Random ficlet

[effervescible]

Wrote this the other week.  I don't see myself taking this anywhere before other stuff is finished, so I decided to post it her for posterity.  Or attention.  Whatever.



Meryl slammed her desk drawer back and sat back with a sigh.  Praise be, at last it was Friday.  She stared at the column of paperwork in her in-box that towered over her out-box.  Her inner workaholic whispered that it wouldn’t be that much of a sacrifice to get a little more done, and wouldn’t she feel better on Monday with less to do?  Meryl stood up quickly before she fell back into bad habits.  The money was good, but there was no reason to devote her whole life to this place.

Besides, tonight was a special night.

She made a detour to the ladies’ room before leaving the office.  The woman in the mirror looked the same as she always did.  Just a year older.  But then, that doesn’t mean anything to him, does it?

There was the rub.  It didn’t mean anything to him, but it meant more to Meryl than she could describe.

Well, tonight she’d have to try.

“Hey, Meryl.”  Molly grinned at her from the door.  “I thought I saw you come in here!  I wanted to see if you’d come out with us tonight.”

Meryl shook her head.  “Sorry, not tonight.”

“Oh, come on.”  Molly pouted.  “Is it Christopher?  Jamie’s already got a sitter for Anna and Davey, it wouldn’t be a problem to add Chris…”

“I appreciate it, but I’ve actually got plans,” Meryl said.

“Ooh, sounds interesting.  Got a date?”

“No.”  Meryl closed her eyes briefly.  “Christopher’s father is visiting tonight.”

Molly’s mouth formed a surprised `o’.  “Oh!  I didn’t know that…that is…”  Her eyes flickered briefly to the gold band on Meryl’s left hand.  “I thought he was dead.”

Meryl shrugged.  “Sometimes, so do I.  See you later, Molly.”

Diplomatic Molly.  What you meant to say is that you thought he was dead and I just couldn’t get over it.  And it’s true—I can’t, no matter how much I want to.

Comments

[angstymcgoth.livejournal.com]

Is this Double Helix II: Meryl Leaves Vash For Dead?

Nice, I liked how Meryl is all practicality, no matter how much it hurts.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

*snickers* No, but now that you mention it, I kinda wanna see that.

And thanks! Teh Angst is important, but Teh Angst In Character is even more important. Though it's gonna be het, so it may stretch your definition of IC a bit... ;)

[angstymcgoth.livejournal.com]

Eh. Het: it happens.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

That would make a great bumper sticker.

Besides, Wolfwood is very much dead in this, so if you want you can always view it as Vash moving on with Meryl once he got over Wolfwood.

[angstymcgoth.livejournal.com]

Vash is such a playa XD

[jaina.livejournal.com]

He was behind the couch the whole time!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Poor Meryl. You know, honestly this may be one of the reasons I don't ship those two. This was nice and angsty.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

What, the inherent angst? Is there not as much angst in W/V circles? (I honestly have no idea.) Really, I'm just an angst h0r. I consider it the price they must pay for a happy ending. Plz ignore the cuddlefic I have on ffnet.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

More like...I just don't see it ever working, long-term, or at least never working out right. There's just as much angst in V/W but it's the angst of OMGDOOM rather than the more everyday 'this is never going to work' feeling I get from V/Meryl.

It makes no rational sense, mind you, but there it is.

Cuddlefic? Ooh! Are you jaina there!

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Hee. Well, what with dying and all, I can see how there's different angst. Personally, I either don't think too hard about the future or go with the "omg plant exposure extends life" bullshit rationalizing. As far as general compatibility goes, that's just individual interpretation. (Look! I can admit it! I don't think those who disagree with my otp are stupid!)

*whimpers* What can I say, I was in a mood.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Seriously, are you Jaina there? Because I would totally read it. I might not actually like it but I'll totally read it.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Blink? Yes, the username says I am Jaina, and so I am...the cuddlefic is Past the Mission. It's on both ffnet and vootie.net.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Sankyoo.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review! Forgive me for the virgin thing--I was going through a phase. (Though he is pretty fun to write as a virgin, as long as you wink and acknowledge the unlikelihood.) I still think it's possible, just not probable.

Knives, though? Total V. Which is SO MUCH FUN to write.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Knives, though? Total V. Which is SO MUCH FUN to write.
I am SO taking your word for that.

Hey, even I wrote Vash as a virgin. I had a better reason though. ;-)

[jaina.livejournal.com]

Well, my theory is that he sees sex as something those dirty hu-mans do to propagate their filthy species and he is totally above all that.

Sooner or later, he has to deal with his repression, and that's the fun part.

[jaina.livejournal.com]

*sudden realization* Oh, am I Jaian over at ffnet. Er. Tee hee. Yes. I thought my lj name wasn't showing up or something.