your belongings and come with me.”

Both men grab their things and follow Melanie into the building. Vash’s eyes skim the spaces they pass by—the living room, kitchen, laundry room—before heading towards the sleeping quarters.

“We added new rooms thanks to Earth’s help,” Melanie explains. “I have rooms for both of you. One of you can—”

“One room is fine,” Wolfwood interjects.

Vash flushes as he looks between her and Wolfwood—if Miss Melanie didn’t know something was going on between them, she knows now.

Melanie blinks unfazed. “Come this way.” She guides them further down the orphanage, stopping in front of a door and opening it to reveal a big room with a double bed accompanied by a drawer, closet, and private bathroom. They’ll need to furnish it some more.

“Here we are. Enough space for both of you.”

Vash nervously glances between Melanie and the room. They definitely got one of the better ones, bigger than they’ve got during their hotel stays. Was Miss Melanie expecting them and prepared the room beforehand?

Wolfwood doesn’t hesitate to enter the room.

Vash hangs back by the threshold with Melanie. “Are you sure? We can make do with a smaller room.” Going from almost run-down rooms and sleeping in the desert to an above-average, modest room makes Vash fidget.

“Nonsense! There’s plenty of room to spare.” Melanie quells his doubts with a smile. “Make yourself at home, dear.”

Home rings in Vash’s mind.

“I’ll leave you both to it. Let me know if you need anything, dinner will be ready soon.” Melanie informs before she leaves.

Vash stays standing by the door.

“Spikey.”

Vash jumps at the sound of Wolfwood’s voice. He looks over at Wolfwood by the dresser, putting away the little clothes they have.

“Come put your stuff away.”

Vash decides to file away his thoughts for later as he puts away his things—clothes, coat, and hiding away his trusted gun. While Wolfwood investigates the bathroom, Vash sits on the bed, bouncing on it to gauge its softness. It’s really soft, hotel beds were never this supple. Vash lays back with a sigh, spreading out his limbs across the mattress's surface and closing his eyes. He zones out, relishing the bed for a moment. Wolfwood shuffles out of the bathroom and climbs on the bed beside him.

“Isn’t the room too big?” Vash asks after Wolfwood has a moment relaxing on the bed as well.

Wolfwood shrugs. “I’m not complaining after spending months in shitty rooms.”

Vash isn’t complaining, he just feels it’s something he shouldn’t have.

Wolfwood reaches over to pinch his cheek, making him whine. “I can hear you overthinking. Melanie is gonna spoil us whether you like it or not, so get used to it.”

Vash relents with a pout. “Okay.”

Spending enough time resting on the bed and almost dozing off, they head to the kitchen for dinner. Vash meets all the kids at the orphanage, learning their names as conversations spring up. Everyone is loud and so is Wolfwood next to him. Vash doesn’t mind it, though, staying quiet as he observes everyone.

At one point, Wolfwood puts the spotlight on him, telling them about Vash being the best Plant engineer on the planet. The children listen with rapt attention when Vash picks up on the storytelling about their travels—sans the violence—and folks they’ve met.

After dinner, everyone heads to the living room. Vash continues reciting adventures until bedtime. He and Wolfwood help Miss Melanie tuck the children in bed before retiring for the day. In bed, Wolfwood pulls Vash close to his side and they both promptly pass out.

Their first night at the orphanage has them sleeping in until noon.

Vash wakes up first, eyes slowly opening. He’s well-rested—likely from sleeping on the bed the best he’s ever slept on—but still groggy. Turning to the side, he sees Wolfwood is still fast asleep. The sleepiness might be slowing his thoughts when he reaches out to wrap his arm around Wolfwood’s bicep and presses his forehead to his temple without his heartbeat quickening. Vash rubs his face against Wolfwood.

Wolfwood rouses from contact. “What’re you doing?” he slurs.

“Nothing,” Vash mumbles while smiling.

Wolfwood huffs before turning to face him, resting an arm on his waist and his chin on top of his head. He dozes off again.

“Wolfwood.”

No response. Vash pokes his side.

“What?” Wolfwood mumbles.

“We should get up. It’s past noon.”

“We’re on vacation.”

Vash gets the feeling Wolfwood doesn’t want to move and ruin the closeness they have going on—a rare and steadily growing thing. He doesn’t want to ruin it either, so he closes his eyes to rest a little longer.

The first couple of days have them familiarizing themselves with routines and overall ordinary ways of life. Melanie shows them around the orphanage—mostly to Vash—to get them situated. Not wanting to feel like freeloaders, both men help around with chores. Wolfwood is a natural at doing them. Vash fumbles a bit but gets the hang of it after a week.

It’s different. Both of them struggle to relax when there are no gunfights to finish, no Plants to look after, and no one chasing after them. After two weeks or so of leisure, they become restless in the form of waking up in the middle of the night.

Vash wakes up before dawn, his body not letting him rest longer than what he’s gotten in decades. He shuffles closer to Wolfwood’s body seeking comfort but meets nothing but sheets. Peering his eyes open, he looks across the room to find Wolfwood sitting by the open window with an elbow on its sill, smoking a cigarette. Wolfwood hasn’t smoked since he arrived at the orphanage. Vash crawls out of bed to walk over to him, shivering from the cool air entering from the opened window.

Wolfwood looks up at him with equally tired eyes. “Can't sleep?”

“Yeah,” Vash yawns, staring at Wolfwood’s slouched form for a moment, eyes listing between his eyes and lap before moving. He shifts to stand on either side of Wolfwood’s legs before sitting on his thighs. Wolfwood instinctively wraps his unoccupied arm around Vash’s middle. Vash wraps his only flesh arm around Wolfwood’s neck, leaning to rest his head on his shoulder. Wolfwood snuffs out the cigarette in favour of wrapping his other arm around Vash.

“Why’re you awake?” Vash mumbles.

“Bad dream,” Wolfwood answers. It’s the usual dream of him being forced to grow up too fast. He doesn’t explain any further.

Vash knows. He gets flickers of images of his own past during his sleep.

They stay like that until Vash shivers from the cold. Wolfwood picks Vash up and brings him to bed, draping the bedsheet over their bodies. Vash sighs at the warmth as he wiggles closer to Wolfwood and presses his cold nose to his cheek. Wolfwood huffs at him.

Vash stays awake until Wolfwood falls asleep, opening his eyes once he knows he’s gone before staring at his relaxed face. He thinks about the past few months, travelling with Wolfwood by his side, just like they did before the final fight with his brother. Unlike then, no one is after him. He can coexist somewhat peacefully with everyone. Maybe he can take a breather, a break from running around, and stay here for a little while longer.

It takes an hour before Vash falls asleep.

Both men struggle to sleep at night for the first little while, sometimes finding the other is already awake from dreams or restlessness. They silently agree to stay in bed, listening to each other’s breathing as they fall asleep.

There’s a night when Vash wakes up from Wolfwood having a nightmare. He's alert a second after hearing the sound of a gasp, turning to see Wolfwood sit up sharply. Vash immediately sits up and reaches towards him to rest a hand on his trembling shoulder.

“Wolfwood—”

Wolfwood flinches away from his touch. Vash flinches from his reaction.

“Sorry, just give me a minute,” Wolfwood apologizes with a rasp.

Vash can’t see his face as Wolfwood holds his head in his hands. His chest hurts seeing him like this, feeling useless as he twiddles his thumbs while waiting. He gives Wolfwood space to calm down. It takes Wolfwood a couple of minutes for his breathing to settle.

Wolfwood turns slightly towards him. “Okay, just—”

Vash doesn’t let his one arm stop him from bringing Wolfwood’s head to his shoulder. Wolfwood holds his waist with unsure hands while his hot breath hits his neck. Vash guides their bodies back down on the mattress, holding him close. Vash moves his arm to cup Wolfwood’s cheek, leaning back with the need to see his face. Wolfwood’s eyes are shut.

Vash can’t discern in the dark, but he can feel the wetness on Wolfwood’s cheek. He wipes the tears away and pulls Wolfwood back against him, holding him tight until the tension leaves his body. After a while, Wolfwood slackens enough for Vash to pull him on top of him. Vash welcomes the heavy weight as he cards his fingers through Wolfwood’s hair and hums a low tune, a gentle song that became popular on the radio after humanity found time for artistry. Wolfwood falls asleep within minutes.

In the morning, Wolfwood is slow on his feet, his distraction evident on his face and movements as he shuffles about on autopilot. He hesitates for a split second whenever one of the kids’ attention is directed at him, unnoticeable by anyone but Vash. With that, Vash stays by him, undeterred when Wolfwood grumbles about it and insists he is fine. A squeeze to the nape or arm is enough for Wolfwood to soften.

Wolfwood finds his footing days later, not plagued by his dreams or the weight of his past as much as before. Vash is happy to see him interact with the kids with enthusiasm again, with bright grins on his face while he plays games or carries one of them on his shoulders. It warms his heart.

When Vash looks at the scene of Wolfwood reading a book to the kids, he thinks: this is where Wolfwood should be. Wolfwood belongs here. But what about him?

The mundane life is a blessing, something Vash didn’t have the luxury of until now. To him, this is temporary.

Weeks turn into a month.

Vash becomes closer to the kids. One day he gets dragged into a game of tag outside and the rest is history. He loves kids, so he’s happy to play with them, read them bedtime stories, and answer any of their curious questions.

One night while he’s tucking the kids to sleep, one of the younger ones tugs on his pants, asking, “You’ll stay with us, right Mr. Vash?”

Vash didn’t have the heart to lie. He didn’t realize how comfortable he’d grown, fitting into this life at the orphanage.

A month turns into two.

Vash still chats with Chronica over the radio, asking if there’s anything she needs help with, looking for a distraction. Chronica gets straight to the point, telling him everything’s taken care of, and he can do whatever he wants—if he wants to come back and help the Earth Federation, he can. But right after, she says, “You have somewhere more important to be than running across the planet again.”

Maybe she’s right. Though, it doesn’t settle his nerves, expecting something bad to happen after a period of having something nice for himself. But he can relax for a bit longer. He deserves some rest.

By the third-month mark, the feeling festering inside Vash comes out. Decades of running have rendered him unable to stick to one place, making both his body and mind restless. A dream of someone unfriendly visiting the orphanage reminds him that he shouldn’t get too comfortable. He shouldn’t stay when he’s a threat to everyone’s safety.

The dream has a feral bounty hunter tracking him down despite his bounty getting waived. His dream-self is caught off guard when the door is torn down. It only goes as far as the gunman pointing his gun at Wolfwood protecting one of the children before Vash wakes up with a gasp. The dream is very unlikely to happen, but it still spooks him enough to think what if? What if someone decided to show up and cause chaos to the people he cares about?

He shouldn’t stay.

Vash is no stranger to unsettling dreams, but this one is enough for him to grow paranoid hearing any creaks or footsteps, alert for any signs of trouble outside. He becomes increasingly distracted when he’s not busy playing with the children or helping with chores. Despite his efforts to mask his thoughts, one of the children asks if he’s sick, failing to grab his attention after the first two calls of his name during playtime outside. He’s not doing an excellent job at hiding.

Livio asks him to run an errand with him to the nearby town to give him fresh air. He’s gone to town before with Melanie, running errands at off-peak times. So, Vash accepts. It might help him curb his stir-craziness.

In town, Vash is a bundle of nerves, glancing around for anyone who may recognize him or pick a fight with him. They arrive during the busiest times when there are crowds of people. His nerves rub off on poor Livio who asks him if he wants to head back, but Vash stays resolute to keep him company until all errands are taken care of.

Vash stays anxious until they head back.

It comes to a high point when Vash doesn’t hear Melanie calling his name until the third try. He’s staring out the window when he startles and turns towards her, catching the sad look on her face before it disappears into a smile when she asks him to join her in baking cookies. She doesn’t ask about what he’s thinking or why he has a faraway look on his face. Vash is grateful for it, but it also makes his eyes water for putting that expression on her face for even a second. He doesn’t want her to think her efforts to make him feel welcome here go to waste.

Wolfwood notices.

“Vash, what’s going on?” He has his arms crossed as they stand alone in the living room. Wolfwood caught him staring out the window, just like Melanie.

“Nothing! It’s just—” He can’t have Wolfwood worry about him when he’s happy staying here. This will pass.

“Just trying to settle in.” Vash looks away.

Wolfwood softens. He cups Vash’s face to direct his eyes back at him. “I know.” He rubs his thumbs over his cheeks. “You let us know if you need something, okay? The kids love you and Melanie adores you, don’t let your pretty head think anything less.”

It’s nice to hear that everyone likes him, but when it’s closer to love, that’s overwhelming. It makes leaving more painful.

Vash smiles. “I know.”

The reassurance echoes inside his brain for a while. With the help of Wolfwood’s small touches and the orphanage’s welcoming presence, they keep his troubled thoughts at bay.

It doesn’t keep his bad dreams away long enough.

The dream is similar to the earlier one, though this time it gets worse—shots are fired and screams echo in his head. Vash stumbles out of bed in his panic, rushing toward the front door, cold air hitting him. He needs air. Dropping to sit on the steps leading to the orphanage, he wraps his arm around his legs and presses his face to his knees.

Somehow, being outside in the desert is more comforting than being inside.

Vash takes gulps of air, focusing on breathing instead of entertaining the thoughts swirling in his head. He’s putting everyone at risk by staying here. He needs to go.

Vash doesn’t hear footsteps approaching before a hand touches his shoulder, flinching away. He looks up to see Wolfwood’s shocked face.

“Vash?” Wolfwood whispers, crouching. “What’re you doing out here?”

“I…” Vash swallows, still collecting himself. “Had a bad dream.”

Wolfwood raises a hand towards him. Vash stares at it. He doesn’t realize he’s leaning back until Wolfwood puts his hand down. Vash looks away after he sees the hurt flicker in Wolfwood’s expression.

“Come inside. You’re shivering.”

Vash didn’t notice he was freezing either. He doesn’t want to go back inside yet, though. “I want to stay a bit longer.”

Wolfwood is quiet for a moment before continuing. “Vash, talk to me,” he pleads.

Vash bites his lip. He doesn’t want to hurt Wolfwood. Maybe he already had when he ran outside instead of looking to Wolfwood for comfort, ruining their silent agreement. Wolfwood deserves more honesty.

“Wolfwood.” Vash makes the mistake of spilling one of his thoughts. “I think…I'll go somewhere for a bit.”

“What? Is there a Plant you need to go see? I'll come with.”

“There isn't a Plant.”

“Then what is it?”

Vash’s silence gives Wolfwood his answer.

“I'll come with you.”

Vash throat tightens. “No, you should stay. Everyone needs you here.”

“And no one needs you?”

He pretends he doesn’t hear the I need you.

“Vash.”

Vash hunches his shoulders at Wolfwood’s tone.

“Where are you planning to go?”

Vash doesn’t know. “I don’t know.”

Wolfwood stays silent.

“Fine,” Wolfwood says eventually, “I won’t stop you.”

Wolfwood leaves him alone, going back inside, and some part of Vash leaves with him. Vash wishes Wolfwood would’ve fought him more instead of resigning as if he was expecting this, expecting Vash to run away and abandon him. Tears well up in Vash’s eyes again. He fucked up. His entire being is fucked up for self-sabotaging the best thing that has happened to him for over a hundred and fifty years. He doesn’t know how to take care of something good, let alone himself.

Vash cries alone. He stays outside for another few hours before going back to bed. Vash knows Wolfwood is still awake when he comes back despite his back facing him.

The following days have both men walking on eggshells around each other. Wolfwood’s face is strained as if he’s bracing himself for something—Vash leaving—while Vash can’t look directly at him without his eyes getting misty. They still talk, and they still say goodnight to each other, but Wolfwood is guarded now. Vash doesn’t have the heart to fix the mess he made, resigning as well.

Livio and Miss Melanie know something is wrong. Thankfully, they don’t ask about it. They still treat Vash like family.

Family.

The children make an effort to make him smile, cheering him up even though they don’t know why he looks sad. Vash supposes he’ll never hide the heart on his sleeve.

The sadness in Vash grows, and so does the need to run away. He doesn’t want to burden anyone with it. Vash convinces himself that being alone will help clear his mind and think things better despite how painful it’ll be to leave Wolfwood and everyone. He’ll make a promise to come back albeit his poor track record of keeping them.

Vash decides he’ll leave in the middle of the night to make it easier. No sad goodbyes or second-guessing. That’s as far as his planning goes before he succumbs to a horrible nightmare.

He dreams about July. He dreams of destruction. The fear of his own powers and existence grips him. He can turn the orphanage into dust if something were to go wrong.

Vash knows feathers are crawling out of his skin before he wakes up with a sob. He rips the bedsheets off within a second, rushing out of the room to go outside and be as far away as possible. The feathers on his skin itch, making him claw at his chest with his one hand, trying to rip them off. There’s too much to rip off when it’s everywhere.

He needs to get away.

The first step on the sand has Vash staggering, almost tripping over. He stays upright and continues to be somewhere that’s not here.

“Vash!”

Vash looks behind. Wolfwood stands by the open door.

No.

Vash continues running. Wolfwood shouts again before his footsteps are heard, running after him. Vash doesn’t look back as he’s chased across the sand.

By some sick karma, Vash trips, falling hard on the ground. He scrambles to turn around and sees Wolfwood has stopped a few feet away from him. Vash bares his teeth.

Wolfwood raises his hands, palms open. “Vash, talk to me.”

Vash sees his scared expression behind his controlled expression. “Stay away.”

Wolfwood doesn’t stay away. He walks closer. Vash’s feathers stand on end as he crawls backwards.

“Vash, tell me what’s wrong.”

Vash shakes his head. “Just go.”

A look of hurt passed on Wolfwood’s face before envelop with determination. “I’m not leaving you.”

That gets Vash’s panic to rise. His feathers vibrate in response.

“You can’t! You—”

Wolfwood takes a step forward, and Vash lets out a whine.

“Stop!”

Wolfwood crouches in front of him and raises a hand towards him. Vash swipes at it to bat him away, not wanting him to get closer. Wolfwood lets out a hiss.

Vash didn’t notice his fingers turned sharp like claws until he sees the red on Wolfwood’s skin.

Wolfwood grunts at the pain blooming on his arm while Vash stares at the blood dripping from the wound he caused. Vash looks down at his nails to find red on them. His hand shakes. He hurt him.

“Wolf—”

Wolfwood doesn’t give him a chance to apologize before his arms wrap around him, pulling him into his chest. Vash flails in his hold, feathers and wings fluttering as he tries pushing him away. Wolfwood just holds him even tighter. Vash nails dig into Wolfwood’s shirt, trying to push him away. He whines when Wolfwood’s determination overpowers him.

“Please,” Vash sobs, “I don’t want to hurt you! I need to go before I—”

Wolfwood's hand slides to the back of his head and pulls him forward to rest on his shoulder. “You’re an idiot.”

Vash whines again, both offended and frustrated. He pushes again, but Wolfwood refuses to release him. “Let me go.”

“No.”

“Please…” Vash grips the front of Wolfwood’s shirt. He’s too exhausted to fight back.

Wolfwood ignores him, getting comfortable by sitting back on the sand and bracketing his legs around Vash.

Vash accepts his defeat but not without more tears wetting Wolfwood’s shirt. Wolfwood slides a hand up and down his back while he cries.

“What if someone attacks the orphanage because of me?” Vash whispers.

Wolfwood leans his head on top of his. “I’ll take care of it.”

“What if I lose control?”

“Then I’ll bring you back to me.”

Vash lets out a wet laugh that’s more like a sob. “You’re an idiot.”

Wolfwood huffs. “Maybe we’re both idiots.”

They stay pressed against each other until the tears stop and Vash is left drained. Wolfwood scoops Vash into his arms and lifts him, bringing him back to the orphanage. Vash buries his face into his neck. Back in their shared room, Wolfwood heads to the bathroom and seats him on top of the toilet lid before turning on the lights. He washes off the blood on his arm in the sink and grabs bandages in the med kit underneath the sink to wrap his wound.

Guilt crawls up Vash’s throat as he watches, looking down at his stained hand. The feathers have receded a bit. He looks up when Wolfwood kneels in front of him wearing new pajamas, having gotten rid of his other ones dusted with sand. He holds a damp towel to gently clean Vash’s face of dried tears clinging to his skin and feathers. Then he cleans the red off his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Vash mumbles.

Wolfwood answers by ruffling his hair with a hand before tossing the dirtied towel into the sink to be dealt with later. He presents clean clothes to Vash who looks down at his front dirtied with sand from when he fell. Vash utters a thanks. Wolfwood leaves to let him change.

A minute later, Vash steps out of the bathroom, gazing down. He looks up when Wolfwood steps in front of him and holds his hand. Wolfwood gives him a smile before pulling him towards the bed and climbing under the sheets. Both men lay on their sides facing each other.

Wolfwood brushes the back of his hand against Vash’s cheek. “No running away, okay?”

Vash grimaces. He doesn’t want to make a promise he can’t keep.

Wolfwood sighs, moving to tilt Vash's chin up. “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. Just don’t think we’re better off without you.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You won’t,” Wolfwood says with conviction.

If Wolfwood believes in him then he’ll believe in Wolfwood.

With Wolfwood pulling him against his chest, both men fall asleep.

Morning comes. Vash wakes up first with sunlight hitting his face. A weight sits on his stomach and breaths tickle his ear. He turns to Wolfwood, seeing his eyes are still closed. What happened last night is still fresh on his mind. The arm around his middle has never been this tight.

With no feathers on his hand, he grazes his fingers over Wolfwood’s cheek. Wolfwood's eyes twitch at the contact, opening to find Vash gazing at him.

“Mornin’,” Wolfwood says, shutting his eyes again.

Vash gets the urge to kiss him. So he does, leaving a peck on the corner of Wolfwood’s lips as his own good morning. It causes Wolfwood to open his eyes again. Vash dodges him by pressing his face into his neck, receiving a huff and a squeeze around his middle in return.

Things turn for the better. Nightmares still visit Vash at night, except instead of running, he clings onto Wolfwood like an anchor, crawling on top of him, attempting to bury himself into the man’s skin. He feels guilty for using Wolfwood and waking him up in the middle of the night, mumbling sorry multiple times when arms envelop him. Wolfwood hushes him by dragging him closer. The thoughts of leaving don’t plague him as much. When they do, he finds Wolfwood and sticks to him, sometimes literally in the form of wrapping his arms around his middle when he’s not in the middle of chores or with the children.

With Vash getting comfortable thinking about staying at the orphanage long-term—he’s not ready to think about it permanently yet—Wolfwood springs a question upon him one afternoon.

“Do you want to spend the day in town with me?”

Wolfwood is standing by the doorway while Vash is taking a time out from roughhousing with the kids out in the courtyard.

“Sure! I’ll grab the grocery list—” He's only been in town a few times since that day with Livio, opting to go on days when the market is less busy and sticking to less crowded areas.

Wolfwood grabs his wrist to stop him from passing by him. “Not for errands. Just the two of us.”

Vash blinks. “Was there something you needed to get?”

Wolfwood’s mouth twitches, giving him a stare as if he’s supposed to understand what’s going on. Vash racks his brain, searching if he’s forgotten something—

Then it dawns on him.

Wolfwood is asking him to go on a date.

Vash reddens at his obliviousness. “Y-yes! When do you want to go?”

“We'll go tomorrow after breakfast,” Wolfwood says, trying to remain casual, but Vash sees the slight red on his face.

Vash gives him an enthusiastic smile. “Okay!”

Morning comes, and Vash finds himself stressing over what to wear. After breakfast, he’s shooed away and told to get ready by Wolfwood, who’s currently helping put away the breakfast dishes. Rummaging through his dresser, he pulls out different pairs of pants and shirts and spreads them out on the bed, thinking about what outfit to wear and wanting to look presentable. He doesn’t have many options.

They sleep in the same room, they've been together for months, yet he's giddy to go on a date.

Vash ends up grabbing a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt. Putting the other clothes away, he heads to the bathroom to fix his hair using the mirror—well, fix as much as he can. While combing through it with his fingers, there’s a knock on the door before it opens.

“Ready to go?” Wolfwood calls.

“Almost!” Vash answers from the bathroom. “Just fixing my hair.”

“Fixing what? The spikes?” Wolfwood pops his head into the bathroom, seeing Vash’s hands in his hair. He’s wearing his own pair of jeans and a black shirt. “Let me help.”

Wolfwood stands behind him and bats his hands away to card his fingers into his hair, clearing the tangles and taming stray strands. Pleasant tingles run down Vash’s neck as Wolfwood’s nails graze his scalp during the process. Vash resists the urge to close his eyes and tilts his head for more.

Wolfwood’s hands in his hair feel nice.

“There you go.” Wolfwood squeezes his nape before he pulls away.

Vash looks at his hair in the reflection, neater than what he started with. “Thanks,” he says, beaming at Wolfwood through the mirror.

“Sure. Ready to go?”

“Yep!”

Wolfwood rests a hand on Vash’s back as they head towards the front of the orphanage.

“We’re heading out!” Wolfwood shouts, opening the door.

Melanie’s voice echoes back. “Have fun!”

Looks like Melanie knows.

They walk on the path that leads to town, chatting away about the kids, mostly Vash gushing about noticing the little ones have grown slightly taller since he first came to the orphanage. When they reach town, it’s busy with locals walking to and from shops, buying food or trinkets. Children run across the clearing to play with friends. Vash’s steps falter at the sight of the crowds. He hoped it wouldn’t be busy today.

“You okay?” Wolfwood asks, slowing his steps.

Vash rubs his neck. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Here.” Wolfwood stops walking to offer his left arm, bent at the elbow. “So you don’t get left behind.”

Vash looks at the arm before stepping closer, wrapping his hand around Wolfwood and holding on to him. Like this, they’re pressed next to each other.

Vash grins. “That works.”

And work it does. Vash forgets he’s in the middle of crowds as they explore the market, sticking close to Wolfwood’s side. They enjoy the cheery atmosphere of the town, gazing at and taste-testing different foods until lunch rolls around where they stop by a diner. Sitting outside on the small patio, they share spaghetti made with egg sauce and cured meat, topped with cheese.

After lunch, they look at anything interesting displayed behind the shop windows as they stroll down the avenue. Something red catches Vash’s eye—a bright red cardigan sits on a mannequin, hand-knitted with care. He stares at the red fabric long enough for Wolfwood to notice.

“Do you want it?” Wolfwood asks.

Vash waves his hand. “No, it’s fine.”

Wolfwood considers him for a moment before heading in the direction of the shop entrance.

With his hand still holding Wolfwood's arm, Vash gets pulled along. “H-hey!”

“Doesn’t hurt to try it on,” Wolfwood states.

Both men enter the shop, finding a nice older lady behind the counter. Wolfwood asks for the red cardigan. The lady collects it and holds it out for Vash to try on, helping him slip his arms into the sleeves. It fits. The sleeves just past his wrists, and it’s loose enough on his shoulders that it doesn’t feel constricting.

“We’ll take it,” Wolfwood tells the shopkeeper.

Vash startles at his words, tugging at Wolfwood’s arm. “I don’t need it!” he whispers low enough so the shopkeeper doesn’t hear him. The clothes in his dresser are enough to get him by when he spends most of his days at the orphanage, even if it’s not a lot.

“Some red in your wardrobe would do you some good.” That’s all Wolfwood says as he heads toward the counter and quickly pays for it.

Vash blurts a thank you to the lady before he follows Wolfwood out the door, wearing the purchased cardigan. Catching up to Wolfwood, he walks in step with him and holds his arm again. He glances down at himself. Despite insisting he didn’t want the cardigan, he does like it. He likes the colour, he likes how soft it is, and he’s happy to wear it.

“Thanks,” Vash murmurs.

Wolfwood gives him a cheeky grin.

They continue window shopping until reaching the end of the avenue. Before heading back, they grab a snack. Vash chooses ice cream, picking the new strawberry flavour while Wolfwood settles for chocolate. They sit on a nearby bench to eat. Vash devours the ice cream as Wolfwood savours his. While waiting for him to finish, Vash leans his head on his shoulder. Wolfwood uses his free hand to slide behind Vash to scratch the back of his head. Vash hums, closing his eyes as his nerves flutter from the touch.

Wolfwood soon finishes his ice cream with a final bite of his cone. “Ready to go?”

“Mm-hm.” Vash doesn’t want to move from his comfy spot but lifts his head anyway.

They head back to where they came from, leaving the town and back to the orphanage, concluding the date. The kids greet them at the door, asking what fun things they got up to and questioning Vash’s new attire. Miss Melanie saves them by grabbing their attention with evening treats before the questions become too much. She gives them a wink and offers to try some biscuits. After eating and chatting with everyone, both men retire for the day.

Vash removes the cardigan, hangs it up in the closet so it doesn’t wrinkle, and gets ready for bed. Freshened up with pajamas on, they settle on the bed, cozying up against each other. Vash presses his face against Wolfwood’s while he receives scratches to the back of his head like earlier.

“I enjoyed today,” Vash murmurs, nosing along Wolfwood’s cheek.

“Did you, now?” Wolfwood hums, sounding pleased. “Maybe we should do this more often.”

“Yes, please.”

They go on dates once a week into town to try new foods or on walks where they enjoy each other’s company. Just the two of them. Whatever nerves Vash had before are replaced with fondness, for the kids, Livio, Miss Melanie, and of course, Wolfwood.

From peaceful sleep to allowing himself to enjoy his new home here, Vash finds out something about himself.

One afternoon, he finds Wolfwood sleeping on the couch after playing with the kids. Vash goes straight for the kill and lies on top of him, carefully wrapping his limbs around him and planting his face into his neck, indulging in listening to Wolfwood’s heartbeat. He falls asleep and takes a nap with Wolfwood.

Vash is woken up by a hand in his hair, causing him to push his head back against it, asking for more. He hears someone laugh beside him before there’s a kiss on his forehead. More awake, Vash finds Wolfwood gazing at him.

“You snore,” Wolfwood tells him.

Vash huffs. “I don’t snore.” This is the first time he’s heard this.

“Fine, you breathe heavy.”

Vash doesn’t snore. He does something else.

Spending a day in town together has Vash particularly affectionate, no longer stressed about the crowds, and Wolfwood dotes on him by keeping him close to his side with either a hand on his side or nape. Back at the orphanage without an audience, Vash nuzzles his face into Wolfwood’s hair. Wolfwood lets out a chuckle and squeezes his neck in response. In bed, Vash clings to him and they fall asleep.

Vash wakes up with a hand in his hair just like the other day on the couch. He grumbles when Wolfwood pulls away, latching on to an arm and pressing his face into the bicep. Wolfwood huffs at his antics, staying put for a few minutes to indulge until he has to pull away to get ready for the day. Vash whines but lets go. He sits up with much effort, letting out a loud yawn before lolling his head with eyes closed, too tired to move just yet. A snort from Wolfwood has Vash turning his head, seeing the amused look on his face before stretching his arms over his head.

“Wow, spikey, you’ve been noisy in your sleep lately,” Wolfwood tells him as he drops his arms.

Vash bristles. “Excuse me! I know for a fact I don’t snore!”

Wolfwood crosses his arms. “Oh, you weren’t snoring that's for sure. You were purring.”

Vash gapes. What. He doesn’t purr, ever—well, he can, but that was decades ago. He thought he couldn’t anymore. There’s never a reason to do so. He's never comfortable enough to purr with his bounty and always being on the run. Now that’s changed. Vash hides his red face in his hands, embarrassed from not realizing it sooner.

“I don’t mind. I first thought it was an engine, scared me a second from the way you were holding on to me,” Wolfwood explains.

Great, he scared Wolfwood.

Vash drops his hands to his lap. “It won’t happen again.”

“Hey, stop that.” Wolfwood sits on the bed and holds Vash’s face to grab his attention. “I like it, and it’s cute. You don’t need to stop just because I got spooked.”

Vash flushes at his words. “I’ll try not to.”

So he purrs now. He purrs quite often according to Wolfwood. Anytime he’s lounging around with Wolfwood, be it on the couch or in bed, he’s purring. Wolfwood scratches his head, causing more purrs, and calls him a cat. Vash gives him an offended look that soon melts away when Wolfwood placates him with more head massages. It becomes a regular occurrence where Vash hangs off Wolfwood while he receives scratches and maybe a kiss or two on the forehead.

The feline antics go a bit too far when he accidentally takes a cat nap outside after tending to the garden. The warmth of twin suns makes him lethargic enough to lie on the ground and close his eyes. It wouldn’t hurt for a Plant like him to get some sun and a quick rest.

Vash wakes up to a very concerned Wolfwood shaking him awake. He holds his face in his hands.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Vash sits up and Wolfwood’s fall away. “I took a nap, why? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s alright.” Wolfwood stares at him. “Thought you fainted, you didn’t wake up for a minute there.”

Guilt prickles under Vash’s skin for causing Wolfwood to worry. “Sorry, I shouldn’t sleep out here, huh?”

Wolfwood shakes his head. “No, I got ahead of myself.” Then he points at his own face. “You got feathers on your face.”

Vash touches his cheek, feeling the soft fuzz there. He didn’t notice them.

“Sunbathing like a cat, are we? Or should I say, like a Plant?” Wolfwood jokes to lighten the mood. He reaches to touch the feathers himself.

Vash snorts, leaning into his palm.

Wolfwood keeps him company whenever he sunbathes. Instead of lying on the ground, he rests his head on Wolfwood’s lap. It’s much better this way when he wakes up to Wolfwood leaving kisses on his face.

Vash wants more.

And Wolfwood gives him more—kisses, hands petting his sides and head—Vash soaks it all up, obsessed with the attention. It becomes sickening sweet when the kids giggle at their displays of affection.

When alone, which occurs at the end of the day, moments away from sleep, the kisses become longer. It stops before anything happens as both men are content with ending things before it becomes too heated despite the lingering fire in their veins.

It doesn’t take long to give in to the want.

One date with both of them pressed to their sides leaves Vash longing for more. They arrive back at the orphanage late that evening when everyone has gone to bed. Making it past the kitchen, Vash jumps Wolfwood, grabbing his neck and capturing his lips. Wolfwood’s warm hands palm his sides underneath his cardigan as they shuffle towards the bedroom.

At some point, they find the bedroom and Vash is pressed to the wall with a neck full of Wolfwood. Vash grips Wolfwood’s shoulders when a bite sinks into his skin, letting out a groan. A tongue soothes it before another mark is made just below it. The attention makes Vash wet between his legs. Wolfwood inserts a thigh, and this time Vash gasps, wrapping his arms around the other’s shoulders for purchase as his hips jerk against the hard muscles.

Something blooms and Vash is reminded he needs Wolfwood to know he’s different.

“Nick.” Vash tugs Wolfwood’s shit to get his attention. “You need to know something.”

Wolfwood’s hot breaths fan his neck before he leans back. He strokes Vash’s sides. “What is it?”

Vash breaks eye contact for a second before holding Wolfwood’s gaze. “I’m different.”

“That doesn’t bother me.”

“No, I—” Vash shakes his head. “I’m a Plant.”

Wolfwood’s face lights up in understanding. “What? You got leaves down there?”

Vash chews on his lip. “Petals.”

Wolfwood eyes widen. “Can I see?”

“Yeah, okay.” Vash fumbles over his words at Wolfwood’s eagerness. “Also, I’ve never—”

“Me neither.” Wolfwood cuts him off. He leans back in and latches back on Vash’s neck. A sigh escapes Vash as pecks are placed on his skin, scratching the back of Wolfwood’s head when they become bruising. Wolfwood slides his hands down Vash’s thighs and squeezes them before lifting.

Vash wraps his legs around Wolfwood’s hips and makes a sound when he’s carried to bed, getting manhandled to sit on top of the other’s thighs. The movement causes his cardigan to fall from his shoulders to hang off his arms. Wolfwood sits back against the head of the bed with his hands still on Vash’s thighs.

Wolfwood rubs circles into Vash’s inner thighs with his thumbs as his gaze glints with endearment. “What do you want?”

Vash clutches Wolfwood’s shoulders. “Kiss me.”

Wolfwood obliges, pressing his lips against his own, wasting no time to lick into his mouth. He slides his hands up Vash’s front to his arms until he reaches the half-worn cardigan to tug it off and left on the floor. Next, Wolfwood drags his hands under his shirt to splay them over his waist. His big hands cover a lot of skin.

Vash pants into Wolfwood’s mouth while the hands move inwards, grasping his chest. There’s not much sensation in his left pec with the grate over it, but the pressure on the right causes him to let out a keen that Wolfwood swallows. Wolfwood takes interest in the reaction by breaking the kiss as he strokes his sensitive nipple. Vash writhes on his lap.

“Stop teasing me,” Vash puffs out.

Wolfwood hums, “I’m taking my time.”

Vash’s face burns and so does the rest of his body. Wolfwood’s goal is going to make him burst before anything happens.

Wolfwood pulls away to help remove Vash’s shirt, getting a full view of his bare skin and scars. He’d seen them before but not this intimate. Wolfwood holds him by the waist as he leans in again, trailing kisses down Vash’s jaw to his neck. He drops pecks onto his right shoulder over the large patch of scarred skin and down to where the scar ends in the middle of the sternum. Vash’s fists clench Wolfwood’s shoulders, gripping the fabric of his shirt. He fails to stay still under the tenderness given to his damaged body.

Vash tugs Wolfwood’s shirt. “Wolfwood, you don’t—” He doesn’t want too much attention on his scars, but a bite to his chest, too close to the nipple, causes Vash to jerk in Wolfwood’s hold, biting his lip to hold back a gasp. The movement makes Vash brush against the tent in Wolfwood’s pants, directing his awareness to the throbbing between his legs.

Wolfwood lets out a hum before he easily flips their positions, letting Vash lay back against the pillows. Vash stares up at him as Wolfwood removes his shirt and throws it to the floor. Before Wolfwood can get back to business, Vash gets his arms around Wolfwood’s shoulders and drags him down on top of him to hug him, needing a short break. Wolfwood lets out an amused huff into his neck.

“Good?”

“Yeah.” Vash tangles his fingers into the hair on Wolfwood’s nape. “Just nerves.”

Wolfwood pecks another kiss on his neck. “It’s just me.”

Vash looks up at the ceiling, letting out a short laugh. “That doesn’t help.”

Wolfwood leans back on his arms to look at him. Vash’s hands fall back to hold his jaw, gazing back at him in adoration. Wolfwood's eyes crinkle before he moves away, picking up where he left off. His lips graze the scars adorning Vash’s left shoulder before moving to the one on his right that he’d given attention to earlier. He drops a kiss there and grabs Vash’s right hand so he can travel down his arm.

More kisses are placed over patches of skin, scared and unmarred alike, until Wolfwood reaches his wrist. Holding up Vash’s hand, Wolfwood’s lips touch the scar over his knuckles and gaze at him while doing so. The gesture causes Vash’s breath to hitch with emotion.

“Angel,” Wolfwood croons.

Vash bites his lips and looks away. He can’t look away for long when Wolfwood releases his hand to instead hold his jaw, tilting it towards him to capture his lips in a bruising kiss. Wolfwood soon lets go to press his lips down Vash’s neck and past his sternum to give attention to his middle where more scars lie. The graze of teeth makes Vash’s skin jump.

Wolfwood slides back up to press his mouth against the underside of Vash’s right breast. Vash grasps the back of Wolfwood’s head as his lips get closer to the peak. He gasps when a hot tongue slides across his nipple, tugging the hair in his hands while Wolfwood laps the sensitive bud. Wolfwood hums against him which sends a vibration into his chest.

Vash pants above him, squirming while Wolfwood enjoys himself. A harsh suckle mixed with the pinch of teeth on his tit has him kicking out a leg, keening with water in his eyes and equal wetness between his legs at the shock of pleasure.

Wolfwood gives him mercy and lets go to give him a chance to breathe. Vash looks over at Wolfwood to find him staring, a glint in his eyes while they flicker across his face. Wolfwood reaches over to wipe a tear that escapes at the corner of his eye with a thumb.

Wolfwood gives him a cheeky smile. “Sorry about that, got carried away.”

Vash makes a face, though the water in his eyes and the blush on his skin ruins the effect. Wolfwood makes it up to him with a sweet kiss. His hands slide down his sides to the waistband of his pants.

“Can I?” Wolfwood whispers against his mouth.

Vash exhales, “Yeah.”

Wolfwood carefully slides his pants and briefs down his legs. Vash covers his eyes with an arm when he feels cool air brush against his crotch, resisting the urge to close his legs to cover where the wetness clinging to his skin. Hands rub his thighs once the rest of his clothes are removed. One leaves his thigh to move his arm away from his face, forcing him to look at Wolfwood who gives him a soft smile.

“Whatcha hiding for?” he teases.

Vash pouts. “Nothing. Carry on.” He sits on his elbows to watch Wolfwood roll his eyes in response before looking down to gaze between his legs. Wolfwood spreads his legs wider to get a good look. Sure enough, his petals that’re normally closed are in full bloom and wet with slick dripping. The petals are white just like his feathers, turning pink at the core where his cunt throbs. They twitch in anticipation.

“It’s different, but all the parts work the same way as a human’s,” Vash explains.

“It’s pretty,” Wolfwood says.

Vash flushes at his genitalia being called pretty.

Wolfwood touches the bud at the top of cunt with a thumb, causing Vash to jump at the unfamiliar but not unpleasant contact. Wolfwood’s eyes flicker upwards to witness his reaction. Vash gives him a wobbly smile. The thumb moves downwards to map out his sensitive petals, tracing along their delicate edges before Wolfwood rubs one between two fingers, causing him to shiver and more slick to dribble out. Wolfwood notices and uses the slick to rub at his entrance in a smooth slide.

Vash pants at Wolfwood’s teasing, clenching around nothing. Wolfwood fingers feel really good on him, thicker and rougher than his own as they collect the wetness coming out of him. The man himself is enjoying it from the way he keeps glancing up at him when he can’t resist twitching from the touch. It’s hard to resist when it’s Wolfwood fondling him.

Vash’s eyes widen when Wolfwood shifts further down the bed where his face is levelled with his cunt, pulling his hands away. “What’re you doing?”

Wolfwood answers by pressing the flat of his tongue on his slit and up to his clit. Vash throws his head back to inhale a gulp of air.

“Tasting you,” Wolfwood answers against his cunt before resuming his lapping.

The hot tongue moving against his core has Vash writhing, no longer on his elbows as he lays back and fists the sheets to ground himself. Tears collect in his eyes when Wolfwood presses wet kisses to each of his petals before suckling on his bud, forcing a whine out of him. A finger joins Wolfwood’s mouth, sliding between his folds and stretching his pulsing walls. Vash flails his head to the side. The movement causes a few tears to leak from his eyes. It’s too much but also not enough.

“Wolfwood,” Vash heaves.

Wolfwood hums into him, sending jolting vibrations into his cunt. Vash wraps a leg around Wolfwood’s shoulders and jerks his hips into his mouth and fingers. Wolfwood rewards him with another appreciative hum for taking what he wants. He also rewards him by reaching with his other hand to hold his breast and flick his swollen tit with a thumb.

More tears fall out of Vash’s eyes as he’s unable to hold back any longer. He comes with a sob, grinding into Wolfwood’s mouth as he splashes slick across his face. His legs lock Wolfwood into a vice-grip, which the man doesn’t mind as he continues lapping up his slick through his orgasm.

Vash keens when he’s driven into oversensitivity, causing more slick to spurt out. He almost knocks Wolfwood’s head with a leg before he’s given mercy. It takes a few minutes for Vash to steady his breathing, hands petting his sides all the while. He opens his eyes to see Wolfwood gazing at him with fondness, his mouth shining with his fluids.

“Who would’ve thought you’d grow feathers after coming,” Wolfwood tells him with amusement.

Vash blinks at him in a daze until he looks down at himself. Sure enough, there are feathers on his skin and patches of white across his arm and sides. He touches his face to feel down on his face. Vash attempts to will them away with little success. There’s also a thrumming sound coming from his body, stopping abruptly when he notices it. Wolfwood left him boneless.

“Sorry,” Vash blurts, “just give me a minute to—”

Wolfwood climbs up the bed to press a kiss to the wet corner of his eye and rests his forehead against his. “No, no, keep them. It tells me I did a good job.”

Vash’s skin burns at the statement, though he can’t help but agree nor stop the affection he has for the man above him. He wraps his arms around Wolfwood and nuzzles his face against the other’s, placing sloppy kisses on his cheeks.

Wolfwood chuckles and lets Vash shower him with love. At one point, Vash gets too enthusiastic and drags Wolfwood on top of him with his legs around him. Wolfwood lets out a hiss when his still-confined cock presses against Vash’s middle. He attempts to lean away, but Vash keeps him locked in place.

“Vash,” Wolfwood warns.

Vash whines into his ear, “Please, I want it. I want you.”

“Are you sure?”

Vash grinds his still-wet cunt up into Wolfwood’s hard cock. “Yes, please.” He’ll outright beg if Wolfwood doesn’t think he’s sure enough.

“Okay.” Wolfwood pecks his temple. “Okay, gimmie a second.”

Vash lets him lean back. He watches Wolfwood quickly undo his pants and kick them and his boxers to the floor. His now-freed cock stands tall between his legs. Vash swallows seeing its size.

Wolfwood catches his gaze. “You still want this?”

“Yes,” Vash replies instantly. Then, he sits up with an elbow, staring at Wolfwood’s cock before glancing up. “Can I?”

Red dusts Wolfwood’s cheeks before he grunts, “Yeah.”

Vash wraps his flesh hand around Wolfwood’s length. It’s hot and heavy. He drags his hand up to the red tip to smear the precome with his thumb. Wolfwood makes a sound and Vash looks up to find him breathing hard through his nose, watching his hand move on his cock. Vash keeps his eyes on Wolfwood while he lets go for a few seconds to cup his hand between his legs, gathering slick from his cunt. Wolfwood curses when he fists his cock again, sliding along his length with new wetness.

Wolfwood grips Vash’s waist before leaning down to huff into his neck. “Gonna be the death of me.”

“Not yet,” Vash answers, pleased about the reaction he’s receiving. He continues with the hand job by skimming his hand to cup Wolfwood’s balls, getting a groan and a nip to his neck in response. Vash slides his hand faster while Wolfwood mouths his neck, marking his skin when a particular slide makes him flash teeth. Vash squeezes around the cockhead and receives a nasty bite, causing him to choke out a whine.

He needs Wolfwood inside him.

Vash drags Wolfwood’s cock to his hole. “Nick, inside.”

Wolfwood drops a kiss over the bite mark before leaning back. Vash sees the sweat across his fringe and forehead. He doubts he looks no different.

“Lean back, darling,” Wolfwood says.

Vash does what he’s told and lays back on the pillows. Wolfwood grabs his thighs and shuffles closer. Vash lets out a breath when Wolfwood’s cock nudges his cunt, the tip pushing past his folds. The stretch has him gripping the sheets. Wolfwood slowly pushes in, filling him up inch by inch until he bottoms out. Vash closes his eyes to get his bearings, trembling from the thick length stretching his walls. Their combined heat causes him to grow heady.

Wolfwood doesn’t move, waiting for him to relax. He slides his hands up and down his sides in a soothing manner. Vash finally opens his eyes, seeing Wolfwood gazing at him, just as breathless as he is.

“Good?” Wolfwood breathes.

Vash nods. “Full,” he slurs. He tests clenching down, his cunt and petals squeezing around Wolfwood’s length. The other’s cock fits snugly inside him. “You can move.”

Wolfwood complies, exhaling before pulling out. Vash almost whines at the emptiness, which quickly fades when he wheezes at the first thrust of Wolfwood’s cock filling him up again. The next thrust has him moaning. He jerks his hips to meet Wolfwood’s, wanting more. Wolfwood’s hands on his thighs grip harder as he rolls his hips faster, fucking him properly.

Vash claws the bedsheets for purchase and throws his head back. He shuts his eyes and a few tears leak at the corners. A tongue on his cheek causes him to open his eyes to see Wolfwood hovering over him.

“So pretty for me, angel,” Wolfwood rumbles.

The pet name has Vash’s walls flutter around his length, causing him to drip slick between their bodies. He lets go of the sheets to claw Wolfwood’s back. It gets Wolfwood to snap his hips at the right angle, causing him to cry out. More wetness drips from both his eyes and cunt as the burn in his abdomen builds. Wolfwood licks and kisses the tears away.

A hand leaves his thigh to snake between their bodies, teasing his petals before reaching his swollen clit. Wolfwood rubs it hard and fast with a rough thumb just as he grinds his hips. Vash thrashes, scrambling to hold on to Wolfwood when his cunt pulses, feathers bursting from his skin as he comes. Wolfwood murmurs praises before he comes with a moan. A whimper escapes Vash when hot liquid fills him up even further.

Thoroughly spent, Vash sags on the bed with eyes shut, a pleasant buzz spreading across his body.

Wolfwood noses his cheeks as he pulls out and hushes him with a kiss when he fusses. He leaves for a moment to grab a towel from the bathroom and comes back to wipe Vash’s groin and thighs before cleaning himself.

Vash chirps happily, purring away while he waits for Wolfwood to climb on the bed. He wraps his limbs around the other man and buries his face into his neck. Wolfwood cards a hand into his hair, making Vash purr louder.

“You’re like a happy feathered cat,” Wolfwood remarks.

Vash nips his jaw. “Cats don’t have feathers.”

“This one does.”

Vash snorts, content with rumbling like a feline until they fall asleep.

Wolfwood continues to tease him whenever he purrs but not without indulging in scratching behind his head and pulling him close to feel the vibrations, something that wouldn’t be possible without the comfort of having a place to call home.

A home where they can both find comfort in each other.