fourstrings | When the world is too dark

When the world is too dark

[ The Evergreen has a strong no-assholes policy. This is undermined somewhat by the fact that Nick basically runs it now, but it means he can use himself as a gauge. If anyone’s a bigger asshole than he is, they get kicked out.

Steve is the kind of asshole who should have been kicked out way earlier. That’s on Nick. He was over-cautious, cut the guy too much of a break, because running this bar is the only thing that has him making enough cash to keep up with his responsibilities. He’d worried that word would get around that The Evergreen wasn’t a friendly place anymore, and he’d ruin the reputation Al had carefully built up for it over the years, drive customers away. And it’s not just because Al’s basically promised him the place and it’s his future he’s gambling on, but respect for Al. He built Nick sure as he built up this bar, and the very least Nick can do in return is not tank it. And in fairness, Steve had started slow: the kind of coarse jokes that are mean instead of funny, taking sly digs at people. Way too much flirting with women beyond the point it became clear that they didn’t want to be flirted with, at least not by Steve. Nick finally found his balls the night he’d rounded the corner to check there was enough paper in the johns and seen Steve caging a girl in against the wall, face leaning in even though hers was twisted adamantly away. He’d grabbed the man by collar and belt with no regard for the fact that Steve had a good three inches and 20 pounds on him, marched him out the door, and told him not to come back, ever.

Which means that Steve is now going on the Wall of Shame, and he’d been such a dick about it Nick wants to make it a special occasion. There’s a little florist across the street that’s probably gonna close down any day now, judging by the amount of foot traffic they get, so before opening the next day Nick heads over to give them a little last bit of support. There’s a little bell that rings cutely as he pushes the door open, a blast of welcome cool, fragrant air, and… the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes on behind the counter. Blond hair in one of those trendy cuts that look goofy on most people that aren’t pop stars but somehow suits him just right, big eyes shaded with long lashes, a sweet little beauty mark.

Nick stops dead just inside the door, confident that if he takes one more step without preparation he’s gonna trip over his own feet. ]

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[ Well, that's great news, because with the way Vash squeezes around him Nick knows he doesn't have much longer to pull this off. He keeps it up, repeats that movement that had Vash crying out and scratching over his back, more determined now than ever. ]

You're so good, so beautiful. I want it, wanna make you come, wanna see your face as you do. Wanna feel you -

[ More, more. Steady thrusting, driven to make it good even as he feels himself coming to pieces with how good it. He could sit back a little more, get a hand down to rub at Vash's clit but then he wouldn't be close enough, he'd have to pull his body back from Vash and that's the last thing he wants to do. ]

Fuck, you're so good. So good for me -

[ distantly, there's a very small part of vash that's aware he probably looks like an embarrassing mess. mouth open, skin flushed, eyes hazy and brimming over with tears. sounds like an embarrassing mess too, because wolfwood starts working that spot inside him with relentless accuracy, and it promptly reduces vash to a mess of moaning and panting and whimpering.

there's no way he could hold it off if he wanted to. not when wolfwood is fucking him so good it's like he has a manual, not when the rough growl of his voice is calling vash beautiful and good and telling him he wants to make him come. so there's only another minute, maybe two, where vash stays balanced on that knife's edge, his whole body straining --

and then the tension snaps like a cord pulled too tight, and he's coming. howling wolfwood's name as he does it, every muscle in his body drawing tight as a bow. ]

Good, just like that -

[ That's all he manages, even though he'd love to heap praise on Vash all the way through it, wrap him up in it. Once Vash comes, though, it's overwhelming - the sounds he makes, the way he clenches tight, pulsing around him. He expected to break right there and then, as soon as it happened, but apparently he did too good a job of staving it off, so it's a few moments more of fervent thrusting before he finally follows Vash over the edge. Not too long, though; Vash is still squeezing around him in waves, deliciously wet in a way he's never really felt before, and it makes everything so intense that when he comes it's a revelation. Vision blurring, practically spinning, and Vash's name a chanted panting on his lips. ]

Nick, Nick, p-please, please, I can't --

[ because he's still fucking him. it drags the orgasm out, wrings the pleasure out of him until it feels like he's going to go crazy. his muscles are twitching and jerking with each bright zap of sensation, overwhelmed tears finally spilling over and tracking down his cheeks. he's never come like this, never felt anything like this, never even knew you could. and yeah, even though he's begging for mercy, there's a part of him that wants nothing more than for wolfwood to keep doing this to him until he breaks.

but then wolfwood is shoving himself deep, grinding against a place that makes him see stars, and vash can tell he's coming. the spill of heat inside him, the way wolfwood's cock throbs inside of him, even the way he says his name. and all vash can do is heave a shuddering little sigh and cling to him, arms and legs and everything he has, like he's never willing to let wolfwood peel away again. ]

[ Vash curls close around him, and it's beautiful. When he's done he shivers, buries his face agains Vash's neck and hums softly there. Raises his face to kiss Vash and -

oh. Oh, there are tears. ]

Baby. I'm sorry -

[ Kissing them away, too overwhelmed to really make a solid effort at pulling away, but trying. ]

[ if it helps, vash is so blissed right out of it that his first reaction to the sorry is just a fuzzy little hunh? but then wolfwood is kissing his face, and vash makes a valiant effort at gathering up his non-fried braincells to put two-and-two together. ]

Oh! No, nuh-uh. Good tears. [ twisting a little to plant a kiss right on his mouth, like that helps seal the argument. ] Like... maybe-you-gave-up-too-soon-on-the-priest-thing-because-I-just-saw-God tears. Like holy shit tears. Compliment tears!

[ Nick legitimately sighs with relief, like a little cartoon character. It'd fucking suck to ruin someone's first time so bad they cried even if they weren't as cool as Vash, but hearing that it's pretty much the opposite? That's incredible, and he grins and presses another kiss to Vash's lips. ]

Had me scared there. I know you've got no basis for comparison, but I'm gonna let that compliment warm me a while yet.

[ with the misunderstanding safely resolved, vash can let himself relax again! whew. it’d feel awful to make a guy as nice as wolfwood feel bad about something he didn’t do, but after he did something that amazing? it’d be criminal.

he’s still got his arms around the other man’s shoulders, even if the hold is looser now, and it lets him card one hand lazily through wolfwood’s hair. ] You should. I’m definitely coming over every lunch break now.

Good. It's gonna do wonders for my customer service.

[ It might damage it, actually. There are a more than a few regulars who seem to like him more the crankier he acts. It's gonna be hard to keep that up if he's starting every working day off with a dose of Vash. He smiles, tips his head into the touch brushing through his hair - and the angle means he notices that plush cat properly for the first time. ]

Play your cards right, I might even introduce you to our resident scrounger. Looks a hell of a lot like that critter you've got there.

[ there’s a little mm? as vash follows his gaze, and… then freezes for just a second. oh no! should he have… covered her eyes? (actually, nah, it seems rude to deny a pal the sight of naked wolfwood.)

but! back to the topic at hand — and back to petting, because it’s cute that wolfwood pushes into his hand like a big, shaggy dog. ] You mean the little black cat that hangs around the bar? We’ve met! She likes to come sleep in the front window some afternoons — primo sunshine.

[ it has nothing to do with the fact that vash splits his lunch with her whenever she drops by, or the tin of cat treats he keeps under the counter for her. ]

I bet you're feeding her too, huh? Little hussy.

[ But he says it fondly. He's gotta respect the hustle. Plus, it's kind of cute to think they sorta already have a shared pet, and the thought makes him smile warmly. ]

Hey, no disrespect. [ with a playful flick to wolfwood’s ear. ] In this house, we respect a girl on her grind.

[ although… he knows wolfwood was joking about the lunch break thing. probably! but it does… kinda bring up another question? and vash goes a little pink before he works up the nerve to ask it, bumping his forehead gently into wolfwood’s. ] But, um. Are you saying you don’t mind if this is kinda… a thing? Like, not just a one time deal?

[ A good time for another reminder that Vash cannot, in fact, read his thoughts. Vash has no way of knowing that if he'd wanted it to be a one-off, he'd have made his excuses when he found out it was Vash's first time. He shakes his head, ducks down to kiss Vash again. Just a soft little thing, quick and sweet. ]

This better be the leadup to you saying you want it to be a thing, 'cause I was already planning on trying to lock you in for plans after the visit tomorrow. And if you shoot me down now I know how you good you feel inside, there's a good chance I'm gonna ruin that cool outlaw image you have of me by crying.

[ okay, he laughs, but. being relieved and turned on is kind of a brand new experience, and it leaves him a little breathless. still! ]

I definitely want it to be a thing! I mean, you’re hot and you’re funny and you’re nice! [ capping that off by stealing another kiss, then adding: ] And you made me come so hard I kinda wanna kidnap you and chain you up in my sex dungeon. Which I don’t even have!

Really? 'cause this does seem like the kind of neighbourhood you get sex dungeons in.

[ It's a testament to how good said sex was that it's only now that Nick realizes he's still just kind of rudely draped over Vash, so he rolls - but he's taking the tone of the conversation to mean it's a-okay if he pulls Vash with him, so they're on their sides but still pressed close. ]

I just wanna... make sure I know where I stand. If all you're talking about is this, the sex, I can be up for that. You're hot as hell. But when I say I want it to be a thing, I mean the whole thing. I wanna take you out, spend time together. When I introduce you to my brother, I wanna tell him we're dating. The kind of thing where my workmates give me shit for it and tell me I'm getting soft.

I know that's fast, but I got a good feeling about you.

[ if anything, there’s a little noise of complaint when wolfwood moves them. sometimes it’s nice to be a little squished! but the protest is soothed once vash figures out he can snuggle right back up as close as he wants.

and the rest? it makes his heart do a stupid little thing in his chest, and there’s no fighting the stupid smile. ] Yeah. That’s what I want, too.

Besides, [ ehehe. ] I already listed you as my boyfriend on the visitor form.

[ mostly because there was no way he was putting “potential booty call”, but still. ]

[ This is what he's signing up for

Nicholas D. Wolfwood, whose clothes escape the clutches of fashion because he refuses to replace a piece of clothing until it's too busted to wear, who rides a motorcycle that cost him $500 and had to be assembled, who tans so dark in summer that rich people ask him if he habla ingles, willingly getting entangled with someone who lives somewhere so ritzy it's got visitor forms. No way in hell could this go bad.

Still worth it. ]

Might as well keep it that way for next time. I'd put you down as boyfriend on the visitor forms for my apartment, but we don't have those. We have a service elevator that's been stuck since 1998 and a pigeon issue.

Edited 2023-03-06 09:33 (UTC)

[ leaning in a little, enough for him to be able to nuzzle up against wolfwood’s cheek. ] You can totally tell the pigeons I’m your boyfriend. I’ll bring breadcrumbs so I can make a good impression.

[ but! if they’re gonna settle down for some snuggling… ] Oh! Hey, um… would it creep you out if I took my arm off? [ giving the prosthetic’s fingers a little wiggle. ] I usually let it charge at night.

Nah, go for it.

[ It charges! He lifts a hand to press his fingertips against the ones on the prosthetic, making a little steeple of them. It really is cool. The kids are gonna go nuts. ]

That's gotta be handy for cuddling. No waking up with your arm numb 'cause someone slept on it all night.

[ it’s the answer vash was expecting, but it’s still nice to hear! and he takes a second to drum the fingers of the prosthetic playfully against wolfwood’s before he pushes himself up into a sitting position. reaching over, finding the little button at the base underneath his arm, then… a twist and a tug, and it’s off. and! because vash is smart, he already keeps the charging set up for the arm on the bedside table, so all he has to do is lean over wolfwood long enough to plug it in.

then! he can flop himself back down and snuggle right back up into wolfwood’s body heat, tangling their legs up together. ]

Kinda nice for you, too. Means I can’t roll over in the middle of the night and clobber you with my roboarm. [ nuzzling up under wolfwood’s jaw, trailing a lazy line of kisses there. ]

It'd definitely be the coolest black eye I ever got.

[ Buts Vash tucks back in and Nick twines against him easily, slipping his own sadly non-detachable arm under Vash and curling it up to stroke at his hair. Vash is absolutely worth a numb arm. ]

Probably for the best, though. I can't wait to introduce you to the kids. It's gonna go smoother without having to explain that.

It’d definitely help the cool outlaw vibe.

[ not that wolfwood needs it! vash thinks he’s plenty cool already.

he puffs out a contented little sound as that arm wraps back around him, leaning into the hand in his hair. this is… nice. maybe almost as good as the sex? just being able to lay here with someone, not worrying that he has to scramble to cover some part of himself up. just… comfy. ] I can’t wait to meet ‘em! Best place to get all the dirt on you, ehehe.

And they'll dish it.

[ Actually...]

Hey. I know you already okayed it with the pigeons, but the kids are definitely gonna ask if you're my boyfriend. And they're gonna ask like little shits, too, like "ooooooh, is he your boooooyfrieeeend?" Best way I can think of to shut that right down is say yes.

That cool with you?

[ 'cause Nick doesn't do a whole lot of relationships, but he knows enough to know there's a difference between "we're dating" and "he's my boyfriend". And this? This feels like the second thing. ]

Yeah, obviously! [ vash doesn't even have to think about it. ... although, after a beat, he does add: ] I mean, as long as that doesn't make you uncomfortable.

After a performance like that, I'd be stupid if I didn't try to lock you down.

Mm. Consider me locked.

[ He's a little sleepy, but not so much that he can't duck in for one more good, slow kiss. It's... refreshing. Vash is more open than anyone he's ever been with, and it's a great feeling to come into something about this and be honest right off the bat - not just about physical attraction, but emotional too. It makes all the games he used to play seem stupid. ]

When the world is too dark

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