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Guided Steps	By : ctsama Category: +S to Z > Trigun Views: 4840 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Wolfwood skidded the bike to a stop, forcing Vash to drop
his donuts and hang on tight to keep his seat.
�Did you really have to leave that much money back at the house?�

Vash leaped out of the sidecar, shrieking to see his
precious pilfered donuts littering the dusty ground. He knelt beside them, crossed himself and put his hands together
to say a prayer for their dearly departed souls. He snickered to himself to hear the sound of Wolfwood�s teeth
grinding together behind him. God help
him, he just loved irritating the man.

He schooled his features into a scolding expression with a
little difficulty and turned back to him.
�Nick, you scared the family off and we basically used their house as a
rest stop and supply station. And the
less said about what we did to their sheets, the better. I had to leave them something for their
troubles!�

�Then why the hell did you leave them my money instead of
yours?! I don�t feel bad about it at
all! And while I�m asking good
questions, why do we hafta go back to December City, anyway?�

�To meet up with the girls, I told you!�

�Fine,� Wolfwood growled.
�But I�m fucking tired of driving!
I need a break!�

�If you�re tired, I can finish up,� Vash offered. He forced himself to ignore Wolfwood�s
purely skeptical glare. �No,
really! It�s nice, flat ground between
here and there; I should be able to pull it off. I only get into trouble when there�s sand! Or rocks.
Or steam jets. Or��

�Okay, I get the point.
Have it your way.�

Wolfwood gave up his place in the driver�s seat and braced
himself in the sidecar, hanging on tight and waiting to be thrown. Even though it was a bit of a shaky start,
Vash managed to keep them steady once he got started. �See?� he grinned.
�Nothing to worry about!�

�Just keep your eyes on the road, Tongari.� He kicked back as much as he could in the
cramped seat and drifted off.

He opened his eyes hours later on the bright blue of the
afternoon sky. The first thing he
noticed was that the bike wasn�t moving anymore. The second thing he noticed was a lack of any big city sounds or
smells. �We�re here!� Vash chirped
happily from somewhere beside him.

��Here� where?� he sighed.

He just about jumped out of his skin when Livio�s face
popped into his field of vision. �Here
home!�

�Home�?� He leaped
out of the sidecar as fast as his cramped muscles would allow, only to find
himself already inside the short wood fence around the grounds. �December, my ass. He knew he was gonna bring me here from the start. He lied, he fucking lied.� A cold lump of dread made itself at home in
his gut, overriding the anger he felt.
�I can�t be here,� he said lowly.

He then noticed that both Vash and Livio had moved to keep
themselves strategically placed between Wolfwood and the bike. �Sorry. I promised Melanie I�d bring you home when I found you. I�d rather deal with you angry than her.�

�Besides,� Livio added helpfully, �everybody already knows
you�re here.�

His spine stiffened at the sound of the children already
starting to run out of the building, shouting and throwing confetti. The scraps of paper drifted toward them in
the wind and a large white square of the stuff landed in his hair. Wolfwood jolted as if he�d been shot. �It was enough for me to know I could
come back if I ever wanted to, and you know it. I�m not ready for this, damn you.�

Vash walked over and plucked out the stray paper, his blue
eyes infuriatingly gentle and understanding.
�You never would have been ready, would you? You need this, trust me.
I know you.�

Stony silence was enough of an answer. �Turn around or you�ll miss your own
�welcome home� party.� Wolfwood reached
a shaky hand into his jacket to fish out his sunglasses, and Vash plucked them
away before he could get them on. The
look he received for that told him Wolfwood was beyond pissed off; things would
most likely have deteriorated into violence if the children weren�t
around. �Let them see you. It�s okay.�

�You�re not really giving me a choice, are you?� Wolfwood
bit out. He swallowed hard and turned
around to face the small crowd of eager children and caretakers. He smiled widely and called each of them by
name, standing rigid as they told him how much they missed their big brother.

Finally one little girl raised her arms for him to pick her
up and he lost the ability to maintain the smile. When he didn�t move, she looked crestfallen. �What�s wrong, Nico-nii? Didn�t you miss us too?�

Wolfwood kept running his fingers over his palms as if
feeling for something. Vash
grimaced. He remembered the times
Wolfwood had held his hands up to the sky when he thought no one was watching,
staring sadly at his palms and it made sense now. �Too much blood� Too much
blood on his hands to touch the children.�

�He�s gonna lose it in a minute,� Livio whispered to
him. �Same thing nearly happened to
me.�

Vash nodded in agreement.
Then he stepped forward and very casually gave Wolfwood a hard kick
right in the rear. He toppled over and
fell to the ground with a startled yelp.
The children took the chance to pounce on him joyfully. Soon all Vash and Livio could see was a
tangled mass of flailing limbs and laughing faces.

The day wore on like nothing had changed after that. The children dragged Wolfwood off for a full
debriefing of all the places he�d been, all the cool things he�d seen. They didn�t care about where he�d been or
what he�d been doing; they were only happy to have him back home again. They�d only been told that he�d been working
to protect them, same as Livio. The
only mentions of how much older he looked came from the boys who kept trying to
convince him to hook them up with some beer and cigarettes. Vash and Livio kept their distance for the
most part, letting the children�s love and attention drain some of the anxiety
out of him.

Only Melanie remained conspicuous by her absence. The longer Wolfwood waited for her to show
up, the more it ate away at him.
Finally he couldn�t take it anymore and slipped away to go to her room
while everyone was having dinner. As he
topped the stairs of the living quarters a familiar step at his side told him
he�d been noticed.

�Worrying about nothing is my job. Telling me I�m stupid for worrying is your job. If we�re going to switch roles like this,
you should warn me ahead of time.�

�It�s not worrying about nothing. She didn�t come see me �cause she doesn�t want me here Tongari,
and she�s right. I shouldn�t be
here. I�ve spent a long time killing
people. The kids deserve better than to
be around somebody like that.�

Wolfwood stopped in front of a closed door at the end of the
hallway. He stared at it as if his own
death awaited him on the other side.
�You�re being stupid,� Vash sighed.
�She cares about you more than you know.�

It was clear by the way his mouth tightened into a grim line
that Wolfwood didn�t believe a word Vash was saying. He gave a small knock on the door, and moved to the handle when
there was no answer.

�Believe what you want Tongari. Just don�t get too comfortable here; we�re gonna have to leave
soon.�

He closed the door after him, and Vash leaned against the
wall next to it with a small smile. The
walls were fairly thin and eavesdropping would be simple. He wasn�t about to miss the chance to see
Nicholas D. Wolfwood proven totally and undeniably wrong.

********************************************************************************

Melanie stood stiffly at the window facing away from
him. She hadn�t donned her well-worn
apron or red kerchief around her dark brown hair, and the loose curls hung down
past her shoulders. She so rarely went
without them she looked almost like a stranger from the back. �I guess that�s fair. I look like a stranger to her now, too.�

�Melanie?�

Her shoulders tightened and she still didn�t turn to face
him. �Why?� she asked in a steely, quiet
voice.

Wolfwood�s lips twisted into a bitter smile. �Why did I come back here. I should�ve known it was too good to be
true.� �I�m sorry. This was all Vash�s idea; for some reason he
thought you wanted me to come back.
I�ll head out in the morning.�

�No!� She whirled on
him angrily, more angry than he�d ever seen her. �Don�t you dare leave again!
I want to know why you didn�t come home before now!�

He answered her haltingly, not wanting to tell her the truth
but unable to lie to her. �I tried
once, in the beginning. It� didn�t go
well. Then they made me go from kid to
adult in a year�s time. I couldn�t
explain how different I look without explaining how I got that way.�

�Oh, you don�t look any different,� Melanie said
stubbornly. �If you hadn�t had those
damned shades on the night you brought Livio back I would�ve recognized you in
a heartbeat!�

�That�s not the point.
Even if I�d made it back here to warn you, you might�ve all been
killed. And besides, I don�t just look
different. I am different. If you knew what I�ve been doing you�d kick
me out on my ass and tell me never to come back.�

�You told Livio to tell me everything, remember? You must�ve forgotten how well he follows
your orders.�

His eyes went wide.
�You know�?�

�You mean the part about you working as an assassin? Killing people? Yeah, I know. But you
have to know that�s not really news to me, Nicholas. You had a gun in your hand when I found you curled up in that
alley years ago covered in blood that mostly wasn�t yours. I knew you had killed when I brought you
here.�

Wolfwood flinched.
It was a taboo subject neither one of them ever mentioned, finally
broken. �So why did you bring me here
anyway, knowing that? I could�ve been
dangerous to everyone here.�

�I knew you weren�t dangerous. The state you were in you probably don�t remember this, but you
looked up at me. You looked at me like
you�d seen too much and just couldn�t take it anymore, and you wanted me to
leave you there to die. All I wanted in
that moment was to give you a reason to keep going, to show you that there was
some good left in the world. So when
you passed out again I bundled you up and brought you here. Your eyes were gentle and good then, and
they still are. You have never given me
reason to doubt your heart.� She
finally took a step toward him. �I care
for every single child that comes through here, you know that. But you�re different.�

�What are you saying�?�

�Nicholas, you couldn�t be more my son if I�d birthed you
myself.�

�Stop right there,� Wolfwood snapped. �It�s a nice sentiment but parents don�t
last long around me. I don�t have a
mother because I killed her coming into this world. My father died protecting me when I was five. If you�re not careful I�ll get you killed
too.�

She snorted. �You
didn�t kill your mother, Nicholas.
There weren�t any respectable doctors around these parts until
recently. Women died during childbirth
all the time. She knew the risks, and
she didn�t end her pregnancy because she loved you, and I�m sure your father
felt the same way. Any parent who loves
their child is willing to die to protect them.
When that man came for you� If
I�d known who he really was, I would have died to stop him from taking you
away, and been happy to do it.�

He looked like he couldn�t comprehend what she was saying
and she shook her head sadly, walking up to stand less than a foot away from
him. He was more than a head taller
than her and she felt an ache in her heart.
The last time she�d been this close to him, he�d been even shorter than
her small stature. �I should�ve hugged
you more when you were shorter than me,� she sighed wistfully. �I just thought I�d have more time. Here I was waiting for you to come back and
tell me how well your life was going, and you were spending those years being
torn apart to save us.�

Wolfwood blinked at her slowly, trying to kill the small
spark of hope that was attempting to grow in him. �Wait, so� You�re not�
kicking me out?�

She couldn�t help the small smile. �Well, some things never change.
You�re still a stubborn, inflexible brat. Nicholas, you�re back with your family now, and it looks like
you�ve finally found someone who understands you. I have no intention of letting you leave home again until you�re
put back together. Now will you please
get down here so I can greet you properly?�

He slipped down to the floor on wobbly legs and she followed
him down, wrapping him in both a hug and a feeling he�d thought lost to him.

�Welcome home, son,� she whispered. �I love you.�

He laughed and it sounded almost like a sob. �Dad� told me that right before he
died. No one�s told me since.�

�Well, I�m glad I got the honor.�

In the quiet hallway, Vash�s happiness was tempered by
regret. His own fears had kept him from
being the first one to tell Wolfwood what he�d needed to hear. He turned to go. He hesitated, then walked away with a small smile and a step just
heavy enough to be caught by Wolfwood�s enhanced hearing: a gentle �I told you
so� that he couldn�t resist.

********************************************************************************

Vash crept quietly through the room full of sleeping
children, careful not to wake any of them up.
He grimaced, slightly annoyed by the communal sleeping
arrangements. It was probably for the
best though, as the mere idea that Wolfwood would be out of their sight for
even a minute had been met by violent resistance from the children. (Vash would personally never forgive whoever
had taught the unruly group how to hog-tie two grown men). He glanced at the empty bed in the corner on
his way out of the room. Wolfwood
hadn�t returned to his own bed this night, adding to the strangeness of his
current situation.

He moved silently through the building and out the kitchen
doors, emerging into the moonlit night.
He wished he�d had time to talk to Wolfwood� well, that and a whole lot
more, but things weren�t quite working out the way he�d like.

Wolfwood surely needed some space to deal with his life
being completely turned upside down in a short stretch of time. Getting close to him weakened Vash�s resolve
so he�d had to force himself to keep his distance when it was the last thing he
wanted. It had only taken one time with
Wolfwood to get him well and truly addicted.
When he was anywhere near the other man all of his senses were drawn to
him; it had quite literally been the hardest week of his life. He figured that the children would have
gotten several early lessons on sex education by now if he hadn�t been working
so hard to avoid the man.

Vash hadn�t bothered to put on his boots and his bare feet
hardly sounded in the dirt. He enjoyed
the luxury of walking around outside barefoot without getting his feet scalded.

He approached his goal with a growing apprehension. Wolfwood had been happy since his talk with
Melanie, easily throwing himself right back into daily life at home. But for the past couple of days, Vash would
catch him staring on the few occasions they ended up in the same areas, dark
eyes unreadable. When Vash would blink,
Wolfwood would be back at whatever he was doing, with no sign that anything out
of the ordinary had happened. But
something was definitely stirring, and that was why he was out here tonight.

Vash peeked into the window beside the door before entering
the dark room warily, fingers tightening on the cryptic note that had been left
on his pillow earlier that night.

Midnight. Storage
room.

His eyes flickered quickly around the room, looking for a
light. He found none, but there was
enough light coming in the windows to see around him. He took in the contents of the large, detached shed that served
as a storage room. Along with several
boxes, a couple of extra desks and chairs were stacked against one wall, and
three spare beds were shoved together against the opposite wall. Thankfully the room was kept clean; dust
always made his nose itch.

�Nick?� he whispered.
He jumped a little when the door clicked shut behind him, the note
hitting the floor. He turned to find
Wolfwood leaning not-so-casually against the door, moonlight illuminating only
the left side of his body and leaving the rest in eerie shadow. �Ah, you scared me!� he stuttered, nervously
scratching the back of his head.
�What�s with all the secrecy?�

�Did I ever tell you why I started smoking in the first
place, Tongari?�

Vash gulped at that particular offhanded tone. He only used it cover something
serious. �No. That why you called me here?
Just to tell me a bedtime story?�

�The first time the Eye of Michael sent me out on my own, I
tried to get laid. Twice actually.�

Vash asked, �So what happened?� though he had a pretty good
idea.

�Couldn�t control my new strength,� Wolfwood confirmed. �Almost broke the poor girl�s arm. Got a little farther the second time
though. He was a lot stronger than she
was.�

�He?� Vash repeated darkly, feeling an unaccustomed spike of
jealousy.

�Yup. Freaked me out
so bad I started smoking a lot. Took
the edge off being horny all the time.�

��Oh,� was all Vash could manage.

Wolfwood pushed off the wall and started stalking toward him
slowly, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his jeans. �So now I got a problem. See, all my smokes keep disappearing, and
you haven�t touched me since we got here a week ago.�

�Ah, that. See,
being home and all after so long, I thought you�d want some space so you
could��

�Well, you were wrong.�
He eyed the loose sweats Vash liked to sleep in. �You wanna keep those clothes I suggest you
lose �em quick.�

Vash tried to ignore the thrill that shot down his spine and
lodged in his groin. �But the kids!� Vash
squeaked, backing up until he hit the wall.

�The kids are all asleep in another building. You are now ten seconds from getting your
clothes shredded.�

Vash hadn�t expected the tables to turn so soon after their
first sexual encounter, and he really didn�t expect to want it so badly. He shed his clothes rapidly wondering how in
the hell he�d managed to forget just how dangerous and unpredictable Wolfwood
could be in any area of life.

Wolfwood watched him undress with a slow smile. �Very good.� He moved a couple of steps closer and Vash couldn�t look
away. Being naked in front of Wolfwood
was nothing new, but somehow standing in the soft moonslight already hard just
from being the center of this much focused intensity was intimidating.

And hot. Very, very
hot.

Wolfwood was just a hairsbreadth away from him now and his
breath quickened in anticipation. He
licked dry lips and asked, �What now?�

A push sent him sprawling onto the bed at his side and he
scrambled up against the wall, wanting to see exactly what was about to
happen. Wolfwood followed him,
crouching above him on the soft surface and licking along his ear. �Now,� he whispered, �I�m going to fuck
you.�

Vash thought of three very good retorts, but what actually
came out of his mouth was a whimpered �Soon, please?�

�When I�m ready.�
Vash shivered first at the promise murmured in his ear, and then at the
feel of Wolfwood�s tongue hot and wet licking and sucking at his neck, his jaw,
and his lips. Vash reached out then and
dragged that roaming tongue into his own mouth with his own in a kiss that was
deep and wonderful, but too short and left him wanting for more.

He whined in disappointment, but it died easily when
Wolfwood continued down his body, drawing a slow, wet line with his tongue
straight down his chest. He shifted
himself down between Vash�s bent knees to continue the line all the way to the
tip of his cock. Vash let out a
strangled groan at the feel of Wolfwood licking at him lazily, in no hurry at
all.

Wolfwood�s hands held him gently, one at his hip and one
around his raised thigh stroking the skin lightly and sending little ripples of
pleasure along his spine. He took just
the head of Vash�s cock into his mouth and sucked at it, alternately running
his tongue around in circles and licking at the sensitive slit. Vash cried out and tried to move his hips to
get further into that incredible mouth but he couldn�t get any leverage. His left hand clenched on the bed and his
right drifted up to Wolfwood�s head.
�His eyes,� he thought. He ran
his fingers through the dark strands and gasped when midnight eyes met his
own. Desire in its purest form stared
back at him and his entire body quaked in response. �I did this to him,� he thought in wonder.

Wolfwood closed his eyes and slid down and taking Vash
further into his mouth. He paused for a
moment and Vash held his breath, releasing it again in a shuddering sigh when
Wolfwood relaxed his throat muscles and swallowed his length. His breaths were short and hitched as he watched
the dark head bobbing up and down in his lap, watching his own shaft
disappearing into Wolfwood�s mouth.

The sight and sensations brought him quickly to the
edge. �So good,� he moaned. Another few seconds and it would be
over� With one final lick Wolfwood
released his cock and backed away again, leaving Vash to groan in
disappointment and shock when the cool air hit sensitive wet skin.

�Nick!� Vash moaned, reaching out and just missing
Wolfwood�s shirt, feeling it slide through his fingers. �Please,� he begged. �Just a little more��

�You�re not in charge here, Tongari. Now get down on your back.�

Vash slid down the bed as fast as he could, legs bent and
spread wide in anticipation. His pride
wouldn�t let him acknowledge Wolfwood�s knowing smirk as he followed Vash down
with less haste. Vash tried to pull up
his shirt to get it off, but Wolfwood just smacked his hand away and
chuckled. �Nope. You could�ve touched me anytime you wanted
but you didn�t so you�ve lost the privilege.�

�Asshole,� Vash growled.

Wolfwood reached into a pants pocket and pulled out a tube
of lube. �Do you want me to stop before
I get to this?� Vash�s eyes went wide
and his jaw worked with no audible result.
�I�ll take that as a �no�.�

That intense look was back in Wolfwood�s eyes, but it was
now tempered with care as he circled Vash�s entrance with a slick finger. There was only a moment of resistance,
quickly gone and he slid his finger inside slowly, watching Vash�s reaction for
any discomfort. Vash only whimpered in
frustration though, and wiggled against him to hurry him along. He slowly added another finger to the mix,
pumping the two in and out a few times before Vash got demanding again.

Vash relaxed and opened for him, easily adjusting to the
intrusion. Even thought it had been a
ridiculously long time his body remembered how good it felt to have someone
inside him. The rest of him was eager
for Wolfwood to be that �someone� right now.

�I�m fine,� Vash gasped.
Wolfwood looked at him dubiously, but Vash pressed further. �You�re killing me here!�

It was enough.
Wolfwood nodded and relief flooded him.
He unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down only enough to free his
cock. Another thrill ran through Vash,
knowing he�d gotten that way from seeing him naked, sucking him off, wanting
him.

A few quick passes of his own hand across his cock to apply
the lube was as much as Wolfwood could take, and he pressed himself to Vash�s
entrance. Vash opened to the slow push,
eagerly accepting him.

Wolfwood slid inside him steadily; slowing down only when he
sensed it was getting uncomfortable for him.
Vash was grateful for Wolfwood�s uncanny ability to read his body
without asking any questions; he wasn�t sure he could�ve spoken at that moment.

Once Wolfwood was fully inside he stopped to let Vash adjust
and to make sure he�d last more than a few seconds. The feel of Vash hot and tight around him was sharply intense but
he was determined not to give in to it yet.
Once he decided it was safe to move again, he pulled out a couple of
inches and rocked back in, feeling Vash shudder and sigh in pleasure with no
hint of pain.

Wolfwood rocked into him slowly once more, and Vash was
ready to scream in frustration. Just as
he was about to flip them both over and take care of business himself, he
caught Wolfwood�s eye. Every last bit
of that desire and lust he saw earlier was back in full force, and it was the
only warning he got before Wolfwood lifted his hips and drew almost out of him
entirely, shoving forward again and jolting a cry out of him. Two more such thrusts and Wolfwood knew he�d
found his prostate, aiming for it again and again.

Vash arched back and reached out blindly to him, trying to
make contact with him and running into the cloth of his shirt. Growling in frustration he grabbed it and
ripped the offending material, finally letting his fingers play over his goal
of sweat-slick, hot skin.

Vash moved to pinch at his nipples and he knew he couldn�t
last much longer. He braced himself
with his left arm on the bed and grasped Vash�s length in his hand, feeling him
buck and strain into him. He pumped him
counter to his own thrusts, once, twice, three times and Vash was shouting his
name and squeezing him tighter than he�d thought possible, white streams
jetting over his hand. He followed
seconds later with a harsh shout, hips flush against the curve of Vash�s ass.

Neither of them could move for several minutes and they lay
there panting and shuddering together in the quiet. Finally Wolfwood slid his softening member free of Vash�s body,
and Vash quickly caught him and dragged him back down.

�You shouldn�t be so good at that,� he murmured after they�d
both caught their breath.

�And you shouldn�t ignore me. You�re not the only one who needs some attention here, Tongari.�

The barb hit home and Vash grimaced. It wasn�t just that he�d talked the priest
into his bed and then ignored him when they got back out into the world. He couldn�t bring himself to tell Wolfwood
he loved him, and he hadn�t been showing him that love either. It would have left him feeling lonely,
uncertain and used. If he�d gotten the
same treatment from Wolfwood, he�d be a sobbing wreck by now. �I am a jackass.�

�When Lina and Grandma took me in, it took me a long time to
adjust. When they gave me space, it
helped. I just wanted to do the same
for you.�

�Space is one thing.
But you wouldn�t talk to me, and you�ve barely even looked at me.�

�I never meant to hurt you.
I really thought I was doing you a favor, Nick. I�m really sorry.�

��S okay. Just don�t
do it again.�

Vash lay there awake long after Wolfwood drifted off. The enigmatic priest was so strong and
driven, so unlike anyone Vash had ever met before. And he was always there to give whatever Vash needed, whether it
be thoughtful words, support, or a swift, sharp kick in the ass. Many of his demons had been calmed in these
past weeks, but he was by no means at ease.
It was sometimes difficult to remember how much need still raged under
that pragmatic surface.

He smiled sadly. Rem
had always known when something was bothering him even when he didn�t think it
showed. It seemed he�d have to learn
the skill as well as she had, for Wolfwood�s sake. �Rem�� he sighed quietly.
�What would you make of all this, I wonder?�

�Do you really have to talk to your old girlfriend when
you�re naked in bed with me?� Wolfwood muttered sleepily.

�Sorry, I thought you were asleep,� Vash chuckled. �And she wasn�t really a girlfriend, you
know.�

�Whatever. You can
tell me about her sometime. Some other
time,� he added to cut Vash off.

�Got it.� Wolfwood
�hmphed� at him one last time and fell asleep again. Vash closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Wolfwood
breathing, lulled by the rhythm. He saw
Rem�s face in his mind, so full of determination and will, a look mirrored so
many times in Wolfwood�s features. As
he dozed off, Vash thought, �I just wish you could have met her, Nick. I just�
Wish.�

There was a flash in the room unseen by anyone, and a
silver-white feather floated down from the air. That night Wolfwood dreamed of a younger version of himself,
walking hand-in-hand with a dark-haired woman through a rich field of green.

He awoke before Vash to find the odd feather resting on his
forehead. He plucked it off and stared
at it curiously, turning it in his fingers.
It sure as hell hadn�t come from any bird. He looked askance at Vash sleeping peacefully beside him, knowing
somehow that he�d been allowed to meet his Tongari�s beloved Rem.

He couldn�t remember the entire strangely realistic dream or
even the whole of their conversation, but for the rest of his life he would
remember her strength, and her kind smile.

********************************************************************************

Vash woke up alone a little after dawn. He tossed his clothes on in a hurry and took
off out of the building and across the yard.
He skipped, hopped and yelped the whole way in the quickly heating sand,
glad that he�d awoken when he did. Any
later and his feet might not have recovered.

He stepped into the door to the kitchen and almost started
salivating at the smells of breakfast cooking.
Wolfwood was minding several pots and pans on the stove and Melanie and
one of the older girls were chopping fruits and vegetables. Vash looked to the counter and actually did
begin to salivate.

There were donuts.
And not the tiny, six to a box, stale pre-packaged kind either. This was a big plate of fresh, warm sugary
donuts.

Melanie noticed him then.
��Morning, Vash! You�re up early.� He pointed at the donuts and looked at her
with big, watery eyes, whimpering just like a puppy begging at the table. She laughed. �They�re for you anyway.
Have as many as you want.�

He needed no more prompting. He dove in and started scarfing them down, unable to help
himself. They were the best he�d ever
tasted. �Where did you get these,
Melanie? They�re great!� he mumbled
between mouthfuls.

�I didn�t get them anywhere. Nicholas made them.�

Vash whirled around to catch Wolfwood trying to laugh off
her answer. �She�s just kidding. You picked these up in town last trip,
remember?�

�Don�t pay any attention to him. He�s a great cook, my best student, actually! Why do you think I rope him into kitchen
duty so often when I know he hates it?
He figured out the donut thing on his own, though. Pretty good, aren�t they?�

Vash spluttered and flailed for a minute before he could
manage to wrap his intellect around some actual words. �You�ve known how to make donuts this whole
time, and didn�t think to tell me?!
Nick!�

�Because I knew if you found out you�d just try and make me
cook them all day long!�

�Well, you were right!
Now that I know, I demand to get them for breakfast at least once � no,
five times a week! And for lunch. And dinner, too!�

�Yeah, yeah.� He
turned around and went back to cooking.
�I�ll make �em on days you manage not to piss me off. So pretty much never.�

With his back turned, he totally missed Vash�s devious
smile. By the time he noticed that Vash
had moved right up behind him, he was already being spun around by the waist with
dramatic flair and dipped like some rich dancer. Vash loomed above him, grinning like an idiot and completely
unimpressed with his glare. �I�m sorry
I�ve been neglecting you, my darling Nick.�
He kissed Wolfwood on the tip of his nose and spun him back around to
the stove before he could react. He
continued on to the stairs without missing a beat, going up while humming
happily to himself. Wolfwood was left
to stare in shock at the two women now gazing at him and sighing wistfully.

�That was so romantic��

�I love Vash. I
really do,� Wolfwood thought to himself.
�But I�m still going to have to kill him.�

***************

To Vash: I found a
complete scanlation a while back, and thank goodness for that. I can�t write in a fandom without knowing
how the series ends! Fear not; Nightow
doesn�t do anything too goofy. :)

To Affie and Rysha:
So sorry I scared the cat and got you in trouble! XD
Wolfwood�s such a snarky little bastard it�s only gonna get worse, I�m
sure!

To 3: Thank
you! I�m so glad you�re liking
this! And if you think the �jailbait�
thing was bad, just wait �til Livio gets involved in a chapter or two. :)

To Fonda: Yes, keep
checking back if you are so inclined. I
am not able to update as often as I�d like, but I will definitely finish this
monster of a fic!

To Robin: :D Sankyuu!!!
These two are going to have a bumpy ride, but they�ll get it
together! Eventually� ;)
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Guided Steps