Yeah, exactly! It's different when we're messin' around. I like your grumpy, sharp edges and all that. But when I'm down on myself and you agree...

[He shrugs. If Wolfwood wanted to push back, to insist that he wouldn't stop, Vash wouldn't fight it. He feels uneasy, asking for things for himself. It's for his own good, and that feels wrong somehow. The narrative that he didn't deserve such good things went deep.]

And you shouldn't hesitate to tell me when I'm not getting something through my head, either. I know I shouldn't rely on you but... I need you, Nick. You're the best thing that happened to me in more than one way. You're not wrong when you say I probably wouldn't be alive without you.

[Which is... as good of a segue as he's going to get. His expression, briefly relieved at Wolfwood's agreement, sobers once more. Unlike his partner, he's still half hunched over the bed, making it easy to stare down at the ground, rather than looking up.]

I'm going to do my best to not run off and get banged up going forward. I know I keep saying that but... I'm trying. It's hard, and I won't pretend that it's not, but it only ever hurts us when I do.