spent twenty years trying to get out of this place

[anthophilia]

[ Taking Vash to the orphanage has gotta be one of his best ideas of all time.

He’d warned Vash on the way over that the kids can be wary of strangers. That it’s not like in old movies where every adult who comes in is a potential parent and everyone’s on their best behaviour, hoping to make themselves seem like a good choice. That they test people, they can be withdrawn or outright rude, that some of them probably won’t even look at him. Because more than they remember the kids who were there and got adopted, they remember the tiny handful who got adopted and came back, quieter now, feeling like there must be something wrong with them, something that makes them bad, and they learned too soon that sometimes it’s better never to have something than to have it and lose it. But they’d arrived and there’d been the usual cries of Nico! Nico’s here! and they’d clustered around, and the kids had known exactly what Nick had known: it didn’t take more than a minute to know Vash was good.

As predicted, they’d asked if Vash was his boyfriend. Well, they’d told him. Oooh, Nico’s got a boooyfrieeend, and he’d just looped his arm around Vash’s waist and said yep. A good one, and they’d gone nuts for approximately 30 seconds before dragging Vash off for a guided tour of the bedrooms, the rec room, the animals - a couple dogs who loved Vash just as much as the kids do, the chickens who are so used to little hands that they’ll wander right up for pets.

Best of all had been Theresa. Seven years old, still full of childlike innocence but old enough now to be wary of her differences, to know how cruel the world can be, used to new adults giving her a tight smile and saying hello, sweetheart before their eyes slid right off her, unwilling to look at the prominent scar on her face. She’d been quiet as usual for a good chunk of the morning, but when they’d all sat down for lunch and a small round of bickering broke out about who got to sit next to Vash, she’d skipped the queue with the determined and slightly stilted gait her prosthetic leg gave her and claimed her place at his side.

Nick’d had to excuse himself to go get an extra pitcher of water for the table just to avoid pissing her off with the gooey look on his face.

Later, there’d been games, the kids laughing delightedly as Vash and Nick followed along with little dancing animated characters and then absolutely destroying their scores. Reading, which Nick used as an excuse to show off a little. The Big Bad Wolf got a Clint Eastwood drawl, the three little pigs developed a tendency to call each other pardner, and in a new twist ending Little Red Riding Hood showed up armed with a six-shooter, scared the wolf away for good, and was made sheriff of New Pork. When it was time to leave and the kids tried to make Nick promise to bring Vash next time Nick said he would if he hadn’t scared him off by then, and Theresa deployed the savagery of a child with a good vocabulary and slightly lesser social skills by turning to Vash and saying you know where it is now. You can come without him.

Then as promised, Nick takes Vash to the chapel. It’s small; it doesn’t need to be big, because thankfully the orphanage is never quite full. It’s pretty, though, and built with children in mind. Low pews for little legs at the front, and the stained-glass window is a lamb slumbering peacefully in an emerald field, a lion’s face making the sun in the sky, framed in red roses that are the only visible reference to thorns - no crucifixes here, because Catholic as they may be someone apparently put their foot down about scaring the kids. There’s a little confessional but it’s seldom used; the kids aren’t required to go in there at all, and at least in Nick’s days it was primarily a place to hide and make out. Or other things – Nick’s at least 75% sure he’s the reason there’s a smoke detector in there now. And of course, the little shelves with their little candles, flickering in their jars. It’s probably not the done thing to have open flames anymore, but when your whole organization is dedicated to making a place of peace and healing for children who’ve lost everyone, sometimes tradition is important.

Nick slips his hand into Vash’s as they enter, and he can’t quite hide his affection for the place. He may be very, very lapsed, but good memories last. ]

Huh. I haven’t been in here for years, but it hasn’t changed. Feels like I’m a kid again.

Comments

[anthophilia]

Quit -

[ It takes him a second to collect himself. A couple of breaths before he continues. ]

Quit apologizin'. It's hot that you squirt and it doesn't feel bad. 's just a lot.

[ And then, a little quieter, as if there's a chance of someone overhearing: ]

'specially after you came inside me.

[spiculatus]

[ oh. oh! that’s… a lot of announcements. it sends a little flare of heat through vash, which means the most eloquent reply he can manage is a wheeze of: ]

Oh. Cool.

[ no, wait!! you can’t just said oh. cool. in response to that!!!

which is why he tries to recover, blushing like a cherry tomato. ] Maybe, um… next time, we can see if you can get me to do it while you’re inside me?

[anthophilia]

Yeah.

[ Oh, wow. Vash says that, red as he is, as it might be the hottest thing Nick's ever heard. He leans in, meaning to press a kiss to Vash's mouth, and the movement makes him whimper a little. ]

Hang on. I'm just gonna -

[ It's hard to perform an elegant dismount when your limbs are still pretty much jellied from all the sex, and he tries his best, but it's still him lifting his hips to slowly slide off the dildo, a horrifically embarrassing little sound of loss as it works, and then him flopping onto the bed beside Vash. He manages a little kiss after all that, though, and lifts a hand to rub over Vash's chest. ]

[spiculatus]

[ there’s a second where he thinks wolfwood is leaving, and he makes a matching sound of complaint. but, oh! that makes sense. kinda hard to snuggle with a dick that never actually goes soft inside you, huh?

he returns that little smooch! and then takes a sec to undo enough straps of the harness in order to wriggle out of it, tossing it to the other side of the bed. sliding that little egg vibe out of himself for good measure, a little shiver as it pops free.

and then he’s free to cuddle right back up, pressing a kiss to wolfwood’s cheek. ] Feeling okay?

[anthophilia]

Feelin' great. That was amazing. You're amazing.

[ It's there again. The itch. He ignores it, cups a hand at Vash's cheek to kiss him slow. Maybe it's too soon to say it, but it's not too soon to show it, right? If he's careful? ]

Gotta admit, in the store I was gearin' up to tell you to go bigger if you wanted. Good thing you didn't. I mighta killed myself up there.

[spiculatus]

[ he’s grinning from ear to ear. ]

I knew it! You had your eye on The Punisher all along, huh?

[anthophilia]

Oh, yeah. Really keen to call Lena and tell her she's gotta run the bar for a month while I'm in hospital for getting myself turned inside-out.

[ But he's smiling too, still cupping Vash's cheek, soaking up the look on Vash's face. God, he's grogeous when he smiles. Nick wants to make him look like that all the time. ]

[spiculatus]

[ he laughs, eyes glittering with amusement. ]

I’d have to come up with a really good bouquet to send you for that one.

[anthophilia]

Sure would. What'd be the right flowers to say sorry for taking "rearrange my guts, daddy" so literally they're in my chest now?

[ They're really gonna have to move soon. He needs to change the sheets, and probably haul the both of them into the shower since he came all over Vash and he can feel what's about to happen with that jizz lube, but... this is nice. Tangled up close, talking shit. ]

[spiculatus]

Right, I’m gonna know that one off the top of my head. Because those are bouquets I have to send out for people allllll the time.

[ poking gently at wolfwood’s chest, teasing. ]

You got lucky the morning you came in. Usually I have a line around the block, packed full of people desperate for bouquets to help navigate their weird sex injury situation.

[anthophilia]

[ He laughs, low and happy, catching the finger that pokes him in the chest and lifting it to his mouth to give it a playful little bite. ]

Good thing we played it safe, then. No apology flowers needed. You can just take a shower with me and maybe order us a pizza while I change the sheets.

[spiculatus]

Huh. Changing the sheets already?

[ his tone is deceptively innocent. ]

Guess that’s a no on an encore, huh?

[anthophilia]

[ Okay listen, three seconds ago he was sure that going again was impossible. No way, nothing doin'. But when Vash puts it like that - innocent as he may be trying to sound... ]

That sounds like a challenge.

[spiculatus]

Who, me?

[ the innocence just kicks up another notch, complete with the way he bats those big blue eyes. ]

Nooo, Nico! If you need to change the sheets and call it quits, I totally understand!

[anthophilia]

[ Those eyes are dangerous! Does he have a licence for those things??? ]

Hey now! You're the one who was in such a hurry to get 'em changed. You wanna see if we can mess 'em up some more first, I'm game.

[spiculatus]

[ ehehe. time to lean in and steal a little kiss off wolfwood's mouth. ]

I'm just giving you a hard time! If you wanna get comfy and take it easy for the rest of the night, I don't mind.

[anthophilia]

Yeah, that's the problem.

[ Perhaps surprsingly, this is not a joke about Vash making him hard! ]

I want it all with you. I want the marathon sex and the cuddling up and goofing around and everything in between. I'm gonna need more hours in the day.

[spiculatus]

[ that makes him smile all over again, expression softening. ]

Hey, no rush! We've got time, right? [ kinda feels like they might have the rest of their lives. ]

[anthophilia]

I guess we do.

[ It's warm, a little wonderstruck. Vash smiles at him like it's a promise and he can't help the way his own smile gets all soft and mushy, saying for him what he said before and doesn't want to risk saying again. He can't help pulling Vash into another kiss, sweet and lingering. It's a nice thought; that they don't have to squeeze it all in now, because they have all the time in the world. ]

[spiculatus]

[ he's more than happy to melt into that kiss, wrapping his arms around wolfwood's shoulders all over again. letting it linger until he's got to pull away just for another breath, but not going far once he does.

still. his expression gets a little more serious. ]

Hey... there was something you said earlier...

[anthophilia]

[ Aw, fuck. He thought he got away with it! Still, he tries to play it relatively cool - not apologizing right away. Maybe he can play a little dumb? See how it pans out? ]

Yeah?

[ Not quite gosh, did I?, trying to pitch it more like... being open to feedback? Hopefully? ]

[spiculatus]

Yeah...

[ there's a long pause. a meaningful one. where all he does is look into wolfwood's eyes.

and then: ]

So you want to call me daddy, huh? [ HEHEHE ]

[anthophilia]

[ Nick freezes. Then, despite the grin on his face, he whips the pillow out from under his head, gives it a prepatory little fluff, and grips it by each end. ]

Changed my mind. I don't want the fuck marathons or the cuddling. I wanna smother you.

[spiculatus]

[ a shriek! and then he's trying to roll across the bed and escape, giggling. ]

Nico, noooo! I told you I didn't wanna end up on a true crime episode!

[anthophilia]

Shoulda thought of that before you ran your mouth!

[ Nice try! His bed isn't that big! He doesn't actually smother Vash - obviously - but does give him a thwap with the pillow. ]

I'm not even gonna clean up the crime scene! There's gonna be jizz and sex toys everywhere and they're gonna describe it all for their listeners!