[ Vash will let Wolfwood do whatever he needs to get comfortable... He himself merely rubs their ankles beneath the sheets, tangling legs a little and all, even though his legs are not the softest or smoothest. There is rough skin from scars here and there. ]
That sounds like a good idea to me! They'll be happy to see you.
[ Hehe! He tries to offset whatever gloomy pall hanging over by the topic with a big grin, happy for what can be. Please remember things are different! You are alive! Also... ]
[ NO, ENOUGH. HE'S WITH VASH AND HE WOULDN'T GIVE THIS UP FOR ANYTHING, it'd be a little weird to think about and consider other people having crushes on him now.
He may be dense, but also sometimes he really does actively block it out because he's believed he's not worth loving or being loved by someone from such a completely different world. His hands are bloodied, theirs aren't. And if theirs are bloodied, a majority of what Wolfwood had known are insane sociopaths that he'd sooner shrivel up than think about liking them. Vash is the exception for seeing through it all, calling it out multiple times, all gold and virtue while understanding the weight of their sins. ]
... Did you ever figure out that I was in love with you?
[ Because Vash knows he had grown to love Wolfwood across their little journey, even if it took his impending death for him to realize the scope and intensity of what he felt.
There was enough time for him to think back on it... Vash always contemplates, mulls, and so he went over their time together with fondness and regret when he grieved him. Sure, he's teasing Wolfwood a bit despite being obtuse at times, but he thinks he's allowed to be dense about his own feelings, considering he has rejected the affections of others for years as if it was a favor. Who could ever love a monster? They'd be ruined.
Yet things happen, things you cannot control. He knew Wolfwood loved him, but to put it into words, to use it as a farewell—for it to mark the end... It was difficult to face it when he was still wrapped up in guilt and self-loathing. On top of that, he partially blamed himself for his death. If Wolfwood had relied on him, if he had gotten there sooner, maybe Wolfwood would have survived.
... Vash was too late again on that couch and Wolfwood left without knowing he was loved, dearly. Wholeheartedly. It was cruel, cowardly, and selfish. Vash knew that, he knew the instant he ran with regret snapping at his heels.
As the dark thoughts blanket over him, he snuggles with Wolfwood more, hiding into him and cementing his existence. Wolfwood is here... And in spite of all that is wrong with them, they chose each other. They chose to work out their problems, with or at least beside each other, and they chose to have tomorrows.
After hiding for a minute or two, he peeks over... And the first thought upon seeing Wolfwood's profile is that he loves him so much. ]
I don't want to admit it, [ BECAUSE IT IS EMBARRASSING. ] but I was kind of obvious.
[ He's quiet, which is probably telling in of itself, but don't look...
But no, really. He knew Vash had wormed his way in even if Vash himself didn't realise the effect he'd had on Wolfwood. The self-sacrificial idiot pissed him off to no end, and every insistence of 'Love & Peace', that every life was important, that everyone was worth saving once filled him with spite and the urge to roll his eyes, maybe punch Vash in the face if he felt petty enough. Once faced with the inarguable truth that this wasn't just a man positing gross untruths and idealisms to look good, but someone who truly believed it, and rather than sit from a pedestal and preach, would rather go down and help each soul himself --
When Wolfwood came to realise that as an undeniable truth about this person in his arms now, something changed. Vash went from a nuisance and a horrific danger to someone he wanted to watch, someone to follow and see through to the end. As he did so, the feelings of fear and dread mounted, but so did the guilt as he dug his own grave deeper and deeper whenever Vash openly showed his back to him, trusted him, like he wasn't a foul and barely trained-beast working only to betray him in the end.
How could he ever think Vash would love him like that. He expected nothing more than that, if God were kind, Vash loved him in the same way he loved all of humanity, as a rightful angel should -- and even then it was deeply undeserved. And yet that would've been enough, it was enough. He would've, he had died a content man permitted to be by his side. He swallows with difficulty as he pulls Vash a little closer, refusing to let the ebb and flow of self-loathing ruin a perfectly good day even as it prickles under his skin. ]
Sorry, was probably too busy watchin' you play the world's most loaded game of Russian Roulette with luck bullets every single day to notice if you were droppin' hints.
[ Sorry he did not take you being ass up eating dirt as an invitation, he just thought you were being stupid, etc. He has to take a moment to avoid eye contact, staring at a point on the far wall to collect himself and push down unwanted feelings before glancing back down at him. ]
[ When pulled closer, Vash wraps his arms around Wolfwood, hoping to engulf him in a warm and loving embrace. While he can't read his mind, he knows darkness still haunts him. He'll quell it as best as he can.
It was very much Vash being stupid and that not being specifically an invitation. Shut up. However, Vash does think... There were signs that he had become attached to Wolfwood in ways that he didn't with others. It was in small gestures, mostly that he stopped trying to ghost Wolfwood. Part of it is out of exasperation, the other was staking off the underlying loneliness, only for it to grow to enjoyment and desire for his company. Specifically Wolfwood's. They were travel companions and that was something Vash hadn't had in decades. He would ask what they were having to eat the next day for breakfast, if they were in the mood for anything, if they wanted to do anything as they made their trek to journey's end. They were small, mundane plans, simple little asks about tomorrow until he faced his brother at the gate of the rapture.
...
It's true, Vash loved him like how he loves humans, but he became so much more important than that. Since that time where he woke up in the colony ship to the sound of the ECG patient monitor hooked up to the man beside him like an alarm, beeping loud at the pace of his heartrate... Maybe it was then his feelings budded for a man wearing the devil's cloak, a man who wishes he was more than his bloody hands. He isn't entirely sure; it felt seamless to fall into where he is now, start nebulous.
Fingers thread through Wolfwood's hair, nails gently grazing across his scalp, as he shimmies up a bit so they can be around the same level. ]
Okay, maybe I wasn't too obvious about it. [ It was only obvious to him, but hindsight is 20/20. ] You're still a little dense, though.
[ Vash wants them to be at the same level so he can kiss his nose, which he will do now. ]
[ THE INVITATION THING WAS A JOKE but yeah. Falling in love and realising/accepting it are different things, but he can trace certain events. His foundation being shaken in the wake of his murdering Rai-Dei, more so waking up in the ship and being thanked even though Vash knew he killed Ninelives too. The direction of his heart shifting when he saw that stupid, so helplessly stupid but real smile, mingling with the colony and the girls.
He sighs, eyes falling closed at the sensation of nails lightly scratching through his hair, but also a brief last respite to himself before he lets Vash get all up in his personal space. ]
Got any more critique on me you wanna lobby while you're here?
[ well his ass is yours i guess if anyone was curious. Whispers while they're close while rubbing their noses together, smile a little mischievous but bright as his eyes flutter to a close. ]
Can I tease you a little?
[ His fingers tangle with the strands at the hairline that meets the nape of his neck. It's an attempt to lull him into comfort, to tempt him into allowing a little bullying. Be cute for him, thanks. ]
[ He'll entertain SOME things Vash would do to him even without getting bribed. However, he will not say no to some extra treatment. He's okay with being spoiled in some contexts. ]
[ I am unsure what Wolfwood was expecting, but as Vash twirls his short hair a little more. Drawing out his words, he uses a honeyed tone that feigns amazement. Awe. Dazzle. Sometimes you pretend that you're wooed and impressed, whimsical and flighty. ]
[ It was about a 50/50 whether it'd be cute teasing or annoying teasing. This is falling into the latter category as he groans, rolling over in bed to turn his back to him and pull these blankets up over himself. Not yours, all his. Goodbye. ]
[ what would even be cute teasing from vash is it not just all annoying ]
Yeah?
[ You can hog the sheets, but it can't stop him from snaking his grubby little raccoon paws inside and prod at Wolfwood's sides. It is sizing him up with fingertips gently digging at a couple of spots for a good tickle.
[ Oh, no. He senses the dark clouds of Plotting from this bundled body squirming in front of him. Normally, he thinks he can take Wolfwood on in a fight well enough, but he doesn't get the walk to his back as a safety measure. Being on the edge is a disadvantage!
He will. Wrap his arms around Wolfwood's waist, then rest his lips against his nape? Do not attack, pretty please? ]
[ Well, unless Vash decided to prank him anyway, this was going to be the plan:
which is that without warning, he turns right back over, halfway smothering Vash with said blanket. In getting the blanket out of the way and off his head, Wolfwood will snipe him with both hands cupping his jawline and a press of lips to the corner of his mouth, followed by a normal one on the lips.
[ Vash thrashes about, thinking this is their usual roughhousing sessions, and right when he's about to wrestle Wolfwood down he gets assaulted... By kisses. His whole body seizes up, wound up tight from surprise, before it naturally relaxes. Leaning into it, he kisses back, then when they part for a breath... Uh...
He looks shocked. His expression is incredibly flabbergasted and stupid despite him reciprocating. ]
I was still going to tickle you.
[ The dissonance is real. He was scheming acts of violence on Wolfwood and was trying to lead him into a fake sense of security before he attacked, but he has received cute kisses instead.
He did not deserve kisses (funny, non-depreciating). ]
Only guilty in tryin' to kiss you. Is that a crime? You takin' up a gig as some kinda sheriff now?
[ He's still shitty and way too pleased even as he travels his hands down more to over Vash's waist, drawing him in so he can't squirm away. If he hadn't bothered to get in a shave as soon as he tracked Vash down and took a shower, he would bully him on the spot with a bit of roughness. He grows fast but not that fast.
It is true... that maybe if Vash decided to attack him while still kissing the nape of his neck, he would've chosen attack. But Vash didn't so this was his choice of retaliation instead. ]
[ Rightfully, he doesn't trust Wolfwood right now. That man can attack at any moment and drawing him in by the waist is a sign. Vash doesn't squirm, doesn't writhe, he can't give away that his plans are still in motion. ]
You're under arrest!
[ And this is where those hands around Wolfwood's waist starts digging into his sides, fingertips feather light as they tickle tickle tickle tickle. He's an experienced tickler, by the way, as he has waged war against children of multiple generations.
While he did not win all of those battles, he survived them. That's a feat in itself. ]
[ Well he did not actually have plans to crime Vash, he was pleased with himself for pulling the rug out from under him. But well help. Nobody has tickled him since his kid days and there was a lot of bad in-between those years. It doesn't trigger anything or whatever but he does not play that nice because he instinctively kicks kind of hard even though his mood is still playful. ]
Like hell I am!
[ HE WILL FIGHT TO GET YOU TO STOP TICKLING HIM WHICH INCLUDES SMOTHERING HIM WITH THE BLANKET AGAIN AND PRODDING VASH RIGHT BACK IN THE SIDE, don't fall out of the bed. ]
Running away from the law?! [ Then he gets kicked. ] Ow!! Hey!
[ Vash should be the very last person impersonating authority, honestly, with how he has taken up the mantle of outlaw against his will for years. Anyway, that comes muffled through the sheets that threaten to smother him. He instinctively knees the leg that kicked him, but doesn't relent on his tickle assault. Blanket covering his face or not, he doesn't need his eyes to TICKLE.
Let's see if mister ex-priest can give him a chuckle while wiggling away from Wolfwood's grubby paws. If he can find momentum and an opening, he's going to try to roll himself on top and force Wolfwood under him. ]
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That sounds like a good idea to me! They'll be happy to see you.
[ Hehe! He tries to offset whatever gloomy pall hanging over by the topic with a big grin, happy for what can be. Please remember things are different! You are alive! Also... ]
I think she had a crush on you, by the way.
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...
[ Hello? ]
Where'd you get that idea?
[ Vash having to deal with his dense ass. How did this relationship make it (there were many troubles). ]
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[ Vash is just. Staring at Wolfwood. ]
You know people had a crush on you in the Underground, too. Right?
[ It's dawning on him that Wolfwood is legitimately dense in this area. ]
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[ NO, ENOUGH. HE'S WITH VASH AND HE WOULDN'T GIVE THIS UP FOR ANYTHING, it'd be a little weird to think about and consider other people having crushes on him now.
He may be dense, but also sometimes he really does actively block it out because he's believed he's not worth loving or being loved by someone from such a completely different world. His hands are bloodied, theirs aren't. And if theirs are bloodied, a majority of what Wolfwood had known are insane sociopaths that he'd sooner shrivel up than think about liking them. Vash is the exception for seeing through it all, calling it out multiple times, all gold and virtue while understanding the weight of their sins. ]
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[ Because Vash knows he had grown to love Wolfwood across their little journey, even if it took his impending death for him to realize the scope and intensity of what he felt.
There was enough time for him to think back on it... Vash always contemplates, mulls, and so he went over their time together with fondness and regret when he grieved him. Sure, he's teasing Wolfwood a bit despite being obtuse at times, but he thinks he's allowed to be dense about his own feelings, considering he has rejected the affections of others for years as if it was a favor. Who could ever love a monster? They'd be ruined.
Yet things happen, things you cannot control. He knew Wolfwood loved him, but to put it into words, to use it as a farewell—for it to mark the end... It was difficult to face it when he was still wrapped up in guilt and self-loathing. On top of that, he partially blamed himself for his death. If Wolfwood had relied on him, if he had gotten there sooner, maybe Wolfwood would have survived.
... Vash was too late again on that couch and Wolfwood left without knowing he was loved, dearly. Wholeheartedly. It was cruel, cowardly, and selfish. Vash knew that, he knew the instant he ran with regret snapping at his heels.
As the dark thoughts blanket over him, he snuggles with Wolfwood more, hiding into him and cementing his existence. Wolfwood is here... And in spite of all that is wrong with them, they chose each other. They chose to work out their problems, with or at least beside each other, and they chose to have tomorrows.
After hiding for a minute or two, he peeks over... And the first thought upon seeing Wolfwood's profile is that he loves him so much. ]
I don't want to admit it, [ BECAUSE IT IS EMBARRASSING. ] but I was kind of obvious.
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But no, really. He knew Vash had wormed his way in even if Vash himself didn't realise the effect he'd had on Wolfwood. The self-sacrificial idiot pissed him off to no end, and every insistence of 'Love & Peace', that every life was important, that everyone was worth saving once filled him with spite and the urge to roll his eyes, maybe punch Vash in the face if he felt petty enough. Once faced with the inarguable truth that this wasn't just a man positing gross untruths and idealisms to look good, but someone who truly believed it, and rather than sit from a pedestal and preach, would rather go down and help each soul himself --
When Wolfwood came to realise that as an undeniable truth about this person in his arms now, something changed. Vash went from a nuisance and a horrific danger to someone he wanted to watch, someone to follow and see through to the end. As he did so, the feelings of fear and dread mounted, but so did the guilt as he dug his own grave deeper and deeper whenever Vash openly showed his back to him, trusted him, like he wasn't a foul and barely trained-beast working only to betray him in the end.
How could he ever think Vash would love him like that. He expected nothing more than that, if God were kind, Vash loved him in the same way he loved all of humanity, as a rightful angel should -- and even then it was deeply undeserved. And yet that would've been enough, it was enough. He would've, he had died a content man permitted to be by his side. He swallows with difficulty as he pulls Vash a little closer, refusing to let the ebb and flow of self-loathing ruin a perfectly good day even as it prickles under his skin. ]
Sorry, was probably too busy watchin' you play the world's most loaded game of Russian Roulette with luck bullets every single day to notice if you were droppin' hints.
[ Sorry he did not take you being ass up eating dirt as an invitation, he just thought you were being stupid, etc. He has to take a moment to avoid eye contact, staring at a point on the far wall to collect himself and push down unwanted feelings before glancing back down at him. ]
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It was very much Vash being stupid and that not being specifically an invitation. Shut up. However, Vash does think... There were signs that he had become attached to Wolfwood in ways that he didn't with others. It was in small gestures, mostly that he stopped trying to ghost Wolfwood. Part of it is out of exasperation, the other was staking off the underlying loneliness, only for it to grow to enjoyment and desire for his company. Specifically Wolfwood's. They were travel companions and that was something Vash hadn't had in decades. He would ask what they were having to eat the next day for breakfast, if they were in the mood for anything, if they wanted to do anything as they made their trek to journey's end. They were small, mundane plans, simple little asks about tomorrow until he faced his brother at the gate of the rapture.
...
It's true, Vash loved him like how he loves humans, but he became so much more important than that. Since that time where he woke up in the colony ship to the sound of the ECG patient monitor hooked up to the man beside him like an alarm, beeping loud at the pace of his heartrate... Maybe it was then his feelings budded for a man wearing the devil's cloak, a man who wishes he was more than his bloody hands. He isn't entirely sure; it felt seamless to fall into where he is now, start nebulous.
Fingers thread through Wolfwood's hair, nails gently grazing across his scalp, as he shimmies up a bit so they can be around the same level. ]
Okay, maybe I wasn't too obvious about it. [ It was only obvious to him, but hindsight is 20/20. ] You're still a little dense, though.
[ Vash wants them to be at the same level so he can kiss his nose, which he will do now. ]
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He sighs, eyes falling closed at the sensation of nails lightly scratching through his hair, but also a brief last respite to himself before he lets Vash get all up in his personal space. ]
Got any more critique on me you wanna lobby while you're here?
[ As he accepts this nose kiss. ]
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Can I tease you a little?
[ His fingers tangle with the strands at the hairline that meets the nape of his neck. It's an attempt to lull him into comfort, to tempt him into allowing a little bullying. Be cute for him, thanks. ]
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Mm. You can try.
[ Take the challenge then. ]
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You're sooooooo populaaaaaar, Nicholaaaas!
[ Challenge accepted. ]
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Nope.
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Yeah?
[ You can hog the sheets, but it can't stop him from snaking his grubby little raccoon paws inside and prod at Wolfwood's sides. It is sizing him up with fingertips gently digging at a couple of spots for a good tickle.
How ominous. ]
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Wolfwood squirms like a dog at his sides being prodded. He may be plotting something back in active real time as Vash is sizing him up.
Wyd. ]
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He will. Wrap his arms around Wolfwood's waist, then rest his lips against his nape? Do not attack, pretty please? ]
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The offering is being considered... ]
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What are we thinking? Will you spare him? Or is this a trap? ]
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which is that without warning, he turns right back over, halfway smothering Vash with said blanket. In getting the blanket out of the way and off his head, Wolfwood will snipe him with both hands cupping his jawline and a press of lips to the corner of his mouth, followed by a normal one on the lips.
Haha get punked idiot or something. ]
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He looks shocked. His expression is incredibly flabbergasted and stupid despite him reciprocating. ]
I was still going to tickle you.
[ The dissonance is real. He was scheming acts of violence on Wolfwood and was trying to lead him into a fake sense of security before he attacked, but he has received cute kisses instead.
He did not deserve kisses (funny, non-depreciating). ]
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After I was so sweet to you?
[ You would do this??? Hmmmm??? ]
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Sweet? You were scheming something!
[ Vash assumes Wolfwood was scheming. He doesn't know for sure, but he had a feeling and usually his gut is not wrong.
Unless it had to do with people. Sometimes he is a little too trusting, but he thinks he can afford to be charitable. This isn't that, though. ]
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[ He's still shitty and way too pleased even as he travels his hands down more to over Vash's waist, drawing him in so he can't squirm away. If he hadn't bothered to get in a shave as soon as he tracked Vash down and took a shower, he would bully him on the spot with a bit of roughness. He grows fast but not that fast.
It is true... that maybe if Vash decided to attack him while still kissing the nape of his neck, he would've chosen attack. But Vash didn't so this was his choice of retaliation instead. ]
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You're under arrest!
[ And this is where those hands around Wolfwood's waist starts digging into his sides, fingertips feather light as they tickle tickle tickle tickle. He's an experienced tickler, by the way, as he has waged war against children of multiple generations.
While he did not win all of those battles, he survived them. That's a feat in itself. ]
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Like hell I am!
[ HE WILL FIGHT TO GET YOU TO STOP TICKLING HIM WHICH INCLUDES SMOTHERING HIM WITH THE BLANKET AGAIN AND PRODDING VASH RIGHT BACK IN THE SIDE, don't fall out of the bed. ]
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Running away from the law?! [ Then he gets kicked. ] Ow!! Hey!
[ Vash should be the very last person impersonating authority, honestly, with how he has taken up the mantle of outlaw against his will for years. Anyway, that comes muffled through the sheets that threaten to smother him. He instinctively knees the leg that kicked him, but doesn't relent on his tickle assault. Blanket covering his face or not, he doesn't need his eyes to TICKLE.
Let's see if mister ex-priest can give him a chuckle while wiggling away from Wolfwood's grubby paws. If he can find momentum and an opening, he's going to try to roll himself on top and force Wolfwood under him. ]
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