Guys, I just really wanted to write about Meryl being jealous of Hal. Like, I don't have anything against her (I actually really love her, if I'm being honest. She's pretty cool), I just thought it'd be fun.

Chapter 1

It should have been her.

Meryl watched as Snake and Dr. Emmerich laughed, annoyed at the pang of jealousy she felt because that should have been her, dammit. She should have been the one in Dr. Emmerich's place, behind Snake on the snowmobile, but instead it was him and he and Snake were laughing about something she didn't understand and-

"Meryl," Snake said suddenly, breaking through her thoughts, "You gonna stand there all day?"

"That was my plan," she replied dryly.

Dr. Emmerich laughed, and then blushed.

"S-sorry, I thought you were trying to..." he said quickly, waving his arms, "Y'know... be funny. I-I'm sorry, I'm being stupid, aren't I?"

Meryl huffed. She had been making a joke, but she'd hoped to make Snake laugh, not Emmerich.

"You're not being stupid," Snake said, and that just made Meryl feel worse, "But seriously Meryl, we don't have all day."

"I'm coming," Meryl said, joining them on the snowmobile. The snowmobile that was clearly not designed to hold three people.

"I'm gonna regret this," Meryl mumbled.

"Did you say something?" Emmerich asked.

Meryl ignored him.

"I don't have enough room," she said.

"Oh, I, um," Emmerich stuttered, "I-I um..."

He was probably blushing again, Meryl thought as she stared at the back of his head. She rolled her eyes. Emmerich was honestly kind of pathetic. He was- what, seven years older then her? And also a doctor? But he barely seemed to be able to make it through a conversation without stuttering. It didn't make sense to her.

"C'mon, Otacon," Snake said, and Meryl could tell he was smiling, "I don't bite."

Then he snickered, "I'm a constrictor."

Well. Meryl certainly hadn't had Snake pegged for the kind of guy to make puns. And it was an absolutely atrocious one at that. But, Dr. Emmerich laughed, meaning he and Snake probably had a similar sense of humor. Great.

Dr. Emmerich slowly moved closer to Snake. He wrapped his arms arms around Snake's middle and rested his cheek against Snake's back, and all Meryl could think was "God, I wish that were me".

"Is this... okay?" Emmerich asked.

"Yeah," Snake said, "Meryl, you might wanna-"

"No," Meryl said. There was no way in Hell she would clingto Emmerich the way he was clinging to Snake.

Snake shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Then they were off.

Meryl tried to listen to Snake and Emmerich's converation, but she quickly realized she had no idea what they were talking about. But if she let her mind wander, she would just get annoyed by Emmerich. And his dumb Harry Potter glasses. Seriously, what the Hell.

Meryl sighed. Even though she considered him her rival, she couldn't bring herself to hate Emmerich. He was too pathetic for that. And it wasn't his fault he had a crush on Snake. Or that Snake seemed to like him better then Meryl. But that still didn't mean she particularly liked him. She could just... tolerate his presence, though God only knew for how long.