He stood there in a daze, the water dripping down his face and the back of his neck. '..................wife?' He was completely confused as to what was going on, but he focused his mind on what he had come here for. "Meryl...I don't know what's going on, but let me do what I came here for."
"Just forget it! I don't want you near me ever again!" Meryl fell back into the bed, pulling the sheets tight over her head.
'No...I can't do that. Not anymore. Not when I realize what you need to hear. What I've been wanting to tell you for a long time.' He sighed, unbuttoning his shirt; he was no longer in control of his actions as his mind fell numb. He was giving in to what he wanted. He untied his long hair, throwing his shirt into the dark corner of the room. "Meryl." He tugged at the covers, trying to loosen it from her grip. "Meryl, let go."
"Do you NOT know the meaning of 'leave me alone?'"
"Yes....but I don't care. You shouldn't be alone right now." He managed to get some of the sheets loose and slipped into the bed beside her, without her knowing.
"Who are you to determine what I need?" She turned, expecting to see him still standing there dumb-founded. Instead, she saw his turquoise eyes staring at her from the pillow that was next to hers. Some strands of hair had fallen over his shoulder, curling around the scars that were on his chest.
He saw the surprise in her eyes and used it to his advantage. He took her withered hand in his and placed it on his chest, over the wire meshing that covered one of his wounds. He smiled to himself, seeing her cheeks brighten a bit, not from fever, but from blushing. "You see this scar, Meryl? It means nothing, not with the condition you're in. All these scars put together are nothing compared to the pain in my chest when you say those kinds of words. I don't mean the pain of guilt. I mean the pain of knowing that you don't want to open up to me. I realize now what you've been wanting me to say, the words that you've been wanting to hear."
Meryl listened to his words, which were making her mind fuzzy. She felt dizzy, the image of Vash began to spin. The girl with the ring popped into her mind. 'This isn't right. He's engaged.' She shut her eyes tightly, repeating the words to herself. 'He's engaged, he's engaged, he's engaged...." It felt like her mind shattered when he pulled her closer to his chest. The warmth...the feeling of a man's touch, without it being sexual. She released the tears that she had been holding back the entire time, pressing her cheek into his warmth.
"Let it all out, Meryl," he spoke in a hushed whisper, "I'm always going to be here for you. Because I love you." He kissed the top of her head, taking in the moment. "I always have, ever since that incident with Legato. But I just didn't want to admit to myself....because I was afraid to lose you."
The words. It was the words she wanted to hear. And it was the same ones that she herself had wanted to tell him for so long, but never wanted to admit either.
"Vash...I'm sorry for earlier." She wiped her eye with the heel of her hand. "I DID mean what I said, but I knew you'd take it the wrong way. I'm just sick of you blaming yourself all the time. Why can't you see the wonderful person that you are, instead of a burden? It's not your fault. Nothing ever was."
"Yes it was. If I hadn't been drinking that night..."
"The fact is you were, and I don't blame you for that. Things in life happen for a reason. The bad things have to happen so that the good things will seem all the more special."
He smiled. "You mean like this one?"
"Especially this one." She pressed herself closer against him. His skin felt calming and cool, due to her still rising fever.
"You're still shivering." He pulled the sheets tightly around them. "The warmth should bring your temperature down."
"Even if it doesn't, I don't want this to end." She closed her eyes, taking in every moment. She wanted to remember this forever.
Rina had peeking through the keyhole, every second made her feel more and more defieted. He did love the girl after all. There was nothing she could do now. All that she had been living for had been flushed down the drain, like a prized earring that she could never get back. She slipped the ring off her finger, placing it on the ground in front of the door. 'I've lost you...the one I truly loved. I guess this ring wasn't for me after all.' She trudged down the hallway, leaving the once-prized bent piece of gold, to the kitchen. She looked around blindly, as if seeing the room for the first time. She felt bewildered and alone.
She saw the knife lying there on the countertop. It's shiny surface caught her eye, and she had a flashback of the first time she had seen the ring on the table. She wanted it. Mesmerized, she walked over to it, taking it up in her hand. 'Yes....he left it for me.' She placed the razor-edge on her wrist and slid it across slowly, fascinated by the thick red liquid that emerged. It dripped to the ground, forming tiny red circles. The pain shot up her arm to her brain; it felt exquisite. It took her mind away from the heartache. She made more tiny incisions further up her arm, welcoming the dark dizziness thar began to envelope her.
"Are you guys thirsty?" Milly stood up. Her mouth was feeling a bit dry from all the talking they had been doing. Knives and Michael nodded in agreement. "I'll see what I can find in the fridge."
She was bit puzzled by the silence in the house. Earlier, she was hearing muffled screams coming from upstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to get up. Those two needed some time to work things out between them, and so decided not to interfere. But now it was quiet. Eerily quiet. She had been looking up the stairs at the door the two were behind, but now something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was a leg; the rest of the body was out of view. The sock was stained with a red substance. She hurried to the kitchen, coming to the conclusion that something was definitely wrong. It was Rina, surrounded by thick puddles of blood. The knife rested not too far from her hand. She tried her best to scream, but her voice never came. She returned to the room, dragging Knives and Michael to the kitchen.
"Holy...!" Michael stood there, dazed. He had seen blood before, not to mention a countless number of bodies. But suicide was another case entirely. Knives looked on, a bit intrigued. The smell of blood in the air was a bit intoxicating for him, yet he did admit that it was indeed a gruesome scene.
The couple had drifted off to a light sleep, but were awakened suddenly to the heavy pounding on the door.
"What's wrong?" Vash had rushed to the door, flinging it open. Milly stood there, a shocked expression on her face. Her voice was still gone, but the other two were able to take care of the situation down stairs, leaving her to inform them of the news. Nothing that something was wrong, he rushed out the door, but stopped when he heard a slight crunching under his foot. It was the ring he had seen on Rina's finger earlier. 'Oh god........Rina!' He dashed downstairs, and stopped in horror at the kitchen doorway when he saw the sight.
"Rina! RINA!" He cradled the young girl in his arms, taking care not to disturb the bandages that were now tied tightly around her arms; Neon and Knives had torn and ripped up their shirts into strips.
"H..hey Vash." She spoke weakly, barely managing to keep her eyes open. She caught sight of the image of the ring in his hand, and took it from him. "I guess this wasn't meant for me, huh?" She coughed, as she felt her breathing beginning to slow.
"So....that's what you meant earlier when you said..." Fresh hot tears poured down his cheeks as the realization came to him.
Rina took his hand and pushed the ring onto it. "I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy. But I know in my heart she will." She smiled. "You deserve each other." Her eyes fluttered close, a smile remaining on her lips.
Meryl had seen the expression on Milly's face, and although Vash had told her to remain in bed, she still managed to pull herself out of the bed and downstairs. Thanks to her stubbornness.
The image sent a nauseating wave through her, the auburn-haired girl drenched in crimson. She realized now that she had been lieing to her about the ring, when she saw it on Vash's finger. Not to mention his saddened tear-stained face. But she felt more sadness than hate for the girl. She knew what it was like to want to be selfish, to want something that she felt she could never have. But now she had it. And she felt guilty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow. Poor Rina. Not even I expected this. Well, Vash and Meryl had their tender alone moment and made up. So I guess the fic is finally going to wind down to some kind of ending. (wow...........6 chapters after the rape scene, they finally make up O_O) ^_^x
"Just forget it! I don't want you near me ever again!" Meryl fell back into the bed, pulling the sheets tight over her head.
'No...I can't do that. Not anymore. Not when I realize what you need to hear. What I've been wanting to tell you for a long time.' He sighed, unbuttoning his shirt; he was no longer in control of his actions as his mind fell numb. He was giving in to what he wanted. He untied his long hair, throwing his shirt into the dark corner of the room. "Meryl." He tugged at the covers, trying to loosen it from her grip. "Meryl, let go."
"Do you NOT know the meaning of 'leave me alone?'"
"Yes....but I don't care. You shouldn't be alone right now." He managed to get some of the sheets loose and slipped into the bed beside her, without her knowing.
"Who are you to determine what I need?" She turned, expecting to see him still standing there dumb-founded. Instead, she saw his turquoise eyes staring at her from the pillow that was next to hers. Some strands of hair had fallen over his shoulder, curling around the scars that were on his chest.
He saw the surprise in her eyes and used it to his advantage. He took her withered hand in his and placed it on his chest, over the wire meshing that covered one of his wounds. He smiled to himself, seeing her cheeks brighten a bit, not from fever, but from blushing. "You see this scar, Meryl? It means nothing, not with the condition you're in. All these scars put together are nothing compared to the pain in my chest when you say those kinds of words. I don't mean the pain of guilt. I mean the pain of knowing that you don't want to open up to me. I realize now what you've been wanting me to say, the words that you've been wanting to hear."
Meryl listened to his words, which were making her mind fuzzy. She felt dizzy, the image of Vash began to spin. The girl with the ring popped into her mind. 'This isn't right. He's engaged.' She shut her eyes tightly, repeating the words to herself. 'He's engaged, he's engaged, he's engaged...." It felt like her mind shattered when he pulled her closer to his chest. The warmth...the feeling of a man's touch, without it being sexual. She released the tears that she had been holding back the entire time, pressing her cheek into his warmth.
"Let it all out, Meryl," he spoke in a hushed whisper, "I'm always going to be here for you. Because I love you." He kissed the top of her head, taking in the moment. "I always have, ever since that incident with Legato. But I just didn't want to admit to myself....because I was afraid to lose you."
The words. It was the words she wanted to hear. And it was the same ones that she herself had wanted to tell him for so long, but never wanted to admit either.
"Vash...I'm sorry for earlier." She wiped her eye with the heel of her hand. "I DID mean what I said, but I knew you'd take it the wrong way. I'm just sick of you blaming yourself all the time. Why can't you see the wonderful person that you are, instead of a burden? It's not your fault. Nothing ever was."
"Yes it was. If I hadn't been drinking that night..."
"The fact is you were, and I don't blame you for that. Things in life happen for a reason. The bad things have to happen so that the good things will seem all the more special."
He smiled. "You mean like this one?"
"Especially this one." She pressed herself closer against him. His skin felt calming and cool, due to her still rising fever.
"You're still shivering." He pulled the sheets tightly around them. "The warmth should bring your temperature down."
"Even if it doesn't, I don't want this to end." She closed her eyes, taking in every moment. She wanted to remember this forever.
Rina had peeking through the keyhole, every second made her feel more and more defieted. He did love the girl after all. There was nothing she could do now. All that she had been living for had been flushed down the drain, like a prized earring that she could never get back. She slipped the ring off her finger, placing it on the ground in front of the door. 'I've lost you...the one I truly loved. I guess this ring wasn't for me after all.' She trudged down the hallway, leaving the once-prized bent piece of gold, to the kitchen. She looked around blindly, as if seeing the room for the first time. She felt bewildered and alone.
She saw the knife lying there on the countertop. It's shiny surface caught her eye, and she had a flashback of the first time she had seen the ring on the table. She wanted it. Mesmerized, she walked over to it, taking it up in her hand. 'Yes....he left it for me.' She placed the razor-edge on her wrist and slid it across slowly, fascinated by the thick red liquid that emerged. It dripped to the ground, forming tiny red circles. The pain shot up her arm to her brain; it felt exquisite. It took her mind away from the heartache. She made more tiny incisions further up her arm, welcoming the dark dizziness thar began to envelope her.
"Are you guys thirsty?" Milly stood up. Her mouth was feeling a bit dry from all the talking they had been doing. Knives and Michael nodded in agreement. "I'll see what I can find in the fridge."
She was bit puzzled by the silence in the house. Earlier, she was hearing muffled screams coming from upstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to get up. Those two needed some time to work things out between them, and so decided not to interfere. But now it was quiet. Eerily quiet. She had been looking up the stairs at the door the two were behind, but now something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was a leg; the rest of the body was out of view. The sock was stained with a red substance. She hurried to the kitchen, coming to the conclusion that something was definitely wrong. It was Rina, surrounded by thick puddles of blood. The knife rested not too far from her hand. She tried her best to scream, but her voice never came. She returned to the room, dragging Knives and Michael to the kitchen.
"Holy...!" Michael stood there, dazed. He had seen blood before, not to mention a countless number of bodies. But suicide was another case entirely. Knives looked on, a bit intrigued. The smell of blood in the air was a bit intoxicating for him, yet he did admit that it was indeed a gruesome scene.
The couple had drifted off to a light sleep, but were awakened suddenly to the heavy pounding on the door.
"What's wrong?" Vash had rushed to the door, flinging it open. Milly stood there, a shocked expression on her face. Her voice was still gone, but the other two were able to take care of the situation down stairs, leaving her to inform them of the news. Nothing that something was wrong, he rushed out the door, but stopped when he heard a slight crunching under his foot. It was the ring he had seen on Rina's finger earlier. 'Oh god........Rina!' He dashed downstairs, and stopped in horror at the kitchen doorway when he saw the sight.
"Rina! RINA!" He cradled the young girl in his arms, taking care not to disturb the bandages that were now tied tightly around her arms; Neon and Knives had torn and ripped up their shirts into strips.
"H..hey Vash." She spoke weakly, barely managing to keep her eyes open. She caught sight of the image of the ring in his hand, and took it from him. "I guess this wasn't meant for me, huh?" She coughed, as she felt her breathing beginning to slow.
"So....that's what you meant earlier when you said..." Fresh hot tears poured down his cheeks as the realization came to him.
Rina took his hand and pushed the ring onto it. "I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy. But I know in my heart she will." She smiled. "You deserve each other." Her eyes fluttered close, a smile remaining on her lips.
Meryl had seen the expression on Milly's face, and although Vash had told her to remain in bed, she still managed to pull herself out of the bed and downstairs. Thanks to her stubbornness.
The image sent a nauseating wave through her, the auburn-haired girl drenched in crimson. She realized now that she had been lieing to her about the ring, when she saw it on Vash's finger. Not to mention his saddened tear-stained face. But she felt more sadness than hate for the girl. She knew what it was like to want to be selfish, to want something that she felt she could never have. But now she had it. And she felt guilty.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow. Poor Rina. Not even I expected this. Well, Vash and Meryl had their tender alone moment and made up. So I guess the fic is finally going to wind down to some kind of ending. (wow...........6 chapters after the rape scene, they finally make up O_O) ^_^x