I was pretty sure Knives was bored.
Or still mad at me for making him eat broccoli.
I was sitting on a stool at my high desk, doing some paperwork and feeling a glare being drilled through the back of my skull. A glance over my shoulder revealed Knives slumped on the couch so that his back was nearly parallel to the floor and his neck was invisible. Big, baby-blue eyes glared ferociously at me over a fold in his shirt.
"…What?"
"…Nothing…"
I sighed exasperatedly.
"Yeah right it's nothing. What's up? Why are you trying to see if your eyes will shoot laser beams?"
Knives shrugged and bounced one sneaker-clad heel off the floor. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my work. The minutes stretched as the only sounds made were the scratching of my pen and the occasional "thtunk" of Knives' heel on the floor. Immersed as I was in my work, I didn't hear the slight rustle of cloth behind me and the sneaky padding of rubber-soled shoes on wood.
I tallied another mark in my little black book and reached for the list of customers. When it didn't come immediately to hand, I looked over to see how far off my aim was. It was only an inch, but I was rather distracted from this fact by another discovery. A pair of bight blue eyes, just visible over the edge of the desk, peered interestedly at me. I willed myself not to shout in surprise and calmly pulled the list toward myself.
I continued working, eyes fixed on the papers, but remained alert to the little presence at the side of the desk. I didn't hear him move away, and he didn't say anything, simply watching with great interest as I worked. I was in the middle of reading a letter of complaint from one customer, looking for any evidence that there was actually a problem and he wasn't just being a cranky old geezer, when a pen slowly rolled across the desk and landed smack-dab in the middle of the letter. I blinked at it for a moment, then glanced at the little blond-haired presence out of the corner of my eye. The blue eyes had a distinctively mischievous gleam to them.
I silently nudged the pen with my finger, sending it rolling back to whence it had came, and continued reading. A few moments later, it was back, gleaming innocently at me in the lamp light. I stifled a smile and prodded it back once again. It returned even more swiftly this time, it's arrival accompanied by the soft clicking of the cap hitting the wooden desktop.
Back and forth the pen rolled, gaining speed at each pass. My work lay forgotten as each of us strove to make the other miss and send the pen clattering to the floor. The air filled with the pen's clicks as it shot back and forth.
With a deft flick of his fingers, Knives suddenly sent the pen spinning in a tight circle, rolling and bouncing across the tabletop. With a muted click, it shot off the edge by my elbow, bounced off my leg and landed with a loud clack. His eyes sparkled triumphantly, pleased that he had made me miss.
I mock scowled at the little figure, then lunged at him. With a dismayed noise halfway between a grunt and a squeak, Knives backed up, but I was too fast for him. Gleefully, I scooped him up and pulled him into my lap. Ignoring his squirming and the chorus of irritated grumbling, I started tickling him.
The grumbles quickly turned into alarmed squeaks, which in turn morphed into suppressed laughter. I grinned widely, knowing that he was helpless in my tight grip. I tickled even more enthusiastically, determined to make him laugh our loud. Knives obviously knew what I was trying to do, for the more I tickled him, the more he squirmed and the tighter his lips clamped together. By this time, I had started to giggle myself.
"Come on you little pest," I laughed. "You know you deserve this for disturbing me while I was working!"
Knives didn't answer, apparently unwilling to open his mouth. Instead he squirmed even more furiously, determined to avoid my tickling fingers.
"Oh no you don't!"
I pulled him back into a more secure position and tickled the backs of his legs. This proved to be too much for Knives. His defenses dropped and he started howling with laughter.
"Ahahahahahaha! No please stoppit! Hahahahahaha!!"
I continued tickling him for another minute or two, then stopped. He flopped in my lap, trying to catch his breath.
"That was underhanded," he informed me sternly, once he had calmed down.
I shrugged and pulled him into a more comfortable position on my lap. Knives stiffened slightly, but I ignored it.
"You deserved it," I informed him, wrapping my arms securely around him and leaning my head on his.
Knives glared suspiciously up at me. I smiled at his scowl and kept my grip on him, rocking slightly in the chair. Slowly, he relaxed against me, letting his head fall on my shoulder. I continued to rock.
"Feel better?' I asked after awhile.
Knives looked up at me with just his eyes, feigning innocence.
"Don't give me that," I said with a smile. "You weren't so happy earlier, were you."
He shrugged and looked back down.
"You know…" I said slowly. "It's okay to be a kid more often. I know, mentally, you're still 130 years old, but you're a kid right now. You don't have to be mature all the time. Don't be afraid to give into those more childish impulses and have a little fun once in a while, okay?"
He smirked.
"Within reason," I hastily added. "No burning down the house or anything."
"I won't," he sighed. I couldn't tell if he was exasperated that I had suggested he would, or if he was just tired.
I smiled again and continued rocking. After a while, I started humming an old lullaby softly to myself. Knives stiffened.
"Hmm, what Knives?"
"Why are you humming?" His tone was almost nervous.
I shrugged.
"I like humming. And I like this song."
I continued humming and rocking. Knives slowly relaxed and turned his head to the side.
"… Would you sing the words?" His voice was slightly muffled by my shirt.
I looked down at his pale blond hair.
"Sure Knives."
I shifted my arms to hold him more securely and rocked back and forth, in time with the song.
"From your head.. down to your toes..."
A small hand grasped the side of my shirt.
"You're not much...goodness knows…"
Arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
"But you're so… precious to me… sweet as can be… baby of mine…"
I petted the downy head as a noise sounding like a muffled sob came from the little body.
"Hush, hush," I cooed soothingly. "It's all right, I'm here, don't cry…"
Knives clung to me, silent except for an occasional shuddery sob. I continued to rock back and forth, back and forth, petting the soft hair, talking quietly. The sobs lessened and my shirt started drying out. Suddenly Knives looked up at me, eyes blazing a fierce determined blue.
"Don't leave me like she did! You're going to take care of me and you won't leave me alone, right!"
I stared down into that face, with it's still-damp cheeks and determined little mouth, completely flabbergasted. He continued to look up at me, waiting for an answer.
"O-of course, I'll take care of you, Knives," I finally stuttered. "I promised I would!"
"Good," he said, and settled back into my lap. "You'll be my Rem. And Vash won't take you away from me."
I stared down at him, still petting his head. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was determined I'd find out sooner or later.
--
You thought it was going to be Sound Life, didn'tcha:D That song's "Baby Mine" my mom used to sing it for me, so it's got some special memories for me. And i like it better than Sound Life ;...
Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
I don't own Trigun. Nightow does.
