Vash awakened to the ringing of the phone. He jumped out of bed and rushed across the room to the stand on which the phone and answering machine rested, picking up the phone before the answering machine clicked on, ready to bite off the caller's head.
"Hello?" asked Vash angrily.
"Vash? It's Nick," answered the man on the other line.
"Good Lord! Nick, how've you been?"
"I've been living."
"Damn, it must be hard without Millie huh?"
"It is."
"How's Veronica? Has she had the baby yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I'm about to make my way to January to see her, and no, she hasn't had the baby yet."
"Tell her that Uncle Vash says 'Congrats' and 'Hello'."
"Will do. Well, I'd better be off then. I'll call after the baby has been born."
"Bye." Vash placed the receiver back on the cradle and walked back over to the bed, jumping back in and kissing Saria's forehead. Saria looked up at him, smiling and resting her chin on his chest.
"Good morning," she said, kissing Vash's chest.
"Don't you mean good afternoon?" retorted Vash. Saria giggled and pushed herself up, kneeling on the bed.
"I'm going to go and make some lunch. I'll call you when it's ready." She kissed Vash's forehead, leaped from the bed, and rushed out of the room.
Vash rolled out of the bed and walked across the room to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower before lunch. He turned the shower on and hopped in, planning his marriage proposal to Saria.
The hot water was welcomed by Vash, rinsing him of the sand and dirt from the previous day. It had all happened so fast: meeting Saria, sleeping in the same bed with Saria, falling in love with Saria. But hey, he was Vash the Stampede, a hopeless romantic. After all, he did ask Elizabeth to marry him the split second he met her that day. What would be so wrong with marrying Saria now?
He pulled the shampoo from the rack hanging under the shower head and squeezed some into his blonde locks, removing all the dirt and gel that had settled in. He placed the bottle back on the rack and rubbed his long blonde hair vigorously, still pondering the proposal.
What if she doesn't say yes? What if this is all a lie? Doubt began to fill Vash's mind as he rinsed the soap out of his hair. Why wouldn't she say yes? She did say that she loves me. Vash grabbed the conditioner and squeezed some into his clean hair, removing all the knots that had formed. He placed it back on the rack and continued to gingerly rub his scalp with the cool liquid.
A ring! What about a ring for her? I don't even have a ring! Vash began to panic as he rinsed the conditioner from his hair and grabbed the loofa from the side of the tub and soaped it up, cleansing his body of the dirt and grit that still clung to him. As he continually cleansed himself, the thought finally came to him. The ring he had bought for Meryl. He would use that one. He rinsed his body off and turned the shower off, pulling the curtain open and wrapping a towel around his scarred body.
He walked across the bathroom to the counter and grabbed his comb, running it through his long golden locks. He stared at himself through the mirror and grimaced at his appearance. He hated the scars his body bore. Imperfection. He couldn't stand them. They left too many bad memories. He took his gaze off of them and stared at his face, placing the comb down and stroking the blonde hairs that projected from his chin.
He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out his shaving crème and razor, closing the door and staring once again at his face. He popped the top off of the shaving crème can and pushed the button so that the cool gel covered his hand. He set the can down and rubbed the gel with his hands to make the lather, covering his chin, neck, and the area above his mouth.
He took the razor and gently stroked his face, removing all the stray hairs that had grown what seemed like overnight. He winced in pain as he cut his cheek, covering the blood spot with a piece of toilet paper. He filled the sink with warm water and tossed the razor in to soak, grabbing a wash cloth from underneath the sink and wetting it with the water that filled the sink.
He tossed the cloth aside and opened the medicine cabinet once more, placing the shaving crème back and razor back in and taking the aftershave lotion and cologne out, shutting the door once more.
He unscrewed the top of the aftershave lotion and gently shook a few drops from the bottle, placing the bottle down and splashing the puddle in his hand onto his neck. He screwed the cap back on and grabbed the cologne, squirting it onto his neck and all around his body. He put the cologne and aftershave back in the medicine cabinet and pulled out his mega-hold hair gel.
He opened the bottle and poured a large amount of gel into his hands, putting the bottle aside and spiking his hair up. After about five minutes and a quarter of a bottle, his hair was finally perfected and he left the bathroom, turning the light off behind him.
He walked across the bedroom to the large armoire that stood next to the window, pulling out boxers, a button down shirt, and a pair of black slacks. Vash pulled the towel from around his waist and let it fall to the ground around his feet, pulling on his boxers so as to avoid being fully nude. He whipped his shirt around his back and pushed his arms through the long sleeves, buttoning it down to his pelvis, pulling on his slacks soon after. He pulled a belt from the armoire and placed it through the loop holes of the slacks and proceeded to his closet for his boots. He sat on the bed and pulled his boots on, carefully lacing them up. He was dressed for the occasion.
The ring was hidden in the armoire amongst many boxers, shirts, and slacks that were neatly folded inside, so it wouldn't be that hard to find. Vash pulled it out from underneath his boxers and shut the armoire doors. He took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed, contemplated what he would say and how he would say it. Damn, this was harder than he thought. All thoughts came to a screeching halt when Vash heard Saria's melodious voice echo from the kitchen.
"Lunch is ready!"
Vash slowly rose from the bed and walked as slow as possible down the stairs. This was it, the moment that would determine everything. He took a deep breath and shoved the ring in his pocket, jogging down the stairs.
Saria placed two plates piled with food onto the dining room table and waited for Vash. In the meantime, she poured steaming hot coffee into the two mugs next to their plates. Any time of the day was perfect for breakfast and coffee.
"Vash, its getting cold!" she called, sipping her coffee slowly.
The door to the dining room opened and in walked a handsome, well-groomed Vash. Saria smiled at him as he kissed her on the cheek and sat down across from her. He picked up his fork and began to eat very slowly, Saria following suit. The quiet and peaceful lunch that they were sharing together was soon interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Vash put his fork down and rushed into his office to answer the blasted phone that seemed to interrupt every peaceful moment he had with Saria.
"Hello?" asked Vash angrily.
"Vash? It's Nick," answered the man on the other line.
"Good Lord! Nick, how've you been?"
"I've been living."
"Damn, it must be hard without Millie huh?"
"It is."
"How's Veronica? Has she had the baby yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I'm about to make my way to January to see her, and no, she hasn't had the baby yet."
"Tell her that Uncle Vash says 'Congrats' and 'Hello'."
"Will do. Well, I'd better be off then. I'll call after the baby has been born."
"Bye." Vash placed the receiver back on the cradle and walked back over to the bed, jumping back in and kissing Saria's forehead. Saria looked up at him, smiling and resting her chin on his chest.
"Good morning," she said, kissing Vash's chest.
"Don't you mean good afternoon?" retorted Vash. Saria giggled and pushed herself up, kneeling on the bed.
"I'm going to go and make some lunch. I'll call you when it's ready." She kissed Vash's forehead, leaped from the bed, and rushed out of the room.
Vash rolled out of the bed and walked across the room to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower before lunch. He turned the shower on and hopped in, planning his marriage proposal to Saria.
The hot water was welcomed by Vash, rinsing him of the sand and dirt from the previous day. It had all happened so fast: meeting Saria, sleeping in the same bed with Saria, falling in love with Saria. But hey, he was Vash the Stampede, a hopeless romantic. After all, he did ask Elizabeth to marry him the split second he met her that day. What would be so wrong with marrying Saria now?
He pulled the shampoo from the rack hanging under the shower head and squeezed some into his blonde locks, removing all the dirt and gel that had settled in. He placed the bottle back on the rack and rubbed his long blonde hair vigorously, still pondering the proposal.
What if she doesn't say yes? What if this is all a lie? Doubt began to fill Vash's mind as he rinsed the soap out of his hair. Why wouldn't she say yes? She did say that she loves me. Vash grabbed the conditioner and squeezed some into his clean hair, removing all the knots that had formed. He placed it back on the rack and continued to gingerly rub his scalp with the cool liquid.
A ring! What about a ring for her? I don't even have a ring! Vash began to panic as he rinsed the conditioner from his hair and grabbed the loofa from the side of the tub and soaped it up, cleansing his body of the dirt and grit that still clung to him. As he continually cleansed himself, the thought finally came to him. The ring he had bought for Meryl. He would use that one. He rinsed his body off and turned the shower off, pulling the curtain open and wrapping a towel around his scarred body.
He walked across the bathroom to the counter and grabbed his comb, running it through his long golden locks. He stared at himself through the mirror and grimaced at his appearance. He hated the scars his body bore. Imperfection. He couldn't stand them. They left too many bad memories. He took his gaze off of them and stared at his face, placing the comb down and stroking the blonde hairs that projected from his chin.
He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out his shaving crème and razor, closing the door and staring once again at his face. He popped the top off of the shaving crème can and pushed the button so that the cool gel covered his hand. He set the can down and rubbed the gel with his hands to make the lather, covering his chin, neck, and the area above his mouth.
He took the razor and gently stroked his face, removing all the stray hairs that had grown what seemed like overnight. He winced in pain as he cut his cheek, covering the blood spot with a piece of toilet paper. He filled the sink with warm water and tossed the razor in to soak, grabbing a wash cloth from underneath the sink and wetting it with the water that filled the sink.
He tossed the cloth aside and opened the medicine cabinet once more, placing the shaving crème back and razor back in and taking the aftershave lotion and cologne out, shutting the door once more.
He unscrewed the top of the aftershave lotion and gently shook a few drops from the bottle, placing the bottle down and splashing the puddle in his hand onto his neck. He screwed the cap back on and grabbed the cologne, squirting it onto his neck and all around his body. He put the cologne and aftershave back in the medicine cabinet and pulled out his mega-hold hair gel.
He opened the bottle and poured a large amount of gel into his hands, putting the bottle aside and spiking his hair up. After about five minutes and a quarter of a bottle, his hair was finally perfected and he left the bathroom, turning the light off behind him.
He walked across the bedroom to the large armoire that stood next to the window, pulling out boxers, a button down shirt, and a pair of black slacks. Vash pulled the towel from around his waist and let it fall to the ground around his feet, pulling on his boxers so as to avoid being fully nude. He whipped his shirt around his back and pushed his arms through the long sleeves, buttoning it down to his pelvis, pulling on his slacks soon after. He pulled a belt from the armoire and placed it through the loop holes of the slacks and proceeded to his closet for his boots. He sat on the bed and pulled his boots on, carefully lacing them up. He was dressed for the occasion.
The ring was hidden in the armoire amongst many boxers, shirts, and slacks that were neatly folded inside, so it wouldn't be that hard to find. Vash pulled it out from underneath his boxers and shut the armoire doors. He took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed, contemplated what he would say and how he would say it. Damn, this was harder than he thought. All thoughts came to a screeching halt when Vash heard Saria's melodious voice echo from the kitchen.
"Lunch is ready!"
Vash slowly rose from the bed and walked as slow as possible down the stairs. This was it, the moment that would determine everything. He took a deep breath and shoved the ring in his pocket, jogging down the stairs.
Saria placed two plates piled with food onto the dining room table and waited for Vash. In the meantime, she poured steaming hot coffee into the two mugs next to their plates. Any time of the day was perfect for breakfast and coffee.
"Vash, its getting cold!" she called, sipping her coffee slowly.
The door to the dining room opened and in walked a handsome, well-groomed Vash. Saria smiled at him as he kissed her on the cheek and sat down across from her. He picked up his fork and began to eat very slowly, Saria following suit. The quiet and peaceful lunch that they were sharing together was soon interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Vash put his fork down and rushed into his office to answer the blasted phone that seemed to interrupt every peaceful moment he had with Saria.