Chapter Text
having an older brother sucked, frankly. having an older brother who looked at you with a slightly different version of your own face while you begged to borrow his car sucked even more.
“nai, c’mon, please!”
“ah-ah,” nai says with a smirk, pushing against his brothers chest as he keeps his car keys just out of reach. “you’re still in debt, brother.”
“i just need it for like, an hour!” vash pleads as he fights to reach nai’s car keys, glinting teasingly in the sunlight from their bedroom window.
“well, you should have thought about that before you went and bought grip tape. you still owe me last week’s gas money.” he sighs as vash throws himself on his bed, the red sheets crumpling under his weight.
“what do you need my car for, anyway? you have your skateboard to get you around.”
“i’m supposed to pick nick up today, from the airport.” vash explains, staring up at the ceiling. nai can’t help but snicker.
“that’s hilarious,” he chuckles. his twin turns his head, blonde brows furrowed behind his obnoxious orange sunglasses. he hasn’t seen vash like this in ages, not since he got in a fight with some bullies during sophomore year.
“holy shit, you’re serious, aren’t you? he’s really coming? you don’t even know what he looks like.”
“yes, i do!” vash yells, getting up with a huff. “rem and i already talked about it. he’s staying for spring break.”
“and you didn’t think of talking to me about this when you’re gonna use my fucking car to pick up someone we don’t even know?” nai retorts. they always bicker like this when it comes to nick; vash swears he knows him, this random guy off the internet he talks to nearly every night. he’s been driving nai up the goddamn wall from how many times he’s started the dial-up.
“i know him.” vash says matter-of-factly. “i don’t understand why you can’t just fucking accept that.”
the blonde storms out, without keys and without regret. nai can hear him pick the landline up off the receiver and dial a number. he hears vash call that chick he’s always hanging out with, meryl or something, and asks her for a ride. she must’ve agreed, because he thanks her profusely before hanging up.
vash heads up the stairs once again, turning into their bedroom. he scavenges around his side of the room for his bag and shoes, putting them on quickly.
“vash-“
“i don’t want to talk about it right now,” he says with finality, tying a knot with his shoelaces.
that’s the last thing he says before he leaves the house.
the airport is packed. businessmen and women alike chatter on flip phones, children following after tired parents to their cars. the midday sky can be seen through the large windowed walls of the building, numerous planes being packed with luggage or taking off under the hot sun.
“you must be so excited, vash!” meryl’s girlfriend, milly, says with glee. she sits next to her smaller partner with her legs crossed politely, her baby pink tracksuit complimenting her dark hair. “i bet you’re nervous, though, huh?”
“oh, no, i’m fine!” vash says with a laugh. he’s shaking, obviously so. he assumes it’s the coffee meryl had bought them. it has to be the coffee. he should stop drinking the coffee.
“how’d you meet this guy, anyway?” meryl asks, taking a sip of her own.
“we, uh, met on a public chatroom on aol.” the blonde explains. “it was a classic rock chatroom, i think.”
“that’s so romantic!” milly exclaims with a giggle. “imagine if we met online, meryl.”
“yeah, imagine.” meryl says with a fond eye roll. “i just hope this guy is who he says he is.”
“he is,” vash smiles softly. “we’ve sent pictures back and forth.”
“what does he look like?” meryl questions, setting her coffee cup next to her feet.
“dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin… dark clothes.”
“so the complete opposite of you, then?” his black-haired friend jokes, earning a laugh from her lover.
“oh, haha, laugh it up. ah, hang on,” vash’s phone rings a tone in his back pocket. he answers it as soon as he sees the number.
“is that you? you just landed? is that your plane?” he asks quickly, one question after another, and the girls beside him giggle.
“yeah, we’re in front of the terminal.” vash says into the phone, basically bouncing on his heels. “i’ll meet you there.”
he takes off without thinking, running towards the gate’s entrance. he stands on his toes, looking over the heads of people shambling out from the gate and into the airport.
and there he is, all tall compared to everyone else. the cross on his choker reflects the bright lights of the building, his dark eyes set tired under black hair. he’s so beautiful.
“nicholas! nick!” vash shouts, waving his arms to get his partner’s attention. nicholas turns his head at the sound of his name, visibly taking a breath at the sight of vash. he suddenly begins to fight through the throng of people in front of him, ignoring their shouting and complaints.
vash’s heart beats in his chest like a drum as he jogs forward, speeding up as he gets closer to nick. he makes a short jump, feeling himself being cradled into a firm chest as the distance finally closes.
nicholas smells like cologne and fresh laundry, and he’s so, so warm. vash wraps his arms around his shoulders as nick wraps his own around the blonde’s waist. he feels his eyes burn with tears that threaten to fall as he grapples at his lover’s back like he’ll leave as soon as he’s arrived.
“i gotcha,” nicholas comforts, his own voice frail. it’s a melody in vash’s ear, clear of static and the rumble of the hollow telephone. his voice has a slight texan twang that pulls on vash’s heartstrings. “i gotcha, baby.”
“i can’t believe this is real,” vash laughs into nicholas’s shoulder, his voice equally watery. he’s only a few inches shorter and leaner in build than the other, but it feels like he’s being engulfed by him. “you’re so warm.”
“probably because i’ve been sweating on a plane for the past 9 hours.” nicholas chuckles, the noise reverberating through his chest. it’s comforting, feeling his body move with his laugh.
“you don’t smell like it,” vash says honestly. “you smell like.. like pine, i guess?”
“wow, thank you so much, my dear.” nicholas snorts, finally pulling back from the hug. his hands lovingly slide up and down vash’s biceps. his dark eyes soften with his smile, his snakebite piercings lifting with the skin. “…and i thought you were pretty through a screen.”
vash laughs, pushing him playfully but not enough to break their embrace.
“i could say the same about you, handsome,” nicholas snorts once again at his response and vash’s attempt at a flirtatious expression.
“c’mon, i wanna introduce you to some friends.” the blonde grabs his boyfriend’s hand, just the touch of him making his heart beat out of his chest. he leads him over to where meryl and milly were sitting, and milly shoots up from her seat with a smile.
“you must be nick! it’s nice to meet you!” milly greets, enthusiastic as always. she shakes nicholas’s hand in a quick manner, and he laughs.
“it’s nicholas to you, honey. only people with special privileges call me nick.”
“ooh,” she exclaims, a teasing smile gracing her pale face. “so vash must be special, yes?”
“i would hope so, if we’re dating.” vash comments with a laugh.
“meryl stryfe, nice to meet you,” meryl introduces herself with a smile. “we’ve heard a lot about you.”
“is that so?” nicholas smirks as his head turns towards his blonde partner. his pale face is hot and red under his orange tinted sunglasses as he groans.
“shut up, meryl!” his voice is whiny with embarrassment.
“i’m only telling the truth,” she replies simply, taking a sip of her coffee with an unbothered expression.
“anyway,” vash takes a breath. “i was thinking we could grab something to eat before we head home?”
“yeah, that sounds good.” nicholas comments.
“yes, please. i’m so hungry,” milly whines, rubbing her stomach. her girlfriend rolls her eyes lovingly as she seemed to do so often.
“i’m in the mood for taco bell, how about you guys?” meryl suggests, digging through her purse to grab her keys.
“hell yes. i’ve been craving a gordita crunch for the last week.” vash says as they make their way back to meryl’s car.
as they walk across the parking lot, nicholas slips his hand into vash’s. it’s a gentle, nonchalant touch. the blonde looks back at his partner, who squeezes his hand lovingly.
“i’m happy to be here,” he whispers under the sound of the girls talking to each other. “i’m happy to be with you.”
vash blushes and squeezes his hand back.
“me too.”