Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Not Quite Worthless ❯ Chapter 9

For those who have asked: No, I won't be making this Knives/Millie. Sorry, but the idea of that pairing disturbs me…Also, I like the idea of Knives reforming for some reason other than falling in love. I think that boy has quite a ways to go before he can even start thinking about a woman that way.

Chapter 9

"Damn Vash."

Meryl continued to grumble as she walked to work. That man…

If she thought her hormones were annoying before where he was concerned, it was nothing compared to now. She felt like she couldn't go five minutes without thinking about him.

And she was beginning to get tired of always being on the defensive. She was constantly blushing and stammering and acting like an idiot, and she had had enough.

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, heaving a sigh. What was she complaining about? Things were going as well as she could hope; better even. But Meryl demanded a certain amount of control in every aspect of her life, and Vash was no exception.

Meryl began to walk again, more slowly. Her romantic problems could wait. The most pressing problem was to find another place to live. Millie was no more than a month away from her due date, and their shared room was already cramped with the baby's cradle and clothes. Neither one of them had much in the way of possessions, but babies had a way of taking over every available space.

And if the twins' argument the night before were any indication, they would have needed the extra space soon anyway. The shouting had been indistinct, but it was loud enough to wake her. She thought about asking Vash about it when he came to pick her up after work, but decided she probably didn't want to know.

<><><>

Soft moans rang in the room, vibrating through sweat-slicked skin. Delicate nails bit into flesh; a foot ran down a calloused calf. Twisted bedding had long since been thrown to the floor, and trembling bodies rose and fell. Soft lips nipped, suckled, bit-and the skin beneath quivered in response.

Fingers wrapped gently around tapered wrists, and firmly held them to the mattress. Chests heaved as eyes met in the moment before their bodies joined. With a joyful sigh, firm heat slid into welcoming warmth.

"Again."

Hips flexed and thrust; rolled and pitched.

"Oh, God, again…"

The pace quickened, and power increased. Movements became more frantic as muscles shuddered and shook.

"More." The greedy whisper rasped along sensitized nerves.

Bodies arched and trembled; straining, reaching…

Knives let out a guttural shout, eyes wide and panicked. He shot up in bed, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Knives?" Vash murmured from his own bed. "What's wrong?"

Knives fought to slow his breathing. "Nothing…go back to sleep." Why was he so hot?

He stood up to walk to the window for some fresh air when he noticed something odd.

"Vash," he said tightly.

No response from his sleeping brother.

"Vash," he said, louder.

"Hmm…?" Vash didn't even turn in response.

:VASH!: Knives thundered in his brother's mind. His twin fell out of bed with a yelp.

:What? What's wrong? You said I could sleep!: Vash asked, still sleep-fuddled.

He looked over at his brother. Knives was facing away from him, but even in the faint moonlight, the tautened muscles in his back made his twin's rage apparent.

"What…is…this?" He bit off the end of each word.

"What's what?" Vash yawned.

Knives turned and pointed to his groin. "This! This…thing!"

Vash blinked, unsure how to respond. "Knives…you had access to the same anatomy files as I did on the ship…"

Knives cut his brother off with a sharp gesture. "I want to know why it's like this! What does it think it's doing? It has received no stimulation!"

"It pretty much has a mind of its own, Knives. Hasn't that ever happened before?"

Knives looked ready to kill. "Of course not!" he shouted.

Vash scratched his head, praying for patience. "Well, were you dreaming about something?"

Knives thought back to what had woken him. It hadn't been his dream. He scowled. "Meryl," he spat.

The last of Vash's sleepiness vanished. "Meryl?" he asked. "You were dreaming about my Meryl?" A low growl crept into his normally pleasant voice.

Knives looked up, startled. Vash's eyes were beginning to glow dangerously. "N-no!" He cursed himself for letting Vash frighten him for even a second. "No, it was her dream. Disgusting."

"Well, part of you obviously wasn't disgusted," Vash said dryly.

"Shut up!" Knives yelled. "It's bad enough you're going to do…that…but now it's in my head!"

Vash sighed. "This could be avoided if you would bother to block the way I do, Knives."

His brother grunted in response.

"I mean it," Vash insisted. "This is a small town, and I know it's hard enough on you. If we ever need to go to a more populated area, you'll be overwhelmed."

"If it means never having to deal with this again, that is more than enough reason for me."

"Good." Vash yawned. "Now come on, let's go to sleep."

"But…" Knives stopped. A strange, almost helpless look crossed his face.

"What?" Vash asked.

Knives avoided Vash's gaze, turning a faint red. He did not think he could - or should - have to say it aloud.

Vash stifled a chuckle. Even in the dark, he could feel his brother's embarrassment radiating off him in waves. "It's perfectly natural. Look, just go in the bathroom and take care of it."

Knives looked horrified. "Take…care of it?" he choked.

Vash lay down, pulling the covers over himself. "Or take a cold shower. Or think unsexy thoughts. Or wait it for to go away on its own. Don't worry about it so much." Unconcerned, he rolled over and dropped back to sleep.

Knives stood a few moments longer, mouth agape. Finally, he grabbed his towel and stomped to the bathroom. Cold shower it was.

<><><>

By four o'clock the next afternoon, Meryl was in a much better mood. After asking around, she had heard of an available vacant boarding house. By all accounts, it was in good shape, but the town was no longer large enough to need a boarding house of that size. Everyone would have their own private space, but there was a common eating and sitting area where they could share meals. They would need furniture, but Meryl was confident they could get some secondhand.

She also had the beginnings of an idea of starting a branch of the insurance society out there. This town was one of a few small towns within a day's distance, and she had already handled a few insurance claims for people who weren't able to make it all the way to LR. She would have to see the place, of course, but she was already growing excited by the potential. It would solve all their space problems, and guarantee a better paycheck besides.

Meryl was so excited that she didn't notice the low murmur that arose in the diner at a new arrival. Only when one of her coworkers nudged her did she give herself a shake, grab a menu, and walk over to the newly occupied table.

With a warm smile, she walked over and handed the menu to the customer. "Hi, and welcome. Can I get you anything to drink?"

The woman looked up, smoky green eyes fixed on Meryl, and she smiled. "Just some water for right now, thank you."

Meryl looked back at the woman curiously. Even seated, she was tall, easily Millie's height. But unlike Millie, this woman dressed to best display her curves, and she had the attention of every man in the room. Her curly brown hair was pulled away from her face, but the sunlight still caught the warm blond and red highlights in the thick mass.

Nodding in response, Meryl walked back to the kitchen, noticing the whispers and admiring looks thrown at the lone woman. She supposed she couldn't blame them; there weren't too many visitors to the town. Not to mention that the new arrival was gorgeous.

Meryl sighed as she walked back to the woman with her drink. Sometimes she wished she could turn heads like that…or one head in particular. That was unlikely to happen with her current wardrobe. Her clothes fit well enough, but they were practical and neat, hardly meant to show off her figure.

She had put away a little money. Maybe she could splurge and buy herself something nice. This thought cheered her as she took the woman's order. She had the next day off, so she could spend it shopping for something new and interesting. Money would be tight if they decided to rent the old boarding house, but there had to be enough for a new dress or two.

The afternoon crowd thinned, and Meryl glanced at the clock. It was almost time for Vash to come pick her up. He had continued to walk her home ever since that first time, and they both enjoyed the few minutes of privacy. But today, Meryl wanted to see the boarding house. She was too excited to let it rest another day.

She untied her apron with a grateful sigh and hung it up behind the counter. "I'm off, Tom," she called. "Do you mind if I grab a drink before I go?"

Tom poked his head out of the kitchen. "Go right ahead, Meryl. You know you're welcome."

Meryl normally got herself lemonade or some iced tea, but she was feeling decadent and decided to make herself a milkshake. Soon, she was seated at one of the counter stools, engrossed in her treat. It was so delicious that she didn't even notice when Vash came in.

He noticed the new woman immediately. It was impossible to miss her-standing out as she did with her height and beauty-but he limited himself to a friendly smile. Anything more and his little insurance girl might well take off his other arm.

Seeing Meryl at the bar, he grinned to himself, watching as she upended the glass to get every drop of shake into her mouth. Sucking on her bottom lip, she savored the last bit of flavor, before lowering the glass to the counter. Meryl stuck her finger into her mouth to catch any errant drops and turned to see Vash grinning at her.

She was so cute.

She sniffed, jumped off the stool, and walked past him without a word, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Come on, Meryl," Vash called after her. "Don't be so cold!"

"Hurry up!" she snapped.

Vash shook his head, then waved to Tom before following Meryl out the door. The tall woman gave him a sympathetic smile, and he responded with a rueful shrug.

Catching up to Meryl, he matched his stride to hers as he realized they weren't going towards the house.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Meryl looked up, squinting in the afternoon sun. "I heard about an available house and I wanted to check it out."

Vash nodded. The he asked hesitantly, "You're looking for a new place?"

"Well, we'll need the extra room once the baby comes around. It's getting too cramped where we are now." With only half her attention on the conversation, Meryl didn't hear the strange tone of Vash's voice.

His eyes flashed with hurt, but he kept his voice even. "That's true. I had thought we could manage once the baby arrived, but you have a good point."

Meryl smiled, looking off into the desert. She reached for his hand. "It's not too far from where we are now. This way, you and Knives should have enough space for yourselves. Knives should like that especially. I'm really excited about this, Vash. I hope it all works out."

Vash smiled sadly at the excited shine in her eyes and the bounce to her step. Was she really so happy to be leaving him? Granted, it couldn't be more than a ten-minute walk, but he had grown to like having Meryl so close. Maybe she was tired of caring for two grown men.

"It's an old boarding house," she continued. "It stopped getting business a while ago, so it's been vacant for a while. There's a big central kitchen and common room, and the living quarters are supposed to be spacious. You and Knives could even have your own rooms."

"You want us to come with you?" Vash blurted out.

Meryl stopped, turning to look at him in surprise. "Of course!" Then her face crumpled, and she continued more softly, "Unless you didn't want to." Pulling her hand out of his, she turned away. "I'm sorry, Vash. It was rude of me to presume."

Vash panicked. "No, no!" He waved his hands in front of himself nervously. "Of course I want to go. I just didn't think you wanted us to."

Meryl's face cleared before she scowled and slapped his arm. "Stupid Vash." She muttered. "Come on, it's just up ahead."

Vash followed as they approached the old boarding house. It was much larger than the home they were currently in. Someone had taken great care in building it, as it brought to mind the stately buildings in pictures of Old Earth. There were plenty of large windows, and a wide porch welcomed them into the house.

"Wow," Meryl said. "They said we could come by at any time, and the building is left open for us. Let's look around."

Vash pushed open the front door, instincts insisting he enter first. Inside, a stairway across from the front door rose from a spacious two-story foyer, while curved archways led to separate wings of the house. Meryl's face lit up as she ran through the left-hand doorway into another room. It looked like a library, with its built-in shelves and grand fireplace. Meryl imagined herself seated in a desk by one of the windows and sighed.

With Vash tagging along behind her, Meryl flew through the house, gauging its suitability and testing its sturdiness. She couldn't believe how right the place felt. The living quarters were roomy and well lit, and there was more than enough room for all of them. This would give them all privacy, but still allow them to socialize when they needed.

"So what do you think, Vash?" Meryl spun to face him.

Vash looked down at her shining face, and knew that even if the place had been a dump he would have said anything to keep her happy.

"I think it's great. But can we really afford all this room?"

"I think we can. It's supposed to be inexpensive, because no one else would rent it. Actually…if my plan goes as I hope, I'll be working here too. I'm going to propose that a branch of the insurance society be opened in this town. Everyone with insurance needs has to go all the way to LR, and that's at least a day's trip there and back. We can use the library as an office, and Millie won't have to worry about being alone during the day."

Vash scratched his head. "It seems like a good plan. Why don't we go home and talk it over with Millie and Knives?"

<><><>

Knives waited impatiently at the dinner table. Millie never wanted to start a meal until everyone was in the house, so he had to wait for his brother and the other woman. He didn't know what was keeping them today, but he was hungry and bored, and they needed to hurry up.

Millie sat across from him, just having set the last of the dinner in the oven to keep warm. She was currently looking through a book of baby names she had picked up in town.

"Knives," Millie asked hesitantly, "You can sense my baby, right?"

He nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

She smiled. "I just wondered…what is that like? Do you talk to him? How is he?"

Knives shrugged. "He seems fine. Although, he does feel crowded right now, which is why he was kicking so much."

Millie made a face. "That wasn't fun at all. I wondered why he calmed down…not that I'm complaining."

"Well, I mentioned that it caused you discomfort, so he stopped. He has other ways to occupy himself." Knives mentally sighed. All the child did now was play with himself and pass gas. The plant wondered if all human males were so self-absorbed.

Millie smiled and patted her abdomen. "I've got a good boy! So considerate!"

Knives shrugged. He was still hungry and his brother was still not here. He decided to see how far away he was.

:I'm hungry. Hurry up.:

:I miss you too, Knives.: Vash answered wryly. :We're only about five minutes away, so calm down.:

Knives grunted, and let his awareness of his brother fade into its usual background hum.

"They will be here shortly." Knives announced. Millie smiled.

"Good. Another ten minutes and I would have started without them."

Knives raised an eyebrow, and Millie laughed. "Mr. Knives, never ever get between a pregnant woman and her food. It's not pretty."

Eyebrow still raised, he nodded.

<><><>

Meryl shared the news over dinner. Millie was excited, while Knives said little. After the meal, Meryl and Millie went back to their room to draft a proposal. They wanted to mail it back to the main office as soon as possible after they received word on the house. Meryl planned to visit the owner the next day.

After the initial draft was worked out, Millie pleaded fatigue and turned in. Meryl brought her typewriter to the living room in order to work on the final version. This left the twins to cleaning the kitchen.

The two made quick work of the dishes. To the casual eye, Knives seemed no different, but Vash knew something was bothering him. Had been, in fact, since Meryl made her announcement.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Knives did not answer. Vash sighed. His brother wasn't that engrossed in his search for the broom.

Finally, the hesitant response came, and it surprised Vash. :Will you be living with the woman now?:

Vash stopped drying the last of the dishes and turned around. :We haven't talked about it.:

:Do you want to?:

:I don't know if we're ready for that step yet.:

:You will be. You'll leave me again.: Knives clenched his fists and swung away from Vash, broom forgotten.

:Knives, we'll be in the same house.: Vash tried to soothe his brother.

:But she will take up all of your time and energy. There will be nothing left for me. Again.:

Vash wanted to weep at the pain in his brother's words. :Knives…why can't you trust that there is room for more than one person in my heart? I can care for others without loving you any less.:

:Because you are all I have!: Knives roared. :I was alone for more than one hundred years! All I wanted was my brother back! While you were out making friends and drinking and doing your best to forget me…I was alone.:

Vash looked at his twin helplessly. His head was bowed, and he looked only moments away from a violent eruption.

:I never forgot you. You're my brother, and I will always love you. But you frightened me. I didn't want to hurt people; I still don't. But you wouldn't listen…I had to run away.: Vash chose his words carefully, not wanting to set his brother off with the girls in the house.

:Since you've been here, you've met good people. Can you see why I don't want them punished for the sins of a few? If I let you have your way, Millie and Meryl would be dead. Could you live with yourself right now knowing that those two lights had been extinguished?:

Knives was silent, and Vash continued.

:I think there's a better way, a way to help our siblings without killing everyone else.:

:I am not happy without you, Vash.: Knives said.

:I'm not happy without you, either. But that doesn't mean I don't need and want friends. I think if you allow yourself to meet more people, you'll see what I mean.:

Knives remained silent, but Vash saw the muscles of his back relax slightly. Finally, his brother responded. :Millie is one of the purer souls on this planet. And…the other…makes you happy. Their deaths would be…regrettable.:

He picked the broom up and began to sweep. :I promise nothing…but I will think more on what you have said.:

A/N: I meant for other things to happen in this chapter…but damned if Knives and his emotional instability didn't come in and take over. Sheesh.