“You want to know why I joined? Of course you do not, but I will tell you anyway.”
Veld had been unusually quiet, and the silence was unnerving Vincent. Then again, he was ignoring certain events that had come to pass, and if he weren’t who he was he might have felt guilty. But there was an odd sense that he got on the quiet missions like this, and they were always partnered up for those, where he could talk about anything.
He’d broken the contact barrier, he could see it in how the man moved around him. Now if only he could get him to stop ignoring him... he’d given him time to grieve over something that he’d never fully committed to anyway. And the silence was really getting to him.
“I’m sure it’s both pointless and inane and you’ll tell me anyway.”
He smirked. Sure, Veld, go on and think that. “Well then I will be silent and let you stew in whatever goes on in that dense head of yours.” Veld rolled his eyes, and went back to watching the courtyard. The mark wasn’t going to show for hours, just what good did it do being so into the job all the time?
“Your babble will be a good white noise, just go on and spill it.”
“I did not want to go to college.” Veld turned away from the window then and gave him a look like he thought he was mad. Stark raving mad. Really funny coming from a guy he’d seen go berserk on three gangsters for looking at him shiftily. That and the time when that idiot decided to tackle the crazy man with the gun...
“That’s stupid. You looked well off enough to be able to pay for that and you decided to join this shit? Stupid.” That was what he liked about Veld. That right there. Anyone else would have shrugged and ignored such a thing.
But he had to stop him from ranting. “Did you ever know your father, Veld?” He didn’t usually ask questions, but Veld never answered them. And he didn’t answer it aloud this time, but shook his head.
“Well, then you will not get all this. I do not want to become my father, in essence. He put academia before everything else...” He trailed off. Was he going into some self pitying story time or something? Gods, if he hadn’t irrated him enough already, he was surely going to get the silent treatment for years now.
Smooth move, Valentine.
“I don’t know any of this... from experience, but you can’t become your father.” Vincent had been looking off to the side and his eyes snapped and met Veld’s. No, he wasn’t irritated. He was... well, Vincent had never seen that look before.
Veld cleared his throat. “You only become what you put into life or some shit like that. Which is why you’re a fool, kid. You want to prove you’re not your old man? Go to academia and show him that you can have a life outside it.”
He was struck with the realization that this was the first real conversation they’d had. It was strange how Veld could be so cold and distant and turn around and act almost paternal... but not. But that was the last thing Vincent wanted this to turn into.
He hid his grin with a smirk. “I think you should go to school instead. You seem rather attached to the idea.” The word ‘attached’ made Veld avert his eyes, and Vincent could clearly see that something had changed.
“Bah. I’m twenty-seven, far too old for that shit now.” He leaned over to look out the window. It was an excuse, but hey, he had to catch any chance he got.
“Right and I am the fucking president of this company.” He paused. “And thanks, asshole.”
Veld patted him awkwardly on the shoulder with his eyes purposefully fixed on the window. Vincent reached to catch his wrist when the gunshots started and Veld leapt up from his seat, checking his gun.
“Let’s move, Valentine!”
He sighed and followed, pondering the next time they had a night off.
