Work Text:
"Do you ever think about what we'd do if things were normal?" Meryl asks, eyes up at the night sky.
Vash is tucked against her side, warm and firm, with his face hidden against her neck. Wolfwood has all but made her a pillow, head nestled against her stomach and body draped just so he doesn't put her limbs to sleep between her legs. It's a cold night but between the campfire and these two she's got no worries about it.
Wolfwood is the first to answer her. "Haven't had a normal life since I was 8, shortie."
She knows. She does! Vash has never had one, he doesn't have to point that out. But still…
"I mean just… when everything is over," she says quietly. "What do we do?"
They're both quiet for a moment. Wolfwood squirms and moves up to tuck his cheek against her chest. He's trying to get her to play with his hair so she does, teasing her fingers into the messy mop. Vash nuzzles his face against her skin before he replies.
"What would you want to do? We're kind of new at the quiet, normal life thing."
Fair. Meryl thinks for a moment before she answers.
"You could come with me on assignments," she offers. "Keep me out of trouble. It'd be easy work, you've dealt with way worse trouble than bandits."
Vash hums in agreement and presses a kiss against her pulse point. Meryl's teasing at one of the cowlicks in Wolfwood's hair and he keeps muffling little happy whines into her shirt. Clearly this suggestion has some approval so she keeps going.
"I could even pull some strings and get you on the payroll if you wanted. Could have a normal job. Milly can help you figure out paperwork…"
She doesn't know if they'll ever get a normal life. Neither of them have ever had one and hers has been steered so far from normal by their influence she wouldn't know how to go back. Could she live in an apartment with an office job? Could they have normal nights cooking and laughing and doing chores together?
She doesn't know. But she would like it. And she's got a feeling they would too. Especially when Wolfwood peers up at her after she trails off and Vash, face still tucked against her throat, makes a small noise.
"What else?" he asks.
So she keeps going. Meryl tells them about having an apartment with bills to pay and low stress jobs and grocery shopping together. She plans vacations and lazy weekends in detail. She suggests they get a pet or maybe adopt a kid and Wolfwood's arms squeeze a little tighter around her middle. By the time they all drift off she's been discussing what retirement plans they could get through the news agency.
It's not a future they get to have. They all know it. But it's the kind of quiet and peace she wants to give them.