#blankticket

Because he's trying to bring some drinks into the living room, but he can't stop staring. Christ on a motorcycle, he'd been intimate with the guy, and he's seen the scarring, but...

Phew.

Whatever the fuck had changed, either between them or for the Stampede himself, he was a lot more comfortable walking around shirtless. It's not the scarring - he knew about that a long time ago - it's...

Well, it'd been a while, and it was new, and-

He clears his throat, interrupting himself and getting the Stampede's attention, holding up shot glasses. "Booze?"

He's doing his fucking best here.

"I thought it'd be difficult to find you."

"But when I actually tried, it wasn't so hard after all."

Unintentionally or not, the tall blond angel ends up looming over the other as he comes to a stop in a corner of Ruby's Center. Burnt Umber is out of the way for most denizens of the city (and to be frank, the dry air and endless sands has a soporific effect on himself), but he's curious about his former charge enough to pester him at his common haunts.

...In short, it was stressful and exhausting. Everyone was happy to get the fuck out for the day.

Wolfwood's always the last to leave, double-checking things are clean and stocked, ovens are off, lights are out, and doors are locked. He's ready to just get home to his husband and his cat and heat up leftover chili on the stove.

The back door clicks shut behind him. He turns, locks it, and as he's turning back around catches sight of someone right off to the side. Not expecting it, he nearly jumps right out of his skin, startled.

...Then he sees who it is. Surprise melts away into irritation, concern, and a bit of relief.

"Jesus, why're you lurkin' back here like some kinda shady guy?"

And where's his arm?

"My joke..."

"Wish I could swim..."

“You cannot swim?”

They sound. A little surprised. And, yeah, Chara knows they should be on their guard. They’ve only met this Vash once, after all. But …

Well, he’s got almost the same face as the one they live with. And he’s got this gentle look in his eye, almost like…

Like Asriel. Like Frisk.

So Chara doesn’t put their guard up as high as it normally is. They’re still cautious, of course, but …

Chara tugs their sweater, shoulders curling in on themselves, as they watch the other people playing in the pool, while the two of them are sitting at the edge.

“…”

'I'm...." Klaus exhales a sigh, "Relieved that Miss Corvus put a stop to the bounty." Should he say that? Is it okay for him to say something like that when he didn't obey? WHEN he shoved his own sword through a man who was only protecting?

"I hope this isn't too rude, but..."

"He's still got a bit of baby-fat in his face, doesn't he? I don't mean anything bad about it, really! It's quite cute. But I think those glasses of his catch my attention most of all. They remind me of a very good friend I had, once upon a time."

"..."