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"Knives-sama, the Punisher is here as you requested."
The haunting tune his master was playing comes to an abrupt pause.
"Send him in." The music picks up again after the order is issued, chilling Legato's bones with its disturbing melody. It is the only piece he has heard his master ever play. He hates it, he hates it, he hates it.
Legato does as bid, thoughts about his master's habits dispersing. Nicholas D. Wolfwood greets him stoically when he tells him he's allowed the sight of their master. That man — barely a man, more of a boy — should have more respect towards Knives-sama. Legato barely suppresses the urge to teach him some manners. He hates having to leave Knives-sama with this human.
Wolfwood can hear Knives' tune the closer he gets to him. It is a beautiful but very sad melody.
"Knives."
The beat of the song changes for a microsecond, anyone else wouldn't have caught it. After a few seconds the music peters out to its inevitable end.
"Punisher." Knives greets him tonelessly, rising from the bench gracefully and approaching him. Wolfwood stamps down the slight smidgen of fear Knives' nearness brings him. To show weakness in front of him would be something akin to asking for death. "I have a job for you."
Wolfwood raises an eyebrow, curious despite himself. Before he can ask, Knives answers his silent question.
"I need you to bring me Vash the Stampede safe and unharmed." He doesn't bother masking his disdain of Vash's man-given title.
Wolfwood's slight widening of the eyes is the only outward expression at the words. Inside Wolfwood is asking a million questions. Why him? Isn't that the name of Knives' brother? What are you playing at? What is he planning?
The only question that manages to slip past his lips is, "Isn't that your brother?" Making Wolfwood mentally curse. Now he's done it.
A beatific smile spreads across Knives' face, terrible in its brilliance.
Ah fuck.
"Yes, my little brother Vash." Knives turns around, returning towards the resplendent piano. He lays a reverent hand over it, fingers ghosting over the keys. "Oh Vash, how I long for you to see the error of your ways."
Wolfwood inwardly groans, he really brought this on to himself like a fool didn't he. As if all the Gun-ho-guns aren't aware of the biggest downside to working for Millions Knives.
Dr. Conrad has warned him so many times not to ever refer or mention Vash in any way even if Knives has brought him up first. It will only make it worse.
The it being;
"Vash." Knives touches down on a key, and the music begins anew. "Oh Vash."
It's like hearing something private that comes from the deepest parts of a soul. Something almost holy. Wolfwood has the strange urge to look away from the mesmerising sight of Knives' fingers dancing over the keys.
This was Knives' daily love song for an estranged brother and all of the Gung-Ho-Guns had to suffer through it. Wolfwood is unfortunate in that he has heard this song more than once. Once is enough to understand that hearing it more than that would be too much. Dr. Conrad — the sick man he is — has no problem with it. Legato is always seething with jealousy when he hears it — much as he likes to pretend that he's unmoved by it. Zazie is the only one he's seen that isn't bothered by it, be it negatively or positively.
The music is beautiful but the emotions it brings forth are terrible, aching things. If one was inclined, they would feel sorry for Millions Knives. Thankfully, Wolfwood isn't.
The only thing he feels is hatred.
"Tch." Wolfwood supposes there's only one thing he can do in this situation.
"Alright, I'll do as you ask." Wolfwood turns his back to the sound of Knives' longing manifested in song without bothering to check whether Knives heard him or not. He gave him a job and a job is what he'll carry out.
***
Of course, things change when he actually meets Vash the Stampede in person. Priorities shift and his plans of revenge almost start to seem not as important.
He falls in love with someone he really, absolutely shouldn't have. If Knives learns about this or worse about the drunken kiss he shared with Vash one cold, rainy day, he'll kill him. There's no doubt in his mind that he will.
"Your brother is psychotic," Wolfwood murmurs under his breath almost by accident.
Vash frowns, not agreeing but not disagreeing either.
If Knives' feelings for Vash were complicated then Vash's feelings for Knives are even more so. Wolfwood isn't sure how to feel about the fact that the rival for Vash's affections is Vash's own twin brother. Is it a plant thing?
Pursuing his feelings for Vash would be suicide but Wolfwood is used to teetering close to the edge of death, he delights in it. If he can't have his revenge, he can at least take from Knives' what he might want even more than humanity gone. Vash. Even if that means he's practically signing his own death warrant.
"Hey, Needle-noggin, remember that time you almost puked on me?" Or otherwise known as the time a very plastered Vash kissed him very enthusiastically. It was a good kiss. He wants to know how much better it can get before Vash's twin inevitably murders him for daring to touch his beloved brother.
Vash blushes an instant red at the question, proving that he does indeed remember. He shifts his eyes away from the general vicinity of Wolfwood, reclining as he is by the wall of the diner they've stopped to recharge a little. With an awkward chuckle making his voice wobble, he asks, "Uh...why?"
Wolfwood takes a drag from his cigarette, more for appeasing his nerves than the enjoyment of it.
"Just wondering if you remember the other thing that happened is all." Oh, he knows Vash remembers, can tell by his refusal to look anywhere near Wolfwood but it's fun to tease him. Especially when his prodding just makes Vash even redder.
"Eh? What other thing?" Vash stutters. God, he's adorable. The things Wolfwood wants to do to him. Knives would kill him a million times over for even thinking them if he knew.
Wolfwood takes off his sunglasses, pocketing them. He takes one last whiff of his cigarette and then throwing it on the ground he snuffs it out with the heel of his shoe. Taking a determined step towards Vash, he prays to any God who might care that what he'll do next will be well received. He thinks it will but you can never be too sure.
The space left between them is getting smaller and smaller. Wolfwood reaches up a hand, wanting to cup Vash's lovely rose cheek, fingers ghosting over it. Elongated tendrils appear and violently grasp his hand before he can actually touch him, moving it away from Vash and almost wrenching Wolfwood's arm off. They're sharp as they cut into the soft inner part of his wrist, the blood welling up and running down his fingers.
Wolfwood inwardly curses.
Knives.
"Nai." Vash gasps out, one hand reaching out towards Wolfwood in concern, the other shifting towards the gun he has strapped on his thigh.
The knife-like tendrils don't let up on their hold of Wolfwood's arm and he isn't stupid enough to try freeing his arm. He knows it would only be futile.
A moment passes and then out of the vast desert Millions Knives appears, wrathful like a sand God. The stormy expression on his face promises doom to all that dare cross him. In this case; Wolfwood.
"Punisher." Knives' voice comes out as a growl, the anger he's feeling vibrating in the air and nearly stealing Wolfwood's breath. Vash steps closer to Wolfwood, shielding him by standing in front of him and shifting Knives' focus to himself like the self-sacrificing idiot he is. Not that Wolfwood imagines Knives would hurt him willingly but he's still being entirely too reckless. Knives' face loses a little of its animosity once his eyes catch those pretty blue of his twin. "Vash..."
"Nai, let go of Wolfwood."
Knives snarls, the tendrils digging even deeper and taking more of Wolfwood's blood.
"This filthy human almost touched you and you want me to let him go? I can not, brother."
Vash takes a deep breath. "It wouldn't be the first time," he declares, like the absolute idiot he is.
At that Knives' face turns blank. Wolfwood doesn't dare to even take a breath. He's dead, he's definitely fucking dead. Stupid needle-noggin, you're just making things worse!
Knives' gaze turns to Wolfwood then.
"I see." Knives' voice comes out in a murmur, empty-sounding. His eyes tell another story. Wolfwood doesn't ever remember anyone looking at him quite like this; with so much hatred but also, like he ripped apart their heart like tissue paper. It honestly almost makes him feel bad.
"So you're in love with this human then, brother?" That uncomfortable gaze returns to its better half, making Wolfwood sigh inaudibly in relief.
"Nai... That isn't your concern." You're not helping either of us here, Spikey, Wolfwood thinks.
"Of course it is! I'm your brother! Not those filthy parasites!" Knives shouts, fury lacing every word.
"Tch, your jealousy is showing there, Millions Knives," Wolfwood mutters, exasperated as he loses more blood by the second while these stupid, stubborn twins are fighting.
Apparently his voice was not low enough judging by the venomous glare Knives graces him with. Oops.
"What does Wolfwood mean by that?" Vash asks, eying them both sceptically.
At that precise moment in time, Nicholas D. Wolfwood decides to risk it all by being honest.
"Needle-noggin, your crazy brother is in love with you and so am I."
It is of course a mistake.
More of Knives' tendrils appear, they circle Wolfwood's throat, entirely intent on choking him. Vash had paled once the words were out of Wolfwood's mouth but now he snaps to attention, removing his gun from its holster and shooting at the tendrils with care not to accidentally shoot Wolfwood by accident.
"Nai! Stop this!" Vash yells. With desperation clouding his judgment, he drops the gun and runs full tilt at Knives, throwing himself at his brother. They drop to the sand and Knives' tendrils go with them leaving Wolfwood gasping for breath.
They roll around trying to pin the other in place and almost look like squabbling children as they do. The sight would have been amusing if Wolfwood didn't have to worry about one of them.
"Nai, please, stop," Vash pleads, momentarily the victor as he sits astride Knives and holds his twin's arms down with arms and legs. "Please."
The look on Knives' face as he gazes up at his brother can only be called reverent. It's as if he's beholding someone holy.
Oh, he's worse than I am.
"Put him out of his misery already, Blondie." Wolfwood sighs. Crunching on a vial of the regenerative drugs Dr. Conrad supplied him with to heal, Wolfwood takes out a cigarette and lights it, puffs of smoke pass over his lips as he continues, "Put both of us out of our misery."
Vash hesitates for a microsecond.
"Nai, you can have what you want if you promise me something," Vash says, having made up his mind.
"What is it brother? And it better not be to stop killing humans, you know they deserved it."
"They don't. Not as many as you think at least. But no I'm not talking about that. We will settle that another time." Vash mentally apologises to humanity. "Promise me you'll stop trying to kill Wolfwood."
Wolfwood raises an eyebrow at the mention of his name. Now that things have settled down a little, he can appreciate the sight of Vash having Millions Knives practically bound a lot more. Knives can wrestle free anytime but by that nearly soppy look on his face the idea has probably not even crossed his mind. What a sight indeed. Millions Knives bound by love.
"Why is he so special, brother?" Knives asks, tone sour at being reminded of Vash's feelings for Wolfwood himself. Wolfwood is wondering the same thing.
"You can't understand because you don't let yourself see humans how I see them." Vash's grip on his brother's arms turns gentle, more holding than encasing. "I wish you would, Nai."
Knives laughs ruefully, gazing at his better half so fondly still. "I never will, Vash."
"Then at least this one?"
As one, Vash and Knives turn their heads to look over at Wolfwood who's observing their intimate exchange with curious eyes.
"He's not bad-looking, I'll give you that, brother."
"Hmm," Vash hums, thumbs caressing Knives' wrists, his hands and fingers. "So?"
"Alright, if that means I can have you but only this one. No one else." Knives concedes, much as Wolfwood can tell he would rather not. For once, he can completely understand Millions Knives. He would have done the same. He will do the same. If it means being with Vash, they are both willing to compromise.
What has he gotten himself into?