If I haven't mentioned a disclaimer.. Uh.. Sorry? Here's one::
I don't own them. And that's probably a good thing ^^;;
~Part Five~
Wolfwood woke abruptly, his alarm clock blaring in his ears as he hurled himself out of bed to shut off the noisy machine. Staring bleakly at the large, red numbers shining a vivid '7:00', the tired sleeper yawned loudly and stretched his arms high above his head, trying vainly to wake himself up for the day.
There wasn't really a need to be waking up so early, since Vash apparently wasn't going to skip merrily off to work with cracked ribs, but he still felt compelled to keep himself in a schedule. It was time to force some pills down Vash's throat.
Scratching and ruffling his dark hair, Wolfwood set off down the hallway, eyes half-closed and heavy with his need for sleep. His feet treaded lightly to the end of his walkway and he started, surprised to see his charge awake and sitting up, staring aimlessly out of the window.
The blonde had curled his legs underneath himself, so he was sitting comfortably and facing the window. His unruly hair was shading his luminous eyes and his lips were forming a slight, half-smile that looked absolutely adorable on him. His shirt was still discarded somewhere and his stark white bandages wrapped half-way up his torso, defining his chest and back. Dark grey sweatpants clothed his long legs. Wolfwood wondered for a moment about him being up so early, but quickly dismissed it as Vash turned his dazed stare on him.
"Mornin', Tongari."
"Morning."
"Up to some breakfast?"
Vash nodded and swung his legs over the side of the couch, trying to mask his whimper of pain by yawning loudly. He stood stiffly and walked rather awkwardly towards his companion and leaned heavily upon his shoulder to keep his balance, holding a hand to his forehead.
"Whoo.. I'm dizzy."
Wolfwood's eyebrows rose in concern as he casually brushed a few locks of blonde hair out of Vash's way without even thinking about it. Startled, the blonde gave him a wide-eyed look and quickly leaned away from his friend, trying his best not to fall over. Deep crimson stained Vash's cheeks and he turned his head to the side as fast as he could, desperate not to let Wolfwood see his embarrassment.
The dark haired man shook his head as he realized how uncomfortable he must have just made Vash. Deciding to change the topic, he coughed quietly and opened the door wide for the stumbling blonde, folding his arm in front of him and bowing deeply.
Chuckling light-heartedly, Vash wobbled over the threshold, Wolfwood following soon behind him.
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Wolfwood's poor kitchen was nearly demolished.
Pancake batter coated the ceiling and the stovetop, not to mention a certain injured blonde. His hair was thick with the sloppy gloop he had conjured himself. Burnt pieces of toast were set on a cracked plate, the sole survivor of the pile of broken pottery swept into a heap to the side. Vash had shattered three plates, two cups, and somehow managed to drop a fork precisely so it would stab him in the foot. Wolfwood had come to help him when the clutz caught an oven mitt on fire.
And despite the fact that his kitchen was being destroyed, Wolfwood found himself trying to keep from laughing as Vash balanced a pitcher of orange juice on his left arm, a platter full of strange looking pancakes in his hand, and what was left of the charred "toast".
A small, wooden table on the other side of the kitchen had been Wolfwood's onlooker seat and now Vash delicately sat down his labors on the shining surface, attempting to bow, but hurting his side. Wolfwood smiled and took a fork the blonde offered and doused the whole platter of pancakes in a river of syrup.
Vash clasped his hands together, eyes watching Wolfwood intently as he stabbed the top pancake on the stack and cut a piece off of it. Going slower than Moses, the dark haired man brought the small cut of food to his mouth, taking his time and enjoying the agonized look on his companion's face.
Finally, he closed his mouth around the fork and chewed.
And chewed.
And chewed.
Vash kept waiting.
"Well?!"
Wolfwood had been staring ahead while he chewed, but he rolled his eyes lazily towards Vash, giving him a half-lidded stare of amusement. He swallowed loudly.
"Well, what?"
"What do you think of them!?"
Vash huffed impatiently as he waited for Wolfwood's response. For a moment, Wolfwood sat still, as if contemplating the question posed to him. But suddenly, he grabbed his throat, coughing and hacking while wrapping one arm around his stomach. He fell to the floor, curling up and coughing.
Vash looked like he believed him for a few moments before the gullible blonde crossed his arms and pouted. Wolfwood straightened up and sat on his haunches. Grinning widely and giving him a thumbs up, the dark haired man made his way back to his seat and offered Vash some food.
The blonde smiled and sat, fetching a fork of his own. Soon the entire platter was gone, leaving a small pool of syrup glistening in its place. The toast was left alone and Wolfwood took the liberty of cleaning, afraid that his poor dishes wouldn't make it to the sink due to Vash's clumsiness.
"Sit, Tongari."
Vash was stumbling to his feet even as Wolfwood was grabbing the forks and plate.
"But..."
The dark haired man placed a hand on the blonde's bare shoulder, forcing him back into the small, wooden seat. Vash pouted comically, letting Wolfwood turn his back on him before he let his expression melt into somber happiness. He glanced to his bare feet, aware of how uncomfortable he was now that Wolfwood had taken his attention off of him.
"Wolfwood?"
"Mm-hmm?"
Wolfwood turned in drying the single dish that had been used. Vash slowly got to his feet, determined to stand without any help. His friend took a few steps forward, leaving about an arms length between them, worry lacing his face. The blonde gritted his teeth, but the pain faded after a few moments and he could finish what he was trying to say.
"Wolfwood, I.... I don't know.... I'm sorry I'm not doing very much... I'm so grateful to you for letting me stay here... and you're not charging me anything and I'm just sogreatfulandI'mreallygladandifyouwantmetodoanythingforyou--"
"It's fine, Vash."
Vash stopped his rambling on and blinked at the use of his name.
"Are you sure...? I could give you part of my paycheck if you want..."
The blonde took a step closer. Wolfwood seemed to be staring at the hardwood floors beneath his feet and paying no heed to his companion who took another step closer to him. So obviously, he was very surprised when he looked up and Vash was staring him in the face, large aqua-marine orbs giving him a sincere look.
And surprisingly, Wolfwood didn't find himself moving backwards at all. In fact, his feet seemed to like where they were and refused to budge an inch. The two shared a breath, their faces were so close, and Wolfwood decided that he really wasn't uncomfortable with this at all, despite what his logical mind was screaming at him.
"It's okay... I really don't need anything in return..."
He whispered, barely able to breath at such a close proximity. Vash came as close to him as he dared without touching his friend.
*What is it about him...?*
Vash pondered while boldly leaning his face a little closer, Wolfwood's breath brushing softly against his lips.
*He just makes me feel warm.. and fuzzy...? Yeah... fuzzy...*
Wolfwood was pondering to himself while watching in silence as the blonde began to tilt his head to the side, gently closing the distance between the two of them. They were millimeters apart.
Blood was pounding furiously in both of their veins.
Wolfwood's heart skipped a beat.
**BRRRRRRRRRING**
"Shit!"
Rationality and reality grasped Wolfwood and jerked him into action as the ear-piercing phone ring shattered the moment he had almost shared with his companion. On impluse, he shoved Vash backwards, unwary of his injuries, and stepped away, desperate to put space in-between himself and the blonde.
Vash stumbled back a few feet, catching a hand on the table behind him. He leaned on his hand and cringed at the pain pulsating in his sides. Green eyes darted to his friend's face.
Wolfwood looked deadly confused and panicked as his phone continued to ring for another moment. His eyebrows were raised high, his lips parted and giving way to heavy, frightened breaths. His eyes were wide and he was giving Vash an incredulously look of amazement and embarrassment.
The phone sounded again and Wolfwood looked away, towards the white kitchen door. Giving one more look to his friend, the dark-haired man walked unsteadily out and dashed towards his room, slamming it shut behind and jerkily snapping the lock with his trembling fingers. He tumbled over his bed, attempting to catch whoever had interrupted his prior moment of confusion.
Just as his fingers wrapped around the receiver, Wolfwood's answering machine clicked on and his own voice dully asked whoever was calling to leave their name and number.
"Hi, Mr. Wolfwood? This is Miss Mavuir, Mr. Norton's secretary."
*Mr. Norton...?*
"As you know, your boss had some health problems...."
Wolfwood smacked his hand on his forehead, nodding in remembrance.
*Mr. Norton, my boss, duh!*
"And I'm most unhappy to inform you that he suffered a severe heartattack and died yesterday evening. I'm calling to invite you to his funeral, seeing how as though you were one of his ... uhm... favorite employees."
He snorted.
*Favorite employee? Favorite employee my ass. He just loved to pick on me, that's all.*
He stopped listening to the details of the funeral, directions and all, and decided to lie out on his bed, and breathe, since he had been forgetting to do that lately. Stretching long arms to their fullest length, he paused to think.
*Okay, so WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!?*
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It had been several days since 'The Incident', as Vash had to decided to call it. Wolfwood had barely spoken to him, deeming it only necessary to give random commands and that such. Vash had been pretty silent himself, thinking he had done something wrong when he had been invading his friend's personal space.
*Of course I did something wrong!! Wolfwood doesn't like guys! And neither do I!! The Incident was some kinda glitch in the Matrix or something... *
Vash was back at work and waiting uncomfortably in the elevator with Wolfwood, watching the dull lights 'ding' on as the machine crawled up the inside wall of the building.
*Why is this taking so long?*
The blonde glanced around nervously, desperate to keep his eyes off his companion, less he piss him off even further.
Little did Vash know that Wolfwood wasn't keeping quiet in anger. It was simply because he had no clue what to say to the blonde. The dark haired man was full and ready to lean forward and kiss his friend before the phone had rang. But that was the difficult part. Wolfwood couldn't tell Vash he had wanted to kiss him. He couldn't even tell himself.
*This doesn't make any sense. I can't tell Vash. Vash doesn't like guys at all. I mean, come on.. what are the chances? And me? I like girls! I don't like guys at all... even blonde ones... with great legs... and ... *
Wolfwood cast a quick glance to the side, dragging his gaze up the length of Vash's side. Usual pants, khaki slacks that were a bit too baggy, covered long legs, a comfortable, white shirt hung loosely on his smaller frame. His hands were laced behind his head as he rested his neck on his wrists, staring distractedly at the ceiling.
Blue green eyes were fixated on the boring roof only a moment longer before Vash felt his friend's eyes on him and accidentally gave him a glance. Wolfwood, startled beyond his wits, quickly turned his head, yanking his gaze to the smooth, silver doors in front of him.
*Holy shit. I can't believe it. I just checked him out. I just checked Vash out. I did. I checked him out.*
Wolfwood squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the shocked mantra slow down in his head. Vash, feeling concern for him, tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder, causing the dark haired man to jump amazingly high. The blonde immediately drew back his hand, regretting that he had touched his companion at all.
"Wolfwood, are you okay?"
Wolfwood massaged his brow while keeping his eyes shut.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a headache, that's all."
Vash didn't answer, but returned his eyes to the little, numbered lights near the ceiling of the elevator. Only two more floors. One more floor.
*Ding*
The blonde hurried out and gave a rushed goodbye to Wolfwood.
"I'll see you after work, Tongari."
Vash stopped short.
He had forgotten all about taking employee etiquette lessons from his friend. Turning around on his heel, he waved to the dark haired man just before the door closed.
"O-Okay!"
Wolfwood smiled, a warm grin that seemed to radiate throughout him, then the door snapped shut. Vash looked dazed for a moment, realizing that his companion had just smiled at him for the first time in the past several days. It made him flush with happiness for some reason he wasn't quite sure why.
The flush remained in his cheeks as he walked quickly towards his desk, deflecting the repulsive remarks made about him by his co-workers by focusing his mind solely on Wolfwood.
*He smiled at me. He's not mad... He's not angry with me...*
In his haste to make it to his desk, Vash crashed into a fellow worker, steaming coffee spilling from the white mug and onto the both of them, more so on the unfortunate blonde.
"Thanks a lot, Saverem! Now I have to go change my shirt! Shit! You're so clumsy!! Get a life, why doncha! And what're you grinnin' for, huh?! You look like a fag! Get out of my face!"
Vash was shoved out of the way, but he didn't notice, his thoughts still on Wolfwood. So much so that he barely even felt the slight sting from his healing ribs that had just been rammed backwards.
He made it to his desk in one piece, successfully not knocking into anyone or managing to hear anymore comments thrown his way. There was a pile of papers and random memos on his desk, his chair still there surprisingly. He was just sitting down when there was a quiet knock on the outside of his cubicle.
"Mr. Saverem?"
*Mister? Someone's being respectful?*
Vash turned, confused, to see a tall, brunette girl standing in his doorway.
She was indeed, quite tall, a pretty, sky-blue dress reaching to about her knees. She had her hands folded in front of her, bowing slightly as she smiled rather widely at Vash, bright blue eyes matching her dress. Her straight, brown hair reached to about the middle of her back and her side bangs were pulled away from her pretty face with a pin behind her head. Stepping a foot or two closer, she held out her hand.
"Hi, Mr. Saverem. I'm Millie Thompson, the new secretary here. It's nice to meet you."
He delicately grasped her hand to find that she had a strong grip and she shook his hand heartily.
"H-Hi."
He managed to stutter a little until she let go of his hand. Straightening, she smoothed out her dress and closed her eyes, her smile just as wide and happy as before.
"If you would follow me, I would like to introduce you to your new boss."
Vash's eyes widened in surprise.
"My new boss? What happened to the old one? Mr. Norton... I think..."
Millie motioned for him to follow her out of the cubicle. He stood quickly and trailed behind her. She soon became even with him and leaned a little closer so she could whisper to him, holding a hand in front of her mouth as if everyone cared to hear this important secret she had.
"Well, you see, your old boss, Mr. Norton, passed away a few days ago with a severe heart-attack."
*Well... I can't exactly say I'm sorry to hear that...*
The blonde tried his hardest to keep the smile off of his face at the memory of Mr. Norton and his purpling face. It was about time he kicked the bucket, no matter how mean that sounded. Millie paused in front of the Mr. Norton's door, blocking Vash's view of whoever was inside.
"Now, Mr. Saverem, my boss is a very busy woman--"
"Woman?"
"Yes, woman. And you mustn't take up too much of her time while you meet her. She only wanted to call you in and speak to you about your recent injuries, which I'm very sorry to hear about."
Millie immediately looked concerned for Vash, whom she had only just met. The blonde looked surprised at her sudden compassion and nodded, reassuring her that he was fine and he was ready to see his new boss. The tall girl smiled and turned to open the door for him.
*She kinda reminds me of a little girl...*
Vash mused for only a second before he was permitted entrance into the pristine office. There, at the polished desk, sat a small woman, about the size of a young child, flipping through a few files and sipping on a mug of coffee. Short, black hair was cut like a pixie's and framed a fair, narrow face. She seemed to notice Vash and Millie had walked in and set down her mug on a small coaster, smiling primly and business-like before standing to her full height, which was only about to Vash's chest.
She came around from behind the large, wooden desk and stood before Vash, her aura of strength making up for her lack of height. Sticking out her hand, she waited for Vash to take it, shaking it politely when he did.
"Welcome back, Mr. Saverem. I'm Meryl Stryfe, your new boss."
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A/N: It's amazing! I got off my arse and wrote the next chapter!! I lied so horribly when I said I would type out chapters 'like bullets' during my spring break. I ended up just not catching any sleep and running all over the place instead of staying at home and being a good author by writing the next chapter on my stories... *sniff* I'm sorry... But at least I have it here now, right? *hopeful grin* And I introduced the girls! Thanks to Renet for the idea ^^ Apparently, you've read, so now you can review! It's so easy.. just a few clicks and few words will make my week ^_^ Till next time...
I don't own them. And that's probably a good thing ^^;;
~Part Five~
Wolfwood woke abruptly, his alarm clock blaring in his ears as he hurled himself out of bed to shut off the noisy machine. Staring bleakly at the large, red numbers shining a vivid '7:00', the tired sleeper yawned loudly and stretched his arms high above his head, trying vainly to wake himself up for the day.
There wasn't really a need to be waking up so early, since Vash apparently wasn't going to skip merrily off to work with cracked ribs, but he still felt compelled to keep himself in a schedule. It was time to force some pills down Vash's throat.
Scratching and ruffling his dark hair, Wolfwood set off down the hallway, eyes half-closed and heavy with his need for sleep. His feet treaded lightly to the end of his walkway and he started, surprised to see his charge awake and sitting up, staring aimlessly out of the window.
The blonde had curled his legs underneath himself, so he was sitting comfortably and facing the window. His unruly hair was shading his luminous eyes and his lips were forming a slight, half-smile that looked absolutely adorable on him. His shirt was still discarded somewhere and his stark white bandages wrapped half-way up his torso, defining his chest and back. Dark grey sweatpants clothed his long legs. Wolfwood wondered for a moment about him being up so early, but quickly dismissed it as Vash turned his dazed stare on him.
"Mornin', Tongari."
"Morning."
"Up to some breakfast?"
Vash nodded and swung his legs over the side of the couch, trying to mask his whimper of pain by yawning loudly. He stood stiffly and walked rather awkwardly towards his companion and leaned heavily upon his shoulder to keep his balance, holding a hand to his forehead.
"Whoo.. I'm dizzy."
Wolfwood's eyebrows rose in concern as he casually brushed a few locks of blonde hair out of Vash's way without even thinking about it. Startled, the blonde gave him a wide-eyed look and quickly leaned away from his friend, trying his best not to fall over. Deep crimson stained Vash's cheeks and he turned his head to the side as fast as he could, desperate not to let Wolfwood see his embarrassment.
The dark haired man shook his head as he realized how uncomfortable he must have just made Vash. Deciding to change the topic, he coughed quietly and opened the door wide for the stumbling blonde, folding his arm in front of him and bowing deeply.
Chuckling light-heartedly, Vash wobbled over the threshold, Wolfwood following soon behind him.
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Wolfwood's poor kitchen was nearly demolished.
Pancake batter coated the ceiling and the stovetop, not to mention a certain injured blonde. His hair was thick with the sloppy gloop he had conjured himself. Burnt pieces of toast were set on a cracked plate, the sole survivor of the pile of broken pottery swept into a heap to the side. Vash had shattered three plates, two cups, and somehow managed to drop a fork precisely so it would stab him in the foot. Wolfwood had come to help him when the clutz caught an oven mitt on fire.
And despite the fact that his kitchen was being destroyed, Wolfwood found himself trying to keep from laughing as Vash balanced a pitcher of orange juice on his left arm, a platter full of strange looking pancakes in his hand, and what was left of the charred "toast".
A small, wooden table on the other side of the kitchen had been Wolfwood's onlooker seat and now Vash delicately sat down his labors on the shining surface, attempting to bow, but hurting his side. Wolfwood smiled and took a fork the blonde offered and doused the whole platter of pancakes in a river of syrup.
Vash clasped his hands together, eyes watching Wolfwood intently as he stabbed the top pancake on the stack and cut a piece off of it. Going slower than Moses, the dark haired man brought the small cut of food to his mouth, taking his time and enjoying the agonized look on his companion's face.
Finally, he closed his mouth around the fork and chewed.
And chewed.
And chewed.
Vash kept waiting.
"Well?!"
Wolfwood had been staring ahead while he chewed, but he rolled his eyes lazily towards Vash, giving him a half-lidded stare of amusement. He swallowed loudly.
"Well, what?"
"What do you think of them!?"
Vash huffed impatiently as he waited for Wolfwood's response. For a moment, Wolfwood sat still, as if contemplating the question posed to him. But suddenly, he grabbed his throat, coughing and hacking while wrapping one arm around his stomach. He fell to the floor, curling up and coughing.
Vash looked like he believed him for a few moments before the gullible blonde crossed his arms and pouted. Wolfwood straightened up and sat on his haunches. Grinning widely and giving him a thumbs up, the dark haired man made his way back to his seat and offered Vash some food.
The blonde smiled and sat, fetching a fork of his own. Soon the entire platter was gone, leaving a small pool of syrup glistening in its place. The toast was left alone and Wolfwood took the liberty of cleaning, afraid that his poor dishes wouldn't make it to the sink due to Vash's clumsiness.
"Sit, Tongari."
Vash was stumbling to his feet even as Wolfwood was grabbing the forks and plate.
"But..."
The dark haired man placed a hand on the blonde's bare shoulder, forcing him back into the small, wooden seat. Vash pouted comically, letting Wolfwood turn his back on him before he let his expression melt into somber happiness. He glanced to his bare feet, aware of how uncomfortable he was now that Wolfwood had taken his attention off of him.
"Wolfwood?"
"Mm-hmm?"
Wolfwood turned in drying the single dish that had been used. Vash slowly got to his feet, determined to stand without any help. His friend took a few steps forward, leaving about an arms length between them, worry lacing his face. The blonde gritted his teeth, but the pain faded after a few moments and he could finish what he was trying to say.
"Wolfwood, I.... I don't know.... I'm sorry I'm not doing very much... I'm so grateful to you for letting me stay here... and you're not charging me anything and I'm just sogreatfulandI'mreallygladandifyouwantmetodoanythingforyou--"
"It's fine, Vash."
Vash stopped his rambling on and blinked at the use of his name.
"Are you sure...? I could give you part of my paycheck if you want..."
The blonde took a step closer. Wolfwood seemed to be staring at the hardwood floors beneath his feet and paying no heed to his companion who took another step closer to him. So obviously, he was very surprised when he looked up and Vash was staring him in the face, large aqua-marine orbs giving him a sincere look.
And surprisingly, Wolfwood didn't find himself moving backwards at all. In fact, his feet seemed to like where they were and refused to budge an inch. The two shared a breath, their faces were so close, and Wolfwood decided that he really wasn't uncomfortable with this at all, despite what his logical mind was screaming at him.
"It's okay... I really don't need anything in return..."
He whispered, barely able to breath at such a close proximity. Vash came as close to him as he dared without touching his friend.
*What is it about him...?*
Vash pondered while boldly leaning his face a little closer, Wolfwood's breath brushing softly against his lips.
*He just makes me feel warm.. and fuzzy...? Yeah... fuzzy...*
Wolfwood was pondering to himself while watching in silence as the blonde began to tilt his head to the side, gently closing the distance between the two of them. They were millimeters apart.
Blood was pounding furiously in both of their veins.
Wolfwood's heart skipped a beat.
**BRRRRRRRRRING**
"Shit!"
Rationality and reality grasped Wolfwood and jerked him into action as the ear-piercing phone ring shattered the moment he had almost shared with his companion. On impluse, he shoved Vash backwards, unwary of his injuries, and stepped away, desperate to put space in-between himself and the blonde.
Vash stumbled back a few feet, catching a hand on the table behind him. He leaned on his hand and cringed at the pain pulsating in his sides. Green eyes darted to his friend's face.
Wolfwood looked deadly confused and panicked as his phone continued to ring for another moment. His eyebrows were raised high, his lips parted and giving way to heavy, frightened breaths. His eyes were wide and he was giving Vash an incredulously look of amazement and embarrassment.
The phone sounded again and Wolfwood looked away, towards the white kitchen door. Giving one more look to his friend, the dark-haired man walked unsteadily out and dashed towards his room, slamming it shut behind and jerkily snapping the lock with his trembling fingers. He tumbled over his bed, attempting to catch whoever had interrupted his prior moment of confusion.
Just as his fingers wrapped around the receiver, Wolfwood's answering machine clicked on and his own voice dully asked whoever was calling to leave their name and number.
"Hi, Mr. Wolfwood? This is Miss Mavuir, Mr. Norton's secretary."
*Mr. Norton...?*
"As you know, your boss had some health problems...."
Wolfwood smacked his hand on his forehead, nodding in remembrance.
*Mr. Norton, my boss, duh!*
"And I'm most unhappy to inform you that he suffered a severe heartattack and died yesterday evening. I'm calling to invite you to his funeral, seeing how as though you were one of his ... uhm... favorite employees."
He snorted.
*Favorite employee? Favorite employee my ass. He just loved to pick on me, that's all.*
He stopped listening to the details of the funeral, directions and all, and decided to lie out on his bed, and breathe, since he had been forgetting to do that lately. Stretching long arms to their fullest length, he paused to think.
*Okay, so WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!?*
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It had been several days since 'The Incident', as Vash had to decided to call it. Wolfwood had barely spoken to him, deeming it only necessary to give random commands and that such. Vash had been pretty silent himself, thinking he had done something wrong when he had been invading his friend's personal space.
*Of course I did something wrong!! Wolfwood doesn't like guys! And neither do I!! The Incident was some kinda glitch in the Matrix or something... *
Vash was back at work and waiting uncomfortably in the elevator with Wolfwood, watching the dull lights 'ding' on as the machine crawled up the inside wall of the building.
*Why is this taking so long?*
The blonde glanced around nervously, desperate to keep his eyes off his companion, less he piss him off even further.
Little did Vash know that Wolfwood wasn't keeping quiet in anger. It was simply because he had no clue what to say to the blonde. The dark haired man was full and ready to lean forward and kiss his friend before the phone had rang. But that was the difficult part. Wolfwood couldn't tell Vash he had wanted to kiss him. He couldn't even tell himself.
*This doesn't make any sense. I can't tell Vash. Vash doesn't like guys at all. I mean, come on.. what are the chances? And me? I like girls! I don't like guys at all... even blonde ones... with great legs... and ... *
Wolfwood cast a quick glance to the side, dragging his gaze up the length of Vash's side. Usual pants, khaki slacks that were a bit too baggy, covered long legs, a comfortable, white shirt hung loosely on his smaller frame. His hands were laced behind his head as he rested his neck on his wrists, staring distractedly at the ceiling.
Blue green eyes were fixated on the boring roof only a moment longer before Vash felt his friend's eyes on him and accidentally gave him a glance. Wolfwood, startled beyond his wits, quickly turned his head, yanking his gaze to the smooth, silver doors in front of him.
*Holy shit. I can't believe it. I just checked him out. I just checked Vash out. I did. I checked him out.*
Wolfwood squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the shocked mantra slow down in his head. Vash, feeling concern for him, tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder, causing the dark haired man to jump amazingly high. The blonde immediately drew back his hand, regretting that he had touched his companion at all.
"Wolfwood, are you okay?"
Wolfwood massaged his brow while keeping his eyes shut.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a headache, that's all."
Vash didn't answer, but returned his eyes to the little, numbered lights near the ceiling of the elevator. Only two more floors. One more floor.
*Ding*
The blonde hurried out and gave a rushed goodbye to Wolfwood.
"I'll see you after work, Tongari."
Vash stopped short.
He had forgotten all about taking employee etiquette lessons from his friend. Turning around on his heel, he waved to the dark haired man just before the door closed.
"O-Okay!"
Wolfwood smiled, a warm grin that seemed to radiate throughout him, then the door snapped shut. Vash looked dazed for a moment, realizing that his companion had just smiled at him for the first time in the past several days. It made him flush with happiness for some reason he wasn't quite sure why.
The flush remained in his cheeks as he walked quickly towards his desk, deflecting the repulsive remarks made about him by his co-workers by focusing his mind solely on Wolfwood.
*He smiled at me. He's not mad... He's not angry with me...*
In his haste to make it to his desk, Vash crashed into a fellow worker, steaming coffee spilling from the white mug and onto the both of them, more so on the unfortunate blonde.
"Thanks a lot, Saverem! Now I have to go change my shirt! Shit! You're so clumsy!! Get a life, why doncha! And what're you grinnin' for, huh?! You look like a fag! Get out of my face!"
Vash was shoved out of the way, but he didn't notice, his thoughts still on Wolfwood. So much so that he barely even felt the slight sting from his healing ribs that had just been rammed backwards.
He made it to his desk in one piece, successfully not knocking into anyone or managing to hear anymore comments thrown his way. There was a pile of papers and random memos on his desk, his chair still there surprisingly. He was just sitting down when there was a quiet knock on the outside of his cubicle.
"Mr. Saverem?"
*Mister? Someone's being respectful?*
Vash turned, confused, to see a tall, brunette girl standing in his doorway.
She was indeed, quite tall, a pretty, sky-blue dress reaching to about her knees. She had her hands folded in front of her, bowing slightly as she smiled rather widely at Vash, bright blue eyes matching her dress. Her straight, brown hair reached to about the middle of her back and her side bangs were pulled away from her pretty face with a pin behind her head. Stepping a foot or two closer, she held out her hand.
"Hi, Mr. Saverem. I'm Millie Thompson, the new secretary here. It's nice to meet you."
He delicately grasped her hand to find that she had a strong grip and she shook his hand heartily.
"H-Hi."
He managed to stutter a little until she let go of his hand. Straightening, she smoothed out her dress and closed her eyes, her smile just as wide and happy as before.
"If you would follow me, I would like to introduce you to your new boss."
Vash's eyes widened in surprise.
"My new boss? What happened to the old one? Mr. Norton... I think..."
Millie motioned for him to follow her out of the cubicle. He stood quickly and trailed behind her. She soon became even with him and leaned a little closer so she could whisper to him, holding a hand in front of her mouth as if everyone cared to hear this important secret she had.
"Well, you see, your old boss, Mr. Norton, passed away a few days ago with a severe heart-attack."
*Well... I can't exactly say I'm sorry to hear that...*
The blonde tried his hardest to keep the smile off of his face at the memory of Mr. Norton and his purpling face. It was about time he kicked the bucket, no matter how mean that sounded. Millie paused in front of the Mr. Norton's door, blocking Vash's view of whoever was inside.
"Now, Mr. Saverem, my boss is a very busy woman--"
"Woman?"
"Yes, woman. And you mustn't take up too much of her time while you meet her. She only wanted to call you in and speak to you about your recent injuries, which I'm very sorry to hear about."
Millie immediately looked concerned for Vash, whom she had only just met. The blonde looked surprised at her sudden compassion and nodded, reassuring her that he was fine and he was ready to see his new boss. The tall girl smiled and turned to open the door for him.
*She kinda reminds me of a little girl...*
Vash mused for only a second before he was permitted entrance into the pristine office. There, at the polished desk, sat a small woman, about the size of a young child, flipping through a few files and sipping on a mug of coffee. Short, black hair was cut like a pixie's and framed a fair, narrow face. She seemed to notice Vash and Millie had walked in and set down her mug on a small coaster, smiling primly and business-like before standing to her full height, which was only about to Vash's chest.
She came around from behind the large, wooden desk and stood before Vash, her aura of strength making up for her lack of height. Sticking out her hand, she waited for Vash to take it, shaking it politely when he did.
"Welcome back, Mr. Saverem. I'm Meryl Stryfe, your new boss."
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A/N: It's amazing! I got off my arse and wrote the next chapter!! I lied so horribly when I said I would type out chapters 'like bullets' during my spring break. I ended up just not catching any sleep and running all over the place instead of staying at home and being a good author by writing the next chapter on my stories... *sniff* I'm sorry... But at least I have it here now, right? *hopeful grin* And I introduced the girls! Thanks to Renet for the idea ^^ Apparently, you've read, so now you can review! It's so easy.. just a few clicks and few words will make my week ^_^ Till next time...