Chapter Text
Saying goodbye to Nai was one of the hardest things he had ever done. Sure, life hadn't been easy for Vash, not at all. Switching homes, losing Rem, dropping out school, saying goodbye to his friends, all of it had been terrible. But leaving Nai? even for a week? it felt like leaving part of himself behind, like he had cut off his own arm himself.
The drive home was even worse, left to his own devices, his own thoughts. Every drop anxiety, every ounce of stress culminated together in his chest, seeping into his gut, leaking into his bones. He wanted to trust Diane, believe Diane, afterall she knows how to do her job and do it well. And yet he can't stop the sinking feeling that maybe, just maybe, it could all be true. It all fit together a little too nicely.
The birth certificates, their pictures as kids, the article was burned into Vash's mind. His brain was going faster than his car on the highway. He wants to hurl. He needs to get home. He needs to pull over. He needs to stop thinking about Nai's birthmark, the one that sits at perfect height with his stump.
Because no.
They couldn't be.
Vash prays to every god he knows for the rumors to be false.
The photographer has no clue how he got home, much less safely all things considered. Vash fumbling with his keys as he unlocks the door to his house, Rem's house, mumbling "I'm home" to no one in particular as he steps inside. a moment later he pulls out his phone to text Nai, "got home safe, miss you already". and it's half a breath later that vash gets a reply, "miss you too, baby, Diane's workin hard for us, i promise it'll be okay", smiling at his phone.
He does his best to believe Nai, after all, Nai was raised in this culture, this fame, this lack of care for his private life. If Nai said it would be okay, then it would be okay. It had to be, for both of their sakes. The two of them texting back and forth about this and that, Vash's lips upturned in a smile the entire time.
When was the last time they had texted so mundanely? It's not like there was any point in it considering they were living together. But now with the forced distance, they reverted back to their old means. Something about it was sweet, endearing with the ways that Nai kept Vash updated about this or that throughout the day. It helped ease his anxious soul, knowing that regardless of their distance Nai wouldn't leave him stranded.
--
Diane wanted to rip every last strand of hair out of her head. There was no way she could play wack-a-mole to try and stop all of the posts from spreading the baseless rumor around while still trying to get to the bottom of it. It felt like for every post she reported another 3 would pop up. On top of that, she was still no closer to figuring out exactly where this rumor even originated.
The post she had seen that morning came from an anonymous posting site meaning that she had very little to go off of in terms of figuring out where this internet stalker had nabbed up all this information. Sure, she could simply directly track their I.P. address but that wouldn't get her any closer to figuring out where they had gotten the info in the first place.
Regardless, it's not like it's hard to find information and pictures of Nai. The man has been in the public eye since he was born pretty much, a hand picked baby with a hand picked roll to play. But the birth certificate? The pictures of Vash? Those were hard to explain. Whoever this person was, they must have some sort of connection. Yet even then, who would want to mess with Vash's life in all of this?
It's not like Vash was anything beyond Nai's photographer in the public eye. Sure, hundreds of thousands of fans speculated about his and Vash's relationship, but it's not like it was ever out of interest for Vash himself. They only cared to know about Nai, his photographer just happened to be there too and therefore part of that attention.
But this level of conspiracy goes beyond just fan speculation. No, it was well thought out, well researched. Their argument nearly perfect. Very little didn't actually add up and there were a couple spots that seemed a bit too convenient. Regardless Diane was determined to dig until she found something, good or bad.
Nai and Vash deserved to know the truth of the matter regardless of it was bound to destroy them if all of this ended up being true. Diane would be there to help them, support them, do anything for them. Nai was like her son after all, which meant that Vash was too. The man makes Nai so happy, who's she to decide what they can and can't do? She'd find the facts and present them, plain and simple. Everything else was up to them.
--
To say Nai missed Vash would be an understatement. The two men had been glued at the arm since they started going out all those months ago. Sure, they'd only been apart ten hours now, not that Nai was counting, but in that time Nai had looked over his shoulder to tell Vash something no less than thirty times. Each time he'd turn as if Vash was right there and open his mouth before remembering that Vash had gone home, been sent home moreso. And each time Nai's heart dropped, that familiar loneliness setting in.
He'd forgotten how lonely it was without Vash. Sure, he was used to it, grew up in it, lonely, isolated, with very few genuine friendships. But that doesn't mean he likes it, doesn't mean that he longs for Vash any less. Just a touch, a kiss, a glance, anything would do if it meant he wouldn't feel the crippling loneliness in his bones. So he keeps texting Vash. Every thought that crosses his mind, he sends it. Every reel he sees that Vash might like, he sends it.
Even now he finds himself in his bed wanting to send Vash a little teasing text just so Vash knows he's thinking of him. Thinking of his lips, his taste, his touch, his warmth. It drives Nai mad, never would he have guessed that he'd want someone so deeply. And yet Vash has stolen his heart in every way, filled his thoughts to the brim to the point that he's overflowing.