.OPEN POST.

[ecad]

.meme continuations.
.gen & nsfw-friendly.
.nsfw very appreciated, tbh.
.feel free to plot something with me if you want @ creatura or just chat on the disco @ destr0id.

Comments

[shaltnot]

[ nicholas likes to believe he's a riot, the crowd is just tough.

though in all honesty he does make a point to drive a wedge between himself and others, especially with people that ought to be considered as part of the job.

that's different when drinking is concerned, though. mostly. that's what he's telling himself. ]

👍

[ which is why he is, indeed, asking for company. and, hey...how can he keep an eye on vash if he's not around? sound logic. ]

🐺💰🍺

[ so...? ]

[ecad]

( hey, he thinks you're plenty funny! but he's always open with his laughter and his amusement, as we're sure you've seen before now.

he's an open book, pretty much.

and as much as vash wants to keep the people he cares for close to him, it's much the same on his end; arm's length might sometimes be too close when he takes his brother into consideration, when he thinks of how he might use something or someone to reel him in, hurt him in turn, he knows it would be better to keep more acquaintances than friends.

part of the job, that's all it is. he can't let himself think that he wants some kind of closeness, because that makes it real, and nobody needs that.

it doesn't matter if it's just drinking.

which is why he doesn't reply, instead heading to where he'd last seen him, assuming he's still there if he's still drinking and dropping into a seat next to him. all easy smiles and a hum of laughter in the back of his throat as he settles. )

So, what's your poison this time?

[shaltnot]

[ There is a moment where Nicholas wonders if playing too "cute" was the wrong way to approach it. Vash had seemed to at least be somewhat inclined to play along for a while, but maybe it's also easier for him when there's a bit of distance. Nicholas is someone who definitely needs his space from time to time, but...

He won't deny that he's pleased to see that Vash has taken the bait. One brow raises up behind the rim of his sunglasses, and then the other as he flashes a cheeky grin at the other man. ]

Bourbon.

[ It's a break of the routine of "hand signals only", but he thinks that Vash paid his dues with all those emojis.

He still gives a thumbs up to rate it before offering his half-empty glass. A taste? ]

[ecad]

( it seems like they do that a lot — play, banter back and forth in lieu of being open or honest about anything like emotions — but yeah, it is a bit easier for him that way. to pretend it doesn't bother him to keep everyone at arm's length, to keep himself so guarded and laugh everything off even when something hurts.

he thinks they're two sides of the same coin. maybe that's why they both get it. but he doesn't really need to think right now, does he? not when wolfwood grins at him on his approach, and it looks … like he's actually genuinely pleased he'd shown up.

he gives a little huff of a laugh under his breath when he offers his glass, reaches to take it with his gloved right hand and their fingers brush, but it's an absent thing. something easily enough passed off as purely accidental. when he takes a small sip, warmth spreads over his tongue almost instantly and it carves a path down his throat when he swallows but it's a good burn. it always is.

he offers the glass back, tongue flicking over his bottom lip to catch an errant drop. ) I knew you had good taste. S'good.

[naturallywavy]

you’re lucky you’re so damn cute you know..

i don’t exert this amount of energy on just anyone.. im walking fast.. running, even..

maybe ill get there faster with a picture to entice me.. just saying..

[shaltnot]

[ Accidental, surely, but definitely not unnoticed. Nicholas likes to think it's his keen senses that he has (albeit forced) honed that make him pay attention to the little things, but the truth of it is that he's just become very aware of Vash's presence in all it's forms.

As such, he watches closely without trying to make it too obvious, picking up a still smoking cigarette from where it rests on a nearby ash tray. He flicks a bit off the end, gaze resting on Vash's mouth for a bit longer than it should before he quickly shifts it back up to accept the glass back. Thank God for sunglasses in shady bars. ]

Want a glass? I said I'd pay.

[ Well, emoted it. But still. ]

[ecad]

( if it makes him feel any better at all, vash's presence tends to be a lot no matter who he happens to be around; whether it's his bright coat, bright hair or even brighter eyes behind the mellowed tint of his shades, he very rarely goes unnoticed, and maybe … maybe he wouldn't mind if wolfwood noticed him a little more every now and again.

not that he's about to admit it! not in a million years! but. the thought is there, and it's not going anywhere.

he would tease about the other wearing such dark glasses inside, but he's never really seen him without them, and he thinks that has to mean something, though — maybe he feels his gaze on him more than sees it for himself, and maybe his teeth catch the inside of his bottom lip as he hands the glass back over. )

I just came to keep you company, but hey, since you're buyin' … ( he grins wide, and the very corners of his eyes crinkle with it. ) Not gonna break the bank, is it? That's some darn good stuff.

[shaltnot]

[ The bright hair, bright eyes, and bright coat certainly doesn't help--he stands out in most crowds. But there's an aura about Vash that also kind of just draws people in. The "humanoid typhoon" certainly earned his name and Nicholas realizes he's also been swept in by the tide. How that will shake out in the end is still to be seen...even if he knows how it should go.

He takes a drink from his glass as he waits for Vash's decision. Vash's company is nice even if he won't say as much, but drinks are a more comfortable pretext. ]

I'm a man of my word, ain't I?

[ There is just some fine print at the best of times.

Don't worry about it, I've got it covered.

[ And his pockets may not be so deep, but he can handle a couple of drinks. He knocks on the counter to get the barkeeps attention and nods towards Vash. ]

Put it on my tab.

[ecad]

( he doesn't know exactly what lies ahead in his future — no one ever does, he likes to think, and that's what makes it interesting — but there's something about the way wolfwood had joined them that there might be more to, he isn't entirely sure, but. sometimes he has a sixth sense about the unknown, or maybe it's that niggling thing in the back of his mind that insists he actually has some manner of self-preservation in him, but that much remains to be seen, doesn't it?

this much is true: he's glad nicholas is with them. he enjoys his company, those wry smiles of his when he deigns to give them, the roughness of his abbreviated laughter when he deigns to give that over, though it seems to be in much smaller supply than the aforementioned smiles. there are walls there, and he knows them when he sees them because he has his own up all around him, but …

some part of him hopes that he might be able to find a break, a breach that will let him see more of the wolfwood that lies on the inside. the one that would do anything and everything to save the place he'd called home, and the brother he'd lost despite everything.

no one ever really knows anyone else, do they? that's a part of the human condition vash likes to think he's a part of, because so many things elude him.

he gives a sheepish little grin at i'm a man of my word, ain't i? because yeah, yeah he is as far as vash is concerned, and he taps the fingers of his prosthetic against the glass when it comes, not lifting it to drink just yet, and instead asking: )

What're we drinking to?

[shaltnot]

[ So many things left unsaid and, really, Nicholas thinks they're safer that way. Both of them--all of them, no matter how much both Roberto and Meryl like to poke their noses into things, the latter more than the former. Roberto for the sake of his companions, and Meryl for...her own inherent inability to mind her own damned business. (Thought with some amount of affection.)

The world's a mess and they're all just trying to navigate through it. Vash is no exception to that, even if his role in Nicholas' own life is quickly becoming a confusing one. One that shouldn't be, given that he knows his mission.

He's dawdling. He's drawing it out bit by bit because there are things he still doesn't understand about Vash the Stampede that he tells himself he needs to before he turns the guy over. (Yeah, that's it.)

Nicholas takes his own glass in hand when Vash proposes a toast of sorts, lifting up the half-gone liquid to the dim lights of the bar. ]

Makin' it through another day.

[ He glances at Vash as he extends the glass to tap. ]

Not something everyone can boast about around here.

yikes sorry for the late tagback, no hard feelings if it's been too long!

[ecad]

( vash has always … been conflicted when it comes to sharing how he really feels about things, all things, because he'll always be honest when given the opportunity, but he also lives by way of deflection and lying by omission, and even if those are two sides to the same coin, it strikes him as a sort of double standard, and he's conflicted about that, too.

but where wolfwood is concerned, maybe it really is better that some things are left unsaid. he doesn't have a clue where the next day will find them, or the next, or the one after that —- and he's sure the other man doesn't, either.

( what's it like to be so naive, vash? and what has it ever done for you that hasn't ended in another wound, another scar, another chipped fragment from a broken heart? )

he ponders nicholas while he, in turn, ponders his proposal of a toast, thinking that they so rarely get to have even a moment's reprieve that it's nice to see him leaning even a little bit toward allowing himself to relax. not that vash is any better, of course not, he's the one that will run himself ragged on someone else's account before he even entertains the idea of thinking about himself, but. there may or may not be a couple of accusations of him being a hypocrite hidden somewhere in the deep pockets of his coat.

let that never go without saying.

he hums, and when a smile spreads across the line of his mouth again it's a little bit melancholy, but still genuine. he clinks their glasses together. ) I can drink to that, definitely.

To our tomorrows … and the hope that there'll be a lot of them. ( heh. see what i did there. you're welcome.

he takes a good, long swallow, empties the glass about halfway and sets it down, again absently licking the corner of his mouth to catch a stray droplet. he shivers lightly, but he always does when the burn is that good in the back of his throat. )

[millionsof]

[there's something to be said for having a roof over one's head, a soft bed to lay in every night, and enough food to fill their once-achingly empty bellies. when they've gone as long as they have between absolutely nothing to some semblance of shaky stability, the small things stand out the most.

little comforts that for some would be considered obvious necessities, but all nai can think of is what else is needed, what else must he accomplish to ensure a better life for vash.

his brother deserved more than nai could give him now, but they were on a path set to create a paradise for themselves. the road there was hellish, dangerous, nai having his moments late at night threatened by doubts that left him unable to sleep and instead turning in their bed to watch vash slumber instead. so long as vash was safe and sound, nothing else mattered. no matter what nai needed to do to accomplish a better life for themselves, any action was justified. vash couldn't understand, wouldn't understand, not with his bleeding soft heart that ached at the sight of the homeless and down on their luck seated on the edges of dilapidated buildings and dirty streets.

nai could look away, knowing there was very little standing between them if he dared to slip and lose sight of what he needed to do for their future's sake.

the sun has yet to rise, but the sounds of the city outside their bedroom window are almost the same as the sounds of birds in the early morning. nai has always been a light sleeper, years and years of necessity now an old habit that he can't break. it had saved their lives a few times, and that was all he needed to know it was worthwhile at the cost of a restless sleep. yet this morning, he's slower to wake. vash is warm beside him along with the smell of freshly laundered bedsheets and nai is comfortable. enough that sleep clings to his mind even as he feels vash shifting beside him, edging himself closer and filling in the spaces left empty for him. nai can feel his breath against his neck, can't help the way his mouth curls up just a little as vash tangles them together.

he moves his arms, one wrapping around vash to pull him closer as the other reaches up to run a few fingers through messy, sand-blonde hair to dispel some of the knots made during sleep. nai turns his head and nuzzles into that hair, mumbling quietly.] Vash.

[ecad]

( he appreciates everything nai has been able to do for them over the years, how well he's been able to provide for them both even if he probably — definitely — thinks it isn't enough. because his standards are always going to be too high, but there's nothing wrong with having them in the first place, and vash is never going to fault him for it.

it's kept them safe for so long, safe and cared for and he's never going to take a single thing for granted that he's done for them, for the sake of them, and he's going to do everything within his power to do what he can in return, even if he's pretty sure nai doesn't want his little brother fussing too much. as he says.

and … okay, yes, vash is a bit of a fusser. but he does it with all the good intentions, he swears.

nai has always been the lighter sleeper of the two of them, it's true, but that doesn't mean much when vash himself could sleep through the end of the world when he's really tired, and maybe through a handful of natural disasters on a normal night; it helps having his brother near, solid and warm and soothing with every gentle rise and fall of his chest with every breath, the quiet little snores that he swears up, down and sideways are not a thing but vash knows better, and it makes him chuckle in the back of his throat every. single time.

the younger twin gives a small, trilling sound in the back of his throat — it can only be a purr, even in his sleep — subconsciously honing in on the sound of his brother's voice and curling in even closer, the arm he's laying on trapped between them but the other slipping around his waist. like it so often does, because he likes to be held like this so much, and he'll say as much given half the chance because he's never been shy in his affection. giving, or receiving.

he nuzzles into the hollow of his throat, the next sound of out him a little bit more awake, though still edging more toward inhuman than human. a low, softly rumbling thing. )

Naaaaiiii … not gettin'up yet are you …

@fatalexception;

[ecad]

( from here. )

( anything made out of pillows, or anything pillow-adjacent, should be friendly. the thought of anything else is just scandalous enough that it comes dangerously close to upsetting him.

but this is also the kind of guy you could get drunk and he'd start warbling about some endangered species or something until someone sent him to bed. )

point, but if it wasn't hostile, you wouldn't need to take it down at all, now would you?

( he's conveniently forgotten his second question in favor of making this point, because it's super important. )

[fatalexception]

You never know with machine lifeforms.

[nines that's robo-racist and anyway who said it had to be a machine machine? depending who you ask, you count as a "robot" too, my dude]

@assassinsgreed ( last call isn't really last call );

[ecad]

( he can't say he's ever done this before — brought someone back to a rented room, or any room, really — but it had been last call at the saloon and his new friend ( tall, dark, broad, handsome ) had idly wondered out loud if there was anywhere else they could keep drinking, because the night was still young ( despite what everyone else thought, apparently ) and he was barely even feeling it.

there's something about him that he can't put his finger on, something that sits just to the left of everything he'd known up until then, something anomalous that he thinks he's bound to figure out sooner or later, because he always does, no matter how long it takes.

( of course he doesn't know that his brother has set him after him, on a trail that never seems as invisible as vash would prefer it, but he moves around so much and so frequently that in a small town like this, no one is likely to remember him, because he has ever intention of picking up first thing in the morning and heading toward the next best thing.

or the next … mediocre thing. the next thing that needs his attention. it never matters if it's all that interesting or not. )

the door closes behind toji with a soft click, no doubt nudged shut by the other's foot because he'd noticed it had a tendency to stay open on its own, and it stuck when you tried to open it; vash meanders over toward his rucksack, digs around for a minute or two before he pulls out an unopened bottle of something he'd picked up the last time he'd stopped. a gift, really, for helping with their busted plant. he'd try to say it wasn't necessary, that he'd only done what he could and he hadn't been all that sure it would work, anyway! but.

rosa drives a hard bargain, it seems. and he'd been made to promise to come back to jeneora rock at his next earliest convenience. drinks on the house.

he turns with a smile, lopsided and easy, waving the bottle in his hand a bit, its contents sloshing around inside. ) I haven't tried it myself yet, but if the source proves anything, it's gonna be strong. Uh— ( he looks around, even though he doesn't think his search is going to yield him anything. )

No glasses, though. Hope you don't mind drinking from the bottle.

[assassinsgreed]

<sub>[ It wasn't hard to find Vash once Toji was in the right proximity of the guy. His keen senses practically led him right to the guy. After all, plants smelled different than people. He had an idea of Vash's foot size, since he is twins with Knives, so footprints that couldn't be seen by the average eye were also investigated. His eyesight was sharper, so he could see details from far away, even if Vash was in a crowd.

Once he found Vash, he had a plan first and foremost to pursue him. It should be easy with his intense speed to wrangle this guy up as if he was going to be this evening's dinner (which, maybe, in a way he would be, wink wink) and although Toji typically thinks with his mind, he sometimes thinks with his dick. Actually, he thinks with his dick quite a lot, but usually his logical mindset wins over his lust. It wasn't exactly the case when he met Vash.

As he first grew acquainted, he was quietly scheming a deviation to his plan. He was just so weak for these types; those who would always smile despite their circumstances and might be a little airheaded but overall good. It reminded him of his first wife, whom he missed dearly, and how her love for him made him happy for just a small sliver in his miserable life.

Vash was wanted alive, but there were no rules saying he couldn't have some fun with him first. Surely his cock won't kill him? Probably not. In fact, it might be in his favor to get on good terms with the guy and in a closer, more vulnerable proximity. The scenario presents itself rather easily because Vash is too trusting, and Toji thinks for a moment that he might feel guilty capturing this guy.. until he remembers the reward he'll get for doing it.

Yeah, that makes him feel no remorse right away.

As Toji is lured into the hotel room and is eyeballing the liquor presented to him, he makes a swift advance to the blonde, offering to open it for him. If it's a screw off or cap, Toji can get it pretty well with his hands. If it's a cork, he can get it pretty well with his teeth. ]</sub>

Oh no, we're going to share cooties.

_{[ Sarcasm, of course, because Toji has implied a few times this evening he wouldn't mind kissing those pretty lips of his. ]}

[ecad]

( he really should be paying more attention to his surroundings, to how easy it had been to let this man join him in drinking; the fact of the matter is that he's always going to be too trusting for his own good — have we said as much, yet? — and offering to let him come back to a rented room with him is just. honestly probably the stupidest thing he could have done with his brother always hot on his heels, but.

giving everyone the benefit of the doubt until proven untrustworthy is kind of his MO. it's gotten him into trouble more times than he can count by now, but that's of no real consequence, is it? nah.

he doesn't know what his future holds for him, only that at the very least he won't be lonely for what remains of the night, and he thinks … this toji guy isn't the worst companion he could have chosen, all things considered. he seems smart. witty. might have a bit of an ego but it could be well-earned, because. look at him.

he's never been the type to call someone easy on the eyes and let that be a contributing factor for keeping their company, and he's not about to start. but. he is pretty easy on the eyes. tall. broad. and there's something about the scar that bisects the line of his mouth that makes him want to —

ohhhh no. nope, nuh uh, not letting the thought train take that route! reel it back in, vash …

but now that the idea is there in the back of his mind, it's not about to go anywhere. he wants to bite that scar, and with every look that toji gives him, that thought catches another like some kind of wildfire and if he's not careful … it's all going to run away from him without a single hope of him being able to control it.

dangerous territory he's practically wading into, but when does he not get himself into his own messes?

the bottle has a cork, because narration might just want to make vash squirm watching the other man make short work of it with his teeth, the tiniest flush of pink tinting the very tips of his ears as he gives over a chuckle. the quietest tinkling of laughter. )

Oh no. ( he mimics, gesturing for the other to take the first sip. ) I brushed my teeth today, I think we're good. ( you're like a fucking baby deer, vash. it's no wonder he wants to get his teeth in you. )

[assassinsgreed]

_{[ The cork is abused with Toji’s teeth lucky before he pulls it out of the bottle with a delightful pop sound, spitting it out across the room. Two senses hit him strongly at once: the alcohol (which is overpowering for his nose, but he’s used to it so he doesn’t react) and the heat from Vash’s blushing. It’s always lovely to feel that kind of warmth radiating off of somebody; maybe that’s why he’s so good at charming others is because his keen senses make it nearly impossible to lie if they have some interest in him. It’s problematic, but he takes this as an invitation; consent to some kind of extent, and settles his hand on the blonde’s slender waist, the other hand cradling the alcohol by the neck. ]}

Imagine. Getting bodily fluids on each other.

_{[ Toji. Toji, heel. ]}

Really gross.

_{[ The bottle is kicked back as he takes the first shot; it’s strong, whatever it is, and burns down his throat smoothly. A tingling sensation lingers on his lips, emerald colored eyes watching Vash intently. ]}

Wanna taste?

<sub>[ Despite the offer, Toji isn’t offering the bottle to Vash. Maybe Vash is aware that what he is asking is if he wants to kiss him or not.

Another problematic way of consent. ]</sub>

[ecad]

( yeah don't mind him watching your teeth abuse the cork. don't mind him at all because he's not even paying all that close attention to it! really! there is absolutely no need to notice that the flush at the very tips of his ears is already beginning to make its way steadily downward. over the back of his neck. the back of his neck that would actually look very lovely with some bite marks —

ahem. narration is getting ahead of themselves. somebody really should bring out the spray bottle.

whatever. yeah. okay. it is pretty much a blatant invitation, not quite to do anything he wants ( he doesn't know how far those wants go? he actually doesn't know what he wants at all? so uh ) but it's certainly the beginning of something, and at the mention of bodily fluids.

don't mind him effectively bluescreening at that for a second. stampede.exe has stopped working.

would you like to restart? )

Yeah. Gross. Definitely. ( his voice is not small. or squeaky. and he is absolutely not about to trip over his words like he sometimes does his own damned feet when he's not paying attention to where he's going.

wanna taste?

vash looks from where the bottle remains in toji's hand to the man's face, down to the increasingly mischievous line of his mouth and back up to those pretty green eyes, over to the bottle again. ) Yeah. ( he says again, parroting himself from seconds ago and he really should stop to wonder where his last brain cell went. is it on the floor? did it go flying across the room along with the cork? did he leave it back at the bar?

he licks his lips absently, shifting tentatively forward, further into the other's personal space. ) Yeah, I do.

[assassinsgreed]

_{[ As if his shit-eating grin couldn't get any shittier, he looks immensely pleased at both Vash's answer and his reaction, the arm coiled around Vash's waist like a serpent tugging him until is stupidly plush chest presses against Vash's, providing the other man with some warmth. ]}

Thought so. Someone is feeling pretty thirsty. It couldn't possibly be the goodie-two-shoes, pretty boy right before me, could it?

<sub>[ Toji knows these types; the kind that is kind of ditzy and stupid, but, full of so much heart and compassion. The assassin doesn't dare tread along the painful road of nostalgia, making the connection to his first wife-- the sunshiny girl who was the first to ever show him kindness; it was her compassionate personality that drew him like a moth to a flame. He never thought he'd fall in love and he never wanted to, but he couldn't resist her and would do anything for her. That's where the attraction comes from, though. He almost feels bad-- almost-- knowing that once he's seduced him and had his fun he's going to break his trust, but Knives put up such a big bounty, not even Toji's cock can deny prize money like that.

Speaking of his cock, it's starting to feel a little warm down there and he hasn't even done anything. It's all been from merely imagining what he's going to do to this guy.

He gives Vash one last look before he wets his lips, taking another shot from the bottle and not.. completely swallowing all of the alcohol; he let's a little bit linger in his mouth so he can share it with his friend. His pal. His big, cute, cash cow that he's going to turn in. Maybe that's what is exciting him instead.

Finally, Toji does it. He kisses Vash with an open mouth, not hesitant with his force. Once the blonde's lips are parted, Toji will share with him a generous amount of both alcohol and spit. ]</sub>

[ecad]

( of course he looks pleased — and of course that flusters vash even more, especially with what comes out of his mouth next. ) Goodie-two-shoes? Aw, c'mon now— ( never mind pretty boy, but he's heard that before, mostly derogatorily when he's trying to get himself out of some bit of trouble or another. some things are probably never going to change.

the type toji seems to know best is one he puts on for show; yes, he can be a little ditzy at times, sometimes these things can't be helped and he's always going to be naive to a fault because he would much rather give someone the benefit of the doubt than assume the worst, but he's never been stupid. all the better if that's the vibe he gives off, really, because that just means that everyone from this town to the next one over isn't going to pay him any mind and he can keep slipping right under the radar.

probably. maybe? not like he has to worry about anything from this guy, surely.

the kiss comes and he thinks he's prepared for it; warm, wet, bitter from the taste of alcohol that he willingly swallows down ( along with the saliva, getting right in on sharing those bodily fluids, huh ) and he doesn't think to stop himself from being bold enough to lick into the other man's mouth, tongue slick and warm, questing as it curls around toji's own. it isn't a kiss as much as it is permission, permission for the other to keep going, and where has all this sudden boldness come from?

maybe he'd picked it up when he'd discarded that remaining brain cell. wherever it actually is. rest in peace, you probably won't be missed.

the fingers of his flesh and bone hand curl into the fabric of toji's topmost layer, pulling him infinitesimally closer as he takes it just a liiiiittle bit further and sucks on the very tip of his tongue. light, soft, teasing.

definitely traded in that brain cell for a bigger set of balls. good on you, vashu. )

[assassinsgreed]

<sub>[ Toji isn't sure he expected this kind of warmth and acceptance from someone who is basically a stranger, but the feeling is foreign. All he's felt most of his life is rejection for being an anomaly of sorts, and although what he is feeling is.. absolutely a different scenario, it's the thought that someone just.. wants him in any capacity that makes his feelings start.. feeling things.

But right now, he's distracted by a very impressive kiss and he's not shy when it comes to letting his partner know he's having a good time. He blatantly moans into Vash's mouth, reciprocating with his own tongue and that's when Vash catches it with his lips. The kiss is broken, but Toji is going in for another one, his palm curving around and groping a handful of ass, squeezing like the degenerate he is.

For a second, he pulls away just as quick as he arrived, shoving the alcohol in Vash's grasp. ]</sub>

Get drinking, then.

_{[ Because right now, Toji is going to get more comfortable and reach down to the hem of his shirt, sliding it up and over the dips and valleys of his impressive physique until it's completely pulled off and discarded on the floor.. probably somewhere near Vash's forgotten brain cell. ]}

Get touching, too.

[ecad]

( vash … has never met a stranger, if you ask him. everyone is a friend he hasn't met yet and he likes to give the benefit of the doubt until it's proven to him otherwise. that is what's going to end up giving toji the edge on him, because he's going to let his guard down completely and let him further in the longer they stay in one another's presence, and he isn't going to realize until it's too late that he's made a very, very critical mistake.

( maybe … that was part of knives' plan? maybe he'll think about that when he realizes he's essentially let a sandworm into the thomas pen. toji is going to eat him alive and not in the fun way before this is all over and done with, and at the end of it all vash is going to tell himself it's his fault, because he'd allowed it to happen. )

the other man moans into their kiss and it might be deliberate, it might be on purpose but it's enough to send a thrilling little shiver down the very center of vash's spine all the same, the deep roughness of his voice doing something to him that ultimately stirs the heat already pooling low in his belly. he isn't quite expecting the squeeze to his ass — to the point that it draws a tiny little squeak out of him, don't say anything about it, you didn't hear a thing — and he's not quite expecting him to draw away from the kiss when he does, because he wasn't finished with that taste of you, thank you very much. but what comes out of toji's mouth next is a little more than incentive enough to keep his interest piqued.

he takes a drink from the bottle when toji shoves it at him, a small one but nearly enough to choke on juuuust a little when the other's shirt comes up and over his head, ends up dropped to the floor and immediately forgotten ( just like that brain cell, he really isn't thinking about it anymore, and may not have been very much in the first place ) and it should be … probably is embarrassing, the way his mouth hangs open for a small moment before he bends to place the bottom on the floor near their feet. he wants both hands for this.

flesh-and-bone and prosthetic alike, fingertips graze the flat of a muscled stomach, trailing upward over the bottom curve of his ribs and ultimately over the impressive mounds of his pectorals, hard and smooth but soft all at once as he lets his touch wander. touching for the sake of touching, marveling at the hardness of him. the size of him.

and he hasn't even seen all of him yet. he leans in for another kiss that's more the slick slide of his tongue against the line of toji's mouth than anything else, a quiet sound drifting up from the back of his throat that's part moan, part sigh, part something else that simply wants without being able to put words to it. )

[assassinsgreed]

<sub>[ Meanwhile, Toji was quite the opposite: jaded, bitter, untrusting of the world and other people. He didn’t choose to be an anomaly in his pretentious family that lead to a lifetime of ridicule and abuse— neither did he ask for the only person to ever show him kindness to leave the world all too soon because of an illness she didn’t deserve. There were then complications with having a son, which he left, and willingly joined a cult to try and find himself worth something.

Toji didn’t want friends; he wanted fairness in the world, even if it meant being unfair to others. It was justifiable in his mind. Vash was exactly that— someone who would level out the worst in his world with the prize money on his head. He had no intentions in letting any of his guarded feelings get through his cold heart.

We’ll see about that.

He did a miraculous job at charming, though, and seeming trustworthy and interested. For someone who had immense strength and a whole list of filthy turn ons, Toji was never too rough the first time he was with someone. Having someone with such intense strength show others he wouldn’t take advantage of them was the beginning in building their trust. He can feel eyes on him when the shirt is removed— there’s always a rush of satisfaction at that. He knows he’s one of the only people in his former clan that has the sex appeal that gauges a reaction like that. It makes him really puff up his peacock feathers.

Sure, he doesn’t have cursed energy, but at least he has a big, heavy, thick — confident spirit when it comes to banging people. It’s his favorite past time next to wasting his savings away and sleeping.

Toji reminds still as Vash’s hands explode to his leisure, the thin hairs on his body starting to prickle from the touch. He could feel the imprint of Vash’s fingerprints along his body, or the trail of cool prosthetic. Vash may not know it, but to Toji with his heightened sense of touch, it was a bit of accidental temperature play.

He returns the kiss by lapping against Vash’s mouth, grinning wildly. ]</sub>

What? See something you like?

<sub>[ don’t mind him just casually reaching up and taking those dorky glasses off of his nose.

The only Hallmark movie moment he will ever produce. ]</sub>