Meryl awoke to an empty room the next morning. For a moment, her
delirious mind wondered if the whole thing hadn't just been a dream,
conjured up by all her loneliness. But she knew that wasn't true. Vash was
really here. He had really come back. And what's more, he had held her.
Where, then, was he now? Meryl sat up with a sigh. She had had the most wonderful dream when she had fallen back to sleep. Vash had said he loved her. Loved her like she loved him. She snorted. It was an impossible hope. And thinking on it would get her nowhere.
Gingerly, Meryl eased herself from the bed. She had been dormant the last few days, and her legs knew it. She wobbled, but caught herself. Breathe in, breathe out, and take it slow, she told herself. It didn't take long for her to regain her center of gravity, and she roamed freely around the room. The first thing she did was retrieve her shirt (which still had a rip in the shoulder), which had been slung over a chair. She seemed to have forgotten about her wound, and when it flexed, pain shot up and down her arm, centered in her shoulder. She cried out.
The door flew open as soon as her cry escaped her lips. There stood her red-clad hero, ready to take on the world. Instead, her hero found an amusing scene in front of him. Meryl, her face as red as his coat, was struggling in vain to get the shirt on without further hurting herself.
Without conscious thought, Vash moved over to help her. She began to back away, but one stern look from the usually goofy outlaw and she stilled. Gently, he grabbed hold of the material, easing it down carefully. He gently moved her arm, making her wince, but the pain gradually subsided. Soon she was safely into her own clothing.
"Thank you" Meryl whispered to the floor, her face as red as before.
Faking anger, Vash waggled his finger at her "You know, you shouldn't be so careless with yourself when you have an injury like that. You could make it worse."
Meryl stared. Then, she smiled, and nodded faintly. Vash was surprised she hadn't fought with him.
Silence.
"Oh, uh, I." Vash stuttered
Meryl's eyes stared into his.
"I bought some doughnuts for breakfast! Why don't you come out and have some? It'll be good for you to get some fresh air"
"You sound like my mother"
Vash laughed. The sound of it made Meryl's heart beat a little bit faster. She allowed herself to be led from the room, down to a small café that was attached to the hotel.
On a small table was a strategically placed bag of fresh made donuts.
"I had been hoping you'd be awake" Vash said sheepishly.
"How long had you been outside my room?"
"Oh.. an hour or two, I guess."
Meryl was deathly confused as to why Vash would suddenly care so much.
"Well, let's eat!" He said cheerfully, digging about in the bag for one of his prizes from the days shopping.
Silently, she watched him devour the deep fried cake, though she ate none of them herself.
"You need to eat, Meryl"
"Where are my guns, Vash?"
Vash about choked on a piece of donut (wouldn't that be an ironic way for him to go).
"Oh, those. I guess I can't call you derringer Meryl anymore, huh?"
"Where are they?"
"Why?"
"Millie and Wolfwood are still out there. And Wolfwood is still.. well, he's still not what he used to be. I'm afraid of what they'll do to her if we-I don't go back"
Vash was silent. Crumbs fell from his mouth unheeded. He leaned back in the chair with a sigh.
"Always so straight-forward, eh? Your guns are safe; I just figured it was safer to keep them away from you so you didn't shove one up my nose whenever I walked into the room. And don't worry. I intend to go back there."
"You? What about me?"
Vash rapped his fingers on the table. He knew she was going to be angry.
"You are not a direct part of this. It's me that Legato wants."
"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT I CAN'T GO WITH YOU?!"
Vash blinked. He forced back a smile.
"Of course not. I need a good driver to get me there. Maybe even some backup. I can't think of anyone better than derrin-err; I guess I'll have to call you Pistol-whip Stryfe now."
Meryl smiled.
"But we can't go back there with your shoulder in the condition its in now, so we'll have to wait. That is, if you don't mind being stuck in this little town with the humanoid typhoon."
"You know, I think I'll survive"
That night found Meryl sitting silently upon the front porch of the hotel. Earlier in the evening she had taken a walk by herself through town, trying to think everything through. She had failed.
Now she simply contented herself to stare at the stars. They had always comforted her as a child, though she wasn't sure why. Whenever she was discomforted, she would gaze into the blackness of the night and its tiny bursts of light, and she would feel a lot better. Tonight she seemed to need it most.
She was immensely grateful that Vash wasn't going to leave her behind this time. However, it also frightened her. What if she just ended up getting in the way? She didn't want that. Still, she also didn't want to be left behind in the dust, waiting to know what happened.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the porch awoke Meryl from her daydreaming. She looked up to see a looming shadow standing over her.
Vash settled his weight onto the bench next to her.
"Were you looking at the stars?"
Meryl blushed "err, yeah. I seem to do so a lot, when I'm stressed. It's a good way for me to clear my head."
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Meryl became intensely distracted from what she was doing. He was taking her over again. His hair, muted almost white in the sparse moonlight, was as stick-straight as ever. And yet, her fingers itched to run through it. His hand was inches from hers. She had only to reach over.
Meryl realized the silence had stretched on for too long. She then realized that he had asked her a question.
"What? Oh. The stars. Yes, they are"
Vash was lost in thought. Meryl turned back to the stars, trying to immerse herself in their endless depths. She couldn't, though. Vash's presence was like an anchor, keeping her in this world.
"Meryl, I'm happy to see you again"
Meryl stared at Vash.
"I.I'm happy to see you too"
He smiled. He seemed content with that. His aqua eyes were on her now. Staring into her, as if he knew the workings of her soul and wasn't ashamed of them. Her heart started beating at an insane pace. Was it just her, or was his face actually getting closer?
Then she realized something: he was getting closer! But why?
He wouldn't be.
But he was.
Strong arms encircled her, pulled her closer while being careful of her shoulder.
Meryl's eyes were about to pop out of her head.
He stopped when their lips were inches apart.
"Meryl, would you slap me if I kissed you?"
Meryl could only shake her head madly.
The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. And then, like a violent storm crashing into the shore, the lips of the legendary gunman met those of the boring old insurance girl.
Meryl couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. His lips were surprisingly soft, pressed into hers as if their lips were made to fit together as perfectly as this. But that was insane. This whole situation was insane! He had just come back into her life a few days ago. This was all so fast, so soon, so.
"Shut up, Meryl" Her own mind told her.
She did. She returned the kiss. His lips slanted on hers, deepening the connection between them. Sparks were flying at a dangerous rate. Meryl's arm (the one lacking a shoulder wound) reached out to snake around his thin body. His hands rubbed her back in slow, gentle circles.. Her pulse raced madly, her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.
"My god" She thought, "Vash the Stampede is actually kissing me!"
Where, then, was he now? Meryl sat up with a sigh. She had had the most wonderful dream when she had fallen back to sleep. Vash had said he loved her. Loved her like she loved him. She snorted. It was an impossible hope. And thinking on it would get her nowhere.
Gingerly, Meryl eased herself from the bed. She had been dormant the last few days, and her legs knew it. She wobbled, but caught herself. Breathe in, breathe out, and take it slow, she told herself. It didn't take long for her to regain her center of gravity, and she roamed freely around the room. The first thing she did was retrieve her shirt (which still had a rip in the shoulder), which had been slung over a chair. She seemed to have forgotten about her wound, and when it flexed, pain shot up and down her arm, centered in her shoulder. She cried out.
The door flew open as soon as her cry escaped her lips. There stood her red-clad hero, ready to take on the world. Instead, her hero found an amusing scene in front of him. Meryl, her face as red as his coat, was struggling in vain to get the shirt on without further hurting herself.
Without conscious thought, Vash moved over to help her. She began to back away, but one stern look from the usually goofy outlaw and she stilled. Gently, he grabbed hold of the material, easing it down carefully. He gently moved her arm, making her wince, but the pain gradually subsided. Soon she was safely into her own clothing.
"Thank you" Meryl whispered to the floor, her face as red as before.
Faking anger, Vash waggled his finger at her "You know, you shouldn't be so careless with yourself when you have an injury like that. You could make it worse."
Meryl stared. Then, she smiled, and nodded faintly. Vash was surprised she hadn't fought with him.
Silence.
"Oh, uh, I." Vash stuttered
Meryl's eyes stared into his.
"I bought some doughnuts for breakfast! Why don't you come out and have some? It'll be good for you to get some fresh air"
"You sound like my mother"
Vash laughed. The sound of it made Meryl's heart beat a little bit faster. She allowed herself to be led from the room, down to a small café that was attached to the hotel.
On a small table was a strategically placed bag of fresh made donuts.
"I had been hoping you'd be awake" Vash said sheepishly.
"How long had you been outside my room?"
"Oh.. an hour or two, I guess."
Meryl was deathly confused as to why Vash would suddenly care so much.
"Well, let's eat!" He said cheerfully, digging about in the bag for one of his prizes from the days shopping.
Silently, she watched him devour the deep fried cake, though she ate none of them herself.
"You need to eat, Meryl"
"Where are my guns, Vash?"
Vash about choked on a piece of donut (wouldn't that be an ironic way for him to go).
"Oh, those. I guess I can't call you derringer Meryl anymore, huh?"
"Where are they?"
"Why?"
"Millie and Wolfwood are still out there. And Wolfwood is still.. well, he's still not what he used to be. I'm afraid of what they'll do to her if we-I don't go back"
Vash was silent. Crumbs fell from his mouth unheeded. He leaned back in the chair with a sigh.
"Always so straight-forward, eh? Your guns are safe; I just figured it was safer to keep them away from you so you didn't shove one up my nose whenever I walked into the room. And don't worry. I intend to go back there."
"You? What about me?"
Vash rapped his fingers on the table. He knew she was going to be angry.
"You are not a direct part of this. It's me that Legato wants."
"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT I CAN'T GO WITH YOU?!"
Vash blinked. He forced back a smile.
"Of course not. I need a good driver to get me there. Maybe even some backup. I can't think of anyone better than derrin-err; I guess I'll have to call you Pistol-whip Stryfe now."
Meryl smiled.
"But we can't go back there with your shoulder in the condition its in now, so we'll have to wait. That is, if you don't mind being stuck in this little town with the humanoid typhoon."
"You know, I think I'll survive"
That night found Meryl sitting silently upon the front porch of the hotel. Earlier in the evening she had taken a walk by herself through town, trying to think everything through. She had failed.
Now she simply contented herself to stare at the stars. They had always comforted her as a child, though she wasn't sure why. Whenever she was discomforted, she would gaze into the blackness of the night and its tiny bursts of light, and she would feel a lot better. Tonight she seemed to need it most.
She was immensely grateful that Vash wasn't going to leave her behind this time. However, it also frightened her. What if she just ended up getting in the way? She didn't want that. Still, she also didn't want to be left behind in the dust, waiting to know what happened.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the porch awoke Meryl from her daydreaming. She looked up to see a looming shadow standing over her.
Vash settled his weight onto the bench next to her.
"Were you looking at the stars?"
Meryl blushed "err, yeah. I seem to do so a lot, when I'm stressed. It's a good way for me to clear my head."
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Meryl became intensely distracted from what she was doing. He was taking her over again. His hair, muted almost white in the sparse moonlight, was as stick-straight as ever. And yet, her fingers itched to run through it. His hand was inches from hers. She had only to reach over.
Meryl realized the silence had stretched on for too long. She then realized that he had asked her a question.
"What? Oh. The stars. Yes, they are"
Vash was lost in thought. Meryl turned back to the stars, trying to immerse herself in their endless depths. She couldn't, though. Vash's presence was like an anchor, keeping her in this world.
"Meryl, I'm happy to see you again"
Meryl stared at Vash.
"I.I'm happy to see you too"
He smiled. He seemed content with that. His aqua eyes were on her now. Staring into her, as if he knew the workings of her soul and wasn't ashamed of them. Her heart started beating at an insane pace. Was it just her, or was his face actually getting closer?
Then she realized something: he was getting closer! But why?
He wouldn't be.
But he was.
Strong arms encircled her, pulled her closer while being careful of her shoulder.
Meryl's eyes were about to pop out of her head.
He stopped when their lips were inches apart.
"Meryl, would you slap me if I kissed you?"
Meryl could only shake her head madly.
The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. And then, like a violent storm crashing into the shore, the lips of the legendary gunman met those of the boring old insurance girl.
Meryl couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. His lips were surprisingly soft, pressed into hers as if their lips were made to fit together as perfectly as this. But that was insane. This whole situation was insane! He had just come back into her life a few days ago. This was all so fast, so soon, so.
"Shut up, Meryl" Her own mind told her.
She did. She returned the kiss. His lips slanted on hers, deepening the connection between them. Sparks were flying at a dangerous rate. Meryl's arm (the one lacking a shoulder wound) reached out to snake around his thin body. His hands rubbed her back in slow, gentle circles.. Her pulse raced madly, her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.
"My god" She thought, "Vash the Stampede is actually kissing me!"