C&C,   R&R,   and all those other two letter combo type things are greatly appreciated.

Collecting Lust's Bounty
 

    The hotel room was small and smelled like the ointment he had been using on his bruised and battered face, but at least it was his. Vash could hear the steady ranting of Merryl Strife next door. Obviously Milly had said something she disagreed with. . . again.

    Vash the Stampede lay back on the bed and stared at the ointment. He should be applying it again but. . . using his new arm; a nearly real arm, not the robotic limb he'd had for so long, but still it only reminded him. And he didn't want to be reminded. God he didn't want to remember. "Knives. Why?"

    He sat the jar on the night table and closed his tearing eyes. He hurt so very much. His heart felt like it was shattering. He was just so sad! //I don't think I can do this. How can I do this?! How can I face him?! I. . . Knives. Was it something I did? Did I make you this way? I didn't mean to get mad when you killed the spider. I didn't mean to be a Momma's boy to the crew members. I didn't even know I was. All that mattered was you. Being with you. You're my brother. My twin. Two halves of the same whole. Why are you doing this? Why?!//

    A tapping at the window had him smearing away his tears and jumping to open it. A familiar figure slid in and pulled a large, wrapped up cross with him before shutting it again. "Wolfwood!"

    "Hey Vash." His smile vanished when his eyes adjusted to the candle light, "You were crying."

    "I. . . Nah, I got something in my eye or something that's it hahaha."

    The preacher shook his head, "Don't do that."

    "Huh? Do what?"

    "Lock me out with laughter. I told you, that fake smile hurts me to look at it."

    "Well no one's making you stay." Vash sat on the bed, "Why are you here anyway?"

    "What was all that about today?"

    "All what?"

    "'Please don't kill him! No! I'm begging you! Please!'" He mimicked in a high and whiny voice.

    "Hey I don't sound like that!"

    "Yeah. Sure. So what was with that Vash?"

    He turned his eyes away and shook his head, "I don't like people dying."

    "That wasn't the pleading of a person trying to save a stranger." he propped up the cross and sat on the bed beside the Humanoid Typhoon. "You sounded like you knew what he was going through. You were relating to him."

    "What if I was?"

    "That why you're crying?"

    "I wasn't crying!"

    Wolfwood hesitated a moment and then took the sobbing man into his arms, "Vash. Come on. I'm the only one here, no one will laugh at you if you need to cry."

    It was as if the floodgates had been opened by his words, suddenly Vash was gripping his coat for dear life and wailing like an infant. "Wolfwood!"

    He rocked slightly and lifted the meager weight of the thin man onto his lap to hold him tighter. "Go ahead. Cry it out."

    "I. . . ha-haven't r-really c-c-cried in years."

    "Kinda noticed those other tears were a little forced. You try so hard to look like an idiot. Why?"

    "My b-brother was s-so s-s-smart."

    "I didn't know you had a brother."

    "H-he killed them all. All of our friends. H-he killed R-r-rem! Ou-our guardian. H-he's crazy. And n-n-now I. . . I have t-to k-k-kill him!"

    The wailing started again and Wolfwood's arms tightened. "So that's it then."

    "s-s-sorry." He sounded so small.

    "Hey what're friends for." Wolfwood smiled and wet his handkerchief in the pitcher on the dresser. "Look up."

    "Huh?"

    He washed all of the tears away and then ran the cool cloth over Vash's face again for good measure. "There. Feel better now?"

    "Yeah actually." He looked surprised at that. "I feel a lot better."

    Wolfwood grinned and took up the jar of ointment. "You need to put this on again."

    "Actually I didn't put it on tonight."

    "What?! You idiot! You could get an infection or something!"

    "I don't like the reminder."

    "Reminder?"

    Vash held up his new, flesh and steal arm and shrugged. "It isn't me."

    The made the priest smile, "So what're you gonna do? Cut it off again?"

    "Maybe."

    "I was joking!!!"

    "I wasn't."

    "You're nuts aren't you." He sighed and opened the jar. "Lay back."

    "Nicholas I can. . ."

    "Shh. I want to ok? Now shut up." He dipped his slim fingers in the oily concoction and ran them over Vash's face and the outlaw sighed in pleasure. "Good?"

    "Yeah. Feels nice 'n cool." He almost purred, "Thanks."

    "No reason for it. Just close your eyes."

    "I'll fall asleep if I do."

    "You look like you need it."

    "Are you staying?"

    He paused and Vash blinked up into those Gun metal gray eyes as the priest answer softly, "Do you want me to?"

    "Please."

    "Yeah." He sighed, "I'll stay."

    "Arigato."

    "S'nothing Tongari."

    "Mmm, get you fer tha' t'morrow."

    "you do that."
_____________________

    Nicholas D Wolfwood stared down at the sleeping gunman silently. He'd finished putting the ointment on hours ago but he couldn't stop running his fingers over the soft face he'd come to associate way to closely with abject happiness.

    //This is nuts. He's a guy! An outlaw! Sure an outlaw with a thing against killing or hurting people and a heart of fragile gold but. . . shit.//

    Vash mewed in his sleep and rolled over until his face was buried beside Nic's leg.

    //He's so fuckin' precious. Like an angel we just happened to be graced with. An angel. Vash. Oh God forgive me, but I have it bad.//

    The preacher allowed himself a cherishing smile and stroked Vash's hair softly. "So precious."

    The outlaw sighed in his sleep and Wolfwood felt his heart jump at the feel of the other man's warm breath against his trouser leg.

    "Mmm. . . Nicholas."

    "Hey Vash."

    ". . ."

    The priest started and grinned, he hadn't been talking to him, the outlaw was talking in his sleep. "Must be one crummy dream if I'm in it."

    "Mmmm . . . Ohhh!"

    Wolfwood blushed, "That does 'not' sound like a crummy dream!"

    "N. . . nicholas!" Vash bucked up against the priest's legs and groaned and the other man jumped when he felt the hard rod pressing into him.

    //Oh! OH! He's having a. . . about me. . .?!//

    "Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic!"

    A wet spot began to form on the sheet and Wolfwood caught his breath at Vash's beauty as he spilled himself out into his dream lover and onto himself. //He just. . . for me. . . God. Oh God! He really. . .// Shaking fingers ran over the wetness on his leg that had rubbed off from the sheet and he touched it to his lips in reverence. "Vash."

    "ooooh. Hot damn that. . ." Vash stirred and froze when he felt the man sitting beside him. "Nic!"

    "Vash?"

    "I. . . um. . . that is. . . Crap."

    "Cum."

    "What?"

    "Cum, not crap."

    Vash blushed bright red as his coat.

    "You ah. . . you were talking in your sleep."

    "I didn't!"

    "Uh huh."

    "What did I. . . what did I say?"

    Now it was Wolfwood's turn to blush.

    "Oh no. no no no. Tell me I didn't. . ."

    "I can't lie."

    "I can explain!"

    "You want me?"

    "Huh?!"

    "Do you want me? Vash?" He leaned close and waited, a breath away from the outlaw's lips.

    "Yes." He turned away in shame, "Wolfwood I'm sorry, I never meant for this to. . ."

    "It's mutual."

    That stopped Vash's speech. "What?"

    "I want you too."

    A brief, disappointed look shadowed the bright eyes then fled to be replaced by resolve. "Well if you want me, you . . . uh. . . have me?"

    A groan met his innocent offer and Wolfwood captured those so close lips and plundered their depths moist and hot. He moaned into the other's open mouth and rolled his eyes in bliss. "You taste so good."

    Vash blushed again and gulped, "Uh. . . Nic?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Why do you taste like me?"

    "Uh. . ."
 
 
 

~Owari~