I would never forget his face until the day I died. Vash the Stampede, wanted for 60 billion dollars. And I had made love to him.
My name is Yuu. Karen, Yuu. Not many know who I am. Not many want to know who I am. Not many care who I am. I hide in the background of life as it's known, letting the others take the main parts of it. Besides, there isn't much need for me on this desert planet anyway.
I remember my childhood. I lived it simply, but fully. Yuu, the one who always ran around, always had an imagination and played with everything there was. Who loved life itself, loved nature, loved the creatures, plants and animals. Everything was simple back then. Not like the life that I knew now. I was at the age of 22, and still not married. No man had ever proposed to me in my lifetime. Nor would they ever. I had never even kissed or touched hands with another man. It was not because of my looks or my personality. It was because my family was not rich, and I myself did not have much to offer in the way of skills.
Only one man I found ever truly showed me that I was worth something, I could lead an exciting life, and that I meant more than anything to him in the world at that moment. I vowed I would never forget his face until the day I would pass on.
I could hear the screams from the main section of town as I pulled water from a well to take home for that day. It had been rumoured that Vash the Stampede was nearing our town, and that mass destruction would ensue. Oddly, everyone but me worried and feared for their lives. I sensed something that they could not. I sensed an emotional, caring side to the man known as The Humanoid Typhoon. While everyone else ran from him, I fled to him. He stayed in my town for a while.
The townspeople believed he was a part of the bandits. Little did they know he wasn't; Vash was on the opposite side rather. I remember the day he finally did step into town. I was just bringing up a bucket of water from the well and there he was.
"Ah…Would you mind giving me a drink of water, please miss?" He asked, his hand behind his head, and a goofy look on his face. I smiled, and placed the bucket down. I nodded to him, and he dove for the bucket, slurping into it like a crazy man. I giggled a little at his actions, until I noticed most of the water was gone. I let out an exasperated sigh. He looked up at me and smiled. "Gomene, I'll get a new bucket for you!" He offered to me, and took the bucket, throwing it down into the well. I blinked. Then looked at him.
"Ne…You didn't attach a rope. It won't come back now." I explained to him. He blinked once, then burst into laughter.
"Ah soka.." He smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile back. "I'll get a new bucket for you." He offered. I shook my head.
"It's all right. I'll go back home and get one to refill. Thanks." I smiled at him, and waved, beginning to walk past him. I thought I heard him mumble something at me as I did so, but I ignored it, and went on towards home. I knew papa wouldn't be happy that I hadn't returned with the two buckets of water, and just the one. I let out another sigh as I neared the front porch. Papa stood there already, waiting for me as usual. He immediately noticed that I only carried one bucket of water.
I didn't look up at him, my head down, and I walked past him slowly. His stern eyes said everything that he didn't need to say to me. I knew what was to come from my father.
"Sumi masen." Vash's voice chirped in behind me. "It was my fault that your daughter didn't bring home a second bucket of water. I was so thirsty, and I needed something to drink." He played a bit with my father, showing him a mini play of how desperate he was for water. "Don't punish her for my mistake." He told my father, seriously. I turned around and looked at this man who was known as the Stampede. I smiled at him, and he did peace sign with his fingers. "Lovu and peace!" He said. I looked at my dad. For once, he was actually smiling. I slinked into the background of the picture at that time. I blushed as I walked to my room, skipping a little.
The next few weeks went by fast. Vash was staying in town. Niormally, the stories I had heard were that wherever he went, bandits followed, and cities were destroyed. However, nothing happened during this time. Things were calm and quiet. I usually spent lunch or supper with Vash everyday, like it was an ordinary thing.
Vash hungrily devoured the food I had placed on the table for him. I could see that he was quite hungry. I smiled as he ate in huge amounts. I offered him a bottle of ale as well, to wash it down, which he drank quickly. I ate my food rather slowly compared to him.
My thoughts invaded into my words as I looked at him. "Do you have any family?" I asked him. I knew I was probably being rude, and I shouldn't have asked…But I couldn't help it. I knew almost nothing about him. He looked up from eating, placing everything down beside him. He paused for a moment.
"I can only remember one person who was like family to me." He paused again. "But she passed away many years ago." A silence filled the room for a few seconds. I didn't know what to say to this man, this Vash the Stampede…So I said nothing. I went back to eating the rest of my dinner.
"You remind me of her a lot." He said. I looked at him, into his eyes. I could feel the slight blush coming over my cheeks. Even though Vash hadn't spoke much of this woman in his life…It was obvious she had meant a lot to him. I sat there, still blushing. He grinned goofily at me, and went back to shoveling his food in, the sullen, still mood suddenly gone from the room. That was the only time during supper or lunch the two of us had had an awkward moment. I was the one to blame because I was the one who had asked the question. I had never brought any other questions about his past up again since that point. There wasn't a need to; what I needed to know, he had told, and I didn't need to pry anymore.
Two weeks into Vash's stay in the town, my parents left to go do some business outside in another town nearby. They left me in charge of the house. That meant all the chores, everything that went with it. I shrugged, and did as I was told. I was able to see Vash more often now, and it made my days seem better.
Friday night. I stood in the kitchen, washing dishes. Already the darkness of the night had fell upon the city, lighting up the stars outside. I was washing dishes that hadn't been done for a few days, when I took a moment to look behind me. Vash stood there. His expression was serious. I took a moment to look at him, not knowing what to expect. I went back to washing my dishes, when I suddenly felt his arms around my waist. I dropped the dishes in my hands into the sink, stunned, and I felt his warm breath against my neck. I slowly wrapped my hands around his wrists and forearms, smiling a bit. He needed to hold someone, I could tell, he needed to be close to someone. That someone was me. I thought of the woman that had been in his life at one point. Had she been his lover, his friend, his sister, his mother? I didn't know which..But whichever it was, I knew he was craving a physical closeness with someone like me. For a few minutes, possibly an hour, we stood there. He held me, his eyes closed, breathing slowly against my neck. I didn't know exactly when he released me, but he did. His arms slowly removed themselves from around my waist, and they suddenly found themselves all over my body, wanting it, needing it. I wanted the same in return; we both knew what we wanted.
That night seemed to last forever to me. I remember his words to me in the morning: "Never forget me as long as you live, Yuu." And I knew it wouldn't be hard to. Not after the night, not after all the time spent together, after everything. I would never forget his name or his face.
Wanted for 60 billion dollars by everyone.
And I had comforted him in his time of need, his time of loneliness, his time of pain.
I, Yuu Karen, had finally made something of myself, even though it had been just one night, and because of just one man.
I, Yuu Karen, had made love Vash the Stampede.