Heat Wave

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun and I'm pretty sure that won't change anytime soon.

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He had to be going crazy; the night was never this quite before.

It must be doing it on purpose, to make him dwell on everything. It was mocking him with its stillness.

He walked heavily through the abandoned dirt-streets, his steps lanced with remorse. However, no matter how bad he felt or how many times he considered it, he couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased with himself.

And he hated himself for it.

Mark had passed out as soon as Meryl had spoken up, and was still in that disgusting alley.

Vash had wondered whether or not he should turn him into the sheriff, knowing even if he wasn't the con-artist, he could certainly be put away for sexual harassment.

He decided to let the poor bastard slumber in the alleyway with a pride as broken as his body. Getting Meryl home was far more important anyway.

He looked down at the insurance girl; he had forgotten how small she was and was amazed with how easy she was to carry.

Maybe it was because she was still unconscious and not being antagonistic towards him. Vash couldn't help but love the way her head rested again his torso and how her breath tickled his chest. Her relaxed features simply added to her beauty.

Somewhere during their walk home (which was surprisingly long tonight), Meryl had began to shiver. It seemed as if the bartender was right, and indeed the heat wave had finally broken. Looking down, Vash had noticed what Meryl had gone out in.

The little black dress, the one he knew was far too revealing.

Knowing her, she had done it simply to spite him. Even though she had no intention of him seeing her in it, the thought of going against him was more than enough.

God, he loved her.

He had given her his jacket, not caring if the whole damn town saw his scars. She was cold and she needed it, and that was good enough for him.

They were right in front of the house when Meryl had slowly began to come to, and Vash remembered as to why he had felt so crappy the entire walk home.

He had completely lost control and beaten Mark to a pulp right in front of her. The image of her curled into a ball burnt his mind like fire, and her voice haunted him.

Diablo.

Diablo.

He had terrified her, when all he wanted to do was protect her. Vash knew as soon as she was fully awake she would run away from him. He didn't blame her.

He was a monster.

He made his way to the porch and sat on the front steps.

"Where am I?" Meryl softly asked from his arms. No matter how Vash had tried, he couldn't let her go.

"We're home." he answered sadly.

She made a small noise, which singled the answer was good enough for her. He figured she hadn't fully recollected the night's events until she gasped and shot up in his arms.

"Oh my god!" she yelped, but Vash continued to hold her. Selfish…selfish…

They sat in uncomfortable silence until Meryl asked, "Did you…kill him?"

Vash slowly shook his head and whispered, "No."

"I wouldn't have minded if you did," she sneered. "He was a creep."

Vash didn't find her joke funny, and they were thrown into another awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, Vash." she said, once again pulling them out of the quiet hell. She looked up at him, and Vash felt as if she was trying to look into his soul. It gave him some comfort that he was still wearing his shades. If she was able to see his soul, he was sure that she would hate what she saw.

He shook his head, "No, I should be sorry. I-"

"No!" she interrupted. "No! It is not your fault, Vash! You told me he was a scumbag, and he was. You told me not to go out with him, and I did. I just…" The rest was lost as she buried her face into the jacket.

"Sorry, I'm not fluent in Jacket Mumble." He joked, trying to ease the tension between them. It didn't work, but Meryl raised her face from the coat.

"I just…I…damn it!" she quickly snatched Vash's glasses off his face and replaced them on her own. Apparently she wanted to hide too.

"I...liked how you got jealous of him." She finished with a sigh.

Vash blinked in mystification, "You…liked how jealous I was?" She nodded awkwardly.

So, not only were girls a complete enigma, but they were also horribly evil beings who loved to play with men's emotions. Vash was learning new things about girls everyday.

"Then," she continued and Vash was ripped from his thinking. "You acted like a jerk, and I started to do it just to get you angry." She shook her head, "I know it was stupid and childish, but I wanted you to get a taste of your own medicine."

Vash raised an eyebrow, a taste of his own medicine? What could she mean by…oh!

She was talking about all the girls he used to flirt with on their travels together.

Had she really felt envious of them?

"But during that fight, I knew I went too far." She continued. "I should have never asked you to look at the dresses, or anything. I was playing with fire, and you got burnt." She looked up at him, and the sunglasses dropped to the brim of her tiny nose. "I'm so sorry for what I said, Vash. That was completely out of line. The sacrifices you've made in your life…the death…the scars...It was a low blow for me to bring up your past."

She pushed the glasses back up to her face, shielding her eyes. "After dinner, I said to Mark that I thought we shouldn't see each other anymore. I told him it was causing problems, but he wouldn't listen. He said one day I would go back to him or something stupid like that. Then he…" Meryl bit her lip and took a deep breath, "I didn't have my derringers with me, and the way his eyes burnt…I thought I was done for, Vash."

Vash couldn't stand anymore and held her tightly against him. He buried his head in her hair and whispered, "I'm sorry,"

"No, Vash!" she demanded, but didn't pull from his embrace. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault this time! Don't say sorry, you didn-"

"I saw you two pass the saloon window," he whispered. "And I followed you. I saw you talking and him pull you into the alley." he gulped. "I completely lost it."

By this time he was bawling. He knew it probably looked ridiculous, but he couldn't stop. An emotional dam had broken and everything was flowing out too fast for him to stop.

"I would've killed him, Meryl. I honestly would have killed him, and you want to hear something funny?" He let out a nervous laugh, "I didn't care. I really didn't…because he tried to hurt you. If you didn't stop me...I'm sorry, Meryl. I must've frightened you even more…I'm so sorry." He buried his head in her hair sobbing, and soon she joined him.

They sat together on the porch, holding each other and crying like a couple of children. After they both calmed down a bit, Meryl pulled away and looked up at the blond with a puffy red eyes. She smiled and took off the glasses in order to whip the stray tears from her eyes, "Wanna call it truths, broomhead?"

He nodded with a smile.

"Good," she stuck out her hand. "Let's promise never to play around with each other's emotions or to try to deliberately hurt each other again, okay?"

He took it, but didn't shake it. Instead he pulled her toward him again and kissed her. Vash spilt everything he ever wanted to say, everything he never could say, and just simply everything into the kiss.

When he finally pulled away she asked softly, "What was that for?" He noticed she was blushing and he felt himself do the same.

"Sealed with a kiss," He leaned closer to her and against her lips whispered, "And because I really...love you."

She muttered something that sounded strangely like 'Idiot.' before kissing him again.

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Two weeks later, the household was back to its busy motions. Meryl had given up on the night shift and worked the day shift instead. She said it was because it was an easier shift to handle, but Vash knew she was secretly afraid of another Mark to come around.

Mark had fled town, as far as Vash was concerned. He figured much since whenever Vash walked Meryl to work (which was quiet frequently), he would never see hide or head of the little lawyer boy.

Milly went back to work at the well. When Vash had asked her whether or not she was excited she told him that she liked working, and that the house sometimes got too quiet and boring. Vash thought the house was exciting enough, but that was coming from the one who had to watch Knives while the girls were at work.

"Checkmate, brother." Knives said for the thousandth time that day, and it seemed to Vash that every time he did so he got more and more satisfactory from it.

Vash glared at the chess board mumbling, "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you."

"Don't blame the game, Vash. Blame the player." Meryl said as she entered the bedroom with a tray of food, "I brought you two some sandwiches."

Vash's face rose from the board as he swung around to see her at the door, "Hey, hon," He greeted as he ran up to her and gave her a kiss. "I didn't hear you come in!"

"Probably because you were too busy getting your butt kicked," she said with a smile.

Vash pouted, "That's not nice."

She kissed his cheek, "Better?"

Vash was about to answer when he heard his brother groan from his position on the bed. "What's wrong, Knivesy-kins?" he asked, facing his brother. "You want Meryl to kiss you too?"

'Knivesy-kins' gave Vash the death-glare and spat, "Of course not, you imbecile! It's just the thought of you two together makes me absolutely sick to my stomach!"

"Oh, if you're sick then I take it you won't want one of these sandwiches." Vash said as nonchalantly took a sandwich from the tray and began to eat. "That's cool, more for me then."

Meryl ignored her boyfriend's actions, "Knives, would you stop complaining already? You sound like a broken record." She placed the dish onto the bedside table.

"No I will not stop complaining, you galling Spider! This…fling you two are having is simply unorthodox and completely disgusting!"

Meryl eyed the chess table, "What if beat you in chess?"

"What?" Knives asked taken aback.

The short woman sat in the seat Vash was previously occupying, "If I you beat me in chess, Vash and I can stop this "fling" as you call it. But," She smirked, "If I win, you have to stop your nasty attitude about us. Agreed?"

Knives let out a laugh, "You must be joking."

"Try me."

The Plant smiled viciously, "Alright, Spider. I will agree to your terms. On one condition,"

"What's that?" Meryl asked raising an eyebrow.

"You don't cry when I win."

"Oh don't worry," she said, placing the pieces in their correct places. "I won't."

--

To be honest, Vash wasn't very confident about Meryl's idea. Knives had been playing chess since...well forever. He wasn't sure if even Milly could beat him, and she was a chess master. Needless to say, he was more than a litte shocked to see that Meryl actually knew what she was doing and was a good chess player. A really good chess player.

Sometime during the game Milly had come home. She opened the door to be met by two death glares and a wave from Vash. The two opponents went back to their game and she gave Vash a puzzled expression. He patted the seat next to him on the floor, offered her a sandwich and explained the situation.

After two hours, and two hundred angry glares of death later...the moment of truth had finally come. Milly and Vash sat on the floor in awe, the sandwiches were long since eaten and the tray sat empty beside them.

Knives looked at the chess board, his eyes were wide with dread, "Oh no..."

"Oh yes..." Meryl smiled evilly.

"This can't be..."

"Oh yes it can..."

"No! It can't be...not-"

Meryl slammed her white piece onto the board, "CHECKMATE, KNIVESY-KINS!"

Milly let out a cheer and Vash raced over and hugged his girlfriend so tight he was sure she was suffocating.

"There has to be a mistake!" Knives yelled, and frantically looked over the chess board. "There is NO way I was just beaten by a spider! No way!"

Milly strolled over and glanced over the board, "Wow, Mr. Knives, it sure does look like it!" She smiled and patted the Plant's back, "You played a good game! Better luck next time!" She turned to her best friend, "I never knew you could play chess, Sempai!"

Meryl laughed as she peeled her boyfriend off her. "Ugh! Vash get off me you broom-headed moron!" He loosened his grip, and she turned to Milly, "I don't really play all that often, but I've seen some of the men at the tavern play and learned some tips." She shrugged. "I basically winged the entire thing."

"YOU WHAT?" Both Plant twins screamed.

Vash looked down at the insurance agent, "Meryl I'm surprised at you, gambling so haphazardly!" He narrowed his eyes, "I'm a bad influence on you!"

She smiled and kissed his nose.

Knives groaned from the bed. "Where are those pain-killers?" He asked wanting to be freed from the sickening nightmare he'd been thrown into.

"In the draw that never opens." Vash answered. "One day I'll get around to fixing it."

Meryl rolled her eyes as Knives screamed into a pillow.

This, Vash was sure, was true love and peace.

The End.

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Well that's a wrap, darlings! After seven chapters, and 1000 hits later…this fanfiction has finally come to a close. I have to say this is the most fun I've ever had!

Thanks to my reviewers: Alaena Night, Pyro-chan623, inkydoo, La Flor del Fuego, igbogal, Ajd262, Alice of the Knives, jr forever, Rak, Aine of Knockaine, Gaddes, Manquehuito…and anyone else I forgot by total accident! I love you all so much! Thanks for the support and optimism! You guys are amazing!

And to my two readers who put me on alerts and didn't review: Crunchy Snape, and jack525525

To kuroneko107 who added this story to their favorites!

And again to inkydoo for the C2 add.

Last but not least, a very special thanks to my best friend in the entire world Pyro-chan623 Without her, people, there would be NO story! Thank you for being a test-reader and everything.

Don't forget to still review! Just because it's over doesn't mean I don't want to hear from you! I don't want you all to suddenly get lazy on me!

Until next time, folks!

x3 Chibi Monkey13