3URWEI30: I am so unbelievably tired right now. Consequently, hitting random keys is fun. What to say about this chapter...it's long and it ends entirely different from the way it starts. You'll see what I mean. Attack of random citric fruit!(ducks)Have you had yours today? Doesn't citric acid prevent scurvy? Or maybe it was just if you ate oranges...oh man I don't know. I'm going to bed. Forgive any typos you may find. I don't think I proofread too well. Zzzzz...
The dark haired man stood with his hands in his pockets, leaned against one of the poles of the front porch smoking a cigarette, while the blonde sat on the edge quietly drawing in the dirt with his finger.
Nick briefly slid his sunglasses down to glance at Vash's creation. "Who the hell is that supposed to be?"
The Typhoon smudged the image out with his boot when he realized it was being examined. "Just somebody creepy." Actually, it was supposed to be a deformed Legato with little devil horns...but it ended up looking more like a psychotic panda. Vash really didn't know how he was supposed to beat that guy. It seemed an impossible, but also inevitable confrontation. Eventually he'd have to face his brother as well. Knives was out there somewhere...just waiting for him to come.
Wolfwood regarded the legendary outlaw with mild curiosity. Something must be brewing in that hollow skull for once, because Vash was practically glaring a hole into the dirt beneath him.
Nick looked away, with the amusing mental image of the sand suddenly combusting into flames around Tongari's feet.
"You scare me when you smile like that."
Nick's eyebrows lowered. "Then quit looking at me."
Vash moved his glare to the preacher. "You were looking at me first!"
The insurance girls walked quietly back towards the house, each carrying their own paper bag of groceries. Milly's grandmother had stayed behind to talk to one of her friends at the store, but insisted the girls go on to put away what needed to be refrigerated.
An unusual grin suddenly overcame the short girl as her voice became teasing. "So who is this Jeremy guy? An old boyfriend? Did you have a little childhood sweetheart, Milly? That's so cute..."
Milly blinked. "Sempai!"
"See! You're blushing again! He was your boyfriend!"
She couldn't believe they were even discussing this. "Hardly! That's gross!"
"Milly, there's nothing wrong in admitting it. Don't tell me that sleazy priest is the only guy you've ever liked..."
The tall girl groaned. "Ugh...you don't understand what my Grandmother meant! I grew up with Jeremy! He was best friends with my brothers and he practically lived at our house when I was a kid. After all that stuff happened, it was just us and we became best friends. We were really close, but it was in a brother and sister kind of way, not boyfriend and girlfriend! Ask him if you want! He'll tell you the same thing." She glared a little. "And besides, Nick is not sleazy!"
"Alright, alright! I get the point! You don't have to freak out."
She sighed. Maybe that was a little snappier than she'd intended. "Sorry Meryl. It's just I always use to hate when people thought that. We knew we'd never like each other that way, but no one else seemed to understand."
Meryl smiled. "Yeh, I guess that would bug me too. Remember how everyone use to think we were Vash and Wolfwood's girlfriends?"
Milly grinned. "Well that's different...we wanted that to come true."
"Yeh...we really did, didn't we?" The short girl looked down thoughtfully. "We just couldn't admit it then." Her smile faded after a few moments. "Do you think things will stay this way for much longer, Milly?" The tall girl grew solemn at the question, and for the very first time...Meryl could see that her friend was just as afraid of the priest being violently taken away from her, as Meryl was of one day losing Vash.
"I hope so, Meryl. I really hope so." If Milly had learned anything from her life...it was that peace, though wonderful, could be stolen in an instant. Usually as quick as a single gunshot. Nothing in this world was guaranteed. Nothing but the end that eventually came to all living things. Her shoulders sank at the unwanted thoughts. Suddenly she just wanted to be home. She wanted to see that salesman smile and those soothing blue eyes. Milly wanted him to make her feel foolish for depressing herself this way.
The Typhoon leapt from the porch, nearly taking out Wolfwood and Jeremy as he ran toward the girls in the distance. "It's about time!"
Meryl's eyes widened. Was he going to be able to stop? If he made her drop all this crap, she was going to kill him. "Vash? What are you do-"
"Liar! I was more bored staying here!" He tried to steal the bag from her. "Here, let a strong man help you with that!"
She screamed as it started to tear. "VASH! QUIT ACTING STUPID! I'VE GOT IT DAMMIT!"
He pulled harder. "I just want to help!"
The handsome farm boy with the messy auburn hair and the golden badge, tilted his head as the short chick knocked the blonde guy flat on his ass with one punch. "Dang...they always like that?"
Nick sighed. "Every damn day of our lives."
Milly blinked, noticing the odd little arrangement on the porch. Grandpa, Nicholas, and...Jeremy? Three of the most important men in her life, gathered together in one place like it was no big deal. She smiled big, regaining her spirit. Wow had he grown up. "Hey Sheriff, aren't you gonna put a stop to this?"
He brightened up at the sight of her. So Gramps really wasn't pulling his leg. "Whatcha mean Mill?"
She nodded at the fight behind her. "Domestic disturbance!"
Meryl froze. "What?"
Vash took the opportunity to confiscate the bag once and for all. "See ya shortie!"
She could only watch helplessly as a trail of food was left behind him while he dashed for the porch. "THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BAG YOU IDIOT!"
THAT NIGHT
"I don't know..."
"Aw come on Mrs.Harper! Do you see any kids at this table? We're celebrating ain't we?" Jeremy sighed when she still didn't look convinced. "Alright, let's look at the facts. I'm 23. Mill, how old are ya?"
She smiled. "Duh, same as you goofy. 23."
"Just provin' a point sis..." He smirked and looked to the attractive short girl. "And you Ms.Meryl?"
Meryl cocked an eyebrow. Good 'ol southern boys weren't quite her taste. "24."
"Mr.Wolfwood?"
"27."
"And Mr.Vash?"
The Typhoon smiled slightly. Did he want to be older or younger than Wolfwood? Hah, he'd let the preacher be the old man of their group. "26."
Jeremy smiled. "See I rest my case. Now how 'bout it?"
Edna knew when she was outnumbered. "Fine. If ya want to drink with your dinner, you can drink. But if any of you get unruly, it's out the door!"
Meryl gave the Stampede a warning glare as Wolfwood smirked a touch of that devil's grin to the tall girl beside him.
HOURS LATER
Meryl sighed as she helped the Stampede up the steps of the inn. "Why do you do this to yourself?"
Her words echoed through his mind, losing coherency. "What?"
"It's stupid! You know what's going to happen, but you just keep refilling the glass..." She gave a brief glare towards the direction she had last seen her partner heading with the dirty priest. "You and Milly. Neither of you know when to quit. Is it really worth all this?"
He spoke with a bit of a slur. "You...are thinking too deep. It's nice to let go." The Typhoon leaned against her. "Sometimes."
"Vash?" He was just staring at her. The alcohol-induced haze all too obvious in his eyes.
A real smile graced his face as he kissed her cheek. "But...it's just as nice to have someone care when you do get a little too free."
The short girl blinked. Even as a drunk, he was still pretty endearing. She smiled, pushing him back a little as he went for another kiss. "All right, all right...don't get any ideas now. I'm a respectable woman here."
He hugged her around the waist and grinned. "Then let's go inside so nobody will see..."
Meryl laughed, escaping his grasp. "You wish."
"You're right..." He feigned deep thought. "I do, don't I?"
She rolled her eyes and tugged him towards the doorway. "Just come on before you pass out and I have to drag you up the stairs..."
The tall girl hugged tightly to his arm as they walked together. Half because she wanted to, and half just to keep steady. Milly pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "You're warm..."
Wolfwood smirked. "And you're drunk."
"I am not!" Her motor skills may be a tad off, but she was still aware of her surroundings and definitely knew whose dusty jacket she was currently clinging to.
Their aimless stroll finally came to a stop at the top of one of the largest sand dunes on the edge of town. On one side, you had an eagle eye view over the sleeping community, and on the other you could stare out for miles over serene open desert. Not bad altogether, but he still doubted it was worth such a long hike. "Now where are we going?"
Milly smiled. "Wherever you want to take me, Mr.Priest."
He sighed, looking down at her. "That's a pretty vague response, big girl. A man with desire on his mind might interpret it to mean something else entirely."
She seemed confused. "Like what?"
"Like maybe you just gave me permission to 'take you' at any place I choose." Nick grinned. "Well...this seems like just as good a place as any." He pulled, and the two fell down together onto the side that faced the desert. She giggled as Wolfwood pinned her boldly to the dune.
The scene was indeed questionable. A smiling, slightly intoxicated Milly lying on her back in the sand, as the less than saintly priest straddled her with a predatory smirk. The chances of being disturbed were next to nothing, and Nick knew it. Didn't she realize just how vulnerable she was right now? Her coat was already open, the shirt would only take seconds to unbutton, and her skirt could be pulled down in a heartbeat if he so chose. She blushed as he dug his knees into the sand on either side of her, making their bodies press harder together. Didn't she know how long he'd been waiting to make her his? How bad he wanted her? This was dangerous. "You have entirely too much trust in me, big girl...why bring us all the way out here?"
She wasn't sure. She'd just wanted to be alone with him. To be out under the stars and the glow of the moons. For some reason, she'd just wanted that. Even though she knew what could happen. Maybe it was because she knew what could happen. Milly looked away from him, not knowing the proper answer.
Wolfwood's grin faded. Had he scared her? His self-control wasn't that far gone. No matter how bad the need became, he'd never force himself on her. Never. "Milly, I'm just playing around. You know I wouldn't do that to you..."
"I know. But do you think it's wron-"
He blinked. "To rape someone? Of course it's wrong."
She looked back at him. He hadn't let her finish and now she didn't think she had the nerve to. "That's not what I was talking about. At least...not in that way." For a few agonizing seconds, he just stared at her and Milly wished she hadn't said anything at all.
He tried to read her. There's no way she was thinking what he thought she was. But those innocent blue eyes said everything her mouth couldn't. He knew what she'd been trying to ask him. And God did it haze his reason even more. Wolfwood took a breath. It was nearly impossible to be partial with her already under him like this. "You meant, would it be wrong to want to make love right now..."
"You're kidding."
He looked over his shoulder with one hand already on the bathroom door. "You have no idea how sweaty this coat gets!"
"Vash, you could barely make it inside...and now you expect me to believe you're capable of taking a shower?"
"What? Do you think I'm gonna drown or something? There's a difference between toasted and completely wasted..." He waved his hand towards himself, faking a pompous accent. "I, dear girl, am simply golden brown..."
She blinked in disgust as The Typhoon sniffed his own armpit.
"And a bit fragrant." The blonde dove into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. "SHOWER TIME!"
Meryl shook her head. Why...of all people, did she choose him? The short girl mumbled to herself while angrily changing into her pajamas. "Stupid, idiot...drunk ass, broom haired, skirt chasing, lunatic..."
It was such a pain to get undressed when he was this lightheaded. Buckles and straps everywhere...so many things that had to be undone just so. When every bit of his clothing was finally scattered across the tile, The Stampede jerked back the curtain and stepped in. He closed it and stared down at the three faucets. Vash shut his eyes tightly and opened them again to only see one. "Damn...more golden than I thought."
As his water started, the insurance girl gave a tired glance towards the clock. Already nearly 1:00 in the morning and Milly still hadn't come back. Wolfwood was a lot of things, but even Meryl thought he was better than this. The tall girl hadn't been May City drunk when she'd left with him, but she hadn't been exactly sober either. A loud clang reverberated from the bathroom and she froze. "Vash?" She waited, but no answer came. Meryl got off the bed in annoyance and stormed up to the door. "Vash, did you break something? Because if you did, and we have to pay for it...I'm going to break you! You hear that?" Meryl banged her fist against the door. "Answer me, you coward! What did you break now?" Still no answer. Meryl paused. Even he would have retorted by now. "God, did you pass out in the tub? You stupid drunk! I told you not to take a damn shower!" She put her back to the door and crossed her arms. "Or maybe this is some stupid plot of yours to get me in there! Well, it won't work!" She mocked what he had said earlier. "People don't drown in the shower, remember?" Meryl went quiet again. What use was yelling, if all that answered her was the incessant sound of running water. In fact, it was almost disturbing when all you really needed to hear was a human voice. "Vash, this isn't funny! Just say something already!" Crap. What if he really had hurt himself? And here she was too stubborn to help. "Vash! This is your last chance, if you don't answer I'm coming in! And if you aren't hurt, I will hurt you!" She waited with her hand on the doorknob, and when no answer came, reluctantly opened the door.
Despite his profession, Nick felt an extremely poor source of guidance when in came to issues such as this. He did his best to push his own desires from his mind, while wording some kind of answer. "Well, big girl...there's some things you've got to consider. First of all, is it lust or love? Something your body wants or something your soul needs?"
Milly didn't even have to think about that one. "And if you know it's love?"
He smiled down at her. "So we're talking about two people who know they're in love?"
"Yes."
It was a roundabout way to finally admit their feelings for each other, but it suited him just fine. They'd both known way before it needed to be spoken. "Alright. So the man loves the woman and she loves him back. But now they have to think, are they really ready to give everything to each other without regret. Is anything else influencing their decision that wouldn't normally be there?"
She glanced to the side. The alcohol? They'd both had their share, but she didn't think any amount could ever change the way she felt about him. This feeling of wanting to take the final step had been nagging at the back of her mind for a while now, it was nothing that had just manifested in one night. "I really don't think so..."
"You have to be sure Milly. When you lose something like that, you can't have it back."
The tall girl blushed. Of course Nick could tell that no man had ever had her. She looked back into his eyes. "But it wouldn't be lost, if it was given as a gift to someone I loved."
His countenance weakened. The temptation was overwhelming when she spoke to him that way, but he'd almost rushed them into this once before when he knew she wasn't quite ready. That time Vash had interrupted. This time he had to give her every chance possible to change her mind. "Is this really where you'd want to give that part of yourself away?"
She gazed past him, and to the heavens above. Though untraditional, it was much more appealing than any of their other options. In fact, it seemed to almost suit them. Milly smiled as a shooting star passed overhead. "I think I'd rather be here than anywhere else."
Wolfwood couldn't really think of anything else to say. His heart rate was increasing. He moved a bang gently away from her eyes thinking how strange it all seemed. He'd desire her body for so long...but now that the time was here, he was actually a bit afraid. Because this was more than just petty lust, this was love and desire all in one soul-shattering package. He didn't want to change her, or be the one that finally robbed that innocence from her child like eyes. "Big girl, you absolutely sure? It's going to hurt some..."
She tried to remain lighthearted, despite her nervousness. "Hey, don't look so worried! I've been shot before remember?"
That's true, he'd have to remember not to grab that wound of hers. At that thought, he finally realized that her revolvers were pressed against the inside of his thighs. And he still had a pistol under his jacket as well. Man, what a pair they were. He unhooked her belt holster, pulling it off and placing it in the sand. "Promise me something Milly..."
She watched him as he started unbuttoning his jacket. "Anything."
"If at any time, if this doesn't feel right for even a second..." Wolfwood tossed his jacket beside them and started unbuckling his shoulder holster. He dropped the holster carelessly to the side as well. "Promise you'll tell me to stop."
Milly nodded. "I promise." She relaxed back into the sand as he moved her knees apart, lying down in between them.
His lips hesitated over her neck. "And I know you already know..." He smiled. "But I love you, Milly."
She buried her face against his hair as he began to kiss her. "I know, and I'll always be here to love you back..."
Meryl screamed and spun around, slamming her stomach against the sink. She stared at the tile below her, unaware of the pain in her gut. Her face was completely red and her mind blank.
In her current condition, it'd be amazing if she even formed a complete thought ever again. Behind her, was a bathtub with the showerhead still running and the curtain pulled back. All harmless sights on their own, but the source of this young woman's massive hysteria was what lay just out of sight. Sprawled, bleeding, completely naked, and in danger of drowning...a very unconscious Vash The Stampede.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode out her chest. She tried to focus, but her mind wouldn't stop reeling. What was her name? Who was that man? Why was everything wet? Why was there blood? What the hell was happening? "DAMMIT!" Meryl turned back around to help him, while trying to keep her eyes away from the part of his anatomy she had never seen until this moment. What had he done? He was lying on his back with little drops of blood coming from the back of his head. She noticed a red stain on the edge of the tub. The dumbass had had one hell of a fall apparently. And now water was gradually filling his open mouth. She was beyond pissed as she yanked him up into a sitting position by one of his arms. "YOU STUPID NAKED IDIOT! I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" When she was sure the dufus wouldn't slide back down, she leaned over and turned off the never-ending torrent of water. Meryl looked back and was once again embarrassed by what her eyes beheld. The insurance girl grabbed a towel out the hamper and quickly tossed it over his wet lap. Now, at least with that distraction not frying her brain maybe she could actually get something done here. She left the bathroom to go dig for some bandages in her suitcase.
When the aquamarine eyes finally decided to open once more, he found himself at odds to explain this new situation. His last memories were of the ceiling as it leapt away from him and then everything went black. Vash reached up, gently touching the back of his head with his fingertips. He brought them back and stared at the shiny red. He noticed something white in his lap and looked down. The Typhoon picked the towel up and analyzed it, as if it would somehow provide explanation. How had it gotten into the tub with him?
She slammed her suitcase closed, only after spilling its entire contents onto the floor of their room. "Dammit! The bandages are in Milly's bag!"
And that's when Vash realized the door was open. He screamed, throwing the towel back over himself as she came back in. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
Meryl jumped, almost falling over. "QUIT SCARING THE EVER LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SURPRISES FOR TONIGHT!"
His eyes went wide with realization. "You put the towel here...didn't you?"
"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY? YOU COULD HAVE BROKEN YOUR NECK OR BEEN IN A COMA OR SOMETHING!"
He blushed. "So? You saw me naked!"
The short girl screamed, throwing her arms up in exasperation. "WHAT PART OF DROWNING DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?"