Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun. I do not own Meryl, or Milly, or
Wolfwood, or Vash, or Knives or even the cute little black kitty. I simply
write fanfiction in my spare time. Though sometimes I really, really,
really wish I *owned* Vash. (hehe)
Author's Notes: Chapter Three. Reason: Procrastination because I have a paper due tomorrow. Rant: It's not a very good chapter (sorry!) because I keep feeling guilt sneaking up on me that I'm writing about Vash and Meryl and not working on my paper. Damn school! Damn school! Grrr..
Chapter 3
Meryl is right. I am a pervert!
Okay, scratch that. My unconscious mind is a pervert. It keeps sending me those damn dreams. Like that dream last night with me and her arguing in the kitchen. She's about to bonk my head because we were arguing and the next thing I know we're on the kitchen table clawing at each other's clothes and I'm desperately trying to kiss her. Then I wake up. Again.
(Hmm.I seem to remember some human man talking about the unconscious mind and how dreams are really hidden desires. Who told me that? Rem? I don't remember her telling me that. But if she did - or if I learned it somewhere else - that human man probably knew what he was talking about. Hidden desires, my ass. Yeah, my desires are hidden. Problem is that I know why they're hidden. They're hidden because of a short little woman who can give me bumps on the head even though she's half my size.)
Oops. Sorry. Wandered off into a tangent again. Where was I? Oh yeah, the dreams.
In the beginning the dreams were no problem. Dreaming about Meryl all sweet and gentle and kind was very nice. But the situation is getting strained and painful and I'm starting to feel . . . distracted. Scratch that. Again. I'm not so much distracted but frustrated.
Dreaming about her is fine and dandy but every night I wake up from the dream with the memory of her so close and so real that it seems like I can still smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her skin. And you do *not* understand how frustrating that is. I love this woman and I want her with all my heart. But what comes with that is desire too and I desire her with all my heart as well. (Not to mention other parts of me. Bad thought, Vash! Bad thought! Ahem. . .)
I need to get out. I'm starting to feel trapped. I think it's time for me to (*gasp*) get a job.
Excuse me for a moment while I digest this piece of information. And a box of donuts.
*******
Okay. So where was I? Yeah. A job. After a moment of reflection and a box of donuts, it doesn't sound so bad. It will give me an excuse and a chance to get out of the house.
I know at this point the warning bells should be going full tilt in my head. What about Knives? What about the psychotic killer now lying awake in Meryl's room? So what if Knives is awake? I say that like it's nothing. But really, at this point, he's no danger to anyone. For one thing, he's still weak and still recovering. For another, I've taken away the gun. And still another (and I feel a little guilty over this) I think I might have hurt him a little too much in our last fight. For some reason or other he falls asleep at the drop of a hat. Literally. One day Milly came in to bring him supper still in her street clothes, Knives glared at her (of course), she smiled and dropped her hat by the door, and when she looked up, he was asleep.
See? Like I said. Drop of a hat. The doctor that looked at him - now that was fun, having Knives tied down on the bed just so the doctor wouldn't get hurt while examining him - said that it was perfectly normal. Turns out Knives may have been mentally as well as physically affected by our last fight. Go figure. No matter. I have to go get a job no matter what. Not just for my sake but for Meryl's too. I want to help her out. I don't want to be a moocher no matter that my reputation might imply otherwise.
*******
"Hello Mr. Vash!" Milly calls out cheerfully to me as she jogs towards me from the market. Peeking from the top of the grocery bag were the unmistakable containers of pudding cups. One was empty. I smile at her. Good ol' Milly.
"Hey Milly."
"Where are you going?"
"To my new job," I grin.
She looks at me with wide eyes. "Oh?"
"New job?" another voice joins hers in surprise and Meryl suddenly pops up from behind her. She looks absolutely aghast. "Someone actually hired you?"
I give her a hurt look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Meryl's mouth works noiselessly and Milly looks at her and then smiles at me. "What is your job, Mr. Vash?"
"I'm a bodyguard," I puff out my chest proudly. "The mayor's going to be opening a bank today. He's supposed to be the first to withdraw from the vault."
"He actually hired you?" Meryl shrieks, recovering her voice. "Of all the fool things to do - "
"I'm a good bodyguard," I protest.
Meryl snorted in disbelief and I turn on my heel and start for the bank again, a little miffed.
A sigh. "I guess I'll have to follow you to the bank then. Why can't you just stay put?" Meryl mumbles quietly.
Milly giggled. "You said 'I', sempai," she smirks.
I stare at her and then look at Meryl who's turned an interesting shade of red. Her mouth is opening and closing again, as if she wants to say something to Milly but can't get it past her anger.
"I think you'd better go home, Meryl," I say concernedly.
"Why?" she snaps angrily.
Whoa! The woman was moody today! What was her problem? "Because you're getting sunburned," I said, indicating her face.
Bonk.
Great. Why do I even care to tell her these things when all she does is hit me. Damned abusive woman!
"You keep watch over him," she orders Milly. Then with a huff, she was stalking away.
Damned abusive woman, I repeat mentally. Why did I have to fall in love with *her*?
Pause.
Because I do. Because it's Meryl.
"Uh. . ."
"I guess we're stuck with each other today," I say.
"I guess we are," Milly replies calmly. "Do you want one, Mr. Vash?"
I look at the second pudding cup she's started on. "I don't think we're supposed to eat inside the bank, Milly."
"Oh don't worry Mr. Vash. I'll be done before we're there!" she exclaims cheerfully and begins inhaling pudding.
She's actually done even before we get there and was happily licking off the last traces of chocolate from the lids when I casually a question that has been dancing in my head ever since I decided to get a job. "So how are you and Meryl dealing with Knives?"
"Sempai?" she asks with wide eyes. "Are you still thinking about sempai?"
"I - uh - NO!" I finally burst out.
Milly's face falls in disappointment and I try for a moment to ponder that look but she quickly begins to look teary eyed. Damn. I didn't mean to shout. It's the sexual frustration. Sexual? Huh? Out of the gutter, Vash! Get your mind out of the gutter! Pay attention to the situation!
"No, no, no!" I protest. "I meant that I was concerned about the two of you. You know? And I was wondering how Meryl *and you* were doing."
Quick as lighting, her smile returned. "Is that all?" She carefully stacked the pudding cups together. "Sempai doesn't seem to like him but I'm sure she'll get over it. And me?" She shrugged and for a moment her eyes held that sadness they always held when she looked at the sunset. "He's a very mean man. Sometimes. But I know he's good in there. Somewhere."
I nod. "Exactly my point. Meryl doesn't seem to see it sometimes though."
"Sempai?" she exclaims again.
"Meryl?" I say out loud, turning around to check if she was there. What the hell was wrong with me today?
Milly giggles again. "Are you looking for her?" she asks innocently.
"I - uh - no." Great Vash. Just great. You are an articulate one aren't you? "Just looking around for the bank."
Milly raises a hand, amusement dancing on her lips. Something flashes in her eyes, as if she knew more than she let on. "We're there," she says, pointing behind me.
"Thanks," I grin and turn to go through the door.
"Mr. Vash," Milly says and I put my hand on the handle.
"Yeah?"
And when she spoke, there was a quiet smile in her voice. "I'm sure she thinks about you too."
I turn to ask her what she was talking about, but Milly, good 'ol Milly, had turned and was already walking for a bench across the street with another pudding cup opened in her hand.
Author's Notes: Chapter Three. Reason: Procrastination because I have a paper due tomorrow. Rant: It's not a very good chapter (sorry!) because I keep feeling guilt sneaking up on me that I'm writing about Vash and Meryl and not working on my paper. Damn school! Damn school! Grrr..
Chapter 3
Meryl is right. I am a pervert!
Okay, scratch that. My unconscious mind is a pervert. It keeps sending me those damn dreams. Like that dream last night with me and her arguing in the kitchen. She's about to bonk my head because we were arguing and the next thing I know we're on the kitchen table clawing at each other's clothes and I'm desperately trying to kiss her. Then I wake up. Again.
(Hmm.I seem to remember some human man talking about the unconscious mind and how dreams are really hidden desires. Who told me that? Rem? I don't remember her telling me that. But if she did - or if I learned it somewhere else - that human man probably knew what he was talking about. Hidden desires, my ass. Yeah, my desires are hidden. Problem is that I know why they're hidden. They're hidden because of a short little woman who can give me bumps on the head even though she's half my size.)
Oops. Sorry. Wandered off into a tangent again. Where was I? Oh yeah, the dreams.
In the beginning the dreams were no problem. Dreaming about Meryl all sweet and gentle and kind was very nice. But the situation is getting strained and painful and I'm starting to feel . . . distracted. Scratch that. Again. I'm not so much distracted but frustrated.
Dreaming about her is fine and dandy but every night I wake up from the dream with the memory of her so close and so real that it seems like I can still smell her perfume and feel the warmth of her skin. And you do *not* understand how frustrating that is. I love this woman and I want her with all my heart. But what comes with that is desire too and I desire her with all my heart as well. (Not to mention other parts of me. Bad thought, Vash! Bad thought! Ahem. . .)
I need to get out. I'm starting to feel trapped. I think it's time for me to (*gasp*) get a job.
Excuse me for a moment while I digest this piece of information. And a box of donuts.
*******
Okay. So where was I? Yeah. A job. After a moment of reflection and a box of donuts, it doesn't sound so bad. It will give me an excuse and a chance to get out of the house.
I know at this point the warning bells should be going full tilt in my head. What about Knives? What about the psychotic killer now lying awake in Meryl's room? So what if Knives is awake? I say that like it's nothing. But really, at this point, he's no danger to anyone. For one thing, he's still weak and still recovering. For another, I've taken away the gun. And still another (and I feel a little guilty over this) I think I might have hurt him a little too much in our last fight. For some reason or other he falls asleep at the drop of a hat. Literally. One day Milly came in to bring him supper still in her street clothes, Knives glared at her (of course), she smiled and dropped her hat by the door, and when she looked up, he was asleep.
See? Like I said. Drop of a hat. The doctor that looked at him - now that was fun, having Knives tied down on the bed just so the doctor wouldn't get hurt while examining him - said that it was perfectly normal. Turns out Knives may have been mentally as well as physically affected by our last fight. Go figure. No matter. I have to go get a job no matter what. Not just for my sake but for Meryl's too. I want to help her out. I don't want to be a moocher no matter that my reputation might imply otherwise.
*******
"Hello Mr. Vash!" Milly calls out cheerfully to me as she jogs towards me from the market. Peeking from the top of the grocery bag were the unmistakable containers of pudding cups. One was empty. I smile at her. Good ol' Milly.
"Hey Milly."
"Where are you going?"
"To my new job," I grin.
She looks at me with wide eyes. "Oh?"
"New job?" another voice joins hers in surprise and Meryl suddenly pops up from behind her. She looks absolutely aghast. "Someone actually hired you?"
I give her a hurt look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Meryl's mouth works noiselessly and Milly looks at her and then smiles at me. "What is your job, Mr. Vash?"
"I'm a bodyguard," I puff out my chest proudly. "The mayor's going to be opening a bank today. He's supposed to be the first to withdraw from the vault."
"He actually hired you?" Meryl shrieks, recovering her voice. "Of all the fool things to do - "
"I'm a good bodyguard," I protest.
Meryl snorted in disbelief and I turn on my heel and start for the bank again, a little miffed.
A sigh. "I guess I'll have to follow you to the bank then. Why can't you just stay put?" Meryl mumbles quietly.
Milly giggled. "You said 'I', sempai," she smirks.
I stare at her and then look at Meryl who's turned an interesting shade of red. Her mouth is opening and closing again, as if she wants to say something to Milly but can't get it past her anger.
"I think you'd better go home, Meryl," I say concernedly.
"Why?" she snaps angrily.
Whoa! The woman was moody today! What was her problem? "Because you're getting sunburned," I said, indicating her face.
Bonk.
Great. Why do I even care to tell her these things when all she does is hit me. Damned abusive woman!
"You keep watch over him," she orders Milly. Then with a huff, she was stalking away.
Damned abusive woman, I repeat mentally. Why did I have to fall in love with *her*?
Pause.
Because I do. Because it's Meryl.
"Uh. . ."
"I guess we're stuck with each other today," I say.
"I guess we are," Milly replies calmly. "Do you want one, Mr. Vash?"
I look at the second pudding cup she's started on. "I don't think we're supposed to eat inside the bank, Milly."
"Oh don't worry Mr. Vash. I'll be done before we're there!" she exclaims cheerfully and begins inhaling pudding.
She's actually done even before we get there and was happily licking off the last traces of chocolate from the lids when I casually a question that has been dancing in my head ever since I decided to get a job. "So how are you and Meryl dealing with Knives?"
"Sempai?" she asks with wide eyes. "Are you still thinking about sempai?"
"I - uh - NO!" I finally burst out.
Milly's face falls in disappointment and I try for a moment to ponder that look but she quickly begins to look teary eyed. Damn. I didn't mean to shout. It's the sexual frustration. Sexual? Huh? Out of the gutter, Vash! Get your mind out of the gutter! Pay attention to the situation!
"No, no, no!" I protest. "I meant that I was concerned about the two of you. You know? And I was wondering how Meryl *and you* were doing."
Quick as lighting, her smile returned. "Is that all?" She carefully stacked the pudding cups together. "Sempai doesn't seem to like him but I'm sure she'll get over it. And me?" She shrugged and for a moment her eyes held that sadness they always held when she looked at the sunset. "He's a very mean man. Sometimes. But I know he's good in there. Somewhere."
I nod. "Exactly my point. Meryl doesn't seem to see it sometimes though."
"Sempai?" she exclaims again.
"Meryl?" I say out loud, turning around to check if she was there. What the hell was wrong with me today?
Milly giggles again. "Are you looking for her?" she asks innocently.
"I - uh - no." Great Vash. Just great. You are an articulate one aren't you? "Just looking around for the bank."
Milly raises a hand, amusement dancing on her lips. Something flashes in her eyes, as if she knew more than she let on. "We're there," she says, pointing behind me.
"Thanks," I grin and turn to go through the door.
"Mr. Vash," Milly says and I put my hand on the handle.
"Yeah?"
And when she spoke, there was a quiet smile in her voice. "I'm sure she thinks about you too."
I turn to ask her what she was talking about, but Milly, good 'ol Milly, had turned and was already walking for a bench across the street with another pudding cup opened in her hand.