@fatewoven asked for death: of course you're going to see me again.
Wind whipped through his hair as they stood on the balcony of Home. Jumping off and landing hundreds of iles below on the sand would have probably hurt less than the words uttered.
It had been roughly seven months since they left each other's sides - since Vash walked into the arms of his brother (and the painful control of Legato) in order to help Wolfwood achieve whatever his goal had been. He didn't know, because he never asked, but he knew with every fiber of his being that it was protecting someone - probably a kid - because he knows Nicholas better than he knows himself. And because of this intimate knowledge, he also knew when the other was lying. Especially when it was this blatantly, without any half truths trying to soften the blow.
Wherever Wolfwood planned to go next, he planned to die.
Alone.
Vash's eyes stung, and though he tried to blame the sand and wind, the exhaustion, the pain, he knew it was merely the threat of tears. One swallow, two, and his throat was mostly clear enough for him to speak. "Of course, yeah." Did the words ring just as false to Wolfwood? "After I stop my brother we can finally get those drinks, right? You owe me, you said." They both knew it wasn't Vash's mission that was going to keep them apart this time.
Movement at the edge of his vision almost got him to turn, but he stared resolutely forward. It would hurt less, he thought, if he didn't have to see the pity sadness in those warm brown eyes. Maybe this avoidance would let them both have one more night of pretending - that this wasn't the end, that there could actually be a future for them, that either would get the chance to settle down and learn what peace felt like.
"I think we should travel further west. There's this spot, way past where humans have settled, its this canyon the worms ended up carving through a mountain. Gorgeous view. You'd really like it, I think." If he just kept speaking... "maybe you could teach me to whittle, I think that'd be an inspiring place to learn a craft" if they never let this moment change into the next... "do you think we can do that, Wolfwood? Can we go there some day?" Please, please, please... just give me this one wish.
