Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Day and Night

The two day track to Juukei turns into three. Vash kept his promise of doing you all day, and by the end of it, even you were exhausted and out of breath, barely taking any breaks to recover or to take care of your toma. As soon as you were back from tending to the birds, he pulled you back into his embrace to continue where you had left off.

Vash had fallen asleep between your legs, his head resting on your stomach. His coat engulfs your naked body while you sit halfway up and stroke his hair, gently holding him and caressing his skin as you keep watch over the night. You are so full of love—in love with the man in your arms, in love with your current outlook on life. You aren't afraid anymore of slipping away, of losing your mind, of losing the life you have.

Another day is lost in the little villages; the people seem happy, the children play in the streets, and you are filled with a different kind of peace. You remember enough of your past to understand people better, and Vash's presence fills you with comfort. He seems to be brimming with joy as the kids accidentally kick their ball towards him, and he gets to return it to them. He gives a friendly smile and waves as he guides his tomas by the headgear.

You spend the whole day mingling with the people; you get some food from the locals; and Vash buys the children ice cream. He looks so joyful as he gets to be with the people; it's easy to forget just how much he loves mankind and spending time with them. It's not just his guilt or duty pushing him to protect humans; it's genuine love and adoration. He helps everyone who needs it; he tries his best to make people happy and smile; he is so gentle with the villagers; it makes your heart burst.

As none of the villages had an inn, you move on to the town of Juukei, and suddenly the atmosphere changes completely. It's not quite dark yet, but the streets are mostly empty; women and children are nowhere to be seen; just some rougher looking men are moving around, giving the pair of you very mistrustful glances. This makes your skin tingle. How could there be such a vast difference between the settlements and what is going on here?

"We should get settled in," you say quietly to Vash from the top of your tomas.

"Yes." From his tone, you can tell he has picked up on the strange vibes too. "Excuse me, we heard there's an inn in this town, but we have circled around twice with no luck. Could you point us in the right direction?"

Vash's voice is kind and joyful, a masterful mask on his face as he addresses a man holding a shotgun over his shoulder. The man is skinny, with excess skin drooping on his face, the sun spots are dark on his cheeks and forehead. The balding head leans further back to get a clearer look, no longer just glaring through his gray eyebrows. He seems mistrustful of Vash's soft smile; your expression is more neutral in the back.

"And who might you be?" His tone is frank, "We don't like strangers coming to mess with us."

"We are just passing through. We mean no trouble." Vash stays calm and kind.

"And how would I know that?" His eyebrows rise higher. "We get a lot of weird strangers just passing through, except they leave with our money, our women, and our children! Get lost!"

"What is going on here?" Vash's tone becomes more concerned, "Is there trouble with bandits?"

"Bandits, thieves, lowlifes—you name it, they pour through our area!"

"We are only looking for a place to stay; we mean no trouble. You have our word."

"Ya may look harmless, but I don't trust you. But the inn is next to the pawnshop. There are no names on the building; don't need to invite trouble. You may go there, but know that there are always seven barrels pointed at you if you start any trouble at all."