Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Compromise ❯ Conviction ( Chapter 5 )

Compromise: Chapter 5

Bootylicious Babble: Hii~~ii! Welcome back to what is, as far as I know, the longest Trigun twincest-centric fic available in English. If anyone's seen a longer one, please tell me...I'm always interested in finding more Vash and Knives goodness ^_^

Knives: And this fic is not only the longest, but also the most slowly written...

Spazz: Waaah, give me a break, school's started up again...Anyway, I'm still surprised at the utter lack of flames...of course, this fic might come under fire now that the ff.net people are probably going to start watching out for graphic R fics since they took away the NC-17 option. I truly believe that doing what they did is only going to cause more trouble rather than solve a "problem" that wasn't even ff.net's responsibility in the first place...*Ahem* I'd better exit rant mode now, as I could stay there for quite awhile.

Disclaimer: Knives: Ahh, why the hell do I have to do the disclaimer for this crap? Oh, well...*whispers* Hey, this author is trying to claim Trigun as her own. Sue her! Beat her! Burn her! BURN HER!

Spazz: *Ahem* Characters not mine.

Chapter completed: 2002.11.17

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Compromise

Chapter 5: Conviction

Author: Sailorspazz (sailorspazz@yahoo.com)

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"So, everyone, what do you want to do now?" Vash queried to the usual group of people sitting around the table. He didn't expect Knives to answer, as even though his brother had been around the girls for a few days, he still rarely spoke in front of them. Vash was hoping Meryl and Milly would think up something that was reasonable enough for Knives not to resist being included in it. After all, he had agreed to play a couple of games of chess against Meryl and Milly the other night, and he had seemed quite fond of the idea of trouncing his human opponents with his superior skill and intellect, so maybe they would think up another activity that he would find tolerable.

Milly appeared to be pondering Vash's question. "Well, we could go out somewhere. What was the name of the place that guy at the fruit stand mentioned, Senpai?"

"The Moonlight Serenade. It's a saloon where people from around town can go to put their musical skills on display. Anyone who wants to can go up on the stage and sing or play an instrument. I've heard that on a couple occasions, some well-known bands from bigger cities have performed there when they happened to be passing through town."

"And they've got great drinks, too!" Milly chimed in, sounding a bit too excited at the idea.

Vash sweatdropped at Milly's eagerness. "Well, sounds like a good place to me. Knives?" Vash took his brother's usual silence and icy glare combo as a yes. "OK, let's just clean up a bit and head off."

The quartet left the house and headed in the direction of the town center, the individual members exhibiting varying levels of enthusiasm. They soon found themselves in front of a squat wooden building with a fairly new sign above the entrance that read "Moonlight Serenede," the third 'e' in "Serenede" crossed out and an 'a' written above it. 'Stupid humans. Can't even spell their own words right,' Knives scoffed mentally, suddenly experiencing a strange sense of deja vu. Signs like this were not all that uncommon. Wood was scarce on the planet, and if someone happened to make a mistake while writing on or carving anything made of wood it usually stayed that way for quite awhile. Fixing signs in small towns was not exactly a priority as far as wood rationing went.

Inside, the bar was, as one would expect, smoky and ripe with the smell of alcohol. There were several tables full of people in the vicinity of a small stage where a man sat strumming an old, beat up guitar. Still more people were crowded around the bar in various stages of sobriety. Vash began to wonder if it was really safe to bring Knives to a place like this. Sure, Knives had been around crowds of people before, but never had he been in a place where half of the people were stumbling around drunk out of their senses. What if someone bumped into him, or threw up on him, or tried to pick a fight? Knives could easily get out of control if any one of these things happened, and Vash was worried that his twin would end up killing someone, or at least badly injuring them, if they happened to cross him.

The foursome managed to find a table near the stage. As the place was quite crowded, it took a few minutes before they were able to flag down a waitress. It took even longer for them to actually receive their order. Once they finally got the chance to sit back and sip at their drinks, though, three out of the four seemed to be quite content (Knives had neither ordered a drink, nor was he pleased to be there).

"Well, this is turning out to be quite a nice evening," Vash said, taking a gulp from his beer. Meryl nodded in agreement, taking a sip from her mixed fruit drink, and Milly responded with a hearty swig from her mysterious blue colored snifter. Knives simply let out a sigh, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. He didn't see why he even needed to be there. Hadn't Vash realized yet that there was no way in hell he was going to open his heart and embrace all of mankind? As hard as Knives tried to convince him otherwise, Vash seemed to be either unable or unwilling to let go of that particular delusion. It was frustrating to see that, even after so many years, Vash was still as naïve as he had been when they were children, perhaps even more so. He realized that his indirect ways of trying to express his thoughts to Vash weren't working. As much as he didn't want to risk the enjoyable relationship he and Vash were currently sharing, he was going to have to confront his brother with his real feelings soon.

~You could try to be a little more social.~ Vash's voice invaded his mind. Considering what Knives had just been thinking about, Vash's demand had been timed very poorly.

~Fuck off.~ Knives ignored his brother as Vash narrowed his eyes at him. 'Just think,' Knives mused, 'Once I confront him about what he's been putting me through, he should stop pestering me to be civil around humans.' The best case scenario, he figured, would be that Vash wouldn't make him be around humans at all. The fact that that outcome was a even a possible result of telling Vash the things he'd been trying to show him was more than enough to convince Knives that a confrontation with his brother was absolutely necessary.

Emerging from his contemplative mood, Knives noticed that Meryl was no longer sitting at the table. ~Where'd the bitch go?~

Ignoring Knives' "nickname" for Meryl, Vash answered mysteriously, ~You'll see.~

Knives didn't like that vague reply, but figured he would find out soon enough what his brother was concealing.

A couple minutes later, he got his answer. Meryl returned to the table, clutching a guitar in her hand. "Okay, I was able to borrow one. Are you ready?"

Vash nodded and got up from the table, taking the guitar from her. The two went around to the side of the stage and ascended the stairs together, Knives' eyebrows raising as he noticed Vash's hand gently resting on Meryl's back. Vash sat down on a stool and Meryl approached the microphone. "Umm, we're just going to do a little classic song for you," Meryl said timidly. "We're not professionals, so it probably won't be any good...but anyway, here we go." Meryl looked to Vash, who began strumming his guitar, playing the opening chords to a melody that Knives recognized immediately.

He shook his head in disgust. 'Isn't he ever going to get over her?'

Meryl swallowed hard as Vash continued playing his tune. When it came time for her to start singing, Meryl entered shakily. "Sooo, hitotsu-me no yoru ni..." Meryl continued meekly through the first couple verses of "Sound Life." At the third verse, Vash got up from his stool and joined her at the microphone, continuing to pick the guitar as he softly harmonized with her. This boosted her confidence level significantly, causing Meryl to sing in a more self-assured manner. During the musical interlude in the middle of the song, Meryl gave Vash a grateful smile. Knives was positively floored when he saw the adoring, loving look he gave her in return. The same look that he found to be absolutely ravishing when it was directed at himself filled him with jealous rage and disgust when given to someone else. Whether it was directed at Meryl or the memory of Rem didn't matter. Either way, it served to both enrage and deeply wound him. He couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the bar, getting up with so much force that his chair was knocked to the floor with a clatter. Most of the other bar patrons took no notice, figuring a drunk had just knocked something over as they stumbled about. Due to the bright lights directed at the stage, Vash and Meryl didn't even see what had happened.

Knives stood outside the entrance to the bar with his arms crossed, silently seething. The image of the look Vash had given Meryl continued to invade his mind. He couldn't believe that after all he had been trying to do, Vash was still capable of looking at a human like that. That look was meant for him only. If Vash still had such strong emotional attachments to humans, how could he even begin to comprehend what Knives needed from him? Knives was feeling more and more discouraged. What was the point of staying around if Vash didn't understand him? Perhaps he should leave and make Vash come find him again. Knives shook his head. No matter how angry Vash made him, he couldn't tolerate the thought of being separated from him again. Plus, what if Vash didn't come after him? As much as he didn't want to believe that was even possible, he still didn't want to take a risk that would allow that situation to be realized.

Knives heard a bout of rousing applause coming from inside the bar. Moments later, a panicked looking Vash came rushing out the door. "Knives!" he said, sounding breathless. "What are you doing out here?"

"What, did you just expect me to just sit there and be a casual observer of your little public spectacle? I think not."

Vash looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, come on!" Knives swiftly moved from his place leaning against the wall to stand directly in front of Vash. "Don't tell me you see absolutely nothing wrong with the fact that you were just exchanging significant glances with a human while singing that...that woman's song!"

Vash looked taken aback. "Meryl's just a close friend, Knives. She'll never be anything more than that." Vash paused. "And I still love Rem. No matter what, I will always love her. I don't see why you're so jealous."

Knives placed his hands on Vash's shoulders. "I know, Vash. And that's the problem." Knives dropped his arms and turned around, walking away from the building.

"Knives! Where are you going?"

"Back to the house. I'm going to bed."

As Knives began to head down the street, he heard Vash swearing softly. "Shit." Knives looked back and saw Vash going back inside the bar. It seemed hanging out with his friends was more important than dealing with his brother. Fine. Knives would go home and think up a way to make it so he would always be Vash's number one priority.

When Knives reached the house, he realized that he was too riled up to go to sleep. Rather than going to the bedroom and even trying to rest, Knives instead opted to go to the kitchen, where he began rifling around in the cupboards. In the back of one of the upper cupboards, he found several bottles of various types of alcohol. 'Looks like Vash has quite a substantial hidden stash.' Knives could understand why, as he'd seen the way Milly effortlessly downed glass after glass.

"You looking for anything in particular?" Knives turned around and saw the bleary-eyed and slightly dirty form of Vash.

Knives smirked. "Not anymore." Knives closed the cabinet door and turned to his brother. "So, what brings you here?" Not that the answer wasn't obvious, but Knives still needed to hear Vash say it.

"Well, I was really worried about you when you ran off, so I went back inside to tell the girls I was leaving. While I was coming back here, I, uh, kinda fell..." Vash laughed nervously.

"I guess that explains the dirt," Knives said, looking up and down Vash's body.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not completely sober." Vash laughed goofily some more, making obvious the fact that the alcohol he'd drank earlier was beginning to set in.

Knives let out a sigh. Just minutes ago he'd been angry enough to kill someone, but now, just seeing his dopey, drunken brother, he somehow felt comforted. The fact that Vash had come after him really showed that he cared. There were still things he needed to discuss with his brother, but he might have trouble understanding what Knives wanted from him when he was sober, let alone drunk. They could always talk another day. "So, dear brother, what do you feel like doing now?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but being in this 'half-drunk' state kinda bothers me. It's all or nothing, you know? Is there any good stuff left?"

"Shit, Vash, with the supply you've got, I don't see why you even need to go to bars in the first place." Knives opened the cupboard again and began pulling out bottles. "Anyway, I don't know what out of this stuff is any good. I only drink wine."

"Well, hell, I've got some good wine, Knives."

"Oh, really?" Knives raised an eyebrow dubiously. He wasn't sure how much he trusted Vash's definition of 'good,' especially when it came to the finer things in life.

"Yeah, it's got a good strong flavor. The box is almost full if you want to try some." Vash grinned cluelessly as Knives stared in disbelief at how naïvely unrefined his brother was. Vash displayed his sophistication further by taking a swig directly from a bottle of rum.

Knives cleared his throat. "When I said I only drink wine, I was referring to my own homemade variety."

Vash nearly spat out his mouthful of rum. "You mean you can actually make wine yourself?"

"Yes."

Vash looked as deep in thought as a half-drunk person can be. "So, do you do it all by yourself?"

"Of course."

"Everything?"

Knives was beginning to get irritated. "Yes," he replied through gritted teeth.

Vash paused to think for a few more moments, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, his mind filled with images of Knives stomping grapes.

Knives simply brushed off Vash's odd behavior with a roll of his eyes, realizing that Vash was on his way to getting hammered and would likely be acting strangely all night. He watched as Vash took the lid off a bottle filled with a clear liquid. Tilting his head back, he practically turned the bottle upside-down as he noisily took several large gulps.

"Oh, YEAH, that's good stuff!" Vash yelled with a stupid grin, his cheeks gradually becoming more and more red. "You wanna try some?"

Knives eyed the bottle hesitantly. He didn't exactly relish the idea of drinking alcohol produced by humans (he only ate the food they made because Vash didn't give him any other options). He recalled from his limited experience with it that it wasn't even very good. Still, seeing his brother standing before him with that stupid (but cute) grin, he found it hard to resist the offer. "Just a little." Knives took the proffered bottle and brought it up to his lips, gingerly taking a sip. He made a face as he swallowed. "That tasted horrible."

"Hmmm, I guess most people don't drink vodka by itself. Maybe you should mix some stuff together with it." Vash retrieved a glass from the cupboard and created a concoction from the contents of a few different bottles. "Here."

Knives took a drink. "Also horrible."

Vash looked at the glass, shrugged, and downed the remaining contents. He turned around and filled the glass with a different mixture of liquids. "How about this?"

Gulp. "Better, but still not good." Vash once again finished the glass for him.

This routine went on for nearly an hour, only Knives would finish his drinks even if he thought they tasted bad and Vash poured himself a matching glass of everything he made for Knives. They eventually ran out of alcohol and retreated to their bedroom. Vash didn't stay in the bedroom long, putting a hand over his mouth and quickly rushing off to the bathroom. Knives flopped down on the bed, regretting the action immediately as it only served to further fuel his throbbing headache. 'Why the hell did I let Vash talk me into this?' he thought, rubbing his temples. He barely suppressed the urge to giggle as he remembered how cute Vash had looked when he first asked Knives to drink with him. 'Oh god, I am so fucking drunk...' He tried to recall the last time he'd drank so much. The giggles he'd been trying to stave off finally came out when he remembered when that had been. 'So that's why I felt that deja vu earlier.' Tuning out the horrible noises coming from the bathroom, Knives closed his eyes and indulged himself in a memory from long ago...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shit, I can't see a thing," Knives complained, trying to guard his eyes with his tattered cloak.

"Yeah, it's never been this bad before," Vash yelled over the howling winds.

The twins found themselves caught in the worst sandstorm to hit the desert planet since they'd landed on it five years earlier. They couldn't even see three feel in front of their faces, and neither one had any idea where they were on the planet. Vash didn't really mind, since he figured himself a wanderer who had no real home anywhere. Knives, however, had a particular destination in mind (though he wouldn't tell Vash what it was) and he seemed quite frustrated with the fact that they might have, literally, been blown off course.

"What do you think we should do, Knives?"

"We keep walking," Knives said, looking ahead with determination. "This storm has to end sometime, and there's not much else we can do until that happens."

The two continued blindly along their path, not really knowing where they were going to wind up. After awhile, Vash saw something in the distance through a small break in the storm. "Hey, Knives, I think there's something over that way. Maybe we can stop and take shelter for awhile."

Knives normally opposed to any little "side trips" that would cause them to lose time, but since they'd been walking for hours and still had no idea where they were, it would probably be beneficial to wait out the storm somewhere. "Fine." For once, he found himself being led by Vash. He didn't like the feeling of not being in charge, but since he hadn't seen what Vash had he didn't really have any choice. "So what did you see, Vash? A cave?"

"No, I think it's a town."

Knives stopped in his tracks. "A town? No way, Vash. No fucking way. I am not going." Under no circumstances did he want to go anywhere near a place where humans were likely to be scurrying around. Well, unless he had a way to exterminate them all instantly, of course.

Vash turned around, looking exasperated. "Knives, I know how much you hate humans, but we don't really have much of a choice in this case! Would you rather die out here than be around people?"

"Yes, though I'd much rather have all of them die instead of me."

Vash looked a bit taken aback at first, but, trying not to let his anger get the best of him, he softened his voice. "Come on, Knives. I doubt there'll be any people out on the streets, and if we go somewhere that people aren't likely to be during a storm, like, say, the Plant building, then we probably won't even see any humans, let alone have to interact with them."

"I'm not going."

Vash narrowed his eyes. "Fine, suit yourself." With that, he turned and disappeared into the blowing sand.

Knives immediately found himself regretting his decision, feeling bereft and alone. Though he was trying to maintain control over Vash by showing conviction in regards to his ideals, he still didn't want to be so harsh that Vash would leave him. That was his greatest fear, and he didn't know how he could possibly go on without Vash by his side. He wanted Vash to become dependant upon him so he would be more likely to listen when he ordered him to do things, but Knives secretly knew that he was far more dependant on Vash than Vash was on him. It was difficult to exert control over the one who also happened to be his greatest weakness. "Shit," Knives muttered to himself before heading in the direction he had last seen Vash going.

He quickly caught up to Vash at the pace he was going. "So, you changed your mind?" his brother said with a knowing look.

"I...can't have you running off by yourself." It wasn't the most authoritative answer he could have given, but at least it was better than, "I love you more than anything and if you ever left me I'd want to kill myself." He hoped Vash didn't fully realize how desperately he needed to be with him, though he had a feeling that his brother at least suspected it.

They soon arrived at the edge of the town...or what was left of it, that is. It appeared as if the town had been abandoned for at least a couple of years. This was good because it meant there was no chance of Knives having to deal with humans, but also bad because many of the buildings were decrepit and wouldn't provide adequate shelter from the sand storm. Still, some protection was better than none, so the two of them walked down the main street looking for the most suitable building.

As they moved through the desolate village, Knives could feel the bile rising up in his throat. He was pretty sure what had taken place in this town, as the same thing had occurred in several others they'd happened upon during the last five years. Most likely, a group of humans had decided to build a town near one of the Plants that had survived the Great Fall. However, most humans were completely clueless when it came to Plant maintenance, and their negligence caused the Plants to die. With no resources to keep their town alive, the people would abandon their previous homes and start again somewhere else. 'Those damn parasites probably just left Her body there to rot,' Knives thought bitterly. He glanced at Vash, who displayed a solemn mien. He was probably thinking about the same thing Knives was, though he found it more disheartening than disgusting.

Near the end of the street they'd been traveling on, they found themselves standing in front of one of the few buildings in town that still had a roof on it and also had the windows intact. "Well, looks like this is our best bet," Vash said.

Knives looked up at the sign above the door, which read "Salloon." "Stupid humans. Can't even spell their own words right."

Vash ignored his brother's quip and began pulling at the door. It opened after a few strong tugs, nearly knocking Vash off of his feet.

The saloon was dark inside, as one would expect, and was pungent with the smell smoke and alcohol even a few years after its abandonment. Though there was a fine layer of dust and cobwebs covering most of the exposed surfaces, everything appeared to be mostly intact. What was surprising was that the building was filled with tables and chairs, and a large supply of alcohol was still on display behind the bar. 'These vermin must have been in a big hurry to leave if they didn't even bother to take these things with them,' Knives thought. Perhaps the Plant had exploded and the people had fled in terror. Knives hoped that their Sister had taken out a lot of the humans when she died if that's what had happened. Knives sat down at a table. He hated this place even more now that he had an inkling in regards to its history.

"So, how do you figure we should pass the time?" Vash said, leaning with his elbows against the bar.

"I don't know. Play hide-and-seek?" Knives suggested sarcastically.

"Actually, I had something a little more...adult in mind."

Knives' ears (among other things) perked up. Was Vash really saying what he thought he was? Usually, Knives was the one who initiated sex. For Vash to do so was surprisingly a turn on. Knives turned in his chair. "Oh, really?" he said with a seductive look.

"Yeah." Vash pulled a couple bottles from behind his back. "Let's drink!"

Knives nearly fell to the floor. He cleared his throat to conceal his disappointment at the suggestion. "Maybe just a little." He--as well as Vash--had never tried alcohol before. The only experience he'd had with it was when he smelled it on Steve's breath as he yelled while beating them. That experience alone was enough to make him want to swear off alcohol for his entire life. Still, Vash seemed so eager. He supposed he could at least taste it. It's not like he would let himself have enough to lose control.

"Let's see, what shall we try first?" Vash looked excitedly at the several bottles he'd set out in front of himself. He picked up the one furthest to his left, figuring he could just go down the line. "Bottoms up!" He cheerfully tilted his head back and took a swig. His eyes widened and he shook his head as he swallowed. "Wow, that was kinda bitter. Here, you try some."

Knives tentatively took a sip, wrinkling his nose after he swallowed. "I don't like it."

Vash picked up another bottle and went through the same routine as before. "Ooh, this one burns in your throat!"

That managed to pique Knives' curiosity. "Let me see that." He took a bigger sip than before and frowned. "Is it supposed to do that?"

"I don't know." Vash shrugged and continued down the line.

Meanwhile, Knives started at the other end of Vash's line. He picked up a tall bottle and opened it with a pop. He took a swallow and was more pleased with the flavor than he had been with the other drinks. He went behind the bar to find more drinks like it.

Awhile later, Knives found himself needing to sit down, as he felt dizzy and nauseated when he stood. Vash didn't seem to mind the affects of the alcohol as he stumbled around, tripping over things and laughing goofily. Knives had only liked a few of the drinks he had tried, severely limiting his choices. Vash, on the other hand, seemed to like everything, and thus had tried all the alcohol he could get his hands on. Knives couldn't believe Vash was even able to stand anymore. As if to prove Knives wrong, Vash chose that moment to take a particularly nasty fall as he attempted to hop over the bar. Despite the pain in his head, Knives knelt down and helped Vash to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sssorry. I jus' wuz gonna git over t' your side and..." Vash trailed off, leaning heavily against Knives as he got up.

"It's fine. I just don't want you getting hurt." Knives was somewhat startled at his own words. Was it the alcohol that was making him voice his concerns for Vash? Normally he just would have called Vash an idiot and made him get up on his own.

Even in his less than sober state, Vash noticed the difference in Knives' tone, too. "'s long as yer with me, 'll be okay." Vash leaned forward and gently kissed Knives' lips. Knives responded by moaning deeply and pulling Vash closer. Vash's hands began roaming Knives body, clumsily fumbling with the snaps and buttons required to remove his clothes. Once Vash had managed to undress his brother, Knives hopped up onto the bar and sat with his legs apart. Vash put his hands on his thighs and began playfully kissing and licking Knives' testicles, slowly working his way up to the base of his penis. Knives normally didn't put up with any kind of teasing, but he wasn't sober enough to care. Vash worked him with his tongue for awhile, then finally took Knives completely into his mouth. Knives was surprised to find himself gasping and moaning, as he usually didn't make very much noise at all during sex. He figured it was probably the alcohol's fault.

Knives threw his head back as he released himself into Vash's mouth. Vash licked his lips and stepped back, beginning to remove his own clothing. Knives found the sight of Vash standing there struggling with his clothes as his seed dripped down his chin to be incredibly arousing, causing him to recover his erection rather quickly. Vash finally wriggled out of the last of his clothing and joined Knives on top of the bar. Knives noticed in Vash's eyes a kind of lust he had never seen in his brother before. Vash dipped his tongue into Knives' mouth, who kissed back hungrily. Vash kept leaning forward until he was lying on top of Knives on the bar. As he was lying with his legs splayed blissfully enjoying Vash's kisses, Knives soon felt a great deal of pressure against his anus, realizing with a bit of shock that Vash was trying to enter him. Vash had never been dominant like this before, and Knives wasn't sure he wanted to give up his established control, even if it was just one time. He soon forgot about all issues relating to power, though, as he found his head swimming with pleasure as Vash pushed into him a bit further. He could feel a strong mental connection forming between them, indicating they would experience an emotional orgasm soon. They'd become so out of tune with each other from all their arguing recently that Knives couldn't even remember the last time they'd had one. He pressed himself firmly against Vash's probing erection, suddenly wanting him deeper inside of him. Knives had always secretly been aroused by the thought of Vash controlling their love making, and since they were both drunk, he didn't feel like he was undermining the authority he held over Vash by allowing this to happen. It's not like anything was going to change because of one experience...

"It looks like the storm has cleared up. You ready to go, Knives?"

Knives nodded, grabbing his cloak. A couple hours had passed and both of them had sobered up quite a bit. Knives found himself feeling a bit uneasy about being so submissive when he and Vash had had sex earlier. Though he'd convinced himself that nothing would change, he couldn't help but notice a new twinkle in Vash's eye. He felt like Vash was trying to break his control as much as he was desperately trying to keep it, and Vash had delivered a blow to Knives' belief that he had absolute authority over his brother. Knives hoped he was just overreacting. Knives depended on Vash being dependent on him, and if Vash ever began to feel independent, he could very well leave Knives. Knives needed Vash more than anything, and could only hope that Vash would always stay by his side...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Knives was shaken from his thoughts when he felt a body flop down on the bed next to him. "Ugh, I can't believe I drank that much," Vash groaned, clutching his stomach.

Knives sighed, putting his hands over his eyes. "Well, you never have been one to do things in moderation."

Vash rolled over and looked at Knives. "You think that's a bad thing?"

"Depends."

Vash scooted closer to Knives. "I know there are some things you don't mind me doing in excess," Vash said suggestively.

Knives almost laughed. He'd nearly forgotten what a horny drunk Vash was. Vash was leaning forward to kiss him, but Knives stopped him. "Did you wash out your mouth?" Knives may have been pretty drunk, but he was still coherent enough to know he didn't want to taste Vash's vomit.

"Yeeees. Can we do it now?" Vash wasn't just a horny drunk; he was an incredibly impatient horny drunk.

Knives answered his brother with a kiss. As the two began to undress each other, Knives couldn't help but think about the events he'd remembered earlier. It had been so long ago, but the two of them were still grappling with the same issues as they had been back then. Though he now recognized that he couldn't have complete control over Vash, he still wished he at least had the upper hand in their relationship. Vash knew all of his greatest weaknesses, and Knives didn't want to have to worry about Vash leaving him again in an attempt to keep him in line. Though he had once accused Vash of being terrified of being alone, Knives knew that he was even more afraid of that possibility than Vash was, as Vash at least had humans to fall back on. Knives had nothing but his brother and, even though he preferred it that way, he didn't like how much power it gave Vash over him. He needed to find a way to balance that power. He couldn't stand the way they were living anymore. Knives knew that they needed a compromise.

To be continued...

* * * * * * * * * *

Spazz: Woooo, things are getting intense...Uhh *Ahem* Sorry this part took me two months to finish ^_^;; I planned for it to be out around Halloween, but then mid-terms came and gobbled up all my time. Also, this part ended up being a bit longer than I expected (I didn't originally plan for a sex scene in the flashback ^_^;;) and it ended up being awfully repetitive, but you can't really see why Knives is feeling deja vu if you don't know what he went through before, right?

Knives: Hn. As long as I know all, I don't think it really matters to explain it to the pathetic human audience.

Spazz: Riiiight...Anyway, it's time for the next chapter preview! *Cues preview music...uhh, whatever that may be* On the next exciting episode of Compromise: Some really big shit's gonna go down!

Knives: Did you say I'm gonna go down on Vash?

Spazz: No! Get your mind out of the gutter!

Knives: Make me, bitch.

Spazz: Err, never mind.

Knives: Furthermore, isn't it a bit hypocritical for someone with five fairly explicit sex scenes in her fic to tell me to get my mind out of the gutter?

Spazz: I said never mind! Anyway, see ya'll in the next chapter (if you decide to hang around that long).

Knives: And remember, twincest is best, put your goofy Plant brother to the test.