Wolfwood is cleaning the kitchen with Miss Melanie when the front door bursts open. Rounding the corner, he sees Kathy—one of the eldest kids—catching her breath. She's supposed to be in town with Vash and Livio to grab groceries.
Kathy looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "Someone hurt Mr. Vash!" she says in between gasps.
Wolfwood's heart drops while Melanie lets out a gasp. He recovers enough to kneel in front of Kathy and instructs her to take deep breaths. "Where is he?" he asks once she calms down.
"He's with Livio getting treated."
Wolfwood stands, turning towards Melanie. "I'm gonna go see him," she tells her, receiving a nod and no objection.
Kathy tugs his arm before he can get one step out the door. "I'll come with you!"
Wolfwood gets the full story of what happened as they make their way to town at a hurried pace. Vash accidentally bumped into a man while they were walking through the market. It causes the man to drop the bottles in his arms. Vash went to help pick up the items but stopped when the man started jeering and pushing him away.
The guy knew who Vash was, throwing curses at him for causing disasters across the planet. The man was also day drinking, keeping an open bottle in a tight grip in his right hand. Vash attempted to appease him but to no avail. Before Kathy or Livio could pull Vash away, the man splashed the alcohol on his face.
The hard liquor hit Vash's eyes.
Some town residents are aware of Vash staying at the orphanage, connecting the face to the wanted posters despite the lack of blond hair. The posters are long gone now, courtesy of the Earth Federation.
Vash refused to go into town for a long while when he was first getting settled at the orphanage. Some coaxing and company made him comfortable enough to help with picking up supplies or checking out the local market. He enjoyed seeing the bustling streets, even going so far as to people-watch by the benches while enjoying a light snack.
The high of interacting with humans was soon squashed after an unfriendly run-in with a local who cursed and yelled at him. It sobered Vash up, unwilling to go to town for two months.
Vash just warmed up to going again and now this happens, possibly blinded by misplaced anger.
Wolfwood enters the clinic where Vash is staying. He spots Livio talking with a nurse. Livio notices him after the nurse leaves and gives him a sad smile.
Kathy rushes over to Livio. "How is he?" she asks before Wolfwood can.
"He's okay, but they said his eyes are damaged, and he can't see."
"Bad?" Wolfwood questions.
Livio grimaces. "They don't know if it's permanent. Nick, I think he's taking it hard. And after that last time, he—"
"I know." Wolfwood lets out a deep exhale. "Show me where he is."
He follows Livio through a hall and stops outside a room. Wolfwood knocks on the door twice before entering first. There sits Vash on the bed, back against the headboard with hands on his lap. Rows of bandages wrap around his head to cover his eyes. His head is turned towards him when he closes the door behind him, waiting for him to announce his presence.
"Vash."
Vash perks up at the sound of his voice, mouth slightly ajar. He lifts an arm towards him but thinks against it and clenches his fist. Before he can place his hand on his lap, Wolfwood is holding his hand and sitting on the chair next to the bed.
Vash lets out a shaky breath before his mouth twitches into a small smile. "Hey."
"How're you feeling?"
Vash's expression turns passive. "Been better. And worse."
Wolfwood rubs his thumb over Vash's knuckles, encouraging him to continue.
"I really scared Livio and Kathy," Vash resumes speaking.
"They're relieved that you're okay."
"I just, I wish I looked at where I was going or left the man alone. He looked really upset—"
"Hey," Wolfwood stops him. "Don't worry about that. Focus on resting."
Vash purses his lips and stays silent.
Wolfwood opens his mouth after a brief pause. "Do you think your eyes will heal?"
"I don't know," Vash murmurs.
Vash's fast healing might not be the same as before, before exhausting his powers. Wolfwood wants to believe he'll get his eyesight back.
"I think they will," Wolfwood tells him.
"I hope so."
The nurse gives Wolfwood bandages, eye drops and antiseptic wipes, and instructs to clean Vash's eyes each day after two days of bed rest. Heading back to the orphanage, Wolfwood holds Vash's hand while Kathy holds his other. Vash's steps are small as they exit the clinic, wary of his surroundings. His steps become more confident as they leave town when it turns quiet except for the sound of the desert wind. Wolfwood listens to Vash chat with Kathy and Livio, quelling their worries about him. When they arrive, Melanie is by the door within seconds.
"Oh, Vash." Melanie holds his hands in hers.
"I'm okay," he reassures her with a smile.
Melanie guides Vash to sit at the table and brews tea for him. Kathy keeps him company.
After two days of bed rest pass, Wolfwood sits Vash down on his bed to clean his eyes. He carefully removes the bandages wrapped around Vash's head and removes the crusted cotton pads from his eyes. Wolfwood doesn't make a sound when he sees Vash's bloodshot eyes, stained with mucus. Vash blinks multiple times a second, gaze flickering as he attempts to clear his vision but can't. His expression pinches from the sting in his eyes.
Wolfwood mourns the lack of blue in Vash's glassy eyes.
"How bad is it?" Vash asks.
Wolfwood grabs one of the antiseptic wipes. Vash flinches when it touches his eye. He recovers to let Wolfwood clean his eyes.
"That bad, huh?" Vash whispers.
"It's only been two days." Wolfwood rids the other eye of mucus and grabs the bottle of eye drops. He tilts Vash's head back to pour two drops in each eye before wrapping the bandage over his eyes. "You'll be okay."
"Yeah," Vash says with a tinge of hope in his voice.
For the next little while, Vash is ushered around the orphanage with everyone's help. Wolfwood helps him find his room during bedtime and meets him in the morning. The kids guide him across halls and rooms whenever he wants to listen to the kids play. After a week, Vash can move around on his own, having memorized the building's layout. Wolfwood still stays by his side anyway, just in case.
Three weeks pass with little improvement beside the blood and redness clearing from his eyes. At four weeks, Vash is noticeably withdrawn. He does his best to stay active, but Wolfwood can tell his lack of sight is bothering him. Wolfwood attempts to ask him if he's okay but is brushed off with a yes and an infuriating sad smile. He knows Vash misses being able to help Melanie with mundane tasks and play with the kids in their games. Yet, he doesn't say anything.
As Wolfwood shuts off the lights in his room and heads to bed, he continues hoping Vash will regain his eyesight.
Wolfwood wakes up from a loud thump by his door. He's alert within a second and turns on the lamp. Turning towards the sound, he finds Vash standing by the doorway, holding onto the wooden frame. He doesn't have his bandages on.
"Wolfwood? I—"
Wolfwood is by his side in an instant, grabbing Vash's hand. Vash's grip is tight. "What's wrong?"
Vash's gaze is turned downwards, eyes blinking rapidly before squeezing them shut. His breath is rushed. "I can't sleep. I can't see."
Wolfwood tugs his hand towards the bed. Vash follows, sitting on the edge of the mattress.
"I'm sorry for waking you up," Vash mumbles.
"Don't worry about it. Tell me what's keeping you up."
Vash sniffles. The hand in his palm squeezes. "I thought I'd be okay with not seeing again. Y'know, repentance, I guess. And I have pretty good hearing to get by." Then he sighs. "I don't blame the man. I've hurt a lot of people—"
"Vash—"
"But." Vash shakes his head, tears fall down his cheeks. "I want to see everyone again. I want to help Melanie cook, I want to play with the kids and take care of the garden. Even if I don't deserve it."
"Of course you deserve it." What Vash doesn't deserve is the pain. Wolfwood avoided thinking about the man hurting Vash and taking away his sight each time he cleaned his eyes. There's no outlet for his anger, wanting payback for Vash's pain. Every time someone directs a cold glare at Vash and dims his light further, he seethes. He can only use his anger and turn it into something productive by giving back some of the little happiness Vash missed out on during his century and a half life.
Vash deserves to see the beauty in everything this rugged planet has to offer.
Vash's hazy gaze turns towards him and cracks a smile. "I can hear you frowning." It soon drops, his lips quivering. "I can't see you," he whispers. "I want to see you."
"You will." Wolfwood takes Vash's hands and presses them over his own cheeks. Vash's fingers twitch over his skin until he's holding his face.
A few seconds pass before Vash's flesh hand begins to move, skimming across his cheekbone towards his eyebrows. He traces them with his fingers before they move down the bridge of his nose. Vash moves further down to touch his lips, brushing a thumb over the top and bottom. He then pulls his hands away reluctantly.
Wolfwood reaches to hold Vash's face between his palms, receiving a flinch from the man before he stills. He moves closer to lay a gentle kiss over an eyelid. There's a sound of a sharp inhale as Wolfwood moves to kiss the other eyelid, giving good luck to Vash's eyes so they can heal faster. Vash shakes under him.
"For good luck," Wolfwood explains.
He gets a wet laugh in response.
Wolfwood tugs Vash into bed, turning off the lights before tucking him against his side and draping the sheets over his body. Vash shifts to get comfortable and buries his face into his neck. Both fall asleep within minutes.
In the morning, Wolfwood yawns while stretching his arm out. His arm lands on the mattress instead of Vash's middle. He opens his eyes in an instant, relaxing when he sees Vash is nearby, sitting on the bed with his head facing the window where the sun is shining through. His eyes are wide open. Vash turns towards him when he moves to sit up.
"Hey."
Vash stares at him for a moment. "I see…shadows."
Wolfwood's eyes widen. "Yeah?"
Vash reaches a hand towards him, missing his mark when he touches his ear before moving down to hold his cheek. He smiles. "Maybe I needed some luck."
Vash feels the grin forming on Wolfwood's face.
Wolfwood continues cleaning Vash's eyes every day and sees the blue come back to life in his gaze. After a couple of days, Vash can see colours, and in another week, his vision comes back, albeit blurry. Vash whines about the slow process while Wolfwood puts drops in his eyes. The bandages are no longer needed.
"What if you need glasses," Wolfwood asks while putting the medical supplies away.
Vash hums. "I wouldn't mind that, as long as I'll be able to see."
"Of course you would, you old man."
Vash makes a noise of offence. "What about you? Maybe you need glasses. I've seen you squinting while reading the newspaper."
Wolfwood denies doing so with a scoff and drags Vash to bed.
When Vash can see two feet in front of him, he cries.
Wolfwood looks away to grab the eye drops for a second. Turning back, he finds tears in Vash's eyes. "Whoa, hey, what's wrong?"
Vash smiles wide. "I can see you." He reaches over to hold Wolfwood's face. His gaze flickers across his features.
"Miss me that much?" Wolfwood jests, placing his hands over Vash's.
Vash brings his face closer. "Yeah," he murmurs, sincerely. "I missed your handsome face."
Wolfwood huffs a laugh through his nose, feeling heat prickling underneath his skin at Vash's words and the intense gaze. He's relieved to see the blue is back in Vash's eyes.
Vash knocks his forehead against his. "Thank you."
Wolfwood puts drops in his eyes before they head to bed. Soon, Vash can play outside with the kids and help Melanie cook new recipes. It'll take a little longer to work up the courage to visit the nearby town, but there's no rush. For now, Vash traces the ridges across Wolfwood's face in the darkness, painting a picture in his mind.