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Nicholas was someone inherently easy to love. It wasn't that he was gorgeous, though, with his ample chest and handsome nose, he was certainly very easy on the eyes, and easy on the mouth as well. He was just a kindhearted person, strong enough to not only do the unpleasant tasks, but also kind enough to attempt to protect others from the world's cruelties. He was so loving, you could see it in his grey eyes, no level of abuse or hardship ever able to remove that from him.
Vash wished, at that moment, he could've looked into his eyes. But, alas, Nicholas was turned away from him, brewing coffee in their shared coffee maker. The coffee, itself, had been a gift from one of Vash's sisters, a girl who cut her hair into a French-style bob and called herself Ruth. It smelled expensive, much fancier than the simple stuff they'd have bought on road, with notes of chocolate and cinnamon.
Sometimes, various sisters would gift them with things, often food or other consumables, like wine or candy. (Though not all of them; some of them hated or resented Vash, and for good reason.)
Many of Vash's sisters had, in their newfound freedom, had taken up careers in agriculture. They seemed naturally attuned to it, and, Knives's single act of kindness to humanity had brought forth more hospitable soil. With the right conditions and new plants being brought forth from Earth, No Man's Land was in the early stages of a developmental boom. Many plant ladies now found themselves with surprising wealth after having spent a lifetime as objects. They still faced discrimination, but money and powers granted them a level of protection.
Still, Vash didn't want to think too hard about his family, as it made him feel sore, like pressing too hard on a bruise. He wanted to think more about Wolfwood, and his handsome back, since his face was so cruelly turned away. Sunlight illuminated his warm brown skin, showing the red bite mark gracing his shoulder. He'd bitten him this morning, hungered and possessive, claiming him privately, like how their wedding bands claimed them to each other publicly.
He'd made love to him the night before, and then once again in the morning. He tried to get him to go for a third time, but Nicholas had whined that if they wanted to actually visit the orphanage as they promised, he would need functional legs. Vash had let him go, of course, but not without complaining. Nicolas even promised to let him fill him up again, tonight.
Of course, Vash was very excited to see the children, especially because they had the tendency to climb all over their tall big brother, like excited puppies. Nicholas would blush, always looking surprised at their adoration, never quite getting why everyone loved him so much. It was very silly, because he was the easiest person in the world to love.
“What’s with the goofy face?” Nicholas asked him, bemused smile gracing his face, as he turned holding two mugs of coffee, “I don't look that ridiculous, do I?”
“You look gorgeous,” Vash hummed, cheerful, as he took his mug from Nicolas. It warmed his hands. “You always look that way after a good lovin’ up.”
“Okay,” Nicolas rolled his eyes, and took a drink of coffee, “Don’t tease me, now.” He looked sheepish, and it made Vash want to rile him a little more.
“But it’s true,” Vash nearly whined, “Your body is like a sponge for love. It soaks it up!”
Nicolas frowned at him, “That metaphor makes absolutely no sense.”
“Does too,” Vash took a sip, the coffee tasted rich and complex, and like it need sweetness. He pouted at his husband, “No sugar?”
“Yer gonna rot all your teeth with how much sugar you consume,” Nicholas complained, but his voice had no real bite to it. He opened up the cabinet, and pulled out a sugar bowl.
He placed the bowl on the table, and smiled at him, “Here you go, Sweetheart.”
“Oh,” Vash said, his face feeling hot. Nicolas had never called him this before. Even after getting married, be’d mostly stuck to ‘Needles,’ ‘Needle-Noggin’,’ ‘Spikey,’ and on occasion, ‘Blondie.’ (Even though that was no longer true, he had more black hair than blonde.)
“Are ya really blushin’ at that?” Nicolas raised an eyebrow, “You literally were inside my ass before sunrise!”
“That’s different!” Vash whined, “Anyone would die at the chance to be in your ass at any time of day!”
“I think you’re insane!” Nicolas was blushing now, the red hue only made him cuter. Vash wanted to bite him again.
“No, I’m not! You’re so cute and hot!” Vash whined, and kicked his legs like a frustrated child. “Anyone would be jealous of me, because I have you, and they don’t,” he sounded like a child, too.
“Now you’re just bein’ silly,” Nicolas rolled his eyes and sat at the table, “You know very well I’m not conventionally attractive.” He took a sip of his own coffee, and then spoke after swallowing, “You know, on earth they have technology where surgeons remake some body parts to look more attractive. Maybe I should look into it?” His voice made it sound like he was joking, but it irritated Vash all the same. There was nothing wrong with him.
“That’s not funny,” Vash admitted, feeling irritated, like there was something small and sharp digging under his skin.
“I’m just sayin’,” Nicolas took another sip, “I saw a gal in town the other day, one of those rich Earth transplants coming here for cheap housing or adventures. She was reading a brochure, and when I asked what it was, she explained it was for what the Earthlings called ‘plastic surgery,’ and that she’d had a nose like mine-” he pointed at his own for effect, “-but had gotten it changed to be smaller, more attractive.”
Vash frowned at him, “That’s bullshit. Your nose is beautiful.” It was, and the idea of it getting changed, even as a joke, felt awful, disgusting, borderline evil.
“I’m not so vain to want to cut up my face for the benefit of others,” Nicholas sighed, “I’ve had enough of getting sliced up for someone else. But it just goes to show I’m not someone especially desirable.” He pulled the brochure from his pajamas pants pocket, and slid it to Vash. The fact he’d even kept it, had looked at it all made his heart sink.
“Lies,” Vash huffed, as he picked up the pamflet, then added, “If you get your nose changed, I’m killing myself.”
“I thought you married me, not my nose,” Nicolas raised an eyebrow.
“Your nose is part of you, a very sexy part,” Vash opened up the pages, which seemed like a waste of paper to him. It showed before and after photos of mostly women, though there were a few men as well, frowning and looking sad about whatever body part was causing them woes, posted next to them smiling about whatever had been ‘fixed.’ Smaller noses, slimmer waists, lighter skin, everyone ended up looking more the same than different. Vash hated it.
Why would Nicolas even give something like this space in his mind? “Do you think you’re ugly?” He sounded upset, but didn’t care.
Nicholas shrugged, “I’m not the ugliest guy on the planet. Definitely not the most attractive, but not the ugliest. I guess, mid or lower range.” He gave a ‘so-so’ motion with his hand.
“Ugh!” Vash stood up in frustration, “That’s wrong!” He ripped up the paper, tearing the glossy pages into little bits, all the body parts turning into an unrecognizable pile of pinks and browns.
Nicolas blinked at him, looking red again, but from a different sort of embarrassment than before, “Didja actually think I was gonna get plastic surgery?”
“No,” Vash huffed and folded his arms, pouting, “But I don’t like having that around! It’s doing bad things to your mind!”
“What am I, a child?” Nicholas huffed back, as he rolled his eyes.
“It’s just, I don’t know if you realize how gorgeous you are. Every part of you drives me crazy, and even if you leave me because you realize you can do better, I still want to know!” He quickly shouted at his husband, now flushed, himself.
Nicolas stood up himself, then, and walked to where Vash was standing, “What even are you talking about?”
“Well, I'm just saying that if you’re even average, I’m a sandworm!” He responded.
“Literally no one has ever thought you’re ugly,” Nicolas looked at him, his grey eyes warm with affection, “No one ever.”
“I’m covered in scars and have metal pieces in my body,” Now it was Vash’s turn to roll his eyes, “I have only one real arm. If my prosthetic breaks down, I’ll be unable to do so much.”
“Arms are arms,” Nicolas answered, as if they could sprout from the ground, “I didn’t marry you because of the amount of limbs you have. If you lost your legs tomorrow, we’d just figure it out, we always do. That’s what marriage is.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Besides, scars are sexy.”
Vash was now the one embarrassed, “Nuh-uh.”
“God, did anyone you sleep with prior to me even like men?” Nicolas took a second to gently brush the bangs off of Vash’s very warm face, clearly enjoying gaining the upper hand in the delicate art of husband flustering.
“Maybe you just have weird taste?” Vash answered, his voice turning what was meant to be a statement into a question.
“I think yer the one with weird taste,” Nicolas placed a kiss to Vash’s beauty mark, and smirked into it. “Scars are definitely sexy,” he said as he lifted his head, “Everyone thinks so.”
“Did you ask everyone?” Vash rolled his eyes.
“Yup,” Nicolas said, picking up his coffee cup, “Every year all the homosexuals gather to decide what’s objectively hot. And we decided it’s scars. You ranked number one, but since you’re all mine, everyone else got jealous.”
Vash laughed, loud and obnoxious, “Oh really? And who decided that?”
“Me, of course,” Nicolas took a drink of coffee, making a pleased hum as he did so, “I’m the king of the homosexuals, actually, because I’m the one with the best taste.”
Vash blinked, and then burst into such a fit of laughter it nearly hurt. Tears pricked his eyes. “I love you,” he said, between fits of giggles, “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” Nicolas said back, his voice so honey-sweet Vash felt like he could use it to sweeten his tea, “I love you, Sweetheart.”
Vash blushed at the pet name, and now it was Nicolas’s turn to laugh, loud and happy. “Sweetheart,” he said, again, relishing Vash’s red face. “Sunshine,” he said, “Sunshine you’re so beautiful.”
Vash’s face got warmer, “You’re the beautiful one, Sugar.”
“Sugar?” Nicolas raised an eyebrow.
“Cos you're so sweet to me,” He gave a small nod, “One kiss from you could sweeten anything. I might never need real sugar again.”
“Uh huh, remind of that next time we pass a bakery with fresh baked donuts,” Nicholas laughed at him, and pressed a quick kiss to his mouth.
Vash put his hands against Nicholas’s face, and deepened the kiss. He tasted like coffee, with an aftertaste of tobacco. He was trying to cut back, but still indulged from time to time.
“You know I wouldn’t leave you, right?” The ex preacher asked him, “I want to spend my life with you.”
“And I want to spend my days with Nicolas D. Wolfwood,” Vash kissed him on the tip of his nose, “Not with anyone else, but you, just as you are.”
“Come on,” Nicolas kissed him once more, “Let’s clean up and go see the kids.”
They weren’t perfect, far from it, both of them had been broken and abused in ways that left them sharp and hard to handle. But, they were together, and were always carefully moving forward, a little step at a time, hand in hand.