[It's so rare back home to get the chance to enjoy a bath like this. Which is why, when he finally feels like he can, Vash takes advantage of it. It's been at least thirty minutes in their shared bathroom, but Vash isn't ready to get out, not quite yet. He's currently chest deep in a tub that's close to overflowing, knees drawn up and the water almost scalding hot. It's relaxing somehow, so different from the heat of No Man's Land, the heat of it seeping into his bones.
He shifts a little and the water ripples. He tips his head back and lets his eyes shut, face unhidden by the usual appearance of his stupid orange glasses. He thinks he hears movement outside of the bathroom and frowns, ears listening out. Last he knew, Wolfwood was out -- was he back already? Metallic fingers lift to curl over the edge of the tub as he strains to listen.]
( well, he was out. but, now he's not anymore. wolfwood had taken a casual trip to the grocery store to get a few things to make for dinner later and to freshen up his cigarette stocks. everything had been fine until he'd been walking back to their apartment. not only did the eggs get obliterated and the milk splattered on him and the ground, but he'd gotten a fine shower of dirt. someone had been practicing their stupid magic and sent wolfwood flying.
so, what vash likely hears is the door slamming unnecessarily hard and wolfwood muttering about a million curses to himself. looks like it's out to dinner tonight. he slams the rest of the groceries that managed to make it on the counter and stomps through the apartment right to the bathroom, peeling his dirty clothes off along the way. he'll clean them up later; from the sound of it, vash isn't home and it's not like he does a lot of the housekeeping anyway. by the time he reaches the bathroom, he's only got his black manties on and practically kicks down the door ( why the hell is it even closed!? ) because his hands are busy struggling to get his lighter to work.
he finally gets the cigarette lit and only notices at that time that the bathroom is occupied. he blinks then exhales heavily before peeling off his last layer and standing there buck ass naked for a brief moment. he waves his hand as he crosses the small space, )
[The quickness with which Vash moves to draw his knees up to his chin and to also sink deep as he can into the water spills some over the edge, onto the bathmat. His eyes wide, the blue of them unhidden by sunglasses. His expression betrays his absolute surprise and growing mortification. He has to rip his gaze away from Wolfwood and his butt-ass naked self, his gaze fixing pointedly on a tile that is cracked from some previous impact. It's SO INTERESTING.
He has, however, made room for Wolfwood in the tub despite his refusal to look at him. He'd caught enough of a glimpse to see his hair was mussed, the remanents of something on that hadn't been covered by his clothes. For now, Vash is thankful that the water of the bath is still hot, conveniently hiding the fresh flush that's rocketing its way down his neck and over his shoulders.]
( so, first of all, vash should stop being such a baby. they're two guys! what does it really matter if they're naked together? friends do this sort of thing sometimes. it's so not a big deal!
or, if shouldn't be, so long as neither of them think about it.
on the way over, he knocks the cherry off and leaves the barely smoked cigarette on the edge of the sink. he had thought he was alone and could've gotten away with it, but he's not so he'll be nice and not while sharing a quick bath. he hops in, the water splashing even more over the edge but it hardly matters. the tub really isn't big enough for the two of them, especially with how gangly vash is. however, with him all tucked in against himself, wolfwood can stretch out more, so he does, his toes poking the side of vash's thigh beneath the water.
totally normal. )
Some jackass used their ( he wiggles his fingers; magic ) stuff and moved the damn sidewalk.
( he sinks down for a moment, just enough to dunk his head under the water. when he sits back up, he immediately slicks his wet hair off of his face. he still looks pissed but a smidgen less now that he's getting cleaned up. )
We're going out for dinner. ( nevermind. he's pissed all over again. ) Almost everything I got was ruined.
[Look, he's just a little self-conscious about himself okay. He feels that foot at his thigh and jumps a little, his flesh and bone hand darting down the water to grab Wolfwood's ankle. Watch it! He doesn't, but his grip is almost akin to shaking someone by the scruff.]
You missed a spot. [he points to what looks like a little bit of eggshell in Wolfwood's hair, then gestures for him to lean forward with a bit of a sigh.] Here.
[He leans forward as best he can in the tub without waiting, picking the white bits he sees in Wolfwood's hair free with his non-flesh hand. He even exhales a laugh, his head tilting to the side a bit as he flicks away pieces of whatever it is he's finding in those dark strands.]
( every time he thinks about being sent flying in the middle of the street, he gets pissed off all over again. it shows in the pinched expression on his face, even though the water is relaxing and calming his body, his mind is just full of rage. and the lost groceries!! that stuff isn't cheap!!
he huffs when vash points out that there's something in his hair — he's not shocked, and he scowls at a few pieces of eggshell that are floating in the water near him. both hands lift to just ruffle through his hair to knock out what he can, but before he can do it, vash is leaning in closer and picking out the trash in there. instinct tells him to slap vash's hands away, but ultimately he just lets it happen. it's probably better this way, vash can see it.
his eyes close as his head tips slightly forward so vash can have an easier time. both arms drop into the water, buoyed by it and his fingers may or may not brush against vash if some part of his body gets near enough. his lips part on a sigh; he suddenly feels very, very tired. )
I'm not picky. [He's not the one that HAS to eat, after all. He hums out a breath, picking through dark strands of hair in the utmost particular way, slowly de-egging (?) Wolfwood's hair the best he can. It's evident though that it's going to need to actually be washed, and Vash shifts forward a little to grab the shampoo sitting on the edge of the bath. If it ends up that Wolfwood's hand brushes against his leg, he doesn't say anything, his thoughts pointedly ignoring thinking about it as he wiggles the bottle in front of his friend.]
Here. Turn around.
[He pulls his fingers through wet strands of hair one last time to make sure he's gotten all the shell out. If he just thinks about helping, this is so much less embarrassing. If wolfwood has his back towards him that's even better.]
( no, he might not have to eat, but he seems to like eating. so, surely he has things that he enjoys the flavor of more than others... wolfwood really isn't picky, either. and the fact he can have three square meals a day here is something else and it's taken some getting used to. sometimes he still doesn't eat because it feels too rich, like some kind of indulgence he shouldn't be having.
anyway. they can figure it out later.
the shadow of vash moving the bottle in front of him makes him slit open his eyes to see what it is and he sighs, bothered but not annoyed. he just doesn't feel like moving, but he does need to wash his hair... and the rest of himself. the last thing he wants to do is smell like spoiled egg and rotten milk. so, with a deep grunt, he turns in the bath, spilling more water out along the way.
when he's got his back to vash, he bends forward enough to wet his hair again. then, he sits up sharply so the droplets will definitely splash back on vash. deal with it. )
[Vash flinches when he's splashed with hair-water, the flat of his free hand coming to rest against Wolfwood's back.]
Did you have to do that? [It's said quietly, his attention is split between multiple places now, the bottle he's holding, the sensation of skin underneath his hand and the irritating man sitting in front of him. He sighs a little, shaking his head as he scoots forward a little.]
You're welcome, by the way. [He squirts soap into Wolfwood's hair, finally lifting his hand from his back to drag blunt nails over Wolfwood's scalp, lathering the soap through dark strands of hair. He covers each inch of hair meticulously, mostly quiet as he does so almost like if he talks he thinks he's going to wind up getting splashed or shoved again.]
( all he does is hum in response; yes, he did have to do that. does it matter? they're in a bathtub, sitting in water, they should be wet. a few water drops on his face won't kill him. not if anything else has thus far, anyway.
like a dutiful little spouse, wolfwood sits there silently while vash lathers up the shampoo. well, the intention is to sit there silently, but the feeling of nails dragging over his scalp winds up drawing a sound from wolfwood. it feels good, really good. better than he thought it would. he lets his eyes slip closed, tips his head to the side, exhales an almost content-sounding breath. so, vash is safe from more splashes.
for now.
this might be the most docile wolfwood has ever been. who knew a simple scritch behind the ears would have him silent. he relaxes a little more against vash's leg that's pressed against his back, drapes an arm over the edge of the tub. he has a passing thought to say something, but doesn't. why fill a silence that isn't tense? )
[Vash is kind enough that he doesn't comment on the sound. Instead, it makes his expression soften somewhat; it makes him redouble his efforts too. He takes his time, careful with his non-humanoid hand, using the pad of his thumb to run pressure over the muscles in Wolfwood's neck, working out a knot he's found just under where his skull starts.
He works like this for a few minutes, before he leans forward, his chest pressing to Wolfwood's back as he reaches for the showerhead in front of them. He tests the water first before he starts to rinse the soap free from now clean and eggless hair. It's warm here, a comfortable heat that cradles the rather domestic silence neatly.]
Keep your eyes closed. [He doesn't want to get soap in them.]
( the slight massage is unexpected, though not unwelcome. it's painful in that way that things feel really good; if he groans as vash's thumb presses into that knot, that's his own business. wolfwood can't say he's ever really relaxed, but this is the closest he's ever gotten to it, so vash should feel special.
in fact, he's indulgent enough in the quiet moment between them that he doesn't even flinch when he feels vash press against his back. he can feel some of the scars that litter his body and he kind of wants to ask about them, but it's likely not the right time for that. another time, maybe.
he tips his head back and dutifully keeps his eyes closed, seemingly content enough to continue this warm domesticity and let vash do as he pleases. it's the least he could do since he interrupted his bath, after all. )
[He tests the water first, but once he has the showerhead in his hand, water running, he starts to rinse the soap from Wolfwood's hair, muttering a quiet apology when a little of the water runs over closed eyes. That's why he'd wanted them to stay closed to begin with. He makes sure to check the whole of Wolfwood's now clean scalp as he sets a hand on the other man's shoulder.]
There. You don't have to worry about egg anymore.
[It's accidentally muttered right into Wolfwood's ear as he leans in again to replace the shower head back where he got it. If he's honest with himself, he finds the proximity comforting in a way. Maybe that's why he doesn't particularly mind doing something as simple as this for his friend.]
( the water sluicing down over his face doesn't really bother him. beats having sand constantly exfoliating the top layer of his skin off on the daily back home. and, in spite of that, it all feels really nice. wolfwood has always taken care of himself, and sometimes others ( livio, mainly, but whatever; the orphanage will always be a special place to him and he'd take care of those kids — but that's another story entirely ), but no one's ever taken care of him before. this is something entirely new to him, and as strange as it may feel, he finds he actually enjoys it.
that's something he's going to have to unpack later.
for now, he actually just ignores the way gooseflesh prickles along his skin as vash speaks so closely to his ear like that. he shifts when vash does, leans back against him as if this is something normal. this is fine, right? )
[The way they move more or less has Wolfwood against his chest, Vash's scarred legs bracketing him on either side. More water sloshes over the side, and Vash mourns the chore of cleaning the bathroom later but for now, he just lets his back rest against the tub, metal arm hanging outside the bath to keep it as dry as possible. He probably should have taken it off, but he's not quite to the point where he's ready to be that defenseless in this world.
His other hand still toys with some of Wolfwood's wet locks, and he thinks that right now somehow this is far more comfortable than he was before, alone. He lets his head tip back against the wall, a long exhaled sigh escaping through his nose as he wills his muscles to relax a little.]
Don't fall asleep.
[He says, as he already feels his eyelids drooping.]
( well, at the very least wolfwood may possibly help with cleanup. maybe. he'll have to see how he feels after they get out of the tub. he may have to go get some clothes, though. because he has no clean ones in here, but that's a future wolfwood problem.
in some way, this reminds him of being a kid, when he and livio would find some spot to just watch the sky or get up to something little kids aren't supposed to be getting up to. livio would tuck up against him as the sun crawled across the sky; wolfwood would lay there, pondering the future and how once he was old enough, he'd really protect livio, protect the orphanage, just do something worthwhile with his life.
things sure turned out differently.
he looks at vash's arm hanging over the edge, looks at the nearest knee and all the scarring on it. what a stupid idiot to be hurt this much. his drags a finger over the slope of his knee, pushing droplets off his skin then glances over his shoulder toward vash. )
[His hand moves from Wolfwood's hair to wrap loosely around him instead, submerged in the water as he dozes. He's conscious, his awareness still just over the horizon of sleep. He registers the touch to his knee just barely, the limb twitching a little but overall he doesn't move. He's comfortable where he is, the scent of shampoo and soap heavy in the air.
It's okay if they stay like this for a few minutes, Vash's guard down, the tension in his muscles easing thanks to the heat of the water and the comforting pressure of wolfwood leaning back against him.]
( a few minutes becomes ten, fifteen, maybe twenty. wolfwood doesn't really sleep, he might doze for a minute or two, but his mind is still very much aware and alert. but, there is a comfort here that he's not used to having so he's allowing himself the few precious moments to enjoy it before things return to their normal of being annoyed and annoyer.
but, when the water really begins to cool and it becomes less warm and more uncomfortable than cozy, wolfwood opens his eyes and exhales a long breath. they should get out and get dressed. )
Alright. ( he leans forward and hits the drain to start letting the water out. ) Come on, it's time to get out.
( he stands up, probably could've put a little more space between them when he does because his butt might be in vash's face for a moment ( oops ) before he steps out of the bath. he reaches for a towel to begin drying off before looking toward vash. )
[Vash stirrs the moment Wolfwood moves, which means his vision is absolutely obliterated by the sight of Wolfwood's entire ass. He claps his hands over his face immediately, wincing a little bit with the enthusiasm his prosthetic hits his face. He doesn't even bother answering for a minute until he registers that the water is receding and rapidly removing any shielding he has for his OWN body.
He peeks from between his fingers, his cheeks rosy from either the bath or his nerves and he sort of just sits there as the water drains, more scars and patches of rough skin and implants being exposed by the moment. He laughs and in a comically funny scramble he pulls himself up out of the water in the same baby gazelle like motion as him reaching out to grab a towel.]
Okay, okay! I'm out... it was getting cold anyway.
not that it's not already, but the less they think about things, the easier this is. wolfwood is pretending everything is fine and normal and not a big deal. there's no reason for vash to freak out like he is. this is fine. it's
all
fine.
but, to save vash from tripping over the tub and crashing to the floor in a heap of limbs, wolfwood secures the towel around his waist before he leans down to collect the clothes he kicked off on the way in. though this bath was more or less an accident for them to enjoy together, wolfwood kind of feels like he wouldn't mind if it happened again. but, he knows he'll have to barge in again and not ask vash about it. )
Out? [He's busy ruffling a tower through damp hair, which, when he stops, has it standing more on end than it normally would, pieces of hair falling into his face at odd angles.
If he looks wolfwood over, it's quick and furtive, his gaze falling to his feet and the tile floor again. Wait.]
Oh. Haha, right! Because of the groceries... We can get more after if you want. But we should probably avoid the route you took.
[He says this as he very elegantly toes around where Wolfwood is standing and then ducks out of the bathroom and hopefully out of swatting reach.]
( when vash moves the towel and his hair is sticking out all akimbo, wolfwood just stares at it for a moment, another. then he exhales, ready to read vash the riot act for not remembering what they just talked about like twenty minutes ago, or however long they were in the bath. but, vash remembers all his own and wolfwood just shakes his head.
dummy.
he waits until vash leaves the bathroom and follows down the hall a bit until he gets to his room. he walks in, hand lifted to wave over his shoulder as he tosses his clothes to the side to a gathering pile there — he should do some laundry soon. )
[ everyone lives here, silly. Now just be cool with the way Nen reaches into their pocket, rummages around a little......and pulls out an Actual Dead Frog ]
( he sniffs and goes back to his task at hand, set on ignoring nen and waiting for vash to come take care of this. he's busy!!
though, does get a little curious when nen asks how to eat something, so he glances over. and that... is his first mistake. he stares at the blob in their hand, their face, their hand again. a exhale as he leans forward to rest on his elbows, his head cradling in the dip of his hand between thumb and forefinger. )
Why do you have that? Why are you trying to eat it?
( he's almost going to ask who oryou is, but if they're giving nen a dead frog to eat.......
well.
kinda checks out for being friendly with nen.
on the other hand, though, wolfwood is used to eating weird shit while he's out doing jobs. frogs are probably the least offensive of what he's had in his mouth ( heh ). he's only cooked stuff like this over open flame, and that seems like a really, really bad idea to give nen that kind of knowledge. on the same hand, how the hell did this become his life?? )
You have to cook it.
( he sounds so, so utterly defeated. he's making vash buy him a whole carton of cigarettes for this. it's his fault, somehow. pushing up from the chair, he grunts like a dad. )
[ acceptance of your destiny as a dad and malewife is an excellent first step on the road to recovery Wolfwood ]
Thank-you Wolfwood.
[ For as much chaos as Nenonen causes, they are always polite about the whole "thank you" part. It's not like they would know what to do with a frog beyond copying Oryou, and somehow...even Nen is a bit reluctant to just take a bite out of it. It looks...rubbery.
Cooking is a much better idea.
Nen follows to hover around him with froge teach them ur ways wolfdad ]
[It's so inexcusably late that their apartment is still pitch black despite all their windows being without blinds and most of them cracked open to let a breeze through.
He pulls open Wolfwood's door silently, his bare feet tracking over the hardwood floor without a sound as he does so. He makes a great effort to close the door again without letting the lock click, holding the knob in such a way that it closes silently. He releases the knob afterward and heads across the little room to the side of Wolfwood's bed.
He can't really tell if Wolfwood is still asleep by the time he gets there, but it LOOKS like his breathing is even and steady. Lifting one knee up he puts his weight on the mattress, his glassmetal hand pulling the blankets back as he crawls up, doing his best to be slow and avoid disturbing his friend's(?) sleep. It's a tight fit, but Vash curls himself against Wolfwood's back, one arm hesitating to wrap over him. Ultimately though, he keeps his hand to himself and just rests his forehead against the back of Wolfwood's neck, his arms tucked between them.
He lies there quietly, focusing on Wolfwood's breathing and the quiet of the evening, pointedly ignoring the loud rumbling in the back of his head that has him awake at this hour to begin with.]
( at first, vash is safe. wolfwood actually is asleep when vash enters the room; he doesn't hear the door, doesn't hear the soft footfalls on the floor, doesn't even hear the soft crushing of the mattress beneath vash's knee. but, he does stir when the blankets are peeled back, the cool night air on his bare legs jolts something in his mind. he's completely awake by the time vash settles against his back, but forces his breathing to remain even.
sure, it had startled him initially. he hadn't known it was vash at first and thought maybe some weirdo was coming to try and kill him in his sleep. for all he knows vash might attempt it one day, but today doesn't seem to be that particular one.
he waits until vash is settled, waits even a little more beyond that; make sure vash is good and comfortable and unsuspecting before making it known he's been caught. it's a bit uncomfortable with vash's arms tucked in against his back like that and wolfwood has no idea what the hell he's even doing that for, it can't be comfortable.
without thinking too deeply on anything, wolfwood blindly reaches behind himself and grabs vash's arm. he tugs that arm across, leaves it there so it's draped over his side before tucking his own back agaist himself. he inhales a sleepy breath through his nose, exhales. when he speaks, his voice is thick with sleep, the words slurred slightly because it's too much energy to open his mouth fully, )
S'uncomfortable. Haven't you ever shared a bed before?
[Hasn't he ever shared a bed before? Vash exhales a breath instead of answering, his thoughts drifting back to a time so long ago it's light years away. The memory makes his lips turn down in a frown and eventually he shakes his head, the motion burrowed against the back of Wolfwood's neck. It's a lie, but this is different than children sleeping in the same bed together, somehow.
Wolfwood's not wrong either, it's more comfortable like this, and gives Vash the opportunity to press closer into the established warmth of Wolfwood and the blankets that rest over the both of them.
He keeps his arm absolutely frozen still for a moment, his fingers curling inward. They catch the hem of Wolfwood's t-shirt, lightly tangling in it as he finally shifts his arm to settle more comfortably. He's almost eerily quiet, his breaths measured and careful as he keeps his eyes shut.]
Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. [his voice is whisper quiet, but clear from any indication that he'd been asleep any time recently.] Goodnight, Wolfwood.
( sure, it's much different than children sharing a bed together. the only time wolfwood has ever done anything, at all, like this was — what seems like ages ago — with livio. and he definitely didn't have these kinds of mixed up feelings for him. so, yeah, it's different. but, also kind of not. they're just sleeping, it's innocent. they're just seeking warmth and comfort. or something embarrassing like that.
because when vash stops being so tense and relaxes against him again, wolfwood thinks that it feels kind of nice — and that's embarrassing as fuck.
his eyes remain closed, he shifts only slightly to get more comfortable while they're pressed together, and wonders if he should say anything or just leave it. pointing it out will probably make vash withdraw, but sometimes he feels like he needs to actually press him to talk about things. maybe in the comfort of the dark, vash can find some solace there to speak candidly. )
[It's frustrating sometimes, how easy it seems to be for Wolfwood to read him, even when Vash thinks he's not giving anything away. He's not really sure if he likes it or not. Sometimes it's unnerving, uncomfortably ripping away the walls he's been so careful to put up, setting up a demarcation line to separate himself from everything else. If possible, Vash draws closer, making himself a little smaller, removing any question of space between his chest and Wolfwood's back.]
....yeah. Don't really remember much. [A gentle lie. Thinking about it threatens to make his stomach sour again, he'd rather now.]
( well, to be fair... there's probably no other reason that vash would crawl into his bed like this in the middle of the night. things may be developing slowly between them, but wolfwood is positive that even if vash was feeling particularly amorous, he wouldn't do something like this right now. so, it has to be something innocent.
wolfwood isn't annoyed by that, particularly. how can he be? vash is actually showing him trust, he can't turn that down. it'll set them back completely. and, for as much effort as he's already put in, he doesn't want to mess that up.
so, he lets that slide for now, knowing vash just doesn't want to talk about it. that's fine, probably for the best, anyway. wolfwood finds vash's hand and pulls it, using that leverage to tuck vash's arm around him so it's just not hanging there limply. he doesn't hold his hand or anything — he might be getting used to it since vash just does it whenever he feels wolfwood might need it so he doesn't turn to stone, but it still makes him feel really awkward — but just encourages vash to hold on to him. )
[Oh. That's— Vash pulls in with his arm, holding on more securely than he had before. It feels... grounding? In a way? He breathes in deep, willing his muscles to relax for a minute before he laughs. It's a quiet, fragile little sound but there's a warmth in it that makes it seem a little more tangible.]
For waking you up. [He shifts a little, so sink further into the bed, like he's trying to melt against Wolfwood. When he speaks next it sounds a little like the laugh did— quieter, muttered.] You're warm.
( there's something about being curled up in bed like this that is some kind of callback to when they shared a bath recently. it's warm and cozy and comforting in that nebulous sort of way that he can't put his finger on and doesn't really want to. it's just... nice. there's an intimacy here that isn't sexual and wolfwood is rapidly realizing how much he likes that kind of thing.
anyway.
don't look at him.
he hums in acknowledgment and just kind of leaves it at that for a few moments. what's he supposed to say to that? is he supposed to say anything? what the hell does he know? )
[He didn't HAVE to say anything, but the response gets a quiet laugh from Vash, lost in the back of Wolfwood's neck where he still has his face buried. He doesn't say anything back, but his arm tightens around Wolfwood just a little, just a bit. Almost like it's meant to be a hug on top of the embrace they're already sharing.
Vash wasn't sure of his decision to come bug Wolfwood tonight, but as he lays here in the comfortable spread of warmth and silence he decides he chose right.]
[ Maybe it's a little petty, changing up something that's become routine. But Vash is allowed to be a little petty. He's not giving Wolfwood the silent treatment after their laundry exchange but he HAS stopped climbing into bed in the middle of the night.
The fact that the sheets wound up with splatters of bleached-out white has nothing to do with it, either. He did apologize for that. Otherwise, The sheets were clean and soft and smelled nice. But Vash is nothing if not disaster-prone, so the bleach was an accidental addition at the end.
It's dark outside and Vash walks into his bedroom from the attached bathroom still towel-drying his hair as he sits on the edge of his bed, where he plans on staying for the night. A yawn escapes his mouth but it's abruptly cut off when he thinks he hears something outside of his bedroom door. ]
( as if he doesn't know vash is trying to be petty. what a little shit. wolfwood lets him pitch his little fit to get over it and return to normal. but it stretches beyond just a day or two, and now wolfwood is getting really annoyed. he was feeling a little determined to just let it run its course, but this is affecting his sleep now because he's grown used to having another warm body beside him that it's starting not to feel right without.
so, after dinner, after a shower, he leaves his room and goes down to vash's to square up. he doesn't bother knocking on the door and just kicks it open like he is so prone to doing when vash annoys him beyond the point of logical thinking. )
[ The door winds up swinging open so hard it hits the wall it's hung on with a loud thud.
It startles Vash into sitting up ramrod straight, the hands and his towel rubbing through damp hair freezing as he turns a startled glance in Wolfwood's direction. Honestly, his reflexes are a little slow, considering he's all too used to having to run at a moment's notice.
His expression upon seeing Wolfwood softens, then twists into an exaggeratedly annoyed pout, his lower lip jutting out as he lets his towel fall around his bare, scarred shoulders. ]
( don't think he doesn't see the way vash's expression shifts like that. because he does. that tells him all he needs to know about this stupidass standoff they've been having. why is vash such a giant pain sometimes?
all the time?
wolfwood shifts his gaze to the door — it's still connected, thank you very much — and he sniffs, almost as if he's put out. which he kind of is. )
I'm talking about your shitty attitude, not the door. ( a beat ) Which isn't broken, by the way.
[ Vash rolls his eyes, hard enough that his head rolls with the expression, his hands coming to rest curled over the edge of his bed as he leans forward. He peers over at Wolfwood from behind his damp hair ]
My attitude isn't shitty. I don't know what you're talking about.
[ He's being SO shitty. He knows he's being shitty and he might feel a little guilty about it except Wolfwood hasn't said anything to make him feel like he should apologize so!! Maybe they're both being shitty. Petty. Peshitty. ]
( wolfwood is frowning so hard at vash that his lips are cutting deep grooves into his face. he's not old enough to worry about wrinkles, but that day soon come. and vash is going to give them to him, all of them. )
You know exactly what I'm talking about.
( he stalks over closer to him that they're nearly touching; if wolfwood bent his knee even slightly he'd bump into vash. he doesn't, but he does snatch the towel off and toss it somewhere to the side, he doesn't really care where it lands. )
This is bullshit. Either talk about it or knock it off.
[ Unluckily for Wolfwood, Vash is pretty good at being petty when he really, really wants to. The subsequent toss of his towel is annoying, both because why, also because now he's cold. He looks up at Wolfwood and Wolfwood's sour, stark expression on his face and he shifts his own expression into something similar, also frowning. ]
I don't want to talk about it. You're really THAT bothered I'm sleeping in here?
[ He folds his arms across his chest, kicking out one of his bare feet to knock against Wolfwood's leg. It's not so much meant to HURT, as it is meant to indicate that hey, personal space. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Skrunkle...
He shifts a little and the water ripples. He tips his head back and lets his eyes shut, face unhidden by the usual appearance of his stupid orange glasses. He thinks he hears movement outside of the bathroom and frowns, ears listening out. Last he knew, Wolfwood was out -- was he back already? Metallic fingers lift to curl over the edge of the tub as he strains to listen.]
filthy
so, what vash likely hears is the door slamming unnecessarily hard and wolfwood muttering about a million curses to himself. looks like it's out to dinner tonight. he slams the rest of the groceries that managed to make it on the counter and stomps through the apartment right to the bathroom, peeling his dirty clothes off along the way. he'll clean them up later; from the sound of it, vash isn't home and it's not like he does a lot of the housekeeping anyway. by the time he reaches the bathroom, he's only got his black manties on and practically kicks down the door ( why the hell is it even closed!? ) because his hands are busy struggling to get his lighter to work.
he finally gets the cigarette lit and only notices at that time that the bathroom is occupied. he blinks then exhales heavily before peeling off his last layer and standing there buck ass naked for a brief moment. he waves his hand as he crosses the small space, )
Move over. I'm getting in.
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[The quickness with which Vash moves to draw his knees up to his chin and to also sink deep as he can into the water spills some over the edge, onto the bathmat. His eyes wide, the blue of them unhidden by sunglasses. His expression betrays his absolute surprise and growing mortification. He has to rip his gaze away from Wolfwood and his butt-ass naked self, his gaze fixing pointedly on a tile that is cracked from some previous impact. It's SO INTERESTING.
He has, however, made room for Wolfwood in the tub despite his refusal to look at him. He'd caught enough of a glimpse to see his hair was mussed, the remanents of something on that hadn't been covered by his clothes. For now, Vash is thankful that the water of the bath is still hot, conveniently hiding the fresh flush that's rocketing its way down his neck and over his shoulders.]
Geez. Fine. What happened to you anyway?
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or, if shouldn't be, so long as neither of them think about it.
on the way over, he knocks the cherry off and leaves the barely smoked cigarette on the edge of the sink. he had thought he was alone and could've gotten away with it, but he's not so he'll be nice and not while sharing a quick bath. he hops in, the water splashing even more over the edge but it hardly matters. the tub really isn't big enough for the two of them, especially with how gangly vash is. however, with him all tucked in against himself, wolfwood can stretch out more, so he does, his toes poking the side of vash's thigh beneath the water.
totally normal. )
Some jackass used their ( he wiggles his fingers; magic ) stuff and moved the damn sidewalk.
( he sinks down for a moment, just enough to dunk his head under the water. when he sits back up, he immediately slicks his wet hair off of his face. he still looks pissed but a smidgen less now that he's getting cleaned up. )
We're going out for dinner. ( nevermind. he's pissed all over again. ) Almost everything I got was ruined.
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You missed a spot. [he points to what looks like a little bit of eggshell in Wolfwood's hair, then gestures for him to lean forward with a bit of a sigh.] Here.
[He leans forward as best he can in the tub without waiting, picking the white bits he sees in Wolfwood's hair free with his non-flesh hand. He even exhales a laugh, his head tilting to the side a bit as he flicks away pieces of whatever it is he's finding in those dark strands.]
What do you want to eat?
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he huffs when vash points out that there's something in his hair — he's not shocked, and he scowls at a few pieces of eggshell that are floating in the water near him. both hands lift to just ruffle through his hair to knock out what he can, but before he can do it, vash is leaning in closer and picking out the trash in there. instinct tells him to slap vash's hands away, but ultimately he just lets it happen. it's probably better this way, vash can see it.
his eyes close as his head tips slightly forward so vash can have an easier time. both arms drop into the water, buoyed by it and his fingers may or may not brush against vash if some part of his body gets near enough. his lips part on a sigh; he suddenly feels very, very tired. )
I don't know. What do you feel like having?
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Here. Turn around.
[He pulls his fingers through wet strands of hair one last time to make sure he's gotten all the shell out. If he just thinks about helping, this is so much less embarrassing. If wolfwood has his back towards him that's even better.]
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anyway. they can figure it out later.
the shadow of vash moving the bottle in front of him makes him slit open his eyes to see what it is and he sighs, bothered but not annoyed. he just doesn't feel like moving, but he does need to wash his hair... and the rest of himself. the last thing he wants to do is smell like spoiled egg and rotten milk. so, with a deep grunt, he turns in the bath, spilling more water out along the way.
when he's got his back to vash, he bends forward enough to wet his hair again. then, he sits up sharply so the droplets will definitely splash back on vash. deal with it. )
Thanks.
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Did you have to do that? [It's said quietly, his attention is split between multiple places now, the bottle he's holding, the sensation of skin underneath his hand and the irritating man sitting in front of him. He sighs a little, shaking his head as he scoots forward a little.]
You're welcome, by the way. [He squirts soap into Wolfwood's hair, finally lifting his hand from his back to drag blunt nails over Wolfwood's scalp, lathering the soap through dark strands of hair. He covers each inch of hair meticulously, mostly quiet as he does so almost like if he talks he thinks he's going to wind up getting splashed or shoved again.]
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like a dutiful little spouse, wolfwood sits there silently while vash lathers up the shampoo. well, the intention is to sit there silently, but the feeling of nails dragging over his scalp winds up drawing a sound from wolfwood. it feels good, really good. better than he thought it would. he lets his eyes slip closed, tips his head to the side, exhales an almost content-sounding breath. so, vash is safe from more splashes.
for now.
this might be the most docile wolfwood has ever been. who knew a simple scritch behind the ears would have him silent. he relaxes a little more against vash's leg that's pressed against his back, drapes an arm over the edge of the tub. he has a passing thought to say something, but doesn't. why fill a silence that isn't tense? )
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He works like this for a few minutes, before he leans forward, his chest pressing to Wolfwood's back as he reaches for the showerhead in front of them. He tests the water first before he starts to rinse the soap free from now clean and eggless hair. It's warm here, a comfortable heat that cradles the rather domestic silence neatly.]
Keep your eyes closed. [He doesn't want to get soap in them.]
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in fact, he's indulgent enough in the quiet moment between them that he doesn't even flinch when he feels vash press against his back. he can feel some of the scars that litter his body and he kind of wants to ask about them, but it's likely not the right time for that. another time, maybe.
he tips his head back and dutifully keeps his eyes closed, seemingly content enough to continue this warm domesticity and let vash do as he pleases. it's the least he could do since he interrupted his bath, after all. )
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There. You don't have to worry about egg anymore.
[It's accidentally muttered right into Wolfwood's ear as he leans in again to replace the shower head back where he got it. If he's honest with himself, he finds the proximity comforting in a way. Maybe that's why he doesn't particularly mind doing something as simple as this for his friend.]
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that's something he's going to have to unpack later.
for now, he actually just ignores the way gooseflesh prickles along his skin as vash speaks so closely to his ear like that. he shifts when vash does, leans back against him as if this is something normal. this is fine, right? )
Thanks. Not so bad, Blondie.
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[The way they move more or less has Wolfwood against his chest, Vash's scarred legs bracketing him on either side. More water sloshes over the side, and Vash mourns the chore of cleaning the bathroom later but for now, he just lets his back rest against the tub, metal arm hanging outside the bath to keep it as dry as possible. He probably should have taken it off, but he's not quite to the point where he's ready to be that defenseless in this world.
His other hand still toys with some of Wolfwood's wet locks, and he thinks that right now somehow this is far more comfortable than he was before, alone. He lets his head tip back against the wall, a long exhaled sigh escaping through his nose as he wills his muscles to relax a little.]
Don't fall asleep.
[He says, as he already feels his eyelids drooping.]
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in some way, this reminds him of being a kid, when he and livio would find some spot to just watch the sky or get up to something little kids aren't supposed to be getting up to. livio would tuck up against him as the sun crawled across the sky; wolfwood would lay there, pondering the future and how once he was old enough, he'd really protect livio, protect the orphanage, just do something worthwhile with his life.
things sure turned out differently.
he looks at vash's arm hanging over the edge, looks at the nearest knee and all the scarring on it. what a stupid idiot to be hurt this much. his drags a finger over the slope of his knee, pushing droplets off his skin then glances over his shoulder toward vash. )
Don't you, dummy.
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[His hand moves from Wolfwood's hair to wrap loosely around him instead, submerged in the water as he dozes. He's conscious, his awareness still just over the horizon of sleep. He registers the touch to his knee just barely, the limb twitching a little but overall he doesn't move. He's comfortable where he is, the scent of shampoo and soap heavy in the air.
It's okay if they stay like this for a few minutes, Vash's guard down, the tension in his muscles easing thanks to the heat of the water and the comforting pressure of wolfwood leaning back against him.]
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but, when the water really begins to cool and it becomes less warm and more uncomfortable than cozy, wolfwood opens his eyes and exhales a long breath. they should get out and get dressed. )
Alright. ( he leans forward and hits the drain to start letting the water out. ) Come on, it's time to get out.
( he stands up, probably could've put a little more space between them when he does because his butt might be in vash's face for a moment ( oops ) before he steps out of the bath. he reaches for a towel to begin drying off before looking toward vash. )
I'll throw you out if you take too long.
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He peeks from between his fingers, his cheeks rosy from either the bath or his nerves and he sort of just sits there as the water drains, more scars and patches of rough skin and implants being exposed by the moment. He laughs and in a comically funny scramble he pulls himself up out of the water in the same baby gazelle like motion as him reaching out to grab a towel.]
Okay, okay! I'm out... it was getting cold anyway.
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not that it's not already, but the less they think about things, the easier this is. wolfwood is pretending everything is fine and normal and not a big deal. there's no reason for vash to freak out like he is. this is fine. it's
all
fine.
but, to save vash from tripping over the tub and crashing to the floor in a heap of limbs, wolfwood secures the towel around his waist before he leans down to collect the clothes he kicked off on the way in. though this bath was more or less an accident for them to enjoy together, wolfwood kind of feels like he wouldn't mind if it happened again. but, he knows he'll have to barge in again and not ask vash about it. )
Once we're dressed, we'll head out.
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If he looks wolfwood over, it's quick and furtive, his gaze falling to his feet and the tile floor again. Wait.]
Oh. Haha, right! Because of the groceries... We can get more after if you want. But we should probably avoid the route you took.
[He says this as he very elegantly toes around where Wolfwood is standing and then ducks out of the bathroom and hopefully out of swatting reach.]
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dummy.
he waits until vash leaves the bathroom and follows down the hall a bit until he gets to his room. he walks in, hand lifted to wave over his shoulder as he tosses his clothes to the side to a gathering pile there — he should do some laundry soon. )
Yeah, yeah, smartass. Ten minutes.
( and he'll leave with or without him, too. )
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no one because nen just opens the door ]
Wolfwood, are you here? Vash?
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What? ( he's sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper like an old man. just kidding, he's clipping coupons. ) Do you think you live here?
CLIPPING COUPONS oh my god
[ everyone lives here, silly. Now just be cool with the way Nen reaches into their pocket, rummages around a little......and pulls out an Actual Dead Frog ]
How do I eat this?
he has mouths to feed
though, does get a little curious when nen asks how to eat something, so he glances over. and that... is his first mistake. he stares at the blob in their hand, their face, their hand again. a exhale as he leans forward to rest on his elbows, his head cradling in the dip of his hand between thumb and forefinger. )
Why do you have that? Why are you trying to eat it?
extreme couponing...ellipsa edition
[ Oryou. Oryou defeated the skeletons. Nenonen just waved her clothes around. ]
She said it's a snack.
coupon game so strong the store owes HIM money
well.
kinda checks out for being friendly with nen.
on the other hand, though, wolfwood is used to eating weird shit while he's out doing jobs. frogs are probably the least offensive of what he's had in his mouth ( heh ). he's only cooked stuff like this over open flame, and that seems like a really, really bad idea to give nen that kind of knowledge. on the same hand, how the hell did this become his life?? )
You have to cook it.
( he sounds so, so utterly defeated. he's making vash buy him a whole carton of cigarettes for this. it's his fault, somehow. pushing up from the chair, he grunts like a dad. )
Come on, I'll show you.
bankrupts entire chain in a month
Thank-you Wolfwood.
[ For as much chaos as Nenonen causes, they are always polite about the whole "thank you" part. It's not like they would know what to do with a frog beyond copying Oryou, and somehow...even Nen is a bit reluctant to just take a bite out of it. It looks...rubbery.
Cooking is a much better idea.
Nen follows to hover around him with froge teach them ur ways wolfdad ]
3am on a Weekday
He pulls open Wolfwood's door silently, his bare feet tracking over the hardwood floor without a sound as he does so. He makes a great effort to close the door again without letting the lock click, holding the knob in such a way that it closes silently. He releases the knob afterward and heads across the little room to the side of Wolfwood's bed.
He can't really tell if Wolfwood is still asleep by the time he gets there, but it LOOKS like his breathing is even and steady. Lifting one knee up he puts his weight on the mattress, his glassmetal hand pulling the blankets back as he crawls up, doing his best to be slow and avoid disturbing his friend's(?) sleep. It's a tight fit, but Vash curls himself against Wolfwood's back, one arm hesitating to wrap over him. Ultimately though, he keeps his hand to himself and just rests his forehead against the back of Wolfwood's neck, his arms tucked between them.
He lies there quietly, focusing on Wolfwood's breathing and the quiet of the evening, pointedly ignoring the loud rumbling in the back of his head that has him awake at this hour to begin with.]
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sure, it had startled him initially. he hadn't known it was vash at first and thought maybe some weirdo was coming to try and kill him in his sleep. for all he knows vash might attempt it one day, but today doesn't seem to be that particular one.
he waits until vash is settled, waits even a little more beyond that; make sure vash is good and comfortable and unsuspecting before making it known he's been caught. it's a bit uncomfortable with vash's arms tucked in against his back like that and wolfwood has no idea what the hell he's even doing that for, it can't be comfortable.
without thinking too deeply on anything, wolfwood blindly reaches behind himself and grabs vash's arm. he tugs that arm across, leaves it there so it's draped over his side before tucking his own back agaist himself. he inhales a sleepy breath through his nose, exhales. when he speaks, his voice is thick with sleep, the words slurred slightly because it's too much energy to open his mouth fully, )
S'uncomfortable. Haven't you ever shared a bed before?
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Wolfwood's not wrong either, it's more comfortable like this, and gives Vash the opportunity to press closer into the established warmth of Wolfwood and the blankets that rest over the both of them.
He keeps his arm absolutely frozen still for a moment, his fingers curling inward. They catch the hem of Wolfwood's t-shirt, lightly tangling in it as he finally shifts his arm to settle more comfortably. He's almost eerily quiet, his breaths measured and careful as he keeps his eyes shut.]
Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. [his voice is whisper quiet, but clear from any indication that he'd been asleep any time recently.] Goodnight, Wolfwood.
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because when vash stops being so tense and relaxes against him again, wolfwood thinks that it feels kind of nice — and that's embarrassing as fuck.
his eyes remain closed, he shifts only slightly to get more comfortable while they're pressed together, and wonders if he should say anything or just leave it. pointing it out will probably make vash withdraw, but sometimes he feels like he needs to actually press him to talk about things. maybe in the comfort of the dark, vash can find some solace there to speak candidly. )
Did you have a bad dream?
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....yeah. Don't really remember much. [A gentle lie. Thinking about it threatens to make his stomach sour again, he'd rather now.]
I'll owe you one, okay?
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wolfwood isn't annoyed by that, particularly. how can he be? vash is actually showing him trust, he can't turn that down. it'll set them back completely. and, for as much effort as he's already put in, he doesn't want to mess that up.
so, he lets that slide for now, knowing vash just doesn't want to talk about it. that's fine, probably for the best, anyway. wolfwood finds vash's hand and pulls it, using that leverage to tuck vash's arm around him so it's just not hanging there limply. he doesn't hold his hand or anything — he might be getting used to it since vash just does it whenever he feels wolfwood might need it so he doesn't turn to stone, but it still makes him feel really awkward — but just encourages vash to hold on to him. )
Owe me one for what? Don't be stupid.
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For waking you up. [He shifts a little, so sink further into the bed, like he's trying to melt against Wolfwood. When he speaks next it sounds a little like the laugh did— quieter, muttered.] You're warm.
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anyway.
don't look at him.
he hums in acknowledgment and just kind of leaves it at that for a few moments. what's he supposed to say to that? is he supposed to say anything? what the hell does he know? )
So are you.
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Vash wasn't sure of his decision to come bug Wolfwood tonight, but as he lays here in the comfortable spread of warmth and silence he decides he chose right.]
Laundry Bickering Because They're Adults
The fact that the sheets wound up with splatters of bleached-out white has nothing to do with it, either. He did apologize for that. Otherwise, The sheets were clean and soft and smelled nice. But Vash is nothing if not disaster-prone, so the bleach was an accidental addition at the end.
It's dark outside and Vash walks into his bedroom from the attached bathroom still towel-drying his hair as he sits on the edge of his bed, where he plans on staying for the night. A yawn escapes his mouth but it's abruptly cut off when he thinks he hears something outside of his bedroom door. ]
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so, after dinner, after a shower, he leaves his room and goes down to vash's to square up. he doesn't bother knocking on the door and just kicks it open like he is so prone to doing when vash annoys him beyond the point of logical thinking. )
How long are you gonna be a shit about this?
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It startles Vash into sitting up ramrod straight, the hands and his towel rubbing through damp hair freezing as he turns a startled glance in Wolfwood's direction. Honestly, his reflexes are a little slow, considering he's all too used to having to run at a moment's notice.
His expression upon seeing Wolfwood softens, then twists into an exaggeratedly annoyed pout, his lower lip jutting out as he lets his towel fall around his bare, scarred shoulders. ]
About you breaking the door?
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all the time?
wolfwood shifts his gaze to the door — it's still connected, thank you very much — and he sniffs, almost as if he's put out. which he kind of is. )
I'm talking about your shitty attitude, not the door. ( a beat ) Which isn't broken, by the way.
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My attitude isn't shitty. I don't know what you're talking about.
[ He's being SO shitty. He knows he's being shitty and he might feel a little guilty about it except Wolfwood hasn't said anything to make him feel like he should apologize so!! Maybe they're both being shitty. Petty. Peshitty. ]
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You know exactly what I'm talking about.
( he stalks over closer to him that they're nearly touching; if wolfwood bent his knee even slightly he'd bump into vash. he doesn't, but he does snatch the towel off and toss it somewhere to the side, he doesn't really care where it lands. )
This is bullshit. Either talk about it or knock it off.
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I don't want to talk about it. You're really THAT bothered I'm sleeping in here?
[ He folds his arms across his chest, kicking out one of his bare feet to knock against Wolfwood's leg. It's not so much meant to HURT, as it is meant to indicate that hey, personal space. ]