The burning sensation never ceased in your aching heart, only succeeding in fueling the pit growing in your gut. Yearning ventured across every inch, from the hairs on your head, to the tips of your toes. It was inescapable from the day you met the male, equipped with a smile so contagious you couldn't help but fall for him. Vash the stampede, a man full of mystery and chaos.

It was an immediate click when you met, even the faintest of glances sending a bloom to your chest, heart swelling like newly watered succulent. Even in this wasteland of a planet, Vash's sense of determination never wavered. Even after your first meeting, he was quick to invite you into his group, which was quickly accepted. They were an odd batch yes, Milly, Meryl, Wolfwood, and Vash himself, but you felt welcomed, safe. It was home.

Late nights hustled together under the stars, brief brushes of your hands, shared laughs. This man was going to be the death of you. Though, every time you looked at him, his gaze always seemed to be elsewhere, the gentle blue in his eyes shimmering with his own yearning. Though Vash always had a lot on his plate, he was bound to be distracted. At least that's what you believed, being blinded by love and all.

The aching didn't begin until the months following, when the pieces seemed to fit, when the realization finally hit. Wolfwood was a nice fellow, equipped with a personality that seemed so endearing yet annoying at the same time. You hadn't noticed how prominent his dimples were when he smiled, not until he was seated beside Vash in the bar, not until his eyes seemed bright with a familiar emotion. Love, that's what it was, you would know.

The grip you had on your glass seemed to weaken, attention focused on the blonde male beside you — faced away from you. It was as if everything was flipped, your mouth now dry, gut twisted. A hand on your shoulder broke that trance. "Hey friend, you okay?" Vash's gentle voice hit your ears, gaze holding concern. Friend. That's all you were to him.