Disclaimer: Trigun is sadly enough not mine, or there would have been way more episodes!

Mindspeech is in italics

For a while after breakfast the two of them continue to work on the house. Since the foundation and frame are mostly done for the first story, Vash suggests that all three of us go to town, not just me. I know that he wants to see Milly but I am not sure what Knives would want in town, he avoids people like the plague. A few minutes later the three of us have clamored into the jeep that we had acquired for moving and are on our way to town. While it is a little bit of a drive, with Knives driving it goes faster and safer than if Vash had driven.

When we get there, he parks in front of the store, looking around as he does so. There are times I can still see the extreme dislike in his eyes but he mostly avoids people and situations for it to arose his annoyance.

"Let's say hi to Milly first," Vash suggests, bouncing like a kid.

I chuckle, shaking my head and watch as he bounds off down the street to her apartment. Looping my arm in Knives' I glance up at him and softly inquire, "Everything alright?" He is being quiet, even for his normally quiet self.

A small smile curves his lips as he glances at our arms, "I believe things will be," he replies just as soft.

Nothing else is said as we follow Vash. When we get to Milly's house, Knives falls back a little, letting go of my arm. Before I have a chance to question it, Milly is bear hugging me until I cannot breath.

"Milly, I need air," I manage to gasp out much to the amusement of both brothers.

"Miss Meryl!" she exclaims happily as she lets me go.

Taking a deep breath I smile at her, then greet her, "Hi Milly, how's everything going?"

She nods, ushering us in the small apartment which seems smaller with both of them in it. "Things are good Miss Meryl. How are things out to the property? I see you brought both of them with you." she's smiling at me when she adds that last part.

I chuckle, happy to see that some things have not changed. For a few minutes we visit, with Vash and I speaking with her more than Knives who is watching from near the door. Eventually, Vash suggests that they get started on the shopping and I could meet them at the store in a few minutes. Before I can even comment, both brothers are gone out the door and I am left sitting her apartment with just Milly.

"Miss Meryl, can I guess that you're finally trying to get along better with Mr. Knives?" she asks as she pours us some cold water.

I blush, looking at my glass for a minute before replying, "I think it is a little more than that Milly. Did I tell you about the conversation I overheard a while back?"

She shakes her head no and I quickly fill her in, and then tell her about everything else that has happened to affect my decisions since then. When I am done catching her up, I sigh, wondering what she is going to say. While she is one of the nicest people I know, she had never really forgiven Knives for his part in Nicholas' death nearly three years prior.

For a long time she says nothing, then she finally comments, "Well if it makes you happy that's all that matters. Besides, it is easy to see that he is changing, maybe it will be for the best."

Grinning, I hug her before responding, "Thanks Milly," giving a small shake of my head, I suggest, "We should probably join them before they either spend all the money or someone does something reckless."

Milly smiles at me, nodding and the two of us take off, heading to the store. When we get there, Vash is wandering down the aisles randomly grabbing things, while Knives seems to have my list in hand and trying to grab only things off of it. According to the look Knives is giving Vash, his patience are about to run out. Milly and I share a smile before rescuing Knives from Vash's insane idea of shopping. Within a couple of minutes the entire list is filled and we are checking out. Not long after that we are on the way back to the property, I am driving rather than Knives.

When we get home, I have them help me get everything into the tent before the brothers go use the well to wash up. While they are washing up, I make something for dinner. Once dinner is done, both of them join me in the tent to eat. Throughout dinner I can feel a new type of awareness, a new feeling that had not been present in the past. Vash is his normal excitiable self, telling me all about what the plans for the house are. Knives however lacks the cold air that I am used to surrounding him. It is rather nice actually, probably the most peaceful dinner we had ever eaten together.

After dinner, Knives stands, and nods once before muttering something about rest but before he can leave I suggest, "Why don't you take Vash to meet Maara and then come back here?"

He freezes for a minute before nodding, without saying anything he turns and leaves. Vash looks confused for a minute until he realizes what I said, and then he is off following his brother. Smiling to myself, I shake my head before I clean up the mess left from dinner. Once I am done with that I look around the tent for a minute. Grinning to myself, I look over the bed and decide to straighten it out, by shifting the blankets and pillows around a bit I am able to enlarge the base area.

Perfect. Neat, orderly, plenty of space, I don't have any idea of what Knives is like when he is sleeping. Vash depends on his moods, on good days he cuddles up with me and stays still. On bad days he rolls, twitches, and otherwise moves around a lot. Then there are really bad days where he curls into the smallest ball possible for someone so tall, and getting him to relax can be really difficult.

Once I am happy with the tent being clean enough, I bath in the small kitchen area before changing into a loose shirt that once belonged to Vash before I commandeered it for sleeping in. Even though I know it is early for bed, I still feel like getting ready for it. Part of it is because I wish to invite Knives to join us, part of it is because I am still tired, partly because I wish to be comfortable while I read.

Unsurprisingly enough, Knives is the first one back. When he first peeks into the tent, I think he is startled to see me laying on the bed reading.

"May I enter?" he inquires from the door, he never enters when I am by myself without asking first.

Closing the book, I nod, replying, "Come on in." While he is walking across the tents living area to where the bed is I shift so I am sitting up on the bed instead, watching him move. I can definitely see the grace that I am used to in Vash in him, perhaps more so because he is not hampered by old injuries that never quite healed right.

He settles on the edge of the bed watching me with those electric blue eyes. For some reason it makes me more nervous than if he was to say something. Apparently he can tell I am nervous because a low chuckle escapes him as he watches me fidget a little.

You realize I can feel that even if I cannot hear the accompanying thoughts. His voice murmurs in my head, a whispered caress.

Startled, my head jerks up to look him square in the eyes. A small smile curves his lips as he watches my reaction, one long fingered hand reaches out to brush my bangs away from my face.

Why are you nervous? He inquires, still using the link he has just recently established.

"Ummmm…." I start to reply, not sure what I want to say, "well…"

Yes?

Blushing, I focus on answering in my head instead of out loud since I can't seem to bring myself to say it out loud, I would like you to stay.

He arches an eye at him curiously. Define stay, he responds slowly.

"Here," I mumble, "I want you to stay here. Tonight. Past tonight. For as long as," I pause not sure what to say. Stay, please.

The look he gives me is curious, as if something is clicking into place. The smile he gives me though makes my blood rush because it is purely a predatory male smile as if the goal has been reached. A single nod is all I get in response past the smile.

Scooting closer to him on the bed, I watch his reaction. He smirks before reaching over and lifting me as if I weigh nothing. Startled, I grab hold of his shoulders to balance myself as he sits me on his lap. Those long fingers that hand just been on my hips slip under the edge of the shirt, gently brushing his fingers over my skins as he slowly lifts the over sized shirt off of me. Each touch against my skin sends tingles through my body as the anticipation builds. His blue eyes are locked on me, almost in challenge yet there seems to be something else to it. A moment later my shirt is on the floor and I am perched on his legs in nothing but my underwear.

Long fingers cup my face as he kisses me deeply on the lips. My arms wrap around him, pulling him closer as I kiss him back. All that passion that he keeps so finely controlled is slowly seeping away, leaving that fire in his every motion. He kisses like his world is just beginning and I am at the center of it. It is intoxicating. His fingers eventually shift from my face to running over my body, touching and exploring. As his lips shift from kissing me to skimming down my jaw to my throat, my head falls back on his shoulder and I sigh in enjoyment.

Trying to focus when he is clearly trying to keep my distracted, I attempt to focus on clothing for a moment but find I cannot.

Normally you have a pretty quiet but right now it is going all over the place. He murmurs in my mind, his voice a soft caress as his lips gently suck on the nerves in my throat.

I can't focus enough to figure out how to undress you, I complain, focusing on thinking rather than speaking since I am sure say it out loud is not going to work.

He grins against my skin, for a moment his curious touch vanishes and for a moment he stops kissing me long enough to pull his shirt over his head before he returns to his exploration of my body.

Smiling, I go to exploring the difference between him and his twin. I happily find the spot behind his shoulders that makes him groan. The ticklish spot on his side that makes him gasp. Even the delicate scar, one of the only ones on him, that makes him moan. Eventually I end up laying on my back with him stretched out beside me. One long finger hand gently caresses my body as he discovers what he enjoys to do.

Vash is curious and playful, thankful and careful Knives is something all together different. He explores out of curiosity yes, but also out of the desire to be desired. There is purpose in his touch, the type of purpose that leaves me gasping for breath as he decides what he wants to do next. It's simply amazing in more ways than I can think.

Somewhere along the way I realize that both my underwear and what was left of his clothes have vanished. I don't know when or how, nor do I care. All I know is I now have more beautiful skin to touch and touch I do. Right up until the point where the passion is too much, where the control he holds so closely vanishes in a whirl of passion. As the passion surges to the surface, he slips between my legs, still exploring even as he seeks. Moments later that passion has both of us lost in the whirl of ecstasy.

Time seems to stand still as we develop a rhythm, a pattern. The stars dance around my eyes as the force of it rides through me. Soft noises escape both of us. Breathy moans, husky groans, a whole array of noises that just drives the passion higher. When the peak breaks over him, he gasps as his control slips driving me past mine as well. Panting, we lay there within each other's embrace. Most his body weight supported by his arms as his head is cradled against my shoulder. After a bit he shifts to the side, collapsing on his back and I curl up against him. Seeking his warmth as the temperature drops.