Chapter Text
Sometime in the hour after the sand steamer had been successfully stopped, Meryl got the chance to step away from helping the other passengers. The thing she needed most to do was to take off the Bad Lad suit she'd still been wearing. She’d made sure Vash was safe, attending to the kid who he’d rescued, and there were no immediate emergencies that needed someone competent to deal with.
Meryl was grateful to find that the cabin she and Milly had shared with another couple of girls was empty except for Milly herself. She looked up at Meryl with such joy and relief that Meryl felt a rush of warmth and contentment shoot up her, head to toe. Milly’s smile was having a growing effect on her.
“Milly.” She didn’t know what else to say, just smiled at her friend. They were both okay. The fear she’d been trying hard to ignore this whole time melted away with the simple confirmation that Milly was still here and she was unharmed.
"Let me help you take that off," Milly said, standing, her fingers moving to the clasps in the front of Meryl’s suit.
"Thank you," Meryl felt like she was being swallowed by the thing and couldn’t wait to be free of it.
"I put a fresh outfit out for you," Milly folded the suit, stacking it on the floor on top of what must have been her own.
Meryl offered another smile in thanks and didn’t point out there wasn’t any need to fold these things. But that was Milly, always thoughtful. And of course, Milly knew she’d want to change into clean clothes that didn’t smell of Bad Lad as soon as she could.
Milly faced away, fiddling with their luggage, as Meryl dressed. Meryl was trying to push down irrational disappointment about that fact when, after she finished tugging on her shirt, Milly turned around to take her hand. Looking up, Meryl found the other woman had stepped closer to her now she was finishing dressing.
"I'm glad you're okay," Milly said, tangling their fingers together.
Meryl looked down at their hands, more warmth seeming to radiate up her arm. She was distracted by the size of Milly’s hands and how beautiful they were. Clearing her throat as she looked up at Milly, "It's good we're both okay."
"Oh yes," Milly nodded. "Because it’d have been terrible if we'd died before I did this." Her free hand came up and cradled Meryl's cheek, her thumb brushing gently across it.
This meant she must feel that Meryl's face was blazing hot from her blushing. Meryl found she was rising on her toes without thinking about it, leaning towards Milly. "Did what?"
Milly's smile turned soft and she took another step closer, so she and Meryl were almost touching. "Can I kiss you, Meryl?"
Meryl nodded. Her voice came out as a whisper. "I'd like that."
Milly leaned down and met her. Her lips were warm and soft, her hands strong, just as Meryl had imagined they would be. The kiss was chaste, a quick press of lips, followed by another. The adrenaline of what had happened to them suddenly spiked as Meryl thought she might not have lived to do this.
The sound that came from her throat was almost wounded, as she found herself pressing closer. Letting go of Milly's hand, she tangled her fingers in Milly's hair, pulling until they were flush together. Milly sighed and Meryl deepened the kiss, pouring pent-up frustration and fear and almost missed opportunities into it. The angle was still a bit awkward and she almost cursed her own shortness when Milly's hands slipped down Meryl’s back and landed on her thighs. Milly bent so she could get a better grip before lifting Meryl up in one smooth motion without breaking the kiss.
Meryl hummed happily as she wrapped her legs around Milly's waist, nipping her way from Milly's lips to her neck. One of her hands detangled from Milly's hair and slipped down to cup her breast instead. She gently ran her thumb across Milly's nipple, before pushing harder. Milly let out a little mew and moved until Meryl was pushed up against the bunk wall. Milly was so strong and so gentle at the same time and Meryl was pretty sure this was going to make her go insane. She moved and captured Milly’s mouth again.
They were so caught up in each other they didn't notice the quiet hiss of the door opening. Vash's embarrassed yelp broke them apart.
Meryl glared at him, before glancing at Milly. Milly blinked slowly, seeming to be coming out of a haze from the kissing, which sent a shot of heat straight to Meryl's core. She'd done that, she'd taken the words from Milly's mouth.
Meryl returned to glaring at their intruder. "Do you need something?"
"Um, nope! Nothing! I wasn't here!" His eyes were wide behind his glasses. "I'll.... I'll see you later, insurance girls!" He stepped back into the hall and the door closed after him.
Meryl turned her attention back to Milly. "You okay?"
"Oh yeah," her smile was dreamier than usual. "Can we keep kissing?"
Meryl kissed her cheek before moving to her lips. She murmured against them, "I think that'd be a wonderful idea."
Milly surged to press close to Meryl’s body once more. Being with Milly was easy in how right it felt. Who was Meryl to question that? She let herself be swept away.