Archive of Our Own

Livio doesn’t know much.

That isn’t entirely a true statement. Not literally, anyway. There’s quite a lot that he knows, quite a lot that makes him an effective combatant, and a good brother, at least, in his own estimation. Lately, anyway. He knows enough to get by day to day with the others, to make sure that everyone is coming along, and that they’re safe. He can fend for himself.

But, when it comes to all of this, what he’s been watching between Nico and Vash, he doesn’t count himself as an expert. He doesn’t know much of what he’s looking at between the two of them. Not really.

But he knows enough to know it’s a little pathetic how much it’s dragging on.

“Come on, try it.”

“I don’t think I’m gonna like it, Wolfwood.”

While Livio watches, across the table, his sort-of, not-really, but-kinda, what-else-do-they-call-it, brother waggles the bit of food speared on the end of his fork closer to Vash’s face. “Just try it. You know I have good taste in some things.”

Whatever that’s supposed to mean, Livio suspects he shouldn’t ask, based on the hint of red he can see creeping up from Vash’s collar, and peeking out where the tips of his ears break through his dark hair where it's fallen, growing out towards his jaw over the last little while.

Also based on the way Meryl, next to Vash, gives Milly a flat look across the table. Next to Livio, Milly laughs and, next to her, Luida smiles, before asking Meryl a question about how her work summing up the last few weeks is coming along.

That's interesting and all, and Livio knows that, but he immediately tunes out, shoveling another forkful of spaghetti into his mouth - he quite likes pasta, he's discovered - and instead thinking about the last time they've all been together like this for a meal.

It's not usually the case that Vash joins all of them for meals. It's been few and far between occasions where they can get him out of Hoppered's old house and into any form of either Ship 3 dining hall, or the ones on the other ships, or, even, the rowdier, homier one at the Orphanage. He's met with the people from the Immigrant Fleet, of course. They were intrigued to know more about the Independent that had survived on this planet from the days of the Big Fall. Vash had spent a few days - once he'd felt up to it - going back and forth between Ship 3 and one of the fleet's shuttles with Brad and Luida, giving an accounting of everything that had happened in the time that humanity had been stranded where they were.

But, it's not an every day thing to have Vash show up for meals.

Or even to let them all join him.

Livio understands that. He's been through a lot. It's only been a couple months, and the grief is still fresh. The rest of them may not understand what it is that Vash is going through with mourning someone like Millions Knives, but Livio understands that was his brother. It doesn't matter how complicated the story, family can be hard to let go of.

He can't fault Vash for wanting his alone time.

Except, of course, for Nico.

Sometimes.

True, there's been a handful of times that Nico has come back from Hoppered's in a foul mood, parking the motorcycle and growling that he doesn't want to talk about it, before he closes himself up in their shared room and, to use Meryl's words, sulks until he gets hungry enough to re-emerge. Those have been the times that Vash has refused his company, refused to even let him hang around in a space in the house or nearby, there but away from Vash enough to argue that he's giving him space. Those are the times where Vash has insisted he wants to be alone and, no, none of them think he should be alone right now, but he hasn't given them a reason to really worry.

Yet.

Livio heard about the missing two and a half years.

He understands why Nico might not want to go through all of that again.

And, really, Nico isn't the only one that's been turned away. Livio has been, when it's been the two of them. Milly and Meryl have been. The four of them were asked just yesterday if they would mind giving him the morning. It's nothing personal.

But, Livio suspects, sometimes Nico gets in his head and thinks it is personal.

And, even though Livio doesn't know much, he does think he knows why Nico is the one who gets in his head and goes in that direction the most of the four of them. Six, if Brad and Luida count.

"See?"

Livio looks back at the pair of them, across the table, out of the corner of his eye, tuning back into whatever's going on there, instead of pretending to be listening to what Meryl was saying to Milly and Luida.

Vash clearly gave in to trying the mixture of foods Nico had been trying to get into his mouth. He has one hand up - the prosthetic one - covering his mouth while he chews, and he's nodding, clearly thinking about whatever it is he's been given.

Nico tends to mix dishes that others haven't thought of, yet. Down the table, Livio can see Brad shaking his head.

Livio won't tell Nico, but he sometimes agrees with that head shake. A lot. More than he thinks he should.

Nico stabs his fork into a few different portions of the food on his plate, talking while he does, "it shouldn't work, but I think it does."

"It's unique…"

Nico's eyes leave his own plate and before Livio can look away, he catches him watching. Of course he does, because Nico is looking to see if anyone else is paying attention to what he and Vash are doing, because, suddenly, he feels on the spot.

Livio blinks and lets his gaze drift, like he was simply looking around, and wasn't eavesdropping - though how can he not, when they're doing all this across from him, right in front of his pasta - and Nico seems to take that as a sign he can proceed.

"Good unique or bad unique?"

Livio isn't looking, but he can hear the smile in Vash's voice, can just about picture it with how softly he says, "Good unique, Wolfwood."

There's a beat, and then…

"Like you."

It's quiet, and maybe no one else picks up on it, but with all the enhancements and the fact that Livio was listening for it, he hears it.

And just about hears the way Nico's heart rate picks up and his brain grinds to a halt before he grunts.

He's hopeless.

And hopelessly in love with Vash the Stampede.

Livio doesn't know much, but he knows that, he doesn't for a second doubt it, and it's getting to the point where it's pathetic to watch. He knows that Nico doesn't want anyone else to notice, that he thinks he's got this all locked away in his head and his heart and no one is any the wiser.

Except every single one of them is painfully aware of it.

And Livio has decided.

It's time someone did something about it.

—

The next morning when Livio wakes up, Nico is already moving around their room. He's showered, his wet hair is evidence enough of that, and he's dressed in a loose pair of brown pants and a looser shirt that's clean, probably, but is showing the evidence of every little project its been involved in, in the past. There are streaks of paint and what is likely sand and dirt smudges that haven't come out no matter how hard it's been scrubbed.

That means that Nico has something he needs to get done this morning. Something that involves being outside, and working with his hands and helping. Not necessarily the orphanage; with the arrival of the fleet, a lot of the kids are going to be moving on when the time comes, and Miss Melanie with them. But, that doesn't mean that Nico's capable hands aren't needed.

If it isn't there, that means…

"You up finally? Geez, you sleep like the dead. I wasn't being quiet, Liv."

Livio sits up, scrubbing a hand through his short hair and yawning. It's beginning to grow out, now, and he isn't sure if he wants to let Nico hack it down again, or see what he can do next.

Not a problem for this morning, though.

"Guess I was more tired than I thought. You helping Brad and Luida today?"

Right on cue, Nico's gaze averts, shifting to the side and then towards the ceiling while he makes a show of shrugging before dropping to sit at the foot of his own bed and pull on a pair of socks.

Pretending like neither of them can see what he's doing.

On one hand, Nico has always been like this, even when he's tried to pretend otherwise. He likes to be helpful, he wants to be there for others and look out for those who can't do it all on their own. If there's somewhere that he can be of use, even if he's going to pretend that it's a hardship, or that he doesn't have the time, or the patience, he goes to it, and he wants to. They both know it, because he's always been this way. That's just who he is, under the too cool facade he puts up.

It was kind of a relief for Livio to see that it hadn't changed, after everything.

On the other hand, though, Livio can see parts of this for what it is.

Nico wanting, very much, to be on Brad and Luida's good side.

It's not like they're Vash's actual parents, but they're as damn well close as it's going to get, and Livio knows that's what Nico's thinking too, down to the wording, even if he's not actually overly cognizant of it. Rem, unfortunately, isn't around anymore, and whatever Plant birthed Vash and Knives likely isn't around anymore. Maybe.

But it isn't like that Plant would be keen on getting to know Nicholas D. Wolfwood, really, even if it was.

So, Brad and Luida it is. It works for Nico, too, Livio knows, because they already have a relationship and an understanding. Brad might not like the way that Nico mixes foods that really shouldn't work together, but he can respect the fact that Nico was there, at Vash's side, when it mattered.

And after.

And Luida?

Livio likes her. And he's pretty sure she likes Nico enough, but she's a little harder to read.

And maybe that's why, a few days every week, Nico is in these clothes, out in the fields, letting himself be pointed and directed and of use, helping her out with the flora that have been spreading forth from the place where Knives' last run ended, or otherwise helping with putting up the outbuildings and structures that will help in keeping all of that going and growing.

Getting himself into the good graces.

It's not something that Nico would usually worry about, and Livio knows it.

Again, someone needs to do something about all this.

"Brad was saying something at dinner last night about wanting to build benches for around the lake and near the flora fields," Nico answers, socks on. He leans forward, elbows propped on his knees. Without his sunglasses on, there's nothing hiding the way his eyes look, clearly thinking about something more than benches before he meets Livio's eyes. "What are your plans, lazybones?"

Livio shrugs.

He doesn't like lying.

Especially to Nico.

But…

"Meryl asked me for help."

Nico nods and pushes up to his feet, stretching his arms up above his head. "Little lady needs you to help getting stuff off high shelves?"

"Nico!"

The grin Nico shoots his way shows that he knows exactly how well that comment would be received if Meryl were there. She'd be telling him off herself or, better, taking a swing at him. Nico would deserve it, the way he antagonizes her sometimes. Maybe it's because he sees a lot of himself in her. Livio does, sometimes.

Like, in the way she herself dances around things, but Meryl isn't Livio's kind-of, sort-of sibling, and he can't easily meddle in things without fear of retribution when it comes to her, so he doesn't.

If he has luck in ending the pathetic song and dance that Nico and Vash are going through, though, maybe he'll try his hand at meddling in that, too. He could be on to something big and helpful, here.

"It's a shot at you, too. I don't understand how you got so damn huge, Liv. They weren't feeding us that well in the Eye of Michael," Nico continues, bent over to pull on the big boots he was given by Brad after the first day he'd shown up to 'help' wearing his slip-ons shoes.

"Think I was just always meant to be taller than you. Something you have to live with."

"Whatever."

It's the exact grumble, given while Nico finally puts his sunglasses on, that Livio knows means he won this round.

"I'll see you later, then. Don't do anything stupid."

Livio grins and salutes, waiting while Nico leaves, the door lock engaging behind him. Even then, Livio sits there for another minute before he throws back the sheets and gets out of bed. If Nico is going to be busy with Brad all day, or, at least, all morning, that's perfect.

There's no guarantee that Vash will be at Hoppered's. For all Livio knows, he may very well be in those same fields, building those same benches, the two of them exposing everyone to the awkward energy that tends to build around them over the course of a few hours whenever they're in mixed company.

But, hopefully, he's not.

By the time Livio leaves the room he shares with Nico, everyone is busy. Meryl and Milly hurry by as he makes his way to where they've parked their motorcycles - because fighting over the one was starting to resemble their earlier years a little too much - with their arms full of papers and notebooks. Vash not with them, then.

The ride out to Hoppered's doesn't take long, but Livio makes sure to go the long way around. The last thing he wants is for Nico to hear or spot him, and then come along, stopping whatever Livio has planned. Maybe he wouldn't suspect, but Livio can't take that chance.

The route takes him up on a ridge over where the fields are spreading. Vash hasn't been wearing his signature red much, these days, and that makes him harder to pick out from the others milling around, tending the fields and building the things needed, but Livio picks out Brad and Nico well enough, and there's no sign of Vash's dark hair next to Nico's silvery-white, so Livio hopes.

By the time he makes it to Hoppered's, he has a plan. Not a good one, not really, and if Vash isn't in the mood for company, it won't work out.

Livio's optimistic, though. If he gets asked away, it just means he'll have more time to work out the kinks in the plan.

And if he doesn't, well, maybe by this time tomorrow he won't be watching his brother give Vash the most pathetic, adoring eyes ever, but only when he thinks no one is looking. And vis versa.

The motorcycles are always a dead giveaway that company has come calling. They aren't quiet by any stretch of the imagination, so it doesn't surprise Livio that by the time he's stepped off the bike, Vash is leaning open one of the swinging doors, squinting at him in the bright light of the morning suns.

"Oh, good morning, Livio!"

For a brief second, Livio wonders if Vash thought he would be Nico, before he realizes that, yes, Vash very likely thought, maybe even hoped, that he was. It's sweet of him not to let the disappointment carry in his voice, in that case, but Vash has always been nice to him, always welcoming, always warm, even when he's not in the right mood for visitors.

Maybe that's something like the whole thing Nico has going on with Brad and Luida.

"Good morning!" Livio calls back, taking a few steps towards the dusty front step. If Vash wants to be alone, he'll let him be. "I thought maybe you might like a bit of company this morning, since everyone else is busy."

Vash, standing in the doorway in loose fitting cargos and a thin, long-sleeved grey shirt that had to have been for someone much broader than even Vash, originally, smiles. This is the moment that will let Livio know if he's back to the drawing board or plunging ahead with the barest concept of a plan.

"Company would be nice. You want to come in?"

Barest concept of a plan it'll be, then.

The inside of Hoppered's house - and, maybe, Livio should start thinking about it as Vash's house, but the idea of Vash staying here, forever, doesn't quite fit - hasn't really changed much since Vash moved into it. The most obvious thing is the potted geranium on top of the piano. It's a spot of bright, unavoidable red in a space that is otherwise cloudy tones of brown and cream and it draws Livio's eye immediately every time he walks in.

That could have something with it being placed directly across from the door. Livio isn't sure.

There's a plate sitting at the table with a slice of mostly eaten bread on it, a sign that Vash has had something today. Eating is good, for him, Livio knows. He doesn't, when he's depressed, or sad, or blaming himself for the things that couldn't be avoided. If he's eaten breakfast, at his own urging, then that means things could really be on the up.

Not that it's Livio's place to push.

"How's your morning been?"

It's small talk, but Livio thinks it's best to start there, rather than launching into some questioning about how Vash feels about Nico. Not the best start, probably. Have to ease into it.

"Oh, good. I was thinking I might go help Luida, later on." Vash says, before gesturing to the table. "If you want to sit down, you can, Livio."

Too late, Livio realizes he's been awkwardly standing just inside the doorway, arms stiff at his sides. Trying to seem like he's really just there to hang out, rather than his ulterior motive, and there's something in the way Vash laughs when he scrambles to pull out a chair and sit that makes Livio think Vash isn't blind to why he might be here.

Which would make sense. Vash, of the two of them, has seemed much, much more aware of where things stand. He hasn't done anything about it, either, but Livio suspects that has more to do with the fact that Nico resembles an easily spooked Thoma whenever someone gets a little too close to hitting the nail on the head.

It's all the more reason for Livio to be intervening.

"That sounds nice!" Livio blurts out, leaning his elbow on the table. Vash picks up the plate, carrying it into the space that roughly works as a kitchen, looking at Livio over the counter when he speaks.

"She's going to be talking to some of the scientists from the fleet this afternoon. The ones like her, botanists. They want to go over a few of the samples from the garden here. See what's working." It's all interesting, and Livio is sure of that, but he doesn't understand the first thing about how Luida's work… works. "See if it can be done without…"

This, Livio understands, is dangerous territory. The whole reason that Nomansland is flourishing now is because of what Knives did in his final moments. A last run so powerful it was able to terraform a planet that had seemed resistant to the concept. If Knives had needed to, essentially, die, in order for that to happen, it sets a dangerous precedent, one that he would have done great violence to avoid. One that, in ways, he was doing great violence to avoid.

And while Vash is not his brother, and Livio knows he won't go to those lengths, he knows, with everything Vash had learned and seen, with all the grief he's carrying, there's no easy way for Vash to let the thinking be that the way to go about what they've done here is to have Plants, essentially, commit the most self-sacrificing type of suicide possible.

As though they don't already do that, month after month, as their life spans reach their limits.

It makes sense that Vash would want to be involved in that discussion. An advocate, a reasonable one, to his core.

"You did need breakfast for that, then," Livio says, keeping his tone easy and light. Maybe he's made a mistake coming here this morning. Vash already has enough to think about, he doesn't need Livio laying out everything he's noticed at his feet and going 'we need to do something about this.'

"You could say that," Vash says with a little smile, before he leans forward on the counter, resting his chin in the palm of one of his hands as he studies Livio. And he is studying Livio, and suddenly Livio doesn't doubt for a second that Vash knows why he's here. "How's your morning been, Livio?"

Should he lie?

Livio's already lied a lot this morning.

"Good," he starts, slowly, turning over the options in his head. "I didn't have any plans, and so I thought I would come visit you. Nico's helping Brad."

"Building benches?"

"Building benches," Livio confirms. "I could have helped with that but I…"

Suddenly, Livio doesn't know what his next words should be. He came here intending to find a way to get through to the one in the situation that he considers the most rational and open to it, but now he's realizing that he has zero idea of what words he's supposed to use to do that.

And Vash is watching him with an amused little smile on his face.

Livio kind of understands why it is that Nico struggles to figure things out when it comes to Vash. There's something very otherworldly about him, something about the way he seems to just know things, sometimes. Not always, and he isn't always like this, vaguely intimidating. He often isn't.

But when Livio's being watched by bright blue eyes that seem to be able to hear every thought ricocheting through his head while he tries to come up with a plan of attack, he's a little intimidating.

"I think Nico's in love with you."

Well.

That certainly wasn't the way Livio had meant that to come out. He can tell that Vash is taken aback, too, blinking and straightening up, the smile slipping from his face as his eyes widen. Maybe he hadn't known what was going through Livio's head, and maybe he really didn't know the things everyone else can see, and Livio just blurted it out without a signal ounce of finesse.

"He - you think - um, Livio —"

"— I didn't mean to say it like that!" Livio says, holding up his hands. He doesn't get up from the table, because that seems like the wrong idea, and Vash is turning a little red. "I was going to try to be a little more smooth about it, but it's just that the two of you are making eyes at each other, and he's not like this, not with anyone, Vash, and I thought maybe you knew and you didn't want to push and wanted him to figure it out on his own, so I was going to come out here and talk to you about it, and see if maybe if you felt the same, and I think you do, maybe we could figure out some way to make Nico just do something, but I didn't mean to—"

"—Livio!"

That gets him to stop rambling.

Vash is still red - redder, maybe - but he's not mad. He isn't throwing Livio out. He's looking at him like Livio just told him something amazing, though.

Did he not believe it? Did he not see it?

Have both of them really been this blind the whole time? Nico, Livio understood, but Vash, too?

"Slow down, just for… one minute," Vash asks, while he moves around the counter and comes back to join Livio at the table. He sits down, heavily, and stares at Livio for a second before he continues, "you think Wolfwood's… with me?"

Livio's mouth works.

Vash, too, then.

"Yes?"

The word comes out louder than Livio intended. He can't control that.

"You really can't see it?"

Vash, if possible, flushes even more and shakes his head. He pulls the too long sleeves of his shirt down over his hands, fingers of his prosthetic one picking at the fabric over the other. "I mean… I didn't think… I didn't want to put that on him."

"Put what on him?"

"My wishful thinking?" Vash tries, giving Livio a small, unsure smile. "He's not exactly the chattiest when it comes to talking about his feelings, but he does, sometimes. It's not come up."

They're both stupid.

Blind.

Livio is kind of amazed, actually.

"You just explained exactly why it never has. He's not good talking about feelings, and he's… It's you, Vash. Not to bring it up, but did you hear the way he was going on when Razlo had him…?" Livio makes a face, grimacing and tipping his head to the side.

Yes, they both remember. Nico, laying in a widening pool of his own blood, waxing on about how he shouldn't have been thinking about Vash in that moment, but how he was putting things together. Razlo hadn't had the patience for it, but Livio remembered it all. Seeing his big brother admitting to himself that he felt… something.

He'd never quite gotten to the real words.

"My point is," Livio starts gently, "If you didn't want to bring it up because you didn't want to put things on him, don't you think that he's been feeling that, but a million times more, because he doesn't know how to talk about his feelings?"

Livio can almost see the wheels turning and, suddenly, he really understands the way Meryl rolls her eyes so often around Nico and Vash.

There's a small smile starting around the corners of Vash's mouth, though, and Livio latches on to that like a lifeline. This is what's going to save them all from being driven mad by the way these two have been dancing around each other.

"I think you both deserve something nice. Something you want," Livio says, keeping his voice quiet and careful. "After everything. If he can't say it out loud yet, maybe he needs you to be the one to do it, Vash."

Livio can tell that there's some anxiety that flashes across Vash's face at those words, but whatever he was worried about before, Livio thinks that there's a chance he helped get it out of the way by showing up and just blurting out his own thoughts.

"You're sure, Livio?" Vash asks, finally, looking at him across the table. "I don't think you'd be here bringing this up if you weren't, would you?"

Livio grins.

"Nope. I can't keep watching this. Please. For all of our sakes."

Leaning forward, he holds Vash's gaze, hoping he understands.

"Go after something good."

—

Livio leaves Vash an hour or so later. It had been easier to talk about things once he'd breached the line with blurting out that Nico was in love with Vash. Seeing the way Vash had reacted to it, and the way he'd spoken about Nico after, the sort of giddy, joking way he'd said 'maybe I should just kiss him' before Livio had left, has Livio feeling full with some kind of hope.

For something good for Nico and Vash, yeah, but also for a little peace for the rest of them.

He's doing necessary work, here.

And that necessary work hasn't ended with talking to Vash. Livio doesn't think it would be fair for him to put everything on Vash's shoulders; he has enough weighing them down as it is. Of the two of them he is, of course, the easiest to corner about that sort of discussion, but Nico needs to pull his weight, too.

And it was for that reason that, once he made it back from Hoppered's, Livio puts away his motorcycle, drops his jacket off in their room, and heads out to see about helping build some benches.

He doesn't have a plan for when he finds Nico, but not having an exact plan worked out fairly well when it came to talking to Vash. Besides, showing up with a plan when it comes to Nico is risky; he's liable to figure out what Livio's up to and start poking holes in it a lot sooner.

"Lookin' for trouble?"

Livio smiles, waving to Brad who just turned the corner ahead of him, a bag in one hand and a bucket in the other.

"If 'trouble' is Nico, then—"

"—It is," Brad answers, gruffly, though, Livio notes, not like he actually dislikes his brother. That's a good sign, and not something that Livio's actually thought to worry about until now. He'd been leaving that for Nico to agonize over. "He's sanding. Back that way."

Brad jerks his thumb over his shoulder and Livio nods, breaking into a jog to follow his directions. It's only a minute before he sees the exact person he's looking for, straddling what looks to be a very newly built wooden bench.

Nico is hunched over, running a sanding plane back and forth over the surface of the bench, smoothing it out. There's a little army of benches - less than a half dozen, actually - around him, only one other one sanded down, but they look good.

"Brad called you trouble," he says, by way of greeting, and Nico grunts, shifting backward on the bench he's straddling.

"He would. I almost made him take his own hand out with a hammer."

Livio gapes, sitting down on the unsanded bench nearest Nico.

"How did you do that?"

Nico's mouth changes from the determined set it had to a smirk and, finally, he looks up.

"A joke. He told me I was a moron, but he laughed, and he didn't crush his hand, so I think that's a win for me."

That was a win, technically, and Livio knows that, but for a second he thinks about how different Nico would be right now if he had been the reason Brad took out his own hand with a hammer.

Certainly he wouldn't be in a good enough mood for Livio to be considering coaxing him into owning up to his own feelings.

"Oh, don't look so worried. Where've you been, anyway?"

It's an innocent enough question. One that Livio should be able to answer easily, because he can't have been up to anything, but he hesitates just a few seconds too long, and Nico's eyes narrow suspiciously behind his sunglasses in the same moment that Livio finally decides to open his mouth.

"—I was—"

"—Livio—"

They both stop, staring each other down.

Livio didn't come here with a plan.

So, here goes nothing.

"I went to see Vash."

Livio knows that Nico wouldn't, normally, find that to be a statement he should be leery of. He'd shrug and try to pretend that he's all cool and just barely interested, and ask how it went, and that would be it. The problem today, though, is that Livio hesitated before admitting that, and now Nico has a reason to be suspicious of why.

"Why would you do that?"

Not 'nice, and how was he?', not 'did you have a nice visit?', nothing like that. No, what Nico is asking is for Livio to explain himself.

There's a vaguely crazed look in his eye. It's slight, and it's not the dangerous kind that Livio has seen before, so he's not all that worried, but Nico is kind of giving off the air of a cornered animal, and that's definitely adding to the pause he's experiencing right now.

"Livio…"

"Are you in love with Vash?"

All right.

As far as opening statements go, that's, probably, a little better than the one Livio used with Vash. Not by much, but it's something.

And it has the immediate effect of Nico's eyes going wide, his entire body tensing like he's about to go into battle, except all he's doing is having a conversation where he's being asked, point blank, how he feels about the Independent Plant that he is very obviously head over heels in love with.

Stupid in love with, really.

Livio waits for what he knows is coming, letting Nico work through the words before he sputters out, "No!"

"Nico…"

"Don't 'Nico' me, Livio, I'm not - I'm - Why would you even ask that?"

Livio keeps his tone gentle when he answers, "because you are?"

He shouldn't find the look on Nico's face funny. Livio knows he shouldn't. The way he looks absolutely scandalized that his feelings weren't the well-kept secret he was absolutely sure they were is hilarious, though, and even if he shouldn't, Livio grins.

"You don't need to lie to me. Or to yourself."

Nico's not exactly hyperventilating. He is breathing a little heavier. Livio needs to be careful about that.

"I've seen you with Vash—"

"—He's my friend!" Nico interrupts, his tone carrying an edge of desperation that Livio has been waiting to hear. Like he's trying to convince himself as much as he's trying to convince Livio. Because being in love, being in love with Vash, that's dangerous to Nico.

That's attachment and emotion, and the not-really-but-yeah-basically brother was one thing for him to be hung up about, but Vash, and everything that he feels about him? Clearly, that's a whole other can of worms that Nico just wasn't looking to face head on.

And, Livio thinks, that's probably because Nico can't quite trick himself into believing that Vash doesn't feel something like that back. He'd have to be really, really stupid to not have picked up on how Vash feels, even subconsciously, and Livio just isn't ready to believe that Nico could be that dumb.

"Just because he's your friend doesn't mean you're not in love with him," Livio says patiently, continuing when Nico makes vague sputtering noises that he suspects are supposed to be an argument against what he's saying. Barrelling on before the sputters turn into words is the best course of action. "I actually think that's probably even better."

Straddling the half-sanded bench, Nico stares at him, blinking and shaking his head before his shoulders slump and he presses the heels of both hands to his eyes.

"I can't believe we're having this conversation right— wait."

Nico's hands drop.

He stands up.

In one fluid move, he's leaning over Livio, both hands now braced on Livio's shoulders, face close enough that Livio can clearly see the panic in his eyes.

Oh.

Uh, whoops.

"Why did you go see Vash?"

Livio smiles nervously.

"You need to sit down, Nico. You're freaking me out."

"Why. Did you. Go and see Vash?"

The words are punctuated with the fact that Nico can guess why, and Livio slides backwards on the bench, the unsanded wood catching on his jeans and proving why it needs sanded, before he points at the empty space he's left. Instead of fighting, Nico drops onto it, still staring him down.

"I wanted to find out how he felt about you," Livio answers quietly, and Nico groans, tipping forward, his forehead pressing against Livio's shoulder.

"Why are you doing this to me? Haven't I been a good big brother?"

"Do you think I'm about to tell you that he finds you ugly and gross or something?" Livio laughs, only to choke it back when Nico lifts his head, grabbing a fistful of Livio's shirt and tugging him down to his level when he answers.

"Yes."

Livio is staring again.

"Uh… can you tell me why?"

Letting go of his shirt, Nico straightens, running both hands over his face again. He's stalling, and Livio knows that, but he's not sure if he's supposed to keep pushing or not. Somehow, he's getting more of an insight into Nico's thinking than he had expected. The suns are high overhead and bright, and any moment now, Brad or someone else could come strolling around the corner to interrupt.

But Livio can't push, waiting while Nico lowers his hands and lets out a breath, looking away, out towards the lake beyond the field, probably wishing for a cigarette. He doesn't say that. He doesn't speak at all for another minute, but there's a set to his shoulders, a furrow in his brows, that tells Livio he's trying to coax the words out.

And, like Vash said before, he's not the chattiest when it comes to his feelings.

"I don't follow his ideals, you know. I do what needs done, I don't agonize in the moment over pulling the trigger. He's good, Liv. Frustrating as hell, and he can be so soft it drives me fucking crazy, but he's just good. I know you've heard me say this before." The look he gives Livio, finally, is a little shrewd. "Somehow."

Through Razlo. That sort of somehow. Yes.

"Someone like that, I mean, that blue freak was insane, but Vash is like an angel, and that's not just because of what he is, it's just who he is. Not meant for someone like…"

He doesn't finish. There's a shrug, and that's all, before Nico is standing again, shifting back to the bench he'd been on and picking up the plane to start up his task again. For a long minute, that's all there is. The sound of the wood being sanded down, and Nico's breathing, heavy and unsteady, and for the first time Livio feels, almost, a little bad for bringing this up.

It wasn't something he'd thought to realize, that Nico might look at himself and deem that person unworthy of Vash.

"That's not fair."

At least Livio isn't the only one that jumps. Nico jerks so badly the sanding plane flies out of his hand, both of them turning towards the source of those words.

Somehow, Livio hadn't thought that Vash would come by. He'd known that it was his plan to go see Luida, to help her in what she was going to be doing, but that wasn't until later, so Livio had assumed he would be in the clear to give Nico a crisis while he sanded benches, and Vash would be none the wiser.

But, instead of staying at his house, clearly, Vash had decided to get himself dressed, pulling on one of the Project Seeds jackets that had been given to him. Still not his signature red, but that cool, icy white that makes the black of his hair stand out more, makes it all the more obvious that he'd pushed himself to a brink in order to try and save humanity from the things his brother had planned.

"Vash!" Livio finally croaks out, because it's clear that Nico isn't going to do it. He's gone a still, again, like maybe if he doesn't move, Vash will forget what he's heard and continue on. "How long have you been standing there?"

Vash meets his eyes and smiles. "Long enough."

Next to Livio, Nico finally makes a sound. Not a grunt, but close enough, making it obvious that he knows what Vash has heard, and knows he can't get out of it.

He has to face it head on.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, needle-noggin."

Vash tips his head to the side, slightly, regarding Nico, now that he's spoken.

He's smiling, still, but it's changed. The one he gives Nico is always brighter, Livio has noticed this.

"It's rude to decide what is and isn't meant for me."

Livio feels like he's intruding, suddenly, and without warning, he stands up. It jars the moment, both Vash and Nico snapping to look at him, and he realizes that in the few words they spoke, they both seemed to have forgotten he was there.

How could either of them have doubted how the other felt?

Livio doesn't understand it.

"I'm going to go help Brad!" Livio announces. "I'll just let you two talk."

He doesn't wait for an answer, or for dismissal. He doesn't need either of them to speak to him. Livio just turns on his heel and marches back the way he came, intent on heading off Brad if he has the slightest inclination of coming back to help with sanding the benches. His brother and Vash need time to talk.

And, if Livio's suspicions when dinner rolls around that night and neither of them are present are correct, that talk went just as well as he'd been hoping it would.

Just as well as he'd known it would, once the two of them stopped dancing around what they both wanted.

Meddling - or, in this case, matchmaking - paid off.