THE NAKED TRUTH

By Rubious

 

Rating: PG-13

Warning: Angst, violence, nausea, nudity

 

Trigun is © Yasahiro Nightow. Calico and Sokoke are © Enigma and are used with permission. This story is a work of fan fiction and is for entertainment purposes only.

 

//thoughts//

 

Previously: Wolfwood is recovering from injuries incurred in a scuffle with thugs, a bout of food poisoning, and a doting Milly.

 

Chapter 3: Resolutions

 

            Wolfwood woke up in the late afternoon. His hangover had abated, but the stench of betrayal lingered in his mind. He needed to have a discussion with Vash. In the dining room he poured himself some coffee to settle his upset stomach. Seeing Vash was not around, Wolfwood set off in search of the blond gunman. He found Vash playing with some children in the town square, tossing a ball back and forth. Their loud laughter aggravated Wolfwood’s headache.

            Wolfwood sat down on a bench next to Vash and said bluntly, “Where were you last night? I go up against those thugs and end up in a puddle of puke. You’re supposed to be my friend, but you left me hung me out to dry.”

            Vash was stung by the accusations. Guilt tore at the Stampede’s soul. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Milly told us this morning you were pretty busted up.”

            Wolfwood wasn’t looking for pity. “Where were you?” he repeated.

            Vash looked at his friend with a caring expression. “You were still sitting on the porch when I left to get you some coffee to sober you up with. When I returned with the coffee, I saw you lying in the street. Whoever beat you up was long gone. I didn’t realize right away because I was distracted by thoughts of Meryl.”

            Privately the preacher was elated to see the extent of the scheme’s success. It did come at a cost though as Wolfwood was reminded by a painful twinge in his side when he moved slightly on the bench.

“Meryl, huh?” Wolfwood mulled over the explanation. He swirled the coffee in his mug as if an answer might magically appear in the dark liquid. “Yeah, but don’t let it happen again. Next time we’re in a fight don’t let a gal or donuts distract you. I know you’ll be there to watch my back.”

“Damn right,” Vash replied with a grin.

“But if you screw up, I’ll kick your ass and destroy every donut shop around to

deprive you of your precious pastries.”

            The tension between the two had lifted. Vash leaned forward, asking, “What happened last night?”

            Wolfwood sipped his hot coffee. “There was a gang called the Angry Llamas selling drugs to a kid. It reminded me of a boy named Sherman in the orphanage I support. He was a twelve-year-old drug addict. It broke my heart to see any kid like that again.”

            Vash wiped a small tear from his eye. “It wasn’t like that when I was younger.”

            Wolfwood scoffed at the statement. “The world is a darker place these days.”

            Vash was curious about Wolfwood’s motivations for the melee. “Why take on a whole gang?”

            “I was drunk and wanted to make things right. Even if I had to fight a bunch of thugs.”

            “That was a stupid thing to do,” Vash remarked.

            “I know that now.”

            “Wolfwood, I’ll make you a promise. I’ll always have your back and cover you even if a stupid drunk wants to fight a gang of Llamas.”

            “Thanks for the support,” Wolfwood replied in a tired voice. He felt exhausted from the heat and the illness. His fingers fumbled with the match as he tried to light a cigarette. Vash lit it for him. The pair returned to the boarding house as the late afternoon shadows in the streets of New Oregon. The insurance girls would be waiting for them so the quartet could go have a light dinner later that evening.

 

            What had been a mistaken betrayal lost to kindness and solidified the friendship between the preacher and the gunman.

 

            THE END

 

 

 

AUTHOR’S NOTES

[1.] This fic is dedicated to the illustrious writer of angst, Enigma. Check out the Llama’s latest angst-driven saga, “Cold November Rain,” currently at Chapter 51.