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So this is it…
His wings had long since retreated back into his body, a phenomena he did not have the words to describe just yet.
“I ain’t dead yet, Spikey.”
Vash jolted up at Wolfwood’s voice. He watched the man reach into a pocket under his suit and pulled out a vial filled with a greenish liquid. He popped the lid off and threw his head back, downing it in one gulp. Vash started, “Wolfwood!”
Wolfwood glared at him. “It takes a lot more than that to take down a member of the Eye of Michael.”
—
It had to be pure luck for Brad to find them where they’d fallen. Wolfwood had been in no shape to haul Vash for miles.
Wolfwood leaned against some rubble just in front of the small house they were staying in. He drew out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, lit one and proceeded to take a long drag. His nerves felt like they were finally calming after such a tiring day of talking. He dropped the pack back into his pocket and let out a shaky sigh.
His bones still ached from the day before. Vash needed rest. He decided to leave the gunman alone for a while. It seemed that things could only get crazier from here. How that was possible, he didn’t know. He felt like a burden, he knew it would be best for him to leave. He inhaled a puff of smoke and let it flood from his nose, pulling the Punisher closer as he stood.
“It’s not fair that you were cheated out of your childhood like that…”
Wolfwood nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around to see Vash leaning against the doorway of the small, ruinous home, with nothing but some jeans and boots on.
“You should be sleepin’. I know you’ve had no rest for the past several months,” Wolfwood hissed.
And he was right. The bags under Vash’s eyes were prominent and his hair was a mess. His prosthetic was nowhere to be seen, probably lying limp on one of the couches inside. He hadn’t even started to clean himself up since they returned. Vash ignored his words, looking at the Punisher.
“Are you really leaving? Now?”
Wolfwood sighed. “There are other places I could be. I’ve held you back for far too long, Spikey.” A small smile grew on his face. His grip on the Punisher tightened.
“‘Hold me back’? What the hell are you talking about?” Vash scoffed, pushing off of the doorway and stepping closer. Wolfwood faltered a bit, not sure whether to step forward and meet him, or step back and run away.
He blinked. Vash’s gaze bore into him like he was the only thing that mattered in that moment. Hell, his brother was trying to end humanity and he was just so focused on him . And that was the problem.
“ That’s what I mean. Your heart's too damn big for this world,” he hissed. He pointed to Vash’s chest, just above the grate on his breast. “ You’re too big for this world…”
His gaze flitted to the scars that riddled Vash’s body. The amount of times he must’ve been betrayed, forsaken, and abandoned just within the past century…
“You jump in the way of every bullet that’s fired at someone that isn’t you. One day, it might do more than leave those fuckin’ scars on you. One day, very soon, you’re gonna face something much stronger than the bullet. And if I were there to see—” He stopped for a moment before his voice could crack. He took a deep breath. “...Whether I leave or not isn’t important.”
“Of course , it’s important, I need you, Wolfwood.” Vash grabbed his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. Wolfwood shook his head.
“Like hell, you do…” He said, a breathy laugh coating his words to cover up how his voice was breaking. Vash was just saying things— that’s what he told himself at least. And it was starting to get under his skin. “Look at you, you’re— you’re literally an angel, I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Vash winced at those words.
“I’ve been in the way for too long—“
“Nick, the last time we separated, my brother held me captive for seven months. I didn’t see you for seven months ,” Vash snapped. “And who got me out of there?”
Wolfwood looked away.
“ You .”
He didn’t want to look him in the eye again. He meant to leave quietly. For Vash to find him missing in the morning and just simply understand.
“And what do you mean, ‘in the way’?” Vash asked, growing breathless as he was desperate for a satisfying answer. “Nick, you’ve been nothing but help this entire time. I wouldn’t be back down here without you.”
Wolfwood said nothing.
“Hey, dammit , would you look at me?”
Vash’s hand slid from his shoulder to the back of his neck in an instant, applying pressure to angle his head up so he would look at him once more. Wolfwood’s face was always difficult to read, since he always looked so angry and wore those sunglasses. But Vash could see past the tinted material and see that his eyes reflected pain and… a look he could only describe as longing.
“Spikey, it ain’t like I’m a necessity for all this.”
“But, you are a necessity for me .”
Vash was so close, their chests were millimeters away from being pressed together. Wolfwood’s head spun.
He needed to leave, he wanted to stay.
He needed to leave, he wanted Vash.
“If I can’t convince you to stick by me to the end, can I at least have one last night with you?” Vash was begging him now. Wolfwood’s throat felt tight. He was afraid that an embarrassing noise would erupt from him if he tried speaking. One night wouldn’t hurt. But the implications definitely could.
Vash was trying to make himself as obvious as he could without just outright saying what he was feeling. Wolfwood would usually make some snarky and flirty remarks to smooth out the situation. But this was just so genuine. Not teasing, not bullying, or poking fun.
One more move and they’d practically be connected. It was so hot. The hand on the back of his neck was not helping at all .
Wolfwood filled his lungs with air and made that move.
“ Oh god, of course you can .”
He let the Punisher fall against the rubble he’d sat against minutes ago to allow both his hands freedom. He wrapped his arms around Vash’s waist, dragged in by the hold on his neck.
And worlds collided.
Vash groaned against his lips and moved his hand to cup his jaw instead. Wolfwood held him impossibly close, allowing no space between them. They stumbled, scrambling to find something to lean against, ending up with Vash being smothered into the wall of the small home.
That first kiss had been rough, bruising even, but slow, allowing them to savor each other for that last night. No matter how sloppy it was.
The second kiss was even slower, but was nowhere near as messy as the first. It was softer, and they were both able to breathe much easier.
When Wolfwood pulled away, the grip on his jaw tightened.
“Again.”
Again.
The next kiss was shorter, barely more than a peck. He moved to kiss Vash’s shoulder after that.
Vash’s hand tangled itself in his hair. “No, shit – I wasn’t done with you yet,” he whined.
Wolfwood kissed a particular scar that coiled around Vash’s shoulder.“No, it’s not fair that I was cheated out of my childhood,” he muttered. Vash pulled away just a little to look at him better. “Every betrayal you’ve faced wasn’t fair either.”
Vash sighed. “Nick–”
“Inside. It’s cold out here.”
Vash raised a brow. “You’ve got a jacket on.”
“And you’re shirtless.”
Wolfwood shut him up with yet another kiss and pulled both of them from the wall. He began backing Vash through the doorway while trying his best to keep them from tripping.
He pulled away enough just to say, step .
“Yeah, mhm.”
After passing through the doorway, Vash felt the couch hit the back of his knees. With Wolfwood pressing lightly down on his shoulders, he fell back onto the rough cushions.
Wolfwood pulled away from the kiss, making Vash whine. He hushed him.
“I need you to lay back, okay?”
Vash’s eyes lit up and he nodded. “Yeah– yep! On it.”
He moved across the couch to get more comfortable and laid long ways on it, propping himself up with his forearms and waiting for his partner’s next move.
Wolfwood joined him on the couch, planting both hands on his waist and tangling their legs together. He feared he would be too heavy on Vash for a moment, but he lowered himself down, resting his head on Vash’s chest and letting his muscles relax against his body. Vash hummed and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, holding him even closer and rocking him gently.
Wolfwood blinked. He hadn’t been held so tenderly since his time back at the orphanage.He didn’t know what to do with his hands; they twitched at Vash’s waist. He felt so hot.
“Nick, are you okay?” Vash asked.
Wolfwood calmed his breathing and buried his face into Vash’s chest. He took a couple of moments to collect himself and slid his hands under Vash’s back.
“Yes, absolutely, I just– I love you …”
Vash pressed a kiss to the top of his head and let his face rest in his curly black nest of hair.
“ I love you, too .”
Wolfwood’s mind was running around the world at that point. He imagined what it would have been like had they met sooner. He could have protected Vash and maybe he would have gone through less pain.
Wolfwood brought a hand up to rest over the grate on Vash’s chest. He kissed multiple scars that outlined its shape.
“One day, I want you to tell me the story behind each and every one of these, Vash.”
Vash had already begun to tear up from the kisses pressed against his skin, but those words forced a short sob from him.
“Pain is an experience and it is something that everyone should feel at least once in their life,” Wolfwood continued. “But this much pain for this long… at some point it has to be shared.”
Vash nodded.
No, I can’t cry. I don’t deserve it. I can’t, I can’t.
“When this is all over, I’ll come back. I’ll hang up the Punisher and it’ll just be us.”
Another sob.
He tightened his hold on Wolfwood, kissing his temple.
“Sounds like a dream.”
This is it.