"So.....how long has it been?" Her voice had pulled him out of his daze; he had been sitting across from her in the living room for what seemed like an eternity to him. He didn't know why he found it so hard to look at her. Did he feel betrayed? He shook the thought from his head. What was he thinking?! She's a teenager! He wished someone could slap him right now, so he'd have some pain to think about.
"Vash....?"
"Hm?" He raised his eyes to her, surprised.
"I....I asked how long it's been." She eyed him quizzically. He didn't look too right, so she decided to pour him a drink. "Are you ok?" She slid the glass gently across the table, leaving water trails behind.
"Yeah....yeah." He realised he had been holding his breath for a long time, and let it out in one big sigh. "Wonderful." Again, he put on one of his I-don't-want-you-to-know-about-my-pain smiles. Rina could feel that something wasn't right, but she decided to shake it off. "So....um...." he coughed, stumbling over his words, but he mentally kicked himself to say them. "You're engaged now?"
She stared at him in surprise. She had mentioned nothing to him about the ring, but...could one really get anything past this man? She smiled, a light pink glow forming on her cheeks. "Well.....it's from someone very special. But I wouldn't exactly call it engaged. He.....the guy hasn't really told me how he feels."
Vash pushed his own feelings back and decided to help the young girl out instead. "Really? How long has it been since he's given you the ring?" He took a sip of his drink to calm his nerves....and quench the dryness that had suddenly formed in his mouth.
"It's been a long time now." Her head lowered in embarassment.
He raised his eyebrow. "Do you think it's fair to wait for a guy who's making you wait? That you're only hoping that he'll tell you what you want to hear?"
She shook her head, a sad yet proud smile on her face. "He's not making me wait. I know he's just waiting for the right time."
Vash tried his best not to slam the glass on the table. "Are you sure?" He didn't want to see Rina waste her life away on a guy that didn't deserve her.
"If you knew him the way I did...." her eyes moved slowly from the ring that was on her finger to the man that sat in front of her, "...you'd think the same way." Her smile reassured him that she knew what she was talking about, and he had nothing to worry about. He nodded, pulling himself to his feet and crossed the room to her. He took his hands in hers and gestured for her to stand up, causing her cheeks to flush even more. He hugged her tightly and whispered a congratulations. Suddenly, he withdrew from her, his eyes wide with fear.
"What's the noise?" His head whipped around to the window. "Is that rain?" Now that the Plant system was functional, there was now more greenery on the once barren planet, enough to generate an annual rainfall. But when it rained, it poured. Heavily.
Meryl!
Before Rina could realize that it was in fact raining, Vash was already out of the room and through the front door. He had no idea how long it had been raining, but by the sight of the wrapped bundle of Meryl, that was now soaked through, it had been apparently raining for a long time. He didn't mean to be rough with her, but he needed to get her inside quickly before she got sick. And considering the mental condition she was in right now, it would be difficult for her to get over a common cold.
"Rina! RINA!" Vash screamed, as he tried to tear off the wet cloth from the raven-haired girl's body. "RINA!!!" Why wasn't she answering? "I need a towel, dammit! RI-" He spun around to scream the girl's name again, but stopped short when he saw that she was right behind him, a towel in her hands. There was fear in her eyes; she had never seen him this way....in a long time. She realised.....that look was reserved for those he cared for, the look that he was concerned with their condition. But she merely placed the towel in his hands.
"I'll get another one." She had tried her best not to sound hurt, and she wasn't sure if she succeeded. She returned with another towel and help Vash remove Meryl's clothes, save her underwear. They wrapped her in the warm, dry towels; it had been a long time since Vash had seen Meryl's face and it was like seeing it for the first time all over again. Except it was not the bright, cheery, short-tempered girl he saw.
Thick dark circles were around her eyes, which were severly blood-shot like she hadn't gotten any sleep since the incident, and her eyes stared blankly into nothing with dilated pupils. But could anyone blame her? Her cheeks were slightly sunken in, from the reduction of nourishment she usually had (she was considerably lighter when Vash picked her up from the car), and her skin was pale and dry from the lack of sun and exposure.
"What....what's wrong with her?" Rina swallowed hard, trying hard not to stare at Meryl's face as she dried her with the towel.
"Can we talk about that later?" He spoke through clenched teeth. He worked with a maddening fever, avoiding Meryl's eyes at all costs. If he saw them......if he saw them....! "Is there somewhere I can put her?"
"Sure....she can stay in my room." Vash glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, questioning whether it was right for him to impose. She merely nodded her head. "It's ok. She's sick and she needs help. Now carry her up there." She hurried off to the back room, where she kept her first aid kit. She heard Vash's steps thunder on the staircase and eventually die away after the slamming of a door.
Why? Why did she always follow these stupid dreams of hers?
*flashback*
It was three hours after Vash left with his preacher friend, and she was still wrapped in the sheet that was covered with his hair. She wished it could be his arms that comforted her. For those three solid hours, she had been crying her eyes out on the front porch, watching one of the 2 suns set. Her grandmother had gone out to buy dinner, leaving the girl for some time alone. She cursed at herself for being such a hopeless romantic, dragging her heels into the house to wash her face. Passing the dining room, she noticed a small glint of gold out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look at where it came from, it disappeared. Deciding it was a trick of the eyes, she continued past the room. But as she took another step, it appeared again. She again turned to see what it was, but this time it didn't disappear. She steadied her pace towards the table, rubbing her eyes. It was ring. Lying there in the middle of the table.
A ring?*
Did....did he leave it for her?
It was the hopeless romantic part of her that convinced her that the ring was for a purpose, a meaning. She would only have to wait for him to return to tell her.
*end flashback*
She hurried to her room, but didn't find them there. Realizing she had never told Vash where her room was, she returned to the room they were talking in. She stopped in her tracks when she arrived and heard sobbing from the other side of the door. Vash's voice was muffled, but she knew that for him to cry it had to be something extremely serious. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, thinking it wasn't as shiny as it used to be. She swallowed hard, and gripped on the door knob.
*the rings that Vash wears on his gloves (apparently, he left one behind)
Some things are over
Some things go on
Part of me you carry
Part of me is gone
But you got a heart so big
It could crush this town
And I can't hold out forever
Even walls fall down
-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Even walls fall down. I was listening to this throughout the writing. I thought it fit Rina, as well as what Vash would say if he ever found out her thoughts.
"Vash....?"
"Hm?" He raised his eyes to her, surprised.
"I....I asked how long it's been." She eyed him quizzically. He didn't look too right, so she decided to pour him a drink. "Are you ok?" She slid the glass gently across the table, leaving water trails behind.
"Yeah....yeah." He realised he had been holding his breath for a long time, and let it out in one big sigh. "Wonderful." Again, he put on one of his I-don't-want-you-to-know-about-my-pain smiles. Rina could feel that something wasn't right, but she decided to shake it off. "So....um...." he coughed, stumbling over his words, but he mentally kicked himself to say them. "You're engaged now?"
She stared at him in surprise. She had mentioned nothing to him about the ring, but...could one really get anything past this man? She smiled, a light pink glow forming on her cheeks. "Well.....it's from someone very special. But I wouldn't exactly call it engaged. He.....the guy hasn't really told me how he feels."
Vash pushed his own feelings back and decided to help the young girl out instead. "Really? How long has it been since he's given you the ring?" He took a sip of his drink to calm his nerves....and quench the dryness that had suddenly formed in his mouth.
"It's been a long time now." Her head lowered in embarassment.
He raised his eyebrow. "Do you think it's fair to wait for a guy who's making you wait? That you're only hoping that he'll tell you what you want to hear?"
She shook her head, a sad yet proud smile on her face. "He's not making me wait. I know he's just waiting for the right time."
Vash tried his best not to slam the glass on the table. "Are you sure?" He didn't want to see Rina waste her life away on a guy that didn't deserve her.
"If you knew him the way I did...." her eyes moved slowly from the ring that was on her finger to the man that sat in front of her, "...you'd think the same way." Her smile reassured him that she knew what she was talking about, and he had nothing to worry about. He nodded, pulling himself to his feet and crossed the room to her. He took his hands in hers and gestured for her to stand up, causing her cheeks to flush even more. He hugged her tightly and whispered a congratulations. Suddenly, he withdrew from her, his eyes wide with fear.
"What's the noise?" His head whipped around to the window. "Is that rain?" Now that the Plant system was functional, there was now more greenery on the once barren planet, enough to generate an annual rainfall. But when it rained, it poured. Heavily.
Meryl!
Before Rina could realize that it was in fact raining, Vash was already out of the room and through the front door. He had no idea how long it had been raining, but by the sight of the wrapped bundle of Meryl, that was now soaked through, it had been apparently raining for a long time. He didn't mean to be rough with her, but he needed to get her inside quickly before she got sick. And considering the mental condition she was in right now, it would be difficult for her to get over a common cold.
"Rina! RINA!" Vash screamed, as he tried to tear off the wet cloth from the raven-haired girl's body. "RINA!!!" Why wasn't she answering? "I need a towel, dammit! RI-" He spun around to scream the girl's name again, but stopped short when he saw that she was right behind him, a towel in her hands. There was fear in her eyes; she had never seen him this way....in a long time. She realised.....that look was reserved for those he cared for, the look that he was concerned with their condition. But she merely placed the towel in his hands.
"I'll get another one." She had tried her best not to sound hurt, and she wasn't sure if she succeeded. She returned with another towel and help Vash remove Meryl's clothes, save her underwear. They wrapped her in the warm, dry towels; it had been a long time since Vash had seen Meryl's face and it was like seeing it for the first time all over again. Except it was not the bright, cheery, short-tempered girl he saw.
Thick dark circles were around her eyes, which were severly blood-shot like she hadn't gotten any sleep since the incident, and her eyes stared blankly into nothing with dilated pupils. But could anyone blame her? Her cheeks were slightly sunken in, from the reduction of nourishment she usually had (she was considerably lighter when Vash picked her up from the car), and her skin was pale and dry from the lack of sun and exposure.
"What....what's wrong with her?" Rina swallowed hard, trying hard not to stare at Meryl's face as she dried her with the towel.
"Can we talk about that later?" He spoke through clenched teeth. He worked with a maddening fever, avoiding Meryl's eyes at all costs. If he saw them......if he saw them....! "Is there somewhere I can put her?"
"Sure....she can stay in my room." Vash glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, questioning whether it was right for him to impose. She merely nodded her head. "It's ok. She's sick and she needs help. Now carry her up there." She hurried off to the back room, where she kept her first aid kit. She heard Vash's steps thunder on the staircase and eventually die away after the slamming of a door.
Why? Why did she always follow these stupid dreams of hers?
*flashback*
It was three hours after Vash left with his preacher friend, and she was still wrapped in the sheet that was covered with his hair. She wished it could be his arms that comforted her. For those three solid hours, she had been crying her eyes out on the front porch, watching one of the 2 suns set. Her grandmother had gone out to buy dinner, leaving the girl for some time alone. She cursed at herself for being such a hopeless romantic, dragging her heels into the house to wash her face. Passing the dining room, she noticed a small glint of gold out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look at where it came from, it disappeared. Deciding it was a trick of the eyes, she continued past the room. But as she took another step, it appeared again. She again turned to see what it was, but this time it didn't disappear. She steadied her pace towards the table, rubbing her eyes. It was ring. Lying there in the middle of the table.
A ring?*
Did....did he leave it for her?
It was the hopeless romantic part of her that convinced her that the ring was for a purpose, a meaning. She would only have to wait for him to return to tell her.
*end flashback*
She hurried to her room, but didn't find them there. Realizing she had never told Vash where her room was, she returned to the room they were talking in. She stopped in her tracks when she arrived and heard sobbing from the other side of the door. Vash's voice was muffled, but she knew that for him to cry it had to be something extremely serious. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, thinking it wasn't as shiny as it used to be. She swallowed hard, and gripped on the door knob.
*the rings that Vash wears on his gloves (apparently, he left one behind)
Some things are over
Some things go on
Part of me you carry
Part of me is gone
But you got a heart so big
It could crush this town
And I can't hold out forever
Even walls fall down
-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Even walls fall down. I was listening to this throughout the writing. I thought it fit Rina, as well as what Vash would say if he ever found out her thoughts.