#soft!vash

“I can’t believe I left my damn sleeping bag behind in Flagstaff,” you groaned, plopping down next to the campfire. “The first time in forever that we’re camping outside, and I fucking lost it.”

“You can borrow my extra pillow, and I think Meryl has an extra blanket!” Milly offered.

“Yeah, here you go. It’s thin, and you’ll have to sleep on the dirt, but it’s something.” Meryl shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

You sighed. “Not your fault. I’m the idiot who forgot to double-check, even if we were in a rush to leave.”

“Tch, dummy,” Wolfwood muttered, earning a sharp jab in the chest from Milly.

You felt a light tug on your sleeve and a familiar voice saying your name. Vash crouched next to you with a nervous smile. “My sleeping bag is huge. We could share it, if you’d like. Or, you can take it and I’ll use the pillow and that sad excuse for a blanket.”

Sharing a sleeping bag with Vash sounded too good to be true. It probably wasn’t wise to nod your head and agree to his offer considering the crush you’d developed for him since joining the group, but it was either that or shiver under a threadbare blanket next to the dying fire. 

“I’m glad you agreed, because I would’ve forced you to take the sleeping bag if you didn’t,” Vash cheerily declared. He stood and offered his hands, helping you to your feet; their warmth made you shiver and he frowned, rubbing your cold hands between his. “Geez, you’re already freezing. C’mon, get comfy before you turn into an icicle.”

You rolled your eyes and followed him to the large bag–you had no clue why he’d gotten one so massive considering his lithe frame–and then took off your shoes and climbed in on the side close to the fire. After you rolled onto your left side and finished adjusting your borrowed pillow, supplemented by Meryl’s rolled-up blanket, You heard Vash kick off his shoes, shrug off and fold up his jacket, and slide inside the bag, careful not to nudge you. However, you didn’t mind his back brushing against yours when he zipped the bag closed, his body heat seeping through the fabric of his turtleneck. 

Everyone said their tired goodnights, the fire burning down to smoldering red-hot embers. A hush fell over the camp, only the eerie desert stillness remaining. A blanket of navy blue pinpricked with stars stretched above you as far as the eye could see, more tiny holes punched in it as the fire’s glow continued to diminish.   

Sleep refused to visit you, it seemed. With an annoyed exhale, you rolled onto your other side and caught Vash staring at you. Even in the dim, dying firelight, you could make out a deep pink blush on his cheeks and his throat bobbed with a gulp. 

You smugly smiled. “See something you like?”

“Just, uh, making sure you’re not cold.”

“Well, I think my hands still are.”

His eyes darted between yours and the flickering stars above. “Y-yeah?”

You nodded and offered your left hand, the right curled under your cheek. “Double-check for me?”

Vash rolled onto his side to face you, gingerly taking your hand in his. His fingers curled around yours, then guided your hand to his lips and lightly kissed your knuckles. Your breath hitched at the gesture and your heart stopped when his soft eyes pierced yours with an intensity you’d never expected from him. Vash tugged you towards him, then let go of your hand and urged you to turn on your side. When you did so, he wrapped his arm around you and trapped you against his chest. Vash was just as warm as you imagined him to be, his large hand a soothing weight over your stomach and tangling with your hand. His content, sleepy sigh tickled your ear and he breathed out your name.

“I hope I can help you stay warm,” he murmured, pressing a chaste kiss into your shoulder. He quietly chuckled when you shivered. “Get some sleep. And don’t worry about buying a new sleeping bag–you can share mine anytime.”

You nodded and drifted off to sleep wrapped in Vash’s warm embrace with a smile on your face.