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[ he's been awake since before the sun rose and the labors of his training are littered across the desolate landscape in the shape of sliced and diced rocks, old cans, and whatever metal or bits of wood nai could get his hands on. he hadn't wandered too far from the makeshift camp rem had set up, but he didn't want to be too close either.

after all, he needed the space to practice without worry of accidentally hurting her - or anyone - as he practiced using his blades. he was still unsteady in controlling them past the length of his arm, but if he wanted the precision control his perfectionism demanded, then he knew no amount of training was wasted.

now, he stood in front of a tall rock formation. he knew from the top he'd be gifted with the sight of everything spread out in all directions. he wants to see everything.

he just needed to scale it without falling and injuring himself in any way. simple enough.

his progress climbing up is slow as he tries to keep his grip from slipping, nails digging into the rock where he finds purchase. with any luck, he'll make it to the top without any issue. ]

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I don't know. Maybe?

[ but now that vash is here, all of those troublesome thoughts are flooding back. he both wants vash to stay and to leave. the distance between them hurts either way, especially as he feels the tendrils of vash's emotions reaching towards his own.

he pushes it all away. curls his injured hand into a tight fist until the pain makes him tremble. he doesn't give it over to vash, instead holding it close to his chest. ]

It's fine. There's nothing you can do to make it better.

[ vash bites his lip, hard enough that red wells up, at witnessing nai causing himself this much pain. but then marshals up a smile, just - if barely - cocky. ]

Are you sure about that? I'm pretty good at helping out plants, you know.

[ plants don't get scrapes and cuts, but there are sometimes underlying problems that he can deal with. ]

You mean our sisters?

[ even in his dour mood, nai can't help but roll his eyes at vash's swagger. ]

It's just a few scrapes.

[ ... but after a moment of frustrated deliberation, he lowers his hand out to vash. ]

Mm-hm. Though I guess some might be aunties, come to think about it.

[ his hand is warm and gentle as he takes the small palm to look over the damage. ]

I know that it'll heal on its own, we heal from a whole lot, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant.

Also this might feel a little weird.

[ perhaps he means the sensation of his left hand, as it takes over the cupping of the back of nai's palm. or perhaps the soft touch of his flesh fingertips over the top of it. or, perhaps the very faint warmth seeping in from that touch, as vash's markings glow oh so very faintly. he doesn't heal the palm completely, but he sends it a little more on the way. enough for the pain to fade away into a vague itch. ]

[ nai falls silent as he watches vash take his hand. his brother's touch is soft, tender even, and nai has to resist the urge to rip his hand away from such gentleness. instead his fingers only twitch with the thought.

the sensation is strange, but not wholly unfamiliar. in response to his brother's healing, his own markings light up faintly. this is the connection they share, even separated by a century or so.

nai's fingers twitch again, the scrapes tingling as they start to heal. his chest feeling tight. ]

... Thanks.

[ the way they resonate, just a little, makes vash think of the two of them tangled, learning together, of nudging nai over at the piano bench, of figuring out that they are different and at the same time they are not, and his heart aches with missing how things were... and hurting for nai, most of all.

he doesn't know if this was when his brother was hurting the most, when the peace they had got shattered without a chance to return. or if it was later. but it - if he is hurting himself, it must be so heavy, everything he has to carry on his slender shoulders, on determination and rage alone. ]

Of course.

[ his words and his smile are both soft.

he lets his eyes wander around them, wreckage and all. ]

Did you do all of this?

[ sounding more impressed than anything else. ]

Edited 2023-05-27 20:56 (UTC)

[ when he takes back his hand, he cradles it against his chest. not yet ready to chase away the feeling of his brother's touch with his own.

nai looks away from the wreckage, giving a short nod. ]

I wanted to practice somewhere... away from everyone.

[ to be safe, no possible way he could make a mistake. he can't have blood on his hands here. ]

[ vash's smile this time is unhesitating and so, so sweet. ]

It's impressive! And also, thanks.

[ even if in many ways, keeping rem safe wasn't for him, even the part that was, and mostly the part that was for rem herself, these he is grateful for. ]

Ready to head back, or do we stay here a little longer?

[ vash also isn't standing up and breaking the moment, the cautious proximity. ]

Ah...

[ it doesn't look very impressive to him, but vash's praise has an instant effect on him. he can't help the warmth blossoming inside his chest, the tips of his ears burning. it never took much when it was just vash, all nai ever needed was his attention in order to bloom.

his gaze snaps back to vash. ]

Go back?

[ vash's smile brightens, gentle and sweet and loving, at nai's reaction. he's missed his brother so, so much, and seeing him like this just made his heart soft and warm. ]

Mm. Go back to Rem. But only because there's shade and it's comfortable to sit. It's fine to stay here also.

[ Nai did say he's left there earlier. ]

[ after a moment of deliberation, nai nods slowly. the walk back wouldn't be so bad if vash was with him. the sun hasn't set yet, but nai finds himself hesitant to scratch up his hands again and ruin the effort vash put into healing him. ]

... Okay. Fine.

[ he closes his hands into fists, letting them hang by his sides. ] But only because you want to go back. [ and not because he's tired! ]

Thank you, Nai. [ soft, because the way his brother says it is so, so young, and it catches at vash's heart impossibly hard. ] I very much appreciate it.

Have you stayed there a while? I've been away for a long time, I know.

[ nai moves closer to vash's side as he waits for his brother to stand. childish urges push at him to stand in his brother's shadow, wanting to wrap his arms around vash and never let go. these unnameable feelings are swallowing him whole as he struggles to keep his head above water.

he holds himself back to just standing by his side, reaching to take his hand. ]

A day... or two, I think. [ the first day he had stumbled upon rem he'd be wrought with overwhelming grief that had seen him passed out after a breakdown he'd rather forget ever happened. ] Will you stay with us?

[ vash's hold on his hand as he stands is tight and warm and unhesitating, shouldering back his bag with the left hand. ]

Mm, on the whole. She and I need supplies, though, and with all the plants taken away, I need to go farther and farther for those, but I think we'll have enough for a while now.

I want to come with you.

[ it slips out before he can think twice, the demand more of a request that he's half-doubtful vash might say no. the thought of his brother declining stings more than he'd like. ]

You know I don't need food or water, so it shouldn't be a bother, right?

Yeah? I don't see why not.

[ vash squeezes nai's hand a little. ]

And it's not that it would be a bother at all, just that you're likely to get very bored. If that's all right, when I head out, you come with me.

Edited 2023-06-06 20:09 (UTC)

Really?

[ he can't quite hide the excitement in his voice, nor how it makes him happy to be reassured by vash. ] And I won't get bored. There's a lot that happens on this planet, right?

[ he wants to experience as much as he can of everything he can get his hands on. ] This place reminds me of those western movies you hate. [ and that nai loved, adored even. ]

[ oh. it's. so rare that he can cause such joy. vash smiles brightly back, and there is a helpless emotional feedback of joy that nai can feel. it's not an emotion he shields within himself, one that is important to share, after all. ]

Well. Usually, but mostly where there are settlements. Now, there is nobody around, I think the closest would be Delphinium, though that can be interesting. Other than that, it's walking for many hours on end in the sand. But I can tell stories and such, if you'd like me to.

[ it's a good thing, vash thinks belatedly, that nai didn't get upset over the way he said it. can't think of a reason not to, rather than telling him he wants him to come.

it's the last thing he thinks of, after all, what he wants. ]

Well, yeah. You must have a lot, so I want to hear everything.

[ although he knows it's the future yet to come, he feels the need to catch up to his brother. so much can happen in a hundred and fifty years. how much had his future self been a part of those experiences?

he knows it isn't much at all. ]

Ahahha... Well. Just prepare yourself that some of them you might not like too much. But some will be fun.

[ but even as he's giving this warning, his thumb is rubbing reassuring circles over nai's knuckles, the back of his palm.

it doesn't occur to him, how much nai has already seen, how he might take the statement about dislike of some of it. he just knows that it's so easy to get angry or hurt when one is disappointed.

he also twists his mouth just a little, without letting the smile go. ]

A lot of them have humans in them, for example.

[ nai frowns at that and huffs a sigh. ] That's obvious, isn't it? Not like there's anyone else around for you to talk to.

[ except maybe the worms, something he's starting to learn about through observation. but between the worms and humans, he'd rather hear stories about the worms. ]

Heeey don't underestimate me, I have some stories with plants, too!

[ he knows what nai would like best ]

Edited 2023-06-08 19:19 (UTC)

[ as they walk, nai slowly swings their held hands. ]

Then tell me those stories first.

[ he'll listen regardless of whatever stories vash tells him, made special only because they're experiences his brother has lived through. nothing more or less. ]

All right, though some of them might not be as good out of order.

I'm only starting when we go, though. So there is more for the way.

[ swinging hands is nice. vash's heart is calm, right now, and his aura of it grows fuller, steadier. ]

And you? Do you have stories of your own already?

I have lots of stories.

[ most are okay, not terribly scary, but some...

nai tilts his head, thinking. ]

I got to ride a giant worm.

[ nai ]

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dontdeserve - 2023-06-12 19:45 (UTC) - Expand

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