#vashxreader

You wake up nearly completely on your back, a heavy weight on you, soft hair tickling your cheek. As your brain clears you realize Vash's head is resting on your chest, close to your shoulder, your arms around his neck. His arms are around you, one of your legs thrown over his hip as he sleeps on yours. His breathing calm and slow, face turned away from you. Leaving one of your arms resting on his back, the other hand gently strokes up, fingers finding his hair. He doesn't wake up to that and you close your eyes again, cheek against his head, fingers playing with the blond locks.

Warmth filling your chest as you stay like this for quite a while longer. The sunlight finds its way into the room despite the curtains and you hear people talking in the streets. Seems like some of them haven't stopped celebrating yet and the good news spreads from mouth to mouth that the town is saved. Some people are wondering who they have to thank, nobody actually having Vash's name.

You focus on Vash's breathing as he lays on you so you notice the change in his breathing, but keep running your fingers through his hair, nails running over his skin where the hair is shortest. Your other hand still rests on his back as you keep going. The snoring is gone, occasionally replaced by barely audible low moans.

"How long are you going to pretend to be asleep for?" you ask with a smile on your lips.

"Guess you found me out, huh?" a mumble reaches your ears. "But can I pretend a while longer?"

He nuzzles his face more into you, giving you access to more of the side of his head closest to you. He rolls even more onto you, his knee pushing your leg that is over his hip. His hands move down to either side of your waist, touching your skin where the shirt has been pushed up. His face and chest dig more into you as his weight shifts.

Both of your hands move onto the back of his neck, your thumbs feeling for the knots in his muscles and gently starting to rub them out. He lets out a relieved sigh, you can feel his hot breath through the fabric. He is not wearing a turtleneck, just a high neckline shirt so your fingers travel slightly underneath the collar to massage away more tight spots before moving up again, nails trailing over his skin into his hair, rubbing the sides of his head, pinching his ears lightly, thumbs playing with his earlobes, especially the one with the earring. You hear and feel him breathe heavy as he enjoys your touch.

His hands grab you tighter and trail upwards, fingers pushing under your shirt, over your skin. He feels the twitch in your body as he trails over your ribs. His head turns even more and his face moves closer till his lips touch your neck and start to leave burning kisses. His body shifts further so he lays between both your legs, his flesh hand moving down your side again, over to your butt, pulling your leg up to be over his hip, your feet locking on his ass as you enjoy his lips and touch, quiet and breathy moans escaping your throat, his heavy breathing pressing his chest into yours. Vash's kisses move down and brush over your collarbone, his metal hand has pushed your shirt as far up as it will go without exposing your chest. His lips skip over the fabric and land on your ribs, you feel his body brushing over yours. The hands that have been gripping his hair move to his back, griping his shirt as the kisses move over your stomach to the other side.

As your hands start to bunch up the cloth of his shirt to pull it up and over his head the weight of his body is suddenly gone. Both his hands moving over your sides to your arms making you let to go  and in a lightning fast move he has your arms pinned to the bed over your head, his fingers intertwined with yours. His body has moved up again and he gently presses his forehead to yours, supporting his body with his hands either side of you, still holding tight.

Your wide eyes look up at him, for a moment Vash avoids your gaze, mumbling "Sorry." But his eyes find yours regardless, your mouth still slightly open as you stare back.

"Why are you sorry?" you finally manage to speak out after gathering yourself enough to catch up with what just happened.

"I... I don't think I'm ready." he says, avoiding you again and you put your feet back onto the mattress, knees still bent to give him room.

"That's okay." you assure him gently and smile, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Red."

His body that you only just now realized was tense like a drawn bow relaxes and gently slumps onto you again, his grip lightening  as you pull out your hands to wrap your arms around him again for a hug and to stroke his back while he hides his face. Vash's ear is against your chest, listening to the racing of your heart. His arms move down again, taking some of his weight off of you as he supports himself on his elbows, his hands slipping between the mattress and your shoulders. His body on yours feels comforting.

"Room service!" you hear a muffled voice behind your door after a few nervous knocks that both of you had ignored. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The two of you are still in bed, it feels like hours of blissfully laying in each other's arms, but in reality you don't know how long it has been. Long enough for Vash's stomach to start growling.

"Maybe they brought food?" you suggest while you still play with Vash's hair.

"Mmmm, maybe." he answers with a pout as his stomach voices its displeasure. "But then I have to get up."

"Don't worry, I'll take you back." you joke with a light laugh.

"But it won't be the same, " he whines. "It feels like I found something profound! If I move it will slip away!"

"It will slip away if you starve to death." you tug on his hair lightly.

"Helllooo?" the insistent voice still continuing between knocks.

Vash lets out a deep sigh and pushes himself up, looking at you with grumpiness for a moment and then staggers out of bed.

"Sorry! I'm coming!" he calls out towards the door. 

You sit up and see the door opening, a boy stands there with a large tray. He gives a wide smile, but you doubt it's genuine.

"Here you are, good sir! Our deluxe breakfast! It might be late afternoon already, but since we didn't see you at breakfast we assumed you sleep in! The chef cooked it all up especially for you! It's on the house as a thank you!"

The boy holds up the tray for Vash and he looked pleased with himself.  Vash takes the food and gives a kind smile back.

"Oh, tell everyone involved that we're very grateful for everything! It's so wonderful!" his left hand manages to balance the whole tray by itself and Vash ruffles the boy's hair.

"Will do, sir!" the lad turns around and runs off down the hall.

"It smells nice!" Vash exclaims as he closes the door. He walks over to the table in the corner and sets the tray down. He inspects everything closely, "There's pancakes! And eggs and sausages!"

You listen to him listing all the toppings and extras as he identifies them, eyes wide like an excited child. Seems like his pouty mood is completely gone. He puts down the dishes that were included, setting the table for two and starts pouring two cups of coffee.

"Come, come! They brought food for two!" he smiles at you.

"And you eat enough for two people!" you tease him, but Vash is not having any of it as he comes to stand by the bed with mischief in his eyes.

"Come, have breakfast with me." he says and offers you a hand.

"I'm not hungry." you say matter-of-factly, tone light and pretending to be serious.

"You never are." he takes both your hands and pulls lightly.

"See? Go eat by yourself! You already chose to abandon me to go open that door." you look him square in the eye pretending to be hurt by what he'd done.

"You vixen!" he laughs and pulls harder, trying to pry you up from the bed, but instead of giving in you brace yourself and pull back, trying to get him to bed. This tug-of-war takes Vash by surprise, but not enough to throw him off balance. You are strong, amazingly so, Vash has to struggle a bit to overpower you and manages to get you to your feet, but as you still refuse to budge he changes strategy and instead of pulling you by your hands, he switches gears and bows down a bit, places his hands on your waist and lifts you up onto his shoulder.

"That's not fair!" you exclaim and playfully slap him on the back.

He simply laughs and takes the few steps to the table, kicks out a chair and sits you down into it before pushing it to the table and almost falling into his own chair. The wide smile on his face lights up his eyes with joy and it warms your heart.

"At least have a taste! They cooked it all up especially for us!" he cheers you with his coffee cup and you can't help but smile and follow his lead.

"Oh, Red, you are ridiculous!"  you lightly clink your cups together.

"Not at all, Sweet Pea!" his eyes scan the room and seem to stop at something behind you. "Hold on, just one more finishing touch!"

He takes a quick sip and places the cup down, standing up from his seat and walking off. You follow him with your gaze, but you don't see what caught his attention. He fiddles with something on the commode and after a quiet click the room is filled with music. Vash turns to face you again and you see the little radio.

"I will dance with you after breakfast! Even if you are kicking and screaming on my shoulder again!" he laughs as he returns to you.

"As I said: absolutely ridiculous!" you roll your eyes and sip on your coffee. Vash starts piling food on his plate, making sure you take at least one bite of everything.

Read more Tempest Wind HERE.

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Vash has been so consumed with worry and thoughts for the past few days that even his chatter has boiled down to planning, and for once, you can call him the worrywart like he has done to you many times before. It did coax out a light laugh from him, but he went right back to his talk of strategy and what the bandits could be planning and doing. He has drawn up a little map for himself where he has marked out roughly the locations of settlements, their names, and which ones have already been hit by the bandits.

You had told him to go to bed and get some sleep, but instead he has gone into planning mode once again under his blanket while you were looking out over the desert, trying to catch a glimpse of any car headlights. The radio plays as he tracks his pencil along the makeshift map. He tries to listen for more hints on where the bandits could be, but there is no news from this area. A few robberies have happened further south towards May, but they are nowhere near as frequent as in the northern area. 

He is so consumed by his thoughts, and it worries you, so you hatch a plan to get his mind off things. If he's not going to sleep, then you will occupy him in different ways.

You stand over him for a moment as he lays on his stomach, his fingers laced into his hair as he stares at his notes. He doesn't even seem to notice you there. He is so used to you and so trusting of you that as long as you're keeping watch, his guard is down. You kneel onto your own mattress that is right next to his, and before he even turns his head, you're under his blanket.

"Won't you stop worrying so much?" Your voice is low in his ear as your hand pulls his out of his hair.

"I just... I don't want to leave you alone; I don't want to be away from you." His voice is sad as he sighs. He sounds so pathetic to himself, but to you, he can admit that.

"You won't come up with a better plan. After all, this is my idea, and I am always right." Your voice is quiet as you place a light kiss on his cheek. "It's only for a little bit."

His head turns to meet yours, a slight smile on his lips, yet his eyes are still sad.

"Even a little bit is too much."

"You'll get over it." You pull his face closer to kiss his lips, a tender and soft kiss locking your mouths together. 

You feel him adjusting, turning to his side, his hand closest to you finding your waist, and it makes him freeze. He pulls away from you, looking into your mischievous eyes before trailing down your face and neck. He lifts the blanket a bit to peek underneath, and a deep crimson hue comes over his ears and face as you keep a close look on his expression.

"What's wrong?" you ask, amused.

"Where are your clothes?" His eyes meet yours again, and you see that somewhere deep, the awkwardness is overtaken by desire. Usually, he is the one undressing you.

"Somewhere over yonder," you say with a smirk as you let the blanket fall off your shoulder, revealing more of your skin to him. Vash has to swallow before your lips find his again; this time he is a lot hungrier.

His lips part with yours, his tongue pushing into the cavity of your mouth. You feel his hand  move down your body, giving your thigh a squeeze before sneaking over your body. His fingertips start to push into the space between your legs, but you swat him away.

You click your tongue disapprovingly, and he pulls away with a surprised expression, clearly not expecting your denial.

"Your clothes are bothering me. Get up and take them off," you smirk, and Vash could swear you look so devious you could be the Devil for all he knows.

Still, he doesn't let you tell him twice as he gets on his feet, towering over you by your feet as you turn onto your back, your hands propping you up, the edge of the thin blanket sliding onto your stomach. Your eyes are nailed on him as he takes off his coat, shirt, and glove, revealing his scarred skin. He moves down to undo his belt, and he seems hurried and flustered, the redness still not completely gone.

"Does it make you nervous when I watch?" Your voice is still silky smooth.

He starts to answer, but it seems like his mind is wiped clean as he sees your knees move apart under the blanket, his eyes nailed to your lower half. This is uncharted territory for him; you haven't swept him up and away quite like this before.

"What is it? You want a treat already?" You smirk. "Your job is only half done, and you already want a peek?"

You could swear you saw his knees buckle for a moment as one of your hands reaches down to grab the blanket.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there?" You pull the blanket from your knees so he can clearly see your bent and spread legs, but you keep the rest covered by the blanket between them.

Vash springs back to life, pulling off his belt and throwing it aside before undoing his pants and pushing off his boots and socks. He stands in his underwear, watching over you.

"What if I have requests?" He has definitely found his footing again, an edge to his voice as his eyes burn up.

"I will fill your every desire, but first you will have to strip down completely." You smile wickedly as you gaze into his eyes.

You keep looking up even as he pushes down his underwear; only after he straightens up again do you look down to measure him and then look back.

"Spread your legs wider for me." You hear his request as he comes closer and lowers himself down. You do as he asks, your bent legs taking a wider stance.

"Good girl," his voice is husky as he touches your leg, placing kisses on the inside of your thigh, starting from the knee and moving closer to your warm and wet core. His hands stroke your skin, moving up until they pull away the blanket, letting him place his lips in the center as his hands push your thighs even further apart. His tongue is exploring the folds and tasting your arousal.

"Oh, fuck..." you moan as your head already falls back. He knows you well; he has his own little tricks he uses on you; every millimeter is measured and known. He could have you shaking uncontrollably within a minute, but that really isn't his style. He carefully inches you closer to your edge, waiting till your whole back is arched and moans escape your mouth. His fingers move into your cavity, pressing against your walls, giving you a whole different stimulus to focus on as he pulls his lips back.

"You like this, love?" His voice is quiet as he looks up from between your legs.

"You know-ooooh-I do.... ooh... ohhh," your moans getting louder and longer as his fingers touch you in every way that makes you gush. "Oh, Vash..."

"Your voice really is music, baby," he hums, placing a few kisses on the inside of your thigh again. "So what now, darling?"

"Ah, fuck!" He keeps you hovering on the edge, the inferno burning in your core, waiting to release all the tension. "God, you make me feel so... ah, so good... Get me there."

"Where?" his kisses getting closer to his fingers again.

"Make me cum, Red, oooh!" You can't arch any further; your legs spread as wide as they go. "Please!"

His tongue goes back to the swollen bundle of nerves, as his digits are still pleasuring you from the inside. It only takes him a few pressured licks to have you reach your limits. He feels you contract against his skin, your lungs letting out a loud moan sounding like his name. The mess you have already made amuses him as he gives you a few more teasing touches and feels you twitch under his fingers.

"You really are a demon." You breathe heavily, your head still falling backwards. "You know me too well."

He ignores your comments as he moves up your body. He leaves sloppy, wet kisses on your stomach and breasts, moving up to your neck until your back is pressed onto the mattress. Vash reaches over to turn off the radio that is conveying the latest news.

"I only want to hear you," his lips say by your ear, and you feel him against you, his tip touching your wetness. You try reaching out for it, but now it's Vash taking your hands and pinning them both with his prosthetic above your head. He clicks his tongue disapprovingly, and it takes you by surprise.

His other hand moves down to run his tip between your folds before pressing it against your opening. Your breathing is still fast as you wait with anticipation. You see the smirk on his lips as he slowly lowers himself into you. He starts off slow, but the last of him nearly slams into you. A moan escapes you as you adjust to his girth, and he pulls away just a little bit, but he doesn't start moving like you expected.

"Please..." You try reaching his lips with yours, but he denies you. "I want more..."

Your hips try to get the stimulation you're looking for, but you're too pinned under him, barely able to move along his length. Dissatisfied noises escape you, as even rolling your hips doesn't get you much closer.

"Please... give me more..." You bite your lip. "This was my idea... How did I end up being the one being teased?"

"So whiny..." he smiles. "What do you want?"

He bites your earlobe, and you let out a slight yelp.

"Fuck me!" you nearly growl by his ear. This gets his hips moving again, pulling almost all the way out, and you feel every vein and pump of his tease your insides. He only gets a few calm thrusts in before he sets a frantic tempo.

"You're so tight and warm," he whispers into your ear. "So wet."

You feel him pounding deep into you, the pleasure tingling up your stomach. You are completely at his mercy as he pins you under him, your hands tightly between his and the ground. Your legs hovering in the air above him. Your moans sound out together. He quickly has you arching from pleasure again, your body already looking for the last push that he won't give you yet. You know your insides are dripping for him; the arousal and pleasure make you go feral. You see his overwhelming pleasure in his eyes as he pulls nearly completely out, only to dive as deep as before. His whole length is trying to fit into you, pushing against you with every thrust. You clench up a bit, and immediately his excitement grows further. 

All you can think about is him, his rough body against your skin, the way his lips feel, his breath, his voice, and his moans. The way he calls out your name due to the pleasure fills you with butterflies even now. The night would be filled with colors if they burst out of your chest. Vash makes you feel things you previously thought were impossible. The whole world feels vibrant, painted in colors of red, orange, and yellow like your desire for him.

He lets go of your hands and raises into a kneeling position. He catches your legs and pushes them against your chest; you're flat on the ground again. He uses his prosthetic to pin down both of your legs, their closeness making you even tighter. He might be good at keeping you on the verge, but chasing his own climax is a different story. The arousal has been filling his mind since the moment he noticed your naked body. Seeing you squirming because of the overwhelming pleasure he brings forth does unspeakable things to him, and his fingers find your clit again as he keeps pushing deep into you. Your fingers grab onto the sheets as he gives you the last little push and makes you cum hard around him. Your tightly clenching walls spell the end of this round for him too, as he fills your insides with a few more slow thrusts. His brow is sweaty as both of you come down from your high.

He releases the pressure on your legs and leans them against his shoulders as he leans back. He pushes his sweaty hair out of his face by running his fingers through it as he still catches his breath. Your insides tingle, and you move your grabby hands onto your breasts, giving them a squeeze as you come down from your high. The calmness is only physical; your desire still burns in your soul, and so does his. His hand runs up and down your leg as he looks into your eyes.

"You're beautiful; this look suits you," he says over his panting and leans closer, your legs sliding down his sides again. He comes close enough to kiss you, and you feel him move, still inside you. His lips lock with yours, hungry yet soft.

"I love you," you whisper through the kiss as best you can as your nails move onto his back.

His kisses move to your neck, and he talks through his nips and licks.

"I could never get enough of you. You're mine... I'm yours..." His voice is low but loud enough for you to hear.

It makes you clench around him again, and you feel your mixed releases flow down your crack. His words arouse you further. You know you feel the same, but hearing such things out of his mouth does something else.

"I love your blush. The rosy tone... the heat of your skin." His kisses move down your body, making his lower half pull away till you're left yearning for him to fill you again. It feels wrong, like you're missing a piece of yourself. His hands feel your body, and he leaves you tingling all over.

"Shouldn't it be my turn now?" You look at him as his lips touch your belly button and his hands track along your hips.

"No, you said you would fill my every desire." His fingers touch the ample wetness between your thighs. His answer is so resolute that it leaves no room for arguments.

"Again... this was my idea, and you choose to tease me instead..." You enjoy his touch as his fingers press lightly into your skin.

"Alright... I'll let you, but only if you turn around for a bit." His eyes look dangerously sharp in the dim light of the gas burner. "On your hands and knees."

"I wanna hear you beg." You push yourself onto your elbows again to look at him.

"You're not in a position to make demands," he says, slightly amused as he pushes two fingers into your cavity.

"Ah, fuck!" he takes you by surprise. "Dammit... when did you get like this?"

You may be complaining, but in reality, this makes you very hot and bothered. You lift your leg over him, the fingers slipping out again, as you turn onto your stomach and support your body up. You're about to turn towards him, thinking you know what he had in mind, but he slaps your ass.

"No need to move. This is good... Actually..." You look over your shoulder to see him sit down, and he beckons you closer, and you comply, slowly and teasingly moving to his side, your lips begging for a kiss as you're close enough.

He smiles a crooked smile as he kisses you on the lips, his hand closest to you stroking over your back. His lips part, and you're ready for more, but his hand presses down and guides you to lay on his lap, his hand giving another hard spank before sliding in between your legs.

"You're mean!" You moan with your ass up, "In the best way possible..."

"Open your legs," he says as he strokes up and down your crack and spreads your cheeks.

As soon as your knees part, his other hand moves under your body to find your clit, his fingers glide effortlessly over it due to the slick, and it immediately starts to feel overwhelmingly good. He strokes your parts, palm against your swollen bits. Your deep breaths quickly turn into moans and whines. His free hand keeps you in place as you start to squirm. He watches your body twist from the pleasure; the hand keeping you where you are moves; the fingers slide into your slit, jerking roughly and pushing you further, but not far enough.

"Aaaaah!" you scream out as you squirm to his touch. He pulls out his fingers, only leaving his other hand stroking against your clit. You feel his fingers move slightly up and draw circles against the back entrance, but you're so consumed by the pleasure that you barely notice it.

"Let me fuck you!" you pant out as your fingers grab onto the blanket.

"Not yet. Cum first," you hear the amusement in his voice; he is clearly enjoying this, your helplessness contrasting with your headstrong nature.

"Make me!" you shout desperately as he keeps you on the verge. "Give me more!"

He listens to your plea as his finger glides into your lubed ass, making you gasp. He has been there before, but not in quite such a position. The hand on your clit presses down harder as he fingers you, and it doesn't take half a minute for you to be screaming his name into the night with your legs uselessly twisting.

"Oh..." you press out between the panting, "I've had it with your unpunished teasing. Now it's my turn."

"You can't even stand," he laughs, putting one hand on your shaking thigh.

"I don't need to." You push up and grab hold of his shoulder. You roughly press him onto his back before climbing on. You see him rock hard again and, for a moment, consider your options, but you have been pushed too far, your mind clouded by the desire and just how well he knows you. He's an excellent lover, always paying attention and learning your every quirk.

You pull up, pinning his member between your bodies and starting to grind on it. The texture quickly starts to pull deep breaths out of him. His hands hold on to your legs as you move up and down the length of him.

"Love..." His eyes are closed as he enjoys you. "I won't last like this..."

"Don't worry, Red, I will make you last." Your hands glide over his chest. "Look at me. I want to see your pretty eyes."

You keep going, looking into his blue eyes, till you see his desperation reach its limits, only then you change things up and sink him in, taking his length and rolling your hips, giving him different, lighter stimulation. Your gentleness only lasts long enough to let him slightly cool off, and then it is replaced by you riding him like a tomas, making sure to edge him more than once before letting him empty himself into you again. His load dripping down the lower halves of both of you.

Read more Tempest Wind HERE.

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Vash wakes early in the morning with the sunlight creeping in through your room's window, he places a kiss on your head and nuzzles his face into your hair. His actions wake you from your sleep and you squeeze him a bit, holding tight and pressing your forehead into his chest.

"Good morning!" you whisper into the small space between your bodies.

"Morning, Sweet Pea!" his breath ruffles your hair. "So where do you want to go? Where should we head to?" he say as he snuggles you closer, he's like a giant snake wrapping himself around you, his long limbs engulfing you, holding you tightly.

You run your nails gently over his back and feel him shiver under your touch, soothing the tickle with the palm of your hand.

"Where do you suggest we go?" you ask.

"More East? Or would you rather take a steamer from Terminal?"

"I would avoid the steamer, I feel like there are too many people."

"Then we will stock up on some food and water and head East and perhaps North after that to September or November." his hand is tightly holding the small of you back, making your bare skin tingle. His head shifts and you feel his breath by your ear.

"Have I told you how wonderful you are?" his voice so low and tender, "You are beautiful, strong and kind. You're funny and tough and the fire burning in you is so warm." he pauses for a moment, "I am so glad I found you and I will keep following you across any desert no matter how hard you try to get rid of me! Cause you are stunning in every single way. My lovely Sweet Pea!"

His hand traces under your shirt on your back and he hugs you again, his heart feels like it's on fire, the same flame that burns in your eyes, the untamed and wild inferno. Once again he feels so much, like he is going crazy, the desire to be with you, to hold you and keep you safe. The feelings so overwhelming they almost feel aggressive. But it's actually nothing but love.

Your fingers trace the curvature of his body, the high points and valleys of his muscles. You feel the different textures of his skin under your fingertips. You trace over his chest, down over his abs and bellybutton, creeping onto his hip and up along his side. You take your time to truly appreciate his body for what it is. His tight hug restricts your movement, but you end up moving your hands onto his back. At the start you feel it with your fingertips, the augmentations, the scarring and his skin that's still whole. You try to remember every inch of it, to burn it into your memory. With the second pass you use your nails, scratching his back gently and it sends shivers up his spine.

Vash lets out a little moan by your ear when you trail over an especially sensitive spot. Your face is still buried in his chest, your nose filled with his comforting scent. His hands touch your back, traveling gently over your skin and feeling the dip of your side, grabbing at your waist. You hear his heart beating hard and fast, a certain stiffness in his arms. The breathing by your ear is deep and quick. It feels like your insides are on fire, despite the comfort this doesn't make you feel calm and peaceful. The feeling is intense and raw, it's rough around the edges, the flow of it so strong it carries your hand to the waistband of his pants, feeling the edge of it, your fingers between his skin and the drawstring. Your other hand is looking to grab hold of something, traveling up and intertwining with his hair. Your body tenses, squeezing his leg between your knees and you look up to find his face, but before you can focus on that, his lips are on yours. They seem to try to be gentle at first, but quickly turn into the mouth of someone with an unquenchable hunger. His lips force yours to open, his hand on your side pulling you up, closer to him. The other one slides down onto your ass. Your fingers are pulling on his hair as your other hand finds the front of his pants.

He holds you as he rolls onto his back and it takes minimal adjusting for you to end up sitting on him with your legs to either side. His hands grab the back of your thighs pulling you up a bit more before sliding over your sides, bunching up your shirt as they go. Your hands travel along his arms, moving his hands onto your breasts before leaning in, his parted lips already waiting for yours. His hands squeeze the soft tissue through your underwear and it makes you exhale. The pressure on your chest disappears as he grabs your shirt to pull it over your head, breaking the kiss. His hands greedily move over your back onto your shoulders and neck, the straps of your bra slipping down.

He turns again, pinning you between the bed and his body. His lips move from your lips to your neck, over to the collarbone. You find yourself holding his hair again as his kisses reach your chest, trailing diagonally across before pushing the underwear out of the way to focus his lips and tongue on one of your breasts. A moan escapes you and his hand moves down your body in-between your spread legs. You feel the metal stroking you through the fabric, making both your desire and his burn out of control. It feels like nothing is enough, like you've waited for something your whole life and it's in your reach at last.

His other hand travels under your curved back to undo the hooks of your bra. You want to feel him, all of him, you want to grab him, squeeze him, stroke him, dig your nails into him. He drives you wild by moving down with his kisses, removing his weight completely as he kneels between your legs, holding both of them for a moment. You see his eyes, there's an edge to them you don't normally see, a fire much like the one you feel. He lifts your leg to rest on his shoulder as he glides his hands to your thigh to undo the clasp of the gun holster and put it aside. He releases that leg and repeats this with your other one to remove the knife sheath. His hands move down your thighs over your ass and hips to undo your pants. It feels like he is teasing you as he pulls off your pants. He lays down again, coming closer as soon as they are off, one of your legs between his as he kisses you again, one hand keeping him up, the other exploring your bits through the thin fabric of your underwear before pushing it to the side and playing with you. The breathy moans sounding out his name are music to his ears as his lips move onto your neck again.

One of your arms is thrown around him, your nails digging into his back, the other has untied the drawstring and is feeling him down, stroking along the length of him before pushing down his pants. The hunger still growing in both of you, the desire to explore more of each other.

So much for leaving early. The two of you lost all control, chasing pleasure from each other's bodies, by any means, in any position, by doing anything necessary to coax out the release of the other in moans. Both of you getting increasingly rougher, testing each others limits, both of your bodies healing away any marks the other leaves by biting, grabbing, squeezing or clawing. His fingers digging into your flesh left bruises for just a moment, them changing color as he watches. The pain stimulates both of you further. You only stop after both of you are out of breath and out of your minds from the ecstasy.

You're both covered in bodily fluids and sweat. A shower sounds like a great idea to both of you to cool down the fire burning in your chests and to clean up before leaving this town. Of course you go together, deeming that the shower is big enough for both of you. However the attempt to calm you down is thrown aside as soon as Vash watches you step under the water, the droplets wetting your hair and running down your body. He steps closer, his flesh arm wrapping around you under your bust and the other moving up to wrap his fingers around your throat, not actually squeezing but pulling you backwards into him. Vash's lips land on your shoulder, leaving sloppy kisses on it as the water drenches both of you. You feel him lightly between your legs. One of your hands covering the one on your neck, the other looking for balance from the wall. His flesh hand slides down over your stomach, leaving a burning trail behind and his fingers find your folds still dripping from before and start to gently stroke up and down before focusing on the bundle of nerves with slow, but firm circles. Your eyes shut close as you lean more into him, his arms holding you tight. His movements become faster as your pleasure grows slowly. You feel him twitching and it seems almost like you can sense his desire too.

His prosthetic moves from your throat around you again pushing on your upper back and forcing you to bend forward a bit, both your hands on the wall as he kneels down behind you, to worship you. He forces your legs more apart before digging his mouth and nose into you, using his tongue and fingers to make you lose yourself all over again, eyes shut tight, the only thing on your mind is the feeling he brings forth. He enjoys you being like this, he senses your helplessness, like you can't do anything while your fingers curl on the tile, looking for something to grab on to. He tastes you and himself from your past explorations and the hunger grows. Like something unnatural taking over, both of your desires feeding into the other's. He teases you to the point you can no longer hold on and your legs nearly give out as they treble.

He feels you slumping more forward against the wall, sticking your ass up and instead of letting you recover his hands grab your cheeks, his long fingers digging into your hips, his palms spreading you apart as he gets up behind you and pushed his lower half against yours. The water of the shower hits both of you as he grinds between your cheeks for a moment making you gasp before inserting himself, pulling you against him in a quick motion. You have a feeling this won't stop any time soon and you are glad about it. Both of you are happy to release a part of yourself that's normally under lock and key, a wild and unapologetic rough persona.

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The snowflakes fall gently onto your face as you look up towards the snow covered tree branches. A path carved into the snow leads along the river, the fast current has kept it from freezing. The melody of the stream draws your attention and you stumble on the uneven trail, arms shooting out to find balance, but you have nothing to worry about as a strong hand grabs you under your arm before you land in the white powder.

"Careful now, love!" his voice is amused, "Are you really going to fall over before we even get to the ice?"

You get your feet underneath yourself again and turn around to shoot him a disapproving stare. As expected you first see the huge zipped up red coat and when you look up you see him peering down at you from between the layers of fluffy scarf. The pompom on his hat jiggles as he laughs at your expression.

"Why do you always feel the need to make fun of me?" you try to sound serious and look stern.

Vash bows closer, one hand holding the bag over his shoulder. He is eye level with you now and you see the happy glint in the deep blue eyes, his lips in a wide smile.

"Because it's easy and I adore your expressions!" he says proudly and you roll your eyes. You know you'd do the same if the opportunity arises. You enjoy teasing him just as much as he loves teasing you. He pecks a quick kiss on your lips, only barely missing the scarves around both of you. Your gloved hands grab the front of his coat and pull him closer to give him a proper kiss before turning around again and continuing on along the path. The kiss freezes Vash into place for a second, still bent forward, he stares at you leaving before hurrying after.

Soon you see the main road ahead, lit up by many candles leading down the slope to the big lake, the trees on either side so dense that you could almost forget it's still light outside. As you get off your little path you see a few more people, some coming up the incline, still out of breath and cheeks rosy, their skates dangling from their bags. Others are heading down just like you are to enjoy the views and a festive day. As you get to the candlelit road you stop and wait for Vash to put down the bag. You rummage through it and take the two candles you've brought handing one to Vash. He smiles warmly and waits for you to close the bag again and light your wick with the flame of the closest candle. You turn towards the man and hold out your candle at a slight angle so he has it easier to light his flame with yours.

"I wish you happiness and patience. I hope you have a magical season and a new year that is peaceful and kind to you." the smile on your face makes his heart flutter as you say those words, passing on your wishes to him.

Vash looks at his candle for a moment before making a little spot for it in the snow and placing it down.

"I wish love and happiness, like the kind I feel every day, to whoever gets my flame. I hope their heart will be light and worries will be but a distant memory." Vash leaves his words with his candle as you put yours down next to his.

"Let's go!" you grab his hand, waiting for him to follow you. He quickly throws the bag over his shoulder and squeezes your hand as you start running down the slope, you see people who are lighting their candles and handing down their well wishes. You get around the bend in the road and see the two large spruce trees towering on either side of the path, they are decorated from top to bottom in crystals. An ancient tradition passed down by generations since the colonizing ships first arrived. Some of the crystals are emitting a dim glow that's barely visible in the daylight, others reflecting the light from the sun. Some are round, others are sharp, there are both ores and polished stones, the light dusting of snow shimmering as the path opens up to the enormous lake surrounded by cliffs and mountains on the opposite side. The long and narrow shape has allowed for the snow to be blown away by wind, leaving smooth blue ice behind. 

You drag Vash to a free bench and start pushing your boots off before he even gets around to handing you your skates. He smiles at your excitement as you pull on the skates and start to tie them up. Vash follows your lead knowing full well how you will become if you have to wait for him to be ready, he doesn't feel like being called a slowpoke by you again as you shake with excitement. In the end it's him patiently waiting for you as you meticulously get yourself ready so you can enjoy what's next. You put all you things in the bag that Vash takes to carrying once again. He helps you up from the bench and hand in hand you go to the ice, carefully passing the young children and beginners still finding their balance. Once out in the open you get to speed up.

You skate along the coast for a bit looking for a perfect spot to leave the bag. Carefully you hang it on a tree branch making sure to remember the surrounding and off you go. Pushing yourself to go faster and faster, Vash realizes immediately what you are doing - trying to race him to the other side of the lake, of course you cheated by starting early, but it doesn't matter, he still catches up and passes you, haven gotten a bit ahead he turns around. Laughing at you as he tauntingly skates backwards. You still try to catch up to him, but sadly there's no competition, your only hope was to get a head start. Better luck next time, you'll let him hang up the bag and start booking it as soon as he turns his back on you.

As you clearly lost, you shake your head and slow your pace, changing trajectory to be along the beach again. You look at the dark green forest covering the gentle mountain slopes, the stony cliffs bare from most vegetation. Here and there you see little houses, but you know most are hidden well. As you leisurely watch around, Vash skates circles around you. He has unzipped his coat that's now flapping in the air currents, as he laps you over and over. He keeps looking at you with a gentle smile, like you're the most beautiful view here. His cheeks are red both from the cold air and the slight blush as he thinks just how dear you are to him.

It is already getting dark after barely just getting here as this festive day is held on the solstice when the night is the longest, from here it will get lighter again as spring inches its way closer. That's why everyone here gathers together, the usually so reclusive people of your community have formed traditions, to show each other just how close you really are, that nobody is alone and everyone wishes their neighbor well. It's an amalgam of new customs formed over the decades spent here on this planet and very old ones brought here from Earth.

The sun disappears behind the mountains and as twilight settles in, lights start to appear in the forest and on the cliffs. Vash slows down and takes your hand. Together you glide over the ice watching your surroundings come to life as people light lanterns in their windows revealing the hundreds of houses dotted around the lakeside.

"I'm so glad I get to spend this day with you." Vash's voice speaks up next to you and when you look over you see his eyes on you. As you slow to a stop you turn to face him. You pull off your gloves stuffing them into a pocket and cover his freezing cold cheeks with your warm hands. His cover yours as to avoid you getting frosty.

"I'm glad I get to spend every day with you." you smile, "You fill them with so much happiness."

"I love you." his soft eyes looking into yours as he speaks the simple words that make your heart jump every time you hear them.

"I love you too. Getting to build a home together with you means the world to me." you think of the cozy house that awaits you, all year you've worked on turning it into your personal paradise, the building you grew up in is now more than just that, it's an actual home.

Vash bows down, his hands letting go of yours and instead wrapping around you. He kisses you slowly and tenderly. Your hands slide to be around his neck, pulling him close as your lips move together deeply and lovingly. His arms hold you against him tight, your body keeping him warm. Suddenly he straightens out, pulling you up with him, your skates no longer touching the ice. He breaks the kiss to push his cold nose  against your neck, making you instinctively flinch. He pushes against the ice and you find he is spinning you around. Letting out a squeal you hold on tighter.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." he almost shouts into your scarf, as he overflows with excitement, leaving you laughing. He carefully puts you down again, but spins you so he is behind you, wrapping his arms around you once more and putting his cheek on your shoulder to look at your smiling face. You look back at him knowing there is never a dull moment with him around. You put on your gloves again before taking his hand.

"Shall we go? We still have a light to hang up in our window." you ask him.

"Yes, Sweet Pea, let's go home." he pushes his cold cheek to your ear. "I need you to warm me up again."

You laugh and push yourself off, his hand in yours as you go back to where you left the bag to pick it up and you make your way to the entrance where even more candles have been lit, the trail of them leading onto the ice now. The giant spruces in full effect looking like they have been sprinkled with stardust. You take a last look around, the lights from the mountains and the stars in the sky almost blending into one, reminding you where you come from.

Before you head home you go to one of the decorated trees, Vash standing behind you as you take off your red knitted scarf. You tie it to one of the branches, among the number of other colorful scarves. Vash's hands are on yours as you form the knot and you let out a content sigh.

"May our ancestors watch over us, may we carry on." you let the scarf slip out of your hand and for a moment Vash still holds you, giving your fingers a light squeeze and then stepping back to offer you his hand. Together you go home again, the candles with everyone's happy wishes lighting up the dark night. Even the path along the river has a few candles , but the moonlight creeping in from between the branches and bouncing off the snow is enough to guide you.

You get to your little wooden house by the river, it feels so warm and welcoming because you know you can spend your days there with the man you love. Vash gets started on the fireplace and you make sure there's hot chocolate ready for him. As the room is lit up you bring the lantern that's been waiting for your return. With a long stick Vash brings over a small flame from the fireplace and lights the candle in the lantern as you hold open its door. Together you hang up the guiding light on your window facing the lake. You doubt anyone is able to see it though the forest, but it doesn't matter, it's the thought that counts.

Together you settle into the couch by the fireplace, surrounded by soft pillows and blankets, you lay your legs over his lap, Vash's arm around your shoulders to keep you close. The fire relieves the ache in your muscles and you feel happiness and bliss.  

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You open your eyes and see a dark sky above you, with pieces of spacecraft burning up in the atmosphere like comets before they ever hit the ground. Your eyes scan around you; the carrier you had been on was in millions of pieces, the wreckage burning around you. Part of your body is still stuck under a large piece of metal debris, your legs and arm engulfed in flames, but the pain doesn't matter. You laugh loudly, your voice smothered by creaking metal and the roaring of the massive fires. With all this death and destruction around you, the only thing ringing in your head is one thought: you are free.

"Come on now, don't be a wuss! Help me out!" One of the young boys scolds the other.

"No, I think we shouldn't. You know the stories! What if it will bring the whole town bad luck?" The other boy shakes his head furiously.

"Those are just stupid stories! It's gonna be a pile of bones; they can't do anyone any harm!" argues the first boy, his unkempt dark brown hair getting in his eyes.

"Then why do you even want to have a look? If it's just a pile of bones..."

"What if it isn't?" snaps the boy at his blonde-haired comrade. "Now help me open this up; it's too heavy. The adults will be back from their meeting soon."

After a moment of hesitation, the blonde boy goes to help his friend. They push open a large metal coffin that has been in the center of the town square since long before they were born. A metal sculpture depicting an angel watches over them from just a few meters away.

At first, it takes a lot of force to push the lid of the coffin away, but after the initial struggle, it starts to slide away with surprising ease. The boys stumble and find themselves on the ground as the cover moves too quickly. They take a moment to gather themselves and get back on their feet with a deep breath, slowly inching their noses over the edge of the open coffin, afraid of what they might see. A dry pile of bones? A half-rotten corpse? Maybe it is empty? Or maybe, just maybe, it is, as the old tails say... To their complete shock, it is indeed the last part; the stories their grandmothers have passed onto them are true.

"So what do we have here?" A soft voice speaks up from behind the boys, and both of them jump into the air, screaming. They whip around, backing away from the voice, right against the coffin, and their faces depict pure horror as they look into the face of the tall blonde man. The figure takes a few steps back and says, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

The man clad in a long crimson coat chuckles a little, the orange glasses of his spectacles mirroring as the boys struggle for a moment to find the courage in their legs and run off. With the children gone, he steps closer to have a look. In the coffin lies a young woman, looking peaceful with her hands folded together just under her chest. If it wasn't for the obvious—a large handle of a knife sticking out of her chest where her heart should be, a dark circle still visible on the light blue fabric of the dress surrounding the dagger—he would guess she lied down to sleep just moments ago.

"You poor thing," the man's soft voice trails off. He places his hand on the corpse's; it doesn't feel cold to the touch, but not warm like a human should be. The surrounding desert air is surely to blame for this. Something seems off. He takes the hand, and it's not stiff; it moves with ease as he slips his fingers onto the wrist. No heartbeat. He isn't surprised; after all, this woman is lying in a coffin with a knife in her chest. He brushes off the uneasiness; he has seen many strange things in his long life. "This isn't right," he mumbles as he puts the corpse's hand back onto the other and wraps his long fingers around the handle of the dagger.

"Mister, no!" shouts the dark-haired boy from before, but it's too late; the knife is now in the hands of the strange man, the wide blade showing signs of rust. He puts the dagger at the feet of the angel statue before moving the lid of the coffin back to where it should be.

The children creep closer to the mystery man, watching his actions closely.

"Who are you, mister?" asks the blonde boy.

"You boys can call me... uhhh... John!" The man in the red coat says awkwardly, "And you?"

"I'm Martin, and this is Archie," replies the dark-haired youngster. "What did you do?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you boys that," the man called John, better known as Vash the Stampede, says gently.

"Well, there are stories our parents and grandparents have passed on..." starts the boy.

"Ssssh! It's supposed to be a secret!" The boy called Archie cuts in, but Martin continues anyway.

"...apparently there's a God protecting our little town since way back, and her body is in that coffin in the heart of town, and it doesn't change, doesn't rot; that's why they are a God. Nobody has opened that coffin, so we just wanted to check it out ourselves," explains Martin, his eyes turning almost shamefully to the ground.

The strange man laughs after listening to the boy with a serious expression: "Good to know you people here in town have a sense of humor, but it's not right to do it at the expense of something like that," his voice turning into slightly more of a scolding tone. "And if you're going to bury someone, it's only right to at least remove the murder weapon!"

Vash sounds proud of his words of wisdom and doesn't even see the expression of horror on the kids' faces. Archie raises a trembling hand in the direction of the coffin, letting out a squeal. The mystery man turns around just as the heavy coffin lid falls to the ground. The body clad in a blue dress sits up and turns to start climbing out of its resting place, the fabric so brittle that it rips in places when too much force tugs at it. Scrambling out of the coffin, the woman stumbles but remains standing, her body slumped over. John quickly pulls the boys along with him to hide behind a bench, the children peeking around his arms.

The woman scans around the square, eyes wild, looking out from under her eyebrows, a clear fire burning in them.

"Who did this?" a question sounding from her mouth; it's quiet, but it still carries, "Who was the bastard?"

Her head whips up, her shoulders roll, and it looks like she is stretching her muscles to get her joints to move again. Her attention is grabbed by the knife, and she takes it into her hand.

"Who did it?!" This time her voice is louder, almost a growl. Her eyes pan over the square again, and she sees the three figures behind the bench. "Did you do this?"

The tall figure crouching down doesn't see that the two boys, eyes wide, point at him before running away. He only sees the body he knew had been dead walking towards him with a knife tightly in her grasp. Unsure what he should do, he lets out a nervous squeal and stands up, hands raised into the air.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean," he says with a nervous grimace.

As the figure in ripped clothes stands right in front of him, he is surprised when the knife is flatly pushed against his chest, his hands moving down to catch it.

"If you have the audacity to unstab someone, at least have the decency to put them down again." The fierce words don't make any sense to the man.

"What are you asking me?" He squeaks, the knife lying in his hands.

"You're a slow one; I'm asking you to stab me," she nips.

"You're mad. I can't do that!" the words slip out of his mouth, too shocked at the request.

The woman seems to slowly nod and pan around the town; the quiet whispers are now reaching Vash's ears too. As he looks around, he sees a group of people emerge from the local saloon; a few more appear in the doorways of different houses. Some have come closer and kneeled down, their heads and arms low in worship towards the woman. Vash sees her jaw tighten as she looks on and then turns away from all of them. She has her sights set on a clothesline running between two residential houses; she assesses the clothes there for a moment and then grabs a pair of beige work pants, covered in light stains from the baked-in grime of sand. She pulls the pants on; they seem to fit her well enough. Next, she basically rips the fragile light blue fabric off her torso. From the side, Vash can see the dark stain of long-dried blood on the bindings around her chest. Normally, he would have at least blushed, but the recent events have left him dumbfounded. He looks at the pretty face and sees an expression of neutrality on it—just a hint of anger there. The movements, however, reflect annoyance as a dark shirt is pulled over her head.

"Great maiden! Oh, Everlasting Celeste! You have risen and blessed us! We praise you!" An older man who had his forehead still to the ground preaches out towards the woman and is ready to continue, but is disrupted by the loud and clear voice of their god.

"I will pay you back for the clothes some time in the future, whoever they belong to." With these words, she steps under the clothesline and disappears into the alley. The town square is filled with a buzz, with people getting up and some more coming out of their houses. They try to see where their goddess has gone. Vash looks on in amazement and steps towards where he last saw the strange figure. He notices the face of a girl peeking out from the window of the house the drying garments seem to belong to. He takes out some crumpled-up doubledollar bills from his coat and hands them to the girl.

"This should make up for the inconvenience, I hope," he says, shooting a soft smile at the stranger as she takes the notes. With that, Vash follows the footsteps, the impressions of bare feet leading away from the town into the merciless desert. He sees the woman walking away with nothing but the clothes on her back that she just grabbed.

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What are these words that are coming out of his mouth? Vash is shocked, too stunned by his own brain. For the week he has been traveling with you after the incident in town, he has wanted to pull you closer, give you a tight hug, hold you, and take care of you the same way you seem to be taking care of him. All this time, his aches and pains, both emotional and physical, have found relief from you in one way or another. You have given him trust and comfort he hasn't felt in a long time. Vash thinks you might have been sent by a god, perhaps. He is so grateful for you, but seeing that you keep some distance between the two of you, not shying away but not coming closer either, makes him worried. He longs to be closer. It's like you draw him in; something about you is so alluring.

He had been able to keep himself in check while you traveled; he constantly felt on edge, not wanting to put you in a situation where you might get hurt. Seeing you go without food and water, no matter what you said, made him feel guilty. You constantly kept watch so he could rest; all of it grew heavy on his heart. He had felt so unsure of what to do. Going by your words might mean you are neglecting yourself, but pushing too hard might create a rift between the two of you. Now that you've reached a new town and seem to be safe, he feels massive relief. He can pay back your kindness, and you can relax a bit too. His head has been a mess of thoughts and ideas, but once he sees you exit the bathroom, everything is wiped clean. A million butterflies take over his stomach, filling his insides, his lungs, climbing up his throat. All he wants is to have you by his side, no matter what.

The words coming over his lips are barely his; he blames the fluttering in his stomach, his head so wiped he might have even forgotten his name at that very moment. Everything he says to seduce you comes from somewhere deep inside him. He feels so flustered; he is surprised he can speak at all. He is worried he might have done it now; he has gone too far, been too weird, but you don't shy away from him, not even a millimeter. Your face is so close to his that he feels you exhale. He has gotten used to the rampaging insects to the point where he knows he won't be able to say anything close to as smooth again, not without stuttering at the very least. So he turns his attention back to his gun, leaving you just as flustered as he feels inside. He doesn't want you to leave yet, so he stands in your way, ensuring you have to keep sitting there, right next to him, and he can steal a glance of you at any moment.

You look heavenly to him, sitting in that ray of sunlight, his glasses still on your nose, painting your face with an orange light where the suns shine through the lenses. The oversized shirt makes you look so warm and cozy. You watched him assemble his gun, your eyes never leaving his hands, the way Vash's movements seem to have a purpose, the way his metal hand moves just like a regular one. It is fascinating to you; the meticulous movements are like a performance. The way he flicks the gun to make sure everything moves smoothly captivates you. After a bit, your eyes stray out the window. You see the people moving in the streets, them going on their business; everything seems so peaceful, like there's no violence in this world at all. You feel so normal, like you could fit in with them. The thought of you mingling among them, living a calm and local life, brings a sad smile to your face that you don't even notice until Vash's human fingers trace over your cheek.

"Don't look so sad." His hand goes to rest on the back of the chair. "Can I cheer you up somehow?"

You look up into his pretty blue eyes; they look like endless wells to you. They remind you of water, but not the kind you are used to on this planet. They recall a memory from a different life, one that you no longer remember.

"I'm fine; there's nothing to worry about. It was just my mind wandering off." You assure him, still looking into his eyes. You see his hand move off the chair again from the corner of your eye. It's as if he can't stop himself; he places his palm on your cheek, his thumb stroking your skin. He feels how soft and smooth it is; it's a painful reminder of the scars covering his body.

"You are beautiful." His words take you by surprise. "You are brave and wise. I see hope in you, and I trust you greatly. Granted, it might not always seem like I do. So what do you think about the name Iris?"

A brilliant blue color flashes into your head. You don't think you've ever seen irises, certainly not on this planet, but you know them from somewhere.

"I like the color blue and... water. I like Iris." The words are stuck in your throat; you feel so clumsy and childish. "You can call me Iris. You can call me Sweet Pea too if you'd still like to."

You don't take your eyes off him; his complexion seems golden through his sunglasses. His hand moves under your chin, the thumb trailing over it, your lips parting a little.

"I think it suits you well," he says quietly, his eyes on your lips as he slowly leans closer. He yearns for you with his whole soul. His eyes finding yours again, you look unshakable, like a constant that would never change. But he knows that if he's not careful, he might lose you, and it would be his fault. He hasn't even told you the truth yet; he hasn't revealed his true nature. He can't be this selfish. So he stops and moves both hands up to take the glasses from you and put them back on his own nose. He tilts his head masterfully to the point where the light from the window would reflect back on the glasses and hide his eyes from you.

You look at him for a moment longer, frozen on that chair, before turning away. You had wanted to close the gap and pull him closer. Your whole body screamed at you to do it, your soul being dragged in by his. But it's all too much, too fast. He says he trusts you, but you barely know anything about him; he guards his secrets closely. Hearing him say such beautiful and kind things to you fills your stomach with butterflies. But you can't blame him for keeping his secrets; there's plenty you haven't told him either.

"Iris, I'm thinking of getting some late lunch, or maybe rather an early dinner. Want to come with me?" He asks, and his tone suddenly changes completely.

"Don't think I'm dressed too appropriately." You tug on the shirt a bit again.

"Oh, yeah, true. Want me to get you anything?"

"No, I'm good. Go eat; you must be starving." Your gaze doesn't meet his, and you look out of the window again, feelings running wild in your chest.

"Alright. I'll be back soon." His voice sounds flat and far away. You wonder what it means. He grabs something from his bag and walks out.

You are left feeling unsettled and unsatisfied. You aren't sure what to do or where to go from here, what to think, or how to act. Now you are alone in a room and you feel lost—not the kind of lost you felt for your whole life as far back as you can remember, the kind of lost with no destination; this time you knew what you truly wanted, but you aren't sure where you are in relation to it or how to get there. The buzzing picks up in your head again, and you know what's next.

"Shut up! Just shut up already! I don't want to hear you!" Your elbows rest on the table, and your head slams into your palms. You are so tired of it; you remember the screams chasing you even in your past life—the life before you were reborn once again as someone new, as Sweet Pea, as Iris. You breathe in sharply through your teeth and get up. You need to occupy yourself with something, and you walk back into the bathroom, your clothes soaking in the tub. Kneeling down, you're careful to wedge the edge of the shirt between your legs, holding it down with your heels so as not to accidentally expose yourself. You start washing the dirty clothes, careful to get as much of the dirt and blood out as possible. You look at them—the holes in the fabrics, the patches hinting at previous injuries. You see that Vash's shirts have been sown up a number of times; most of the patchwork is a bit clumsy and rushed. The clothes you had taken were still in good condition, all things considered, at least until you got the shirt full of holes. It had been carefully fixed beforehand, too. You keep kneading the clump of clothes, and the water is turning a dark brown, almost black color.

By the time Vash gets back, you have changed the water twice, and the last of the soap is now washing away. You're so consumed by your activity and the noise in your head that you don't notice him returning. He even called out to you when he didn't see you in the room, right before hearing the water. He appears at the door and watches as you knead the clean clothes.

"I said I'd do it. You don't have to wash my clothes," he says, awkwardly standing in the doorway, not sure what to do.

"It's fine; I was going to wash mine anyway, so I threw yours in too. It's just your red coat left now." You start separating the clothes from one another and squeeze the excess water out. You hand them to Vash, who finds spots to hang them up to dry. The last thing left is your shirt, and you have it over your arm when you exit the bathroom. You notice a box on the table.

"What's that?" You point toward the package.

"That... I know you said you don't want anything, and you say you don't need to eat, but you can still taste, right?" You nod to his question, "So I brought some doughnuts to share!"

A big smile appears on his face again, and you open the box to peek inside. You see a dozen doughnuts in there with different glazes and toppings. They look delicious.

"That's very nice and thoughtful of you." You smile too. "Also, I'm guessing you have a sewing kit? I saw your clothes have been patched up before."

"Yes! I can get it for you, just a second!" He exclaims and picks up his bag to go through it while you hang your shirt.

You move closer, and while he pulls out a small metal box, something falls out of his bag; it looks like a piece of paper wedged between glass. You gently pick it up from the floor, and not being able to help your nosiness, you flip it over to see a picture. A woman with two children, obviously twins. You freeze, an unimaginable horror flooding into you.

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