The touch on his shoulder seemed to startle him a little; he jerked, looking over at Vash, back down at the grave at their feet, and then back up again. Suddenly, he felt small, smaller than he had in a long time, and for once, the look on his face was just...openly sad, looking for once closer to his true age than he normally did when his face was covered in scowls and glares.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to do this, but he couldn't...he couldn't just leave Nico under there, unknown, if it was really him. They had to know. But...he shook his head, reaching up and covering the hand on his shoulder with his own and squeezing back.

"You..." His voice was soft and raspy, and he took a moment to clear his throat. "You don't have to be around for this, you know? It's...this isn't gonna be pleasant. He's-...whoever the poor asshole is under there...he's been there a few days, now. You can go, and I can come find you after."

This was wrong, it was so wrong. Why did he care now, all of a sudden? What a fuckin' hypocrite, after he'd spent all that time lecturing Vash about wasting his time burying everyone who made the mistake of taking a shot at his hide, but when it was his own, the thought of desecrating this place was...fucking awful.