Chapter Four: Scars
Wolfwood awoke to a sweet scent. His eyes were still closed, and he smiled lightly at the sweet smell of ... what was it... caramel and vanilla and cream and toasting sugar and marshmallow... and... no... it was Milly...
Milly...
Milly?
Opening his eyes, he was met with soft-brown hair, lit with the first rays of morning shining through the windows. He grinned into her hair.
However, Wolfwood knew that as much as he liked the feeling of Milly leaning into him, it would end up awkward if they both woke up in this position.
He gently moved her so that she leant against the side of the bus, and then let go of her hand. She gave a small noise of discontent before sleeping peacefully again.
Wolfwood smiled in her direction. He had never felt so happy and content around a girl before. He gave her hand a pat before turning to his right, to see how Vash and Meryl were getting along. The last time they had slept in a bus, Vash had been leaning against the window and Meryl kneeling on her seat with her head buried in her arms on the back of the seat.
Wolfwood had told Vash off behind Meryl and Milly, saying that wasn't what a man did to a lady. When Vash asked just what was he meant to do then, he had replied
"Let her lean on you! Geez Vash, it wouldn't hurt!"
Vash didn't speak to him for most of the journey after that, Wolfwood recalled. His expression had been something Wolfwood had grown accustomed to seeing on Vash's face; the face that clearly stated, 'I don't want to hurt anyone'.
Which was why Wolfwood nearly fell off his seat in surprise to see Meryl leaning - very slightly, yes, but still leaning - against Vash, whose hand was holding hers. Vash himself was looking out the window, so Wolfwood couldn't see whether he was awake or not.
Still, the image was so startling, Wolfwood felt his eyes grow considerably big. But then he saw Meryl's sleeping face. Unlike the look of peace on Milly's face, Meryl's held a strange expression of distinct discomfort. Just then, Vash turned his head round and saw Wolfwood goggling at him and Meryl. He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
He asked, keeping his voice down. People around the bus were starting to awaken, and the bus itself was already moving and well on its way, but other people, like Milly and Meryl, were still asleep.
"You finally got her to loosen up, eh?"
Wolfwood grinned.
"You could say that,"
Vash replied. Wolfwood gestured to Meryl's hand.
"I guess you were taking good care of her, so she didn't mind so much, eh?"
Vash didn't say anything at first, but took up Meryl's hand and exposed the gash to Wolfwood, who winced. There was a moment's silence before Vash spoke.
"She got this one... because of me."
Vash said quietly.
"Someone was going to stab me, so she pushed her hand in place of my neck."
Wolfwood smiled.
"Well, that's much she likes you. She'd do the same for me."
'I think', Wolfwood added silently to himself. There was a pause before Vash said,
"It's going to scar her for a very long time, probably for life."
Wolfwood shrugged, careful not to disturb Milly whilst doing so.
"Well, you have plenty of scars on your body. You get them from protecting people and refusing to retaliate. So Meryl got a scar from protecting someone. Like you."
Vash frowned.
"But..."
"Listen, you're just worried she got hurt for you because you're Vash. If it was me she'd been protecting, I wouldn't be fretting over me being the 'culprit' of any inconvenience I may have caused'. I mean, she saved my life. I'd say thank you."
Something in Vash's eyes lit before he gave a small laugh.
"Thanks, Wolfwood. I've learnt something new today."
"No problem, my dear friend. So, Tongari; what's for breakfast?"
"I don't know. We should ask the insurance girls for that one."
"Agreed. I'm hungry."
Wolfwood leaned over to Milly, and set himself to the task of waking her up.
He was finding it difficult.
She was too deep asleep for one thing, but she also looked too peaceful.
Sigh.
Static crackled. The man opened his eyes slowly. He shook himself a little to rid himself of the sand covering him, and smoothed out his clothes, which were still stiff from the sandstorm. Then he raised a hand and adjusted a dial on the device around his neck.
"It's morning."
It was a clearly irritated voice.
"Yes, it's a nice one too-"
"Shut up and listen to me. Keep following. We've gone too far to lose them now. Don't you dare lose them. If you do, you know what's coming to you, don't you?"
A shudder ran through the man.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you want me to run the plans through you again? Because remember, I want them alive--"
"I know, sir. I think I'll manage."
"Good. Contact me when you get to stage two."
"Yes sir. Signing out."
He turned the device off and then looked towards the bus with a deep scowl on his face.
"Vash the Stampede... how I hate you."
He muttered.
