Archive of Our Own

Vash woke up to a stream of sun light on his face in the most comfortable bed of his life. This was odd, because he always made sure to barricade the windows of every motel he stayed at with something to black out any prying eyes or attacks, or at least close the curtains. He'd never felt so well-rested after sleeping in one, either. Wherever he was, it was not the same place he'd fallen asleep, because he would never have let himself rest so unguarded. He must have somehow been moved without his knowledge. A flicker of anxiety went through his veins.

The creeping feeling of eyes staring at him did not help.

He tried to subtley shift his hand to reach for the gun he usually kept under his pillow.

"Girls, I told you to leave your dad alone! He had a long day yesterday!"

Vash startled at the sound of Wolfwood's voice. It sounded like it came from another room. That explained why he felt he could let himself fall asleep so deeply- Wolfwood was more paranoid than Vash, even, so when they stayed together Vash usually left security to him- but not how Wolfwood hadn't noticed a break in to their room. Or what the meaning behind his words was.

Suddenly, a warm sticky finger poked his cheek, right where his mole was. He tried to keep still, but his eyes fluttered when he heard little giggles.

"Dada, we know you're pretending," a little girl's voice fake-whispered.

The finger dug into his cheek harder. Vash blinked open his eyes in shock, because it'd sounded like the girl was directing her words to him.

When he opened his eyes, two little girls were peering at him, crouched on the floor with their hands on the edge of the bed. They were staring through wide, grey eyes and shaking with excitement. One was a little smaller, probably younger, with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail on the top of her head. The older one was the one who was poking indents into Vash's cheek.

"Dada, are you done sleeping?" The younger asked, tucking in on her elbows to stare at him closer.

Vash's could feel his pounding heart in his chest. His whole body went warm with nerves then cool with dread. There were two little girls in this room, looking vaguely familiar, and poking his face and calling him dad. There was no way he went to sleep in this room- although, he didn't even remember going to sleep, did he? And he didn't really remember yesterday. He had a vague recollection of buying ice cream for some kids out in the summer heat, but everything after was a blur. What the hell had happened to him?

"Your eyes are open. We know you're not asleep. Are you ready to play cowboys?" The bigger one said in a sing song voice. She started crawling on to the bed, so Vash hurriedly sat up and scooted over so she couldn't touch him. Her little face scrunched up as she sat beside him.

Vash took inventory of the room- light blue walls and two windows, a larger bed with a pile of knitted blankets at the foot, and an open door leading out into the hallway. He wasn't in a hotel- he was in someone's house. How did he not remember getting into someone's house? And would that someone please come get their kids?

"Um, where are your parents?" Vash choked out of a dry throat.

Vash winced as the girls cried out in exasperation simultaneously. The one sitting by him rolled around on the bed and the other dropped her head. What the hell.

"Daaad, pleaaase," the younger whined, the other repeating "please, please, please." Vash was starting to hyperventilate.

"Oook, that's enough." Vash's head whiplashed to the door, relieved someone had come to save him. His jaw dropped.

In front of him was Wolfwood. Or a very convincing Wolfwood copy, except for the way he was completely different. He looked relaxed, soft and leaning in the doorway. He had a towel thrown over his shoulder and a ratty t-shirt and grey sweatpants on. His hair was a little longer, shaggy and mussed like he just woke up. His patchy clean face was replaced with stubble. He was thicker, more solid, and, unbelievably, older.

Vash felt faint.

"Girls, I thought I said to let dad rest." Wolfwood said, walking towards the side of the bed Vash sat on. Vash was pretty sure he must have looked crazy, his mouth gaping open and his eyes the size of saucers. He was about to ask Wolfwood what the hell was going on, whose house were they in, why does he look like that when Wolfwood grabbed his chin in his hand and kissed him on the lips.

Vash would be lying if he said he had never thought about possibly, maybe kissing Wolfwood. Maybe, Vash's bedtime daydreams would imagine, if he was a human and an only child and the time was right and the world was saved. If Vash met Wolfwood while he worked at the orphanage, Vash a traveling salesman of children's books, and they fell in love over shiny, ten-page stories of little colorful creatures with televisions for stomachs. Maybe then they could kiss slowly, tentatively, scared but trusting. Maybe then they could build a little life together, everyday a new soft, endless adventure.

This was not what he experienced. Instead, Wolfwood's grip was firm, confident, pushing Vash's cheeks together so his lips pursed ridiculously. He pecked Vash's lips and his scruff grazed Vash's face, and let go as quickly as he came in.

"Hmm, morning breath," Wolfwood said, following with a kiss to his cheek.

When Vash just sat there, stunned, Wolfwood scrunched his eyebrows together.

"You alright? Need your coffee? You look a little-" Wolfwood waved a hand vaguely in front of his face.

Vash started to answer when one of the girls threw her hands around his neck and fell into his lap.

"Papa, we had to wake up Dad because we have to play cowboys. He promised we could keep playing once he got back home!" She grabbed Vash's chin in a mini copy of Wolfwood's grip and mimicked a deep voice, "Yes, Valentia, I wanna play cowboys now and you can get a puppy and candy for breakfast everyday!"

Vash found himself smiling down at the little girl, ruining the pursed lips she was trying to hold together, until she slapped her hands on his cheek and shook his head. Vash let out a breathy laugh, and felt his heart beat heavy in his chest at the bright smile she sent his way. Vash wasn't used to kids looking at him without any fear, just total trust and happiness. She wasn't even phased by his prosthetic as it supported her back, just beamed up at him and squeezed his face. She had a front tooth missing.

Meanwhile, the other girl stood up on the bed and made grabby hands at Wolfwood, who absently picked her up and held her on his hip. He hadn't stopped staring curiously at Vash. She giggled at her sister as she copied her machinations on Wolfwood.

"Linelle, you don't have to brush your teeth ever again," she said, giggling.

Wolfwood finally looked away from Vash to make a playful growl and blow a raspberry on her cheek as she shrieked. Vash felt his heart thump again, seeing Wolfwood smile and tickle the little girl as she wiggled around in his arms. Vash hadn't gotten to see Wolfwood with kids very often, but he knew how much Wolfwood loved them. He was sure it was just as exciting for Wolfwood to be looked at with such adoration, too.

When the little girl was breathless from laughing, he looked back at Vash consideringly. Vash tried to school his face, but Wolfwood could always see right through him.

"Blossoms, why don't you go get ready for breakfast, yeah? Papa's done with the waffles, so we just gotta set the table." Wolfwood set Linelle down and picked up Valentia from Vash's lap to set her on the floor, too. Vash's heart broke a little as she was taken away.

"But-"

"Dad will play cowboys after, ok? But cowboys have to eat breakfast before they go out and wrangle horses, right?"

Linelle nodded as both girls seemed to take this at face-value. Valencia grabbed her sister's hand and started to pull her away.

"I want extra syrup!" She called.

"You'll come eat, too, Dada?" Linelle asked, looking back at the doorway despite her sister's yanking grip.

Vash stared, waiting, before realizing Wolfwood was looking at him pointedly and he realized that she was talking to him.

"Oh, um, yes. I- I'll be there soon."

"Dada's just gotta wake up a little, ok? We'll be there in two minutes," Wolfwood said, holding up two fingers until Linelle held two up back and moved out of sight.

Wolfwood turned back to Vash quickly and grabbed his face again.

"What the fuck, Spikey?" Wolfwood barked.

"I don't know!" Vash answered, holding up his hands.

"What's going on?"

"No, I literally don't know! Why do you have a barrette in your hair?"

"Wha-! Oh, yeah, Linelle wants to be a hairdresser now," Wolfwood raised a hand up to pull out the pink clip and set it on the bedside table before sitting down on the bed. "What the fuck do you mean you don't know?"

"I. Do not. Know. Last I remember you were driving off to your next wherever the hell you go and you didn't have a beard and I think I was camping in between cities? And now I'm here and I don't even know where here is! Where am I, anyway?"

"That's the last thing you remember? Fuck, Vash, that was- God, that was years ago. Do you think someone attacked you? Or did you hit your head? Did you even make it to your sister?"

"Wolfwood, what part of 'I don't know' isn't clicking? It's like I've got- amnesia or something, maybe? But I've never had anything like this happen before."

Wolfwood was tense, shaken, his hands balled into fists on his knees.

"Not strictly true," He said, quietly. "You had amnesia once before."

"I did?! Well, great, how did I remember again?" Vash leant forward.

"You just. Kinda did?" Vash threw his hands up in exasperation and Wolfwood started whispering aggressively. "I don't know, Vash, who can understand the inner workings of your weird ass mind!"

"You didn't ask?" Vash yelled, normal volume, back.

"Shh!" Wolfwood glanced back at the door, but when no children came running he turned back. "We didn't exactly have time to chat about our mental health, alright? Kinda were goin' through a whole thing. And you grew your hair out, so there were a lotta distractions."

"What?" Vash asked, incredulous, but at the blush on Wolfwood's face, moved on. "No, forget it- Listen, I don't know where the hell I am, or when the hell I am, and I'd like some answers! What is this place? Whose little girls are those?"

Wolfwood's face had gone through a myriad of changes throughout their back-and-forth, but with the last question his face crumbled. He looked utterly heartbroken.

"Vash," Wolfwood ran a hand down his face before reaching out and taking Vash's hand. Wolfwood's hand was shaking. "Jeez, Spikey, what the hell have you done now."

Vash waited for Wolfwood to collect himself, looking away as to not embarrass him for his emotional display, although Wolfwood seemed strangely fine with Vash seeing his face flush and hearing his voice break. Finally, Wolfwood tugged his hand to drag his attention back.

"Couple days ago, you left to run an errand to the city. We live in bumfuck, so everywhere is a few days out. One of your sister's was sick, I don't know, it happens every now and again. Rarer, now, but still." Wolfwood shrugged. "You run errands all the time. It wasn't anythin' strange, so-"

His face went through some complicated motion, like he was trying not to cry. Vash didn't know what to do, seeing Wolfwood's eyes fill up with tears.Vash tried to squeeze his hand in reassurance, but felt a pinch that stopped him. When he looked down he saw that they each wore a ring and the pressure had been them clinking together. Vash's brain couldn't compute this information.

Finally, Wolfwood took a deep breath and swallowed, somehow not letting the tears flow. Vash was simultaneously relieved and devastated. Wolfwood seemed to collect himself and, when he spoke, he was matter of fact.

"Vash, I don't know what the fuck is happenin', and there's probably a better way to tell you this, but fuck if I know how to do anythin' but rip the bandaid off. We're married, this is our house and those little girls are our little girls."

Vash was not stupid. His brain had taken in the data, made the calculations, and reached a conclusion. However, that did not mean that hearing it made it any easier to swallow. He had a moment of complete numbness, Wolfwood's words echoing in his head, before he sprang into action.

"What?! What do you mean? How? When? Why?" Vash let go of Wolfwood's hand to throw off the blankets and stand up. He started pacing the floor, tearing at his hair.

"Well, Vash, when two men love each other very much-"

"Shut up." Vash said, pointing at him. "Be serious."

Wolfwood ran his hand through his hair and threw himself back on the bed.

"God damn it, it was bad enough dealin' with you the first time and I still don't know how I did it." He sighed. "After all that-" he waved a hand in the air above him- "with your brother-"

Vash stopped pacing to stare increduously.

"All what? How did it go with Knives?!"

"I don't have time for all that, Vash, jeez. All that shit happened with your brother and you saved me- don't ask- and when you came back we kinda, I don't know, stayed together, travelin'. And eventually we talked about settlin' in one place and we got the house and we-" Wolfwood groaned. "Do I haveta? It's embarrasin'."

"Wolfwood-"

"Okay, okay! The first night here, I kinda asked you to marry me."

Vash huffed, "But when did we start dating?"

Wolfwood threw his hands over his eyes and garbled something.

"What?" Vash asked, getting severely pissed at how incomplete of a picture Wolfwood was painting. He was the one with amnesia and yet Wolfwood was acting like he was getting put through the wringer. Figures.

Wolfwood sighed heavily again and moved his hands.

"When I asked you to marry me."

At the silence, Wolfwood raised himself on his elbows to look at Vash. Vash could feel his own wrinkled forehead and twist of the mouth, anger and confusion warring.

"We started datin' when I asked you to marry me." Wolfwood said, sheepishly.

Vash felt like all of the planet's gravity had decided to press into him at once. His whole body was weighed down as he dropped his jaw and leaned forward in shock.

"You said yes!" Wolfwood yelled, pointing a finger at Vash aggressively.

Vash felt frozen. He could probably have stood for a few decades like that without processing, but Wolfwood pushed himself to sit on the edge of the bed and went on.

"So, whatever, we got married. And Valentia was. A surprise. We didn't really think- but we hoped. Or wished, I guess, so. A happy accident." Wolfwood continued, electing, wisely, to ignore the frozen man in front of him and staring at the floor. "'Bout a year later, we tried for Linelle." Wolfwood shrugged again. "Our happy little family."

Wolfwood looked up, sheepishly.

Vash gaped at him. He didn't understand. Absolutely none of it made sense. Not the house, or the girls, or the somehow-surviving-Knives. Vash had sworn to himself, promised, repeatedly, that he would never touch Wolfwood. It didn't bear thinking about except in impossible dreams. Vash couldn't have anyone, they were too different, too volatile, and Wolfwood was so soft, so breakable.

"I don't-" Vash swallowed thickly. "I don't understand how I let this happen."

Wolfwood let out the worst noise Vash had ever heard. Worse than someone shooting him, or torturing him, because Vash had heard all that before. It sounded completely broken.

"No, no, no," Vash said, hurriedly, rushing to sit next to Wolfwood on the bed. Wolfwood was rubbing at his eyes with one hand, but Vash took the other. "I'm happy. I'm unbelievably happy, Wolfwood. I love you. I know I do. I do now. Or I did then? I don't know, but I have loved you and I will continue to. I just-" Vash squeezed their hands again, felt Wolfwood's ring dig into his skin and Wolfwood's gaze on him. "I didn't think I'd ever get anything like this. I don't deserve it."

"Vash," Wolfwood said, grabbing Vash's cheek with his free hand. He stared at him for a moment, brushing a thumb under his eye, before he leaned forward to lay their foreheads together. "Believe it or not, we've already had this conversation. A few times, in fact." Wolfwood huffed a laugh. "On both sides, me and you. And we agreed, finally, that it's not about deservin'."

"What's it about then?" Vash whispered, a few tears slipping out even though he tried to keep them in.

Wolfwood smiled.

"Why don't I show you?"

___

Cowboys was not a fun game.

Vash quickly realized, with a scarf around his neck and two children on his back and his knees scraping the floor, that his future-self had been right to promise to play it later. It was just Vash's luck that later was now.

"Yeehaw! Whoooaa, boy!" Linelle yelled in his ear, twirling a raggedy black hat in the air.

"Hold it, partner!" Valentia said, taking big, wide-leg steps out from behind the couch. "You think you can outrun me? The Humanoid Typhoon?"

Vash groaned and dropped his head. He could hear Wolfwood chuckle from his spot at the kitchen table. Apparently since he cooked breakfast, Vash got horse duty.

"I know I can, because I'm-" Linelle stood up on Vash's back, probably breaking it in three places, and wiggled as she kept her balance, "The Punisher! Fooool!"

Okay, maybe it was a little funny.

After their freak out in the bedroom, they'd decided the only thing they could really do is wait it out for a little while and see if Vash's memory came back. Then the girls had yelled out how they were starving to death and dragged their attention away. Wolfwood doled out chocolates chip waffles, tasking Vash with pouring juice. The girls had dug in with gusto while Vash watched, their little cherub faces slowly becoming coated in chocolate and syrup from tearing bites out until they looked feral. Wolfwood at some point pulled a hair tie off his wrist to wrestle Valentia's hair back in a ponytail so it wasn't caught in the crossfire as she shoved big bites in her face.

Wolfwood grimaced as he sat next to Vash, then chuckled at Vash's disgusted face.

"Don't even. They get that from you," he said, cutting his own breakfast. After a few moments, he pushed Vash's plate in front of him. "You better eat up, too, before they get it all. No skimpin', either, I'm tryna keep you fed good, yeah?"

Vash blushed, but did as he was told. He had noticed, vaguely, a few extra pounds on his frame. It paled in comparison to the other earth-shattering things to notice, but he was curious about how his body was reshaped from the years of- what? Relaxation? Domesticity? Fatherhood?

He had excused himself after breakfast to go to the bathroom, caught his first glimpse of himself in the mirror and nearly had a heart attack. No wonder the girls' hair was so dark; Vash's own was pitch black. His, too, was a little longer (How Wolfwood likes it? his treacherous mind wondered) and he had laugh lines around his mouth, a worn groove in between his eyebrows; Genuine, aging-level wrinkles on his face. He was getting older, too, somehow.

A startling scratch at the door jarred him from his perusal. He looked down to see two little tan hands wiggling from the crack between the door and the floor. When he carefully pulled it back, he saw the girls- his daughters!- staring up at him from the ground.

"Cowboys, now! Giddy up, horsy!"

Now, Linelle jumped down from her steed to charge Valentia, and they quickly dissolved into a karate fight, although maintaining some kind of pretend force field between them so the hits never landed.

While they were distracted, Vash stood and groaned as he popped his back.

Wolfwood shook his head with a smile as Vash sat next to him.

"Just be happy it's not a day they wanna play sandsteamer princesses. Then you have both of them ridin' 'round on you."

"Hmm, and does Papa ever get to be their preferred mode of transportation?"

"Papa is a lowly human, too delicate for such rough play," Wolfwood said, smirking, but Vash was startled.

"Wait, are they-?"

Wolfwood nodded in the direction of the girls.

Valentia had little feathers sprouting from her arms, while Linelle had a few flickering on her ankles, like the exertion and excitement was causing them to bubble out. They weren't upset and the world wasn't ending and no one was screaming. They seemed to not even notice, continuing their air attacks.

Vash swallowed, "Can they...?"

"That right there is 'bout all they can do," Wolfwood said, shaking his head. "And talk to your sisters, thank god, or you'd have to be their vehicle and their interpreter, and they get to talkin' near as much as you."

Vash pushed his shoulder before turning back to watch the girls play.

They were beautiful little girls. They looked like little clones of Wolfwood, except for hints of Vash here and there. Valentia had a cowlick like Vash's, pushing her hair up in the back. He saw a mole on the bottom left of Linelle's chin. Otherwise, they were Wolfwood's through and through. Vash found himself absolutely enamored by it.

"What're you thinkin'?" Wolfwood asked, pulling Vash's attention away, although he kept watching them as they hopped on to the couch to continue their fight.

"They look like you," Vash said, smiling.

"Eh, yeah, sorry 'bout that," Wolfwood said, rubbing his head. "Strong genes, I guess. You always say it ain't fair you go through all the trouble of growin' 'em only for them to come out lookin' like me."

Vash turned to catch his eye and smiled like he had a secret, "I'm lying."

Wolfwood grinned back.

"I know. But I let you complain anyway." Wolfwood shrugged. "Least I can do for bein' the one that did it to ya.'"

Vash had to look away to hide his blush. For as hard as it was to come to terms with his daughters, it was just as hard to make peace with the fact that Wolfwood was his husband. That he knew Vash loved him and he loved Vash back. It didn't make it any easier when Wolfwood made reference to their love life, their- gulp- sex life. The events that one would have to partake in to create two children.

It didn't help that Wolfwood seemed smitten with the lurid blush on Vash's cheeks.

"Stop," Vash begged, covering his face. "It's not fair that you're suave about this."

"Oh, I was definitely not suave the first go-round, trust me." Wolfwood laughed, nudging Vash's hands off his face. "It's fun to be cool this time while you're all freaked out."

"I was cool the first time?" Vash asked, brightening.

"No," he laughed. His eyes softened as he wrapped his fingers around Vash's wrist on the table, absently rubbed his thumb alone his skin. "But I was too busy being a mess myself to notice. Being the center of your undivided attention? Baby, we're lucky I survived."

Vash was not unaccustomed to being attracted to Wolfwood. To know him was to want him. To listen to him talk- even when it was stupid, irritating, annoying- was to be wrapped in smoky, cloying want. Vash had hungered for Wolfwood, starving, but, thankfully, he was long accustomed to ignoring his desires. He had survived it only by feigned ignorance and dogged perseverance. But this Wolfwood knew about the aching maw that Vash had inside for him. He knew Vash coveted his attention and his words and his body. And instead of having mercy on him, of course, Wolfwood toyed with it, worked it up and set it loose.

With Wolfwood's lips inches away as Vash leaned closer over the table, and Wolfwood's fingers grazing the sensitive skin of his wrist, and Wolfwood calling him baby, Vash considered that maybe mercy was overrated.

Wolfwood's grin twisted from besotted to predatory.

"Girls! Why don't we play a game?"

Vash was startled out of the seductive web Wolfwood weaved by their daughter's gasps and shrieks running over to them. Vash found himself struck by the shift, unaccustomed to the ice-water shock of banked interest. Wolfwood, however, shifted with aplomb, lifting a child onto each thigh and pulling them close.

Oh, he's a dad, Vash thought, heart pounding against his rib cage.

"Alright, my blossoms, how about this?" Wolfwood fake-whispered, eyeing Vash as the girls tilted their heads forward. "How about we pretend Daddy can't remember his chores, hmm? And you both have to help him."

"So, we have to do Dad's chores?" Valentia asked, a scarily Knives-looking sneer on her face.

"No, no, no! You have to tell Daddy what to do!" Wolfwood smiled and it was both warming and terrifying to see two mini, matching, beaming grins on his daughter's faces.

___

Evidently, Vash and Wolfwood had grandiose ideas on childrearing. Vash had wanted the girls to have extensive knowledge of botany and agriculture. He'd had Wolfwood build long beds of terraformed gardens of flowers, vegetables, and fruits, so the girls could learn how to nurture them. They'd taken a few family trips to cities to meet his sisters, where he'd taught them how to communicate and heal. Wolfwood said Vash was planning on teaching lost technology as they got a little older.

Wolfwood had his own ideas of education- they had a few thomases kept in a small barn with a fenced in grazing area. Wolfwood said they were for practical reasons only- to teach responsibility and life lessons, but Vash also saw how gently Wolfwood pet their beaks and whispered into their ears when he thought no one was looking. Vash was teaching the girls to ride, Wolfwood said with an eye roll, since apparently Wolfwood's abilities were lackluster.

Vash couldn't fathom the image of him and Wolfwood discussing enrichment activities and skills they wanted to impart on their children. It sounded luxurious, selecting what they wanted their children to learn, rather than what they would have to know to survive. The girls had never even touched a gun, Wolfwood had told him, although they had agreed to consider it in a few years.

For now, the girls were happily bossing their dad around the little farm. They showed him where the thomas food was and how to throw it in the pen. They took a basket from the kitchen and instructed him on how to tell when the fruit was ripe enough for picking. Valentia showed him the play house that they were in the middle of constructing and Linelle took him to see the barn cats, a new litter nestled in the corner of the loft.

It was the sweetest, gentlest day of Vash's life. He kept finding himself distracted by the feeling of his daughters' hands brushing his, handing him a broom or cupping his hands together to hold a chick. He was charmed by the cadence of their voices, repeating phrases Vash had heard himself say and dropping the 'g' from words in mimicry of Wolfwood's accent.

At one point, Linelle slipped on a puddle and scraped her knee. She immediately started to cry and reached her hands out for Vash. He didn't even hesitate, racing towards her and scooping her in his arms. He took her to the kitchen to wash off the cut, kissed it, and bandaged it, then stroked gently at the downy feathers that had sprouted at her temple until she calmed down.

It wasn't until he was gently rocking her in his arms that he realized he'd done it all on autopilot, like something in him called to take care of his daughters even when his mind couldn't recall.

Vash couldn't believe she was his. His flesh and blood mixed in with Wolfwood's into a living, breathing person he could hold in his arms and sooth. She was so tiny and delicate and kind, her little hand resting on his prosthetic and her breaths evening out against his chest. She was everything good about him put into a little package and he loved her more than anything.

Vash was still dazedly holding her when Wolfwood walked in to check on them. Wolfwood caught his eye and smiled softly before speaking.

"Well, it sure is a hot one. Makes ya want a popsicle real bad, huh?"

At that, Linelle's head lifted up and her face brightened as she wiggled out of Vash's arm, completely recovered. Wolfwood opened the fridge to pull out two popsicles, handing both to her as she hopped down to accept before running off to take one to her sister.

Wolfwood shook his head before turning to Vash, who had watched and waited for her to leave before he let a few tears fall.

"Hey, now," Wolfwood crooned, coming closer to hold either side of Vash's face and rub the tears with his thumbs.

"They're just-" Vash snorted snot up his nose. "They're so perfect."

"I know," Wolfwood said, smiling. "Crazy ain't it? Something like them comin' from people like us? It never gets less insane."

"Wolfwood," Vash said, grabbing his forearms, crushed. "I can't remember them. I can't remember giving birth or their first word or what their favorite colors are. I can't remember my own babies. How can that happen? What if I never remember?"

Tears were streaming down his face now as Wolfwood pulled him into his arms, guided Vash's head down to rest in the cradle of his neck.

"Shhh, baby," Vash felt Wolfwood's shuddering breath against his cheek that meant he was trying not to cry. "You'll remember. You always do. And if you don't, I'll be there to remind you. That's what I'm here for."

"You're here to fix my screw ups?" Vash asked, wetly, arms pulled tight to his chest.

Wolfwood squeezed him in admonishment.

"I'm here to take care of you. To have your back, just like you got mine." Wolfwood trailed his hand to Vash's ring finger. "Forever."

Vash trembled a little longer in Wolfwood's arms, let him gently sway them in the kitchen light.

"Valentia's birth was traumatizing," Wolfwood whispered. "And I can say that, because it was your word." Vash let out a breathy laugh. "We didn't know how long plant pregnancies lasted and we didn't know if she was early or late or if she'd be independent or completely human. But she was perfect. The best thing that ever happened to us. Good enough we thought, hey, we'll try our luck again. Sure enough, we're two for two. Turns out we're great at makin' babies."

Vash laughed again, leant back so he could look at Wolfwood.

"Valentia's first word was 'dada.' We had a bet about it, but I swear you cheated. Some plant magic shit, whisperin' it in her head." Wolfwood wiggled his fingers in front of Vash's face. "Linelle's was 'papa,' although you swear you heard her say 'donuts' two days earlier, but I think you're full of shit. Again."

Vash was smiling, tears dried on his face. Wolfwood was holding him close in his arms, rubbing his hands up and down his back soothingly.

"As for favorite colors, God, it depends on the day. For the longest time, Valentia's was chartreuse, which I thought was made up, but she said you taught he-"

Vash caught Wolfwood's mouth mid-word, which he kind of always thought he would, whenever he daydreamed of kissing him for the first time in those few, forbidden moments. Mostly because Wolfwood never shut up, but also because Vash knew one day Wolfwood would say something that made it impossible for Vash to resist. And he'd been right.

Wolfwood kissed him back with the unfair advantage of a man that had kissed his husband a million times. He threaded his fingers in Vash's hair to guide his head to the side, moved them to just the right angle so that Wolfwood could kiss in deep and soft. His lips were chapped from a day in the sun, but it only encouraged Vash to lick at them more. Wolfwood met him there, small nips to Vash's lower lip, tugging it.

Wolfwood was so warm beneath his hands where Vash had finally gripped them around his waist, felt the weight of him in his palm. Wolfwood groaned when Vash squeezed, pushed forward until Vash was pressed against the kitchen counter. Vash's knees were weak; he slipped down and their mouths disconnected, but Wolfwood grabbed his chin to pull his mouth back up to reconnect.

Vash was awash with sensations. His body was thrumming and his mind was blank except for Wolfwood and Wolfwood's breaths and Wolfwood's thighs. Why had they been doing anything but this? Why hadn't they stayed in bed and kissed until Vash's memory returned or the heat death of the universe, whichever came first?

"Eeeeww!" A teeny chorus cried from the doorway.

Wolfwood broke away with a gasp, and they turned to see their daughters. Both were covered in blue syrup, dirt caked on their knees and in their hair. Despite the cries of disgust they looked unalarmed to see their fathers intertwined in the kitchen. Vash wondered how often this happened to them and if it was scarring.

"Our apologies, ladies. Daddy and I are in love," Wolfwood said, placing a kiss on Vash's cheek and moving to lean against the counter next to him.

"You're in love everyday," Valentia whined as she reached out and hugged Wolfwood's leg. He patted her head and pet her hair back from her forehead as she looked up at him.

"'M sticky." Linelle said, miserably from the doorway. Vash laughed.

"Time for baths?" He asked Wolfwood, who was in some kind of goofy face challenge with their eldest.

"Now you're getting it," Wolfwood said around his stuck out tongue.

___

Bedtime was a chaotic affair. The girls were reasonable about baths, but hated having their hair brushed. Wolfwood took the brunt of that work, Vash completely clueless at the best way to comb through such thick hair, although Wolfwood said he had been getting better. The girls asked him for oddly named braids, which Wolfwood accommodated without hesitation, his fingers moving quickly through unrecognizable patterns until he could tie them off.

They tucked them in together, the girls each in their own bed in their shared room. It was an explosion of child wonders in there- princess crowns, toy motorcycles, felt food, and animal books. Wolfwood sat on one bed, Vash on the other, as they took turns reading from a book. Wolfwood was better at the silly voices, but Vash built better suspense. They were egging each other on with their eyes, challenging, before they finally realized both girls were asleep.

They carefully shifted off the beds, turned off the lamp and turned on the night light, before quietly leaving the room.

Vash found himself lingering in the doorway, watching their exhausted little faces slumber. Valentia was snoring and Linelle's feet wiggled around in the comforter. He was scared if he took his eyes off of them for a second they'd disappear, figments of his imagination.

He felt a hand tangle with his.

"It's hard to leave them." Wolfwood whispered. "Like it's too good to be true."

"When does it get easier?" Vash asked.

Wolfwood leaned his head against Vash's shoulder, something wobbly in his voice.

"That part doesn't."

___

When they finally pulled themselves away, Wolfwood shooed Vash to the shower to clean off. Once he was done, he came out to find Wolfwood had set up everything for the morning- the harvested food placed in the fridge and the coffee machine refilled. While Wolfwood was in the shower, Vash folded up blankets and locked the doors.

He was surprised at how easy it was to be domestic with Wolfwood, even after a full day of it. Vash could see the well-worn grooves of their routine. He could feel the satisfaction roll off of Wolfwood, the easy comfort of his days.

Vash was sat on the edge of the bed when Wolfwood came out of the shower. Vash looked up, mouth open and ready to speak when he realized Wolfwood was in nothing but a towel.

Wolfwood didn't seem to notice anything remiss about this. And why would he? Vash thought, He's been married for years. His husband- I- have probably seen him naked before. At least twice!

Vash cleared his throat, trying to reign in his thoughts.

"Hmm?" Wolfwood was opening a drawer and pulling out pajama pants, but paused to look over at Vash on the bed.

"Oh, um," Vash looked away as Wolfwood pulled the towel off and hung it on a hook on the back of the bedroom door. Vash was slow enough to catch a glimpse of Wolfwood's ass and let out a strangled noise. "I wanted to say- actually, maybe I should wait until you're dressed to say it."

Only then did Wolfwood seem to understand. Vash heard a chuckle and a shift of fabric against skin before Wolfwood sat next to him. Vash peeked out of the side of his eye before turning to face him.

"Sorry, kinda forgot I've got a virgin on my hands," Wolfwood said, smiling. "What do you wanna tell me?"

Vash shook out his shoulders, ignoring Wolfwood's antagonizing, because he was trying to be serious and sentimental, for once. He took Wolfwood's hand in his and steeled himself to look into his eyes. He saw Wolfwood's eyebrows raise.

"I am- so happy for you," Vash said, choking a little on the emotion of saying it. It seemed mentally preparing didn't make it any less difficult to say. "I'm so happy you have this life that makes you so happy and that you've got a home and children and everything you ever wanted. And-" Vash swallowed thickly. "And I am so happy you let me be a part of it."

Wolfwood's face was crumbled again, just like this morning, unbearably sad.

"Vash," Wolfwood said, sighing. He cupped Vash's fact in his free hand. "Vash, God, I know you know, the you that remembers, I guess, but I wish the you back then knew. I wish I wasn't so afraid to tell you-" He squeezed Vash's hand. "You are it, Vash. You are my life. You are what makes all the rest of this possible. You make me so incredibly happy."

Vash was crying, again, soft trickles down his face dripping off his jaw. He let go of Wolfwood's hands to throw his arms around his neck and pull him close. Wolfwood held him, rubbed his nose in Vash's hair and shushed him, softly.

"I love you," Vash whispered, hiccuping into Wolfwood's neck.

"Vash," Wolfwood said, clutching Vash to him. "Vash, of course I love you, too."

They stayed like that for so long, Vash's body and emotions exhausted, until they were so tired they let themselves fall to their sides and laid on the bed like that. Still holding Vash, Wolfwood pulled one of the bed's many blankets over them, tucking him in. Vash fell asleep in Wolfwood's arms, in their bed, in their house, exactly where he'd never let himself dream he could be.

___

Vash woke up to Wolfwood's head on his chest, the full moon's light illuminating their room with a soft, hazy glow. His head ached something awful, pounding and swollen in his skull. He tried to remember why it would like that, remembered trying to heal his sister and being yanked out too early, a group of townspeople running him out of town, although, thankfully, his sister was fine.

Then the rush of memories from yesterday came in, waves of actions and words that his body did but felt outside of him, like he was watching from a window. He'd forgotten everything- Wolfwood and their wedding and- Oh, God, he'd forgotten his children.

A grunt from Wolfwood startled him from his thoughts, Vash looked down and realized he had squeezed him too hard and woken him.

"Baby? You okay?" Wolfwood asked, blearily. Vash tried to be quiet, but his relief was too big to contain.

"Wolfwood, I remember- I remember everything, God, I'm sorry for scaring you, baby! I pro-"

"Oh, shit, Vash, thank God," Wolfwood shifted himself up to his elbows to grab Vash's face.

"I promise, from now on we can go together or something, I'll never-"

Wolfwood was kissing him through his words, pecks all over his face.

"I'll never do that again, but I love you, I love you so much, I-"

"Vash," Wolfwood gasped, and only then did Vash shut up, kissing his husband back into the bed. "Vash, don't forget what you promised me-"

"I know, I know, honey," Vash whispered into his mouth.

"Tell me," Wolfwood said, tears in his eyes and his nails digging into Vash's scalp like he was afraid he'd disappear. Vash guessed that he kind of had.

"I promised you all my tomorrows. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, forever." Vash kissed into his temple. "I promise."

"I love you," Wolfwood said, grasping Vash to his chest.

For the second time that night, they fell asleep holding each other, this time with Vash's heart full and aching, and dreaming of tomorrow.