Oh, oh, he had not expected him to just cave like that, and Wolfwood almost stumbled back in surprise when he found Vash pressing into him so fully. He recovered quickly enough, though, and the Punisher gave a dull thud behind him as he let it drop before both of his arms were wrapping around Vash's shoulders and holding him close.
He really wasn't used to this kind of thing anymore. Hadn't been for a long time, now. But after a moment of quietly panicking as he tried to remember how to do...this, he shifted, relaxing slightly into it, and like instinct instilled from so many years taking care of the kids at the orphanage when Miss Melanie was overwhelmed, he began to rock him gently, rubbing his hands against his back.
"Hey. You're gonna be alright." The words rumbled out unconsciously, though they left him a little bewildered after the fact. Would he? Or was he just parroting the things that had worked when he'd found Livio curled up under his blankets, once Wolfwood had stopped feeling prickly and wary of getting too attached to the little guy?
Honestly...yeah. Yeah. If there was one person on this damned planet that he thought could make it through this, it was Vash. Even if he did insist on taking every damn bullet that came out of the business end of a gun.
Seriously, though...if this was how Vash reacted when someone like Wolfwood asked if he wanted a hug, when was the last time he'd gotten one? From someone other than Nicholas. Because this was twice now, and both times, he'd latched on like it was a fucking lifeline.
Alright. New Rule. He needed to check in on him a lot more often. People didn't just latch on like this unless they really needed it. Especially not people like Vash, who worked so damn hard to keep everything so tightly contained.
But that was a concern for future Wolfwood. For now, he just let him cling as long as he needed to, rocking him and holding him and not even once letting himself give into the instinctive need to say some shitty little comment just to get him riled up.
Nope. Neber Stahp
He really wasn't used to this kind of thing anymore. Hadn't been for a long time, now. But after a moment of quietly panicking as he tried to remember how to do...this, he shifted, relaxing slightly into it, and like instinct instilled from so many years taking care of the kids at the orphanage when Miss Melanie was overwhelmed, he began to rock him gently, rubbing his hands against his back.
"Hey. You're gonna be alright." The words rumbled out unconsciously, though they left him a little bewildered after the fact. Would he? Or was he just parroting the things that had worked when he'd found Livio curled up under his blankets, once Wolfwood had stopped feeling prickly and wary of getting too attached to the little guy?
Honestly...yeah. Yeah. If there was one person on this damned planet that he thought could make it through this, it was Vash. Even if he did insist on taking every damn bullet that came out of the business end of a gun.
Seriously, though...if this was how Vash reacted when someone like Wolfwood asked if he wanted a hug, when was the last time he'd gotten one? From someone other than Nicholas. Because this was twice now, and both times, he'd latched on like it was a fucking lifeline.
Alright. New Rule. He needed to check in on him a lot more often. People didn't just latch on like this unless they really needed it. Especially not people like Vash, who worked so damn hard to keep everything so tightly contained.
But that was a concern for future Wolfwood. For now, he just let him cling as long as he needed to, rocking him and holding him and not even once letting himself give into the instinctive need to say some shitty little comment just to get him riled up.