DISCLAIMER: Trigun and its characters belong to Yasuhiro Nightow.

Vash didn't know why Meryl had closed the door on him. He did know that was not going to be her answer. He hadn't made not one but two desert treks to accept a door being closed.

Lacking actual gauntlets, he took off his gloves and threw them down. Meryl would give a real answer – after he said what he had come to say.

The door kicked in like it was made of cardboard, taking part of the jamb with it. He strode through to face a startled, angry Meryl.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? That was company property, you broom-headed ass!"

Her hand lashed out to slap him, but Vash caught it and brought her arm down to her side as he took hold of the other one. "I didn't come here to be slapped!"

"You weren't supposed to come at all!" she snapped. "I'm trying to give you what you need!"

He tilted her chin up so he was looking right in her eyes again.

"The only thing I need is right in front of me."

He could see the desire in her deep, beautiful eyes.

"Don't," she whispered, suddenly trembling. "Please don't say that."

"Why not?" His mouth was moving closer and closer to hers.

"Because I want it to be true!" Meryl vehemently wrenched herself away from him, moving a safe several feet away. "Damn it, Vash, you don't get to do this! You don't get to be so wonderful that I fall in love with you, then just walk away like I'm a pack of cigarettes you forgot. You don't get to break my heart and then just show up and make me fall all over again.

"You don't get to do any of that, just like I don't get to have you!"

"You're right, Meryl," he said, taking a step toward her. She stepped back, carefully staying out of his reach.

Vash frowned, but stayed locked on her. "I don't get to just walk away from you. I can't walk away from you. I carried my brother through hell, then went through it again to get here, and the only reason I made it was you were waiting for me. Both times, I just wanted to get back to you." He took another step toward her.

Meryl stepped back again, pivoting away. "Don't say that!" She was fighting to hold back her tears as a storm raged inside her. "Damn it, you're a plant and I'm a human. You know it can't work. Please – just leave. I've already put in for reassignment; there's no turning back."

"Then I'll follow you."

"You'll what?"

"I'll follow you," he repeated. "You followed me for so long. It's only fitting I should follow the woman I love." Step.

It was all Meryl could do to keep the tears from overflowing. "Stop it! Just stop saying things like that. Why couldn't you have said them all earlier, before it was too late?" She stepped back. "And it is too late, Vash. Why can't you understand? We don't get to happen."

"Who says?" Vash demanded. "Who makes that rule?"

"Reality! Reality makes that rule, ok? There's no happily ever after for us!"

"Screw reality! Reality doesn't get to say what we can and can't be – we do. You want as much as I do to find out what happens."

He took another step toward her. She tried to step back, but she was backed into the corner by the broken-open door. There was nowhere for her to run anymore.

Vash leaned in close, one hand on the wall. Placed his other hand over her heart, feeling the jackhammer beat. Involuntary tremors filled her at his touch.

"I want my chance with you, Meryl."

"Don't…" It was more plea than command.

His mouth was moving closer again. The storm inside her intensified.

"Don't what?"

Her hands wouldn't quit clenching and unclenching. She turned her head away from the man she wanted to yield to. Grabbed his shoulders and pushed, trying to hold back what her heart demanded she have. Tears began slipping out.

"Don't say my name like that." Don't make me feel like that.

Vash took his hand from the wall and touched her cheek. With the gentlest of pressure, he turned her head to face him again.

Softly, right above her lips: "I finally found my elusive mayfly. Her name is Meryl."

The storm inside Meryl exploded outward as his lips made contact. Rational thought was vaporized by her surging emotions as his mouth took hers. Some distant part of her noticed that, for whatever reason, he tasted like mint.

Meryl returned his pressure, hands reaching behind his neck and pulling him close, losing herself in his kiss. Jumped up and locked her kegs around his waist, claiming him as rightfully hers. She stayed wrapped around him as tight as she could, partly out of desire and partly out of terror that he would somehow disappear if she didn't hold on to her Vash.

She felt, rather than heard, his chuckle. Tore herself away long enough to ask, "What's so funny?"

He jerked his head. "We have an audience. Your neighbors are watching."

Rationality tugged at her. She had never been one for public displays of affection – and she very much felt like displaying her affection. The choice between embarrassment and Vash took about half a heartbeat.

"Shut up and kiss me." Meryl pulled his mouth back on hers, feeling the world dissolve into fireworks. One leg momentarily unwrapped itself and kicked the door shut.

With part of the jamb gone, it recoiled back open. She didn't care. She was busy.

Vash walk-carried her into the tiny bedroom. That door stayed closed.