A/N: When I still took opera lessons in high school, one of the very first songs I had to learn was a French eulogy called "Ici-Bas" (which in English means "Here Below," referring to the mortal plane in which lovers are forced to reside). Sometimes when I sang it I would get these images of Vash trying to reconcile the fact that he would live forever and Meryl wouldn't, failing, and their relationship falling apart as a result. Hence, the creation of this ficlet. Sometimes I make myself so sad... the lyrics of the song have been interspersed throughout the fic, but you definitely don't need to know the melody in order to appreciate the general theme.

Ici-Bas

They'd gone through so much together that sometimes Meryl wondered if it had all been just a dream...

Here below, lilacs die and are no more
Is bird song more than short refrain?
I dream of summer days that forever Remain.

...something, perhaps, cooked up by her subconscious in order for her to live out her fantasies of True Love and High Adventure with impunity. One never knew.

And of course, the line between fantasy and reality blurred even further when she was with him.

"I love you, Meryl."

She became rigid at the sudden admission, then relaxed into his embrace. She'd waited so long to hear those words, had played the scenario out in her mind until this very moment. Then, she'd had no idea how she would react. Now she knew.

"I love you too, Vash." It was so easy to reciprocate his feelings.

Here below, lips lightly sever and leave no trace of beauty's reign
I dream of kisses fond that forever Remain.

"But you know this won't last forever."

"I know. I'm willing to stay beside you as long as I have to, though."

"You don't understand," he said, his voice tinged with grief. He cupped her chin in his palm, looked her full in the face. His eyes were so green, Meryl registered dimly. "Someday, many years from now... you will die."

His breath hitched on those last three words, as though merely imagining it brought him pain.

"But I won't. I'll always be the same, because I'm a Plant. A Being Who Lives Outside of Time."

She understood and yet did not. "That doesn't matter, Vash," she insisted, her demeanor changing for the worse. She was suddenly quite agitated. "I can handle it, all right? I can handle the fact that you'll always be young, that you can't age – "

"You say that now, but would you feel the same way in fifty years?" he demanded.

She was silent.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just an historic artifact. I'll forever be encased in glass, never to be touched or loved by another. But you – you're special. You deserve to live out the rest of your days with someone who can keep up with you." He averted his gaze. "I'm not that person."

Here below, men in vain endeavor
They weep for their love's or friendship's pain
I dream of lovers who forever Remain.

This was crazy. He wasn't even thinking about himself, how this would affect him emotionally. All he was concerned about was her.

Before she could open her mouth to dissuade him, or perhaps verbally berate him for being so damn selfless, he leaned forward and kissed her.

On the forehead.

She could tell he preferred to go elsewhere, to achieve a level of intimacy that had thus far been avoided – and, also, that he was holding back on purpose.

"I will always love you," he said again, and then he left.

I dream of lovers who forever
Of lovers who forever
Who forever
Remain.