The Humanoid ~Vash x OC AU~

Chapter 22: Setting in This

Leilani

With each stroke of the brush, my hair becomes more and more poofy and frizzy, turning into a mane of chaos. It is feral and untamed – nothing new there. But there is something about it that makes it seem and feel so much more unruly than it usually is, and it's frustrating.

I sigh, dropping my arms to my sides, and observe the fluffy mass framing my face. My hair has always been a sore spot for me. It's untamable and wild, never really laying how I want it, and the frizz is unimaginable. So, I've always kept it pulled into buns and ponytails, keeping it out of sight and out of mind. But right now, I am fixated on its unruliness.

Each wave is hectic and crazy, rolling into twisted curls at the ends as loose strands fray away. It is coarse and rough to the touch, yet light and bouncy. It has always felt this way. It has always been wild and cruel to work with, but now... It seems all that much more chaotic, almost as if it is morphing into a bigger beast than it already was.

Could this be because of my hormones? Maybe. I've heard of women whose hair completely changed due to pregnancy. Some even went from having flat, straight hair to poofy hair like mine. Is mine only going to get worse?

A gentle knock comes upon the door before Vash pokes his head in. "Lei, it's dinner time."

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

I turn away. It's not a lie. I'm not. I haven't felt hungry once today. Not since my checkup with Agatha.

My throat becomes tight, thinking back to how she couldn't answer my question. Not really, anyway. Not that I blame her. Being in this position... I am at the mercy of the unknown, and that is just a simple reality.

Vash must take note of my shift because he emerges completely into the room, softly closing the door behind himself as he speaks. "Lei? What's wrong?" He comes closer to where I am on the bed, his feet gently scuffing the carpet. "Did something happen earlier? During the appointment?" His voice becomes low and rushed. "Did Agatha find something wrong?"

Concern and worry both fill his tone, and I squeeze my eyes closed. I hate that I do this to him. That the oddest of shifts in me sends him reeling with some sense of dread. Has it always been this way? Or has it only become all that much more frequent because of all that's happening?

"Calm down," I sigh. "Everything's fine. I'm only measuring further along, is all. Which is something we already expected." I place the brush on the nightstand. "Relax. You're acting like I'm some fragile little thing."

I can feel his eyes boring into me, studying and observing. From the start, I've always felt so small and translucent under his gaze, almost as if he can see right through me. And to be honest, I believe he can. I believe he can take one glance and look right through me, seeing anything and everything he needs to see. Which is both terrifying and relieving.

A few more beats roll by in silence, and then he speaks calmly and warmly. "Sorry. I know I can be a bit...much. I don't mean to be." He takes a seat and the mattress dips under his weight, the springs squealing. "I just worry, is all. With this...situation, I just don't know how to help or what to do. I don't even know if there is anything I can do."

My eyes drift to him. His gaze is fixated on the floor, and his fingers are laced together. And in this golden glaze of evening, his ivory features are flushed and rosy. Soft and sweet, that is what he is, and that pulls at me, creating this ache in my chest.

"Sorry," I say. My chest heaves with exasperation. "I didn't mean to get snippy. I just... I guess I have a lot on my mind. I know it's not an excuse."

He shakes his head, looking at me. "No, it's okay. But what's on your mind?"