( the instant the words are out of his mouth he regrets letting them slip up in the first place; of course vash wouldn't know what that is like, being an independent but still so close to being human even without any of his inherent plant properties being taken away from him upon his arrival here.

it makes his stomach churn, his chest ache when his brother looks away from him and he's reaching for him even before vash moves himself, before they're forehead to forehead nai is smoothing his own hands over the other's sides, up until he can curl them both around either side of his neck, breath caught in the back of his throat in the sort of apology there aren't the correct words for. )

That's not what I meant, Vash, I'm— I'm sorry, that isn't what I meant at all.

( forehead to forehead now, he dares to brush their noses together in the smallest, if not entirely subtle nuzzle. ) Rem always said you were exactly as you were meant to be, and that's true. And now … we're the same. ( he pauses, and nuzzles again, boldly. )

It's how we were always meant to be.