A Change of Plans

The first sun rose hesitantly into the sky, almost as if it were afraid of waking those sleeping below.

It pressed a light finger onto Meryl’s eyelashes, gentle but firm. She blinked, yawned, then stretched languidly out onto the bed. Time to make breakfast.

She pulled herself out from the warm covers, bare feet landing on the still-chilly floor. Her nightgown she tugged off with one pull and then, before the air could completely bite through her skin, donned the blouse and skirt and nylons that the diner demanded for its uniform. The apron she would tie on later, before she left.

Every morning it was like this, alone in the dim kitchen, making breakfast for the two tow-headed men and her dear friend Milly. It had been a long time since she had stopped considering the girl a junior partner, but someone she could trust and love. She would make the food, bring it to Milly in her room, bring Vash his and his brother’s, listen to anything new he wanted for his brother’s needs, and then set off to the store to get them. It was so nice in the morning. This was where she had the time to gather her thoughts before the long workday, a brief chance at sole relaxation.

Which is why it surprised her very much when Vash was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee, with more brewing on the stove.

His back was to her as she stood in the doorway. The smell of coffee wound around her like a cat about ankles. And – he was using her mug.

“Vash-san,” she greeted, although they both knew she was there. A few steps more and she was in front of the stove. “It’s good to see you out of that room.”

It was a little uncomfortable. “I’ve been thinking.”

She paused as she was cracking an egg into the frying pan. Of course he had been thinking. What else could he have done while staring at a prone unconscious man for so long? Stitching? “Oh?”

“Yes. You should stay with Knives and take care of him. I’ll work out in the fields with Milly.” He still hadn’t turned to face her.

There was a long pause, the hand with the egg frozen above the pain. “What?”

He rotated slowly, scraping the chair against the floor. “How close are we to making ends meet?”

She was torn between getting angry or giving in to him. Was he doubting her ability to care of them all? She chose to be cool. “We’re close, but we make it. We always make it.”

“Because you and Milly work so much.” His eyes looked almost blue in the early morning air. “But if I work out in the fields with Milly, not only will food be cheaper and easier to get, but both of you won’t have to work as hard.”

“Vash-san…”

“If you feel guilty about Milly working and you tending to my brother, then you can trade off.” He sounded like he had decided. “Or I can take my brother and leave so you two won’t feel like you have to take care of us.” Grim. Was he heartless? No, only towards her.

She smashed the egg into the pan, very careful to keep the shell from falling in as well. She broke another, angry. He had her trapped. This was unfair.

“Good morning, sempai, Vash-san!” Milly’s voice floated sleepily down the hall, cutting with a soft brush through the acute tension. “The coffee smells good.” Rubbing her eyes, she entered, still clad in her child-like sleepwear. “It’s nice to see you at breakfast, Vash-san.” She gave him a genuine smile, as all of hers were.

“It’s good to be out,” he said, smiling back. Meryl broke another egg. “I’m going to work with you today, Milly, if you think they could use another hand. You’ll have to show me the ropes.”

“Really? I’m sure they’d love another!” The younger girl was pleased. “What about your brother?”

“Your sempai has offered to watch over him,” he announced before taking a large swallow of the dark steaming liquid.

Milly was surprised. “Sempai? You’re going to quit your job?”

A grey wordless stare descended upon the blond man.

He raised his hands immediately, a sheepish look skidding across his face. “Well, maybe we should talk a little bit more about it first…”

Casting him another dark glare, she turned back to the eggs. How had this man ever survived for so long?

The taller girl wandered over and poured herself a cup of coffee, then sat beside Vash. She had not managed to clear the sleep from her eyes, and yawned again.

Meryl set the eggs, differently portioned, onto three separate plates. She kept her own plate at the counter, and set the other two on the table, along with silverware, in front of her companions. She produced some bread and butter and put that on the table as well. It was unusual for all of them to eat together like this. It made her slightly uncomfortable.

“Aren’t you going to eat more than that, sempai?” Milly asked innocently, glancing up from a bite of egg.

“I’m not that hungry this morning,” Meryl replied, smiling gently at her friend. “I’ll be fine.”

As she looked back down to her plate, she caught Vash’s eyes. Something dark glinted at her for a moment before he controlled himself. As quickly as she could, she looked away, putting a forkful of egg into her mouth.

The meal was eaten in hasty silence, Milly a little puzzled as to the subdued manner of the other two. When she was done, she stood and stretched, then placed her dishes in the sink. “I’m going to go get dressed, Vash-san. Don’t leave without me.” With a smile and a wave, she disappeared down the hall again.

Meryl waited, chewing hard on the egg. She felt like a child caught cheating on a spelling test.

“’Making ends meet’, huh?” he asked quietly, no condemnation in his voice.

She swallowed, trying to force the egg down. There was little she could say in her defense. The morning felt too chilly.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“You didn’t need to know.”

Silence. He wasn’t looking at her.

“I eat enough at work. You don’t need to worry about me.” She was feeling ashamed – not that she hadn’t been eating, but that she had been caught.

“You’ll go to the restaurant and tell them you can’t work there anymore, and I’ll go with Milly. Or I’ll take Knives and you two will have to return to December.”

It was uncharacteristically firm for him, harsh even. If she wanted to stay with him, she would have to care for his brother, to stop working her job, to relinquish her control. And if she didn’t…

She might never see him again.

She restrained her first response. She wanted to be with him. Control and feeling like he had reduced her to a little child could not be more important than love. But she was angry. He was threatening her and he knew he would win. What had happened to the sweet gentle man who sat over his twin?

He was being ridiculously unfair. How could she have fallen for a pig-headed, manipulative man like him? She was silent, arguing mentally with herself.

“You’re the only one I trust enough to take care of him.” His voice sounded sad. “I can’t let you starve for me.”

Manipulative indeed.

“Fine.” She raised her eyes slowly to find him looking back at her. “I’ll go and tell them. And I’ll take care of him.”

His demeanor was suddenly manically cheerful. “Really? I know you’ll take good care of him because you took such good care of me.” A grin. “And keep that uniform.”

Meryl blinked, confused, warmed by his words, but wary. “Why?”

His grin increased. “You look cute in it.”

“Vash-san, I’m waiting! Hurry!” broke in Milly’s voice in a sing-song manner from outside the house.

“I’m coming!” he called back cheerily, standing and exiting without another word.

Meryl tried to drown the blush that threatened her cheeks in a last desperate gulp of coffee.