FLUFF AHOY: Oh man...it's like fluff on parade. Total W/M chapter. Just thought you guys should know. And I do feel bad for Meryl. She only gets like one paragraph. Her guy's out playing with Meryl look-a-likes in the desert somewhere. But anyway, to the fluffdom.

She leaned back in the chair with her pen in her mouth. How could he be so selfish? Didn't he know they were all worried about him? She could see his face in her mind. Their last conversation. He'd acknowledged that there was something there by saying it wouldn't have worked, but it sounded more like he was just trying to make it easier on her...to accept that he was leaving. Meryl sighed. No, she shouldn't think badly of him. That man had every right to find quiet peace somewhere. She just wished she knew he was all right so she could stop thinking about him.

"Meryl?"

She flung forward gasping for breath.

Milly cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, you were kind of in a daze."

Meryl turned in her chair. "Why are you back so soon? I thought you ran into the priest on your lunch break."

"I did...but I can't just skip work. He's said he'd go wander or something until I got off."

Meryl blinked. "Like a puppy?"

She blushed. "No way! He's just going to wait up on me that's all."

"Has he seen Vash?"

Milly sat down on the edge of the desk. "Nah. He asked me if we had."

Meryl rolled a new piece of paper into the typewriter. "Where do you think he is Milly?"

"Who knows, but I think he'll turn back up. You just can't stay hidden forever with a reputation like that. It's only a matter of time."

She frowned. Milly was probably right, the poor guy never was going to get a break.

THAT NIGHT

He wheeled his motorcycle into the alley and followed her inside and up the stairs. It was so strange to her. If anyone had told her this morning that this would be happening tonight...she would've thought they were crazy. Weird how unpredictable life could be. She unlocked the door and they walked inside. Milly turned on the light.

He looked around. It was a cozy little place. There was a kitchen area to the left, a small living room straight ahead with what looked like a balcony behind the curtains on the far wall, and a hallway to the right with the bedroom and then the bathroom.

She put her things down. "So what'd you do all afternoon, Mr.Priest?"

He smiled. "Played pool in that bar down the street. I made enough on bets for another pack of cigarettes and a full tank of gas for Angelina."

She looked back. "Angelina?"

He leaned his cross against the wall and dropped his bag on the floor. "My rust bucket in the alley out there."

"She's your baby, huh?"

"Yep."

"That's cute."

He gave her a funny look. "I don't think so, but that reminds me..." He pulled the daffodil from his jacket. "A kid gave this to me. You want it?"

She took it from him gratefully. "It's your middle name!"

Nick watched as she put the wilting flower in a cup of water on the bar. "You really think that's gonna preserve it?"

Milly smiled. "Not for long. But that's just what you're supposed to do. You want anything to eat or drink while I'm over here?"

"You got any liquor big girl?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Um...I might have a beer in the fridge."

"Sounds good."

She dug two out and handed him one. "Here, but please don't get the wrong idea about me. I really don't drink as much as you think..."

He smirked. "Don't worry about it, I know I'm your bad influence." Wolfwood strolled over and pulled back the curtain. "So you've got your own little balcony, huh?"

She slid open the glass door. "Come see."

They stepped outside together. It was chilly but you could see over the lower buildings for a good ways by the moons' light. Milly opened her beer. "It's not nearly as pretty as the open desert...but it's something."

He leaned on the railing and took a couple sips while admiring the city. "Looks okay to me."

The two made small talk for awhile. About how bored she was in December, about all the places he'd wandered since Augusta.

He was still being evasive. She wondered if he'd ever open up to her. Milly slid the door back open.

He turned. "You going in already?"

She swallowed the last drop out the can. "My legs are freezing."

Wolfwood tilted his head with a grin. "I bet. Was your skirt always that short, big girl?"

Milly tugged at it. "Stop looking at me like that! It's company issue."

He whistled as she walked back inside.

She blushed. "I can lock you out you know!"

The priest quickly slid back in before she could close the door. "Mind if I use your shower now, honey? I have sand in unmentionable places."

"That's more than I needed to know, but go ahead. If you want you can leave your clothes in the hall and I'll wash them for you."

He smiled. "You really think I'm that dirty?"

Milly slapped his jacket and dirt went in his face.

He coughed as she walked away. "Point noted..."

Milly hummed along with the radio while she walked back and forth to hang up Wolfwood's clothes. That man sure took long showers. He probably hadn't had one in a long time though. When she was all done she looked around for something else to do. She cocked an eyebrow taking notice of the cross punisher. Milly walked up to it and ran her fingers over the material. Dirt caked them when she pulled away. The thing was filthier than he was.

He stood in front of the steam-blurred mirror, drying himself off. He stared at his own reflection. This assignment must be affecting him more than he'd realized. He looked a lot rougher than usual. His hair was all in his eyes and his normal chin stubble was now more of a five o' clock shadow. It looked like he'd lost some weight too. Damn. All those days without a place to sleep or anything good to eat. He froze at the sound of the main strap releasing.

She'd already gathered all the fabric in her arms and was on her way to the washing machine when she heard someone run into the room. Milly looked innocently over her shoulder. He was a heart stopping sight. Nick with that pissed off look on his face, breathing heavily, soaking wet, and standing with a towel hung loosely around his hips. Very loosely. Milly turned back in a full-blown blush. "Would you calm down! I was just gonna wash the material! I'd never mess with your punisher!"

He straightened up and sighed. "You scared the hell out of me."

She still couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry, okay? And could you please put some clothes on...that was a little more of you than I was expecting."

Nick backed up. "Wait, you mean you saw..."

Milly blushed all over again. "No, I didn't! Atleast...I don't think I did. Jeez Mr.Priest just go back in the bathroom so I can quit staring at this stupid wall!"

He leaned on the doorframe. She was sitting on the bed in one of her long t-shirts, setting the alarm so she could get up for work the next morning. His gut told him she wouldn't hold the awkward scene from earlier against him. But he had to make sure. "Hey big girl, where am I sleeping tonight?"

Milly put the clock back on the nightstand. "Well I don't think the couch is even long enough for you to fit on, and I'm not about to make you sleep on the floor."

He entered the room and she glanced up. He was only in his boxers...all his other clothes must still be wet.

"So you promise everything's cool?"

"Don't worry about it. You just scared me that's all."

He grinned. "Yeh, sorry about that."

She turned off the lamp and felt the bed shift as he got in. What a weird pair they were. Not even dating and sharing a bed without a second thought. But it wasn't simply platonic right? They were always flirting. And the way her emotions went nuts whenever he was around. Friends didn't make you feel that way. It was all so confusing.

He felt Milly put her head on his chest and he looked down at her. "Hmm?"

She suddenly felt very unsure of herself. Milly wanted to ask him. Anything he might say couldn't be worse than her still not knowing, right? He'd be gone by morning. Who knows when she'd ever see him again? She had to know tonight. It wasn't her nature to be so afraid like this. She took a breath, pushing all the negative thoughts away. "Nick...what are we?"

A bullet would have surprised him less. It was inevitable of course, but how...after all this time, could she just cut to the chase with one unexpected sentence like that? Wolfwood wrapped his arm around her waist after a moment. "Star-crossed..."

"That isn't an answer."

"It's the truth."

She waited...but when he spoke no further, she took another leap of faith, kissing him lightly under the chin.

"Milly..." He tried to ignore the feeling it gave him. "Don't do this."

"Why?"

"Because I can't stay."

She looked up at him pleadingly. "Then why are you here...why even come?"

"I wanted to see you." It was a weak answer and he knew it.

He acted like he was protecting her, but she didn't want that. She had to know how he really felt, or if he did at all. Milly pulled herself up so she was over him.

He could feel her hair as it hung down, lightly grazing his face. "Milly, please." His willpower was only so strong.

"Just be honest." She leaned down, afraid but determined.

Nick didn't want her to. He really didn't. Because once it started he might not be able to stop. It shouldn't be that way. Not just some one night stand. Milly deserved so much more. There were probably hundreds of reasons they were all wrong for each other. But her lips were so soft on his...so perfect that suddenly none of those reasons mattered. Wolfwood's body relaxed as his eyes closed. And soon he was more than willingly returning the gesture.

Her heart fluttered as he took grasp of her arms, intensifying the moment. She'd been kissed before but never like this. It'd never felt like this. The occasional scratch of stubble against her face, a taste of smoke on his dry lips. She'd secretly wondered how this would feel for the longest time, and now the emotions were overwhelming.

Wolfwood let go of one of her arms so that his hand could take gentle hold behind her head, guiding her down more fully into each successive kiss. Unbelievable. Big girl really had feelings for him. But try as he might, he could only keep it innocent for so long until his personality started to get the better of him.

Milly almost ended the kiss in true surprise as his tongue effortlessly broke past her lips, moving deeply inside. His fingers dug harder into her hair and she weakened even more, wondering what to do. She never let boys get this far. But then again, Nick wasn't a boy. She let him get away with it a little longer, but finally withdrew with a blush when his other hand let go of her arm in favor of wandering down her side towards the end of her shirt and her bare legs. It hadn't felt wrong but these feelings were a bit too much for her to process right now. And just to show she wasn't offended, she ran her hand playfully through his hair as she sat up with a shy smile. The moonlight shone down from the window above the headboard as she looked down into those ice blue eyes. "So...was that your answer?"

Wolfwood could see that unlike him, Milly had been in control all along...and wasn't about to go too far. But she had to know they could never have any kind of real relationship. Not right now anyway. "Why would you want a guy that's never around?"

"I can wait...and besides you can't apply rational thinking to feelings of the heart, darling."

Nick grinned despite himself, pulling her down beside him. "You're something else you know that? Guess I've only got me a December girl now. The other ones are gonna have to take a hike."

He wrapped his arms around her and she put her head back on his chest with a smirk. "They better."

"Heh, just mention a jealous babe with two revolvers and dead aim, and I think they'll do more than that. They'll freaking high tail it." He kissed the top her head before closing his eyes. "Sweet dreams, big girl." It hurt to think about it, but by tomorrow he'd be alone again and this feeling would be just another memory.

Milly smiled and cuddled closer. "Goodnight Nicholas." If only things could stay this way.