Archive of Our Own

Meryl Stryfe had a problem, and an observation. After several months of following Vash the Stampede, AKA humanoid typhoon, and Nicolas D. Wolfwood, AKA the Punisher or the Undertaker (man, how many names can an outlaw get for you to know that they’re, surprise, working outside the law?), she’d come to a conclusion that these men have near to no weaknesses.

Vash is clumsy, quick, and skillful when it comes to running away and drawing his gun at desperate times, and Nicolas is sharp, strong, and somehow unable to die to match. Together, they’re a duo that balances each other out, perfectly.

Of course, she can’t report that to Bernardelli, or write that in any article. Meryl can barely admit it to herself, but she’ll allow herself to just enjoy watching them.

Anyways, weakness. No known weaknesses. Yet.

That is, until children and families are present, they seem more… angelic. As if that can be possible for Vash to be more angelic than he already is, but on Wolfwood, it’s just uncanny. Who knew a gruff guy carrying a 220 pound gun would be good with kids?

It could just be because they want to keep the peace, it could be that. Or… they just like kids. She liked to entertain those theories as she drove, with nothing to look at other than desert, desert, and some more sand beyond that on the horizon. It kept the highway hypnosis out.

So that was the observation. Which brings us to the problem. The current problem, was the kid wailing in their room. Their single room, where she, Vash, and Wolfwood were going to sleep together, apparently. So, she guessed there were multiple problems, possibly.

It started when they arrived at that town. As Meryl pulled right into a stop and parked, Roberto had snored himself awake at the sudden change, and Vash and Nicolas woke up, too.

“Where’d we stop?” Vash rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes, like a kitten.

“Did the car run out of juice? Why’d we stop here, shortie?” Wolfwood pulls himself forward so that his face is closer to the front of the car to look at the dashboard. Meryl jumps at his sudden presence.

“Not nearly, but it’ll be good to restock on supplies before we go anywhere bigger where people might recognize us.” Us as in, the millions in double dollar commodity they had sitting there in the back seat, who was in the middle of a big stretch and yawning.

“We’re somewhere near November, and we just need to get our paperwork in before we can head on our way, you both can take a sandsteamer to basically anywhere from there,” Roberto confirmed, looking at the crinkled map before him. He was already chewing on a cigarette, fresh out of a good nap. “Why, did you two want to keep driving?”

Vash immediately perks at Roberto’s tone. “No, no, no, it’s good, I need to stretch my legs.”

Now that they were properly parked, Meryl climbs out of the trailer, and they all follow suit.

She wondered if disguises would ever make it easier traveling with these men, but you couldn’t really hide a blond guy that tall and a priest with that big of a cross he insists on bringing everywhere. She wondered if he even brought it to the bathroom. That was a thought.

It didn’t take long to walk and find some bars, and a few inns, too. Roberto excused himself to one of the bars, entrusting Vash and Wolfwood to Meryl and finding them a decent place to stay.

“Sir, who drinks in the middle of the day?” Meryl was practically begging that they stick together. How else was she going to explain who they were to each other to any establishment worth protecting themselves from sketchy people?

“Me. After such a rough few days, I’m gonna need this one, newbie,” he grumbled. He didn’t bother naming Jeneora Rock and what happened with Rollo. None of them wanted to sour the mood.

She let him go as they searched. They had time to kill. If the owners were surprised to see new people in town, not to mention their strange combination, they didn’t show it, they seemed happy enough to take customers.

“Me and my er… bodyguards would like two rooms, please,” she said at the counter. To sell the part, Vash put on a stern face, subtly acting to search the area. Wolfwood didn’t bother changing his posture at all.

“Ah, wouldn’t it be safer to stay in one room? Since they’re your bodyguards and all?” the lady asked.

Shit. Meryl didn’t even think of that.

To her horror, Wolfwood just replied, “Yea, that works. Is that okay with you, mademoiselle?” He pointedly looked at Meryl with that. If that was his idea of acting under cover, she was going to need to give some notes. He whispered to her, “Roberto has his own money. We’ll figure it out.”

With his sudden breath by her ear, she tried her best to turn to the innkeeper with the most leveled, elegant look about her, “Er… yes. One room works. Two beds.”

Once they paid for two nights, they were led up to the room. Singular. One room.

Meryl made up her mind. “Once Roberto comes and gets a single, I’ll swap with him.” She set her bag of notes and tons of paperwork down near the small desk they provided.

“C’mon, princess, loosen up. Don’t want to blow your cover. Don’t you trust your two bodyguards?” Wolfwood snarked. The two were already getting comfortable. Vash was playing with the room lights, figuring out which button exactly turned on which lights, and Wolfwood sprawled himself on one of the beds.

“Tsk, don’t sit on the bed with such dirty clothes” she turned to the desk, not wanting to think about sleeping arrangements just yet. “We can explore this little town a little. I need to get us some food since we’re nearly out.”

“Relax, we’ll be out of your hair in a couple of days,” Vash said, finally satisfied with the lighting and walking over to her. “You don’t need to get anything for all four of us.” He tussled her hair gratefully, and her shoulders slumped a little. Relaxed, but a little sad at the realization that this traveling troupe wouldn’t last forever.

“She’s right, though, we should assess the area. We need bullets, too, spikey,” Wolfwood gave him a leveled stare to Vash at that.

Already packed to go, they left the room and entered the town square. There were more people crowding the area, children were out playing, and merchants were lining the streets with some of their goods. Pretty efficiently, they were able to go through it all and get what they needed.

The sun was about to set soon in the sky, not quite beating down on them. There was a nice, gentle desert breeze that swept through them comfortably, even through their sand-crusted hair. After being left tattered and bloodied and even bleeding from their travels, they finally felt relaxed in a place like this.

“So rare to have a nice day like this, huh?” Vash said, as if to himself. Wolfwood and Meryl just nodded to themselves in agreement.

A group of kids were playing with a ball in front of them where they were seated on a bench. But there was one kid who sat near their bench, quiet. He was scraggly, with slightly long, dark hair.

Vash just couldn’t sit still just watching the kids. After spotting a merchant selling ice cream just across the square, he thought it’d be a good idea to buy them ice cream, and told Meryl and Wolfwood to just sit tight.

“Blondie seems too good for this world sometimes. It’ll get himself killed,” Wolfwood spoke around his cigarette, once Vash was out of earshot.

It took a moment for Meryl to realize he was talking to her. They rarely had a quiet moment together. Why was she always so nervous? They traveled together in the same trailer and slept in it most nights. “Who knows, maybe everyday can be as peaceful as this, though.”

She felt his stare through his sunglasses, too tinted to see what expression his eyes really held.

“He deserves such a world,” he simply said. Not we, but Vash. Wolfwood didn’t include himself in that statement.

But perhaps that’s her English major reading into things too much. He would take a little more to read, this one.

Vash waved his arms from a distance, coming up to them with way more than just three cones. She didn’t even have to ask – it was for the kids. Turns out it was easy to get all of their full attention with just ice cream. He gave the last one to the quiet kid who was still sitting, watching them with curiosity.

The boy looked at Vash for a bit. “For me?”

“Yep! Do you… not want it?” Vash had a little pout on his face, really tempting this kid into eating sweets.

The kid took it readily from his hands, shyly licking at it. “Thank you, mister.”

The boy was scanning the crowds often, not once looking at the group of kids thinking to join them.“Say, where are your parents? Are you looking for them?”

He nodded, obedient to Vash’s every word now that he gave him the ice cream. “I haven’t seen them since the day before yesterday.” Wolfwood and Meryl’s attention fully turned to him.

“Who else do you live with?”

“It’s just them and me.”

The three adults looked at each other. It was Wolfwood who spoke, then, decisively.

“It might not be safe here at night. We’ll help you look for your parents, but if anything, you can stay with us tonight, okay?”

She had never heard this tone of voice before from him. Gentle, assuring.

The kid nodded.
____

She forgot how much work an extra person with them, not to mention a kid, could be. Roberto was confused as hell seeing a kid with them, too, walking into the inn a few hours later.

“It’s not safe at night, we had to do something,” she said to him from the corner of the room.

“Couldn’t drop him at an adoption?”

“No. He has parents. They probably went missing and – how could you say that?!” Meryl whisper-yelled, the kid just within hearing range.

“After that worm kid? That turned out to not be a kid? Remember? You all trust so easily. Just be careful, that's all I want.” Right. Zazie. Who tried to eat them. These past few weeks are certainly going to be something to process. Maybe she needed therapy back in November.

The kid was just seven or eight years old. He seemed genuinely clueless about what was going to happen to him, lost. It was true, Meryl trusted too easily, but that just meant she had a lot left in her heart even after all that happened. Even if he was crying very loudly.

Vash and Wolfwood didn’t seem to know how to comfort a crying kid. They were trying to talk to him, feed him, but it only made him cry harder.

Meryl let herself sigh. “I was going to let myself relax a little and maybe do some paperwork but… I’ll help.” She knelt and hugged the kid, telling him everything was going to be alright. “We’re gonna help you. No one’s gonna hurt you or your parents tonight, okay? What’s your name?”

The kid stopped enough to sniffle and catch his breath against Meryl’s shoulder. “I’m Ty.” Having a person to hug and cry into seemed to calm him a little.

“Okay, Ty, let’s just get you to bed. I’m sure it’s been a long day for you, and we need your energy to help look for your parents, right?” she pulled away long enough to look at him and gauge his reaction, and he seemed satisfied with that. He trusted her.

“They went to work for the town’s water company for the day but never came back,” Ty sniffed.

“That’s good, we can start there. Tomorrow,” Meryl looked up at both Vash and Wolfwood, then Roberto by the door. “Sir, don’t smoke, there’s a kid here.”

“I didn’t light it,” he grumbled. “Stryfe, you stay here with the kid. These idiots aren’t gonna be able to handle it themselves. I’ll be in my room two doors over, knock if you need anything. And I’ll take care of the paperwork so you can rest well.” She nodded, grateful.

“Good night,” Vash waved cheerfully, and Roberto nodded, leaving.

Meryl turned back to them, trying to lighten the mood. “Ty, this is Nicolas, and Vash. Do you want to stay with either of them for the night?”

He nodded. “I want to stay with Mister Ice Cream.” He had stars in his eyes at the memory of it. Of course kids would take to Vash easily.

Vash – Mister Ice Cream – smiles one of those big, generous smiles of his and kneels down to Ty’s level, too. “Very good choice! I’m getting sleepy anyways, I might head to bed, too.” That left Meryl and Wolfwood.

Figuring it was finally his turn to speak, and knowing he wasn’t needed, Wolfwood just said, “I need a drink. You’re welcome to join me.”

Meryl’s heart jumped at the sudden invitation. “Really? Drink with you?” She had already sprung up.

“Yea, you better keep up though, I want to be there for a few hours.”

“Don’t worry, I had great tolerance in college,” she winked at Wolfwood, heading towards the door. “Good night, you two! Ty, make sure Vash behaves.”

“I would never stay up past bedtime, Meryl,” Vash pouts, and scoops Ty up in his arms. “You two have fun.”

She closed the door behind him after Wolfwood got his cross. If she remembered correctly, the nearby bar was just a block away. That meant a block’s worth of silence between the two of them. They were usually never left alone, and without her able to scold Roberto or talk to Vash more about plants, she was left with the grumpy priest for the second time today. But she figured she might as well interview him to get to know more about this mysterious man.

“Do you always carry that around?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

“Have you ever not seen me with it?” he snorted, starting an easy banter between the two of them.

It still irked her, how difficult he could be, but that was just him on the surface. At least, she’s pretty sure, there’s no way he hated her if he'd saved the four of them so many times already. “Hmm, what about the bathroom? That’s one I wouldn’t know.”

Wolfwood laughed, low from the bottom of his gut. It was harsh from disuse, but heartful. Like he didn’t get to, much. “Yes. You should know, bathrooms are where people are most vulnerable.”

She let herself chuckle a little, too. “True, but I can’t think how many people would be willing to lay an attack on someone with his dick still out.”

“Ah, so the little lady knows about dicks,” he said, feigning surprise and finally looking her way. When she turned to him, all she could see was her own reflection in those silly sunglasses of his.

She turned away, figuring she wouldn’t get anything from looking at that stupidly chiseled face of his. “I’m 23, I’ve been to college. Of course I know.”

They reached the bar and sat together facing the barkeep. There weren't many people in the bar, since this was a smaller town after all, but enough people to create some background noise so they could talk about whatever they wanted. Wolfwood orders two beers, almost as if challenging her. Of course Meryl takes the bait.

She gulps when she sees the pint of beer slid in front of her, the foam threatening to spill over the top from how full it was. She hadn’t drank that much since her first college party, and she had lied. It didn’t go well. She didn’t drink after that, except for her company welcome party at Bernardelli, and Roberto had to stop her as soon as she started counting fingers wrong. But she had better things to do in college, like graduate at the top of her class with a degree in journalism.

And look at how that hard work paid off! Drinking, with a strange priest. Should priests be drinking??

Wolfwood watched her have all this internal dialogue and took a mouthful of his own drink, feeling the warmth and bitter wash down his throat. “You know drinks are for drinking, right?”

Meryl’s hands flew to the cup. “No need to get all snarky, with me, Undertaker.” She gulps down a couple of mouthfuls and regrets letting him choose beer. The bitterness took over her whole mouth, leaving nothing but that fizzy feeling and burning at the bottom of her gut with the alcohol. “Couldn’t you have chosen anything more enjoyable to drink?”

“This is enjoyable. Unless it’s too much for you?” he said as he crossed his legs, angling himself to her more to give her his full, utmost attention. Oh, this is going to be fun. “I thought you built a tolerance in college?”

She had enough with talking about herself, putting her whole profile on the display for him to make fun of. He read her too fast, as if he’s known her for years. “What about you, where’d you learn to drink like that?”

He sighed, alright with the pivot. It doesn’t phase him. “Many, many bars. Grew up too fast, I guess, you have to learn how to drink because the real world is too dangerous if you get dizzy so fast.”

She was nodding nonsensically to all of that. “You say danger this, bars that, guns, yea, but you still like kids, how is that? Why’s a priest at an orphanage going on about that stuff?”

“This is a lot of questions, all of the sudden. Don’t waste ‘em on me,” he sipped again, more thoughtful and slow.

She did the same, mirroring him. “You’re interesting, Wolfwood.”

“You’re not gonna get a good article out of me, sweetheart. I’m just a boring guy trying to do his job, keep the peace.”

“I mean it. Taking care of orphan kids and keeping the peace are noble jobs, not many people can say or do the same,” Meryl said, her eyes glossed over, but staring deep into those dark shades, in search of his eyes, somewhere. It irked her. Something about him just made her so mad, so she gulped down more of the beer, ready to just be done with the challenge he so gave her. She slams the glass down, “But you should take those glasses off. We’re indoors. You’re not going to get any sunlight damage in here.”

He sighed, and she didn't think he was going to indulge her, but he leaned forward a little, as if it’ll be a secret, just between them, a sight just for her to see up close, and took them off. Carefully, he folded them and placed them on the chipped bar table in front of them, turning to her.

She didn’t know what she had expected. What, alien eyes, an extra eye? To anyone who looked at them, they were perfectly normal, brown eyes, hooded under dark brows. But Meryl was not just anyone, looking into them, they held so much depth and truth, like you could stare into them and just keep staring to just try to understand what lay underneath. There was so much vulnerability, and she knew there was a lot of his past he wasn’t letting on. It was no wonder he kept glasses on all the time.

She definitely couldn’t put that in an article.

“Like what you see?” He dryly smirked, hand drifting to put his glasses back on again, but before she could process it, Meryl reached out her hand to stop him.

His arm seemed to still instantly under her touch, unsure of what to do. It felt like she was looking at him, and he was looking at her, and she was looking at him looking at her-

She retracted, unused to seeing his expression laid so bare like that. But she didn’t want him to hide it away again.

“It’s… nice,” she said simply, clearing her throat as she sat back, a little further this time. Keep your paws to yourself, Meryl.

“What is?” he said, regaining that annoying confidence.

She scoffed, deciding it was easier to fixate on his beer and the last of the bubbles that were floating to the top. “Your eyes,” she said, liquid courage letting her just speak honestly. When she’s not looking right at him. “They’re so… innocent looking. Like Vash’s.”

Wolfwood laughed at that, but it’s darker this time. “I’m nowhere near Vash’s kindness. Well… anything of his, really.”

“That’s not true. You’re the one who decided to take Ty in. You care about Vash, so much.” Her thinking was definitely more blurred, not quite realizing how close their hands were to each other on the table beside them. It was enough to feel his warmth radiating from just his hand.

“That’s only cuz he’s gonna get himself killed if someone doesn’t look after ‘im,” he said, more edge to his voice. “For needle-noggin, he cares about everyone.”

“You care about the people you’re close to. I think that’s just as beautiful,” Meryl stated as if it was just fact, simple as that, nothing more. For Wolfwood, well. Of course, no one’s ever said anything like that to him. He just gawked at her stupidly for a little.

“You’re-”

A loud crack ripped through the air, and the smell of gunpowder instantly wafted to their noses. Before Meryl could shout and turn to Wolfwood, he was already holding the Punisher, propped against his lean figure and aimed towards the shooter.

The gunman at the center of the bar had only sent out a warning shot, but the people in front of him were scrambling.

“We don’t know them! And we don’t have any money!” “Please, we’re a peaceful town!”

The gunman in the center, swathed in layers of darker fabric not really seen around this town, wasn’t pleased with these responses. “C’mon, give us the fucking money or we’ll have to resort to stealing your plant!”

Another man behind him, also a part of this whole shooting, seemed to agree with the second idea. “Don’t make us do this the hard way. Although, a whole plant can definitely get us hundreds of thousands of double dollars, probably.” He eyed his accomplice.

“No one’s stealing anything,” Wolfwood’s voice cut through the bar, not a sliver of drunkenness or slur to his voice anymore. He fired at the ground by their feet, which had the two men dancing away in fear.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?” “That’s a gun?!”

“As I said, no one’s stealing anything. Do I have to repeat myself?” he said, cocking the cross at them once more. The two men leveled a stare at each other, and cowered more.

“Better watch yourself, this town can’t protect itself forever.”

The barkeep finally spoke up, speaking across the room. “Leave us. There’s nothing for you here.”

One of them held their hands up in half-assed surrender, stepping away and out of the bar. Some people left after that, muttering that it was best to stay in their homes. The rest of them were too debilitated from the alcohol to move yet, and soon, the bar was filled with its previous clamor again, albeit the nervousness still hung over everyone.

The barkeep, who turned out to be the owner, poured herself a drink behind the bar. She didn’t seem quite so phased by the violence, judging by her stone cold expression and how leveled she was dealing with the gun men, but she had had a long day, herself. “I’m sorry about this mess. They’re right, we’re more peaceful than most – this stuff doesn’t happen everyday.”

“They don’t seem to be from this town. Searching for someone,” Wolfwood said, returning to his drink with ease. “Tomorrow I’ll make sure they’re gone.”

“You’re too good, sir. Most people here are with their families, and can't really fend for themselves.”

Meryl agreed. He is good. But unlike other things, he didn’t let that feed his ego. It didn’t even reach him. It fell upon deaf ears.

Hm. A priest that didn’t believe in the good in himself or others, save for his friends. A skilled gunman, cold to everyone around him.

Well, that’s not true. Not to children. And no, he’s warm, Meryl corrected herself. Maybe all of what she had thought about him was wrong. But, it’s not like that could make it into an article. Still, maybe a personal piece for herself. It’ll go in her notes.

“It’s true, you did good,” she said, and he seemed to be shaken out of his reverie, remembering she was there right next to him.

“Hmm. You really can’t drink, Meryl.”

“That’s just not true,” she mumbled, letting herself relax after that scare and slumping into her arms in front of her. “I’m just tired.”

He finished off the rest of his drink and stood. “Let’s go back then.”

Seeing as she wouldn’t make any move to get up, he scooped her up and threw her over one shoulder, the Punisher on his other. It made quite the scene walking out of the bar.

As soon as they were out, cool, desert air swept through Meryl’s locks before she realized she was staring at the ground, pretty much upside down. “Unhand me, now, fiend! M’gonna puke.” Mostly she didn’t like the idea of having her ass in the air, Wolfwood’s hand a little too close on her thighs to hold her still as she tried to thrash herself free.

“Please, don’t,” he grumbled. With his long strides, they’d be there in no time. “You’re good with alcohol, remember?”

“Right, right.” The challenge, if anything, made her more adamant to not complain and prove to him that she could, in fact, handle a pint of beer in her system. And, as a bonus, the alcohol kept her warm on colder nights on this sand-filled planet. A little too hot, maybe, his hand was not helping as it’d tighten to keep her from falling or jostling too much as he walked.

Vash was awake, sitting half up in one of the beds with Ty curled at his side, who was thankfully asleep. His little hands were squeezed tight on Vash’s red coat, head leaned on his shoulder. “Is everything alright? I heard gunshots.” Right. He would’ve definitely ran to them were it not for Ty who needed him more, here.

“Two stupid guys who just want money. They ran away for now,” Wolfwood answered, setting Meryl gingerly onto the other bed, and propping the Punisher up by the window next to him. She let herself fall back onto the blankets, limbs tired from a day’s use.

Vash nodded, yawning. “That’s good. We’ll search for them tomorrow.” Meryl did not miss, even in her drunken state, how alike the two of them were in this way. It made her smile. It’s embarrassing smiling over these two idiot men, but they’re good people. That’s okay to smile over, right? It’s nice seeing good people in a world like this. She’s just grateful. “Good night, guys.”

“Mm.” Before Meryl could roll over and snuggle into the blankets, someone was already taking off her shoes for her, undoing the laces and everything, placing them on the floor on her side of the bed.

“Don’t get your disgusting sneakers on our bed,” Wolfwood’s familiar gruff voice said below her. She hmph’d, finally turning herself to the side.

Wait. ‘Our bed’?

“Ty won’t leave Vash’s side. Is it okay if I…” Meryl rolled over at his unprecedented shy tone to look at him, freezing at the sight of his bare chest.

Of course he was muscular for carrying that big cross around. Of course his pecs were big for… what seemed like no reason. They just were.

Meryl gulped, flipping over again to face away, too fast that she got a little dizzy again. “Sure. Of course. I mean, where else would you sleep, with Roberto on his twin bed? And – don’t you have a shirt?” Okay, she spoke way too much. Smooth.

“One that’s not dirty? No. No day clothes on the bed, I thought a proper lady would agree with that hygiene.” He turned off the room lights, brought the blanket up over them. Vash was already quiet, so he was definitely asleep already.

Meryl was begging whatever gods up there for her to not feel his presence too much, but he was shifting underneath the blanket, on his side facing her. She could feel his warmth radiating from his bare skin onto her back, and it felt way, way, too hot she wanted to kick off the blanket. Facing him would be better then, she wouldn’t have to worry if those brown eyes were staring into her back all night. He did sleep, right?

He sleepily blinked at her movement, facing her. “Good night, shortie.”

She let herself look into those dark eyes, her eyesight not quite adjusted to the dark, but she knew he was looking right at her, too. Somehow, it felt normal, like every night was just like this. Comfortable. She was finally let in, knew who he was underneath it all, and he had let her.

“Good night, Wolfwood.”
____

Meryl didn’t want to admit it, but. She slept really, really well. That’s because Wolfwood was like a good space heater! She hadn’t had a proper bed to sleep on or a safe enough town to rest in for a while, either! Field work was hard, she deserved this.

The five of them regrouped after waking up, clambering to a nearby diner that had food. Roberto was relieved to see them all unscathed. They asked Ty what he wanted on the menu, but he didn’t mind anything.

“You’re already getting me food,” he said gratefully. Meryl ruffled his hair.

“It’s okay, these guys are indecisive and aren’t good at picking places, anyways” she said.

Vash was at his side. “It’s true, just pick whatever food you want.” They sat by one of the bigger tables, Ty choosing to sit between Wolfwood and Vash. Who knew a kid would take to two skilled gunmen so fast.

Food was served fast, and it wasn’t much of note, just the plain stuff enough to sustain themselves, but Ty was extremely grateful. He finished every bite, every sip of water that was given to him.

“So,” Roberto started, looking a little more well rested since he was actually left alone for a night, “what was the commotion yesterday? I heard… loud noises.” Look at that, he knew how to behave with a kid around. No gun talk.

“Two men came into the bar, searching for money. I chased them away, but, can’t say they’re staying away for long,” Wolfwood said a little darkly, leaned against his seat, his huge gun leaning on it from the other side. Meryl felt bad for the chair.

She also couldn’t help noticing the holes on Ty’s sleeves. He must not have had a change of clothes, having to stay with them and not being able to pack properly when going out to find his parents. He seemed content, though, rolling them up properly to eat some of the bread the inn gave them.

Vash hummed, deep in thought. “They weren’t… searching for anyone? No bounties?”

Ty looked at them curiously, but never catching onto what was really happening, happily eating his bread. Vash slid him the rest of his own piece.

“No, it seemed like they just wanted money in general. But they threatened to steal the plant,” Meryl said. “We should walk around town to see if anything’s amiss.”

Roberto looked a little uneasy, more than usual now with a kid in tow. It could get dangerous, in a number of ways. Too many people could get hurt.

Vash tried to lighten the mood. “Let’s finish our shopping here. There are still some things we need. And… maybe we should get Ty some clothes. You must want to change out of them, right?”

“Huh? Me?” Ty looked around, surprised the topic of conversation even reached him. “Aren’t they hard to get?”

“Nonsense. It’s never a waste to get some more to change into,” Wolfwood chimed in. Meryl wanted to scoff, as if he didn’t have a change of his own to sleep in. What a hypocrite.

“Thank you, Mr. Nick. Thank you, Vash.”

No one’s heard anyone call Wolfwood by his first time, so they held back laughter a little in front of this pouting kid.

They stopped by almost every store along the way as they traveled into the center square again, stopping for food, bullets (secretly, without letting Ty follow one of them in), and really any clothing store. Even if it looked more high end, or even women’s clothes, Vash was right there with Ty peering at some of the stands, “oo”ing and “ahh”ing.

As they walked, Ty’s hand was wrapped around two of Vash’s prosthetic fingers. He tried to switch him over to his other side to swap to his other hand, but this way, Ty was closer to the shops, and he didn’t seem to mind holding onto the metal.

Meryl and Wolfwood watched them, hand in hand, equally enthralled by the different items. From anyone else’s point of view, they looked like just father and son, going shopping together on a normal day. It was a touching, rare scene, seeing Vash in such a mundane setting, instead of leaping past bullets and swimming through streets just to run from danger.

She hadn’t known him quite so long, but it didn’t feel like he got days like this often. But when they did come, his beautiful, childlike self revealed itself. Or, the world finally let him be the way that he’d always meant to be.

It seemed like the roles were switched when they were at a dessert stand that sold donuts, though. Vash was drooling at the lady’s donuts that were being glazed over, and Ty was pulling him, wanting to go somewhere else.

“Vash, I wanna see that one over there!”

Meryl chuckled at how immovable Vash was, until a few men came running into view across the street.

Their dress was more dark, and she immediately remembered it was similar to the men from last night. “Ty,” she called, and he looked up after hearing her worried tone. He dropped his hands from pulling at Vash’s coat, running over to Meryl’s side.

“You! With the cross!” The men had recognized them from last night. And brought more lackeys. They drew their guns, and Meryl pushed Ty behind him, Roberto pulling out his derringer next to her.

“Newbie,” he muttered quietly next to her, “get him to the room.”

“Sir, I-”

“What are you all whispering for? Come out,” one of them at the forefront said, gesturing with his gun to get them out from under the awning of the little shops, out into the street. The passersby seemed to clock the danger and swarmed to the sides of the street and away. “Thou shall not steal fella, don’t you have something you’d like to give us?”

“We don’t have any more than you, or any of these people, for that matter,” Vash said, stepping forward. She realized Vash and Wolfwood had instinctively stood in front of her.

“Shut up. We came here for money, thinking that the Glosser family had something to their name like they used to. Name mean anything to you?”

Ty squeezed Meryl’s jacket from behind her. “That’s… that’s mama and papa. They probably have them!”

“Everyone in this town is run fucking dry!” he continued. “So if you don’t have anything, we’re going for the plant. Whaddya got on you?”

Vash was still insistent on pleading, hands raised up in surrender, never reaching for his gun this whole time. “Please, I said we-” A bullet zinged by his ear, Meryl and Roberto ducking.

Meryl had enough violence here. She turned to give Ty to Roberto. “Newbie-”

“I heard Vash the Stampede was just in an abandoned settlement by Jeneora Rock,” she said, coming to stand next to Vash and Wolfwood. They looked at her in surprise.

“What the hell are you doing?” Wolfwood whispered between his teeth.

“You want money, don’t you? He has a sixty million double dollar bounty on him. It’s just one man, too. Easy money,” she said. “Plus, carrying around a big plant between the lot of you across to where you’re from doesn’t sound fun, does it?”

The rest of them held their breath, waiting to see what they would say. Surprisingly, they seemed to give in, more than happy to pursue such an easy bounty. Their hubris would get to them once they reached the other town.

After some talking amongst themselves, they lowered their guns. But not before Wolfwood threatened them for the Glosser family’s location. No more shots needed to be fired, they gave the location of a warehouse just across town. They had figured some big money would go after them after holding them hostage, but no one had come.

It didn’t take long to travel across the town and find the warehouse. Ty’s parents were unharmed, relieved to see Ty, and grateful to see such a kind group who were thoughtful enough to take him in. They tried to repay them, but they insisted they didn’t need anything.

Before they left, Ty gave them all a big hug. Even Roberto. He chuckled, patting the kid on the head.

Now, left with just the four of them, they were exhausted. “We’re gonna need a drink. This was supposed to be a relaxing stop, lil missy?”

“Yes, yes… I’m sorry…” Meryl conceded, even if it was to more mid-day drinking.
____

They sat and talked and drank for hours, recounting all the things they had to go through so far. It’s been a lot of trouble, being with this rag tag team – trouble seemed to follow them everywhere. But, even though she would never admit it out loud, she was having fun. A lot of fun.

“What? I’m just tipsy, not drunk. Shuddup,” she drawled, slumped back in her chair, posture be damned. She wasn’t back at home where parents were nagging her to be a proper lady.

“Oh yea? How many fingers am I holding.” Roberto held up two, and she started giggling, making a peace sign and pressing her two fingers to his.

“Love and peace,” she muttered, and he sighed. What was he gonna do with this kid. Only look after her even more, then. It wasn’t in his pay grade, but that was fine. “That makes four fingers~”

“Okayy, I’ll take her up,” Vash volunteered, watching this entire thing next to Roberto. “I didn’t want to drink much today, anyways.”

Roberto looked at Wolfwood, not willing to be stuck with him to drink with, but they were already all warmed up and loose with the alcohol that he couldn’t bring himself to have hold ups. “Keep her safe. She likes to thrash and run her mouth.”

“Yessir,” he smiled widely, going to lift Meryl up and keep her standing by holding her waist.

They climbed up towards the second floor, finally landing with difficulty with how noodly Meryl was being.

They passed their room at the top, just barely when she stopped walking.“What? Why not our room?” she half asked, half whined.

Vash looked at her with his mouth slacked open, not really sure what to say. “Uh… doesn’t your mentor not like it when you’re alone with us?” Ty wasn’t with them, either, anymore.

“All my stuff is in our room, though.” Vash stands there, his flesh arm slung around her waist still to keep her steady, debating if this was a good idea. Sensing some hesitation, she said, “C’mon, pretty boy, these clothes are getting heavyy,” letting go of her own weight a little to emphasize her point and making him grab onto her a little tighter.

“That doesn’t really make sense but… okay,” Vash offered a sheepish smile, giving in easily, as always. “Whatever the lady wants.”

He was about to let his other metal arm go to get the door in front of them, unlocking the door, until Meryl slumped down suddenly as if in reaction, and he swooped down again to support her with both arms. He sighed and resorted to picking her up from behind the knees and princess carrying her in. “How much did you drink?” he asked, kicking the door open.

“I dunno, but definitely a fucking lot more than Wolfwood, make sure to tell him I win this round,” she said, booping Vash’s nose. She liked how cute and upturned it was. “Boop.”

Vash was so surprised at this new Meryl he just stared at her for a bit. She had a stupid smile plastered on her face, grinning up at him. “If I remember correctly, you told Nick you had a good tolerance.”

“And I do. I just can’t tolerate him sometimes. Also, you’re on a first name basis with him? I wanna call him that, too, that’s not fair. Nicolas. Nicoooo. Nick. Hm.”

Roberto was right, she was a lot more talkative and running through every thought of hers aloud when tipsy.

“I don’t think he’d mind you calling that. In fact, I think he’d really like it.” He finally moved to set her down at the edge of the bed, sitting. He kneeled to pull her sneakers off, and it reminded her of the night before.

“You’re a good person, Vash. He is too,” she said simply.

It touched him to hear someone regard Wolfwood in the same way he did. “I agree.” He wasn’t quite smiling though, lips pressed into a hard line with his brows creased, which sobered her up a bit, making her lean forward to see him better.

“You and him, if you wanted, would make great parents,” she said curtly. “Something I always thought, but – today and yesterday proved it.”

Vash laughed sheepishly, smile not quite reaching his eyes. “I don’t think that’s something you can put in your next article about me, Meryl.” Some thought overtook, because he looked more forlorn, shoulders sagging under that large red coat.

But his baby blue eyes were so, so bright, full of everything, even if he couldn’t see them himself.

“No,” she carefully admitted. “That’s for reporter Meryl, though. This is just Meryl talking. It might not be important for the article, but it’s important for me, to know.” She boldly took his hands, and he let her, pressing his cheek into one of her gloved hands. They were so small, compared to his, but full of strength. And so warm.

“Important for you to understand Vash the Stampede, huh?”

“No, just to understand Vash.”

They pulled towards each other so naturally, Meryl wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and him around her waist. His embrace was engulfing, comforting, but like someone who’d been needing this for years. Maybe he has. He squeezed so hard as if she would leave if he loosened his grip by just a fraction.

“Thank you.”

She should be thanking him. To get to know Vash the Stampede, and Vash. She didn’t know how she was supposed to return to normal life after this, back to her desk job. She wasn’t going to leave with any regrets. She had her liquid courage. She just needed his confirmation. Sensing her thoughts, Vash pulled back to look at her, their faces extremely close in this position, her short legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

“I wish we didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”

Vash pulled himself up a little, and that was all Meryl needed to push forward too, capturing his lips with hers. She gasped softly at how soft his lips were, plush and sweet as he slotted his lips to hers.

She moved her hands to cradle his face, brushing over that mole right under his eye, running fingers through the jagged cuts of his hair. He finally stood to properly meet her, and pushed themselves fully onto the bed.

His kisses felt more and more rushed, as if once tasting her, he couldn’t get enough. His small fangs lightly nipped at her bottom lip, and emboldened, Meryl moved to his bottom lip, sucking. He let out a little whimper, and she took advantage of his opened mouth, slipping her tongue past his lips.

When their tongues met, they became even more ravenous for each other.

Vash tasted like some of the alcohol he had just drank, but underneath that, there was sweetness, like nectar. She moved her tongue against his, suckling and drinking in the taste of him. Her legs, bracketing his hips, came around to pull him close, impossibly close so that he was fully flush against her. But it wasn’t nearly enough.

He moved to kiss the side of her mouth, tracing her jaw with his soft lips, which were wet from kissing. She finally caught her breath and lost it again as he started mouthing the side of her neck, but she turned to give him more room anyway. He sucked into her, possessive and biting. His teeth were sharp, but she knew he would control himself so that it wouldn’t break skin. Still she winced as he worried at her neck with his teeth.

“Wait – ah – don’t, don’t leave marks where people can see them,” she said, having enough brain power to think about the hickeys and not wanting to explain them. Especially to Roberto.

He hummed in agreement into her skin, as she shivered against the low vibration it made. “I’ll leave them where only I can see them.” A little more gentle this time, he kissed her throat, moving to behind her ear, licking at the soft skin there.

She bucked her hips to meet his, frustrated at the friction – not the right kind, not nearly – their clothes between them made, and yanked him back by his hair since he seemed to want to take his sweet time with every inch of her. “Enough teasing, Vash.”

“Okay, okay,” he laughed, and she couldn’t stay upset. But, okay, she was still extremely sexually frustrated from the drought of the past few months traveling.

He went back to kissing her more, the room already filled with wet sounds, before he lifted away. A whine released from the back of her throat, already missing his presence, but then his hands moved to her shirt, pulling it out from being tucked under her shorts. The cold metal of his hand on her stomach sent shivers down her entire body, but made her even more hyper aware of how high it was roving, rubbing circles into her hips before resting to cut her breasts. His other hand unbuttoned her shirt, so, so slowly, then moving her shorts.

She squirmed, already needing him to do more, lifting herself enough to let him take her shirt off.

“Is this okay?” Vash asked, watching her expression carefully for any discomfort as he lowered himself again to meet her.

Meryl nodded, bringing her hands to his hair again to pull him back and taking off his tinted glasses. Without it in the way, he was able to lean in even more, slotting his lips against hers again, and his hips to hers as his hands moved to knead her breasts. “It’s good – ah,” just as his fingers swept over one of her nipples, hard with arousal and tempting him.

Vash moved down to lick the other, but not without dragging his hips over hers as he did so, the shift tempting her for more but not doing nearly enough.

“Vash,” she muttered emptily, as he took a nipple into his mouth, lightly sucking the tip. Her grip tightened in his hair. He was laving his tongue over it, slowly, in circles, then over it, back and forth. His other hand flicked the other nipple, and she moaned behind clenched teeth.

Without really thinking, Meryl’s hips her canting into him, desperately searching for friction. Finally giving her lower half some attention, he brought his free, prosthetic hand over her shorts, cupping the front of her crotch and pressed.

Her hips gathered speed, rubbing her clothed pussy against his hand. “Please, take it off,” she panted.

His tongue made one final circle around her nipple before he released with a wet pop. “Be more specific.” To get his point across, he released some of the pressure on his hand that was pressed against her pussy just now.

Meryl wanted to yell at him. She tried to pull his face close again, muttering into his ear. “Vash. You know what I mean. Take it all off and fuck me,” she said, jerking her hips up in search for that pressure again.

“Good, hey, that’s all I wanted. We have all night, so don’t worry,” he smiled, pulling away to take off the rest of her clothes. He let it drop to the floor in a pile that was surely going to grow more tonight. “Nick might be jealous though.”

“Then let him join,” she said smugly.

A stumble by the door. Something dropped. They froze. Nick was right at the door.

They gaped at him, realizing what a sight it might have been. Vash, leaned over an already half-naked Meryl, hands all over her breasts, their lips kissed swollen already.

He definitely heard what they said at the end. If not all of it.

“I was gonna knock, but the door was already open. Guess I still should’ve,” Nick said, trying to gather his cool again, and shutting and locking the door behind him. “Go on.”

They looked at each other then looked back at Nick. “Huh?”

“I’m not hard yet, so keep going.”

Vash’s face grew red, and Meryl started laughing, probably the most heartful laugh she’s had in a long while.

She had to wipe the mirth from her eyes before she could catch her breath, “I guess that’s settled then.” She rose to her knees on the bed to face Nick more properly. “We missed you.”

She gently took Nick’s glasses off, too, putting them next to Vash’s, and pulled him down to her level by his stupidly open collar, still shorter than him even when kneeling on the bed. He immediately dove to catch her lips in a kiss, equally if not more hungry than Vash as he sucked at her little mouth. She hummed into it, pulling a little harder to get him to sit on the bed, too, almost about to snap a button off his shirt. He probably didn’t need it.

“This one isn’t giving me what I need,” she said, feigning annoyance, moving to straddle Nick’s lap. His shirt was already left half unbuttoned, giving her access to his chest underneath, groping them in her hands.

If he thought it was going to take a while to get hard, he severely underestimated Mery Stryfe. She palmed his crotch, already feeling it getting it half hard beneath his pants.

“I just like to take my time, is all. So easy to rile up,” Vash defended, coming over to kiss Nick as Meryl worked his pants off. Into the pile it went.

His dick was getting harder through Vash’s open mouth kisses and Meryl thumbing over his tip. Wet sounds filled the room as she moved faster.

“I’m putting it in,” she said assertively, sliding her pussy against just the length of Nick’s member.

“Are you going to be able to fit?” Vash asked, leaning in to kiss her again.

“You know I’ll tell you if it starts hurting.”

Nick was already moaning at the slide against his entire length. But, he still had the mind to tell her, “Don’t push yourself, princess.” He brought up his hands to brace her hips, his hands so big it almost engulfed around her entire waist. It doesn’t escape her how strong these hands were, how easily he could just squeeze and kill her. But he wouldn’t.

Meryl trusts too easily, but these two are easy to trust. They make her want to believe in goodness again.

Having reassured herself, she aligned the head of his dick to her entrance, slowly lowering herself. Already, the girth of the tip was stretching her wide. Still, she kept lowering herself on his whole length, little by little, in small thrusts.

“Ahh,” she shivered, and Nick whimpered at how slow the drag across her hole was, squeezing gradually down his entire length. “Nick…”

“Mm? Not Wolfwood anymore, Stryfe?” He wanted so badly to just shove her little hips down, sheath her entire pussy until she bottoms out onto his lap, but he squeezes his hands around her to resist. She knows it’ll leave bruises after, wincing half in pleasure.

Vash leaned over from behind Nick to deeply kiss her, filling her completely on both ends. The wet, hot slide of his tongue against her was just as marvelous as the wet friction of her walls squeezing around Nick.

“Go slow,” she heard Vash say to Nick.

She already felt so small compared to them both, her head just reaching Nick’s shoulder. He roughly dragged her closer by the waist, letting her shift her knees comfortably so they were properly under her again. It already felt like it was rearranging her guts. “What about you, Vash?” she barely had a voice to speak, feeling as if Nick’s cock were reaching into her throat already. She needed a distraction from the stretch, trying to loosen herself but ending up just tightening in pulses.

He didn’t seem at all bothered that the attention had been on her this whole time, making sure she was comfortable the whole way through. “Don’t worry about me, I’m happy just watching.”

“Come on, you were rearing to go just moments ago,” she said, reaching past Nick to feel at his very, very soaked through crotch.

“I don’t know if… It might ruin the mood.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Nick turned to him. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Let us do something for you, too.”

“If that’s what you want,” Meryl reassured.

He slowly nodded, and emboldened by their encouragement, he started taking off his black shirt, then his pants as Nick continued to ease Meryl down. Carefully, Vash placed his clothes to join their pile on the floor, and they took in the sight of him.

Vash’s scars were littered across his entire body. Almost every square inch was covered. Where stitches might’ve been, metal bolts held his flesh in place, patches of skin not fully recovered. And of course there was the metal joint that connected his flesh into his prosthetic. Where human genitalia would’ve been… there’s flower petals, oozing from arousal.

He didn’t quite look at either of them, just at the hands politely placed in his lap, a distance growing between them by the second.

Thinking blurrily, Meryl reached her hand out to his prosthetic one and intertwined their fingers. Where there would’ve been a heartbeat, a faint pulse, there’s a small humming, a vibration that sent a relaxing heat through her bones. Nick took his other hand.

“I ruined the mood, sorry,” he chuckled dryly to himself. He felt so far away, seated like that.

“No,” the both of them said. Nick, having the strength to do so unlike her, leaned in to kiss him, gently but still passionate. He looked so fragile, like he could break if they reacted badly, as everyone probably had in the past whenever they saw him. The worry from his face slackened as Nick drew it out from him.

She slowly felt Nick get impossibly bigger inside her, whimpering at the stretch. That earned her a squeeze to her hip, a small pressure to get her to sink even further down on his cock.

It felt like eternity to finally get fully sheathed on Nick, but as her head lulled on his shoulder after who knew how long, Vash said next to them, “She’s beautiful.”

She opened her eyes enough to see Nick’s other hand was busy rubbing against what looked like Vash’s clit, stamens that responded with ease to his fingers. It grew more with movement, almost resembling a clit, or a penis. He was literally a flower blooming under his hand’s ministrations.

She moaned, feeling her walls squeeze around his entire length that was in her, all plugged up. Nick’s hand relaxed from her waist to wipe tears she didn’t know were on her face away.

“You did great. You didn’t need to go all the way today, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her lashes that clung onto some tears.

It wasn’t all from pain. It just felt so right, like she’s been starved for this for years. But if she couldn’t get it in today… she didn’t know if she’ll ever have the opportunity to again.

“Lie down. It’ll be easier on your body.” He kissed the top of her head, and once more, she let him manhandle her down onto the bed, near where Vash was now kneeling. The change in position shifted the angle of him inside her, rubbing against a nice spot right up against her belly button, making her jaw go slack with pleasure, hips quaking. Suddenly, she had an idea.

“Vash, come sit here.”

“... Huh?”

She reached to grasp his waist, marveling at the tone and softness of his skin, feeling the ridges and metal bits across his back. “Sit. Be good.” He let her pull his hips over her head, knowing he could easily stop and resist if he didn’t want to.

Vash was kneeled over Meryl’s head, and she finally had a view of his cunt, the petals surrounding it forming around his entrance. Her hand stroked at his stamen at the front, already dripping. She could smell the honey practically begging to release from inside him.

He showed no signs of wanting to lower himself anymore, so she blew softly at his entrance, watching the petals curl in response.

“Needle-noggin,” Nick said from above her, bracketed between her legs, “if you don’t hurry up and do what she wants it’ll be you, next.”

It sounded like a threat he’d enjoy, but he listened, trembling as he lowered himself over Meryl’s mouth. She opened her mouth around him, letting the wetness of her tongue slide against the sweet slick of his pussy, just as Nick decided finally to pull back only to thrust fully into her again.

“Mnf.” She started moaning into Vash’s folds, obscene wet sounds slowly but surely filling the room, the air hot and heady. He could feel Nick’s movement and pulse with her mouth engulfed around him.

She was finally looser, but she felt his cock throbbing right up against her womb, begging to move after all this. Now that they started moving, his inner beast was unleashed, relentlessly pounding into her impossibly deeper with every thrust.

Despite the loads of stimulation already on her pussy, she urged Vash to go all in, too, pressing his hips further on her mouth. It didn’t take much for him to start moving against her, in search for relief. Her hands went to his clit, rubbing at the length of his stamen which curled around her fingers instantly.

“So good,” Vash muttered to her, and she moaned around him in response. Her eyes were glossing over, mouth aching from the work.

Feeling her mind traveling elsewhere, Nick brought her legs a little higher on his arms, leaning in to get a better angle. Her muffled moans were echoed by Vash’s, the vibration of her voice sending shivers through him, and her hole squeezed tighter. The slow drag of his cock inside her as he tried to pull out a bit, like her hole was tightly clinging onto him, was heavenly, and he rewarded her by immediately pushing back in.

He deliberately dragged over that nice spot, the one that made her thrash a little, her small thighs squeezing him closer.

“She’s very good,” he agreed, saying it aloud before he could catch himself.

Giving in to the pleasure, he leaned over her, arms bracing himself from fully putting his weight on her, and gained speed. Her legs stuttered around his arms, tightening, pulling, then thrashing as he felt her cunt pulsing against his entire length, his thrusts now shallow and fast.

Vash started to ride her mouth more earnestly, letting her tongue flatten and drag her across his entrance as she raised a hand to grasp his stamen. With every thrust, his engorged stamens slid through her tight palm, in and out.

Soon, his rhythm grew erratic, as she swallowed his arousal completely, tasting of sweet honey.

“Meryl.” Nick had half a brain to realize this was probably the first time he used her name earnestly, instead of some nickname, gaining speed too, his thrusts sharp and drilling into her.

Vash was whimpering, but failing poorly to keep it in. “I’m – ahh – close-”

She was too. His thrusts pushed so much of his weight into her, not holding back. The taste of him took over her mouth, addicting, and Nick kept hitting that spot in her that made her see stars. Her vision started going all blurry, her mouth growing slack. She squeezed Nick closer, rubbing Vash a little faster in response. It was all almost too much, but also exactly what she wanted. Soon, Nick was cumming, hard, into her, riding through their orgasms as her hips lifted and shivered to meet his.

After feeling her finish, Vash came too, moaning her name loudly as he started to slow, but still riding her mouth, squelching over her.

It took a few moments for them to slow, then fully stop, catching their breaths, Vash being the first to move off of her to alleviate the weight.

“Fuck. Wow,” she sighed.

Her face was a wet mess, lips abused from all the kissing and sucking and riding. Her legs had turned into jelly, falling slack in the crook of Nick’s arms. He softened inside her, finally moving to pull out and letting her catch her breath.

“Didn’t know Meryl Stryfe could be this naughty,” Nick said, tucking her hair behind her ears, her locks stuck to her forehead with sweat. Vash followed suit and cleaned the cum away from her face.

“Shuddup,” she said headily, mind all muddled from one of the biggest orgasms in her life. Yea, nothing she did in college came close to that. “Mmf.” She tried to sit up, squirming with all the cum and her own arousal dripping between her legs and inner thighs.

“You were amazing,” Vash said, getting up enough to reach her mouth, kissing her even more senseless. He tasted his own fluids all over her, sweet and so alluring on her tongue, sucking. “Let’s clean you up, though.”

Nick was already ahead of him, still keeping her legs open by grabbing her ankles, but lowering his head.

Meryl felt his stubble scrape against the sensitive skin on her inner thigh, when she tore away from Vash, “What are you doing?!”

“Cleaning you up.” He had the nerve to push a strip with his tongue through the dripping mess around her cunt.

She feigned anger, groaning, but returned to Vash’s plush lips that were swollen from their kisses. She wanted to get back at him for sinking his teeth in her, and bit at his bottom lip, sucking it hard into her mouth.

“Mm– Meryl-”

“Shh, pretty boy.” She was laid on her back, twisting a little to the side to meet him. She grabbed his small, pretty waist forward to get closer, and sucked a deep bruise into the underside of his chin on his neck.

Nick seemed satisfied with his job of getting rid of the mess on her thighs, moving to bring her clit in his mouth, bullying it a little, kissing it. He brought two fingers to her entrance, easily slipping through to the second knuckles before she bent her leg around his neck, bringing his head closer and she raised her head.

“I thought you were cleaning?”

“Yea, s’just deep cleaning,” he smiled against her clit, breathing her in.

“Perv.”

“You like it,” he said, curling his fingers towards her belly at a spot that felt more textured inside her.

She groaned, loosening her grip on him to let him continue his ministrations.

“No fighting, guys,” Vash said, hands moving to her boobs to fondle them. They were swollen from so much stimulation and arousal, nipples fully erect for him to take into his mouth.

“He started it – ah.” Nick didn’t bother verbally responding, just roughly thumbing her clit. “Is that how you treat women? I swear, they must’ve fled mid sex if you’re this rude.” She squeezed her thighs around him as if that could suffocate him and get him to finally shut up.

He still kept fingering her, a third already pushing at the entrance. “Oh, no, this is all just for you, princess. Don’t you like the princess treatment?”

Whatever ire she felt, Vash pulled away, balancing out Nick’s roughness with his loving kisses. Always balancing each other out.

So, of course she didn’t deny it – they treat her very well. Better than she thought she even deserved.

“Are you gonna cum for us, princess?” He pushed the third finger in, pushing deep circles around that spot, not quite on it, not yet. She nodded, anxious for him to just touch it again, so close.

He stopped moving his fingers inside her.

“He can’t see you from here, say it out loud,” Vash said next to her ear, nibbling at her lobe. His breath felt hot and heavy, air trickling down her neck.

“Yes– yes, I will,” she said between her teeth, trying to tilt her hips up to drag that spot to his fingers, her hole tightening around the thick width. But his other hand pressed down on her hips, using his inhuman strength to stop her from moving an inch.

“Good.” Satisfied, he pushed his fingers all the way in, curving his fingers deliciously against her spot, making her bite through her moan underneath the both of them. His other hand that was on her hip moved to her lower abdomen, right about where his fingers met, and pressed.

It was heavenly. It was almost too much. Meryl let her mouth relax and open, moaning loudly as her hips lifted and moved to add more, more, Vash kissing into her once more.

With just a few more thrusts and Vash moving to nip at her neck, she came, fluid dripping from her hole past his fingers. Nick kept them pressed right on her g-spot, working her way through her wet orgasm as she shivered sporadically through it.

Satisfied, her entire body lay slack on the bed, Vash chastely kissing her as Nick rose to wipe his fingers and sit on the bed.

“I wanna sleep,” she whined, starfished on the bed and taking up most of the space. Vash laughed at her little mewls as he pushed her hair back from her face.

“We should get cleaned. Actually cleaned,” Nick said, and Vash agreed, scooping her up into his arms and letting her roll her face onto his chest.

She barely remembered being moved to the bath, getting gently wiped down and showered before they both followed suit. They patted her dry, one of them going to her bag to find her change of clothes for sleeping, all of them changing into their spare shirts for bed. (Meryl noted that Nick did in fact have clothes to change into. She would bother him about it later. Right now, she was grateful.) They brought her back to the bed to bundle her up in the blankets.

There was little to no strength in her, barely even to move her lips as she muttered, “Thank you,” to the two men. They dimmed the lights, as she snuggled onto her side, curled up, Wolfwood coming to cradle her from behind and Vash from her front.

Later, she would giggle to herself, that she had two space heaters. And Vash, from this close, felt a faint thrum, lulling herself to sleep. But Meryl distantly remembered they would have to leave tomorrow. She would have to finish her reports (oops – she had left Roberto with all the paperwork again), and they would have to part ways. She didn’t want it to end so soon, willing herself to keep blinking, to stay awake.

“Just sleep, shortie. You had a long day. And you saved us.” Nick had somehow felt her restlessness, even without being face to face. His voice was gruff with sleepiness, his chest pressed against her back, his arm coming to rest up her shirt against her stomach, collecting so much warmth.

Vash threw his arm over both of them, smiling at Meryl. “Sleep well, you two.” That smile was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.

After this, things may not be as simple. They were still Vash, and Nicolas D. Wolfwood, with many titles earned to their name from every time trouble seemed to find them. So she told herself to enjoy moments like these as best she can.

And in each other’s arms, they could be just Vash, just Nicolas, and just Meryl, simple as that.