"Sigh..."

"DAMMIT!" Wolfwood slid out of his sleeping bag, stood up, walked across the room, turned on the light, and glared at the scarred figure on the bed. "What the hell is your problem?"

Vash squinted at the angry preacher. "Huh?"

"You won the damn coin toss and you got the bed...so when the hell are you gonna stop whining and let me sleep? You've been sighing every four minutes for the last half hour!"

He rolled onto his side, turning his back to Nick. "Oh...sorry. I guess I was just thinking about stuff."

Wolfwood took a deep breath. It took every bit of his self-control not to storm across the room, pick up the punisher, and beat the ever living tar out of that broom head right now. His voice was strained as he spoke. "You're completely transparent Needle Noggin. If you'd just freaking tell her it'd make all our lives so much easier."

He rolled back over. "What?"

"Meryl! Who do you think dumbass? You're such a damned idiot. How many chances have you had now? For God's sake you were practically on top of her in the desert last night. No thoughts came to mind?"

Vash glared. "I'm not like you..."

"Damn straight you're not! If you were like me, you'd be in bed with her right now and I'd be with Milly instead of your sighing waste of space ass!"

"You cuss entirely too much."

Something inside Nick snapped and his face went completely calm. Vash looked on in increasing fear as Wolfwood casually strolled over to his bag, slipped on his pants and white shirt, then headed for the door.

He pulled the covers to his chin. "Where...where are you going?"

"To do what you can't." Nick slammed the door behind him.

Meryl was lying in bed reading a book by lamplight while Milly played around trying to do a handstand.

She kicked up, keeping her balance pretty well. Skills like this were strictly use it or lose it. She use to be so good at this stuff when she was a kid, it was annoying that'd she'd kind of forgotten through the years. Someone banged on the door and Milly yelped, falling forward.

Meryl placed her bookmark inside and shut the book in frustration. "Who would come at this hour?" She climbed out of bed, walked past the whining Milly, and opened the door.

The tall girl looked up to see who it was. A barefoot priest with his pants unbuttoned, his white shirt completely open, and his hair all messed up and in his eyes, stood angrily in the doorway.

Nick had barely opened his mouth to speak when a scarred, pale hand instantly covered it. Vash stood behind him in nothing but his boxers with an innocent smile on his face. "Hiya Meryl!"

The girls' faces were beyond confusion.

Wolfwood immediately became enraged and a violent struggle ensued. But no matter what he did, he just could not get Vash's hand off his mouth. He screamed while glaring at Meryl. "Ee ifes oo! Ee uggin ifes oo!"

The bruised and now bleeding Typhoon managed to get Nick in a chokehold while still covering his mouth and began dragging him back down the hall. "Well, um...bye girls!"

Milly looked up at her partner. "Uh, should we follow them?"

Meryl just stared after them. "Honestly Milly...I don't think I even want to know.

Wolfwood shoved him off as they entered the room. "What are you so afraid of? Rejection? Please, her feelings are just as obvious. You fight like a damn married couple all day as it is!"

"Well I don't want her to find out like that! From some deranged priest who comes busting in, in the middle of the night!"

Nick sat on his sleeping bag and lit a cigarette to calm his nerves. "We aren't long for this world you idiot! If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen!"

Vash laid back on the bed. "But Meryl isn't like Milly, Wolfwood. Remember that stunt you pulled on the bus? Meryl would have beat my ass if I so much as touched her on the first day we met."

Wolfwood waved his cigarette. "So she puts up a tough front, it's no big deal. Some respect and genuine affection goes a long way." He looked towards the bed. "You do have that right?"

He stared at the ceiling. "Of course."

"Then it's all good. And from what I've seen she only goes nuts when you act like a damn four-year-old. Be serious for a change. I guarantee it'll catch her off guard. She's that type, all fire and brimstone until a few choice pretty words and she'll melt to pieces."

Vash turned to stare at Wolfwood. "You're secretly a complete womanizer aren't you..."

He blinked. "Don't be stupid! I'm just more observant than you are!" His voice lowered slightly. "Besides, you know I'm with Thompson."

The Typhoon grinned. "So you're a couple now? Like officially? I mean you did save her from that sand roach...it's gotta be love right?"

Nick glared. "Shut up."

Vash got up and turned off the light. "Hmph...touchy."

THE NEXT MORNING

He yawned, sitting up in bed. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Wolfwood was already dressed and picking up the cross punisher. "Me and Milly are going out for breakfast." He smiled while walking for the door. "I'll be out seizing the day while you rot in self-pity and think what could have been. See ya!"

He yelled as the door closed. "YOU ARE SO MEAN!"

Meryl could see them from the window as they left the hotel together. They were walking arm in arm and one of them must have just made a joke, because they were both grinning and laughing. She couldn't really see from here but she could imagine the way Milly was smiling. Meryl had noticed there was a certain smile that only Nick could draw out from the tall insurance girl. They really did made each other happy. Meryl sighed and began typing once more. A sudden knock at the door made her stop yet again. She grumbled, stomping over and swinging the door open.

He smiled. "Hello!"

She blinked. "Huh...Vash? What's wrong? Why are you here?"

"Nothing. Can't I just come see you?"

Meryl cocked an eyebrow. "Um...sure I guess."

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, actually I was kind of wondering if you'd like to go out for breakfast with me. Did you eat yet?"

She blushed slightly. "No..."

Vash grinned taking her by the wrist. "Well let's go!"

15 MINUTES LATER

They quietly sat across from each other at a booth in the small cafe. Meryl ordered coffee and pancakes. Vash ordered milk and donuts.

He tried to think of something to talk about. Why did things always get so awkward for him?

Meryl spoke instead. "So whatever happened to your coat? It's so weird seeing you in dress pants and a dress shirt..."

Vash smiled. "It was beyond repair I'm afraid. Why? You don't like this look?"

She looked down. "No, you look nice."

He blinked. "So you do think I'm cute?"

A sarcastic retort lingered on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped herself. "When you want to be."

He stared at Meryl as the waitress came with their food. When she was gone, he grabbed a donut and started talking again while munching down. "Well, that's really nice of you short girl. You're pretty cute yourself."

At that moment she had been carefully pouring the syrup and a huge glob shot out as she looked up at him in surprise. Vash was always the first to take notice of a pretty girl, but in all their travels he had never once said anything about the way she looked. Sometimes it seemed he almost forgot she was a girl all together. It hurt. "Did you just say I was...cute?"

Vash tried to read her. Was she insulted or flattered? Man, he couldn't tell. This was bad. Well...when in doubt, just be honest. He spoke casually as he bit into another ring of glazed goodness. "I've always thought you were cute."

Now she was seriously blushing. "But you never acted like it..."

"Well, if I had said it earlier you'd just have hit me or something wouldn't you?"

He was probably right, but it'd still be a flattering comment. "Maybe I wouldn't have."

"Would you hit me right now if I said something?"

She looked confused.

Wolfwood's words flashed through his mind. You have to make it happen. "Actually, I think you're more than cute." He smiled realizing he'd never be able to take back what he was fixing to say. "I guess I've kind of got a crush on you short girl."

Meryl's eyes went wide. It was a childish way to put it, but he'd still said it. And it looked like he meant it. "Don't joke around like that."

"Seriously, I'm not joking. But you'd never go for a goof like me, right?"

She couldn't believe this conversation was actually taking place. "Well I wouldn't really know until I tried."

He really had a mature smile for once. "Care to try?"

Meryl took a swig of coffee to rejuvenate her overloaded senses. "Alright, but I'm making no promises...Mr.Stampede."