#trigun reader insert

pairing: vash the stampede x afab! fem!reader content: smut (MDNI!) cw: questionable usage of this man's prosthetic fingers, c.lit play, tristamp coded vash because of the arm color but the others can have some coochie as a treat a/n: been in my notes app for forever. i cannot believe my first fic in awhile is smut and it's even my first trigun fic. ashamed. shaking out the dust and sand from my brain just like vash shakin' out the sand from his arm.

brad is a genius and knew the blonde would gunk up his masterpiece with sand at some point... so he provided a neat lil feature to help shimmy out the granules from the tiny crevices!

On the desert planet that was Noman’s Land, sand was a cruel devil for mechanical bits and bobs. Constantly eroding the cheap lacquers and choking up the gears in more intricate machinations made being an engineer a more annoying task. Hence why Brad, genius that he is, had equipped the blonde gunman’s arm with a little special something to rid the little granules from the intricate joints that made up the malachite arm. 

“This is the annoying part; gets... so… gritty– Eep!”

The blonde man squawks as he flails his left arm around, jerkily stretching his lithe fingers. The dual suns’ rays reflect off of the flat planes of his limb, occasionally blinding you as you watched him fumble around. Speckles fell from the crevices as he slapped his other hand against the jewel toned forearm, but the grimace on his face told you that it wasn’t quite fixed yet. Before you could offer to helpfully brush it down with a random paintbrush you picked up from the previous town, he fiddled with something at his inner bicep and the teal arm buzzed to life. 

Word count: 2,246

One Hundred- Fifty Years Post-Fall

The four travelers slept for nearly an entire day before waking one by one. Wolfwood was the first one up, keeping to himself and a close eye on his cross. Roberto was next, gladly accepting the food offered by Luida. Meryl came third with a million questions Brad ignored until Vash could join them. Once the man himself woke up, everyone came together to talk.

Brad scolded Vash for always ruining his arm as he gently got to work fixing it. He could hardly believe the Plant would be stupid enough to try to divert an ion cannon with nothing but brute strength.

“How are things around here?”

“Eh, same as ever. Luida’s well, the flora is growing steadily. Y/N hasn’t been around in a while though.”

“I was afraid of that.”

The stories never stopped circulating. Most people said they didn’t really believe you existed, more of a folktale than anything. Many stories were embellished or distorted over the years, but Vash had a sense for which ones were true when he heard them. As far as he could tell, you might not have visited Home since he’d last been there with you.

Vash was pulled from his thoughts with a pained wince.

“Boo hoo, you big baby.”

Vash pouted a little at his old friend. Brad still got a kick out of teasing him, even after over a century. Though, Vash supposed, it hadn’t felt like nearly that long for Brad.

“Welcome home, Vash.”

Luida popped up in the doorway with her signature warm smile. Vash couldn’t help but smile right back, his attention diverted from Brad’s work.

“It’s good to be back, although I wish I could have offered a better greeting when we got here.”

Luida waved off his concern.

“Don’t give it another thought. Your friends are safe, by the way. The town, the orphanage, and the passengers from the Humpback, too.”

Vash let out a sigh of relief. It hadn’t been easy to stop the steamer; it certainly took a toll on him, but it was worth it if no one got hurt.

“Have you heard anything from Y/N lately? Brad said they haven’t been here in a while.”

“They checked in a month or so ago. Said they were okay, that they might stop by again soon. You know how they are.”

Vash chuckled softly. He certainly did.

Before he could ask about you any further, Meryl came bounding in with the men trailing behind her.

“Vash, you’re okay!”

“Well I’m not.”

Meryl waved off Roberto as Vash offered an encouraging smile.

“Thanks for your help, Wolfwood. I couldn’t have stopped the Humpback without you.”

Wolfwood kept his eyes low as he stood at the back of the group. He wasn’t interested in pleasantries, all that mattered was that the orphanage wasn’t destroyed. If only Livio had been as lucky.

“Don’t flatter me, Needle-Noggin. Can we talk about this spaceship you just ‘forgot’ to tell us about?”

Luida stepped in to offer answers as Brad finished fixing up Vash’s arm and had him flex it a bit to test out the repairs.

“This is Ship Three, named Home. We’ve been here since the Big Fall, maintaining our original mission and taking care of whoever we can.”

“Thank you for saving us. You all seem close, have you two known Vash for long?”

Meryl just couldn’t go another minute without asking questions. Brad stood up and ran a hand over his hair. He answered with a little smirk on his face.

“Oh, not long. ‘Bout a century and a half.”

Meryl and Roberto openly balked at the answer, while Wolfwood kept a cool facade.

“You don’t look that old.”

Luida gave a good natured smile as she leaned back against the wall.

“We have cold sleep to thank. When we’re under, we don’t age a minute.”

“Got it.” Wolfwood put his cross against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. “So, it’s not eternal life.”

Brad scoffed. “Hardly. We’re only humans. We’ve just got a little help from technology.”

Meryl pursed her lips and spared Vash a glance.

“The Plants are helping too, aren’t they?”

Luida moved towards the door and beckoned her to follow.

“Let me show you something.”

While Luida took Meryl and Roberto to the dome, Vash, Brad, and Wolfwood sat in his room to talk. It wasn’t an easy conversation, but Vash stood his ground. He wouldn’t kill ever again, even his brother. When it began to feel like they were talking in circles, Vash stood up and excused himself. He needed to see the dome. He needed to think of you.

Meryl was lying on her stomach in the grass reaching at the flowers when Vash arrived. Roberto had wandered off by then looking for somewhere to smoke, prompting Luida to follow and scold him whenever he tried to light up. Vash sat at the edge of the flowerbeds and watched Meryl stare around in wonder.

Vash eventually laid down and watched the sky instead. The artificial clouds drifted across the glass, fluffy and white. The bright blue eventually turned pink, then orange, then purple. When it faded to black with twinkling stars, the door slid open and Roberto came running in.

“Roberto?”

Meryl sat up to look at her superior just in time to see him duck down while Vash got to his feet. A huge figure flew past him, rising into the air with a bizarre sort of growling sound before diving straight at Vash. Before Meryl could even call his name, the figure tackled him, both of them rolling across the grass in a mess of red fabric and what appeared to be white feathers.

Wolfwood came running in right after with his gun ready and Luida trying to grab it from him.

“Vash!”

Before Meryl had a chance to do anything in defense of her friend, she realized he was laughing. It was a wild, exuberant sound like nothing she’d heard before, even from him.

“Mayfly, hold on!” Vash practically wheezed with laughter as he flopped back in the grass with you on top of him. “Settle down!”

“No!”

You buried your face in his chest and let your feathers shed as you returned to your usual size. Meryl and the others cringed at the popping and cracking of your joints resizing themselves. Vash just ran his flesh hand down your back, smoothing out your coat and sending more feathers cascading to the grass.

“You’re cleanin’ that up, Y/N!”

You waved off Brad’s comment as you slowly sat up to get a better look at Vash.

“Perfect timing, Mayfly. Welcome home.”

“Uh… excuse me… what’s going on?”

Vash’s smile dropped just a bit as his attention turned from you to Meryl.

“Meryl, this is my Mayfly. Mayfly, these are some new friends of mine; Meryl, Roberto, and Wolfwood.”

Luida had successfully wrestled the Punisher from Wolfwood’s hands, at least enough to prevent him from shooting you. Vash could see the way your brow furrowed, eyes narrowing at Wolfwood and his gun. He was quick to tap your knee to bring your attention back to him.

“They’re friends, Mayfly. I promise.”

You studied Vash beneath you. His eyes were as beautiful as ever, though more filled with pain than the last time you’d met. His hair still looked good; he must have found someone to manage it for him. That handsome, bright face of his distracted you every time.

“Vash… what do you mean… ‘this is Mayfly?’”

“That’s the Worm Beast!”

Meryl whirled around to look at Wolfwood. He was trying again to wrestle his weapon free and aim it at you, but Luida was putting up more of a fight than he expected.

You cackled madly, shuffling back to let Vash sit up beside you in the grass.

“You humans are still calling me that, huh? I thought for sure it would’ve gotten old by now.”

Meryl looked hopelessly lost, so Vash tried to fill her in.

“Meryl, Mayfly here is like me. They’re an Independent.”

“That’s right.”

You preened as he spoke of you. While you didn’t consider yourself to be a prideful person, you had a weakness for the way Vash talked about you.

“...Huh?”

Roberto rubbed at his temples and paced around the flora, wishing he had a comfortable chair and a large drink.

You stood and shook out your coat, letting the last of your feathers fall to the grass. Then you tucked your hands in your pockets and offered your best, still deeply unsettling, grin.

“Hi there; I’m Y/N. I’m an Independent.”

“...yeah… you guys said that part…”

You tilted your head curiously at her. She seemed a little slow on the uptake.

“So what part of that confuses you?”

“I, um… we just didn’t even know… Independents… existed until yesterday when we caught Vash in the Plant room…”

Your eyes flickered over, finding Vash rubbing at the back of his neck.

“I thought you were discreet about that.”

“I thought I’d have enough time to get back out without being seen. We were kind of… stopping a sand steamer at the time.”

Your head slowly turned to stare him down, his eyes firmly set on the grass.

“You. Did. What?”

“Busted up his arm diverting an ion cannon, too.”

Brad was quick to throw the Plant under the bus.

“Vash!”

“I didn’t have a choice! Wolfwood said he would skin me alive if I didn’t!”

Wolfwood was no coward. If someone started a fight with him, he was more than ready to finish it. But the glare you spared him set every nerve in his body on fire, his brain nearly shutting down and sending no other message than ‘flee’ to his limbs.

“You harm one hair on his head and I will show you that Worm Beast is the kindest name I can be given. I will tear-”

“Mayfly, please.”

You growled, deep and low, for so long the group wondered how you could fit enough breath in your lungs to sustain it. Then Vash wrapped one hand around yours, placing the other on your shoulder, and the sound became a far more pleasant one. You were… purring almost.

“No one is hurting anyone here. This is Home and no one will die here. Wolfwood?” He set down his gun and leaned it against the wall before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Y/N?”

You crossed your arms and huffed as you rolled your eyes.

“Fine, Dove.”

Vash’s new friends all shared a quick glance at the nickname. You just rested your head on his shoulder and closed your eyes for a few moments before stepping back and looking everyone over again. Vash just blushed a little and nuzzled into you while you were close enough.

“Hello, humans. I will warn you only this once. If Vash or my humans here are harmed because of you, I will tear you limb from limb. Understood?”

Meryl quickly nodded her head with wide eyes. Roberto nodded as well with his eyes shut tight as if fighting off a headache. Wolfwood met your stare with a challenge in his eyes; he couldn’t help it. But he raised his hands in surrender and watched you relax, your height shrinking by a few more inches until you looked almost completely natural.

“Good. Now, how did you all meet my Dove?”

Wolfwood snickered next to Luida, but she sent him a warning look and he stifled it. Meryl, ever the reporter, laid out the events of the last few weeks for you. Vash suffered multiple smacks over the head, eventually moaning dramatically and shuffling to sit behind you, his head resting atop your, his arms wrapped around your shoulders. You remained all together into the darkest hours of the night, sharing stories and getting to know each other.

By the time the sun slowly began to rise, Meryl had drifted off to sleep in the thick, soft grass. Roberto had left hours before to get sleep in a proper bed. There was no way he’d pass that up given the chance. Wolfwood had tried to remain vigilant, but eventually shuffled away to sleep as well. You and Vash, of course, curled up together in your feathers and coats to rest as one.

When you eventually blinked back to consciousness, everything was as you’d left it. Meryl was curled up on her jacket. Vash was tucked into your side, his nose nuzzled into your neck. Brad came in a few minutes later with a bag in hand.

“Told you you’re cleanin’ those up.”

You just grinned that too wide grin up at him.

“I’ll clean up once he’s awake. You wouldn’t want to disturb his sleep, would you?”

Your face told him you were joking, though there was an undercurrent in your tone that said you’d rip him apart if he tried.

“Don’t weasel out of it, alright? I expect every single feather out of this dome by the time you leave next.”

“Of course, Brad. Do you doubt my cleanliness?”

He simply rolled his eyes and dropped the bag next to you. On his way out, he wrapped his knuckles on the doorframe, startling Vash half awake.

pairing: vash the stampede x gn!reader content: fluff cw: mention of injury and blood, mention of vash getting threatened with a gun a/n: mostly tristamp vash since the boots and arm are explicitly described, but it could work for the other vashs

Mundane routines can be grounding experiences for those living life on the run, and that certainly is the case for Vash the Stampede. Including you in his daily rituals made them a smidge more special.

wc: 1.3k

The Humanoid Typhoon lived a life where he wasn’t sure if dinner was on the menu in the evenings, or if breakfast was even an option when the twin suns rose. The outlaw was always left gnawing at his chapped lip, wondering if he’d even have the opportunity to make some quick cash the next town over to rest in a rickety bed.

When you live a life of uncertainty and guaranteed danger like Vash the Stampede did, you tend to grip and sink your nails into routine, mundane things.

The blonde unconsciously craved routine, even if the routine was as simple as brushing his teeth when it was dark out and spitting out the paste into a rusted basin. Even if his boring ritual was splashing uncomfortably warm and metallic-scented water on his wind-chapped skin and patting it down with his wrinkled shirt.

Routine is something he cherished to have. And he clung to any opportunity to keep them alive.

Word count: 2,460

Series Masterlist

Seventy-One Years Post-Fall

“Are you absolutely certain everything will be okay here while I’m gone?”

“For the fiftieth time Y/N, yes. We have everything prepared, our Plants are functioning properly and are well taken care of, and I’m going back into cold sleep until one of you comes back.”

You paced back and forth relentlessly in the Plant room on Home. Luida was patiently watching you from a chair while one of the Plants drifted nearer to you and reached out slowly. Her age was beginning to show now, despite all her years in cold sleep. Her eyes were as lively and warm as ever though, which brought you some comfort. 

“I just… maybe I shouldn’t go after all.”

“You should. A change of scenery would do you some good. And we’re well protected here these days.”

“Trying to get rid of me now? I thought our relationship was stronger than that.”

Luida laughed softly and stood to join you and the Plant. 

“It’s been more than half a century. It’s time you stretch those wings of yours, for more than a short flight around Home.” Her hand landed on your shoulder and you met her gaze. “He’s been out there a long time. He hasn’t forgotten us, so neither will you. It’s not a bad thing to see what else humanity has built here.”

You heaved a sigh and let your forehead press to the cool glass. The Plant pressed her hand to where your head rested and your lines glowed in harmony. 

“It’s just- it’s been so long. I don’t know how to… how to talk to people beyond this place. It’s you or the Worms. That’s my whole life.”

“Hey.” She waited until you wrapped your arms around yourself and spun to rest your back against the glass. “There was something before the Fall, you know. Just because you can’t remember it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You’ll be okay, Y/N. You always have been.”

Luida always knew what to say. You wished you could have picked up on that after sixty-eight years here. 

“I’ll leave tomorrow. I promise.”

“Good. And you’re welcome back any time, you know this place is home for both of you.”

“I know.” Your voice was barely a whisper, thinking of your Vash. 

He last left five years ago. You were going crazy without him these days. No amount of time spent with Luida, Brad, or the Worms could quiet the storm in your mind. The love of your life was wandering and it made your heart restless. It was time you went out on your own and saw what kept Vash away so much. 

You spent half the night awake in your room once you bid goodnight to Luida. Your bag was packed, unpacked, then repacked again. Your nest was disassembled, then spread all across the room. You just couldn’t hold still. You grabbed one more bag and painstakingly packed up the most important pieces of your nest. 

It took hours to sort through it all. You swept up dozens of your feathers, painstakingly picking out and discarding the oldest ones, before tucking the best of them into the bottom of the bag. Then came an old shirt of Vash’s, adopted into your nest after he tore too big a hole in it to mend. You tossed in a pillow, a spare blanket, and some of the few feathers Vash himself had once sprouted. He’d been horribly embarrassed about it, but you’d just helped him clean them up and then put them deep enough into your nest that he couldn’t complain or insist you remove them. 

By early morning light, you had tortured yourself enough. It was time to leave. You and Luida shared a tearful goodbye as you saddled up a toma before setting off into the desert. Trails of Worms followed you for days, always watching over you at night and guiding you away from danger. It wasn’t so bad for the first few weeks. Lonely, but that was nothing new. 

Then you reached a town. It was small, with no Plants of its own. But the people seemed… happy. There were dozens of children running through the streets shouting excitedly or helping their families tend to their homes. The adults all seemed busy with their lives, no one sparing you more than a glance unless you looked right at them. 

The problem started after you paid a visit to a saloon near the heart of the town, looking to rent a room upstairs. You hadn’t intended to cause any trouble. You just wanted to ask a simple question. But you’d forgotten how little practice you had with people aside from Brad and Luida. 

“Excuse me, sir?”

The bartender turned to face you and immediately tensed up. Your wide, unblinking eyes put him on edge. It didn’t help how your head tilted at him, at such an odd angle. 

“Uh…”

You kept staring, watching as he fumbled to set down the glass he’d been cleaning and missed the countertop, dropping it to the floor and letting it shatter. You didn’t even flinch at the sound, your head tilting the other way to an even more unnatural angle. 

“Uh- sorry, sorry. I, um…” 

He scrambled to clean up the mess as you watched, his hands shaking and nearly catching on the shards of broken glass. That would likely come out of his paycheck. 

“If this is a bad time, I can come back later-”

“No!” He seemed to startle himself that time with his abrupt answer. “I mean- no, that’s alright. What can I- what can I do for you?”

“I’d like to rent a room upstairs, if there’s one available.”

You attempted a smile, with far too sharp of teeth for comfort. Every instinct he had told him not to let you any further into the place than you’d already gotten. If you had a room here, he was sure he’d end up dead. 

“Sorry… there- there’s no space. Sorry.”

You simply shrugged in resignation and stepped back from the bar. 

“Oh, well. Thanks anyway.” 

You tossed a carefree wave over your shoulder and walked back outside. Your toma was waiting patiently for you at the post you’d tied it to. You slipped the rope free and headed for another saloon nearer to the edge of town. While you had no better luck in finding a room to stay in, you did get a very nervous agreement to let you and your toma stay in a spare stall at the stables just next door. 

You quickly assembled your little nest and calmed your toma before drifting off to sleep. Unbeknownst to you, several of the townspeople snuck past, discussing the unnerving new visitor in hushed tones. The bartenders and their patrons spread word quickly, prompting everyone to double check the locks on their doors and windows that night. 

To your disappointment, every town seemed to have a similar reception to you. You really weren’t sure what you were doing wrong. You always smiled wide, held eye contact, and spoke as kindly as you could. Every time though, you were denied room and board. People kept conversations short and hurried off as quickly as possible. After a few months, you gave up on trying to talk to people. 

When you reached new towns, you would keep to the outskirts. You found abandoned houses to nest in. Your toma needed food, so you made a note requesting help that you would hang around its neck and send it towards groups of kids. It worked pretty well most of the time and you avoided attention from the townspeople. 

Over the course of five years, you came across plenty of towns. No adults wanted to talk to you, so you tended to sleep during the day and travel around at night. The Worms would go with you, lifting your toma to ease its load as you flew alongside them. When your toma fell ill and passed, you started traveling lighter. You only really needed clothing and your nesting materials, so you left everything else behind. 

With your distance from the towns you saw, you never heard the stories that were passed around by other travelers. Tales of a figure lurking in the shadows with glowing eyes. Feathers unlike anything anyone had seen before drifting through the air. Farmers swore they’d seen someone floating in the air in their fields. No one had a name for it, but eventually everyone had heard some legend or another. 

The only real interaction you had over the five years came from the more bold children. A few would dare each other to investigate empty houses in the evening light and on occasion, they’d find you. One such occasion came three years into your travels. 

You were fast asleep in your nest when they arrived. Four boys and a girl with a point to prove. She’d begged her brother to let her play with him and his friends, but he always argued that she couldn’t keep up. She insisted she could, so they set her a challenge. 

She crept in through the front door, looking around at the dusty floors and cracked windows. Her every step creaked loudly, the walls moaning in the wind. The boys were all waiting at a distance, pushing each other around and laughing at how scared she would be when she came running back out. 

The ground floor was empty, nothing but some worn down furniture and cobwebs. She carefully ascended the stairs, creaking even louder than the floors. The sound woke you, but you remained still with your guard up. The top floor was smaller than the first, with a simple bathroom and a comfortable bedroom, where you had set up your nest. 

Her steps were slow and deliberate. As she got closer, you could hear her talking to herself, trying to ease her own nerves. 

“There’s nothing here… those stupid boys just want to scare you…”

You curled up and watched through the layers of fabric as she stepped into the room and looked around. Her eyes slowed on the pile of your nest, her body tensing for a moment. 

“It’s just blankets the people left behind. Nothing to be afraid of.”

“You’re half right.”

She screeched as you poked your head up to look at her. You shuffled up to stand, your hands raised in a placating gesture. 

“It’s okay.”

She couldn’t move. Her feet were stuck. She just kept screaming. 

“Please stop that. It’s quite loud.”

The girl ran out of breath and stared at you with tears in her eyes.

How did Vash do this? 

You hunched your shoulders a bit to lower your stature and made a conscious effort to blink more often. You kept your hands up just in case and backed up to give her a little more space. 

“It’s okay, I won't hurt you.”

You sat back down on your nest and hoped she wouldn’t just run off. 

“You… you were in the blankets…”

You shrugged in what you hoped was a carefree manner. 

“It’s my nest, I sleep in it.”

Her brow furrowed. 

“There’s a bed right there.”

She pointed dumbly at the musty old bed against the opposite wall. It likely wouldn’t have supported your weight if you’d even tried it.

“Nests are better. For me, at least.”

“So… you won’t hurt me?”

“Not so much as a hair on your head.”

She relaxed and smiled at you then. You tried to smile back and she cringed. 

“What?”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to have such sharp teeth. Or so many of them.”

Right. Brad had mentioned that before, but it had been so long since you’d thought about it. Your smile got smaller, hiding the extra teeth and their sharpness. 

“That’s better.”

“Can I stand up now? I’ve been curled up all day sleeping.”

The young girl nodded, but still watched you with a small measure of caution as you rose to your feet again. You stayed a little smaller this time. 

“So, what’s your name?”

“I’m Y/N. Are you comfortable telling me your name?”

“I’m Melody.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Melody. Are you here alone? I only ask because I doubt it’s very safe for someone your age to wander around alone. Especially this far from town. I came out here for exactly that reason.”

Melody opened her mouth to answer, then closed it and got a wicked grin on her face. You tilted your head at her in confusion.

“Actually, I have an idea.”

The boys were on edge once Melody screamed. Her brother hadn’t meant for anything bad to happen to her, he just wanted to freak her out enough to make her leave him alone. But she sounded genuinely afraid in there. 

“Uh… Cazin. Is she okay in there?”

“I- I don’t know.”

As the four boys tried to gather their courage, you slipped out of the house and crept closer with Melody watching from the window. Cazin stepped forward to go look for his sister. In the same moment he took the first step, you raised up to your full height with a sinister expression. 

“Looking for someone?”

The boys shrieked and fell backward, all four scrambling to cover themselves on the ground. Melody came out of the house to join you, laughing at her brother’s expense. When Cazin realized what had happened and turned a bitter glare on you both, you broke into an evil laugh, terrifying until you doubled over and wiped tears from your eyes. 

“It doesn’t feel nice when someone scares you on purpose, does it?”

Cazin and his friends at least had the decency to look embarrassed. They grumbled in agreement and took your offered hands to help them up. You spent the rest of the daylight playing around with the children. They all got comfortable quickly enough, even getting as far as encouraging you to stand at your full height. 

They all cringed as you popped all your joints and stood as tall as you could, but shook off the discomfort at the chance to try to climb your back. You let them hang from your arms, gave them rides on your back, and ran back to the edge of town with them as the last rays of sunlight faded.