Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Incompatible ❯ Chapter 0033 ( Chapter 33 )

Trigun Fanfic

Trigun © Yasuhiro Nightow * Shonen Gaho-sha * Tokuma Shoten * JVC * Pioneer Entertainment (USA) Inc.

The following fanfiction was written by me (Chiruken) and is intended for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.

--Incompatible-

Trigun Fanfic Featuring Knives and Meryl. Knives hates all humans. Meryl just hates Knives. It's a match ideal for the promise of Eden.

By Chiruken

Chapter 33

**~**

Somehow Vash had known that Knives intended to leave. He didn't know how his brother had picked up on this fact, but he had. Perhaps Meryl had told him? He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall at the head of the bed he was currently reclining on. Vash had put up such a fuss with a combination of whining, pleading and begging interspersed with anger and threats, that Knives had finally given up and agreed to remain with them for the time being. He had a feeling that his twin wouldn't have stopped haranguing him until he'd driven him completely insane. And of course, Emily's tears had been a major deciding factor as well.

He sighed and slowly shook his head. With siblings like those two, he was almost positive that he was the only sane one in the bunch. Of course, that didn't say much considering his previous bout of madness where the human race was concerned. He winced and chose to ignore that little fact. An ironic smile twisted his lips upwards. Ignorance, he decided, could indeed be bliss. His expression turned serious again as he thought back to his actions from the previous night. He winced and shook his head again. He didn't know what had possessed him to behave in such an irrational way. It was totally out of character for him to act without thinking things through first. If Vash and Emily wouldn't have bumbled their way across the room and fallen into the table, he was almost positive that he would've done something incredibly stupid. He'd been so close to actually kissing Meryl that it almost frightened him. It was behavior that was unacceptable to his logical and cautious side. By allowing himself to show anything beyond mild liking and occasional friendliness towards her was bound to only end in disaster. He knew this, had known it the night before, and still he'd allowed himself to act on impulse without thinking things through first. The only explanation he could think of to explain his actions towards Meryl was that his brother's idiocy must be contagious.

He'd decided that after his irrational behavior from the night before, that he'd take care to avoid the cause of his confusion. So, to achieve that end, he'd remained closeted in his room at the inn for the entire day. Staring at the four walls and ceiling reminded him of the time he'd spent with Meryl during his recovery from the gunshot wounds Vash had inflicted on him. Thinking of that, of course led to thoughts of the woman herself and that was what he'd been trying to avoid. So, his day had progressed in that manner with his gaze moving around the room, studying the walls and the ceiling, comparing them to the room he'd spent nearly a year confined to, and his mind rotating between complete and utter boredom and dwelling on what he was beginning to suspect was an obsession with Meryl Stryfe. It was frustrating beyond belief and he couldn't see any way to get out of it beyond leaving the relative safety of his room and chancing running into the woman herself.

Sliding down on the mattress until he lay flat on his back, he stared up at the ceiling and automatically searched for signs of spiders and their webs. Of course, in an inn such as this one, none were to be found. The proprietors seemed to pride themselves on the cleanliness of their establishment. He couldn't fault them for this, yet he did feel a small twinge of regret that the tiny arachnids weren't around to occupy his mind and drag him from the spiral of conflicting thoughts currently assailing him. He was beginning to seriously regret all the years he'd spent isolated and stubbornly refused to explore the strange phenomenon of human emotions. Vash, he knew, was much better suited to dealing with emotion. Knives had always been the more logical of the two, choosing instead to rely on cold hard facts rather than dubious emotional reactions to situations. He was beginning to wonder if maybe…just maybe…his brother was the smarter of the two after all.

Knives shook his head and raised his arms to lace his hands behind his head as he stared up at the spotless ceiling. His life had been much simpler when all he had to think about was how he was going to destroy the humans he hated so much. He still felt that most of humanity actually did deserve to be eliminated, but now that he'd pursued the thoughts Meryl had inspired in him and the basic truths he'd learned throughout his lifetime, he had to admit that maybe there were a few worth saving. **Wouldn't Vash be so proud?** He snorted and shook his head again. He had no doubt Vash would go all starry-eyed and start blubbering like a fool if he thought for an instant that Knives was beginning to see things his way.

A quiet knock at the door interrupted his musings and he frowned in irritation. He didn't want to be disturbed, had even set out the little sign the inn had provided for his doorknob and still someone was bothering him? **Probably Vash. The idiot never did know when to leave well enough alone.** Removing one hand from behind his head he waved it almost lazily and exerted just enough mental power to throw the door open. "What?" He asked sharply, not bothering to look in his guest's direction. He'd already established that whoever it was didn't have violence on his mind.

"Um…Knives…can I talk to you?" He sat up abruptly at the hesitant and very familiar voice. Meryl stood in the doorway looking extremely uncomfortable. She shifted from one foot to the other as the silence stretched and he continued to just stare at her. "Can I come in?" He nodded, once, and watched as she slowly closed the door behind her and crossed the room to sit perched uncomfortably on the edge of the chair set beside the window overlooking the street below. "I…um…" She cleared her throat and laced her fingers together tightly in her lap and stared at them rather than meeting his wary gaze directly. "Vash told me what you did."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward, staring at her intently. "And what is it that I've allegedly done?"

"He said you're the one who actually found us…tracked us across the desert." She glanced up briefly before looking away quickly. "I wanted to thank you for that. I also wanted to thank you for returning my cloak." She gestured at the garment currently wrapped around her small frame. "It's going to take a while to replace the derringers that I lost, but at least I have the holsters. It isn't easy sewing them in such a way that they aren't obvious." He nodded curtly. The silence stretched until she cleared her throat again. "I also wanted to ask you something…" She looked up and met his gaze steadily, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "What happened last night?"

He raised an eyebrow and returned her stare with one of his own. "What do you mean by that? Vash got drunk and made an ass of himself, as usual."

She waved a hand impatiently. "That isn't what I meant and you know it. I was referring to you…" She frowned and shrugged. "And me…you know…us."

He shrugged and averted his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about." He stood and crossed to the small table holding a pitcher half filled with water with a few ice cubes still floating through the clear liquid and poured it into a glass.

"Oh please." Meryl stood as well and approached him. "I was there, too, you know. Something happened and I think we have to talk about it."

"Absolutely not." He took a careful sip of the cool water and refused to meet her steady grey gaze. "There is nothing to discuss."

She fisted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "I think there is. I need to understand what's happening, Knives."

"Nothing is happening." He muttered and set the glass down again, the water barely touched.

She snorted and shook her head. "Fine. Nothing is happening. Then why don't you tell me about Emily and what is she to you?"

He blinked in surprise and turned to face her, noting the way her eyes had narrowed and her lips thinned into a straight, angry line. "Emily? What about her?"

"You spent some time with her, right? So…what is she to you?" If he didn't know better, he could almost swear she was displaying signs of the human emotion known as jealously. He shook his head quickly. He must be mistaken. Why would Meryl be jealous? And of Emily no less. "Well? I'm waiting."

He snorted and shook his head. "Emily is my sister, Meryl."

"Your…sister? I didn't know you had a sister, Knives. Vash never mentioned her in all the time that we've known each other." Her disbelief was very clear. "Why don't you want to admit it?"

"Admit what?" He frowned in bewilderment, not entirely certain where she was going with this conversation, but fairly sure that he wasn't going to like it when he did find out. "What are you blathering about now?"

"Your relationship with Emily!" She threw her hands up and spun in a small pirouette. "I should've known! You're his brother, after all…of course you'd be like him. Why would I think this would be any different? I'm such an idiot! I actually thought you might be different…not like the others at all."

"What the hell are you talking about? What relationship? What about my brother? You are making absolutely no sense, woman." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't understand what has you so upset this time. Humans are so complicated." He muttered and shook his head, his confusion clear.

She spun back to him and fisted her hands in his shirt, standing on tiptoe to glare at him. He blinked in surprise when he thought he heard her growl. "You're a two-timing, double crossing, good for nothing, cheating liar!" Her diatribe had begun almost as whisper but ended on a furious shout. "I can't believe you! Standing there, acting all innocent and confused when I know the truth! You can't hide it from me, Knives! I'm not a complete idiot, unlike what you so obviously think." She pushed away from him and stalked across the room to the door. "I came in here to get answers and I had hoped that you would prove my suspicions wrong. I was such a fool as to believe…" She cut her words off and waved a hand in dismissal. "Oh never mind. Forget it. I hope you enjoyed your little game, Knives…I know I didn't." She yanked the door open and stepped through. She paused and glanced over her shoulder to give him a tear-filled glare. "I think it would be best if you just left now and never came back!" She slammed the door closed and left him staring at it in dumbfounded shock.

He leaned against the wall and shook his head slowly with a bewildered frown, lips turned down in an unhappy expression as his blue eyes stared at the closed door with clouded confusion. "What did I do?" He asked softly to the room at large.