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greetingfromthedead · 20 days

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C80: Happy Birthday

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Series Rating: 18+ / Explicit

Chapter: 80/84

Words: 2.6k

No particular warnings for this chapter.

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This chapter is written based on the prompts given by Potato-S and thepeanutgallery on Quotev and anonymous on Tumblr. Thank you!

"Look, Red!" you grab onto Vash's sleeve with a gasp. "It's a cat!"

Vash leans towards you, still sucking on the strawberry ice cream, his other arm around a paper bag filled with all kinds of groceries. His eyebrows raise in surprise as he too catches sight of the small black tail slinking around the corner.

"I haven't seen one in so long!" You have already let go of him again and pay no mind as you follow the little shadow into the alley. You hear rustling coming from the trash surrounding a bin and approach cautiously, eager to get a better look at the mysterious creature.

"Pspspsps!" you try to call it out of the pile, but all that does is make them freeze. "You must be starving."

You jump up again just as Vash appears around the corner, he looks relaxed as he shoves the last bit of his pink treat into his mouth. You stand on your tiptoes to reach your arm into the bag he carries and dig around until you find the ham, folded up in waxy paper. You unravel it carefully and pull out a slice before giving the rest back into Vash's outstretched hand.

You return to the rustling mound and extend your hand with the meat, waiting for the breeze to carry the scent to the animal.

"Don't be scared! You can have all this and more; just come out." You speak softly, and Vash smiles tenderly at your antics. "Come out, little one! We won't hurt you!"

You squat patiently as the shifting of the trash gets closer to you, and a little black head pops out from underneath. The nose is just as jet black as the coat, but large green eyes look back at you with a mixture of fear and curiosity. You don't move, and Vash observes that you don't even breathe as you wait for the kitten to come closer. It takes a few careful steps towards you, cautiously sniffing the air, and the smell of ham seems to triumph over any hesitation. They bite into the ham and try to run away, but as you hold on to the slice, they have to remain where they are and bite off pieces. The black cat still looks uneasy and chews while trying to make scary noises, but you remain still and calm. Vash's eyes move between the two of you, observing the precious moment. The cat relaxes as the hunger pains lessen and even starts rubbing their head on your hand. That's when you scoop them up.

"Hey, little guy. You're cute!" You lift them up so they are level with your eyes. "Where did you come from?"

You stand up, and the little creature purrs loudly as you stroke its soft fur. You go up to Vash and present your new friend. He lowers his head and smiles at the adorable little creature. His free hand reaches out and his finger moves underneath one of the front paws. Your man gives the kitten a little handshake.

"Nice to meet you!" He smiles brightly and then scratches their head.

"I wonder if they have a home..." you say a little sadly as you let the creature climb onto your shoulder. The kitten purrs happily and nuzzles into your neck, feeling like it belongs there.

"I don't know, but we can ask around," Vash says softly, giving you a reassuring smile.

You spend an hour asking the townsfolk about the little stray kitten, but nobody has an answer as to how it got there or who it belongs to. You decide to put your search on hold as you still have your groceries with you. With a heavy heart, you head back to your toma to go and look for a place to stay the night, but that's when you see a little poster on the side of a building with a familiar black furry face. It's a missing cat poster that comes with an address pointing to the edge of town, and that's where you head.

You knock on the door, and the person who answers is a middle-aged woman who looks very tired. Her eyes shift between you and Vash as the man opens his mouth.

"Hello! We're here because we saw your poster." Vash smiles brightly, his bubbly personality overflowing.

"Oh... Did you find her?!" The woman perks up with hope and looks more intently to see if you have the kitten.

"Yes, we ran into them on the street," you say softly, and you reach out to tickle the bottom of Vash's hood. A moment later, the black cat pops their head out from where they have been sleeping ever since you fetched your birds.

"You found her!" The woman is overjoyed and reaches out to pick the animal up from Vash's shoulder. "I was so scared! My little granddaughter left her in my care when she and my daughter moved to September! I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to her. How can I repay you?!"

"It was our pleasure," Vash says with his regular calm demeanor, and you nod.

"Are you travelers? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"We're just passing through, indeed," Vash replies with a smile.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" The woman continues.

"We were just about to go find ourselves a room somewhere."

"No need! You can stay here; my daughter's room is free. Come, come, I insist!" The woman takes Vash's sleeve and pulls him inside; with her other hand, she cradles the kitten.

Vash shrugs while looking at you and enters with you close behind. As you enter the cozy room, you can't help but feel grateful for the woman's generosity. It's nothing fancy, but it's warm and inviting. She helps you settle in, and the little black kitten follows you around like a shadow even after you insist that you have no more ham to give to her. Vash tells you to take it easy while he tends to the birds for a change, and you take the opportunity to play with your furry friend. It has been a while since Vash has dealt with the toma and their gear so extensively, and you had used your own little knots and quirks for securing everything, so he fiddles for quite a bit with everything while chatting with the woman. The topic of birthdays comes up, and Vash thinks back to his childhood on the ship and the wonderful first birthday Rem threw for him and Nai. He doesn't think much about birthdays, despite the happy memory, but he realizes that you probably have no memory of any of your birthdays or even when it would be. The thought stings him a little because he knows that you deserve to be celebrated just as much as anyone else.

As he comes back inside with the woman, he realizes that the house is completely silent. He begins to worry that something may be wrong and walks up to the bedroom door where he last left you to be met with you sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep, and the kitten curled up in the crook of your neck. The sight gives him mixed feelings. On the one hand, finding you asleep is always a bit concerning, especially in a situation like this, but you look happy, not in the usual curled up position with a furrowed brow.

"She must've been very tired. Let's let her rest; she has a trustworthy little guard with her to keep watch over her dreams," the quiet voice of the woman says as she gently pulls the door closed.

Vash does check up on you a few times, peeking in through the tiniest crack of the door to make sure you're okay. Each time he finds you in a different position, as you seem to toss and turn a lot, the covers a mess on the bed, and the tiny cat is always either somewhere on or around you. He leaves with a smile on his face to return to his little project.

Vash has just lathered the first layer of biscuit with a thick layer of cream when you step out of the bedroom. Your face seems a bit groggy to him, but you return his smile with a warm one of your own. You walk up to him and wrap your arms around his waist, resting your head against his back.

"Hey, Sweet Pea," he says quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Strange. But in a good way. I feel rested, if it makes any sense in my context," you reply, hugging him tighter. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much; don't worry about it," he replies with amusement.

"Really? Cause to me, it looked like you're making a cake," you chuckle and start to sway him softly from side to side. "What's the occasion?"

"Well..." He trails off, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I just thought that since I don't really know your birthday and you probably don't know it either, that we would just celebrate it today!"

"What?" you say softly as you peek around his side to catch a glimpse of his face, and he sends you a goofy smile. "Oh, Sprout... You are too sweet."

You release him to stand beside him and lean over the table to have a closer look at what he's doing.

"Want any help?" you ask cheerfully as you turn to him.

"I might need your guidance, but I think you need a hairnet or something," he chuckles, his hands covered in icing. "Your hair is getting dangerously close to my masterpiece."

"What...?" You get a confused look on your face and reach up to touch your hair to find it in an absolute mess. Your cheeks flush crimson, and you go closer to a shiny pot on the edge of a cabinet to look at the birds nest on your head from all the tossing you did in your sleep. You groan at the thought of having to brush this through, but then start laughing instead.

"I look... like a crazy person!" You chuckle. "No... I look human."

"Are you considering a new hairdo?" Vash asks calmly with an adoring smile on his lips.

"Why do you ask?" You turn to him. "Don't you like it? Wouldn't you love me if I looked like this?"

You look at him pleadingly as you creep closer. "What is it? I love you for who you are, not how you look. Is it not like that for you?"

"What?! Of course it is!" He seems surprised and assures with a resolute tone: "I love you for you, not your appearance."

"Okay..." you grab hold of his arm, wrapping both of yours around his tightly. "But would you still love me if I was a worm?"

His eyes widen in shock, but he quickly responds, "Even if you were a worm, my love for you would never change."

You laugh at his response and give him a tight hug. You see the smear of icing on his cheek, and pull him closer. He leans towards you, and you take the opportunity to lick the icing off him and gently bite the rosy flesh, causing him to chuckle too, before playfully touching the tip of his nose to yours.

After you fix your bedhead, you return to Vash's side and help him assemble the cake. Once the masterpiece is complete, you both look at it with pride, yet you have swiped enough frosting and leftover biscuit that you are willing to let it sit for a bit. You stand in front of Vash, his arms wrapped around you.

"Oh yeah... I meant to ask. Where's the..." you stop as you realize you don't know the name of the woman living here.

"Ann left, she said she has business in town and she would be back later." Vash's nose digs into the helix of your ear. "You wanna know what else she said? Apparently this town has a water purification system. And that means we can take a bath."

"Ooooooh!" You exclaim excitedly, but your tone quickly changes. "AAAAAH!"

Vash's nimble fingers dance across every spot he knows is ticklish for you, and he has you wiggling in his grasp as you laugh uncontrollably. You try to push his strong arms away, and do indeed manage to twist out of his reach. But Vash quickly grabs you again, determined to continue the tickle attack. To his detriment, you are now in a better position for a counterattack and choose not to show him any mercy as you launch your assault, your fingers digging into the space between his ribs, causing him to squirm and laugh uncontrollably. It doesn't take long for Vash to stumble over his long legs and tumble backward, dragging you along with him. You find yourself on top of him, his arms protectively around you to make sure you don't hurt yourself in the fall, and both of you continue laughing uncontrollably. You lay your ear on his chest and hear the racing of his heart as he holds you close. His right arm wraps around your upper back, his fingertips resting on the side of your neck, and he feels the rhythm pulsating in your veins. He places a kiss on the top of your head and feels your heart seemingly skipping a beat.

Vash covers you in kisses before getting both of you to your feet again and dragging you to the bathroom, where he starts preparing the bath, carefully choosing a temperature and adding bubbles. You sit on the edge and watch him as he stirs the water and picks up two towels. He insists you stay where you are as he hurries around getting everything ready for a relaxing bath. And that includes the strange foreign snacks you found in town. He looks very proud of himself as he brings in a chair and then sets a tray on top of it next to the tub. He has laid out the different cookies and dried meats and fruits you had paid an arm and a leg for. He even brought a bottle of wine and two glasses. He shuts the faucet and turns to you with mischief in his eyes.

"Noh, strip, birthday girl." He laughs.

"Shouldn't you be stripping for me on this special occasion?" You reply with amusement.

"No, I didn't mean like this. Naughty, naughty," he chuckles, but the heat in his ears reveals his slight flusterdness.

After some more banter and helping each other get rid of your clothes, you find yourself in the tub, laying on his chest with his long legs to either side of you. It is a tight fit, but you enjoy the closeness of his arm around you. You try out the different things you had bought from the market; some of them you would rather have left for someone else, but the wine fits your palette well. You savor the flavors and textures, talking with each other in quiet voices.

"Happy birthday, Sweet Pea!" he whispers into your ear as he places a kiss on your cheek. You smile and thank him, feeling grateful for him putting so much effort into this day.

Once the bathwater gets cold and all the good snacks are out, the two of you get out, determined to go and get a piece each from the cake you made. You exit the bathroom wrapped in your towels, only to be met with an unexpected sight. There is your cake in the middle of the table, but now it has a black furry topper who happily sleeps in the midst of pink frosting.

Vash opens his eyes in the little alcove on the Steamer heading to July. The smell of Wolfwood's cigarette stirs him awake, and he is devastated that he has to let go of the happy memory he just dreamed about.

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