"Meryl? Meryl, are you ok?" He was kneeling beside the bed, the sheets twisted in his hands which were dotted with his tears. "Please........answer me....I can't take the silence anymore...." His fingers creeped towards her. He wanted to feel her skin again, to know that she was real. That he hadn't lost her. But she cringed away as soon as they got even remotely close to her skin.
"Don't...." Her voice was dry and coarse, and her eyes were still blank and uncaring.
"No, Meryl. YOU don't. You think this is better for you? Or that this is easy for me? Just when I thought that I could protect the ones I love, something like this happens. Everything I touch.......is destroyed...." He clenched his fist; he wanted to grip her arm for comfort, but he knew what would happen.
Meryl couldn't tell what came over her, but she felt an intense rage building up in her. She felt her pace quickening, to the point of her head beginning to throb.
"You know what, Vash? You're absolutely right." She pulled herself to a sitting position, her brows furrowed. "Everything and everyone you touch is destroyed. Gets broken. Is killed. Is raped." She had subconsciously placed emphasis on the latter, causing Vash to gasp and stare in disbelief. "That's what you want to hear, isn't it? YOU caused this to happen to me." She threw the covers off her and pulled herself out of the bed. "Sometimes you can be so god-damned selfish, Vash! You! Everything is about you!!! You think you cause everything, don't you? YOU are the beginning and the end. Anything bad that happens is caused by you." She grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head, which he decided not to dodge. "YOU!" Her forehead was dotted with sweat and her breathing was heavy. ".........why? Why the HELL don't you burst that ego bubble of yours?" Her speech became slower and slower, and she started to swagger. "You are NOT the cause of everything....." Her legs buckled and she fell to the floor, crashing to her knees.
"Meryl!" He leapt across the bed to help her up.
"No, Vash! I'm not helpless! Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." She grabbed the sheets of the mattress and pulled herself up, ignoring Vash. "You think you can help every single person on this planet, and I'll tell you you're dead wrong. You are only ONE person." She curled up across the bed, parallel to Vash, but with her back to him. "So stop trying to make yourself the super hero."
Vash sat there in a daze, trying to figure out where these words had come from. No one had ever told him this before, but when he thought about it deeply it did seem to make some sense. But he managed to stir up enough courage, but not after ridding his throat of the big lump that was there.
"Maybe....maybe you are right. That I am selfish. But it is my fault. Imagine how happier the people of this planet would be if we had never come here." He stared at her back, trying to picture the expression on her face.
"Well, that shows how you really feel." She turned, and her face had the most frightening scowl Vash had ever seen. "You wish I was never alive, you jerk."
"That.....that's not what..." He choked. Why was she doing this to him? Why was she turning his words around to hurt him like this? Had he really lost her?
"Vash.....just leave me alone, ok?"
"But..."
"You know where the door is." And that was where the conversation ended.
~*~Somewhere else~*~
"Boy, this rain is really coming down." Knives stood there on the porch of the store, his hand outstretched palm up to see how hard the rain was falling.
"We can't just stay here! We have to get to Meryl." Milly looked around nervously; she would've stolen the nearest umbrella, anything for her best friend.
"Don't worry. Vash would have HAD to notice the rain and saved her before she got too soaked."
"No! I don't care! We're going!" She grabbed his arm and dashed into the rain, but she got pulled back.
"The food will get soaked." He motioned to the paper bags.
"The food, Knives? THE FOOD?! Fine. If you want to save the food, then here!" She shoved her bag into his hands and took off into the heavy downpour alone.
"What...? Now what's got her so upset?" He looked down at the two bags, and heavy guilt washed over him. "Dammit!" He returned inside and asked the store keeper to keep the bags for him until he returned. And then he took off after Milly into the heavy gray blanket of fog and rain. Surprisingly, he ran faster than he thought he could, as he arrived at Rina's place a few seconds after Milly had disappeared through the doorway. When he got inside, he shook a bit of water from his hair, but he didn't expect what happened next. And neither did Milly.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!" Vash towered over them, his voice screeching. "DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT IT WAS RAINING? WHY DIDN'T YOU-"
"Vash!" Rina shook his arm from where she stood behind him. "Screaming causes nothing but more tempers and a sore throat." He had rushed from the room and collided into her when she was carrying the extra towel to him. But the screaming and thuds caused her to remain outside the door, listening. She never caught any words clearly, but she could tell that it was indeed a private conversation. That she was eavesdropping on. Vash had apologized for crashing into her, but she realized she shouldn't have been standing there. He must have suspected that she had been listening, and she berated herself for committing such a low act. And the bruise that was now on her arm would forever remind her not to do it again.
"What is wrong with you?" Knives never liked to be screamed at, especially when he had done nothing wrong.
"Me? ME?! Both of you could have killed her!"
"Killed her? Vash, you're going a bit overboard...." Milly spoke quietly, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Am I now? Suppose I hadn't heard it raining, she'd be dead!"
"Oh please!" Knives flung his arms up into the air. "You are being riduculous!"
"No, Knives! YOU'RE being an ass for not wanting to help her."
"Vash..." Milly tried her best to calm the brothers down.
"Who's the ass that couldn't hear the rain falling?"
"Vash." She nudged him in his side.
"You knew I had business to take care of!"
"Vash!" She shook his arm this time, but he still ignored her.
"More important than your girlfriend?"
"She's NOT my girlfriend!"
"VASH!" This time, she punched him in the arm, hard.
"OW! WHAT???" Milly turned towards the stairs, and Vash followed her gaze. Meryl stood there at the top of the stairs, hugging a pillow to her chest for comfort.
"Just because....you're not the cause of everyone's problems....doesn't mean you should go blame others, you jerk." She was swaying a bit, and lost her balance, but Rina was there to prevent her from crashing to the floor and brought her back to her room.
~*~Outside~*~
The rumble of a motor bike echoed against the thick fog, as bright yellow and pink neon lights reflected against the gray. The rumble died, as it pulled up outside Rina's house.
"Hmph. Even the weather is jealous of me making a brilliant entrance."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alright, THIS time I was listening to Blue from Cowboy Bebop. Well, it looks like there's some knife-throwing on Meryl's part. Don't worry. It will ALL become clear in the next chapter. To come: some alone time between Knives and Milly (it's NOT like that, you pervs!). And what will happen to Rina? Will she confess her feelings to Vash? And look who's arrived!! ^_^x To the wonderful suggestion of Senshi Nadeshiko.
Asked myself what it's all for
You know the funny thing about it
I couldn't answer, no I couldn't answer
Things have turned a deeper shade of blue
And images that might be real
May be illusion
- lyrics from Cowboy Bebop: Blue
"Don't...." Her voice was dry and coarse, and her eyes were still blank and uncaring.
"No, Meryl. YOU don't. You think this is better for you? Or that this is easy for me? Just when I thought that I could protect the ones I love, something like this happens. Everything I touch.......is destroyed...." He clenched his fist; he wanted to grip her arm for comfort, but he knew what would happen.
Meryl couldn't tell what came over her, but she felt an intense rage building up in her. She felt her pace quickening, to the point of her head beginning to throb.
"You know what, Vash? You're absolutely right." She pulled herself to a sitting position, her brows furrowed. "Everything and everyone you touch is destroyed. Gets broken. Is killed. Is raped." She had subconsciously placed emphasis on the latter, causing Vash to gasp and stare in disbelief. "That's what you want to hear, isn't it? YOU caused this to happen to me." She threw the covers off her and pulled herself out of the bed. "Sometimes you can be so god-damned selfish, Vash! You! Everything is about you!!! You think you cause everything, don't you? YOU are the beginning and the end. Anything bad that happens is caused by you." She grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head, which he decided not to dodge. "YOU!" Her forehead was dotted with sweat and her breathing was heavy. ".........why? Why the HELL don't you burst that ego bubble of yours?" Her speech became slower and slower, and she started to swagger. "You are NOT the cause of everything....." Her legs buckled and she fell to the floor, crashing to her knees.
"Meryl!" He leapt across the bed to help her up.
"No, Vash! I'm not helpless! Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." She grabbed the sheets of the mattress and pulled herself up, ignoring Vash. "You think you can help every single person on this planet, and I'll tell you you're dead wrong. You are only ONE person." She curled up across the bed, parallel to Vash, but with her back to him. "So stop trying to make yourself the super hero."
Vash sat there in a daze, trying to figure out where these words had come from. No one had ever told him this before, but when he thought about it deeply it did seem to make some sense. But he managed to stir up enough courage, but not after ridding his throat of the big lump that was there.
"Maybe....maybe you are right. That I am selfish. But it is my fault. Imagine how happier the people of this planet would be if we had never come here." He stared at her back, trying to picture the expression on her face.
"Well, that shows how you really feel." She turned, and her face had the most frightening scowl Vash had ever seen. "You wish I was never alive, you jerk."
"That.....that's not what..." He choked. Why was she doing this to him? Why was she turning his words around to hurt him like this? Had he really lost her?
"Vash.....just leave me alone, ok?"
"But..."
"You know where the door is." And that was where the conversation ended.
~*~Somewhere else~*~
"Boy, this rain is really coming down." Knives stood there on the porch of the store, his hand outstretched palm up to see how hard the rain was falling.
"We can't just stay here! We have to get to Meryl." Milly looked around nervously; she would've stolen the nearest umbrella, anything for her best friend.
"Don't worry. Vash would have HAD to notice the rain and saved her before she got too soaked."
"No! I don't care! We're going!" She grabbed his arm and dashed into the rain, but she got pulled back.
"The food will get soaked." He motioned to the paper bags.
"The food, Knives? THE FOOD?! Fine. If you want to save the food, then here!" She shoved her bag into his hands and took off into the heavy downpour alone.
"What...? Now what's got her so upset?" He looked down at the two bags, and heavy guilt washed over him. "Dammit!" He returned inside and asked the store keeper to keep the bags for him until he returned. And then he took off after Milly into the heavy gray blanket of fog and rain. Surprisingly, he ran faster than he thought he could, as he arrived at Rina's place a few seconds after Milly had disappeared through the doorway. When he got inside, he shook a bit of water from his hair, but he didn't expect what happened next. And neither did Milly.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!" Vash towered over them, his voice screeching. "DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT IT WAS RAINING? WHY DIDN'T YOU-"
"Vash!" Rina shook his arm from where she stood behind him. "Screaming causes nothing but more tempers and a sore throat." He had rushed from the room and collided into her when she was carrying the extra towel to him. But the screaming and thuds caused her to remain outside the door, listening. She never caught any words clearly, but she could tell that it was indeed a private conversation. That she was eavesdropping on. Vash had apologized for crashing into her, but she realized she shouldn't have been standing there. He must have suspected that she had been listening, and she berated herself for committing such a low act. And the bruise that was now on her arm would forever remind her not to do it again.
"What is wrong with you?" Knives never liked to be screamed at, especially when he had done nothing wrong.
"Me? ME?! Both of you could have killed her!"
"Killed her? Vash, you're going a bit overboard...." Milly spoke quietly, feeling a bit uneasy.
"Am I now? Suppose I hadn't heard it raining, she'd be dead!"
"Oh please!" Knives flung his arms up into the air. "You are being riduculous!"
"No, Knives! YOU'RE being an ass for not wanting to help her."
"Vash..." Milly tried her best to calm the brothers down.
"Who's the ass that couldn't hear the rain falling?"
"Vash." She nudged him in his side.
"You knew I had business to take care of!"
"Vash!" She shook his arm this time, but he still ignored her.
"More important than your girlfriend?"
"She's NOT my girlfriend!"
"VASH!" This time, she punched him in the arm, hard.
"OW! WHAT???" Milly turned towards the stairs, and Vash followed her gaze. Meryl stood there at the top of the stairs, hugging a pillow to her chest for comfort.
"Just because....you're not the cause of everyone's problems....doesn't mean you should go blame others, you jerk." She was swaying a bit, and lost her balance, but Rina was there to prevent her from crashing to the floor and brought her back to her room.
~*~Outside~*~
The rumble of a motor bike echoed against the thick fog, as bright yellow and pink neon lights reflected against the gray. The rumble died, as it pulled up outside Rina's house.
"Hmph. Even the weather is jealous of me making a brilliant entrance."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alright, THIS time I was listening to Blue from Cowboy Bebop. Well, it looks like there's some knife-throwing on Meryl's part. Don't worry. It will ALL become clear in the next chapter. To come: some alone time between Knives and Milly (it's NOT like that, you pervs!). And what will happen to Rina? Will she confess her feelings to Vash? And look who's arrived!! ^_^x To the wonderful suggestion of Senshi Nadeshiko.
Asked myself what it's all for
You know the funny thing about it
I couldn't answer, no I couldn't answer
Things have turned a deeper shade of blue
And images that might be real
May be illusion
- lyrics from Cowboy Bebop: Blue