Chapter Text
Budding moon pierces dull smoke on his lips as he sweeps his gaze across the gate, not a thought from the man. For he never saw palaces. Or robots?
Lovely fucking house, eh?
Dragging his burning nicotine, the moon already touched its hill’s top. Though the gate closer, his treks didn’t waver as he had never felt nervous taking the same gun. Clickity noise bounces through the air as he stops at the porch. Rugged knuckles raging onto the door.
“ ‘Scuse me!! Can I have a word with the Master?”
Slowly, carefully, light steps heave towards the main door as the man waits for the mansion’s Master. Still fumbling with keys. A loud screech as a navy pair peek out, but he realizes those eyes.
“He…hello. Are you at the wrong address?”
“Yeeeahh, no. Just want some talking with—master of this castle?”
The navy pair didn’t bother to glance back but keep his gaze even with him. On this musty night, unfortunately, he can’t see anything but bright ebony stares.
“That…would be me! Is there anything I can help?”
The heavy gate flew outward as the man steps back. Revealing a well-lit foyer same with his pure grin and slightly hunched figure.
“Please come in! Um, mister–?”
“Nicholas. Nicholas D Wolfwood—uh, Mountside University student. This is for...my history project.”
“I see...call me Vash. Just Vash’s fine!”
He grasps Wolfwood’s extended palm with strength almost plucking his bone as he loosens his grasp. As Wolfwood steps in, furniture surrounds him and Vash. Some locks each door's path as he burns another cigarette, following the owner who jumps around.
“Heyyy! Hey, hey, our house’s living room is pretty cool too! There’s a sofa, a big heater, and a portrait!”
Immediately, he matches his speed to Wolfwood. Covering his view as Wolfwood chuckles behind his teeth.
“Oh yeah? I’m veeeery interested in it, where’s that portrait?”
His smile static as he led into a room with a kind of enthusiasm that irks Wolfwood but he goes along to his whims. Bask in an old-timey feeling he never knows, his lips curl, whistles delightedly.
“Nice. Vash, who’s this?”
The blond-haired man matches his index as navy ones startle, abruptly glancing away. His crumple pairs avert as Wolfwood locks his eyes on him, not out of spite, just...because.
“That was the previous owner, I kinda steal this house from them—legally! I’m not that rich or powerful to own this big house, you know. Like a caretaker!”
“Great timing. I’m looking for some part-time too, where I can spare some cash?"
“Not…you see, he doesn’t want any outsiders so—I mean, like, no, not now.”
Crushing his butt in a spider’s ashtray as Vash trips over the ‘n’. Wolfwood makes his way outside the room, scant air fills the ever-loom hall as he catches up to Wolfwood.
“W–waiiiit, are you looking for something? I don’t think you will find it here…”
“Then I should kill myself if I can’t find it.”
A boulder grips his shoulder, weight on his spine as Wolfwood glance back at the man, pushes his hand away.
Wha…what? Is it the same guy...? He's dangerous...
“You have something to say?”
“Don’t say stupid stuff like that—please.”
Wolfwood scoffs as the blondie furrows painfully. Even though there's just the two of them, he felt the urge to get away from him as he glares at those blues.
Since I saw you...everything...everything, why did you help us? For what?
"So? It's just a word. That can't kill anyone."
If I die in this house...those two know what to do when someone dies, right?
"Then...please leave."
His palm tingle as he cranes up, his eyes wide at the hole, breaking apart this mansion as if it’s meant to be. The man in front of him sighs, whether out of annoyance or else.
“Vash, tell me something. What happens—”
With another drag of musty breath, Wolfwood stares at the blond head frozen in the night as he averts from him.
“-with the ceiling?"
“Huh...?
Vash startles as he changes his question, even though he doesn't know what's the purpose of him here. Revenge?. Asking?. Reunite?.
What am I doing...
“...What, you need to fix that hole y'know?"
"Oh...uh, shit."
Vash cranes his head as his brows quirks, he imagines that even this man doesn't know what to do as his palm pat his back pocket.
"How about...fixing it? Had some planks?"
"I think we do...upstairs, right? But I don't know if there's any useable..."
"Let's go together."
His navies bombastically gasping as Wolfwood chuckle to himself. Even though the mansion looks huge, it slowly warps itself into a small house as if Wolfwood was under a spell. As they reach the threshold, lab-size tubes catch his eyes as floating bodies shook him even more.
What? Is he-
"Is this doable?"
The blondie raises some tiles-looking planks as Wolfwood looks back and forth at him and the tubes. But Vash still tilts his head quizzically.
"You...! What the fuck are these?!"
He looks at what he points to as Vash sheepishly scratches his head, boiling Wolfwood's blood.
"Oi! You better-"
"Ok, ok, ok...! It's the power system, fueling the city's electricity!"
As he flustered his explanation, Wolfwood squint his eyes as his fist lowered, glancing at the tubes.
"...What the hell are you talking about?"
"I know...it's pretty hard for me to get it too but..."
He stands up from the pile as he approaches one of the tubes. Placing his palm on them as his body flashes-no, Wolfwood looks closer and it's something on his skin. A bulb flickers on top of Wolfwood as it shines brighter, illuminating the area.
What...the-
"Fuck..."
He notices more tubes surround them but instead, they paint darkness as Vash notices his gaze.
"...Don't mind them, okay? Let's fix our roof?"
"You mean your roof?"
Wolfwood holds a hammer from Vash as he uses it to pat his head. Even though he comes to this house full of intent, it's a homicide thought actually. Wolfwood, now, crawls on the roof to help someone as he stares at his target, humming cheerily.
...Maybe I should tell that guy I can't do it.
"Yeah, like that. Don't let your finger too close, wanna break your hand?"
"Sometimes you're too harsh, Wolfwood..."
He sighs as Vash grumpily listens to him as he glances at two shadows hiding in the dark, the blondie flicks up suddenly.
"It's done!"
"Yep, hope no monster comes crashing down or something."
"Oh my god, that's insane..."
He hold his chin nervously as Wolfwood pick a strand of his head, spooked Vash as he flick his finger away, pouted.
"Gonna go, I have something to do."
"Oh? What about your project?"
As they reach downstairs, Wolfwood glance at his phone, finding some way to go home but his lies stab him instead.
"...I'm failing that class anyway, whatever."
"Ooh, a bad boy huh?"
Vash sneers lightly as Wolfwood click his tongue, trudging his way out of the house instead as he hid his reddened face. Afar, he waves his hand but Wolfwood never answers, still keeping his eyes on him.
Darkness embraces Wolfwood but he has never scared of the forest, he just feels calm instead as he whistles. Rustling in the bushes comes out a couple of women, warily grunting at him is one of them.
"I didn't hear anything, did you poison him Wolfwood?"
"Ya can check on me all ya want, no poison though."
The short woman startles as her tall friend calmly smiles through their tension.
"Come now, Meryl, if he doesn't shoot him then all's good isn't it?"
The small woman sighs immediately as she scratches her head annoyedly, joins Wolfwood on the way. But he feels her eyes glue on him, of course, he didn't say anything. There's nothing to tell these curious girls, nothing.
--------------------------
Eyes the tube, his finger reaches out but falls heavy as a pair of footsteps stop behind him. Their eyes flare as he turns behind.
“Did...someone come up here, Vash."
“No, I'm looking for something so it looks messy.”
A thud trembles the ground as Vash stares at his suitcase, swift grunt fills the air as steel blues glares at him.
“Don't make this difficult for me. Did. you. open the forest."
“...Yes but they didn't hurt me."
As Vash stands up to his brother, the steel coils as he clicks his tongue.
"What are you doing? This place reeks of gunpowder, is your nose going numb?"
“I do notice it, Nai. And I can decide what to do, don't pretend to care for me when you're just pissed off."
Nai grits his teeth as he averts Vash's glares, not trying to kick his already-worn suitcase. Somehow it's always like this whenever he came back from his job, worse, if he's on tour as he looks at his hunched back.
He's always been like this even since I woke up…when can we talk without him going mad...
He knows something must break. Past vendetta or distance from each other's pasts. Vash looks at his back as Nai glances back suddenly, startling him.
"What. Are we eating or not."
"Yeah...I was waiting for you to come home..."
His steels soften as they arrive at their dinner table. On each side as their food puffs warm smoke but neither their faces express anything of the sort. His twin grabs the cutlery as he eats Vash's food, with such a cold front, anyone could think this meal has gone stale.
Is it good though...if he doesn't complain, I guess it's good.
"You cook fried rice? For who?"
Nai points at one of the dishes as Vash stutters his thought. It wasn't like this with Wolfwood, still, he gathers his courage to open his throat.
"...Rem, she loves it so I'm trying to do my own fried rice recipe, can you taste it? So I'll know what's wrong."
He sweeps his cold gaze across the table as Nai keeps chewing pork cutlet, still, with a stoned face. And their conversation ends right there as Vash sigh, resigning to eat his meal. The only echo was their cutleries.
Even though it's their house, it felt like the space between them is wider as Nai has his own corner and so does Vash. But he only stays in the kitchen area as his finger flips back and forth a recipe section listlessly.
When I don't have to survive in the desert...fixing my gun every night...Don't have to look out for every corner...what do I want to do?
His finger flips to the last page as a recipe catches his eye. It's a dessert, even though it's plain, his legs spring as he warms the oven beside him, fists pumping in the air.
I'm gonna make donuts! Lots of it! Nai likes something chocolate right? Co...coconut...?
As his brows scrunch thoughtfully, a knock startles Vash. As Nai leans on the door, hanging a convenience bag at his face.
"Take it."
Vash held out his palm as it falls down easily, but can't figure out his twin's train of thought... he hasn't tried hard enough to understand him. Just like what he said.
"I...it's it for me? Thank...thank you!"
Nai squints at him as he sighs, scratching his pale blond head but this time it was something different. His brows aren't awfully furrowing anymore...just a bit, still, Vash has hope.
"Do you...like this house? I didn't ask you before."
"Um, a bit? Isn't it important for your job though, to obscure the media?"
"Yeah, but you're the one always at home so..."
His lips mutter the last words but Vash has a clear ear so he laughs, airily, Nai too clicks his tongue annoyedly.
"I had a job. So it's not only you carrying us...but do you wanna keep it as it is?"
"No? I'm so glad you finally get off your ass and help..."
A ting turns Vash's head as he pitter off to the stove, Nai, after a few seconds of pouting, jumps in to join his brother. A chuckle rings in between them as Vash learns a new emotion from him.