The Humanoid ~Vash x OC AU~

Chapter 9: The Line

Leilani

"Well, well, well. Look who's decided to grace us with their presence," Nicholas scoffs. There is a curl of arrogance in his tone. It pricks at my skin and already leaves me irritated.

He lays, reclined on the sofa, an unlit cigarette dangling between his lips as his dark eyes follow us. They are sharp and keen, piercing through me with each step I take, weighing in the air like leaded glass, dense and heavy. It almost feels as if he is throwing daggers at me with each glare. Maybe he is.

"So nice of you two to finally join us." He continues snidely. "Hope you two had a nice fuck. God knows that it sounds like you did."

I furrow my brows, ready to snap back when I catch a glimpse of something through the corner of my eyes. Without thought, my gaze moves, falling on the duo sitting at the kitchen table.

Both Roberto and Meryl are there, each seated across from the other, their forks scraping along the porcelain plates before them. Roberto seems unfazed, his focus trained on the newspaper in his hands, but Meryl... Her posture is different.

She sits, her shoulders slumped and expression unreadable, matching the absent way she pokes and pries at her food. Her eyes – from what I can tell – look empty and almost void of any emotion, which I find concerning.

That is until what Nicholas had said comes crashing down, and my blood runs cold.

"Oh, my God," I murmur, my heart sinking into my stomach. "Did you all hear us?"

"Did we hear you? Tch. I'm pretty sure the whole damn town heard you two," Nicholas snorts.

I can feel the color drain from my face as my blood runs even colder. "I...I didn't realize we were being that..." My eyes drift back to the pair at the table. Slowly, Roberto is starting to glance my way, but Meryl still isn't moving. Horror washes through me. "Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry."

"You're apologizing to them? If you should be apologizing to anyone it should be me!" Nicholas snaps. "I'm the one you fucking threw out of his own room this morning after storming in like a flying worm outta hell!"

I ignore him and instead keep my concentration on the two in the kitchen. "Roberto, Meryl...I am so sorry. I...I really had no idea we were... I... I am so sorry."

"We both are," Vash interjects. He takes a step forward, moving to my side. "We didn't mean to be so...inconsiderate."

It stings to hear it phrased that way, but deep down, I know he's not wrong. It had been incredibly inconsiderate of us. Of me... It was inconsiderate of me. I was the problem, not him.

I shake my head, resting my hand on his shoulder. He turns, meeting my gaze as I speak. "No, it was me. I was the one who caused all that." I look back at the table. Now, Meryl is also facing me. My heart sinks at the hollow look on her face. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking and... I'm so sorry."

"Look, I'm not about to comment on the noise. I'm not even going to complain," Roberto says. He starts to collect his dirty dishes as he stands. "All I'm asking is that the next time you two feel the urge to do the humpty thing you give me a heads up."

"Yeah," Nicholas laughs, slapping his knee. "Poor guy was trying to eat his breakfast when you two got started."

"And I don't like cold eggs. So, just give me a warning next time."

I nod, feeling myself shrink. "That's fair." My concentration flutters to Meryl. She is still seated in her chair, still fiddling with the fork in her grasp. I take a step closer to her. "Meryl? Are you –"