Not much to say here since I'm posting this chapter with chapter two. Let the angst continue!
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Meryl closed the front door behind her and it fit into its frame with a small click. It was this noise that broke Milly's train of thought and brought Meryl into her attention.
"Oh, hi Meryl," she said with a soft smile.
"Do you know where Vash is?" Meryl immediately replied.
Her level of determination was still strong and she felt the need to find Vash and apologize as soon as possible, even if it meant being a bit curt to Milly.
"Yeah, he's with his brother now," Milly said as she shifted herself in the chair so she was closer to facing Meryl.
"Why are you looking for him Meryl? Are you going to talk to him?"
Meryl realized this was Milly's gentle way of asking if she was going to apologize for what she had said earlier.
Meryl nodded and shifted her gaze to the porch's floorboards.
"Yeah, that's what I would like to do," she replied, somehow unable to pull her eyes from the crack between two of the boards. She noticed that her voice came out softer than she meant it to and it was a bit unsteady now as well.
Milly shifted again in the chair, this time turning so her body was almost completely facing Meryl.
"I'm glad," Milly said, finally causing Meryl to break her gaze from the ground and instead direct it toward Milly's face.
"I think that Mr. Vash would appreciate that too," she added with an encouraging smile. With that, Milly stood up, went back into the house and then into her room, shutting the door behind her.
Meryl had followed soon after, somewhat unsure about just how she should approach Vash. After quite a bit of internal debating she decided that, at this juncture, it would be best to wait until he came out of his room.
She quickly changed into her nightshirt, leaving on the blue leggings she had worn all day underneath. Meryl knew that changing her clothing was a pointless endeavor since she wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon, but did so anyway. After changing her clothes, she had stood and leaned against the wall for quite some time. Next, she had paced back and forth through the hallway, trying to plan out just what she would say once he did come out. Finally, she had taken her current position on the floor, alternating from sitting with her legs straight out to crossing them and resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.
She had recently noticed that her eyelids seemed to be growing heavy and that her head and shoulders were slumping. These were obvious signs that her body was succumbing to its natural need for sleep, however she fought these symptoms by making her self sit-up straight and keep her eyes wide open.
Even though crawling into her very warm and soft bed seemed incredibly appealing right now, her drive to make things right with Vash held priority over all her other urges.
Despite her best efforts, Meryl had eventually laid down on the hard floor, using her left arm as a makeshift pillow, and had ultimately given into the wish for rest by her fatigued body.
It was in this position, sprawled out upon the floor, that Vash had found her as he opened the door to his room. Meryl was immediately woken up by the squeaking of the hinges on his door and was quickly reminded of her earlier plan to make it look as though she had simply chosen to exit her room at the same time as him.
If her mind had not been quite so incoherent from its sudden rouse she might have realized what a futile attempt it was at this point in time. However, her thought process was a bit clouded by her recent nap on the floor and so she had, rather comedically, jumped up and attempted to throw herself into the doorway of her own room.
But, her cognitive abilities were not the only thing affected by the nap. It quickly became apparent that her coordination had been hindered by the sleep as well and, as she scrambled to get and into the doorway of her room, she lost her footing and fell to the floor.
Or, at least she thought she had, until she opened the eyes she had squinted shut only moments before as her decent towards the floor had begun.
Meryl looked to the right and saw that Vash had grabbed her by the upper arm and was holding her up with what looked to be little effort. The tops of her toes touched the ground and her legs were bent, however they were currently giving her no support. She was in such a position that if Vash had not intervened, her knees would most likely have painfully collided with the hard floor.
She looked at his face and into his aqua eyes expecting him to snicker a bit at her clumsiness or make some remark about how she needed to be more careful when attempting to do such complex things as stand up or walk. But, he did neither. He simply pulled her up a bit so that she could get her legs underneath her and stand on her own. His face kept a serious and somewhat intense expression throughout the whole episode.
Once on her own two feet, Meryl turned to face him. She took a deep breath in and prepared to apologize, but before she had gotten even a word out Vash spoke up.
"We need to talk," he said, the same serious and intense expression on his face as he spoke.
He then shut the door to his room behind him and began to walk towards the kitchen.
Meryl was a bit dumbfounded. She hadn't expected him to get the first word in and she certainly hadn't expected him to want to talk to her. As she made her way to the kitchen, Meryl's stomach began to tense uncomfortably for the second time that day, but this time it was spurred on more by a feeling of dread than guilt.
Once she entered the kitchen, she took a seat next to Vash at the small table. His eyes were intense as he began to speak.
"About what you said earlier," he began.
Before he had a chance finish his sentence, Meryl interrupted him.
"Vash I-," Meryl interjected, but Vash was stubborn in his effort to finish.
"Just, just listen to me okay," he said firmly, not breaking eye contact with Meryl.
"You were right. Everything you said was right," Vash continued.
Meryl tried to interject once again, but only got out a couple syllables before Vash lifted his right hand and closed his eyes. This gesture sent a strong message to Meryl that she needed to let him speak without interruption as he had done earlier that day for her.
"It's too dangerous for me and Knives to stay here. We would be putting you, Milly, and everyone in this town in jeopardy by being here. I have no idea when he will wake up or how he will react when he does," Vash said.
At this point, Meryl realized that the tensing in her stomach had now given way to a sharp twisting feeling which was starting to be echoed by a similar sensation in her head. It had become obvious that her earlier feeling of anxiety was not unfounded and she was intensely dreading what she knew Vash would say next.
"I think it would be best for everyone if I leave tomorrow with Knives," he stated. The tone of his voice was even and seemed to give off the impression that his decision was not debatable.
Meryl felt a lump in her throat form and her eyes began to tear up a bit.
"I want to thank you and Milly for everything you've done for me. Without you two I don't know if I would have made it," Vash said, his lips forming a small smile.
Vash leaned forward slightly as Meryl attempted to keep her facial expression under control. Sudden grief had begun to course through her and she was fighting to keep the emotion from overtaking her.
"Thank you, Meryl."
The last word Vash spoke broke any resolve Meryl had to keep her emotions under control. Tears began running down her face and a quiet sob was released from her throat.
He had said her name. She had known him for over two years and this was the first time he had ever said it. This simple act seemed to be more than enough to indicate that his parting was now certain.
Vash rose from his seat and a look of sadness that Meryl had seen all too many times before was reflected in his eyes. He began to walk towards the hallway and the sound of his footsteps echoed in her ears.
However, it was at this moment that a transition took place in Meryl's brain and the grief that had just overtaken her was rapidly intersected by her former resolve. He might leave, she might never see him again, but first she needed to apologize. It was something she felt she had to do, even if it was just a way to clear her conscience.
"Vash," she said softly as he drew near to the kitchen's door.
He continued on, not even pausing for a moment after his name was said. She wasn't sure if he had simply not heard her or if he was deliberately ignoring her.
"Vash," she repeated, but this time much louder and with a greater air of determination in her voice.
Her second attempt finally got his attention and he turned back towards where Meryl was still sitting. Their eyes met and Meryl started to speak.
"Vash, you said what you needed to say, now please let me speak my piece."
For a moment he looked as though he wouldn't oblige her. She thought that he would simply shake his head and then leave wordlessly. However, he didn't do that.
He deliberated for a few seconds, seeming to decide whether he should wait in his current position for Meryl to continue speaking or if he should go back to his former seat at the table. Eventually he returned to the chair next to Meryl.
She took a deep breath in, hoping that the action would calm her nerves a bit, make her voice shake a little less, and her tone a little more even.
"I didn't mean anything that I said earlier, not a word of it," she began.
This time around, it was Vash that was attempting to interrupt her as she was about to begin her next sentence. However, she imitated his earlier gesture and raised her right hand as a signal for him to stop, which he reluctantly did.
"The things that I said about you and why you brought your brother back here were all wrong. I think that maybe, now, I finally understand the motives behind why you returned here with him."
The pitch and evenness of Meryl's voice was still unsteady, but as she continued to speak the words seemed easier for her to form and her body felt as though it was relaxing a bit.
She really wasn't sure how she should continue now that she finally had an opportunity to apologize, but she kept talking anyway not really knowing exactly what she would say next.
Meryl spoke for some time, telling him that earlier in the day she had only been able to see the situation from her own perspective and had ignored everyone else's. That, once she had taken the time out to examine the situation from his point of view, she finally came to understand that he had taken the course of action which fit best with his own ideals and beliefs; the one that he believed would be the best for everyone involved.
She now saw that it was selfish and unrealistic to expect him to kill or abandon his brother because of Knives' past deeds, no matter how horrible they were. This would have gone against Vash's very nature and the beliefs which were held so strongly by him that they had, at one point, almost destroyed him.
It might be true that bringing him back to the town put everyone there in danger, however, as long as the hatred inside of Knives persisted, the safety of all of Gunsmoke's inhabitants would be threatened. With Vash in this town, at least those in the area would have some level of protection.
Meryl said all of this, keeping eye contact with Vash the entire time. During certain times she had rambled a bit and at others she had repeated herself, but there was a strong tone of sincerity behind her words and she hoped that Vash had picked up on it.
Finally, she had reached the part all her previous words had been building up to, the part where she asked him to stay and apologized.
"Vash, I would like to think of myself as your friend and a good friend at that. So, as your friend, I am asking you to stay here and let me help you with Knives. Once he wakes up, you probably will not be able to leave him alone much, if at all. Because of this, you won't be able to earn any kind of income to support yourself and Knives... You've suffered a lot, Vash. Maybe if you settle down in this town for awhile you'll be able to attain some of the peace you've been seeking."
Vash's expression hadn't changed since she began speaking and she was beginning to worry that maybe her words were not reaching him or that he was simply dismissing them. However, she forged onward with her argument for him to stay.
"To put it simply, I'm asking you to stay here, in this house and let me take care of the financial end of things while you take care of Knives."
Meryl knew she was being a bit ambiguous, but it seemed easier to express herself that way then to go into all of the details surrounding her reasons for wanting him to stay.
"One more thing, I just want to say that I'm sorry about everything I said earlier today. The awful things I said, I was just using them as a cover for my…"
Meryl let her sentence trail off and realized that right now she was not prepared to tell Vash how she felt. It seemed that first she would have to wait and see if he hung around at all. So, a silence hung between them for a short time after Meryl broke off her last sentence. The quiet felt incredibly heavy to Meryl and she wondered if she had communicated a little too much about her feelings for him in her last statement.
Vash had taken on a bit of a pensive expression after Meryl's last words. His eyes had broken contact with her own and were now looking across the table seemingly not focused on any particular object.
Meryl was finally given a reprieve from the crushing silence that had continued to build around her when Vash finally spoke up.
"Okay, we'll stay," Vash said.
"But I have no idea for how long," he added, possibly as an attempt to make sure Meryl's expectations didn't rise too high.
It seemed that an enormous amount of weight was lifted from Meryl's shoulders then and she couldn't help but let a smile creep across her face.
"I don't want to be a burden to you, so I'll try to help you out as much as I can," Vash said as he began to stand up.
Meryl just nodded her head a couple of times. She was so relieved that it seemed she had momentarily lost her ability to speak.
Just as Meryl was about to stand up herself, Milly entered the kitchen.
"What are you two doing up so early?" Milly asked, her words a bit unclear as she yawned.
It was then that Meryl realized the sun had risen at some point while she had been attempting to persuade Vash to stay. The night had been so emotionally draining for her that she had lost all sense of time.
"Just talking," Vash said with a slight smile as he began to exit the kitchen.
"I'm sure Meryl will be able to fill you in," he added from the hallway.
Milly turned her gaze to Meryl then, a questioning look on her face. Meryl began to speak, but her words were interrupted when an involuntary yawn escaped.
"Uh, Milly. Maybe we could talk later? I'm really tired right now," Meryl said as she stood up and began to walk towards her room.
"Sure," Milly said simply and smiled a bit.
Meryl was walking towards the kitchen door when Vash suddenly reentered the room.
"Uh, Milly," he said looking towards the taller girl.
"I was wondering if I could borrow your bed."
His last statement made Meryl's face contort into one of confusion and slight disgust. Just what in the hell did he want with Milly's bed?
Milly's expression also changed to one of confusion, however hers lacked the look of minor repulsion exhibited by Meryl.
Vash seemed to quickly pick up on their puzzlement with his request.
"My bed is kind of occupied and I would like to get some sleep, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind…"
His explanation caused Milly's expression of confusion to break into one of understanding and sympathy.
"Oh sure Mr. Vash," Milly said as she made her way over to the kitchen sink.
Vash grinned a bit at her response.
"Thanks," he replied and then made his way back into the hallway with Meryl following.
When he came to the entrance of Milly's room he turned back towards Meryl, who was at the door to her own room.
"Uh, goodnight, I mean good morning," he said to Meryl with a sheepish grin.
"Sleep well," she replied.
They both made their way into their respective (or in Vash's case non-respective) rooms then and closed the doors behind them. Having stayed up practically the entire night, except for her nap on the hallway floor, Meryl's body was exhausted and she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Later, when she spoke with Milly, she learned that she had slept for over twelve hours straight.
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Author's Notes:
I had a really difficult time writing the section where Meryl asks Vash to stay and I'm not so sure how it turned the way I wanted it to.
Also, I know that in the dubbed version Vash says Meryl's name that one time in the car, but I guess I'm going off of the subbed version for the most part, where he never says her name.
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Meryl closed the front door behind her and it fit into its frame with a small click. It was this noise that broke Milly's train of thought and brought Meryl into her attention.
"Oh, hi Meryl," she said with a soft smile.
"Do you know where Vash is?" Meryl immediately replied.
Her level of determination was still strong and she felt the need to find Vash and apologize as soon as possible, even if it meant being a bit curt to Milly.
"Yeah, he's with his brother now," Milly said as she shifted herself in the chair so she was closer to facing Meryl.
"Why are you looking for him Meryl? Are you going to talk to him?"
Meryl realized this was Milly's gentle way of asking if she was going to apologize for what she had said earlier.
Meryl nodded and shifted her gaze to the porch's floorboards.
"Yeah, that's what I would like to do," she replied, somehow unable to pull her eyes from the crack between two of the boards. She noticed that her voice came out softer than she meant it to and it was a bit unsteady now as well.
Milly shifted again in the chair, this time turning so her body was almost completely facing Meryl.
"I'm glad," Milly said, finally causing Meryl to break her gaze from the ground and instead direct it toward Milly's face.
"I think that Mr. Vash would appreciate that too," she added with an encouraging smile. With that, Milly stood up, went back into the house and then into her room, shutting the door behind her.
Meryl had followed soon after, somewhat unsure about just how she should approach Vash. After quite a bit of internal debating she decided that, at this juncture, it would be best to wait until he came out of his room.
She quickly changed into her nightshirt, leaving on the blue leggings she had worn all day underneath. Meryl knew that changing her clothing was a pointless endeavor since she wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon, but did so anyway. After changing her clothes, she had stood and leaned against the wall for quite some time. Next, she had paced back and forth through the hallway, trying to plan out just what she would say once he did come out. Finally, she had taken her current position on the floor, alternating from sitting with her legs straight out to crossing them and resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.
She had recently noticed that her eyelids seemed to be growing heavy and that her head and shoulders were slumping. These were obvious signs that her body was succumbing to its natural need for sleep, however she fought these symptoms by making her self sit-up straight and keep her eyes wide open.
Even though crawling into her very warm and soft bed seemed incredibly appealing right now, her drive to make things right with Vash held priority over all her other urges.
Despite her best efforts, Meryl had eventually laid down on the hard floor, using her left arm as a makeshift pillow, and had ultimately given into the wish for rest by her fatigued body.
It was in this position, sprawled out upon the floor, that Vash had found her as he opened the door to his room. Meryl was immediately woken up by the squeaking of the hinges on his door and was quickly reminded of her earlier plan to make it look as though she had simply chosen to exit her room at the same time as him.
If her mind had not been quite so incoherent from its sudden rouse she might have realized what a futile attempt it was at this point in time. However, her thought process was a bit clouded by her recent nap on the floor and so she had, rather comedically, jumped up and attempted to throw herself into the doorway of her own room.
But, her cognitive abilities were not the only thing affected by the nap. It quickly became apparent that her coordination had been hindered by the sleep as well and, as she scrambled to get and into the doorway of her room, she lost her footing and fell to the floor.
Or, at least she thought she had, until she opened the eyes she had squinted shut only moments before as her decent towards the floor had begun.
Meryl looked to the right and saw that Vash had grabbed her by the upper arm and was holding her up with what looked to be little effort. The tops of her toes touched the ground and her legs were bent, however they were currently giving her no support. She was in such a position that if Vash had not intervened, her knees would most likely have painfully collided with the hard floor.
She looked at his face and into his aqua eyes expecting him to snicker a bit at her clumsiness or make some remark about how she needed to be more careful when attempting to do such complex things as stand up or walk. But, he did neither. He simply pulled her up a bit so that she could get her legs underneath her and stand on her own. His face kept a serious and somewhat intense expression throughout the whole episode.
Once on her own two feet, Meryl turned to face him. She took a deep breath in and prepared to apologize, but before she had gotten even a word out Vash spoke up.
"We need to talk," he said, the same serious and intense expression on his face as he spoke.
He then shut the door to his room behind him and began to walk towards the kitchen.
Meryl was a bit dumbfounded. She hadn't expected him to get the first word in and she certainly hadn't expected him to want to talk to her. As she made her way to the kitchen, Meryl's stomach began to tense uncomfortably for the second time that day, but this time it was spurred on more by a feeling of dread than guilt.
Once she entered the kitchen, she took a seat next to Vash at the small table. His eyes were intense as he began to speak.
"About what you said earlier," he began.
Before he had a chance finish his sentence, Meryl interrupted him.
"Vash I-," Meryl interjected, but Vash was stubborn in his effort to finish.
"Just, just listen to me okay," he said firmly, not breaking eye contact with Meryl.
"You were right. Everything you said was right," Vash continued.
Meryl tried to interject once again, but only got out a couple syllables before Vash lifted his right hand and closed his eyes. This gesture sent a strong message to Meryl that she needed to let him speak without interruption as he had done earlier that day for her.
"It's too dangerous for me and Knives to stay here. We would be putting you, Milly, and everyone in this town in jeopardy by being here. I have no idea when he will wake up or how he will react when he does," Vash said.
At this point, Meryl realized that the tensing in her stomach had now given way to a sharp twisting feeling which was starting to be echoed by a similar sensation in her head. It had become obvious that her earlier feeling of anxiety was not unfounded and she was intensely dreading what she knew Vash would say next.
"I think it would be best for everyone if I leave tomorrow with Knives," he stated. The tone of his voice was even and seemed to give off the impression that his decision was not debatable.
Meryl felt a lump in her throat form and her eyes began to tear up a bit.
"I want to thank you and Milly for everything you've done for me. Without you two I don't know if I would have made it," Vash said, his lips forming a small smile.
Vash leaned forward slightly as Meryl attempted to keep her facial expression under control. Sudden grief had begun to course through her and she was fighting to keep the emotion from overtaking her.
"Thank you, Meryl."
The last word Vash spoke broke any resolve Meryl had to keep her emotions under control. Tears began running down her face and a quiet sob was released from her throat.
He had said her name. She had known him for over two years and this was the first time he had ever said it. This simple act seemed to be more than enough to indicate that his parting was now certain.
Vash rose from his seat and a look of sadness that Meryl had seen all too many times before was reflected in his eyes. He began to walk towards the hallway and the sound of his footsteps echoed in her ears.
However, it was at this moment that a transition took place in Meryl's brain and the grief that had just overtaken her was rapidly intersected by her former resolve. He might leave, she might never see him again, but first she needed to apologize. It was something she felt she had to do, even if it was just a way to clear her conscience.
"Vash," she said softly as he drew near to the kitchen's door.
He continued on, not even pausing for a moment after his name was said. She wasn't sure if he had simply not heard her or if he was deliberately ignoring her.
"Vash," she repeated, but this time much louder and with a greater air of determination in her voice.
Her second attempt finally got his attention and he turned back towards where Meryl was still sitting. Their eyes met and Meryl started to speak.
"Vash, you said what you needed to say, now please let me speak my piece."
For a moment he looked as though he wouldn't oblige her. She thought that he would simply shake his head and then leave wordlessly. However, he didn't do that.
He deliberated for a few seconds, seeming to decide whether he should wait in his current position for Meryl to continue speaking or if he should go back to his former seat at the table. Eventually he returned to the chair next to Meryl.
She took a deep breath in, hoping that the action would calm her nerves a bit, make her voice shake a little less, and her tone a little more even.
"I didn't mean anything that I said earlier, not a word of it," she began.
This time around, it was Vash that was attempting to interrupt her as she was about to begin her next sentence. However, she imitated his earlier gesture and raised her right hand as a signal for him to stop, which he reluctantly did.
"The things that I said about you and why you brought your brother back here were all wrong. I think that maybe, now, I finally understand the motives behind why you returned here with him."
The pitch and evenness of Meryl's voice was still unsteady, but as she continued to speak the words seemed easier for her to form and her body felt as though it was relaxing a bit.
She really wasn't sure how she should continue now that she finally had an opportunity to apologize, but she kept talking anyway not really knowing exactly what she would say next.
Meryl spoke for some time, telling him that earlier in the day she had only been able to see the situation from her own perspective and had ignored everyone else's. That, once she had taken the time out to examine the situation from his point of view, she finally came to understand that he had taken the course of action which fit best with his own ideals and beliefs; the one that he believed would be the best for everyone involved.
She now saw that it was selfish and unrealistic to expect him to kill or abandon his brother because of Knives' past deeds, no matter how horrible they were. This would have gone against Vash's very nature and the beliefs which were held so strongly by him that they had, at one point, almost destroyed him.
It might be true that bringing him back to the town put everyone there in danger, however, as long as the hatred inside of Knives persisted, the safety of all of Gunsmoke's inhabitants would be threatened. With Vash in this town, at least those in the area would have some level of protection.
Meryl said all of this, keeping eye contact with Vash the entire time. During certain times she had rambled a bit and at others she had repeated herself, but there was a strong tone of sincerity behind her words and she hoped that Vash had picked up on it.
Finally, she had reached the part all her previous words had been building up to, the part where she asked him to stay and apologized.
"Vash, I would like to think of myself as your friend and a good friend at that. So, as your friend, I am asking you to stay here and let me help you with Knives. Once he wakes up, you probably will not be able to leave him alone much, if at all. Because of this, you won't be able to earn any kind of income to support yourself and Knives... You've suffered a lot, Vash. Maybe if you settle down in this town for awhile you'll be able to attain some of the peace you've been seeking."
Vash's expression hadn't changed since she began speaking and she was beginning to worry that maybe her words were not reaching him or that he was simply dismissing them. However, she forged onward with her argument for him to stay.
"To put it simply, I'm asking you to stay here, in this house and let me take care of the financial end of things while you take care of Knives."
Meryl knew she was being a bit ambiguous, but it seemed easier to express herself that way then to go into all of the details surrounding her reasons for wanting him to stay.
"One more thing, I just want to say that I'm sorry about everything I said earlier today. The awful things I said, I was just using them as a cover for my…"
Meryl let her sentence trail off and realized that right now she was not prepared to tell Vash how she felt. It seemed that first she would have to wait and see if he hung around at all. So, a silence hung between them for a short time after Meryl broke off her last sentence. The quiet felt incredibly heavy to Meryl and she wondered if she had communicated a little too much about her feelings for him in her last statement.
Vash had taken on a bit of a pensive expression after Meryl's last words. His eyes had broken contact with her own and were now looking across the table seemingly not focused on any particular object.
Meryl was finally given a reprieve from the crushing silence that had continued to build around her when Vash finally spoke up.
"Okay, we'll stay," Vash said.
"But I have no idea for how long," he added, possibly as an attempt to make sure Meryl's expectations didn't rise too high.
It seemed that an enormous amount of weight was lifted from Meryl's shoulders then and she couldn't help but let a smile creep across her face.
"I don't want to be a burden to you, so I'll try to help you out as much as I can," Vash said as he began to stand up.
Meryl just nodded her head a couple of times. She was so relieved that it seemed she had momentarily lost her ability to speak.
Just as Meryl was about to stand up herself, Milly entered the kitchen.
"What are you two doing up so early?" Milly asked, her words a bit unclear as she yawned.
It was then that Meryl realized the sun had risen at some point while she had been attempting to persuade Vash to stay. The night had been so emotionally draining for her that she had lost all sense of time.
"Just talking," Vash said with a slight smile as he began to exit the kitchen.
"I'm sure Meryl will be able to fill you in," he added from the hallway.
Milly turned her gaze to Meryl then, a questioning look on her face. Meryl began to speak, but her words were interrupted when an involuntary yawn escaped.
"Uh, Milly. Maybe we could talk later? I'm really tired right now," Meryl said as she stood up and began to walk towards her room.
"Sure," Milly said simply and smiled a bit.
Meryl was walking towards the kitchen door when Vash suddenly reentered the room.
"Uh, Milly," he said looking towards the taller girl.
"I was wondering if I could borrow your bed."
His last statement made Meryl's face contort into one of confusion and slight disgust. Just what in the hell did he want with Milly's bed?
Milly's expression also changed to one of confusion, however hers lacked the look of minor repulsion exhibited by Meryl.
Vash seemed to quickly pick up on their puzzlement with his request.
"My bed is kind of occupied and I would like to get some sleep, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind…"
His explanation caused Milly's expression of confusion to break into one of understanding and sympathy.
"Oh sure Mr. Vash," Milly said as she made her way over to the kitchen sink.
Vash grinned a bit at her response.
"Thanks," he replied and then made his way back into the hallway with Meryl following.
When he came to the entrance of Milly's room he turned back towards Meryl, who was at the door to her own room.
"Uh, goodnight, I mean good morning," he said to Meryl with a sheepish grin.
"Sleep well," she replied.
They both made their way into their respective (or in Vash's case non-respective) rooms then and closed the doors behind them. Having stayed up practically the entire night, except for her nap on the hallway floor, Meryl's body was exhausted and she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Later, when she spoke with Milly, she learned that she had slept for over twelve hours straight.
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Author's Notes:
I had a really difficult time writing the section where Meryl asks Vash to stay and I'm not so sure how it turned the way I wanted it to.
Also, I know that in the dubbed version Vash says Meryl's name that one time in the car, but I guess I'm going off of the subbed version for the most part, where he never says her name.