Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Moving On

You spent a few more days at the saloon, now with the additional job of protecting the girls, while Vash's job was to make sure the downstairs stays calm. You got more action than him, occasionally taking his duties when the rowdiness started at the doors. You didn't have to talk much, and it seemed like you got enough of a reputation from your first night that most people backed away after seeing the fire burning in our eyes. The girls started to call you a demon in the most affectionate way possible, and the men picked up on it too, not wanting to come face-to-face with a hell beast. Once you had to clobber someone who was trying to convince you to get into one of the rooms with him, and another time you threw a knife at someone's head, the blade cutting some of his hair and burying itself into a door frame. The bartender overlooked your slightly destructive behavior, as he was glad to cultivate a reputation for his establishment so he can threaten patrons with the Demon even after you're gone. You got to retire the maid uniform after the first night, much to the dismay of Vash, and you wore clean pants and a new shirt you had gotten instead. The stomping of your boots was generally enough to quiet down anyone who wanted to get more from the girls than they paid for.

The demonic persona was easier for you than who you tried to be to fit in. You were welcome to let your furious and sarcastic personality shine through. None of the girls were scared of you, though; they smiled kindly and greeted you happily. They occasionally came up to you and chatted away, especially Jenny, but you still felt awkward talking back, not sure what to say.

The sheriff came over one day to hand you the bounty for the Maxwell brothers, which you shared with Vash. That same day, you went to the saloon owner and told him that you'd be moving on from this town. He happily paid you your wages and told you that he would take the two of you back any time or at least buy you a drink. Even Hilda seemed sad to see Vash go after working him to the bone in the kitchen.

You buy yourself your own tomas and some more supplies, and you saddle up to head out of town. You double-check that you have everything with you, and off you go.

"I'm still disappointed you don't want to share a tomas with me." Vash pouts next to you.

"Red, it's not about wanting to share; I felt bad for your tomas. I have more stuff now—more supplies, more weight. We get farther like this."

"Well, don't blame me then if I refuse to let go of you as soon as you get off that bird." He laughs lightly, and you can't help but smile.

"So where to?" You don't really know what his plan is; you are just happy to tag along with him. His presence soothes the voices in your head, and a feeling is growing ever larger in your chest. The voices have gotten worse after the first night at the saloon; new screams have been added to the cacophony, and they are insistently in your brain. The time you spent alone, away from Vash, was the hardest. Other sounds, including the girls' chatter, helped to distract you, but there was something more about the man beside you; it's like he is able to put a damper on it by just being there. He makes your heart light and brings a smile to your lips. Every night that you went back to the hotel you had spent in his arms, he insisted that it's to make up for all the hours he couldn't see you. To spare yourself from nights filled with buzzing, you chose to sleep them away with him. These days are now, however, over since you don't trust the open desert enough to not keep watch.

"To the closest village, maybe? Or we can take course to the next bigger settlement, but then it might be smarter to skip that village. We're good with supplies, and it would be a detour."

You agree to head to the closest town, even though it means three nights in the desert. You can only hope the two of you don't become worm fodder, but then again, it's not something completely new to either of you. Lucky for both of you, the track is calm, no surprises, only a few cars off in the distance, and some worm swarms, but nothing that would indicate danger. You push on into the night at a slow pace, trying to find a good spot to camp, and finally you come across a small stone outcropping. It won't give you much shelter from the wind, nor will it hide you from anybody within seeing distance, but the stones mean there's bedrock under the sand, and that way you are safe from large worms.