Chapter Text
Nicholas might have a new sub.
A week ago, he got a cutely-worded, fumbling email from some guy asking if he was taking on new clients. It immediately piqued his interest. What can he say, he has a passion for breaking a new sub in. He likes when they blush and squirm, he likes the slow process of learning how to read their bodies until he no longer needs to rely on their words alone to figure out what they want, what they need.
The guy, whose name is Vash, as Nicholas quickly learned, admitted that he was a long-time fan of Nicholas’ videos, and after some gentle prying via text, Nicholas got him to admit that his favorites are the ASMR videos Nicholas puts out: videos where he takes his top off (he knows what he has going for him, okay) and talks to the viewer, tells them exactly how he wants them to get themselves off. They’re some of his higher-rated videos, so this doesn’t surprise Nicholas, and he’s halfway through typing out a response offering the guy a cheap phone session when his phone pings again, and Vash shyly admits that his real favorite videos, the ones he gets himself off to, are the ones specifically catered to pain kink.
“I like the idea of you hurting me,” Vash admitted, and at the time, it took Nicholas for such a loop that it actually turned him on. Here’s this guy, who texts with way too many emojis and has to type out his messages three or four times before he can manage to send them, admitting that he wants Nicholas to spank him until his ass is tomato-red.
Nicholas figures he has a masochist with a praise kink on his hands. Sounds fun.
He really hopes that this Vash is hot.
It might be stupid, but Nicholas normally likes to take his subs to his house. He’s not much of a decorator besides a few old movie posters, and he’s careful not to leave any kind of sensitive information lying around, so it’s not like they’ll uncover any secrets about him and stalk his family or something. He has a room that’s especially rigged for whatever his subs might get into in ways that a standard club space could never be. Plus, he knows where the towels are for when he has to clean up. He really doesn’t see this Vash guy as a threat, so Nicholas gives him his address, setting a meeting time of 6 p.m. on Vash’s day off.
And at 6 on the dot, Nicholas hears the floorboards in his porch creak and footsteps stopping just shy of his door.
He raises an eyebrow, waiting for the inevitable knock. When it doesn’t come, he gets out his phone, smirking as he sets the timer.
It takes Vash five whole minutes to knock on the door, and as soon as it opens, one thing becomes apparently clear: this guy is hot alright.
He’s tall, just a few inches shorter than Nicholas, with blonde hair that’s shaved close on the sides. He has big, blue doe eyes that Nicholas immediately wants to see filled with tears. He’s blushing before he even says hi, his cheeks along with the tip of his nose tinted pink in contrast with his black, long sleeved shirt.
“Vash, I presume?” Nicholas asks.
“T-that’s me!” Vash manages.
Oh, Nicholas knows this is going to be fun.
Nicholas holds a piece of paper in his hands that lists Vash’s preference in kinks. Some he’d be willing to try, whereas on others he’s written, “Never,” or “only in certain circumstances.” He doesn’t like having his feet bound, which Nicholas finds interesting. He figures he’ll be finding out new, even more interesting things about Vash for quite a while.
“We’re going to take it easy this time,” Nicholas tells him. Vash sits on the edge of the bed in Nicholas’ “Workroom.” It’s where he films most of his videos, so it should be a little familiar to Vash. He looks up at Nicholas with those big eyes, twisting his right hand in his jeans. Nicholas notices then that his left hand is covered with a cloth glove. He furrows his brows, cocking his head to ask, “What’s with the glove? Anything I should know?”
“Oh, it’s um, a prosthetic,” Vash says. “It’s a little experimental. See, my brother got me into this trial in Europe, and I go there every few weeks to have it adjusted. Right now my hand mechanism isn’t really working, so it’s mostly there for show at the moment I guess, but the parts are all mismatched and it looks a little weird so–”
“Shh.” Nicholas stops Vash’s rambling with a playful finger in front of his lips, almost touching. Vash’s eyes cross, focusing on it, and that makes Nicholas chuckle. “You don’t have to tell me all of that, sweetheart. I just need to know if I can tie it up.”
“Oh,” Vash answers. Nicholas notices that he’s gone incredibly pink. “Yes, please.”
Nicholas grins. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”
As soon as Nicholas puts the gloves on, they begin.
Nicholas walks around the room, flicking on sets of ambient lighting he has set up. The soft, warm lights help with possible overstimulation, plus they really set the mood. By the time he’s done, Vash is left sitting on the edge of the bed, a gentle glow surrounding him.
He notices how Vash is tracking his every movement, almost as if he’s cornered prey, and Nicholas figures that has to be the first thing to go. It’s obvious that Vash has something going on when it comes to sex, but it’s not his job to figure out the specifics, it’s just his job to make Vash feel comfortable, to have Vash leaving happy, bubbly, and ready to come back for a second time.
“The gloves are to signify that the session has started. It’s like a line in the sand. As soon as they go on, you’re my sub. But don’t get worried, sweetheart,” Nicholas starts to explain, catching Vash’s eyes wide on his gloves. “This session is going to be all about getting to know one another. Think of it as a coffee date. Low pressure, no kissing, we both get something sweet out of the deal. Got it?”
Vash nods.
“I like verbal consent, Vash,” Nicholas tells him, careful to keep his voice light, non-threatening. “You can say yes or no, or if you’re unsure. But I still need to hear it, understood?”
Vash starts to nod again, but quickly stops himself. “Yes.”
Nicholas smiles. “That’s good. But after I put the gloves on, you are to call me ‘sir.’ Don’t worry if you forget. I won’t punish you for it. Well, not today at least.”
Vash’s breath hitches. Right, the massive pain kink.
“Patience, sweetheart,” Nicholas instructs. He has to suppress the urge to reach out and touch him. Apparently, this is going to be a bit of a test for the both of them. Nicholas can say with full certainty that if he met Vash at a bar, he’d try his hardest to have him bent over in a toilet stall within minutes. Keeping things light is going to be a little challenging. “This is our coffee date, remember? You don’t get to third base from a cup of coffee. We’ll get to the good stuff soon.”
Nicholas can see Vash take in a deep breath, steadying himself. He lets the moment pass before he continues. “I know you have a lot of interest in pain play, so I figured I’d give you a rundown of my toys.” Nicholas walks over to his closet, where he keeps these things on display for situations exactly like this. “Today, you can pick one for me to use on you. If none of them tickle your fancy, then you can pick my hand. Don’t get too excited though, Vash. Nothing internal, so don’t expect an orgasm. If everything goes well, we can pick up speed next week. Sound good?” As per usual, Nicholas had explained all of this beforehand to Vash in one of their many text exchanges, but he always finds it good to go over the rules again. Things are different when they’re not just words on a screen.
“Yes, sir,” Vash answers, and his voice sounds so sweet that Nicholas has to turn away to collect himself, damn.
Nicholas opens the closet, hearing Vash gasp behind him, and the noise makes him smirk. He understands why. Inside of the closet are various straps and harnesses, dildos of every size and toys on shelves, and what he knows Vash zoomed in on: a number of instruments that one would use for pain play. Whips, paddles, riding crops– all in various designs, materials, and sizes.
Some might call Nicholas’ collection of toys excessive. He calls it a great tax write off.
Nicholas opens the drawer that holds his ropes. He picks out a red one, thick and sturdy, mostly because he thinks the color would look nice wrapped up around Vash. “We’ll use this to keep you from squirming too much, but the rest of what we do is your choice.”
Vash kind of looks like he’s about to shake right out of his skin, so Nicholas walks over to him, slowly reaching up a gloved hand to pet through his hair, trying to get him to relax. Vash’s eyes immediately slide shut, his body sagging a little. Nicholas finds another thing out about him, then. Even though he might act like a timid doe, he responds beautifully to being touched. Right, noted. It really shouldn’t be a problem, especially not with the way Nicholas feels the start of heat stirring in his belly at the way Vash leans into his hand. “Give me your color,” he commands.
“Green,” Vash says, his voice soft, a little dreamy. Nicholas notices the way his eyes are drawn to the rope whenever they open. “I’m very green.”
“Good, sweetheart. That’s good. Do you want to take any clothes off before we start?”
“No, sir,” Vash replies. Then, a little more unsure, “If that’s okay.”
“Anything you want is okay. Don’t let me stop you, this is just as much fun for me if you’re clothed or not.” Truth be told, a lot of Nicholas’ first sessions with his subs are clothed. It’s an added layer of protection. He understands it fully. “What I’m going to put you in is a simple tie. If it hurts your arm, you let me know right away. I can adjust it.”
“Okay,” Vash says, forgetting himself a little. Nicholas doesn’t comment on it, smiling softly to himself. He gets Vash seated comfortably on the bed, crawling behind him to start the tie. He carefully gets Vash’s arms behind him, checking in to make sure the prosthetic can bend comfortably. When Vash says it’s fine, he keeps going, cuffing both of Vash’s wrists before running the rope up his shoulder. “Doing great, Vash,” Nicholas tells him, and he’s rewarded with a shudder. Nicholas runs the rope across his chest before dipping it back down his arm. “See that closet? You get to pick a toy— one of the impact ones hanging up on the bottom. Do you want a paddle? That red one would match the rope.” He knows he’s mumbling nonsense, but it’s giving Vash something to focus on, a reward to look forward to after this. He’s letting Vash see his plan, telling him their next steps while keeping it cooperative. Nicholas loops the rope through Vash’s cuffed wrists, pulling them taught before he moves to bind the other side of his chest. One last run of the rope through Vash’s wrist cuff and then…
“All done!” Nicholas announces happily. He stands, moving to admire his work. “Oh you look stunning like that,” he says, and it’s surely the truth.
Vash gives a small smile, a sleepy thing. “Yeah?”
“I’d even say beautiful,” Nicholas says. “Feels good?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Vash supplies.
“I didn’t ask that, Vash. I asked if it felt good.”
“It does,” he answers, wiggling a little, testing his movement. “It feels really good.” Then, he adds after a moment, “sir,” and that just makes Nicholas smile.
“You can pick your toy now, Vash,” Nicholas tells him, and that’s when things really start to get good.
Vash doesn’t know the names of any of the toys. He’s figured out the paddle and whip, but tells Nicholas that he doesn’t want either of them, blushing up a storm as he speaks. Nicholas can’t help but wonder just how far that blush goes. Does it go down his chest? Or does it stop at the base of his pretty neck? Nicholas stays patient the entire time Vash thinks, screwing his face up and weighing his options.
“We’ll get to all of the ones you want to try eventually, even some of the dildos, if you’d like.” He picks up the riding crop, and tries his best to keep his face impassive. He’s been thinking of using it on Vash since the very second he started to tie him up, so when Vash’s face absolutely lights up when he sees it in Nicholas’ hands, he says, “You’ll have fun with this one,” because now he knows that it’s something they both want, and not just one of the many fantasies that ran through his head the second Vash stumbled his way into Nicholas’ house.
Nicholas might not love his subs, he might not date them, either, but to say he’s not attracted to them would be a flat out lie. He just happens to be more attracted to Vash than most.
He really wants this session to go well.
“That one,” Vash answers, finding a bit of confidence as he speaks.
“Perfect, sweetheart,” Nicholas says. “A very good choice.”
He brings the riding crop over to the bed, tossing it beside Vash for a moment while he gets Vash sitting up perfectly straight, maneuvering him with both hands. “I’m going to move you around a little as we go. You can make as much noise as you want, but you are to stay still. I don’t mind brats, but I don’t think that’s what you are, is it?” Nicholas brings a hand up to cup Vash’s jaw, relishing in the small shiver that runs through him. “You want to be good, don’t you?”
“I want to be a good boy,” Vash says, his words sweeter than candy.
“I know you do,” Nicholas tells him, running a thumb along his cheekbone, nice and sweet. He brings his fingers up to press against Vash’s lips, holding them there for a moment. “Open,” he instructs, and without a second of hesitation, Vash does, his long, dark eyelashes fluttering as Nicholas pushes a finger into his mouth. He mostly wants to test how well Vash can follow orders, and he is incredibly pleased when Vash doesn’t immediately start to suck on Nicholas’ finger. He simply holds it in his mouth, and for this he deserves praise.
“Good boy, Vash,” Nicholas says, and Vash catches a whine in his throat. “Oh, that’s pretty,” he remarks, withdrawing his finger before adding another. The leather is slick with Vash’s spit, and once again Vash does nothing but hold Nicholas’ fingers there, swallowing around them until Nicholas wants more. “Suck on them, angel. Show me how that mouth of yours works.” The pet names seem to do wonders for Vash. His eyes open, heavy-lidded, his pupils already blown with arousal. He looks at Nicholas as he starts to work his tongue, running it across Nicholas’ fingers as his cheeks hollow out and he begins to suck, a tantalizing parody of a blow job. Nicholas wonders how Vash feels about cock warming.
He pushes his fingers in and out of Vash’s mouth a few times, careful not to go too deep. He watches as Vash gets lost in the repetitive motion, and something tells Nicholas that yeah, Vash would probably really enjoy cock warming. He makes a mental note of it, as if he’ll be able to think about anything else until he has Vash again.
When he starts to get impatient, Nicholas removes his fingers from Vash’s mouth, carefully wiping them on the sheets next to him. “Gimmie your color,” he says.
Vash croaks, “Green.”
Oh, he’s too good. Nicholas is slowly realizing that he might be in a world of trouble.
But that’s a problem for later-Nicholas to deal with. Now, he has to see how Vash handles the riding crop. He keeps Vash where he is for now, his feet still firmly planted on the floor, sitting up straight on the edge of the bed. He brings the riding crop up to Vash’s face, letting it drag under his chin so he can feel the leather with bare skin. “Still green?” he asks, mostly to hear Vash speak again.
“Yeah.”
“Try again,” Nicholas prompts, and Vash blinks at him slowly before answering another time, remembering Nicholas’ earlier instructions.
“Yes, sir.”
Nicholas offers him a smile, knowing that Vash is watching him for any signs of praise. “Good boy.”
Vash’s exhale is very slow. He really likes to be called a good boy.
Nicholas drags the riding crop down Vash’s shirt, deciding to start the blows somewhere easier to take than a stomach or his chest. The first slap of leather against denim is aimed at his lower thigh, and Vash jolts, crying out with such an intense moan that it actually makes Nicholas pause. Before he can ask, Vash is mumbling, “Green, green, green, please another? Green,” and fuck, the words go to Nicholas’ cock so fast that it threatens to make him dizzy. He’s not all of the way hard yet, but he is very surely getting there.
Nicholas obliges, giving him another whack, this one higher up on his thigh. Vash moans again, and Nicholas can’t stop himself, giving Vash another hit in the same spot, knowing that it will sting. He’s not a weak man. He knows how hard his hits can be. Another noise is wrenched from Vash’s chest, and he starts to squirm before Nicholas stills him with a hand on his shoulder– just a fleeting touch, but it’s more than enough to make Vash remember his rules. Fuck, he’s good.
Nicholas repeats the motions on Vash’s other leg, each hit pulling another beautiful noise from Vash, each one sinking him deeper into submission, right where Nicholas wants him to be. It’s going well–in fact, it might be going a little too well, like Vash could actually sink into subspace from being hit through his clothes. Nicholas decides to skip to the main event, partially out of impatience, but also out of curiosity. He just really wants to see how Vash takes being spanked by the riding crop. He thinks it’s a fair thing to want, too, especially with how incredible Vash’s reactions have been so far.
“I’m gonna turn you around now,” he says, his hands already tilting Vash down onto the bed before rolling him around to his belly. “Color?”
“Green,” Vash groans, and it takes Nicholas a second to notice, but Vash has immediately started to rut against the bed, probably rubbing himself off on the seam of his jeans.
Nicholas grabs him by the hips, and Vash chokes on his spit. “Still, sweetheart. I told you to be still.”
“Yes, sir,” Vash answers, his body slumping a little, but Nicholas can feel the arousal running through him, hot like a livewire.
He doesn’t waste any more time, lightly dragging the riding crop between Vash’s legs before he sits down next to Vash and hefts him up into his lap. Vash’s crotch is resting on his thighs, and Nicholas swears he can feel the heat through both of their pants. He reaches out to palm Vash’s little ass, giving it a squeeze. “You gonna be good for me?” He asks.
“Yes!” Vash cries out, squirming a little before he forces himself to stop with a long, low breath. “I am, sir.”
“Good,” Nicholas replies, and then he brings the riding crop down onto Vash’s ass.
The first blow is a little harder than he meant it to be, his arousal making him feel a little driven wild.
Vash goes a little wild, too.
He bucks his hips, thrashing as he cries out, “Ah, oh! Yes! Harder, please! Harder, please?”
Nicholas reaches down, grabbing Vash by the scruff of his neck like he’s a disobedient kitten. “Vash,” Nicholas says, his voice firm for the first time since they’ve started. “Remember yourself. What are you right now?”
It takes Vash a few moments to find his words, whining a little, breathing heavily to calm himself down. “You’re,” he starts, his words thick as molasses. “Your sub.”
“That’s right, sweetheart. You do not get to say how hard I hit you. That’s for me to decide.” Nicholas brings the riding crop down again onto Vash, aiming for the back of his thighs, easing up the blow. “You get to take it. The better you are, the more I give you. Do you understand me, Vash?”
“I do!” Vash chokes, quickly following it up with. “Yes, sir! I’ll be good, I promise. It just feels so nice. You feel so good, sir.” And Nicholas can’t lie, knowing just how good he’s making Vash feel goes straight to his cock. He has to force himself to not press his hips up into Vash’s front.
“Good boy,” Nicholas says, and of course, Vash shivers all over. “Now, let’s try this again.”
Nicholas brings the riding crop down on Vash’s ass again, and once again, Vash lets out a loud, strangled moan, except for this time, he doesn’t thrash or wiggle. He doesn’t beg for more.
“Perfect, sweetheart. Just like that.”
Nicholas delivers two blows in quick succession, snapping his wrist back swiftly so the riding crop has some extra bite. Vash whines, a gorgeous, pitiful sound that he can’t stop himself from making. The fingers of his right hand wrap around Nicholas’ knee, his arm hanging off the bed, and Nicholas allows it– an anchor.
“I’ll give you ten more,” Nicholas says, informing the both of them of the fact. He feels stuck between a rock in a hard place– quite literally as his cock aches in pants. He has to fight the urge to take Vash and split him on his dick. That will happen later, he promises himself. For right now, this is what’s important. “I need you to count them for me. Can you do that, sweetheart? Can you help me out?”
“Yes, sir,” Vash answers, nodding his head frantically.
“That’s what I thought,” Nicholas says, and then he brings the first blow down on Vash’s right cheek, hitting the meatiest part of it.
“Oh, god… one,” Vash manages. He sounds completely overwhelmed, his voice nothing more than a whisper.
Nicholas switches it up, going for the left side of Vash’s ass. By the end, his entire bottom will be sore. Nicholas knows it’ll be worth it. “Two!” Vash says, choking on a moan deliciously, making NIcholas breathe out heavily through his nose.
Nicholas whacks him again. “Three.” More moans come with it. Vash’s fingers tighten around Nicholas’ knee. Fuck, he’s being good. Not squirming a single bit.
The next two come in rapid succession, with Vash barely managing to squeak out a, “Four!” before he’s moaning, “Five!” His voice breaking.
Vash’s breathing so heavily Nicholas can’t help but check his color.
“Green!” Vash shouts, louder than he has been so far. “Please, don’t stop.”
So, Nicholas doesn’t.
With seven, comes a sob that Nicholas wasn’t expecting. He has to assume it’s good, considering Vash’s color. “You’re doing so well, sweetheart,” Nicholas says, rubbing a soothing line between Vash’s shoulder blades before bringing the riding crop down again.
“Eight,” Vash whimpers, sounding as beautiful as a melody.
“Nine,” comes on a hitching moan, one that makes Nicholas’ cock twitch so hard that he’s sure Vash can feel it.
“T-te-” Vash doesn’t even finish the word, dissolving into high-pitched cries that echo off of Nicholas’ walls. At first, Nicholas thinks that he must be overwhelmed, knowing that he’s done it, that the pain is over, but then Vash thrusts his hips down onto Nicholas’ lap, gasping as it happens, as if he wasn’t even aware of the motion.
That’s when Nicholas realizes it.
Vash came.
He came from being spanked alone.
Nicholas is stunned into shock for a moment. Of course, he’s seen this happen before, but it’s normally from brats who are looking to be punished. He didn’t expect it from someone as good as Vash.
When he blinks the shock out of his system, he hears Vash gently mumbling below. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, it just-”
Nicholas is immediately scooping him up, forcing Vash to straddle his lap. He feels like untying Vash right now would cause him even more distress, so he keeps the knots in place, maneuvering his sweet, blubbering sub until Vash’s chin is against his chest.
“Hey, hey,” Nicholas says. “Breathe, Vash. Can you take a deep breath with me?” He breathes in deeply, and of course, perfect as ever, Vash follows him, inhaling through hiccups and tears until he’s matching Nicholas’ rhythm.
Nicholas’ cock throbs, because yeah, Vash is beautiful like this, too.
“You did so well, Vash. I’m not upset. I didn’t tell you that you couldn’t come, remember? Just that I didn’t think you would. You must have really liked it, didn’t you?”
Vash just nods against him, and Nicholas doesn’t press his lack of form, knowing that a nod is probably all Vash is capable of giving right now.
“You were stunning, angel, I promise.” Nicholas rubs up and down Vash’s back, soothing him, resisting the terrible urge to press a kiss to the top of his head. Subs like this are his favorite, they always manage to turn his insides to goo.
“Really?” Vash asks, and something inside Nicholas goes wonky at the question. It’s too much. Vash is too perfect. He reminds himself that aftercare is for the both of them, and allows himself to wrap his arms around Vash a little tighter.
“Yes, you were,” he replies, and that seems to really do the trick. Vash starts to calm down, his body sagging into Nicholas’, letting himself be held.
Some subs like candy or massages. It’s obvious that for right now, at least, Vash just needs a cuddle. Nicholas is more than happy to oblige.
They stay like that until Vash starts to come back to himself, moving his head from Nicholas’ chest to his shoulder, wiggling around a little. Nicholas expects the question before Vash asks it, but when it comes, it doesn’t make it any less cute.
“Um, sir?”
“Yes, Vash?”
“Are we, um, done?”
Nicholas gives a chuckle. “Are you done?”
“I… I think so,” Vash answers.
“Then, yeah, sweetheart. We’re done.”
Nicholas carefully unties Vash from his bindings, making sure to rub the sore muscles in his flesh arm and shoulder, as well as the ones in the middle of his back. Vash cracks his neck, groaning when Nicholas presses into the spots that must ache.
Nicholas removes his gloves, sliding Vash off of his lap and standing so Vash can see him do it, the official signal that their roles are dropped. He can speak freely, and he does so immediately.
“That was so good!” Vash starts, and Nicholas just laughs. “How did you do that? I’ve never–” he pauses, looking for the least offensive way to say what he wants to. “Finished like that before.”
“Really? I wasn’t expecting you to,” Nicholas answers. He’s found that casual decompression after a session is almost as important as aftercare. Plus, it’s a subject he’s interested in. He grabs two water bottles from the basket of drinks and snacks he keeps by his bed, passing one to Vash as he drinks heartily.
“Yeah! Never! Sometimes I, uh… even take a while to do… that.” Vash admits, blushing up a storm, his earlier shyness back in full force, almost as if he wasn’t moaning his brains out on Nicholas’ lap just twenty minutes before.
“Well, I’m very flattered, then,” Nicholas says, sitting next to Vash on the bed, but giving him enough space to breathe. “So, what are your thoughts? You wanna come back next week?”
Vash’s eyes practically bulge out of his skull. It’s just as adorable as the rest of him. “Of course, I do. That was- I feel light and-” he stops to just grin at Nicholas, a fucking brilliant knockout of a smile. “I feel really good.”
“Same time then. I’ll pencil you in,” Nicholas says, smiling in return.
Vash nods happily to himself, running his hands through his hair. Nicholas figures it’s as good of a time as any to drop the bomb he’s been slowly planning since the moment Vash writhed and wailed against him.
“Oh, and Vash?” Nicholas says, Vash’ eyes immediately coming to look at him. “Don’t come at all this week. Not until you see me again.”
XXX
Vash is in a foul mood.
He knows why. Shit, he’s surprised that his roommate, Meryl, doesn’t know, that the entire city hasn’t figured out that Vash Savrem is in a god awful mood because he hasn’t been able to come for four days. He normally gets himself off every night before bed, mostly because it knocks him out almost immediately. The absence of his nightly orgasm is immensely felt. Not only has he been stupidly horny with thoughts about Wolf (as he’s known online. Vash has been finding it easier to curse Wolf’s name than “sir”) filtering through his head every time he stands up or tries to sit thanks to his sore ass, but he hasn’t been able to fall asleep easily, either. He’s exhausted. He’s cranky, and of fucking course Meryl has decided that tonight would be a perfect night for a game night with “special guests.”
Milly, Meryl’s new girlfriend, is bringing her best friend along, someone named Nico whom Meryl knows nothing about. Vash really likes Milly. If it were any other day, he’d say that he adores her. She’s cheerful and sweet and an absolute giant— all of the things that Meryl needs in a woman. He isn’t so sure about his best friend or her intentions, however. He’s pretty sure that Meryl is trying to set him up again, and that makes him pissy too. He doesn’t want to be set up with some stupid boy. He doesn’t want to make small talk. He wants to stuff two fingers inside of himself and make himself come. Why is he listening to Wolf, anyway? Besides a few check-up texts, he hasn’t heard from him, and he doesn’t expect to. Their agreement is that they’ll meet once a week, anything else that Vash asks for is just a bonus, or rather, an extra fee.
Fuck this. He doesn’t want to play games. He doesn’t want to make nice. This is all stupid.
Vash throws on a crop top from the clean laundry pile that he still has to fold, along with a pair of sweats, trying to give as much I do not care about you energy as he can. He wears his favorite socks, the ones that say, “I’m a delicate fucking flower” on them, because the words resonate with him today.
He pads out to the living room, heading straight for the drawer in their kitchen that somehow holds only soy sauce, ketchup packets, wrapped up chopsticks, and all of their weed. He shoves a gummy into his mouth, because at least Wolf didn’t have any rules about that.
Fuck, he really needs to stop being such a bitch about this. Meryl is excited, and it’s not her fault that he’s so cranky. It’s Wolf’s. His fault and his fault alone, and it’s not like he’s going to be here, making Vash miserable. For all he knows, this Nico will be a lovely guy. Maybe they’ll share some of the same hobbies. Maybe they’ll even get along well enough to become friends. Lord knows Vash could always use a few more friends.
He breathes deeply, trying to shake it off, and he’s practicing his I swear I’m a nice person smile when the doorbell rings.
“Can you get that?” Meryl calls from her bedroom. “I’m just putting my earrings on. I’ll be right out!”
“Okay,” Vash answers, and then heads to the door.
When he opens it, one thing becomes apparently clear.
He has every right to be a jerk, actually.
Because Wolf is standing right in front of him.