The Sky is Too Far
Chapter 5 - (Lunch)
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Sorry, I really had to think about this one. ::Sleepless grumble::
Oh, and a quick warning; Flipping POV's, could be a bumpy ride!
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"Won't you atleast give them a chance?"
A pleading-yet-firm tone had since settled into Vash's voice. From the beginning of their discussion, the two brothers had been speaking quietly to each other, a hushed urgency needling in their voices, occassionally they'd even revert to the ever-handy mind speak, through the entire morning.
It was nearly noon now, and Vash had yet to inform either of the girls of Knives' conscious state...
...He'd been too occupied with it himself.
Their confrontation had started a bit odd, for the most part, Vash feeling extremely uncomfortable under his brother's accusing livid blue gaze. He'd been at a loss of words.
"Good morning, dearest brother."
The statement had been spoken within a barrier of controlled, relaxed calm. He had spoken with such a care-free air that Vash had been slightly disturbed. It was so... casual.
Knives was awake?!
It would seem that he was more than just awake, in a way. He was sober. He portrayed no signs of dizziness, drowsiness, lack-of-memory... nothing. He looked as though he'd simply awoken from an unscheduled nap, rather than a comatose state of sleep.
"What's the matter, Vash? Aren't you pleased to see me up?"
Vash had finally found his voice, his slack jaw working a moment before words were formed.
"Kn-Knives! You're awake!"
A slate of annoyance had spread through Knives' voice, then. His gaze narrowing in disdain.
"Yes, it would seem so, wouldn't it?"
After that, Vash had stumbled to sit beside his brother's bed, his hands slightly raised as if fiercely debating whether or not to administer a crushing hug. Knives' upper lip had curled slightly and he'd leaned away, ready to lash out if he even tried to do such a thing.
But Vash didn't, instead, he dropped his hands to his lap, leaning back in the chair, settling for muttering out an assortment of "how are you"s and other subtle praises.
He answered Knives' questions without any hesitation for several hours, overjoyed to see his brother up and talking about anything other than his loathe for humans.
Of course, all "good things" come to an end eventually, and Vash had known the subject would leak it's way into their conversation one way or another, and he'd gone dead-serious when the topic had finally surfaced.
It had started with a knock on their door. Knives jerked his head up, his blue gaze centered on the area the knock had emitted, glaring at the door before turning and focusing his fury onto his brother, who stared back in a state of pleading calm.
"Lunch is ready, Mr. Vash!"
It was Milly, and Vash rose his voice slightly in response, clearing his throat, his gaze never leaving that of his brother's.
"Alright Milly, thanks. I'll be out in a moment."
Knives (thankfully) waited for the footsteps to skip-off out of hearing range before raising his voice, anger lacing and constricting familiar paths within the tone, accusing his twin.
"You brought me to live with humans?!"
Vash's expression didn't change, his voice low and pleading, and yet strangely firm.
"Yes. They're my closest friends, and I'm sure they'll be yours, too."
His brother's eyes widened,
"SPIDERS, Vash!!",
spitting out the word as though in some way it would poison him if it lingered upon his lips for too long.
Vash's face had flushed in a sudden burst of involuntary anger, and he'd leapt from his seat, pulling his hands into tight fists, though kept at his sides.
"They're not! They're nothing like that! You've never even given them a chance, you have no right..."
His voice had simmered into a hiss.
"They're friends."
He'd delivered his point. Knives stared at him in an uncomfortable silence, the muscles at the corners of his mouth pulling taut.
"Won't you atleast give them a chance?"
The provoked color in his cheeks had dispersed, and he spoke in a quiet voice once more, his tone pleading yet insistant.
He was rewarded with no answer, other than Knives turning his head to glare outside, focusing on one point in the sky, crossing arms over his chest. There was a heightened color in his cheeks present, but nothing else.
Vash stood for another minute before sighing, lifting a hand to administer a feeble massage to the back of his neck.
"I'll go get lunch."
--
I was surprised.
I was feeling amazingly... good.
Refreshed.
Happy.
I had gone back to sleep this morning with a jumble of emotions I didn't know were possible to feel all at once.
I was bubbling with joy.
I was depressed.
I was angry.
I'm being torn apart inside, but...eh, it's a love-hate kind of thing.
Out of everything, I think I was happy the most. He'd hugged me! I know it wasn't the first time that it's happened, but in a way, it was.
This had been a special hug.
He'd never treated me like that, with so much gentle emotion directed to me, and just me!
But of course, hanging over that is a sort of depression. You see, I don't know what he meant by it. Had he been expressing a suppressed love for me? Or had it been simple his way of showing he cared for a friend's well being?
Lingering behind that, I can sense my own anger at him for confusing me like this.
I was mad at him because...
... because I don't know... what he was expressing.
Despite all that, I woke up again feeling better than I have in a while. It had been almost noon when Milly knocked at my door, eventually, when I didn't respond, taking the liberty to just come in. She'd warned me that,
"Too much sleep could be bad for you, Meryl, get up and help me make lunch, huh?"
I had smiled (much to her surprise), and agreed. She beamed a smile, satisfied, and left me to myself.
I took a shower, reveling in the more-or-less warm water, perhaps taking longer than was really necessary. After drying off efficiently enough, I'd covered myself with the towel, and sauntered into my room to fetch clean clothes, eventually joining Milly in the kitchen.
I glanced up from the stove to eye Milly, who smiled as she wandered back in and sat at the counter.
"He'll be out in a minute!"
I nodded, returning her smile as I stirred the soup in front of me. It seemed to be all we could afford lately...
Our paychecks were late.
I paused as a door opened, and listened as the infamous idiot shuffled down the hall.
My infamous idiot.
Mm... I'd like to believe that.
A grin clawed it's way over my face as the thought surfaced.
I've caught myself, in the hour or so that I've been awake, absently grinning 6 times. I added another mark to my mental tally.
I desperately tried to cover-up the grin for fear of being interrogated about it in the coming minutes, as he made his way directly to the counter, leaning against it and barking out a heart-felt "Hello!", to which Milly responded with, as always, equal enthusiasm.
"Hello Mr. Vash! Hungry?"
His stomach beat him to the answer, grumbling loudly. He tried to stifle the sound his stomach was emitting with one of his bellowed laughs.
"Yeah, you bet!"
His eyes lit up and he suddenly fumbled over to the stove to stand beside me, leaning down a bit with a rather dreamy look crawling over his expression. He offered a mischievious chuckle while lifting the lid that I'd placed over the pot only a moment before, getting a good whiff of lunch.
"Mmm-ah! Smells good!"
I quirked a brow and snatched the lid back, setting it beside the stove, closing my eyes as I stirred the soup one last time, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Of course it smells good... How do you think it'd smell, hm? Or are you trying to imply something?"
I meant to follow through with an accusing glare, but was thrown off guard, the blood rushing to my cheeks as I glanced up at him. He was smiling at me in a way that I've rarely seen from him. His eyes twinkled with a kind of gentle amusement and he twittered a soft chuckle in his throat.
I fumbled for words a bit, before mentally slapping myself, scolding for what could only have been stupidity on my part. I asked him to take out the bowls.
His grin widened (my blush deepened) before he turned and opened a cupboard, pulling out...
...four bowls?
"I think you grabbed one-too-many there, broomhead."
His grin fell into a smile and he only shook his head, setting the bowls on the counter.
Milly chimed in, a bit confused.
"But... why'd you get four?"
He turned to encompass Milly in his view as well, the smile still playing on his lips, his voice a bit softer, though.
"Because, there are four of us here."
I was about to politely ask Mr. Typhoon here just what exactly, had he received the blow that'd finally knocked whatever was left of his brain, out, when I realized what he meant.
My eyes widened and brows lifted a bit, turning to him.
"So he's..."
Vash nodded slowly, looking from one of us to the other, a gentle sincerity present in his gaze as well as his voice.
His lovely turquoise gaze...
I snapped myself away from my reverie as I heard his voice.
"I'd like you two to come and meet him, later. It'd really make me very happy if you both did, I still have to talk to him about things right now, though."
I glanced to Milly, who still seemed rather wrapped in her thoughts, before returning my gaze to Vash, who in turn lowered his own to me.
"Of course, Vash..."
I smiled for extra emphasis, and was almost startled when i felt him grasp my hand and give it nothing more than a thankful squeeze.
My fingertips were... tingling.
I was caught in his gaze again, and wished with all my heart that he'd hug me again, like he did this morning.
It already seemed like it'd happened too long ago, to me.
I don't know what was going through his mind, but the empty lonliness that I saw in his eyes... it tore at my heart.
I think he realized that I'd seen it, too, because he let go of my hand, a dusty pink rising to both our cheeks.
I looked away abruptly, glancing to Milly who had her back to us, leaning against the table, gazing outside. I sighed before quickly dishing the soup into the bowls, setting Milly's and mine at the table.
Vash disappeared down the hall again, after chirping a,
"Alright well, I'll come and get you guys when he's ready, okay? Later!",
two bowls of soup making the trip along with him.
Milly and I ate in silence, a bit nervous.
Knives was awake.
What did that mean for us?
Chapter 5 - (Lunch)
---- -
¬_______¬;;;;
Sorry, I really had to think about this one. ::Sleepless grumble::
Oh, and a quick warning; Flipping POV's, could be a bumpy ride!
---- -
"Won't you atleast give them a chance?"
A pleading-yet-firm tone had since settled into Vash's voice. From the beginning of their discussion, the two brothers had been speaking quietly to each other, a hushed urgency needling in their voices, occassionally they'd even revert to the ever-handy mind speak, through the entire morning.
It was nearly noon now, and Vash had yet to inform either of the girls of Knives' conscious state...
...He'd been too occupied with it himself.
Their confrontation had started a bit odd, for the most part, Vash feeling extremely uncomfortable under his brother's accusing livid blue gaze. He'd been at a loss of words.
"Good morning, dearest brother."
The statement had been spoken within a barrier of controlled, relaxed calm. He had spoken with such a care-free air that Vash had been slightly disturbed. It was so... casual.
Knives was awake?!
It would seem that he was more than just awake, in a way. He was sober. He portrayed no signs of dizziness, drowsiness, lack-of-memory... nothing. He looked as though he'd simply awoken from an unscheduled nap, rather than a comatose state of sleep.
"What's the matter, Vash? Aren't you pleased to see me up?"
Vash had finally found his voice, his slack jaw working a moment before words were formed.
"Kn-Knives! You're awake!"
A slate of annoyance had spread through Knives' voice, then. His gaze narrowing in disdain.
"Yes, it would seem so, wouldn't it?"
After that, Vash had stumbled to sit beside his brother's bed, his hands slightly raised as if fiercely debating whether or not to administer a crushing hug. Knives' upper lip had curled slightly and he'd leaned away, ready to lash out if he even tried to do such a thing.
But Vash didn't, instead, he dropped his hands to his lap, leaning back in the chair, settling for muttering out an assortment of "how are you"s and other subtle praises.
He answered Knives' questions without any hesitation for several hours, overjoyed to see his brother up and talking about anything other than his loathe for humans.
Of course, all "good things" come to an end eventually, and Vash had known the subject would leak it's way into their conversation one way or another, and he'd gone dead-serious when the topic had finally surfaced.
It had started with a knock on their door. Knives jerked his head up, his blue gaze centered on the area the knock had emitted, glaring at the door before turning and focusing his fury onto his brother, who stared back in a state of pleading calm.
"Lunch is ready, Mr. Vash!"
It was Milly, and Vash rose his voice slightly in response, clearing his throat, his gaze never leaving that of his brother's.
"Alright Milly, thanks. I'll be out in a moment."
Knives (thankfully) waited for the footsteps to skip-off out of hearing range before raising his voice, anger lacing and constricting familiar paths within the tone, accusing his twin.
"You brought me to live with humans?!"
Vash's expression didn't change, his voice low and pleading, and yet strangely firm.
"Yes. They're my closest friends, and I'm sure they'll be yours, too."
His brother's eyes widened,
"SPIDERS, Vash!!",
spitting out the word as though in some way it would poison him if it lingered upon his lips for too long.
Vash's face had flushed in a sudden burst of involuntary anger, and he'd leapt from his seat, pulling his hands into tight fists, though kept at his sides.
"They're not! They're nothing like that! You've never even given them a chance, you have no right..."
His voice had simmered into a hiss.
"They're friends."
He'd delivered his point. Knives stared at him in an uncomfortable silence, the muscles at the corners of his mouth pulling taut.
"Won't you atleast give them a chance?"
The provoked color in his cheeks had dispersed, and he spoke in a quiet voice once more, his tone pleading yet insistant.
He was rewarded with no answer, other than Knives turning his head to glare outside, focusing on one point in the sky, crossing arms over his chest. There was a heightened color in his cheeks present, but nothing else.
Vash stood for another minute before sighing, lifting a hand to administer a feeble massage to the back of his neck.
"I'll go get lunch."
--
I was surprised.
I was feeling amazingly... good.
Refreshed.
Happy.
I had gone back to sleep this morning with a jumble of emotions I didn't know were possible to feel all at once.
I was bubbling with joy.
I was depressed.
I was angry.
I'm being torn apart inside, but...eh, it's a love-hate kind of thing.
Out of everything, I think I was happy the most. He'd hugged me! I know it wasn't the first time that it's happened, but in a way, it was.
This had been a special hug.
He'd never treated me like that, with so much gentle emotion directed to me, and just me!
But of course, hanging over that is a sort of depression. You see, I don't know what he meant by it. Had he been expressing a suppressed love for me? Or had it been simple his way of showing he cared for a friend's well being?
Lingering behind that, I can sense my own anger at him for confusing me like this.
I was mad at him because...
... because I don't know... what he was expressing.
Despite all that, I woke up again feeling better than I have in a while. It had been almost noon when Milly knocked at my door, eventually, when I didn't respond, taking the liberty to just come in. She'd warned me that,
"Too much sleep could be bad for you, Meryl, get up and help me make lunch, huh?"
I had smiled (much to her surprise), and agreed. She beamed a smile, satisfied, and left me to myself.
I took a shower, reveling in the more-or-less warm water, perhaps taking longer than was really necessary. After drying off efficiently enough, I'd covered myself with the towel, and sauntered into my room to fetch clean clothes, eventually joining Milly in the kitchen.
I glanced up from the stove to eye Milly, who smiled as she wandered back in and sat at the counter.
"He'll be out in a minute!"
I nodded, returning her smile as I stirred the soup in front of me. It seemed to be all we could afford lately...
Our paychecks were late.
I paused as a door opened, and listened as the infamous idiot shuffled down the hall.
My infamous idiot.
Mm... I'd like to believe that.
A grin clawed it's way over my face as the thought surfaced.
I've caught myself, in the hour or so that I've been awake, absently grinning 6 times. I added another mark to my mental tally.
I desperately tried to cover-up the grin for fear of being interrogated about it in the coming minutes, as he made his way directly to the counter, leaning against it and barking out a heart-felt "Hello!", to which Milly responded with, as always, equal enthusiasm.
"Hello Mr. Vash! Hungry?"
His stomach beat him to the answer, grumbling loudly. He tried to stifle the sound his stomach was emitting with one of his bellowed laughs.
"Yeah, you bet!"
His eyes lit up and he suddenly fumbled over to the stove to stand beside me, leaning down a bit with a rather dreamy look crawling over his expression. He offered a mischievious chuckle while lifting the lid that I'd placed over the pot only a moment before, getting a good whiff of lunch.
"Mmm-ah! Smells good!"
I quirked a brow and snatched the lid back, setting it beside the stove, closing my eyes as I stirred the soup one last time, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Of course it smells good... How do you think it'd smell, hm? Or are you trying to imply something?"
I meant to follow through with an accusing glare, but was thrown off guard, the blood rushing to my cheeks as I glanced up at him. He was smiling at me in a way that I've rarely seen from him. His eyes twinkled with a kind of gentle amusement and he twittered a soft chuckle in his throat.
I fumbled for words a bit, before mentally slapping myself, scolding for what could only have been stupidity on my part. I asked him to take out the bowls.
His grin widened (my blush deepened) before he turned and opened a cupboard, pulling out...
...four bowls?
"I think you grabbed one-too-many there, broomhead."
His grin fell into a smile and he only shook his head, setting the bowls on the counter.
Milly chimed in, a bit confused.
"But... why'd you get four?"
He turned to encompass Milly in his view as well, the smile still playing on his lips, his voice a bit softer, though.
"Because, there are four of us here."
I was about to politely ask Mr. Typhoon here just what exactly, had he received the blow that'd finally knocked whatever was left of his brain, out, when I realized what he meant.
My eyes widened and brows lifted a bit, turning to him.
"So he's..."
Vash nodded slowly, looking from one of us to the other, a gentle sincerity present in his gaze as well as his voice.
His lovely turquoise gaze...
I snapped myself away from my reverie as I heard his voice.
"I'd like you two to come and meet him, later. It'd really make me very happy if you both did, I still have to talk to him about things right now, though."
I glanced to Milly, who still seemed rather wrapped in her thoughts, before returning my gaze to Vash, who in turn lowered his own to me.
"Of course, Vash..."
I smiled for extra emphasis, and was almost startled when i felt him grasp my hand and give it nothing more than a thankful squeeze.
My fingertips were... tingling.
I was caught in his gaze again, and wished with all my heart that he'd hug me again, like he did this morning.
It already seemed like it'd happened too long ago, to me.
I don't know what was going through his mind, but the empty lonliness that I saw in his eyes... it tore at my heart.
I think he realized that I'd seen it, too, because he let go of my hand, a dusty pink rising to both our cheeks.
I looked away abruptly, glancing to Milly who had her back to us, leaning against the table, gazing outside. I sighed before quickly dishing the soup into the bowls, setting Milly's and mine at the table.
Vash disappeared down the hall again, after chirping a,
"Alright well, I'll come and get you guys when he's ready, okay? Later!",
two bowls of soup making the trip along with him.
Milly and I ate in silence, a bit nervous.
Knives was awake.
What did that mean for us?
