DISCLAIMER: Trigun and its characters belong to Yasuhiro Nightow.

Riding Meryl

Things were peaceful and slow for a change. Meryl Stryfe was quite happy to have not had to deal with a gunfight for almost a week. She was on her way to her hotel room to begin getting ready for bed when she passed by Vash's room. The door was open, and she couldn't help but overhear him talking to Wolfwood.

"Yeah, she's a really sweet ride!"

Oh, great. The broom-head had finally found someone who would fall for his routine. Either that, or paid for one of the saloon girls. However he'd gotten the chance, she found his lechery disgusting, and it was only made worse by the fact that he was bragging about it…

"I'm telling you, I've never had a ride like I had with Meryl!"

WHAT!

Was he honestly implying that she would deign to involve herself with a man who was half-tornado, half-donut? She wouldn't even give that lunatic the time of day if it weren't her job to keep an eye on him. How dare he spread rumors that he had defiled her!

"Riding Meryl was just awesome – even if she fought me on the rough parts more than she should have. I'll work on fixing that. If you're nice, maybe I'll let you have a turn."

"That's it!" she declared, kicking the door all the way open and storming in. "Vash the Stampede, you – you – you pervert!"

The SLAP could be heard down the hall, and left a handprint that probably wouldn't fade for days.

"Yikes!" Wolfwood wisely decided retreat was the best option, and beat feet.

Vash, meanwhile, had been left in a heap by the force of Meryl's open-handed combat fu. "What – what did I do?" he asked weakly.

"I heard you in here, telling all those lies about me," Meryl huffed. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

He stood up shakily. "I wasn't talking about you! Wolfwood finally talked me into buying a motorcycle, and I was telling him all about it. I named it Meryl."

She got right up in his face. "How stupid do you think I am? Why would you give a dumb bike my name?"

He got right back in hers. "Because Wolfwood said you're supposed to name a bike after someone who matters to you, and you do matter to me! I happen to love you, you dimwit!"

"Oh," was all she could say.

Seconds later, he was lying in a heap again as she walked out. But this time, it was from the force of her kiss.