Disclaimer: Trigun isn't mine, unfortunately.

A/N: Once again, thanks to everyone for reviewing! I want to take this opportunity to answer Sabina of the Closet Weirdos, who reviewed and asked if all this comes out of the top of my head or I have it all written down: The chapters are written the same day they're posted. I used to have a few pre-written, but posted them and caught up with myself. I simply pour out my thoughts and work out the kinks, then post. I have a few solid ideas in mind, but most of the stuff is random spillage from my mind. I hope this answers your question, and thanks for reading all of you!!

Chapter Fourteen: Emotions and Admittance

Knives stared up at the heavens, Rhianne's head resting on his chest, slowly rising and falling with each breath he took. She wasn't facing him, and he took the opportunity to let his hands run over her silky hair. He lifted his head up a little, then moved his arm under it so that he could see her better. His fingers followed the flow of her hair until it came to a hair band that held together the loose ponytail she had sported since he had met her. His fingers played with the elastic for a moment, then he slid his fingers though a space between it and her hair, and gently pulled it out, letting her long strands fall onto his chest. He picked up a small amount and twirled it between his fingers, marveling at the way it shimmered in the moonlight.

*Knives, what are you doing?* Rhianne's mental voice inquired as he continued to run his hands through her hair.

"Nothing much…" the male plant trailed off. He wound the small clump of hair around his finger, then let go and watched as the tendrils of hair fell, now curled slightly. He smiled lightly at the back of her head, hoping she wouldn't turn around. He didn't need for her to see him feeling like this. He didn't even want to admit it to himself, but he was beginning to feel something for her.

It was the strangest feeling. When he looked at her, he got a strange, warm feeling in his chest, kind of like his heart was on fire. He felt strange, and he didn't want to be anywhere else but next to her. He had never felt this way about anyone else. Ever. Vash was his brother, yes, but he was just…Vash. He was Vash, not Rhianne. And that made all the difference in the world. Or did it? He realized that the way he felt about Rhianne was very similar to the way she felt about her brother, Corrin. Was this what the humans called 'love'? It couldn't be, not if he felt similar feelings about the female plant that she felt for her sibling. Or was it simply because Corrin had been Rhianne's brother had been family…? Knives shook his head; emotions were confusing things.

*Not really* Rhianne's mental voice chided him *Emotions are only confusing if you allow them to be. As long as you come to grips with reality and keep a balance between your heart and your head, emotions really aren't that tough to handle.* He glared at the back of her head "reading my thoughts, were we?" he asked icily. Rhianne turned around, her spilling her chestnut hair, now looking silvery beneath the light of the moons, over his chest, and looked at him with her innocent aqua eyes "of course not. You're radiating your thoughts." She shifted her head slightly, gazing into his eyes, nearly white under the starlight.

"Why do you doubt me, Knives?" she asked sadly, sensing the mistrust he felt. Knives blinked at her for a moment, pondering the question himself. He had never really trusted anyone before, now that he thought of it, and Rhianne wasn't an exception. She was simply Rhianne. Nothing more, nothing less… or so he wanted to think. Deep down inside, in the pit of his stomach, Knives knew he was simply fooling himself. He felt for her and… certainly not. He couldn't… shouldn't…wouldn't fall in love with her. He had better things to do than to gaze all goggle-eyed at her like his brother did at any thing with breasts. While thinking this, his eyes absently traveled down to Rhianne's chest… and Knives found he couldn't look away… Argh! I'm winding up just like that baka-headed brother of mine! Knives thought sullenly, trying to tear his eyes from Rhianne's cleavage, which was pushed up because she was leaning on him and looked so…

"Ack!" Knives thought suddenly, closing his eyes and forcing his head to lean back. What was wrong with what he had just done? He was turning into some kind of disgusting creature who only saw people for their outer appearance, someone who was so drawn to certain aspects of a woman's body… a human. He was becoming shallow, just like every man and woman on this godforsaken planet who never got to know the real people inside. All the vermin saw was looks, looks, looks. Nothing more, nothing less. He paused for a moment and wondered if the vermin on Rhianne's planet were concerned only with their looks, but decided against it. He really wanted to be alone with his thoughts right now, he told himself.

Is that what you really want? An unseen voice chided him in his head. Knives heard an echo of the voice, and realized that it was Vash's voice echoing in his mind. Do you want to alienate yourself from her, like you did to me? Don't you want a stab at romance Knives? Just one try? "No… no I most certainly do not" Knives spat back, unaware that he was having a fight with himself "she would just get in my way." Are you sure? She could change your whole perspective on life. "My perspective doesn't need adjusting in the least." The plant spat back at the voice in his head.

Why can't you just admit you have feelings like everyone else? Vash's voice cried angrily in his mind "because" Knives stated slowly "I'm not like everyone else. I am Millions Knives, the most feared being on this planet and the leader of the Vermin Genocide. I have no need for petty things like emotions."

Fine then… I don't care. Vash's voice faded away into nothingness, leaving Knives alone with his thoughts once more. Where did that strange voice come from, he wondered. It had been happening a lot lately. It simply urged him to do things, then argued with him if he didn't do as he was told. Idly, Knives wondered if Vash was speaking to him psychically like they had done as children. But he hadn't done that since he had asked his twin to help him eliminate the vermin. He had been cut off from his brother since that day, save the three times he had seen Vash and the two months he had spent living with his sibling while he healed. And even then Vash was hesitant to even speak to him verbally.

"Do you miss your brother?" Rhianne's voice interjected his train of thought. Knives looked down a her, making sure to keep his gaze above her neck "what?" he asked, being so involved in his thoughts that he had hardly been aware of the girl's voice. The female plant sighed and repeated herself.

"Of course not!" Knives spat loudly, his voice echoing across the desert "I've never missed that bakayarou one single day since he ran off!" Rhianne shook her head slightly "that's not what I picked up." She stated. Knives shot up, throwing Rhianne from his chest.

"You little bitch!" he roared "how dare you read my private thoughts! You have no right to read ANYTHING that passes through my mind, do I make myself clear?" His female counterpart stood, her eyes blazing "do you think I WANT to read your thoughts? Are you that arrogant that you think I like being able to pick up on your worthless, selfish ranting?! Hell no! I'd rather you keep your thoughts to yourself, but you haven't seemed to figure out how to keep things to yourself, have you? Aw, fuck no. That would make everything easier!" She stormed off, over the other side of the dune, plunking down into the moonlit sand. She stretched her arms out so that the insides of her elbows rested on her knees, and pressed her head down onto her clothed skin.

What was his problem? She thought angrily. All she was doing was trying to initiate conversation, and he flipped out like that. It wasn't her fault she could pick up people's thoughts, and Knives almost literally reeked of his thoughts, it was a surprise that the humans couldn't pick up them! Rhianne closed her eyes and sighed heavily. Why had she stormed off like that? Now it would take forever to make up with Knives. Another sigh escaped her parted lips.

She was no dummy, she had admitted to her feelings for Knives soon after they had flared up inside her. She knew falling for him probably wasn't the right thing to do, but she really had no choice in the matter, now did she? No, of course not. Even as a member of a superior race, she still had no control over her emotions. It wasn't like she could just instantly hate Knives overnight, things simply weren't that easy. And, although she didn't want to admit it, she didn't want to have to hate Knives anyway. He wasn't that bad sometimes. Hadn't he just tried to comfort her, after all?

Rhianne sighed. She had been wrong, emotions were oftentimes confusing, and very annoying sometimes.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dune, Knives was in a fierce war between himself and that strange voice.

what do you mean? 'I can't stand her'? You adore being around her! She makes you want to give up your genocide plans simply because she disagrees with the idea. That has to mean something! No, not it doesn't. She is nothing but nuisance who will be exterminated along with the vermin. You wouldn't do that. Who's going to stop me? Either her, or your heart. You can't lie to yourself forever. It's inevitable. Now, just go over there, wrap your arms around her shoulders, and say you're-

"I AM NOT SORRY!" Knives shouted loudly, suddenly aware that he had yelled that out for no apparent reason. He drew in a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He seemed to have silenced the voice… for now.

"You should be!" Rhianne's voice floated over the side of the dune. Knives turned around, expecting to see her standing atop the hill, but instead found that she had simply shouted her retort over.

Rhianne had her eyes closed, so she hadn't seen Knives' shadow approaching her, but she heard the crunch of the sand beneath his feet, and already knew what was going to happen by the time he had reached her. And her theory proved to be correct.

Within a moment, she fad flown a good few feet and landed limply into the sand. She squinted her eyes shut, hoping to keep out the grains of sand as Knives turned her onto her back and grabbed her wrists, glowering down at her.

"What is your problem?" he demanded loudly. Rhianne shook her head to dislodge some of the sand, then glared up at him.

"What do you mean 'my problem'? You're the one with the problem here Knives, not me." Within a second of the words leaving her mouth, she felt the sting of Knives' hand across her cheek.

"You will not speak to me that way!" he shouted down at her, raining spittle on her face as he spoke. Rhianne glared up at him, unsure of what to say. So instead of retorting and potentially worsening the situation, she arched her back, lifted her legs, and bucked Knives from on top of her.

She rolled a few yards away and jumped to her feet, watching as Knives did the same. They stood hat way for a moment, neither moving, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, simultaneously, they both lunged at the other.

Rhianne dove for his knees, Knives for her waist. He flew just above her, so the Rhianne grabbed his foot as she landed, pulling on it slightly to get herself on her feet, then dove at Knives, who was still dazed on the sand. She landed on his chest, knocking the breath out of him.

"You arrogant fool. You can't even admit to your own feelings." She spat, then gave him a swift kiss on the lips, and jumped back up "I'm going back to your ship. Let me know if you decide to grow up." That said, she began to walk briskly up the hill.

"Hold on" Knives stated, grabbing her around the waist "if you dislike me so much, then why don't you go live with the vermin you love so dear?" Rhianne wrapped her arm around his neck, pulled him in, and placed a passionate kiss on his lips.

"Because I don't love the humans Knives, I love you."