Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Resemblance of Normality

A light touch on your forehead is what stirs you awake. You are slow to comprehend everything; the sleep is still clouding your mind. You are bundled up in two blankets like the night before, but there is more restricting you than the fabric. As you start to comprehend more, you realize that Vash's leg lays between yours across the blanket, his arm over your body, his hand resting on your back. Your arm is laying upon his side, as you had been sleeping toward him, face against his chest. The touch on your forehead is his lips.

"Good morning!" his sleepy voice says quietly as you stretch out. When your arm moves back towards your body, you leave it on him, feeling his side through the cloth. You realize he is still wearing his regular clothes, as he never changed, even though you are staying at a hotel. You don't imagine he had a very comfortable night. He had fallen asleep first as he held you in his arms, insisting that you needed both blankets that he had rolled you into. You were left trapped under his arm and leg, not able to do much without waking him up. You had decided you would wait for him to turn away and then tuck him in, but you had gotten bored of waiting and decided to nap. Still, he has remained in a very similar position to the one he started in, so you had no hope of succeeding in your mission.

"Good morning," you answer him as you turn your face upward. He is so close to you that, for a moment, all you see are his blue eyes. You remember his face next to yours from last night, covered by the darkness of the room, but now the sunlight shines through the window and leaves nothing to the imagination.

His hand travels from your back to your shoulder and neck, his thumb stroking over your cheek, and his fingers lift your chin a bit more for him to place a kiss on your lips. Feeling like you're melting into his touch, your hand on his side pulls your bodies a bit closer together.

"I don't want this to stay a secret in the dark. Call it an old man's wish if you will." His hand strokes your face. Eyes closing to his touch, you snuggle closer again, and his arms wrap around you to keep you against his chest. You hear his heart beating, and his pulse is elevated. "Oh, Iris, it's like I've waited my whole life for you to come along."

You realize it hasn't been long at all since he found you in that coffin, but it feels like you've known him your whole life.

"I'm glad you saved me," you say, still pressed against his chest.

"Me too."

***

The day went by in mostly a happy daze. You finally felt some resemblance of peace; you had been accepted in every way by someone who understood you and wasn't afraid. The insistent noise was still present in your head, demanding to be heard, but your heart was too light and your mind was too filled with a peaceful fog for it to bother you.

After you two finally got out of bed, you suggested that Vash go get breakfast for himself while you patch up your clothes enough to be able to leave the room. He seemed reluctant to head out but agreed in the end. You picked up his sewing kit and got to work on your shirt; somehow it came to you so easily, like you had done it a million times before. Quickly, the holes were stitched together, and you got dressed. You even took the time to fix up some of Vash's clothes that you had noticed needed attention. The man returned while you were in the middle of mending one of his turtlenecks, and a displeased frown was slapped onto his face as he noticed.

"Why do you seem to take on too much work for yourself? You don't have to go out of your way to do things for me." He seemed to scold you.

"What else was I supposed to do?" You answered in a light tone and looked up at him. "Was I supposed to sit around and stare at the door till you return?"

He let out a sigh and came closer. His hand went to the back of your head, and he pulled you closer to give your scalp a kiss while his other hand took the needle and shirt away. After that, he took you to the woman who was trading clothes for food and money. There were piles of clothes on tables to sort through. You felt exposed mingling around other people, but they didn't seem to pay you much attention, as Vash was the one who stood out with his bright red coat, orange sunglasses, and prosthetic arm. He chatted away with the shopkeeper, casually browsing some items too. You were very happy to have him with you, and you tried to get the stuff you needed quickly: some underwear and more clean clothes to wear both in the desert and indoors. Vash pulled out a simple bag; it's smaller than his but seemed to be a perfect fit for you, so he was waving it at you, and you gave him a thumbs up with a shy smile. The last item you came across was a simple leather scabbard that, to your approximation, seemed to fit the knife you had taken from the last town. When you went to pay, your total came in to a lot less than you had expected, and you managed to pay it off with the money you had earned on the toma farm. You aren't sure if the prices have changed so much in the last century, or maybe Vash had something to do with it. Either way, you pack the stuff into the bag, and Vash insists on carrying it for you.