#not that meryl (or before i said wolfwood) should be there just to fix him but theyre his friends 🥺

[novasintheroom]

Can you imagine your wedding day with Vash?

It's sudden, that's for sure - both of you wake up one day, years into your engagement, and Vash has this look in his eye and asks, "Wanna get married today?"

Of course you say yes.

You both bully Wolfwood into officiating the wedding. He does it with grumbles, but you can see the pleased blush on his face at being so included. Meryl and Milly scramble to put together bouquets made of fake flowers and shiny metal bits found in the local pawn shop and just around town. Meryl complains that it should be more, that there should be a venue, decorations, something, but Milly can barely talk because she's so choked up about being made a bridesmaid.

Your dress is simple - something you packed away in your sack for fancier occasions. It's not even white, but it's special, now. You slip it on, pressing down the wrinkles from being at the bottom of your pack for so long. You have to go in your boots, and you worry you don't look like a bride.

That worry vanishes when you see the look on Vash's face.

You appear in the little church the town has, and you can hear the breath leave your man when you walk through the doors. He's staring. Of course he's staring, you look beautiful. Milly did up your hair the best way she knew how, and Meryl helped to clean you up and put some make-up on your cheeks. He's seen you in that dress before, and he still thinks it's perfect for you, how it hugs your curves and just screams you. Wolfwood has to nudge him a bit, giving him a cheeky smile when he sees the tears in Vash's eyes.

You walk down the isle to no music, and when you reach him, Vash reaches out his hand to hold yours. His thumb rubs your ring finger, absent of your engagement ring in favor of using it for the ceremony. "We'll fix that," he murmurs, and you smile at him with your own tears.

Wolfwood does his best at being a proper priest, for the most part. There's a lot of 'ums' said as he makes up his speech while going along. When you get to your vows, Vash pulls out a paper you didn't know he had and reads it:

"Mayfly, I didn't sit back and take inventory of your qualities and say 'this one ticks all the boxes, done.' I was drawn to you and profoundly lucky that you were drawn to me. And we started something that we still work on everyday, that gets deeper and wrinklier every day. I hope that doesn't sound unromantic, calling it work. I don't mean work like drudgery, watching the clock waiting for work to be over - I mean work the way artists talk about paintings as vital and prioritized. It's the most important work of my life, our partnership, and I cherish it. Also, to be clear, I am hopelessly in love with you. That helps. I am on a daily basis completely knocked over by the person in front of me; this crazy dancing, music humming, sweet and spicy woman that I get to spend my life with. It's just that life is long, and I know that loving well is a thing you do, not a lottery you win."

He goes on to promise to always cherish you, listen to you, love you the way you deserve. By the time he's done, you're a mess, and your make-up is running. You kiss him before Wolfwood can even say "I pronounce you husband and wife," but when have you two ever done things the "normal" way?

Credit to @cullinmcgree on TikTok for the vows I use here - her husband's vows; I fell in love with them and just had to share them in a short story with Vash! I hope one day we may all find someone who loves as ardently as that man loves his wife.

dividers

[vashsmunch]

Suffocating

Wolfwood x GN!Reader

Synopsis: you've been pushing everyone away, wolfwood tries to get to the bottom of it

Warnings: 1.4k words, hurt/comfort, alludes to s3lf harm and su!cidal thoughts, self deprecation, etc

A/N: again, i don't write wolfwood so i'm sorry if he sounds off ╥﹏╥ wrote it for a friend and wanted to try something new

pic credit to @sexiestwizard on twt <3

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───  

Quiet. 

It was too damn quiet.  

Wolfwood took a long drag of his cigarette, breathing out the smoke in a deep sigh. It wasn't like you were the loudest person in the world, but to say your prolonged silence for the past few days wasn't concerning would be a lie.  

If he were a less observant person, then maybe the slight hiccups in your voice as you pushed away everyone's concerns would've gone unnoticed. The way you'd quietly excuse yourself from dinnertime like you couldn't stand to be there a second more probably would've been forgotten just the way you wanted. 

"Fuck," he let out another sigh as he stubbed the drag out on the table, rising from his seat with a low grumble. Wolfwood dismissed Vash's query with a wave of his hand, excusing himself from the table where the blond, Milly, and Meryl were sitting. There was no point in eating if you were gone again. 

He made his way to your hotel room, quietly rapping on the door with a frown on his face. "Open up, would ya? The hell's going on with you?" 

"'m fine." 

Your answer was curt and muffled from behind the wood, and Wolfwood felt his eye twitch at the lack of emotion. He jiggled the door handle, his patience waning as irritation crawled down his spine. "Cut the crap, anyone with half a brain could see you're not. Now are you gonna open the door, or should I blow it off its hinges?" 

A few seconds passed before he heard the sound of feet shuffling to the entrance and the lock clicking, your face appearing in the crack of the opened door. He tilted his head at you, before you huffed, stepping aside to let him into the room. 

His eyes blinked to readjust to the dim lighting before fixing on you. You were sat on the bed again, looking away from him like you couldn't stand to meet his eyes. There was a heavy silence, the weight of the tension threatening to bring him to his knees. 

You looked so... sad wasn't the right word. It wouldn't accurately describe the pain that was radiating from you: posture slumped, gaze downcast.

Defeated. That was it. 

Wolfwood shut the door behind him, crossing the room to sit beside you. He didn't speak, letting the silence fester between the two of you. Part of it was because he was trying to figure out the right words to say, the perfect sentence to help you let your guard down. He was the worst person to be doing this though, Needle noggin' would've been better. Wolfwood had always been horrible with words, not like he ever needed them. In his world, there was no use for them, all his enemies had a bullet through their head before they could even open their mouths. 

Anything he said would probably be taken the wrong way, which would defeat the point of him coming. So, without a word, he opened his arms, inviting you to lay in his embrace. If you wanted.

You stared at him, your eyes flickering back and forth from his gaze to his arms. Your expression was blank, which had his palms sweating a bit. The way you seemed to look right through him, trying to see if he'd crack under your scrutinizing stare. For a second, he cursed himself, thinking he was right to be hesitant; he wasn't built to comfort people, he was made to kill. What the hell was he thinking?

But then, with the quietest of breaths, you shifted your weight to lean into him. Surprised but trying not to show it, he closed his arms around you, a bit awkwardly at first. The weight of you, burdens and all felt a bit heavy, but he didn't mind. In fact, it felt incredibly right. 

It was unfamiliar, very unfamiliar... to be holding someone like this. Wolfwood couldn't remember the last time he had, and maybe that's what made this all the more difficult for him. He was unsure of the right way to clutch at you, if he should stroke your hair or not. Would you even want that? What should he say? Was there any point for words at the moment?

Minutes slipped by, maybe even hours. He eventually decided that there was no reason for him to break the silence with meaningless words. He knew more than anyone that the burdens one could carry would be said if needed. So he kept quiet, feeling your breathing even out against him as you settled more into his embrace.

Then, ever so quietly, you murmured. "I'm sorry."

"You don't gotta be."

He felt your body tremble as your voice cracked in turn. "But I am. I made you worry. You had to come up to comfort me, when I don't even deserve it."

The grip of his embrace tightened ever so slightly, trying to assure you that he wasn't going anywhere. "It's not a matter of whether you deserve it. Everyone has their moments, you're not an exception." 

You pulled back from him, and he saw your eyes glistening with barely held-back tears. Your face was stricken with absolute distraught like you despised yourself for all of this. The fact that you had made your pain so obvious to the point where probably everyone had noticed. You hated it, you hated it so much. It would've been easier to just let yourself wallow in the sadness, now you had to go through the exhausting motions of explaining yourself to someone who would never understand. "It's not that simple. It has never been that simple." 

You looked at your hands, shaking with unbridled rage. But not at him. Never at him. Always at yourself. If you had just kept it together a little bit more, you wouldn't have had to deal with this. What were you even crying for anyway? It all seemed so trivial, and maybe it was. Your throat closed up as you tried to calm your breathing, to no avail. You felt the stream of wetness travel down your cheeks, swiping at them to try and pretend it wasn't even happening. 

Your eyes shut tightly, balled fists coming to rest in your lap as you tried to push out the world. "Why won't you let me apologize? Don't you see? I'm a bother, I always have been. Just because you don't see it now doesn't mean you won't later," Dark thoughts started to cloud your mind as you felt your body slump, and strong arms came to pull you back into their embrace. It should've made you feel better, but it didn't. It was just a reminder of how weak you were. "No one notices me, and that's for the best. I'll always be lost in the crowd, where no one will be able to hear me scream for help. I just wish you'd let me drown. It would've been easier for both of us if you had."

Wolfwood took your cheek in his hand, pulling your gaze back to him. He tried softening his eyes, hoping that'd help quell some of your anger. "I'm not good at this, you and I both know that. But I'm willing to try, for you. All I'm asking is you let me." You eased into his touch, and he smiled, admiring the softness of your skin against his calloused palm. It was a gentleness he didn't deserve, but maybe that's what you thought of yourself too. Someone who thought themselves too unlovable to deserve anything, when he was right here. He always had been. 

"Listen," His voice got firmer, trying to convince you of his conviction whilst helping him not back out due to his own fear of messing things up. "I'm not asking you to believe me, hell I'm not even asking for you to feel better right now. I just want you to know that I'm not leaving. You can push me aside all you want, but I'm staying." He felt his heart ache as you searched his eyes for any sign of lying, but there was none to find. You didn't believe him, as he expected. But that was fine. As long as you understood the finality of his words.

He held you tighter, a hand eventually coming up to stroke your cheek as the two of you sat in silence once more. He was the worst at words, but maybe that wasn't what you needed. Nicholas D. Wolfwood was nothing if not a tortured soul, and whatever you were going through, he'd deal with it as well. For a reason he didn't know, and that was alright for the moment.

[intoxicated-chan]

✦ 𝟎𝟎𝟑 ✦ 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬

© 2023 Intoxicated-Chan, I do not allow my work to be copied, translated, modified, adapted, or put on any other platform without permission. None of the photos used belong to me! Credits to @/cafekitsune for the divider!!

Series’ Masterlist // Wattpad Vers.

(A/n) // Apologies for the short chapter! I’ll make it up to you guys in the next chapter!

Content Warnings // 775

Word Count // Mentions of smoking, heavy mentions of kidnapping…

I actually met Nicholas a few weeks ago, it was only when I was talking with Vash is where I truly met him…

The door chimes as you enter the little bakery, “Welcome back, (Y/n)!” Your friend Meryl stands behind the counter, hands on her hips as a proud smirk was plastered on her face, “Another late craving? What are we trying today? Cupcake? Coffee? Shake?”

“I’ll take a few slices of strawberry cake, oh and three vanilla cake pops, please.”

Meryl laughs, “You got it.” Walking away.

You took the table closest to the register, unlocking your phone and scrolling through your socials.

But it wasn’t long before someone else came into the shop, “Hey Wolfwood!” Meryl’s back remains turned to him as she finishes your order.

“Hey Meryl.” The man called Wolfwood greets back.

“I’ll be right with you, just give me a sec.”

“It’s cool.” Popping a lollipop in his mouth, “Take your time.”

He dressed in a suit, lazy at that. No tie, his shirt is almost wide open, hair disheveled, and wore sunglasses. Even though he was a good few feet away from you, the man reeked of cigarettes, it made your nose scrunch up at the bitter smell.

You look back at your phone before he could catch you staring, feeling his eyes linger longer than they should. You can see out of the corner of your eye that he was ready to say something…

“(Y/n)! Your order!” Meryl calls out, smiling and waving, “Here you go.” Handing you the order when you reach the register.

“Thanks, Meryl. How much?” You ask before taking the paper bag.

“It’s on the house.” She responds.

“Meryl.” You said sternly, “What did I say about giving me free food?” You playfully shake your head, “Here, at least take this.”

She pouts, finally taking the cash, “And you know I hate it when you give me free money.”

You laugh, “It’s on the house.” Taking the bag and leaving, the door once again chiming.

Meryl comes back, “So, what can I get you, Wolfwood?” Waiting for him. But he remains staring at your figure until you’re no longer in sight, “Wolfwood? Hello~!” Waving her arms around, trying to catch his attention.

“That woman… She a regular?”

“You could say that, she’s my friend.” Meryl answers before gasping, “Are you interested in her~?

Nicholas’ face bursts red, “No! I was just wonderin’ who would be in a bakery so late.”

“It’s literally the afternoon and look where you are.”

“Oh please!”

“Are you gonna order anything or not?!”

“Relax and give me a minute!”

“I’ve given you plenty!”

NOW - 3:13 PM

You and Meryl stand in the shooting range, you turn to her, “Here you try it.” You hand Meryl her newly purchased pistol. You place your hands over hers and fix her posture, “Remember to relax and focus on your target… You’re shaking.” You commented.

“I’m sorry, it’s just I never held a gun before.” Meryl sighs, “But I wouldn’t ask you of this if I knew I couldn’t hold a gun.”

“Why is it that you asked me to help you?” You remove your hands which lets Meryl drop her aim.

“I’m worried is all.” She answers, “Considering the bakery I’m working at opens later in the summer and I’m working night shifts, I sometimes don’t feel safe at night.”

“It’s shitty that we can never feel safe where we are.” You sigh, ““It becomes even more difficult if we have to suspect the people we’re dating if they’re main goal is just to kidnap us. Or worse.”

“That’s dark.”

“I know.”

Meryl aims again, “Relax your shoulders, breath. You have to learn to control your fear because the kidnapper isn’t gonna give you time.” She then holsters her pistol and whips it out, “That’s good. Now shoot.” Pointing to a cardboard cut out.

Leg. Shoulder. Arm. Stomach. Crotch. Neck. Head.

“Not bad for your hundredth try.” You joke.

Meryl scoffs, “Don’t exaggerate… It was my ninety fourth try.” The two of you burst into laughter until she calms down, “So (Y/n), have any plans tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yep.” Popping the ‘p’.

“What?! Why?!”

“I got a full schedule considering my boyfriend is coming back from England.”

“Oh right! What was his name again?”

You playfully roll your eyes at her, “His name is Livio.”

“Is he worth it?”

You shyly play with your fingers, “You know my car?”

“Wha- Don’t tell me he was the one who bought it?!”

“Yeah.”

“Jesus, talk about being rich. Does anyone else know?”

You shake your head, “It’s our little secret.”

Taglist // @themaskismyface , @jasperthechaosgremlin ,

[forgivenpunishment]

❝ you can’t change your past and you can’t change who you were. you can only decide who you’re going to be. ❞ / dealer’s choice for verse :3

⩥ @eventheodds [outlaw] || twilight princess manga prompts [OPEN]

❝ you can’t change your past and you can’t change who you were. you can only decide who you’re going to be. ❞

He doesn't think he's spoken in weeks. Maybe longer—maybe months, years, it doesn't matter.

Why did they save him? He'd become his worst enemy, he slotted perfectly into the role, carried out his orders diligently—he forgot everything that he'd loved in this life and replaced it with corruption. Corruption that corroded his very ideals of family and love and caretaking...

He would have rather died than become that monster. He wishes—wishes—he died before he could've become the monster. Wolfwood—can he even call himself that?—hates that he wished for death.

But... what now? What can he even... where does he go from here? Who is he?

Old friends visit him like ghosts, whispering words of forgiveness and love that seep like venom into his bloodstream. Vile, vile! It's so vile! They should hate him! They should seethe! He wants them to! He wants them to hate him!

...That is where his brain has been. This... this muddled existence somewhere between death and hell, perhaps it's worse than existing in one or the other. Some spark... some small glimmer... it keeps getting into his eye like an ember and no amount of tears or screaming can keep it at bay. Hope, his mind supplies.

Hope.

Stop—stop it—stopitstopistopitstopstopstopmakeitstoppleaseicanticant—

He's alone in a room most of the time because he just can't stop thrashing. Touch him, he flinches—recoils, even. He may as well hiss.

Don't look at me like that. Don't look at me like I can be fixed. Please. Stop.

I'm not the same. You have to put me down. I'm a rabid animal. I'll only bite. Look. Look. These teeth, these claws, these eyes, I'll hurt you, I'll hurt all of you, I'll kill, just say the word and I will, I'm like a loyal hound I can be your hound but I can't be tamed, I can't, not... please stop looking at me like that...

Time passes. Vash. Meryl. They're both okay.

Damn Vash and his fucking mercy, damn him, damn him!

More writhing. More thrashing��coughing—he thinks he'll sooner cough up a lung than regain his voice. They give him ichor and he does it all again. Writhing. Thrashing. Coughing.

Suffocating.

God, he thinks, Please let this end.

†††

One day, no one visits him. He thinks his heart will give out tonight. Finally.

†††

It doesn't, but he does sleep. It is dreamless sleep. Outside, he thinks he hears whispers of 'giving up' and 'dead'. Dying. If only.

The voices are new. Words. He can hear them.

❝ you can’t change your past and you can’t change who you were. you can only decide who you’re going to be. ❞

Goddamnit. Vash speaks through her too.

Tired gray eyes blink open slowly. They are lifeless and dark, weary with sleep and despair. The warmth in his gaze, the vulnerability in the crinkle of his brows—none of it is there.

Surprisingly, it seems as though they've been able to touch him enough to groom him. His last memories recall long hair and shaggy whiskers—perhaps a beard? But now... he's clean. Freshly baptized in a bath and soap and a razor's edge, he finally sees Meryl. One of the ones that he loved. Wolfwood loved. Not... not who he is now... he can't... he doesn't know who...

At first, he can't open his mouth. It's sealed with coffin nails and untouched like an ancient, forlorn grave. The most he manages is a sigh before it all goes dark again.

He wakes up again, and his mouth is tacky. They must've gotten him to drink water somehow.

He doesn't deserve a chance to speak. He doesn't deserve a trial. Put him to death... lock him in chains... something, something, just stop looking at him like that—

"Why..." he croaks, setting the dusty vocal cords in motion, "Can't. Too much. Sin."

It may have been days since she said those words to him, he's not sure.

"Let go. Let me go. Please."

[hiseternalmayfly]

🔧Peace Through Superior Fire Power

Here it is! I finally put it down into words. It's a bit of a jumbled mess of random thoughts and I apologize for that but here is the story of my S/I Seven and Vash. Please let me know what you think about it! How she feels about Meryl, Milly and Wolfwood are also mentioned in here. This post is ok to reblog!

CW: Mentions of alcoholism, blood, wounds, mentions of sex. Ask me to tag if you need anything tagged!

Seven’s story before meeting Vash:

Seven grew up in a large family with 12 other siblings. Due to the large size of her family, she was very reclusive. Most of her time was spent reading or tinkering to keep away from loud, screaming children. It should be noted that despite this, she adores her family above all else. Her family means the world to her. She left home at 16 to pursue an internship as an engineer in Augusta. She left without taking much money with her, so Seven was really scraping by on the small amounts of commission she got from her internship or taking up random jobs around the city. At one point, her desperate jobs cost her her eye, which she replaced with one she created herself.

Their first meeting and beyond:

Since everyone on Gunsmoke knows "Vash the Stampede," she was well informed on all the rumors about him. Much like everyone else, she believed there was no way a single man could actually reduce an entire city to ashes in one night and assumed all rumors about him were exaggerated. It wasn’t until her mentor told her about the custom gun that the "Humanoid Typhoon" carries that she became interested. While everyone else was after him for the $60 billion dollar bounty, she wanted that gun. So when Vash the Stampede rolled into town, she took her chance and made off with his gun. Of course he noticed instantly and chased her down until she gave it back, but that didn’t stop her. Seven is incredibly stubborn. Despite giving his gun back, she attempted this multiple days in a row. After the 4th time, Vash had enough and was about ready to hand her over to the sheriff, but the two of them struck a deal. Vash would let her study his gun, and in exchange, she would repair it.

Seven did such an excellent job at repairing it that Vash was thoroughly impressed. Most people he took it to would complain it was too complex to repair, but she had it back to normal in record time. Another deal was agreed upon with them where he would bring her parts from his trips and she would fix his gun every time. It worked in Seven’s favor, as Vash would often bring large hauls back with him, meaning she didn’t need to spend money on spare parts.

This exchange lasted for a couple of years while the two became friends. Seven thought it strange that she continued to grow but Vash never changed in appearance, but she chose not to question it. Her hard labor and simple joy of drinking spiraled into a bit of a drinking problem for her once she turned 21. Vash would often bring a bottle of whiskey with him as well as parts for payments, and she would chug the whole bottle in an hour.

It started to change between them when Vash drunkenly stumbled into her home one day. He was drenched in blood, and his coat was torn in multiple places. He was so wasted that she couldn’t understand a single word he said. She quickly took him in and roughly patched up his wounds to the best of her ability using torn cloth and alcohol. Seven was very aware that Vash had no one else to turn to. Anyone would kill him for the price on his head. This was the first time she saw just how badly scarred he was. Seeing multiple chunks of his flesh simply missing made her gag, but she held strong once she saw Vash look violently insecure about all of it. It was the first time they had a real heart-to-heart where Vash talked about his refusal to kill anyone, the reasons why he can’t stop moving, and the things that scared him. Seven listened to all of it, and on that day she realized all the rumors about "Vash the Stampede" really were overdramatic. She saw Vash for who he really was: A "man" who wants to protect everyone on the planet and spread a message of peace and equality.

Their meetings started turning from gun repairs to simply hanging out. She offered her home as a safe place for him to stay when he wanted a break from being on the run. During this time, she was introduced to Meryl, Milly, and Wolfwood, with whom she became good friends. Wolfwood and her butt heads a bit, but she was thankful there was someone out there looking out for Vash. Vash had made it clear that Seven was never allowed to go with them, and she was okay with following this rule. She knew how dangerous it was to follow him around, and she wasn’t ready to risk her life like that.

One night when Vash visits alone, the two of them get a bit too drunk, and it gets handsy between them. They end up sleeping together, and it makes things a little awkward between them. Seven begins to realize she has feelings for Vash, but Vash is terrified of commitment. They try to move past the event, but each time they hang out again, the air feels tense as their feelings for each other get stronger and stronger, even though they stay quiet about it.

Fast forward a bit, and the Augusta incident happens. Seven and many others thankfully escaped due to Vash’s vigilance in scaring everyone out of town, but as she sees the town reduced to ashes in the distance, she’s horrified to know Vash is still in there. Seven, Meryl, and Milly were all forced to watch in horror, not knowing if Vash was even alive anymore. She chose to go with the insurance girls, as her home had now been destroyed and the man she was in love with was now missing.

The three temporarily settled down in Jenora Rock. During this time, Seven’s mental health started to spiral. Vash was hated even more, as not only had he leveled a second city, but he blew a hole into the 5th moon. Every Time she walked outside, someone would be gossiping about Vash, usually in a nasty manner. Her drinking problem became much worse because of this. Meryl and Milly would often find her passed out in the streets in the middle of the night after drinking her sorrows away.

Despite her drinking problem, she was able to get herself a small home and a job in Jenora Rock, making it her new home. A while after settling in, Milly brings her a letter from Wolfwood in which he says he has something she’s going to want to see. Seven is fearing the worst—that Wolfwood found something that signified Vash was dead.

What she didn’t expect was for Wolfwood to knock on her door late one night, bringing with him a man with long blonde hair and a scruffy beard. As soon as he greeted her, she knew it was Vash. She threw herself at him and punched him as hard as she could in the stomach (making him double over in pain), but then proceeded to hug him and cry as hard as she could.

She hurled insults at him while he held her and comforted her. Wolfwood left to give them room and speak with the insurance girls.

From there, Vash tells her the truth about him. That he’s not human, that his brother is after him and all the humans, and that he has to stop him. He talks about how, after the Augusta incident, he spent the time living a hidden life as a man named Eriks because he wasn’t ready to face the world. Unfortunately, Wolfwood wasn’t going to let him keep that peaceful life, but he knew it was for the best. He realizes from the obscene amount of empty beer bottles that Seven’s drinking problem had worsened while he was gone.

Seven is normally closed off, but already tipsy and shaken by Vash’s reappearance, she spills her guts. She’s nearly in tears the entire time, insulting him for leaving all of them unaware if he was alive or not. The way she speaks causes Vash to break down as well. He admits the same feelings but keeps saying he’s scared because people who get close to him always get killed. The two have lots of back and forth with tears, laughter, and stories before they end up sleeping together once again.

After it, they hold each other, and that’s where their relationship starts. Vash keeps the harsh ground rule that she is never to follow him or get in his way, and she agrees. All she knows is that when he holds her, she sees some happiness form in his dark, cloudy eyes, and all she wants to do is give him the life she knows he deserves.

He’s more than "Vash the Stampede" or "The Humanoid Typhoon." He is a broken man, backed into a corner by the world.

[screechthemighty]

I actually started writing this for LAST week's Wolfwood Wednesday but the day was so insane that I never finished it. But here it is now. This technically takes place in my Time Travel AU but honestly you could probably put it in any "nothing bad happens what couch I don't know her " timeline and it'd still work. There's also some Millywood because shut up I control the ships here.

---

One thing you learned fast working at an orphanage: silence was rarely a good thing. Livio considered himself lucky all the kids were doing was hauling a quilt somewhere. He still had questions, but it could’ve been worse. “Where are you guys going?” he called.

“Nico fell asleep,” called Paul. Livio suspected he was the ringleader, because he usually was. “”We’re getting him a blanket.”

“Oh,” Livio said. “Wait, fell asleep where?”

On a stepstool, leaning against the building as it turned out. It looked like he’d sat down to take a break from fixing the shutters and dozed off, arms crossed, head down, legs stretched out. “See?” Paul whispered.

“You weren’t kidding.” Livio couldn’t help smiling. Awkward position aside, he looked really peaceful. He looked peaceful more and more these days. It was good to see.

Y’know, Razlo noted, for a guy who complains about his back hurting all the time…

Livio barely suppressed a snort of laughter. Razlo wasn’t wrong. Sometimes Livio wondered if whatever the Eye of Michael had done was the only thing keeping Nico from more serious chronic pain. “I don’t think he’ll need that blanket, but thanks, guys,” Livio whispered. “You go put that back. I should probably figure out how to get him inside before he gets torched…”

Eh, let him. Can’t hurt that bad.

Skin cancer is a serious issue, Raz. Livio crossed his arms and examined the situation. He could definitely carry Nico if he had to. He was more worried about getting him up without waking him. I mean I could wake him, but he looks so peaceful…

The start of Livio’s name, quickly cut off by a chorus of shushes from the kids, jarred Livio from his thoughts. Vash and Meryl dodged retreating herd to join him. “Is he really sleeping like that?” Meryl said.

“I know, I’m surprised, too,” Livio replied. “I was trying to figure out how to get him inside without waking him up.”

Vash stood beside Livio, hands on his hips, a fond look on his face. “I can carry him,” he said, “I just don’t want to startle him. Last time I tried moving him, he almost punched me in the face.”

“Yeah, he did do that.” Livio glanced over at the sound of a camera shutter clicking. “Another one for the album?”

Meryl shook her head and took another picture. “One for the this is why your back hurts collection,” she replied. “I’ve been cataloging them for next time he starts complaining about it.”

Vash covered his mouth, muffling a startled laugh. Livio barely suppressed one of his own. Razlo’s boisterous fit of laughter made it really hard. “That’s mean,” Livio said, as deadpan as he could.

“That’s so mean,” Vash agreed.

“I get it, though. Should we just wake him up? He’ll probably go back to sleep once he’s inside.”

Do the arm drop test, Razlo interjected.

Absolutely not, he’s a grown man! More footsteps; when Livio turned around to warn the newcomer, he saw Milly ducking through the doorway. “Oh, hey, Milly,”

“Hi, Milly,” Vash and Meryl said in chorus.

“Hello! What’s happening?” Milly’s face softened when she saw Nico. “Aww…”

“Yeah, we’re trying to figure out how to get him inside.”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Milly stepped forward confidently, walking to Nico’s side. Before Livio could try to stop her, she started scooping Wolfwood up. Of course she could carry him, they all knew that already, but…

“Mph?” Nico grumbled.

“Hey, honey. Just getting you inside.”

Nico didn’t protest. He actually relaxed more, leaning into Milly’s shoulder and sighing contentedly. “I got him,” she said as she walked past them.

The four of them stared after her as she carried Wolfwood inside. “...I wanna get carried,” Vash pouted.

“Don’t look at me,” Meryl said. “All you people are too tall.”

Please? Please, can I please, can I…

Livio sighed. A second later, Razlo strode over, calmly scooped Vash into a fireman's carry, and started walking back inside. “Hey!” Vash squawked.

“You asked for it.”

“Not what I meant!”

“Should’ve specified.”

Vash was definitely pouting more. “You’re so mean to me.”

“I’m extremely freakin’ nice to you, all the time.” Razlo grinned at the clicking of a camera. “We should draw something on his face.”

“Nooo! Let him sleep!” Vash’s fist bounced weakly off Razlo’s back. “Meryl, tell him not to.” The camera clicked again, but Meryl didn’t say anything. “You’re both awful. I’m telling Miss Melanie.”

“No one likes a tattletale.” Razlo paused when he saw a cluster of the kids nearby, watching the scene with confusion. “Hey, first one to find me a marker gets a lollipop!”

“Don’t!”

Too late. The promise of sweets always worked. He’d probably get his pick of colors, too. Sorry, Nico. Some chances you can’t pass up.

(Livio’s last-second intervention was the only thing that saved Wolfwood from complete disaster. Granted, he still woke up from his accidental two hour nap with only half an idea what day of the week it was, do not disturb scrawled on his cheekbone, and a lipstick kiss from Milly under that. But they all knew it could’ve been worse.)

[screechthemighty]

Chapter two next! It's literally just chapters two and three of the other one combined into one since those bits were so short! Next chapter will be a little sad! Sorry about that!

moments until the crash | a tristamp fanfic part two: vash (childhood)

{ meryl's perspective } { wolfwood's perspective }

Vash was always adamant he had memories from his short infancy; they were just very difficult to describe. They were all emotions, swirls of colors and vague shapes, and most of all sounds. He remembered them as songs, in a way, symphonies of heartbeats and voices and the song that had been living inside him for as long as he could remember.

It was that song, or something like it, that woke him up that day. It ended quickly, replaced by the staccato beat of a heart. It wasn’t the familiar butterfly wings of Nai’s heart, or the steady beat of Rem’s. It was something new. You didn’t get many new things on Ship Five.

He reached out towards the sound. It wasn’t long before he saw a face he didn’t know, felt that heartbeat as a pulse as he grasped one finger. The new person’s voice was soft, kind. She spoke as if she knew him. Vash was curious. He wanted to know more, but the figure pulled away before he could try, disappearing with the sound of the closet door.

He might have been more upset by this, but another door opened. He heard a heartbeat and a singsong voice. He called out to those sounds, knowing that she’d be there to hold him close soon, but wanting soon to be now. Even a few seconds felt too long when he was so young. Fortunately, Rem knew what he meant. She didn’t hesitate to scoop him up, hold him in her arms. Vash all but forgot the strange new thing that had come and gone so quickly, focusing on this familiar, well-loved song.

Rem was there, and everything was perfect.

.

Not long after his memories started solidifying, Vash sat up in bed.

The room was dark. It didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he didn’t see anything wrong. Nai was still asleep, so maybe he’d just imagined it. Or maybe it was just a dream. He’d almost convinced himself of that, until his closet door opened.

“Where the fuck is my gun…?” something growled.

The thing that stepped out was human-shaped, arms and legs and a head where they should be. In the room’s low light, though, it looked more shadow than person. Vash didn’t know that voice. None of the small crew had any reason to be in his closet.

So who is that?

The figure’s big, big eyes, too big for his face, locked onto Vash’s.

“... easy …”

“ NAI! ” Vash screamed instinctively. There was a monster in the room. They needed to run. He couldn’t just let his brother sleep when they were in danger. “ REM! ” She could save them, if she could just hear him… “ NAI! ”

Nai sat up even faster than Vash had. The figure kept staring, only moving when Nai grabbed a toy spaceship from the bedside table. That was when it ran, bolting for the door. Nai’s throw missed, hitting the doorframe instead with a heavy thud , but it made the figure go away. That was all Vash cared about.

Who was that? Who was…

Nai scrambled into Vash’s bed; they clung to each other instinctively, hearts racing in rhythm with each other. Vash kept his eyes fixed on the door, while Nai buried his face in Vash’s shoulder. “Who was that?” Vash said. “You saw him too, right? You saw him?”

“I saw.” Nai’s grip hurt a little, but Vash was just happy someone was there. “I saw. He…”

The door opened again. Rem was there; Vash started crying out of sheer relief. “Oh, no, what’s wrong?!” She was at their sides in a heartbeat, holding them close. “It’s okay…”

“There was a man in the closet.”

“A what?”

Someone groaned. There were two more people in the hallway: Captain Joseph and Steve. “Seriously? Kid has a nightmare and we…”

“ Steve, ” Rem said sternly.

“It wasn’t a nightmare!” Vash insisted. “We both saw him! I swear! Nai, tell them!”

Nai didn’t say anything; just lifted his head enough to glare at Steve. Captain Joseph interrupted: “Come on. Can’t hurt to take a look.”

“Joey, c’mon - !”

The door shut, shutting off Steve’s protests. Rem kept holding them. “Don’t mind him. They’ll take a look, okay? I’m sure it was someone trying to pull a prank.”

She was probably right. No, she was definitely right. Rem always was. That didn’t make Vash feel better this time. “Not a funny prank,” he said as he sank into her arms. His heart slowed to match hers, Nai’s following. “Thank you.”

“I said I’d protect you two, didn’t I?” She kissed the tops of their heads. “You two go back to sleep. Let us grown-ups handle this.”

“Will you stay with us?”

“Of course.”

“All night? Promise?”

“I promise.”

Rem kept her promise, taking over Nai’s bed when he refused to leave Vash’s side. No one was able to figure out who or what the twins had seen–neither Rowan nor Mary would own up to trying to prank the two of them, and no one was unaccounted for from cold sleep. Vash started to wonder if maybe it had been a dream. He and Nai had shared dreams before. Maybe that was all it was.

Nai came to a completely different explanation.

“The ship’s haunted,” he said.

Vash looked up from his book. Nai was holding the fin of his spaceship in place as the glue dried. The ship had really been thrown, and really did need to be fixed, but Vash still wasn’t sure about the rest of it. He really wasn’t sure about Nai’s explanation. “It is not .”

“There was an unusual energy reading somewhere on the ship. I heard the Captain say so.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s ghosts. Ghosts aren’t real.”

“How do you know?” Nai’s eyes fixed onto Vash’s. “It wasn’t a dream.”

He sounded so sure. “Okay.”

“And it wasn’t anyone from the crew.”

“Yeah…”

“So it must’ve been a ghost.”

Vash didn’t want to believe that. But they were both about five. To their minds, the logic was there.

He started making Rem check the closet before bed after that.