#Trigun fluff

[gamerbot-22]

Trigun Cuddles

Because I am ill and depressed and I would like my blorbos to hold me about it. (Literally I am in the middle of the worst cold of my fucking LIFE right now but I persist. Somehow.)

Also it’s kinda wild that it’s taken me this long to write anything for Trigun considering it’s taken over my life entirely since I finished watching TriStamp a while back? So here's me trying to rectify that.

TW/CWs: Written with no definitive versions of these characters in mind (except Knives/Nai) but my clearest point of reference is TriStamp, probably overly sappy in places because I’m allowed it as a treat, pretty romantic in tone because I’m Normal, barely proofread.

Likes and Reblogs appreciated, RQs are open, it’s all under the cut! (If anyone sends me a Trigun request I will kiss you on the mouth /p)

I’m experimenting with layouts, too. What do you guys think?

🥀 Vash the Stampede

Please hold him he has been through so much and he deserves it—

Triple S-Tier fucking cuddler. I will not be convinced otherwise, he’s just the perfect shape for it.

He’ll lay down first and let you move him however you want him so you’re comfy first. Partially does this because of his chronic need to people please and partially because he’s slept in so many weird positions over the years that he genuinely doesn’t mind if it means he gets to hold you.

If you ask, though, his favorite position is any one that makes it easy to put his face against your neck. He just wants to be close.

Being a Plant means he’s, by default, very cool to the touch, I think. Vash is a Well Ventilated King like that—

Also if you let him I think he’ll sneak little kisses sometimes. They never last more than a second or two, but this is what happens when you’re in smoochin’ distance!!

He has dreams most nights, so that means a bit of sleep-talking and mumbling, but if you pet his hair he usually calms down, nuzzling in closer and giving you a little squeeze about it.

🍭 Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Another man who desperately needs a cuddle.

I think he takes a bit more convincing than Vash, though. Like Vash’ll drop everything to give you a hug but Nico is, ironically enough, more of a cat about it. You gotta let him come to you, y’know?

But if you do it’s really nice. He wants to be as close as possible, because he cares a lot and he trusts you, but he’s bad at saying it and this is a good way to make up for all the silence.

He’s strong and you can feel it, but he’s careful. He never crushes you, he's just got you tight so you’re up against his chest all night.

Also this man is a radiator. Blankets are not recommended when cuddling with him because you will wake up in a sea of your own sweat—

He can also be a bit of an asshole about his scruff. He knows it’s rough like the rest of him, but he’s less sorry about it than his calloused hands so guess who’s gonna be on the receiving end of some scratchy-ass nuzzles!!!

He doesn’t sleep-talk, but he does snore, so sometimes you gotta roll him over into a new position to spare yourself the sound.

📸 Meryl Stryfe

Augh... Meryl.... Underrated queen...

I feel like cuddling is not that hard of a sell for her, especially since Gunsmoke nights are cold as shit. And it's compounding with Meryl being one of those people with "feel how cold my hands are" circulation.

Probably gonna have to ask people to donate blankets to The Cause, but hey!! You'll be like two caterpillars sharing a cocoon by the end of the night, and isn't that what it's all about?

Also you're probably gonna want to make sure that cocoon is wrapped up tight because Meryl kicks in her sleep. Not hard, I don't think, but you can definitely feel it in any dreams you have--

Thankfully though, she's very quiet. No sleep-talking, no snoring (usually,) just. A Lotta Movement unless you're holding her especially tight.

I think she's very versatile when it comes to cuddling positions, though. Like some nights she wants to be held and then the next night she wants to be the one doing the holding.

And I'm very firmly of the belief that Meryl is the type to pack pjs whenever she goes somewhere. So like, with Vash and Wolfie you're going to have to deal with various states of undress, Meryl has a really cute, soft two-piece set of pjs.

💼 Milly Thompson

That's right!!! She's here too!!! I felt the need to include this sweetheart even though she's probably the main character I know the least about (one day I will finish '98 and Maximum, this I swear--)

Vash and Meryl being Well Ventilated Royalty 🤝 Nico and Milly being Human Shaped Hot Water Bottles--

Unlike Wolfie though, I think Milly is a much more comfortable heat. Like you can still have a light blanket over the two of you and be okay.

Also low-key I think Milly is objectively the best cuddler in this bunch. She came from a family with like a million kids, she's probably very used to sharing a bed while still being comfortable.

Like if you just tell her how you're the most comfortable she has the position down to a science. It's an observed science, but a science nonetheless!!!

If you ask her what she likes, though, the gal just wants to be cradled. She wants to feel precious and protected, damnit!!

Similar to Meryl, I think she has pajamas packed, and hers is this really long, comfy nightgown that feels really nice to hang on to.

🔪 Millions Knives / Nai

No. [Gets up from my desk]

[I am forcibly placed back in front of my computer] Alright, alright! Jesus Christ, look-- I can play in the space, but truly, down to my core, I feel like there is no way in hell Nai would go down for a cuddle on anyone else's terms. Just like. Idk. "Don't cuddle with this knife pervert" or whatever BDG said in that Polygon Mortal Kombat video I love so much.

Vash and Meryl are Well Ventilated. Nai is fucking freezing. Like the only temperature comfortable way to do this is for you to channel the thickest burrito you have ever seen and pray that's enough blankets.

You get. Maybe an arm out of this trade deal. At least at first. He already went out of his way to get you nice blankets, and you want more? In this economy he's trying to run into the ground??? Humans are so selfish! (He is doing all this complaining while hoisting you and your blankets' mass over to his side of whatever horizontal surface you have claimed as a bed--)

Aside from whatever limb he has on you, I just. I don't think he even sleeps. Like it turns more into a Forced Meditation for him where he just lays on his back and stares at the ceiling while you relax/get some z's.

The Weird Space Onesie Stays ON During Sex Cuddles.

Maybe. Maybe. If he likes you enough... You get to spend a cuddle session swaddled up in that spaceman-ass security blanket jacket/hood/whatever-it-is he wears.

[teddybeartoji]

spending a slow morning with wolfwood…

you can smell the coffee, you can hear eggs sizzling on the pan. 

leaning against the doorframe, you let yourself have a moment to take in the sight before you. donning a simple white t-shirt, a pair of plaited boxer shorts and mismatched socks – you think he looks perfect. his hair is a proper mess and it gets only worse when he casually cards his hand through the dark locks; your fingers itch to do the same, to teasingly tug at the roots just to hear him go ‘a-ah!’ before softly pinching your side. 

you can see the yellow strap around his neck and you smile to yourself; the thought of him grabbing the silly little apron you gifted him all on his own, without you having to beg him to put it on, is awfully endearing. 

(though he always wears it with pride, he just really loves it when you cling to his side and stare up at him with your puppy-dog eyes, pleading for him to put the thing on with a small pout on your lips.) 

wolfwood’s humming a quiet tone as he sways from side to side ever so slightly and you can’t wait any longer. tip-toeing across the floor, you make your way to him and wrap your hands around his middle the second he’s in your reach. he doesn’t jump, he doesn’t even flinch. 

he just lets out a content little hum instead. 

immediately, he melts into your touch – his shoulders slump as he grows just a tad smaller in order to get closer to you. the corners of his lips tug upward when he feels your fingers find their way under his shirt, gently ghosting over his sides and his stomach as you press yourself flush to him. 

“good morning, sleepyhead.”a few octaves lower, way raspier than usual – his voice has your heart stuttering. you nuzzle your face into his back while giving him a squeeze and wolfwood rewards you with a chuckle. he knows exactly what expression you’re wearing without even having to look at you and he loves it. 

he’s so warm against you and he smells so fucking good that your brain can’t help but conjure up an image of a human-sized cinnamonroll. you laugh into his shirt and wolfwood’s eyebrows shoot up, curiosity swimming in his mind as he tries to peer at you over his shoulder. “what’s so funny now, hm?”

“oh, nothing, nothing…” 

he reaches behind him to ruffle your hair before turning back to his cooking. he takes a sip of his coffee and hums as if it’s the first time he’s drinking it. you feel the sound; it reverberates through his chest and comes out almost like a purr. you hug him a little tighter and press into him a little further.

and you stay there with him until he’s all done, waddling alongside him while he makes you a cup of coffee like you’re glued to him. he doesn’t complain. 

wolfwood places the food and the mugs on the table and then guides you to your chair and it’s then when he finally lets out a proper laugh. “how are we supposed to eat like this, dummy?” 

“but you’re so soft and so warm, wolfie…”

he forces down a coo at the sound of the silly nickname you’ve given him. with his big hands, he peels you from his back with little to no effort and sits you down behind the table. 

oh… 

still a bit groggy, with a few pillowlines still decorating your cheeks, you stare up at him with a sleepy smile on your face. and if that wasn’t enough to make his heart beat a little faster, the fact that you’re wearing his shirt will most definitely do the trick.

“you little thief…”

“hey, it belonged to just some guy, alright,” the little giggle you give him is almost enough to have his knees buckling from under him. wolfwood is a weaker man than he thought. “i’m sure he won’t mind…” 

way weaker. 

coffee, eggs and something sweet—

he reckons he's found his new favourite morning bite.

[novasintheroom]

132. Blush

♡ Pairing - Vash x Reader

♡ Word count - 0.6k

♡ Warnings - none

♡ Description: You're very distracted while mending Vash's coat.

Part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3.

You try to stop staring.

You really try.

The teal lining of Vash’s coat sits open on your lap. You’d offered to patch up the tears within, noting strings of blue hanging off the cuffs and closure. As hardy as his coat is, the inside is nearly as torn up as the man himself.

But that isn’t what you’re staring at. No.

It’s your friend and the brick house build he was hiding under the coat.

His broad back is turned to you. It feels like an eclipse. Vash is messing with lunch, letting out hums and little clicks of the tongue as the food cooks in the blazing suns’ rays. The outcropping’s shade keeps you cool enough. Still, you feel sweat slide down your back, and you have to squint against the metallic shine from the nearby town.

You don’t know how he handles the heat. Eyes roving over his figure (his very large, very interesting figure), you boggle at the black turtleneck. It’s not a thick shirt by any means, but still. How is he not baking? And the coat on top of it!

Looking back to the coat on your lap, you pinch the fabric between two fingers and rub. It lets out a skeet-skrt sound. Very hardy. You don’t know how bullets bounce off it. You glance at Vash again. He’s so…big. How did you miss it? How do the bullets miss someone so big? You trace the line of his back, the rounded muscles of his shoulders, his slim waist. He reaches for some powdered potatoes and water, and you see the delicate bunch of his forearm’s muscles when he grabs them. Your mouth waters.

As if sensing your stare, Vash looks back at you. His smile is instant and pleasant. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

A blush overtakes your throat, and you’re left clearing it and looking anywhere but him. “Just…wondering how you’re not hot wearing all of this.” There. A half-truth.

Vash pauses and looks down at his clothes as if seeing them for the first time. Then, he chuckles and goes back to cooking. “Guess I’m just used to the heat!”

That’s a lie. No one is used to the heat of this dead planet. But you’ve already dodged one bullet; you aren’t about to start prying into what he doesn’t want you to know. So, you go back to staring. He stirs what’s in the pan. It sizzles and pops, and you watch his bicep and forearm bunch and contract with use. His other limb – the robotic one – holds the pan steady.

What would it take for him to hold you steady?

You prick your finger suddenly and hiss. You’d forgotten you were even sewing. A blot of blood wells on the tip. Reaching for your medikit, you’re aware of Vash’s eyes suddenly on you. Again, you feel embarrassed; that familiar flush to your skin. “I’m fine,” you say, bringing out a small Band-Aid and wrapping it quickly around. You hold up your finger to show. “See?”

Vash shakes his head and stirs the meal. “You don’t have to do that, you know. I can mend my coat.”

“I know,” you say, then scramble for something else to reassure him, “but then I’d have to be the one cooking, and I’d definitely get sweat in it.”

Vash laughs. “Gross.”

A smile comes to your lips. It falls away again when you look him over. His large stature, his resistance to heat, his easy smile whenever something goes wrong…What else are you hiding? You wonder. Taking up needle and thread again, you force yourself to focus on sewing up the holes and tears he’s endured.

Maybe, in time, you’ll be able to do it to his heart, too.

[akiratrimochi]

#TRITOBER #TRI_TOBER

.

8. Angel

[merbear25]

Vash with no.4 for your valentine day event would be MWAH CHEFS KISS!!!!

This prompt was perfect for him!! I really hope you like it! I adore him... He deserves nothing but good things! (I'm not about to cry YOU are)

No matter where he went or who he met, his greatest fear hit him head on without fail. Undeserving of moving past his mistakes, forcing himself to make up for what he’d done time and time again, but it was never enough, neither for them nor him. How could he accept your affection when he saw the lowest of the low in his reflection? It all starts with trust.

CW: SFW, gn!reader, hurt/comfort, Vash’s insecurities

Take my hand (Vash)

Despite the walls he threw up to protect you from getting too close to him, caring about him came as easily as opening your eyes, and each time you did you couldn’t deny the warmth that accompanied the sight of him. A gleeful smile, outgoing demeanor, a goofiness that didn’t always fit the circumstances: he tried so hard to keep the grief from showing.

However, the more time you spent together, the more those cracks showed. Sitting in the corner of the room, not saying anything, yet his silence was screaming for the connection he deemed himself unworthy of.

“Vash? How are you doing?” Not wanting to bring up the incident directly, you thought it would be more gentle to avoid specifics. Both of you knew what you were referencing anyway: a town flipping their opinion of him quickly and without remorse for the man who had just helped them moments before.

“I’m great.” He couldn’t even fake the chipper tone.

“Sorry, it was a silly question.” You paused to consider what he must be going through. Having been rejected by damn near everyone who had at one point opened their arms to welcome him must wear one’s spirit down to the point it dragged through the dirt.

“You don’t have to apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.” The tone was soft and remorseful for making you think you had to say ‘sorry’. “I’ll be okay, I just need some time alone.”

The thought of him being by himself at a time like this made you worry. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with you. We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I’d just like to make sure you’re… That everything is alright.”

No objection was given, although that didn’t mean his mind wasn’t racing. After what felt like hours, he finally brought up what was plaguing him. “I hope you don’t feel obligated to stick around.”

“Why would I feel… I’m here because I care about you.”

A rush of emotions flooded his chest as he processed that last bit. “You shouldn’t though. You’ll just end up getting hurt. That seems to be all I’m good for.” The gentle rocking of his shaking form brought you to your feet.

“You’re worth so much more than what you give yourself credit for.” Without a second thought, you went to his side. “You mean so much to me, you have no idea.” The shake in your voice eluded to the pain you felt seeing him like this and hearing him talk so lowly of himself.

Those affectionate words stayed with him as he desperately tried to get himself to the point he could hold them close and hold onto them forever. “And you’d have me like this? Scars and all?” The hesitation he took in looking at you made that lump in your throat sink deeper. 

“Without a shadow of a doubt.” You scooted closer to him and leaned to the side in hopes of getting a better look at his expression. When that sinking rock in your throat finally plunged into the depths of your heart, you swore you could feel it shattering. 

A man who was worn and defeated contrasted his happy-go-lucky attitude. His emerald eyes were hanging to the floor and those lips that usually held a smile seemed to be struggling not to quiver. He gripped his pant legs and tugged on them, back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just—” He trailed off not wishing to burden you with the turmoil that was ever constant. You leaned in closer, hoping that he wouldn’t shy away from opening up to you again. “I’m not sure that you know what that entails exactly.” The fall in his voice hinted at the emotion rising within, which was carried by the self-loathing he couldn’t escape.

Your eyes held on him; each twitch of his bottom lip, the wetness in his eyes threatening to make his genuine yearn for connection known, none of the subtleties went unnoticed or disregarded. You took a deep breath and spoke in a voice as warm as a summer’s day.

“Do you know what I see when I look at you?” Wanting to say ‘a demon’, he refrained and simply shook his head. “I see a man who is kind, gentle, caring, selfless, one who made a mistake - an accident - a long time ago and has been punishing himself ever since.” 

“How can I forgive myself if that moment still cuts so many so deeply?” The hatred in his words only spat venom inward, hoping the acid would finally sink in.

You treaded lightly, so as to avoid him spiraling into the depths of self-ridicule he so often found himself in. “I’m not saying you ought to take the leap into forgiving yourself, but taking steps away from self-hatred can carry you far.”

He buried his face in his palms, trying to withhold the flow of tears that were now reluctant to stop. “What if I can’t do that?”

Instinctively, you wrapped your arms around him. As he clung to you, you allowed his hot wet face to soak through your shirt. “That’s why you have me, and not just me but also your other friends who care so much about you.” 

You stroked his dirty blond hair, hoping he’d be open to letting you assist him on this trying escape from the iron maiden he’d casted himself into. “Sweet Vash…” 

You couldn’t help but cradle him closer. The large man who was mischaracterized by the masses and internalized it to the point he felt he could never escape: tortured more by himself than anyone else. But, your helping hand out of the tangling thorny vines was taken, leading him towards the long and winding road of healing.

[bendycxmet]

Hi! How are you? I hope you are doing well <3 I binge-read all of you trigun fics and i loved them, so i wanted to request something too!

How about a Vash x reader where the reader sleeps on him? Vash is listening to them ramble about something and then boom, they fall asleep on him bc hes warm. <3

MY FIRST ASK! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THIS MADE ME FOR THE ENTIRE DAY!

i am doing well! thank you for your support! <33

i usually take forever to write a piece, but ur ask inspired me and had me thinking all day on how to go about this. so hope you enjoy this! thank you for the request!

Sweet Dreams

Exiting the bathroom, freshly washed and donning one of Vash’s shirts, you throw your towel over your head, continuing to dry off your head while you peered out into the room. Vash lounged on the motel bed, arms thrown behind him to support his head, lean legs sprawled out and taking up the entire mattress. He was whistling a tune you didn’t recognize, one eye closed while the other surveilled you in the opening of the steaming door. 

“Ya sure you didn’t wanna take a shower? There’s still some hot water left,” you offered.

“Nah, got too comfy waiting here for you. I’ll take one in the morning.” 

He closed his other eye, humming the tune now. He did look comfy. A little too comfy. With his eyes closed, he didn’t see the mischievous glimmer in your eye. The pattering of your feet was his only warning as you dove for him, body landing atop his, an ‘oof!’ sounding from him as your body weight collapsed on his chest. You were cackling at the noise he made, wrapping your arms around his waist as his fingers tickled your sides.

“Not fair! You attacked a defenseless man!”

“Getting comfortable without me, handsome? Ay! Stop it!-” 

His fingers didn’t stop their wriggling assault, only ending when you began to retaliate. 

“Ok, ok! I’m done!” He coughed a laugh out. “Mm, you smell nice. I haven’t smelled this soap before. Where’d you get it?” He twirled a wet piece of hair between his fingers.

“Oh I didn’t tell you! I met this vendor at the market earlier! While you were off looking for your donuts, the smell of the loveliest lavender drew me in.”

Vash hummed along to your story, indicating that his attention was still 100% on you as he played with your hair. He breathed in the calming scent on your skin and hair, allowing it to sway him to sleep slowly. You rambled on and on about how the vendor made the soap, the techniques and oils she used to bring out the herb. 

“But I got her card so we can go back and get you a soap! I do love how you smell Vash, it’s almost like you have a sort of gene that prevents you from smelling bad.” You turned your nose further into his shirt, inhaling the raw smell of him–sunshine with notes of something earthy…petrichor, or something along those lines. It grounded you every time. “But geez, would it kill you to wash your laundry sometimes?! You stink!” you lied, teasing a finger into his chest.

He yelped, abruptly awoken by your harsh jabbing. He grabbed your finger, bringing it up to kiss it, splaying your hand open with his own, observing the size difference. 

“We can do a laundry day tomorrow. I saw the laundromat wasn’t too far off from us, so we can easily carry our loads there.” He sighed, a content smile plastered on his face at the domesticity you two indulged in. He entwined your fingers, bringing it to the side of his face. “That reminds me! I got us donuts for the morning! You should’ve seen the options, I mean. I was in heaven, Mayfly. Powdered, glazed, cake-”

He let your hand go as he gestured in the air, passionate about the change in subject.

It was Vash’s turn to ramble. And once he started on his favorite topic–donuts–there was no stopping him. The deep timbre of his voice held some power. His voice always became deeper late into the night, hinting that he was getting tired; but it seemed to lower your heart rate, lower your defenses and diminish the adrenaline you had from a busy day. The warmth of the day seemed to never leave him, his body heat encompassing the parts of you that touched him. You tucked your legs closer to his body as the coldness of the desert night reached for your feet. 

One of his arms was wrapped around you, hand coming to rest on your shoulder. The other was busy with your arm on the opposite side, fingers lightly grazing up and down. The security you felt in his presence never failed to put you to sleep. 

You hummed one last time, eyes softly closing at his praise for a certain jelly doughnut. You promised in your head that you were only shutting them for a minute. What lies you told yourself.

“But I got your favorite! It might have a bite in it, but I saved the majority of it for you! I know you’ll like it, because I know you, hehe…um. Mayfly?” 

Your soft snores alerted him that you stopped paying attention to his tales of the day. He peered down his nose at you, love clearly painted into his features. Your eyelashes were long from this angle, gently laid out on your sun-kissed skin. Your lips were parted, soft breaths felt on his chest as you breathed in his scent on each inhale and exhaled the minty paste from your nighttime routine. He’s told you plenty of times before, but if only you knew how beautiful you looked in his eyes. 

He felt goosebumps rise on your skin from the chill in the air. He reached down to grab the comforter, pulling it up to your shoulders. You shifted slightly, stilling in the creases of his warm neck that was now heating your cold nose. He giggled at the temperature difference, arms also wrapping around your waist as he settled further into the sheets.

He had to admit, his exaggerated noise and fuss at your sudden dive from earlier was only a ruse. He loved the nights you chose to sleep tucked into his side, but he delighted in the nights you chose to smother him, arms always wrapped around him. He had days to live for with you, but there were always nights to live for as well.

“Sweetest of dreams, Mayfly.”

A/N: side note! i am open to requests! i think they're super fun and it really does get me motivated to write more :)

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[drunkenlionwrites]

Bootlaces and Bad Ideas

Pairing: Vash the Stampede x Reader

Summary: after being driven out of one more town, you are hell-bent on making Vash smile, getting shit-faced on whisky in the process and make a public love declaration

Content: fluff, a hint of angst, alcohol consumption, established relationship, reader is not described, but is shorter than Vash and being called "girl once", reader is a rabid racoon, reader also almost doxes Vash Word Count: 1.9k

The wind still carries dust from the last town, fine grains clinging to your boots and the hem of your coat as you and Vash make your way through what seems to be the main street of the next settlement. It’s smaller than the last one. Quiet. Dry. Half-asleep in the dropping heat of the late afternoon. You cast a glance at Vash, walking beside you with that slow, heavy gait - like he’s trying to move casually, like he’s not still weighed down by the last town’s betrayal. He saved them. Again. Put himself between a whole village and a corrupt mayor with greedy hands, stopped the backroom deal that would’ve sold their only working plant. And what did he get in return?

Recognition. And not a good kind.

His name shouted by someone in panic. Guns raised. People you’d just seen smiling now holding him at gunpoint. You got out, barely. Another escape, another scorched trail behind you.

He hasn’t said much since.

He’s trying. You can see it in the small things - the way he gives you that casual smile when your eyes meet, how he lets you ramble to fill the silence, how he still takes and carries your pack even though he’s clearly been grazed in the skirmish. But his heart’s definitely frayed at the edges from all that, no matter how often the same scenario repeats itself. And you don’t know how to fix it.

You’re walking down the main street when you feel a tug at your sleeve.

“Wait,” Vash says, crouching suddenly.

You pause, startled, until you realize-

Your shoelace.

He’s tying it.

Carefully. Neatly. Nimble fingers working on your boot, then he pats it gently and looks up at you with a tiny smile, like it’s nothing. Well, it is nothing, but right now? For you? It’s not.

This man - this man, who the world keeps kicking, keeps punishing for kindness - stopping in the middle of a sunbaked street with two heavy bags on his shoulders to tie your stupid, worn-out boot like you’re the most important person alive.

And you melt.

Like fully melt. Legs weak, heart shattered, throat tight with something that almost hurts.

How is this world so cruel to someone like him? You want to scream it into the sky. You want to return back to that god forgotten middle-of-nowhere town and punch each stupid cruel person, who raised their gun at Vash after he showed them nothing but kindness, risking his own health for their stupid fucking plant.

Instead, you breathe out, help him up, link your arm through his, and say, “Let’s find a bar. I think I owe you a drink.” The bar is dim and a little too warm, but it's full of noise, and people, and blessed normalcy. You slide into a booth with Vash and order something strong - just one, you tell yourself. Just enough to warm the blood and shake the road off your bones.

But the tiredness catches up to you faster than you expect. And the alcohol does hit quicker. Suddenly, everything’s glowing, and Vash is sitting across from you, all pale skin and soft eyes and messy, windswept hair, and it all just bursts out of you. “Okay,” you say, pointing your finger at him like you’re about to deliver a profound truth. “Okay. Listen.”

He tilts his head. “I’m listening.”

“You’re my boyfriend.”

He nods slowly, amused. “I am.”

You giggle, then cover your face for a second. You feel hot. Your cheeks feel on fire. “God. That’s crazy. Like, my boyfriend. You’re - you’re Vash.”

He leans forward, folding his arms on the table. “Last I checked, yeah.”

“You’re tall,” you say, like that alone is a feat. “Like really tall. So rude of you, actually.” He chuckles a bit, shoulders shaking. “Sorry about that. I’d try to be shorter if I knew I’d have to date a pipsqueak,” he says, words lacking any malice.

“And you’re so pretty,” you go on, completely undeterred. “Like—obscenely pretty. Unfairly. And your eyes? Are you kidding me? They should be illegal. Arrest this man.”

“What’s gotten into you?” he mutters, but you just find his hands on the table and place yours on them, squeezing his fingers.  “You’re kind. And gentle. And funny in a way that sneaks up on you. And you care so damn much it makes me want to punch a wall sometimes.”

He goes red, the way he always does when you’re too honest. “You’re just drunk- ” “No. No. I mean it. I meant it sober when I told you first, I mean it now, I’ll mean it tomorrow and next week and forever probably. You’re the love of my life, Vash.”

He looks like you just ripped the air out of his lungs. His lips part like he’s going to say something, then closes them again.

You nudge his foot under the table. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re perfect and I’m allowed to be in love with you.”

He shakes his head, laughing under his breath. “You’re gonna regret this in the morning.”

You narrow your eyes. “Wanna bet?” The music picks up without warning—something fast and chaotic, full of clapping and quick guitar strums, the kind of tune that makes the tired workers forget about the day fully filled with labor gather near the center of the saloon. People are stomping in rhythm, spinning, laughing. The whole room feels like it’s vibrating with joy.

And Vash?

He’s smiling. A little. Watching the dance with that faraway look, like it’s something meant for other people.

You’re not having that.

You set your glass down a little too hard and reach across the table, grabbing his hand before he can protest. “Dance with me.”

He blinks. “I don’t…wait, now?”

You’re already pulling him up, dragging him toward the center where the music is loudest, bootheels scuffing across worn wooden floorboards. “Yes, now. Come on, pretty boy.”

You plant your hands on his shoulders, eyes bright, and start bouncing in rhythm. “Just follow me!”

“You’re drunk,” he says, grinning helplessly as he tries to keep up.

You only laugh at that. “And you’re not drunk enough. Let’s just have fun!”

The two of you find a rhythm after that - stumbling, chaotic, completely unsynchronized - but it doesn’t matter. You’re laughing, breathless, dodging other dancers as you swirl around the floor. Vash keeps one hand pressed to your waist, the other tangled in yours, always steadying you even as your feet nearly trip over themselves. Vash holds your hand steadily, twirls you in a way that definitely isn’t part of any real dance, and dips you dramatically mid-beat. You squeal, clinging to him as the patrons of bar who saw you hoot and holler.

“Show-off!” you gasp.

“I’m having fun. Isn’t it what you wanted?” he grins, flushed and breathless. And it’s all exactly what you wanted from this evening: Vash happy, dancing, even if just to appease you, but he’s here and you’re in his arms and you - you suddenly feel even more drunk from the slightly warm piss-poor whisky, fast-paced dance and the way your boyfriend’s pretty eyes now glance at you with mirth in them. And suddenly you have a very important announcement to make.

“Thank you,” you whisper, swaying just slightly with the beat. “For letting me drag you into stupid things like this.”

Then you slip out of his grasp and go straight for the bar and after barman pours you a glass of whisky, you down it in one gulp and climb onto the nearest free barstool, and with absolutely no hesitation, shout:

“HEY EVERYONE!”

The bar quiets, and Vash goes rigid across the room like he feels like whatever is about to happen is going to end his life. You feel like you shouldn’t be doing this, but the rational part of you is completely silent at that moment.

So you grin, hands cupped around your mouth “THIS GUY RIGHT HERE - ” you point dramatically at Vash - “IS MY BOYFRIEND!”

Someone whistles.

“HE’S TALL! HE’S PRETTY! HE’S KIND! AND GUESS WHAT ELSE - HE’S VASH THE STAMPEDE!”

A moment of silence.

And then - laughter. Not cruel, not disbelieving in a mean way. Just amused. A few people raise their glasses and shout back things like:

“Sure he is, sweetheart!”

“Better hope the real one doesn’t show up!”

Someone pats Vash on the back as they walk by, like, “You lucky bastard.”

“Ya better take ya girl home till she falls down somewhere, cowboy,” another worried voice from the crowd tells him.

Vash looks like he wants to slide under a table and never be seen again, face flushed redder than his coat. He jogs over to you, gently guiding you down from the chair like you might take flight.

“You’re gonna get us kicked out,” he says to you under his breath, his eyes still widened, but a ghost of smile can be seen on his face.

“Pfft. No one believes me anyway,” you giggle. “Your secret identity is safe, o mysterious outlaw.”

The desert night wraps around you like a slow lullaby, air cooler now, stars scattered overhead like someone spilled a handful of diamonds across the sky.

You’re clinging to Vash’s arm, one foot in front of the other in an uneven shuffle, eyes drooping but smile still wide.

“Did you see their faces?” you mumble, cheek pressed to his shoulder as you walk. “When I said you were Vash the Stampede? That one guy almost choked on his drink.”

Vash laughs under his breath, that soft low one he only does when he’s happy and embarrassed at the same time. “You’re never drinking in public again.”

You gasp dramatically, poking his chest. “Rude. You loved it.”

“I did not.”

“You did!” You pause, squinting up at him. “You smiled. Three times. And I caught it. I really tried hard to see your smile the whole evening, you know?”

He groans playfully and wraps an arm around your waist, steering you away from the edge of the sidewalk when you wobble again.

You snort. “How’re you still so steady? That’s unfair. I feel like I’m swimming.”

He tilts his head toward you, eyes glittering with mischief. “Maybe I’m just used to carrying trouble around.”

“Rude again!” But you’re laughing, breathless, and it makes him soften all over again.

There’s a pause as you lean against him, walking slower now. The silence isn’t heavy this time. It’s soft. Gentle. Filled with the afterglow of something you can’t quite name.

“Hey, Vash?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re gonna marry me someday, y’know.” You mumble with confidence only a drunk version of you possesses. “I…wha- you…?!”

“Not right now,” you mumble, drowsy. “But like. Eventually. I’m just letting you know.”

He’s silent.

You peek up at him.

His face is red. His ears are bright red. But his smile—his smile is there, tugging his lips up.

“Okay,” he whispers. “Yeah. Eventually.”

You grin.

[anyasathenaeum]

Hey! I love your writing! So I'm excited you're opening requests :)

How about for Vash, something along the lines of either reader or Vash is trying to work on something, but the other keeps distracting them with kisses?

A/N: OMG WAIT HI I LOVE YOUR WRITINGS TOO (SERIOUSLY)!!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this - thank you so much for your request! It's super cute :') I decided to opt for cuddly Vash for this one so he's distracting the reader hehe

"(Y/NNNNN)!"

Vash's soft whine of your name made you giggle softly, but you continued your work steadily, not giving in to his attempts to distract you.

"I know, my love," you cooed back to him softly, "Just let me finish what I'm doing and then I can give you my full attention."

"B-But, what if I want your full attention now?"

The pout on Vash's lips and the way he pulled his puppy-dog eyes on you made you groan playfully, your heart fluttering slightly at how cute Vash was when he wanted you to pay attention to him. Despite being a wanted man with a bounty of 60 million double-dollars on his head, the "Humanoid Typhoon" had nothing but love and affection to give you.

You sighed dramatically, putting down the bag you had so carefully been packing and rearranging, before turning to face him as he lay on your shared bed for the night.

"Patience, Stampede. Or else, you'll get nothing at all," you scolded him, trying hard not to let yourself smile as you did so.

Vash simply let out another soft whine, his pout deepening as he sighed dramatically and covered his face with a pillow, letting out an exaggerated yet muffled cry of "My Mayfly doesn't love me!"

You scoffed quietly before letting out a small chuckle, "I love you very much, Vash. Just let me finish getting my stuff organized and then I will happily cuddle you until the suns rise tomorrow morning, okay?"

With that, you turned back around and continued to organize your bag, working in silence as you tried to focus. After a few minutes of peace, you faintly registered the sound of Vash shifting on the bed and then his footsteps coming up behind you. Without a word, you felt Vash wrap his arms around you from behind before feeling him resting his chin on top of your head.

You let out a small sigh, "You really couldn't wait?"

"How could I possibly wait to cuddle the love of my life when they're right in front of me?" Vash replied, and you could practically hear his smile.

"Alright, fine," you chuckled softly, glancing up at Vash, "I'll allow this. But don't push your luck, Stampede. I'll be done soon."

You could've sworn you heard Vash let out what sounded like a contented chirping noise, but you brushed it off as just being a plant thing. You felt him nestle himself against you, his head resting on top of yours as he hugged you tightly from behind.

However, even this didn't last long, because before long, you felt Vash gently beginning to press soft little kisses to the top of your head. He started with just one before nuzzling his nose into your hair, inhaling your familiar and comfort scent, but he couldn't stop himself at just one kiss. Shortly afterwards, you felt another gentle kiss being pressed to another part of your head, then another to your temple, and another to the nape of your neck that sent shivers down your spine. Each kiss was slow, with Vash taking his time and caressing your skin, showing just how much tenderness and love he felt towards you each time his lips pressed against you.

"Vaaaaaash!"

Now it was your turn to whine - the heat had risen to your face and you could feel your heart beating frantically in your chest at Vash's tender kisses. Despite having been with Vash for as long as you had been, he still somehow managed to fluster you with ease. But now, it had gotten to the point that you were so flustered that you couldn't focus on the task in front of you.

"What?" Vash cooed back, his tone light and teasing, his breath ghosting over your ear and sending shivers down your spine once again. "Something wrong, Mayfly?"

"Not fair!" You whined again, turning so you could look at him properly, pouting at him just as he had done so to you.

Vash couldn't help but let out a laugh at the sight of you pouting at him - how could somebody so adorable possibly be his? And yet, here you were, pouting at him in all your glory and making his heart swell from sheer love of you.

"I'm sorry, Mayfly," Vash whispered softly, smiling down at you almost wistfully, "I know I'm distracting you. I just... miss you whenever I'm not holding you. My arms miss you, my body misses you, my heart misses you."

"And now you're gonna make me cry," you replied, your voice shaking slightly as you took in his words. You had never felt more loved than you had when Vash was with you, and his words touched you in a way you hadn't expected them to.

"No... no tears, my love. They don't belong in your eyes."

You could feel Vash's fingers, both real and prosthetic, gently brushing over your cheeks before he cupped your face in his hands, tilting your face upwards to look at him. You would have melted into a puddle had it been physically possible from the warmth and love evident in his gaze. Suddenly, the fact that he had distracted you seemed to fall away, and you let go of your bag, instead opting to place your hands over his on your face, intertwining your fingers with his.

"I love you, Vash."

The words escaped you in a whisper, meant only for Vash to hear them. The moment they did, he leaned down and pressed a final, gentle kiss to your lips, holding you as close to him as possible.

As soon as he pulled away from you, Vash grinned playfully, "I love you, too, Mayfly. So, does this mean that you forgive me for distracting you?"

You pondered his words for a moment before answering with a smirk, pulling him back down, "If you give me another kiss, I might consider it."

[h4venpha]

↳ 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐘!! — vash the stampede

oh goodness vash’s number one love language is touch and i will die for it

- vash is such a naturally physical person. if that makes any sense!

- small touches come naturally to him, with anyone for that matter. an arm over your shoulder, hands brushing while walking together, or his knee is pressing against yours under the table.

- its a lot of unspoken meaning behind both his intentional and unintentional touches!

- as friends, vash who always ends up sitting way too close than he should, like hes got his whole upper arm pressed against yours and his warm thigh is right up on you. but hes all smiles and glittering eyes, like completely unaware of how hes affecting you.

- as a BOYFRIEND though.. he knows exactly what hes doing

- vash likes taking your hand in his under the table, he sometimes rests your hand on his thigh and places his hand on top of yours, keeping your touch on him like an anchor. like if somehow you werent touching him he’d pass out

- hes always holding your hand, intertwining fingers or locking your arms together. and hes so so smiley about it all the time

- on dates, sitting across from each other, he bounces one of his legs while the other is stretched out and hooked around your ankle. its such a small gesture but even just being a mere foot away from him, he cant help but keep contact with you

- casual touches where he finds himself mindlessly playing with the folds of your shirt or pants, pinching and rolling the fabric in between his fingers while he converses. also vash who when he notices a tiny TINY piece of lint on your shirt hes like “wait stop stop moving” and you freeze like ??? but after he pulls it off, hes like “okay anyway :D”

- aaaa at home, hes on you all the time! im pretty sure ive talked about this before, but hes hanging off of your arm and following you around wherever you go. he has never been alone at home other than in the bathroom. but even as water is dripping down his hair and hes practically still soaked, hes pouncing on you like a wet dog.

- and of course at the end of the day he cant fall asleep without you pressed flush against him. he has to be warm and snuggly or he cant sleep okay? its normal nightly procedure

[majesty-madness]

No More Denial - TriStamp!Vash x reader (sfw)

Summary: In a moment of desperation, Y/N reveals a secret that transforms the now uncertain future.

Word Count: 1900+

Warnings: angst, Vash being kidnapped, reader and co. trying to rescue him, female reader, mentions of pregnancy, injuries, blood, acts of violence, attempted murder (because it’s Knives), comfort, reassurance, crying from stress and joy, good ending

a/n: Not proofread. I just watched the 98’ Trigun series, the movie and then the reboot “Trigun Stampede” and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I usually don’t watch new shows, but Trigun has been something I’ve been meaning to get into ever since I first started watching anime back in 2014. And here we are…

Main Masterlist

The moment his eyes laid on her his heart stopped. “No! No, get out of here! You shouldn’t be here!” 

Y/N almost scoffed at his words as she approached him with haste. “You think I’m really just gonna turn around and leave you?” She attempted to unlock the chains bound around his wrists, and managed to get a few off. 

“If he realizes you’re here, he’ll kill you! You know that!” 

“You would do it for me!” Y/N shouted back at him, her eyes brimming with the slightest of tears. 

Before Vash could come with any kind of response, Y/N was ripped away from his side that had her letting out a scream. She felt a white hot pain in her calf, the sharp edges of Knives’ abilities digging deep into her flesh when she looked down. 

The coil of blades tightened around her calf causing her to shriek in pain. 

“Nai, stop it! Please!” Vash begged, as he tugged helplessly against the only chain keeping him bolted to the wall. 

“This pathetic human tried to set you free, but I’ll take care of this soon enough.” Knives sneered, forcing Y/N to a standing position she couldn’t fully maintain from her injury. 

The metallic coils came out from his back, slowly inching closer and closer to her body. She gulped hard, giving one last look to Vash before spouting out the only thing that came to mind.

“I’m pregnant.”

Knives smirked, expression almost amused by her desperate ploy. “Did you really think that would matter to me?” 

She gulped as a cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck. “It would if it was Vash’s baby.”

If she had been paying attention, Y/N would’ve heard the slightest of gasps leave Vash’s mouth but she was too busy maintaining eye contact with the man that held her hostage in his grip; a grip that grew tighter once she uttered those words. 

“That’s not possible.” He growled back to her. 

This time she smirked as the urge to taunt him pushed her rationale to the back of her mind, “How are you so sure? You and Vash are the only independents in the world, and I don’t think that you’ve tested the theory yourself.”

His grip tightened around her leg, causing her smirk to die on her lips while the heat of her own blood dripped into a puddle on the floor. “It’s not possible; plants are perfect in every way, bringing life to this broken world and humans are disgustingly flawed, spreading like the pathetic parasites you all are!”

“It is possible!” Y/N shouted back to him, surprised to hear the desperation cause her voice to waver. “A plant and human hybrid; the only one of its kind. A new species, a new life. Would you really destroy one of your own?”

In a blink, Knives whipped the pointed edge of one of his blades a mere inch from her eye threatening to gouge it out; the anger within him reaching its boiling point. “You are not one of my own!” 

Y/N took the smallest of breaths, fearing that any sudden movement would cause her to lose an eye. “But Vash is.”

Knives’ eyes narrowed but otherwise made no other movements as he took in her words. 

“And if you care about your brother, you wouldn’t murder the one thing he loves.” 

Suddenly, the fluorescent lights blacked out causing an immediate red night to replace it as a loud whirring sound crashed somewhere in the building. 

“What is this?” Knives muttered out loud as he became distracted by the sound and lights. 

Before he could do anything the sound of bullets whizzing toward causing him to duck away, loosening his grip on Y/N completely. He made quick movements backward, using his bladed coils as a shield from the spray of bullets being fired at him. 

Then while bullets still rained from beyond the darkness of the hallway facing him, a cacophony of multiple metallic objects clinking against the floor echoed throughout the gigantic room. Knives could make out several cynical objects hit the floor before they doused the room in smoke, a large plume of fog blocking his view of anything. 

Vash stared in shock for a moment then snapped back to reality when he saw the familiar figure approaching him, “Meryl? What are you doing here?” 

“Hush now! We’re here to save you!” Meryl quickly retorted while still a lockpick into the only cuff keeping Vash chained up. Once she unlocked it, she grabbed his hand and b-lined for the exit. 

“Wait! What about Y/N? I have to go get her!” Vash pleaded, pulling back from Meryl a bit as they ran. 

“Don’t worry, Wolfwood and Roberto got her! Now let’s go!” She shouted over the gunfire. 

Vash, though scared, trusted her word and followed her without resistance. 

It took a while because as it turned out, Wolfwood had thrown a few more smoke bombs as they ran into the hallway to cover their tracks but eventually Vash and Meryl managed to meet up with Wolfwood and Roberto further down. 

When Vash saw Y/N, bleeding and being held up by Roberto he ran to her. “Y/N, are you okay? You’re bleeding so much.”

Y/N shook her head in a whimper, in too much pain to offer any kind of reply. 

“Of course, she’s not okay. She’s got cuts all over her leg and she’s bleeding all over the place.” Roberto quipped with Y/N’s arm still over his shoulder while he kept her standing. 

“Hate to break up the reunion, but if we don’t get out of here soon a bleeding leg is gonna be the least of our worries.” Wolfwood cut in, keeping a sharp eye on the hallway they just escaped from. 

“But Y/N can’t run, how are we gonna get outta here before Knives finds us?” Meryl asked with urgency, her own panic rising to the surface. 

“Give her to me.” Vash said, walking over in front of Y/N and crouching down. “Get on my back and I’ll carry you.” 

Without a word, Y/N slipped her arm from around Roberto’s shoulder and precariously leaned down to wrap her arms around Vash’s neck and legs around his waist. He reached back to grip the underside of her thighs and propped her up as he stood. 

She made a muffled hiss as the pressure of moving her leg at all caused pain to shoot up through her body. 

“Ready?” Vash asked her, glancing over his shoulder at her. She gave a pained nod before tucking her face into the back of his neck.

“Okay, let’s blow this joint.” Wolfwood huffed, turning to face them. 

Everyone began running as fast as they could out of the building and just when they’d turned their backs to the hall, several bladed whips propelled out from the smoke screen towards their direction. 

“Watch out!” Wolfwood shouted, stopping briefly to point his cross shaped gun towards the blades and fired. He aimed with precision, each bullet bouncing off the whips as it made each one change trajectories.

“Wolfwood!” Vash exclaimed and too, stopped briefly to wait. 

“Keep running, Needle-noggin! I got this!” 

Vash hesitantly kept running, and glanced over his shoulder again in time to see Wolfwood making a quick getaway with them after shooting a couple more times. 

Luckily, the team managed to escape the maze-like building and to the outside. They ran and ran and ran until they were outside the city; their truck waiting for them not too far from the main entrance. In a flash, they hurried inside and Meryl punched the gas without even bothering with her seatbelt; leaving puffs of sand in their wake. 

She floored it a good fifteen minutes before Vash told her to stop. Once stopped Vash administered some first aid to Y/N’s leg, giving them a moment to talk. 

Vash had finished cleaning all the cuts in her once bloodied limb when he spoke. “Is it true? That you’re pregnant?”

He knew that while Y/N had said such a thing in the heat of the moment so Knives would spare her, he couldn’t deny the sincerity of her words. She sounded so scared, so afraid for not just her own life but possibly her baby’s as well. 

Y/N took a moment to prepare her words and she timidly nodded. “I think so.”

“How long have you suspected?” Vash spoke softly, keeping his voice low as if speaking at normal volume would cause her to shatter. 

“A couple of we-EKS!” She hissed when Vash began applying the bandages to the open wounds which made him utter out a quick apology, though continued to wrap her leg. 

Vash said nothing, his brain thinking a million miles a minute. He honestly didn’t know what to think; he was a plant and Y/N was a human, could plants and humans even procreate? Or was it something else, something life threatening? He did notice in the last few weeks that Y/N hadn’t been acting like herself but he thought perhaps it was the heat getting to her, or maybe they had been stuck inside the car for too long or even that time of the month but the idea of her carrying his child never crossed his mind. He assumed that because he and Y/N were two different species, there was no way. 

“Vash?” Y/N called to him, bringing him out of his thoughts and back to reality.

He looked up at her, worry and fear etched in her face. “Sorry, love.” 

“It’s okay. I understand that it’s probably a lot to take in.”

Vash shook his head, “I was just lost in thought.” 

“Are you upset?” Y/N nervously asked, making Vash raise his hand to gently cup her cheek as a tender smile graced his lips.  

“Of course I’m not upset, I’m only worried about you since I’m not completely sure if it’s possible for plants and humans to have children together.” He carefully explained watching Y/N tilt her cheek to rest fully into his palm. 

Y/N sighed, “I’m not sure either but all the symptoms are there. And even though I don’t know much about plants, I can’t imagine what else it could be.” 

Vash sat up on his knees, retracting his hand from her face but soon leaned forward to hug her from her spot from the truck. She happily reciprocated when she wrapped her arms around his midsection, face buried in his shoulder. 

“We should go see Luida.” He suggested kissing her temple and stroking her back comfortingly. 

He felt her nod against him. “She can fix up your leg and she probably knows more about plants than I do or something along those lines that might help figure this whole thing out.” 

“Okay.” Y/N simply said, going silent and enjoying the presence of Vash holding her. 

Vash didn’t say anything else either and like Y/N, opted to enjoy the warmth of her against him. 

He thought back to only minutes earlier, when Y/N had attempted to save him and Knives quickly finding her, hurting her and the screams she let out. 

Never in his life did he ever want to hear those sounds again. 

From here on out, Vash vowed to himself he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, and with the new information of Y/N’s possible condition, he‘d protect his child all the same.

[gamerbot-22]

Spending Valentine's Day with the Trigang!

GIF by the-princess-cinnamon

TW/CW: Written with a combination of traits from across Trigun versions, written with the idea that they and reader are in a relationship (separately), lots of pet names!!! (Mayfly, Angel, Honey, Sweetheart), I am aiming to make y'all's teeth rot on how sweet these are, barely proofread and I appreciate spellchecks!

Characters Included: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Meryl Stryfe, Milly Thompson, Millions Knives/Nai

Recommended Listening: my love, mine all mine . a short playlist

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful day, whether you have a partner to spend it with, a friend, or just your lovely self <3

Likes and Reblogs appreciated (reblogs > likes) and Requests are Open! It’s all under the cut!

Dividers in this post were made by @/strangergraphics ☆

🥀 Vash the Stampede

GIF by kvroko

He is the most lovesick man in the world on this day, let me tell you.

You wake up and see him in bed next to you just absolutely whipped. He wraps an arm around your waist and nuzzles in close and his first words are "Happy Valentine's, Mayfly..." before just drowning you in kisses.

Originally the plan was he would get up and make you breakfast in bed but he got all caught up in being close to you. So you're making breakfast together! It turns out nice, even if you two struggle to get it right.

There's not really flowers on Gunsmoke, but he knows what they look like. So you get a drawing of all sorts of flowers, with meanings only half-remembered from books he used to pour over as a kid.

If you got him anything it takes all of his effort not to fall apart on you. (Please get him something sweet, he deserves it!!)

He wants to take you dancing so baaaad. Like serious bad. There is nothing he loves more than getting to just be close to you and spin you around.

Vash spends all day trying to find a place to take you dancing, but it's a little hard to do that when you're an outlaw and an outlaw's partner. The effort is there but it just doesn't pan out.

But you know? There's something special about slow dancing with Vash by the fire out in the desert while he hums a song to you under the stars <333

🍭 Nicholas D. Wolfwood

GIF by mine-loves

I don't think Valentine's Day had been on his radar in a very very long time, so it's probably either day of or immediately upon waking up where he realizes "Oh shit, I need to do something--"

You're about halfway through the morning thinking that you're not getting anything from him when he nearly goes ass over teakettle rushing over to you. He has a half-crushed box of sweets in one hand and a bottle of something bubbly in the other and the most embarrassed look on his face.

He mumbles out a "Sorry, Angel, I almost forgot--" and holds both gifts out to you with his head bowed, like a shy kid or a nervous dog. But you take them in your hands and give him a kiss on the cheek and he doesn't feel as bad.

You two end up sharing, and while the sweets and drinks might be cheap, the time isn't. Hell, maybe you two even end up feeding each other like those sappy couples in those newspaper ads.

He's not a man of flowery words, but he did learn a lot about the saints as a kid. I don't think Wolfwood would frame it as a gift or anything, but when there's a quiet moment he tells you the story of St. Valentine if you're willing to listen.

"He used to perform weddin's for people 'n secret," he tells you, one arm wrapped around your shoulders. "People weren't too big on the Man Upstairs back in the day, so what he was doin' was pretty dangerous. Didn't stop him, though. Or the people he married."

Then he turns his head away from you to save some face. He doesn't want to put too many ideas in either of your heads, but... the idea is kinda nice. For the future.

Once he gets past the nerves though, you get all the kisses you could want. From the crown of your head to your eyelids to your cheeks to your lips. He has a new favorite holiday <333

📸 Meryl Stryfe

GIF by mine-loves

"Ah, honey! My birthday was yesterday! You already got me a gift; you didn't have to get me anything, really!"

She says that, but honestly she's really happy that you would go out of her way to give her a gift a second day in a row. Like! You didn't have to!! But you did!!!

So she takes it and gives you a kiss and when she pulls away her face is so pink. It's precious, and with her soft cheeks she looks a bit like a sweet all on her own.

And you get such a nice gift in turn. I think she's the type to get you something to wear or decorate yourself with, so she gives you this really beautiful pendant on a chain to wear either around your neck or wrapped tight around your wrist.

She also does her damndest to have a nice dinner reservation lined up, if you're in a part of Gunsmoke that allows. She wants to get all dolled up with you and just have a nice evening in whatever luxury an insurance agent/newspaper reporter's salary can get you.

And after dinner, if you still have energy, maybe you can go to a show together! Surely somebody has to be doing something on a stage nearby, right? And if they serve food too, you can share a dessert while you listen.

I think you two end up at a comedy show and have a great time, either laughing until your sides get sore or sharing some amused-if-sympathetic if the person on stage is floundering.

By the end of the night, Meryl's pretty beat and ready to just prop herself up in bed with you. I don't think she even makes it out of her clothes, she just lays her head on your chest and drifts off on the spot <333

💼 Milly Thompson

Breakfast! In! Bed! For! Her! Sweetheart!!!

You get the absolute gentlest wake-up call. She puts her hand on your shoulder, kisses your temple, and chimes "Good morning, sweetheart! Happy Valentine's!"

While you eat she gives you her big plan for the day: Nothing! She just wants to stay in with you and relax all day. And she seems so genuinely excited for that it's nigh impossible to tell her no, especially when she assures you that she still has special things to do in mind.

Once you're both ready to be up and out of bed, she gets the radio tuned to you guys' favorite music station so there's a nice backdrop to all your activities.

Then you spend the whole day just. Making things together. Poetry, stories, silly songs for just the two of you, and all the while there's that lovely music playing and a batch of cookies in the oven for later.

And once the cookies are done and cooled, it's time to ice them! You have so much fun mixing colours and making all these pretty patterns that look absolutely nothing like the book you're using for reference.

At first, Milly is a little upset she's not as good as the pictures, but you help her realized two very important things: no one else could make patterns exactly like she is, and they'll taste delicious either way!

Your evening is spent feeding each other cookies and going over all the things you've made together, and when you kiss each other goodnight you both taste like icing <333

🔪 Millions Knives/Nai

WE'RE PLAYING IN THE SPACE HE'S HERE TOO!! Nai lovers I see you and I love you!!! /p You deserve some time with your man on the holiday, too!

I don't think he would really mention the holiday or observe it in any special way, but like...

If he's playing his piano and you come in and be quiet, he won't stop. Even when he sees you sitting on the floor or leaning against the piano out of the corner of his eyes.

He has that one piece he plays all of the time, Visitation of a Calamity/Memory of a Piano, but it's not the only one he knows. After he's finished with that one for this bout of practice, he shifts into another one.

It's calming by some definition. It's still very powerful, and it reverberates off the ceiling and in your ribs, but it doesn't feel like the usual posturing that the other piece evokes.

It's sweeping still, but less a torrent and more a breeze that catches the folds of your clothes and the air from your lungs. It feels a little like flying, you think.

He doesn't say a word to you until he finishes the suite, then without even looking at you, he asks "Is there something you needed me for?"

And I mean... is there? <333

[novasintheroom]

032. Limb

♡ Pairing - Vash x Reader

♡ Word count - 0.6k

♡ Warnings - none

♡ Description: Vash is more worried about you than his arm.

Part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3

In the brush of crowd, your hand interlocks with his. It’s hard to walk side-by-side in the press. One of you often takes the lead while the other is pulled along. Tomas carts drag by, men and women in dust-ridden clothes hurry to their different destinations, oglers from out of town yap while standing in the road. It’s noisy in the middle of the day. Both of you have your masks over your face – there’s a lot of dust being kicked up from so many feet.

Over the din, you raise your voice. “We should check out the blacksmith, see if he has what you need for your arm.”

Vash looks back, being in the lead for a moment. His eyes flick across yours before he shakes his head. “We need to get some money first. We only have enough to buy a few more meals.”

You purse your lips and give him a look – something Vash has come to call your ‘disagreement’ face. He turns away before it can affect him. “We won’t be able to make any money if your arm keeps malfunctioning.”

“We’ll be fine,” he says, pulling you to the left as two tomas riders trundle along.

“We won’t be – ugh – “ you accidentally bump into a woman walking the other way and say a quick apology. Vash pulls you closer, feeling the brush of your chest against his back every few steps. You continue, “We need to get your arm fixed. That’s our first priority.”

He walks a few steps, then says, “My first priority is making sure you’re fed.”

It has the dual effect of making you mushy and irritated. “Birdie,” you whisper, pulling him to the side of a building so that you’re out of the way. He lets you – he always lets you – and looks at you with those desperately sad eyes. “Please, don’t do this. So we skip a few meals, that’s better than letting your arm fritz and hurt you every time you move it.”

You can see the smile through his mask, the one that’s meant to be placating. “I’ll be fine, mayfly. I won’t be if I see you go hungry.”

This, from the man who skips meals when things don’t go his way. You pull down your mask to give him the full force of your frown. “I’m a big girl, birdie. I can handle it. Please, let’s not go back and forth about this. You need parts for your arm. Then we can get some jobs done and have a big meal after. Okay?”

And with your mask down, he sees the shape of your lips, the puff of your cheeks as you give your best puppy dog look. It doesn’t affect him the way you want it to; your pout is off-center, and there’s a hardness in your eyes. But it still gets his heart fluttering, still makes his mouth move, imagining it pressed to yours.

Vash sighs and rubs his neck. His metal limb fritzes while he does, and a wince echoes in his brows. He knows you saw it. “Mayfly – “

“Vash, please don’t make me beg.”

He feels more than shows the flinch of hearing his name. You’re serious. Dead serious. And, like he always does when it comes to you, he relents. Reluctantly, but he does. With another sigh, he nods. “Okay…alright. But only one part. Enough to get by, then we have lunch.”

Your smile is bright. Relief at the compromise washes over.  Parts for his arm and he eats? Absolutely a win. “Deal.” Slowly, you take his hand again and squeeze it. He squeezes back after a moment. Putting your mask back up, you go on your tiptoes to press your covered nose to his. His eyes smile at the gesture, and together you walk hand-in-hand back through the throngs.  

[akiratrimochi]

#TRITOBER #TRI_TOBER

.

28. Death

[bendycxmet]

Lay It To Rest—Vash the Stampede

Summary: Vash finally can sleep with the help of your presence.

Word Count: ~1k

Pairing: gn!reader x Vash the Stampede

Content: pure fluff

a/n: brain shut off for a hot minute, so this lil vash piece is baiting the writing side of my head to come back. do i like this? idk but i need this taken off my hands

Out in the dunes and dunes of gritty sand and underneath a pitch black sky dotted with constellations of stars the humans of Gunsmoke have yet to name, lies Vash with his head resting on his knapsack. The quiet night intermittently interrupted by the rustling of blowing sand lulls Vash into an introspective state of mind. He hasn’t been able to fully appreciate nights like these for years, decades even, as his body was acclimated to being tense and wary of any sign of trouble 24/7. What has changed this, however, was your graceful appearance in his life. 

A stranger turned immediate partner. The heavy, anxious beating of his heart quelled by the sight of you and your lovely eyes meeting his for the first time. He knew in that moment that he had to know you, even if it were just your name, he knew that even that little bit of knowledge about you he would carry with him for the rest of his days. The week he spent in your little town, laying low to escape the bounty hunters that chased him from the next town over, he would frequent the bar you worked in, getting tipsy each night just to have that liquid courage to get to know you and make you laugh at his slurred jokes. Those cheery nights soon had to end, when the bounty hunters finally caught a whiff of him. Thinking with his heart more than his mind, he ran to your bar to say his goodbyes, but was astonished when you pleaded with him to allow you to accompany him. He could never say no to you. 

He blinks himself to the present, feeling your body settle next to him, leaning more into his shoulder than the sack. 

“My turn for watch. You seem tired,” you say, thumbing at his heavy eye bags. “Try to catch some sleep. Don’t worry. I can handle this.” His droopy eyelids do nothing to mask the love and appreciation in the blues of his eyes, if anything they enhance it. He closes his eyes and heaves a sigh, expelling the adrenaline and tension from his body. He settles his head into your lap, slowing his breathing. “How did I ever get so lucky to meet such a wonderful guardian angel?”

You run your fingers gently through his hair, peering out at the miles of sand. You usually used this time to think of the next day’s agenda, mapping out a mental route you two could take once the sun peeked over the horizon. You tried not to move too often, as any slight movement from you had Vash awakening to check on you, the light sleeper he was. 

You tense.

A slight growling freezes your body. You incline your head. It comes again, only this time louder and closer. Your mind races, thinking a bandit’s car is coming your way or a Worm has sensed the two of you out, weaving through the dunes to come swallow you whole. 

You’re about to tap Vash awake when a loud snore cuts through your panic. You flinch, glancing down at his form, expecting him to jostle awake. Only. He doesn’t. You marvel at his sagging form for a minute. Never has Vash looked so comfortable, so asleep in the time you have been with him.

You joked with him before that he reminded you of a hummingbird, heartbeat always racing, speedy and agile in his movements, quick to dodge any danger with a simple flap of his wings, disappearing into the wind as if he had never been there. He had only rolled his eyes, with a blush settled high on his cheeks. 

You peer back down at him, his mouth wide open, snores now pouring out, and even a bit of a drool collecting at the corner of his mouth, trailing down to touch your pant leg. You crinkle your nose slightly at that but laugh more at how cute he is this way. Completely relaxed for once. You’ll definitely tease him in the morning about it. For now, you let the hummingbird he is finally rest his wings.

-

“Morning sunshine.” you poke at his cheek and pinch his nose. He lazily swats at your hand, turning more into your stomach now, hiding from the light shining on his face. 

“Didn’t know you snored. Also, my leg is wet from your drool.” You hear a scoff coming from your midsection.

“Mm, I do not snore. Yer makin things up.”

“Well, last night you did. Looked real comfy actually. You twitch alot too. Seemed like a good dream you were having though, from how your hands got all grabby. See donuts in that dream of yours?” he pulls back from you with a crease in his brows. Had he really been snoring? 

Every night when he slept, he was always stuck in that miserable halfway point of half awake and half asleep, ready to run. Your teasing, however, gives him deja vu. The last time he remembers waking up to teasing about the drool on his face was back on the ship, Luida and Brad chuckling at his messy hair and drowsy expression in the mornings. He laughs, relieved at his discovery. 

“Well I trust you,” is all he says. You tilt your head at that.

When did he get so comfortable with you? When did he become so trusting that you could handle looking out for the both of you? He always told himself that he would be the first to notice when something is awry before it could reach you, but last night proved that wrong. For the first time, he was able to drop his guard, and sleep well.

You see the racing thoughts flash on his face, warring with something in his head. Grabbing his flesh hand in your own, you trace light circles over his scars.

“Don’t think too much into it. It’s quite simple. We’re in this together now, so of course we trust each other.” He smiles at your reassurance, thanking you. He yawns then, leaning his head back on your shoulder but looking up at you, memorizing the way the sunlight dances on your face, illuminating every feature that he loves. 

“Good morning, my guardian angel.”

masterlist | divider

[drunkenlionwrites]

Help your writing is too good pls feel free to disregard if I requested one too many times. Vash stumbling upon the reader singing. They have a really good voice, but oh dear, the ironic conundrum of their own stage fright that prevents them from singing in front of anyone else!

hehe it's fine! I loved writing this 💖 Warnings: g/n reader, stage fright, severe anxiety Word count: 814

For Empty Rooms Only

You coughed - just once. Enough to catch their attention.

“I think I’m coming down with something,” you said, pressing a hand to your forehead like someone in a tragic play. “Headache. Throat. Could be serious.”

You clutched your chest and gave the most convincing little cough you could manage.

“I think I’ll just… stay in tonight,” you said, adding a sniffle for good measure.

Wolfwood raised an eyebrow, cigarette in his mouth. “You’ve been fine all day.”

“I think it’s, um… delayed desert flu,” you nodded solemnly. “Super common.”

Vash leaned forward, concern written all over his face. “Are you sure? Do you need anything?”

“No, no,” you waved him off, trying to suppress the guilty grin tugging at your lips. “I just need rest. You two go enjoy yourselves.”

“But-”

“I’ll be fine, Vash. Really.”

Reluctantly, he let himself be ushered out the door.

You waited. Five minutes. Ten. The sound of laughter and boots downstairs meant the bar was in full swing. Loud enough to mask anything. You then sprang into motion - closing the curtains, checking the corridor, pacing a little to shake off the nerves. Then finally, you inhaled, exhaled, and prepared to sing.

Singing in front of someone? Impossible. No matter how often people told you you had a beautiful voice, your throat locked the second anyone was watching. You’d tried once or twice only to realize that your breathing goes unsteady, vision blurs, voice hitches and all you can hear is your heart pounding in your ears.

It wasn’t just nerves. It was something much harder to overcome. So, you didn’t. It wasn’t a problem before you’ve started your venture outside. Previously you just sang for yourself in the sanctuary of your own home, and it was enough. Now, being on the road with a few pairs of eyes and ears constantly in your vicinity, you started to miss just being able to let go and sing to your heart’s desire.

But now? Now you were alone.

You started to sing. A soft tune a bit melancholy, dreamy. Something your mama taught you when you were but a little girl. The kind of song that could be heard being hummed during labor, when doing home chores, or in your case – a lullaby.

Your voice unfurled, steady and sweet. You closed your eyes, the corners of your lips tugging upwards and you felt the sound becoming lighter and brighter with this simple motion. It all felt just right.

You didn’t hear the stairs creak.

You didn’t hear the door open.

“I brought you some tea.”

Your voice died.

Like a flame snuffed out. Gone.

You turned to find Vash standing in the doorway, a tray with little kettle and two chipped mugs in his hands.

He blinked, smile flickering. “Wait…did I just - were you…huh?”

You heard yourself producing a little squeak, thoughts already blurring, heart thrumming in your chest like crazy.

“Why are you here?!” you yelped, backing away like you’d been caught doing something illegal.

“I…I just thought you’d want something warm. You said your throat…” His words faltered when he saw your face. “Hey. Are you okay?”

You backed up until your knees hit the bed and plopped on it, face in your hands.

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”, you spoke timidly. Your breathing still not returning to normal.

“I didn’t mean to! I swear - I didn’t even know you were singing until I opened the door and…” He paused, tilting his head. “Wait. Why do you look so distressed anyway?”

“I can’t sing in front of people, Vash.” You stared at the floor, fists clenching in your lap. “I physically can’t. My throat closes up. My voice dies. I feel like I’m about to throw up. My vision blurs. Even when I want to. I just…can’t.”

He set the tea down carefully on a bedside table and crossed the room in quiet steps.

You flinched slightly when the bed dipped beside you.

“I didn’t know,” he said gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin it.”

You nodded, staring hard at your feet.

“But,” he continued, voice soft, “I think it makes sense now. You were always humming when you thought no one was listening.”

You didn’t answer.

“Although, I wanna tell you something, If you don’t mind” he added, smiling faintly. “What I heard? It was beautiful.”

You turned to look at him, face already scrunching in disbelief. He wasn’t teasing. No wide grin, no sly glimmer in his eyes. Just honest warm smile.

“I’ll never ask you to sing for me,” he promised. “But if you ever want someone to just… sit outside the door and listen, without watching, - I’d be honored.”

Your chest ached in the best way. You didn’t speak. Just nodded.

He handed you the warm mug then. “Though…it didn’t sound like you needed that after all, huh?”

[cheralith]

a dedicated tenderness — 「 knives (nai) x reader 」

content warnings ; none

contains ; college!au, modern!au, secret relationship, just plain fluff with hundred spoons, polygun being sillies

notes ; could be read as a continuation of the previous nai fic, could not! still has the same aspects of it tho :3

You had met the Saverems when they moved across the street just barely diagonally from your house when you were just shy of six years old. Vash had caught you staring at their moving truck from behind the tall oak tree that provided a shaded sanctuary amidst the blazing summer heat. He remembers waving hello to the eyes that peeked out from the trunk of it before they flinched and ducked behind the sturdy wood again, slowly creeping back up to see if the pair of bright turquoise eyes were still staring at yours.

And when they were, Vash, being the more friendly and lively one of the two twins, decided to take it upon himself and drag his brother to go greet their new neighbor.

"Hi!" A sauntering young Vash had called cheerily to you, who was still hiding shyly behind the oak tree. "Are you our new neighbor? We just moved here!"

The young twins had managed to circle the trunk of the tree and before them stood a child around their age adorned in a colorful striped t-shirt and dirt-dusted overalls. Vash remembers you stepping back from the eager youngster, a less enthusiastic and distant version of him trailing not that far behind. You nodded, kicking at the dirt and not wanting to make eye contact with the sparkled-eye boy.

"My name is Valentinez, but you can call me Vash," he had said to you with a bright smile. He gestured to his lighter blonde and much more aloof counterpart. "This is Knives, you can call him Nai."

Your shy demeanor had suddenly faltered for a swift moment, your eyebrows getting all scrunched up in confusion at the odd names given to the two boys that little did you know, would set a place in your heart for the rest of your life. And it's returned back to the Saverem brothers. Your existence has stained each brother in such a unique way, and both Vash and Nai don't think they'll ever be able to forget you, not when your first words to them were,

"You guys kinda have weird names."

Such a sentence had lead a divide of two contrasting relationships involving the brothers—on one hand, Vash had taken it lightly to heart and merely laughed it off, easing himself into a breezy and steady friendship with you. On the other, Knives, or Nai as (only) you and Vash refer to him, had jutted out his lower lip in offense and insulted your dirty overalls, not taking into account that children still didn't have a filter before the age of ten. It forced you and him down a winding and tangling path, one that was devoid of flowery compliments and fresh smiles and laughs like the path of friendship you and Vash walked down together.

Oh no, the road you took with Nai was much more rocky, much more dwindling, and much more confusing. Insults jabbed at you and him like thorns as you'd trip over nonsensicality like sprouted tree roots waiting for you to stumble over them. The weather is never consisted as you travel down with him (never hand in hand, he'd so much as hiss out in faux pain whenever you'd brush against him). It could be stormy one day—the clouds heavy with misunderstandings, arguments and tears. It could be partly sunny—a ray of light peeking over the dismal clouds, similar to the nature of kindness that rarely shone through sometimes. Or it could just stay cloudy, as it has always been since the dawn of your "friend"ship with Nai.

Regardless of relationship status, there was certainly one thing that Vash had always knew of—that his brother had always had a quiet admiration for you. He just never seemed to act on it as much as other suitors of yours did. He isn't actually sure when Nai began to see you in a different light, but Vash can confirm that the longer he waits for something miraculous to happen, the more time will eat him alive.

He's seen it on his brother's face before. When you began your first relationship back in the more tender days of high school beginnings, Vash's eyes behind his glasses had flickered to a pair of similar ones across from him as you had introduced your then-boyfriend and he remembers the heaviness and ruddy ache that flittered across Nai's cavernous eyes. They contrasted your glowing ones, eyes filled with life and hope for the better future as you showed him off to everyone.

It was almost ritualistic, Vash thinks. Nai never seemed to care for romance unless it came to you. Vash thinks Nai would break all pairs of his glasses if he were to ever to say anything of a sort to his face, but he knew Nai was saving that blank space in his heart for you to fill, whether he realized it or not.

Nai Saverem is picky with people. He doesn't befriend those as easily as his younger brother, preferring to stay alone and distant with people that could easily take up his time so carelessly. It's why he shoos away any of his admirers with a cold glance that tells them they have zero chance with him and why there seems to be a certain thickness in the air whenever he's around that creates an invisible bubble around him. It's a thick barrier that refuses to let unknown others in and lets them know they won't be welcomed anytime soon. Introverted as he is, his energy is only so small, so there's a certain brand of people that wastes his time and therefore, he only uses his energy on people that he thinks are worth using it for.

And so Vash can't necessarily say he's too surprised like the others when Milly makes a separate groupchat that contains a series of images involving the two people excluded from it. The first is of Nai waiting outside the science building where your final class is held during Fridays. It was an odd place for him to be considering he only had one class on Fridays and would usually be home by mid-afternoon, so it was strange that Milly had caught him during the peeking hours of twilight still on campus.

The second is an image of you walking out the building and waving a hello to him, followed by the third of you and Nai's blurry figures connected via your hands in a sunset-inked sky making your way to Nai's car. The fourth of the photo sequence is a video. With a soft tenderness from Milly's hands, you get into the passenger seat with ease, the normal conversation of hostility and teasings between you and him seemingly devoid because there's no snooty faces or rolling of eyes. But it's when Nai properly starts the car that things take a turn. Its engines revving to life, he takes the time to pause and properly cradle the back of your head with his hand and properly give you a brief but soft kiss before pulling back with a dust of pink on his cheeks at the sight of your giddy, miniscule smile.

Behind the camera Milly gasps and drops her phone out of surprise on the concrete, and the video echoes the crack of the screen's phone before Milly's whine of "Oh no... it broke!" ends the video.

As buildings and nature of all arrays pass by, Vash replays the video over and over again in Wolfwood's car, examining it and the other images in full and wondering how Nai's daydreams finally came to life. Vash rubs his eyes behind his glasses, still attempting to process if what he’s seeing is real—that his icy older brother was truly thawing his resolve at the sight of you visibly and blooming a foreign affectionate that even Vash rarely sees nowadays.

Wolfwood groans when he hears the sound of the beginning of the video play again, grip tightening on the steering wheel as his knuckles whitening out of annoyance. "Would ya cut that out already! I get it, they're datin'!"

Vash flinches at his boyfriend's irritated tone. He tucks away his phone with a hasty laugh and apology. "Sorry, I'm just a little baffled that they're finally together after all these years."

The brunette makes a sort of scoffing noise. "I didn't lose all hope that your brother would never find love, but in all my years, I didn't expect it to be (Y/N) out of all people," he mutters, a cigarette dangling from his hand that sits on the edge of the window, its peppery scent lingering softly in the car. "How long do ya reckon they'll last?" he asks everyone in the car. "My bets on three months, their bickerin' is gonna put an end to it 'fore somethin' else does."

"That's mean, Wolfwood," Meryl scolds and flicks him on the back of his head, earning a yelp from him. "I'll admit myself I don't know how those two came to be, but I only wish them well and if they're happy with each other, that's all that matters."

Milly chimes in with a positive cheer. "Agreed! I'm just happy that Mr. Knives has finally found someone!" she chirps. "I really didn't want him to end up as a sad old grandpa alone."

"I wasn't insultin' them," Wolfwood huffs, "I was just merely statin' the reality. Y'all saw it earlier today too—both of 'em playin' musical chairs with the seat Knives stole in the lounge when (Y/N) got up to go get water."

Meryl shakes her head. "It's still really mean to assume their relationship won't last. I don't know about you guys, but I can see them—hey! You missed the turn!"

"Shit!"

Wolfwood swears aloud, hissing as he realizes he's passed the entrance to a vast park on the busy street. He makes a swift and hasty U-turn on the road that makes everyone grip onto the nearest object for dear life before zooming into an entrance that lead to a hidden field in the woods. The car slowly drives by it, where everyone can see a a lone picnic blanket atop a small hill with a laptop playing Miss Congeniality sits on a picnic basket. The back of two people face the parking lot, and it doesn't take long for everyone in the car to assume who they were.

On Fridays, it was a ritual to go to someone's house for a relaxing movie night and just wind down with everyone's presence for the evening. Today, however, you and Nai had excused yourselves from it with what seemed to be valid excuses until Milly's paparazzi work had jumbled in hours later.

“Can’t,” Nai droned, his eyes still glued on his laptop. “I’ve some papers to grade for one of my classes before the midterm ends.”

“And I’ve got a lab report to write up with my lab mates later,” you mentioned. “I can catch next week’s if that’s okay.”

It clicked to them that it was secretly code for you and Nai to actually attend a secret picnic movie date, which Wolfwood took mild offense to as Miss Congeniality was one of his favorite movies, disliking that it was being used for a date out of all things.

"They can't be serious," Wolfwood sneers as he pulls into a coveted shady area of the parking lot, safe from yours and Nai's view but still able to provide the gang with proper sights. "What screams romantic about Sandra Bullock having to attend a pageant? There's literally so much better romcoms out—"

"Shut up!" Everyone scolds.

"You'll give away our cover!" Meryl hisses. "The point is to be subtle and quiet, you idiot!"

Wolfwood snides and rolls his eyes, his hands throwing up in surrender.

On the other side of the hill, you gently press another strawberry to Nai's lips. His teeth gently bite into it, the juices of it slowly seeping out from the corner of his lips for your thumb to scrape away, a feather-like touch grazing his lips as it does so. You go to stare at the red-stained tint on them for a moment unconsciously, the natural gloss the fruit left off almost hypnotizing you.

It goes unnoticed by Nai, however.

"If you wanted a kiss, just say so," Nai says, plucking the greenery of the strawberry out your hand to put it into the trash pile.

You break out of your trance with a stunned shiver going up your spine at the sound of Nai's casualty. It was still somewhat unnerving for him to be saying such things, especially considering how he used to be before you two began dating. Words conveying such warmth were still unusual to hear, but it wasn't like you didn't like it.

A warmth creeps on your cheeks and you blink. "What? No, I was just simply... going to fix your collar, that's all!" you lie hastily. Your hand goes to fidget with an already-neat shirt collar before your wrist is grabbed by Nai's own. It pulls you into him and Nai's lisps peck your own quickly before his attention returns to the movie like nothing had ever happened.

You swear you can feel some steam coming out of your head. While you were usually the one that began the small touches of affections, it always felt different and much more intimate when Nai would return them or replicate them in his own fervor. Maybe it was due to the lack of intimacy he displayed to anyone else, or perhaps because they were from Nai himself that they felt more personal—the man who barely showed any emotion to anyone other than distaste and apathy—and so for such an individual to be sharing such liaison with you just felt more close to heart because he chose you to share it with.

"I thought you weren't one for PDA..." you mutter, fighting the urge the lick your lips as the acidity of the strawberry leftover lingers on them.

Nai shrugs. "We're the only ones around here, so the 'P' aspect of PDA doesn't necessarily apply right now."

"That's what you think," you interject. "There could be some weirdo prodding around the bushes as we speak, spying on us, y'know!"

He lets out a soft snort as the ending scene begins to play out, where Sandra Bullock begins to give her speech about friendship in the banquet hall starts to seal up the ending ropes of the movie. "And what weirdo would want to spend their time spying on two college students on a picnic?"

"A weirdo who tends to enjoy movies and real-life romance."

"Those people don't exist."

"To you they might not, but to me anything is possible."

"Shut up before I kiss you again."

You snort aloud, fighting the urge to react to his declaration like a schoolgirl. "You're acting as if I don't want th—"

Milly gasps loudly as she watches Nai dips his face to yours to once again, kiss you, but with more ardor than the last, this one lasting much more soundly than the previous one. She can sense there's true passion and dare she say, genuine love, in it and she melts at the sight of it fondly.

Vash himself watches the scene unfold with wide eyes, pausing his munching on his sandwich as he hogs the binoculars from a protesting Meryl. It takes all the fight in him to not proudly cheer aloud at his brother making a move and he gags on his sandwich when he witnesses Nai tuck a lock of hair behind your ear after the kiss. His lips still tell nothing of a sort, still a stiff downward line like they usually were, but the rest of his radiates a sort of fluster when you giggle softly at his antics. Confidence looks good on his brother, Vash thinks.

"Shit, they're on the move!" Wolfwood exclaims after a while of spying. Everyone hastily packs their things and duck as an ignorant you and Nai make your way down the hill and back into his creme white car, where Wolfwood's doesn't trail too far behind. The four of them spend the rest of the evening not watching a romantic movie as planned, but instead fending for the real life soap opera that enacts in front of them, tailing you and Nai as you travel around town and into various shops.

"Who do you think made the first move?" Meryl asks with her eyes peering behind the binoculars, peeking behind the window of the car that sits parallel on the same street a record shop was. "I'm placing bets that it was—oh no, everyone duck!" They shift under the seats when you two walk out with small bags in hand holding sorts of records and CDs, still talking aimlessly and the beat-up grey-black Camry still unnoticed in the background.

"Never really took Knives for a music-type of guy..." Wolfwood mutters. They slowly rise up from their spots and beginning to tail the car again.

Nai's eyes go to flicker to the rearview mirror. "Are they still following us?"

You give a chuckle and glance at the side mirror, where a familiar car of sorts drives only a car behind you. You had realized back at the ice cream parlor that four pairs of watchful eyes had their sights on you and Nai awhile back, but figured it'd be awkward to confront them and ruin the date. Instead, you let them have their fun being pretend James Bonds and went on with the date like usual, attempting to ignore them as much as possible (it was quite hard, however, when you could see Vash and Wolfwood almost start wrestling in the front seats for aux).

You knew that you and Nai had to come clean sooner or later, but he had admitted that he wasn't ready to state publicly that he was in a committed relationship. You still weren't sure whether it was because of his own pride of being frustratingly independent or it was nervousness of entering a new era that was holding him, but you respected his wishes and continued to play the part of a bickering old couple stuck in the bodies of college students like how you were beforehand. You think you were still just as nervous as you were in the first few weeks.

But when Nai's voice echoes the words he promised to you when he officially asked you out with sweaty palms and palpitating heartbeats, a warmth in your chest unfolds in comfort, reminding you to look on the brighter, warmer side of things, even if you weren't too confident.

"I... really want to make this work... so I promise to do all that I can if you'll do the same."

You give a soft smile at his promise he made awhile back to a particular no one. Nai raises a brow at your mysterious grinning.

"What are you smiling about?" he inquires as he leads you to the entrance of your apartment building.

"Oh, nothing..." you shrug off, leaving Nai in the dust of confusion.

Nai narrows his eyes for a bit in suspicion before sighing out aloud. His eyes go to hover on the sight of that dumb Camry again, its shaded windows concealing who its passengers was from view but Nai has seen it too many times to count to know whose car it was and only who could be inside of it. The smoke that wisps from behind the driver's window does nothing more that confirm his suspicions as he picks up the scent of familiar menthol cigarettes that doesn't take him long to guess who it belongs to.

"Do you think we should confront them?" you ask.

Nai shakes his head, "Just let them be for now. I'll deal with them later," he murmurs when he leads you safely into your apartment building. "Text me when you get up to your apartment," he directs before brushing his lips against your cheek as a goodbye.

You nod, affirmative. "I will, thank you for today, too," you praise fondly and give his hand one last squeeze before you let go. You watch as Nai makes his way back to the entrance before you call his name out again.

"Hey, Nai?"

His head turns back to you, raising a brow. You take this time to fully embody him before your own eyes, from the tufts of his hair to each freckle on his body.

Nai before your relationship and Nai in a relationship you think are two vastly different people, and you still can't place your finger on who the real one was. A part of you thinks he's putting up a front in the eye of the public for his own self-preservation, but another part tells you that he's merely just showing a newer, more refined side of him that you've never seen before—a more tender and protective version of Nai that you think only Vash has seen before a handful of times. Sometimes, you pride yourself in confirming that this side of Nai, whether it was real or not, was only shown to you as a sign of trust from his desolate self.

However, there were other times that made you think this honeymoon era might not last and you and him will go back to how things used to be, altering the fate of your relationship for the worst. A petal of guilt would bloom every time that thought crosses your mind due to the unsettling feeling that perhaps you didn't confide in Nai enough, that maybe you just didn't earn enough of him to lock your feelings into place.

But when he waits patiently for your response, blinking slowly, you realize that perhaps it was indeed the latter—a slow exposure to a new side of Nai Saverem—that was yours for the taking.

"I love you," you declare in the foyer, your voice echoing and forcing your message to repeat itself to him for a few seconds.

Your eyes scan for a reaction from him and you earn a flustered, non-verbal one as a response, one that makes his lips thin and makes him thickly swallow and cheeks flush. A grin teeters on the corners of your mouth as you watch him attempt to utter out a reply. It falls short on his tongue, however, and you're only given a nod and wave before Nai (almost hurriedly) exits the building, the tips of his ears pink.

A giggle slips its way out of you as you enter the elevator, fondly thinking on his lasting image. Baby steps, you think.

On the floors below, Nai groans and drags a hand down his face at the memory of your declaration to him. It's more difficult than he thought to ignore the loud thundering of his heartbeat, and he doesn't quite enjoy how it twists his chest so... tightly. He feels foolish for not even gathering up courage to just say a mere "Me too." back to you, but his embarrassment suddenly dissipates upon seeing the same car still in its place. Nai suddenly remembers the last errand he has to take care as his feet carry him to it, the scent of a cigarette growing stronger each step.

"Wolfwood, can you at least take that outside?" Meryl complains as the the black haired man lights up his fourth cigarette of the night. It's a miracle how his car seats don't reek from the stench.

He shakes his head, jutting it towards the building. "No can do, sweetheart. Our cover will be blown if Knives sees m—what the hell?!"

A loud bang rumbles through the car from the roof and the familiar figure of Nai Saverem looms over the car before he ducks his head down and gestures for a nervous Vash to roll down the window. Vash, fear-stricken, obeys his command almost automatically, leaving Nai to stare boredly back at everyone's pale faces. Wolfwood thinks Nai's fist had created an indent on the top of his car, but his words fail him when he goes to stare at Nai's icy face.

"So did you guys have fun spying on us?"

a/n ; this was just kind of a fluff blurb to help me write something that was the next chapter of if the shoe fits because i kind of needed something fresh and new to work on. writer's block? i'm not too sure! i hope you enjoyed either way!

thank you for reading once more and as always, comments and reblogs are always appreciated <;3!