Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Mine ❯ Coward No More ( Chapter 9 )

 

Disclaimer: Hmmm... I own my kids (Because I made them) I own my husband, (Because the Marriage License says so) and I own a REALLY big mortgage. (Because I'm stupid and signed on the dotted line.) However I don't own Trigun. (Because if I did, I wouldn't have said mortgage.)

“blah blah” : talking

`blah blah' : thinking

“blah blah” : telepathic talking

blah blah : other misc. stuff.

 

*~*~*

 

Forever Mine

 

 

Chapter 9: Coward No More

 

 

 

 

The sounds of morning woke the petite insurance girl as she stretched and rolled over, expecting to feel the coarse fabric of the couch rub against her nose. Instead, she felt nothing but pillow and open space. `What the…' she thought as she opened her cloudy eyes and realized that she was sleeping in her bed. Sitting up, she scratched the back of her head while trying to figure out what exactly happened last night.

 

“Hmmm… I remember going downstairs after finishing my report to tell Vash that I was done and that he could go to bed whenever he was ready and…” Meryl trailed off, her eyes going wide as it dawned on her. She remembered walking up to Vash after he didn't respond and halted as two brilliant ice-blue eyes bore right through her. The psychopathic twin was awake and apparently didn't like the fact that a human interrupted `quality time' with his brother. Meryl recalled making a hasty retreat to the living room to sleep on the couch.

 

“But how did I end up sleeping in here,” she muttered to herself as she rose from the bed and grabbed her uniform. `Vash must have brought me up, but where did he sleep?' she pondered to herself while walking to the bathroom so she could shower and get ready for the day.

 

 

 

Forty minutes later, an energetic Meryl walked down steps with a finished `Vash the Stampede progress report' and strode into the kitchen. What she saw really didn't surprise her. After all, she assumed that since Knives looked quite coherent last night Vash would probably stay up the remainder of it, just to make sure that everything was okay. And by the looks of him… he did.

 

He was sitting before her at the kitchen table slumped over with a steaming cup of coffee in between his hands. His hair was completely disheveled, almost as if he had run his hands through the blonde locks about a million times and his normally vibrant aqua blues were hazy from lack of sleep.

 

“Good morning, Meryl,” Vash yawned before giving her a half smile.

 

“Vash, did you stay up all night?” Meryl asked as she glanced over to the sleeping form on the cot.

 

“Aaahhh… yep… Oh, don't worry about Knives, I gave him his medication. So, he should be out for quite awhile now.”

 

“Then why did you stay up?” the petite beauty asked, setting the large envelope down on the counter as she made her way over to fix a cup of coffee.

 

“Actually, I just gave it to him about an hour ago. Knives and I stayed up and… talked,” Vash muttered before taking a sip of his own coffee.

 

“That's funny, I don't remember hearing anything last night,” she recalled, sitting down next to him.

 

“Well, that's because we were… ahhh… talking telepathically. I didn't want to wake you and Milly.”

 

“Wait, you're a telepath?” Meryl questioned, remembering that she distinctly heard Vash in her head yesterday, saying that she wasn't dreaming.

 

“Yeah another `advantage' to being a Plant, I guess,” he said as he raised both hands up and motioned quotations while saying the word advantage. That's when he noticed the sparks forming in her stormy gaze and immediately placed his hands back down on the cup before him, still staring into her molten silver eyes.

 

“That was you in my head yesterday, wasn't it?” she accused. “How many other times have you been there?”

 

`Oh shit, I did it again,' Vash thought, while turning his now sullen gaze down to his coffee. He recalled the situation and how he just couldn't help entering her mind. He had to know for sure if she really felt the same as he and, at the time, it was the best way to find out. “That was the first…” he whispered as he looked up into her turbulent orbs.

 

Meryl could only reply with an `Oh' as she watched the man before her. The desperation and despair that she saw shrouding his features was almost too much for her to bear. `He's really upset about this! It wasn't that bad. Well, actually, I kind of liked having him there. I don't know… it almost felt… comforting?' But, her thoughts ended as she sighed and said, “Its okay Vash, I don't mind.”

 

“Really?” the blonde asked with a touch of bewilderment in his voice.

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Wow! I though that you would have surely kicked my ass after pulling a stunt like that,” Vash exclaimed as a little spark of mischief gleamed in his eyes.

 

“Well, it surprises me too,” Meryl sardonically muttered as she took a sip of her coffee and pondered the `should be,' but not uncomfortable situation.

 

“So… your brother can do that, too?”

 

“Yeah and a whole lot more… You see while we were separated, he honed his skills while I…”

 

“Let me guess… drank, ate doughnuts, and caused a whole lot of trouble?”

 

Vash just chuckled and brought his right hand up to scratch the back of his head, while saying, “Well not exactly, but I suppose I did to that, too!”

 

“Vash, your shoulder, doesn't it hurt?!” rushed the short-girl as she stood to inspect the wound.

 

“Now that you mention it, no… not really,” Vash sheepishly replied.

 

“Well, I wanna look at it, just to make sure. Take off your shirt, please,” Meryl commanded. She just couldn't believe that his shoulder could possibly be healed already. Especially, since the last time he was shot, he was immobile for about ten days. Of course, some broken ribs and the mental trauma of taking Legato's life hadn't helped.

 

“Gee Meryl, are you sure that you want me to take my clothes off for you in the kitchen?” the outlaw asked lewdly. Then with a wink, he added, “Wouldn't you rather go up stairs and have some privacy. After all, Milly should be heading down anytime now.”

 

“You're incorrigible!” Meryl groused as she folded her arms in front of her and tapped her foot impatiently while adding, “Just take the damn shirt off!”

 

“Okay, okay, I will… geeesh,” the blonde sputtered as he unbuttoned the rumpled white oxford before taking it off and placing in on the table.

 

Meryl un-wrapped the gauze and inspected the wounds. A bewildered look crossed her face as she looked back and forth from the bullet's point of entry, right below the top of his shoulder, to the exit wound located at the same point on his back. The petite woman just shook her head. She really couldn't believe what she saw. The wounds, although still tender, looked more like they were inflicted almost two weeks ago not just four days ago. The torn flesh was almost completely healed with just a little pink in very center for both entry and exit points.

 

“What do ya' think short-girl?”

 

“Well, I think that it's pretty safe to say that you won't have to wear anymore bandages, at least for this injury. But, you should still take it easy for a few more days,”

Meryl answered as she picked up the white shirt and handed it to him.

 

“Yes ma'am,” Vash saluted. He then proceeded to slip the shirt back on, but left it unbuttoned.

 

“Yes ma'am what, Mr. Vash?”

 

“Good morning, Milly,” both the gunman and short-girl replied.

 

“Short-girl said that I should just lie around for the next few days!” Vash said to answer brunette's question.

 

“I said no such thing!” Meryl expressed defensively. “I said your shoulder is pretty much healed, but you would want to take it easy for a couple of more days.”

 

“Oh yeah, that's what you said all right!” the blonde hastily agreed as he laughed his trademark goof-ball laugh.

 

“What an idiot,” the raven-haired woman mumbled as she brought her attention back to her partner. “Sorry Milly, we didn't hear you come down. Would you like for me to fix you some breakfast?” Meryl asked as she walked over to get the big-girl a cup of coffee.

 

“I'm good Sempai. I'll take a couple of apples and eat them on the way,” Milly stated as she accepted the steaming cup from the smaller woman. “Besides, I wanted to get there early remember?”

 

“Oh yeah… I forgot. What time is it any ways?”

 

“About 7:15 I suppose,” Milly replied, while walking over to the counter and setting her cup of java down. She then grabbed a few apples and put them in the deep pockets of her work overhauls. “Well that should about do it. I'm gonna get going now.”

 

“Alright Milly, I'll come and see you after I'm done talking to Mr. Whittaker.”

 

“Kay, See ya' later… Bye Mr. Vash!” Milly waived as she headed out of the kitchen to grab her hard hat and leave for work.

 

“See ya' Milly.”

 

“Later, big-girl,” Vash said as he waived and watched her retreating form.

 

“So…” started the remaining insurance girl as she looked over to the blonde man still sitting at the table. She noticed that he had perked up a little, but he was nowhere near his normal self. He definitely needed a few hours of sleep and knew that she should make him go up stairs to take a nap. Of course, the petite beauty figured that Vash would probably suggest that she joined him. Though, the idea did have merit Meryl thought naughtily as a blush and small smile graced her lovely face.

 

Upon hearing the shorter girl's `so', Vash turned his gaze back to the little spitfire in white and noticed the smile and rosy cheeks, which caused him to do a little pondering himself. He wondered if she had any idea as to how much chaos she was creating all throughout his body. Not to mention, just how he would love to find out if the rest of her body blushed as prettily as her cheeks did! `Ugh… I swear if I don't do something about this soon, I think I might burst!' he internally moaned before deciding that there was no time like the present. As he locked his now brilliant jade orbs with her heather colored ones, the outlaw nervously spoke, “Ummm… Meryl?”

 

“Yes Vash?”

 

“I … umm… well… I… want…” the blonde stuttered before the object of his affection interrupted him.

 

“Breakfast?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Are you hungry, Vash? Would you like some breakfast?” Meryl anxiously clarified.

 

“NNN…No, I finished off the apple dumplings right before you came down…”

 

“Well good! After all, we wouldn't want them to go to waste… Oh my… look at the time!” the panicky insurance girl blurted out as she scrambled over to the sink to pour the remaining contents of her cup down the drain. Then just as quickly, she picked up the envelope addressed to Bernardelli Insurance Society. “I had better get going if I want to catch Mr. Whittaker. And Vash why don't you go upstairs and take a nap, it looks like you need it. Oh and one more thing…” Meryl rushed while stopping for a moment to glance at the stunned blonde. “I bought you another new shirt and some pants. They're up in my closet… see ya!” And with a quick waive, she was gone.

 

Vash just sat there in silence for a moment before muttering…

 

“Damn it.”

 

Then with a dejected sigh, he rose from the table and gave his twin a quick glance before making his way up to the short-girl's room to take a nap.

 

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

 

Once Meryl stepped on to the front porch, she stopped and let out the breath that she had been holding since she said `see ya' to Vash. “What is my problem?” she mumbled out loud, stepping off the porch and proceeding to head over to the post office. `I mean, he was about to say something to me seemingly important, no wait… especially important if the look in his eyes had any bearing, and I sabotaged it,' the petite woman mentally groaned.

 

She now knew that he felt something for her, but, unfortunately, she just wasn't sure what it was exactly. The whole situation was starting to really confuse her and that was one feeling that she didn't like at all. Was it simply lust or, perhaps, something more? The logical side of her assumed it was just lust. But, if that was the case, then she wasn't certain she could let go to the next level. Quite simply, Meryl was afraid that it wouldn't be enough, especially since she loved him so much. And when Vash decided to move on after her youth faded or when he got bored, she would probably die from the heartache.

 

She then realized something, a Stryfe never backed away from anything! They always faced their problems head on and that was exactly what she was going to do that time. Meryl stopped in her tracks and ran a hand through her cropped ebony hair as she looked up to the sky and smiled.

 

“I need to stopped being such a coward and just let this happen.”

 

With that last exclamation, the woman in white continued the short trek to the post office. After quickly dropping off the mail, she made her way across the town's square to the saloon. Then without hesitation, she walked through the double doors and up to the end of the bar.

 

“Good morning, Jimmy,” Meryl called to the handsome brunette behind the bar. “I see you have the morning shift. Is Wes working tonight then?”

 

“Why, good morning sunshine!” the young man replied as he walked over to greet Meryl. “Yep, he asked if I would switch with him. So, you know that means don't ya'?”

 

“Ummm… no?”

 

“That means I have the evening off and we could go out!” Jimmy announced as his olive green eyes sparkled.

 

“You are such a flirt!” Meryl declared with a small laugh as she shook her head. He really reminded her of Vash when he was in one of his skirt-chasing moods. “Now Jimmy you know I can't…”

 

“I know, but I figured I would try. So why are you here so early? Please tell me it's because you're working this morning, too! You know how a Friday morning can be…”

 

“Actually, I'm here to talk to Mr. Whittaker. Is he around?”

 

“Yep, he's in his office.”

 

“Thank you,” the petite beauty answered as she walked over to the owner's office.

 

“Anything for you, beautiful!” Jimmy called out to Meryl just before she knocked on Mr. Whittaker's door. Meryl just shook her head again before she raised her left hand and knocked.

 

“Come in,” the man behind the door announced.

 

Meryl opened the door and greeted her temporary boss and asked if he had a few minutes. He warmly replied with an `of course' and asked if she would like to sit in one the chairs in front of his desk. Meryl sat and took in the features of her soon to be ex-employer. He was an older man with auburn hair and graying temples, his middle was a little plump, thanks to his wife of twenty years who had helped him create it, and his brown eyes spoke of wisdom and understanding. She had always liked Mr. Whittaker. He was a fair man who treated everyone with respect, even the ones who hung out with the legendary gunman.

 

“So, what can I help you with Meryl?”

“Well… Vash made it back and I'm afraid that we will be leaving soon.”

 

“That's too bad, you're a great worker,” Mr. Whittaker said with a twinkle in his eye. “Although, I'm sure my trays will be happy that you're gone.”

 

Meryl just laughed and thought about how many of them had dents or even been ruined because she had to fend off lecherous men with wandering hands.

 

“Is that all, Meryl?”

 

“Actually no,” the short-girl started as her demeanor went into negotiation mode…

 

“I would like to make an offer to purchase the truck.”