bleached-rainbow:
Vincent’s eye twitched at Edward’s comment but his grin only remained in place when Mey whined. Just when he thought goodbyes were all done she wriggled out of her daddy’s arms to take him by the hand apologizing for almost killing him (he was still dying) and pointing out where she had come close to hitting the mark she desired.
Vincent seemed to nod in awe but when she commented to almost shooting as good as her daddy and he corrected her with the word “better” Vincent couldn’t hold his cold easy facade. He had squatted beside her and was chuckling as she ran to Vittoria and he watched from there as the woman yelped and laughed as well, toying with the girls’ pigtails.
Vittoria herself snorted at Edward’s face. So serious, and yet he said ouchie. But just when she was about to whisper in the girl’s ear she was gone, calling back that she’d return. “Mey don’t run! If anything walk really fast!” Vittoria called after sighing.
She was trying to peer out the hallway when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and gently pulled he close. “Oh..” Well…she had missed this very much. Her head tilted back to look up at Edward and pouted as his comment, Vincent visibly paling at the thought.
Getting shot in the leg by a little girl. He could see it. And she’d crawl up and try and shoot him in his chest but winds up shooting him between the eyes. “Ah heh, You know, I’m quite fond of being void of bullet holes. But I expect that she should be well taken care of. I won’t be around to watch her like I used too.”
And while Edward seemed to be somewhat joking…Vincent’s face said he was not. And Vittoria instantly gripped the man’s arm around her waist rather tightly as if asking him to do something. Say something. Ask what he meant.
But by then Mey had returned and placed something in his hand before wrapping herself around his knees.
See. She was going to tear his legs off…or so he told himself but he took the toy gun and examined it and her request for him to return. He couldn’t. Honestly and he did not wish to lie to her but she was so…intent on him doing so that it was literally heart breaking.
His rich dark eyes glanced up at the two across from him. The way they fit perfectly together and then down to girl trapping him. Did he dare? But then again…if Vittoria could do it.
Then so could he.
“Of course.”
He had someone to love too as well now. Because slowly little Meylene was winning his usually voided heart. He crouched once more and made a show of sticking the toy gun in his over coat pocket and patting it safe. “See? Now you have to promise to wait for me, alright? And that we’ll play all day. And that we’ll be best friends alright? Here—” He reached around his neck, to untie a hand made necklace and reach forward to tie it around her tiny neck.
Vittoria recognized it instantly and there was a sound from her, a sort of soft gasp and sob.
“This was our mother’s necklace. This is a promise I’ll come back ok? Be good. You can’t be grounded when I come back.” He flashed a smile up at Edward and Vittoria before shaking his head and breathing in deep. “Ok you all have sucked me into some sort of mushy gushy poison trap because now I”m doing it too. But i’ve got a job to hit outside of the country and I’ve also got delicious looking cake waiting on me downstairs.”
Vittoria reached for him and he rolled his eyes, taking a moment to take a step out of Edward’s arms toward her brother.
“I love you.” She said it loud and clear and Vincent gazed down at her raven hair. “I always have.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and their hug tightened and finally he said back rather softly, “I love you too.” He tilted her head to give her a stern look. “You know how to find me if he screws up. I mean it.” He was in full on brother mode now. “I want a marriage by the end of the month, kids the next month. Ow. Why? Why did you have to hit me?”
His sister glared up at him and he flashed a small crooked smile. “Alright I’m actually leaving. See?” He began to back up at the door. “I was foolish to come running into the house of expertly train killers but I warn you Edward, You have a good shot, so does the kid but she, her, yes her, the one you are slowly but surely falling in love with, DON’T LIE TO ME, yes her, she’s dangerous. I’m talking the sick twisted, I’ll do what I have to do kind of dangerous. Ok ok! I’m leaving! See you guys! Bye Mey! I’ll be back!”
He was gone out the door of the study and down the steps, calling back, “The cake is good! Taste like Mom’s! And if I die trying to get out this house…I’m haunting you all!”
Vittoria blinked, a small genuine grin coming to her face as she stared at the door. Her brother was gone.
Brother.
Finally. There was a ray of hope in her life now, besides the new family she found herself in.
Vincent was in fact staring at the lawn, putting his toe down and when there was no shock of pain, he whopped victoriously, stuck another piece of cake in his mouth and hauled ass to his car.
He would be back sooner than she expected.
Obviously.
Because tomorrow was a pretty special day and even if his sister had forgotten, well, he hadn’t.
But he’d be pushing the time limit on this job. And it would be late before he got back again, maybe even the next day or so. But it would be soon.
After all, who forgot their siblings birthday?
Vittoria had finally snapped out of her daze at the sound of him outside but the next words that came out of her mouth was a silent, “Oh.”
Far too much in one little day. She could feel herself tipping backwards, unsure suddenly of why she was so short of breath and why her eyes were stinging.
Before she finished falling she knew instantly.
She was crying.
Mey had a shy but wide smile as she looked down at the necklace that Vincemt had tied around her neck, then looked up at her daddy as if to show off. “Daddy look!” she looked back at the necklace again and stared at it in that huge smile. That really seemed to cement their friendship didn’t it.
Now she actually had a friend! She couldn’t be happier. She made the decision to always treasure that necklace, always. She flung at Vincemt and hugged his neck, “Thank you Mister Vincemt!” then let go and ran a circle around him as he remained crouched down, then around her dad and Vittoria.
“Alright Vincemt you’ve done enough damage, look” Edward’s words were harsh but he had a smile on his face, “now you’ve gotten my daughter all hyped up and now she’ll be impossible to put to bed.” He smiled at the younger man.
For all that had happened, he couldn’t blame him. Sibling stuff was complicated. He hadn’t talked to his own three brothers in ages, and it wasn’t that they did anything bad, they had just stopped talking. One of the middle brothers might even shoot at him if he tried to approach, just out of anger.
Still, if he ever pulled a stunt like that again, he wouldn’t be this nice.
Mey Rin ran round and round in her dad’s study until he asked her to stop. She sighed and let herself fall face first onto one of the couches. Maybe it was the sugar from the cake he’d allowed her to have this late. Not Vincent’s fault at all, but he wasnt’ about to admit that.
When Vincent walked down the stairs he had half a mind to follow him, see him out just to make sure nothing else happened, but soon realized it was his paranoia talking.
Edward saw the change in Vittoria almost before she did. Something about her body language that made him want to hold her extra firmly before she fell down and broke down.
“Mey Rin it’s time for you to get ready for bed, you know what to do right?” He needed to get Mey out of there before she noticed and started asking too many questions.
“Why awe you cwying Veetowia?” she got up off the couch and came over to Vittoria, holding on to whatever piece of clothing she could and looking up wide-eyed at the woman.
Too late, Edward thought.
“Awe you cwying because you miss Vincemt?”
Edward set a hand on Mey Rin’s shoulder and kneeled down to speak to her.
“Yes Mey, Vittoria misses Vincent because she loves him very much. He’s family, he’s the little brother she told you about during lunch time, remember?”
“I thought he was goned,” she observed.
“He’s not, and so Vittoria is very happy. Sometimes when we’re very happy we cry,”
“That’s silly,” she smiled.
Edward rubbed Vittoria’s hand as he answered Mey. “I know, grown ups can be silly. Now please do as I asked and go get ready for bed. I’ll be with you to tuck you in and read you your bedtime story in ten minutes.”
She nodded without further hesitation and leaned in to give her daddy a goodnight kiss on the cheek, and got on her tiptoes to try to give one to Vittoria but she was too tall.