Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Return to Me ❯ Tricks of the Heart ( Chapter 2 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

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“Owwww, stupid bed…”

Vash sat trapped in a mess of blankets, on the floor of the room he was sharing with his brother. The Humanoid Typhoon had rolled out of bed, and onto the floor. He looked cautiously over to make sure he hadn’t woken up Knives, then carefully untangled himself from the blankets and threw on a scruffy shirt and jeans before heading downstairs to see what he could scrape up for breakfast. There was no need, Millie had outdone her self. The table was covered with plates of pancakes, biscuits, juice, milk and…doughnuts! Vash hurried over, literally attacking the box. When he finished, he looked over at Millie, who was leaning on the counter, reading the comics.

“Fakes Awot” He said before swallowing the last bit of doughnuts “I mean, thanks a lot Insurance girl”

Millie beamed “But, It was Meryl‘s idea” Vash grinned as he looked over at Meryl, who wasn’t visible behind the paper, which was standing up in front of her as she read. Vash ran over and scooped up the petite woman, swinging her around.

“Oh, Meryl, thank you! I’m so happy you thought of me!!” Meryl, who had been blushing, was slowly becoming angry as she struggled to get out of his grasp. Her screams of protests were muffled in his shoulder, so she had to settle for slapping him.

“Ouch! Your so mean Meryl!” Vash cried, dropping her with a dull ::thud:: on the kitchen floor. She stood up and straightened her uniform.

“We’re only feeding you because if you die, we have to go back home.” She grumbled something and took her plate into the kitchen and started to wash it in the sink.

The typhoon eagerly sat at the table and tucked into a second box of doughnuts.

“Mister Vash, there’s a festival tonight that Meryl and me are going to, and we’d really like it if you came” Millie suggested out of nowhere

“Really? Oh….er…sorry, but I should probably stay and watch Knives, you girls go and have some fun.” He shook the empty doughnut box

“It‘s been just us for almost a year Vash, we want you to come, you need the fun too, don‘t you want to come a have a carefree night, spend some time with us?” Millie smiled innocently as she dried the dishes and waited for a response

“Do you really want me to come?” He asked quietly

“Of course!” The tall woman said in a heartbeat and elbowed Meryl who squeaked a “Yea”

“I dunno what to do with Knives…” A hint of sadness in his voice

“We‘ll figure out something I‘m sure Mr. Vash.” With that, Vash stood up a little happier as he went upstairs to shower.

Millie had gone out shopping, and Vash was still in the shower, so Meryl laid down on the couch for a few minutes, hoping for a little quiet time, but Meryl’s thoughts lately were never calm or simple.

She thought about Knives, about Wolfwood, about her job, her family, her brothers, and of course, The Angel in Red, who was currently showering just upstairs. What he thought of her, what he was going to do, how she should act around him. She couldn’t tell him how she felt, that was obvious. For so many reasons. She didn’t want to make things awkward, she didn’t want to worry him about the possibility as being kidnapped and used as a hostage, or something to torture Vash. Say he returned her feelings, Meryl would grow old, and Vash wouldn’t, which would put them both in lots of pain. She didn’t want to tie him down, she knew Vash wanted, and needed to travel.

Raven hair flew everywhere as she shook her head, remembering Millie’s word she had advised quietly last night

“He‘s here now. Today Meryl, enjoy it before it‘s to late” Tears had graced the outer edges of Millie’s eyes as she rolled over and pretended to fall asleep after whispering the words of comfort to her best friend. Meryl knew Millie missed Nick, and she was more then allowed to. It just ripped at Meryl so much to lay awake and hear Millie try to choke down her sobs.

“So much pain…” The dark-hairs woman whispered as she got up to wash her face and wake up a bit. As she took the steps in two, she looked up at the top and spotted Vash, wearing only a towel, wrapped loosely around his waist. He was standing in the bathroom, door open, making funny faces in the mirror.

Meryl let out a small giggle as he growled at his reflection and wiggled his eyebrows. Vash turned and spotted her, instantly turning red. Before she could say anything, or he could close the door, Meryl spied a new wound, two actually, in his shoulders. She took the last three steps in one stride, surprising herself and Vash, considering her small legs. Vash tried to close the door, but she slid in the small bathroom before he could.

“This is kinda invasion of privacy Meryl” Vash said as she forced him to turn away.

“Number one, you left the door open, number two, It‘s not your house, and number three, I need to look at these”

“They‘re fine!” He whined, but Meryl didn’t listen

“And your not. Just let me help, please Vash” Her soft voice tickled his ears as he nodded in defeat.

“Good, stay here” She disappeared with the faint swish of her cloak, and then returned with a handful of bandages and went to work. Vash found himself amazed at how gentle and faint her touch was for a woman that could knock him silly. Meryl finished wrapping it in a new bandage and stepped back, gathering up the supplies, when she felt a hand on her arm. As she turned around, she swallowed a squeak, finding her inches from Vash. His cerulean colored eyes pinning her wide violet ones.

“V-V-Vash?” The Outlaw’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“Thanks Meryl” He whispered, hugging her, and placing a small kiss on her cheek. Meryl was glad that the light was fairly poor in the bathroom, because she felt a blush grace her pale cheekbones.

“For what?”

“For being my Insurance girl.”

Millie was walking back from the store, groceries littering her arms as she hugged them to her chest. She saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye and twisted her neck to see, but didn’t find anyone. A few minutes later, there it was again, but this time she saw it clearly, and it made her drop her groceries. They rolled away from her but she didn’t care as she stared across the road to a alley, where Nicholas had just been standing.

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A/N[I know, short chapter and I left a lot hanging, but I was on a roll then BAM rolled into cement wall and yeah