disclaimer: Trigun doesn't belong to me. do we still have to do these in 2022?
notes: a bit rambly. just the boys being cute. platonic but you can read it as shippy if you want.
also should have posted before x-mas but the god of procrastination was on my side, singing happily into my ear.
"Have you ever heard about this thing called Christmas, Wolfwood?"
"…" Weird question. Of course he has, but he'll play along. It sounds like Vash is about to share some precious, lost memories with him, and he doesn't want to make him feel like it's not important. So Wolfwood sits back and listens carefully.
"Rem once told me about it… A special day that humans everywhere used to celebrate back on Earth."
Wolfwood thinks back to the children in the orphanage, in December, waiting for him. He looks at Vash, who looks at nothing with this warm, soft look in his eyes.
"Yeah, I've heard about it…" He says as he flicks the ash off his cigarette. It's starting to get everywhere, and it's gross.
"She said they all look forward to a big guy in a red coat coming to visit." Vash gives him one of his world-class smiles, bursting at the seams. "Rem dressed up for the crew once." Then a sudden sadness flashes before his eyes. Wolfwood knows it's there, but he won't push it.
"I might have played around with the idea, and, well…"
"Oh, needle noggin, you would be that kind of guy, yeah…" Wolfwood grins, knowing where this is going.
"You know my motto. Love and peace. If it brings love and peace to the people, why not do it?"
"You are truly out of this world. So you just went around shoving gifts into Gunsmoke's chimneys all night?"
"It was a night like any other, Wolfwood. You know I travel solo."
"But sneaking into people's houses sounds like fun, regardless of the planet where you do it. To me, at least. But I'm always hungry."
"I wouldn't know. Never been to Earth."
"No one has. But I've heard stories. Someone once told me they used to leave milk and boots out for the big guy in red. Then in the morning it would all be gone. The kids thought it was magic."
"Milk is hard to come by here in Gunsmoke, but I did find some boots. So I slid down the chimney and just left the gifts there."
"Probably landed on your ass too, knowing you. How did you know that they'd open the presents?"
"I tried to leave one in every house. It's not much, but sometimes my work pays well. I sometimes save up for this time of the year. It's only been thirty years since I've started doing it." There he goes. That look. He's happy to take on the world's burdens, the good and the bad. Wolfwood is a little moved, but doesn't let it show.
"It felt like… I was setting up my own personal charity, just for the night. Anyway, whichever was closest. Happiness looks the same everywhere, you know? Especially on a kid's face. It's always special."
Wolfwood nods in agreement. He does know what that's like. He thinks fondly about the kids waiting for him in December, and he thinks that Vash really is too good for this forsaken world.
He can't stop his laughter, ripping through his belly and chest.
"I can't believe you went around playing Santa Claus."
"Now that you mention it, I think that was his name, wasn't it?"
"…Vash, I'm literally named after the guy."
"Oh, I suppose we didn't get too far into the lore of it. Was his name Nicholas, too?"
"It was. Saint Nicholas." Wolfwood rolls his eyes.
"Suits you right." Vash snorts, but ends up laughing anyway.
Wolfwood gives a long sigh, pinching the space between his eyes.
"Merry Christmas, needle noggin. Just don't come sliding down my chimney tonight or I'll kick your ass."
"If only Saint Nicholas was doing his job… then I wouldn't have to do it for him…" Oh, he's teasing him now?
"What are you implying, needle noggin?!" He yells as Vash sprints into the distance. "Hey! Come back here!"
"Sorry! I'll be busy preparing your gift, Saint Nicholas!"
"What… I don't need a…" Wolfwood trails off, but he is already gone. His lips twitch against his will, a small smile slowly forming. Every day with ol' needle noggin was a much cherished gift to him. He doesn't need anything else (well, maybe a new box of matches).
"Idiot." Wolfwood lights another cigarette and the heat from the flame feels like it reaches inside him; no, it was not the flame igniting a warm place deep within his chest.
That was Vash's doing, once again, as per usual…