Quality Time (Gekko X Reader)

Quality Time (Gekko x Reader)

Please, someone save me from that Gekko brainrot !

I'm back with another shot. I love writing (and thinking) about him way too much.

Thousands apologies in advance to your eyes for my murderous grammar.

Eating the floor.

As figurative as this expression might be, Gekko now perfectly understood it in several different ways. Each way of how he tasted the floor had a different flavor : painful humbling, jaw fixation, flattened face, the training tatami that he accidentally licked during his degustation, his own saliva that he accidentally choked on, and maybe a bit of his own teeth. He even had a little taste of the wall.

“Stand up.”

Gekko uttered a small grunt, his face still kissing the floor as he momentarily wondered if you secretly were a sadist. He stood up and looked at you as you put your hands on your hips. You looked at him with your eyes slightly squinted and Gekko suspected that you wondered how you'd make him taste the floor again. His eyes met Wingman’s who was shaking his head and hiding his face.

“Ready ?” 

He huffed. At least you warned him. He took position and waited.

How did he end up in this situation ? Well, Reyna once pointed out how hand-in-hand combat was his weakness during missions. She was unsurprisingly not wrong. Since he joined Valorant, he prioritized his aim and his stamina over anything else. And he had never been much of a fighter. The number of times he had been physically restrained by an Omega agent was quite big. So, to overcompensate his weak point, he asked you to train him. You were the best in the protocol in hand-in-hand combat. 

And he wanted an excuse to be physically close to you anyway.

“Your shoulders...” You noticed. “You swim ?”

Gekko blinked before managing to dodge an attack from you. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pride when you nodded appreciatively. He heard Wingman applauding from the corner of the room.

“Actually yeah.” He answered as you paced around him like a predator. “It helped with my asthma growing up. Harbor has even been coaching me when I joined the protocol.”

You nodded and suddenly jumped on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a surprised yelp as he felt his back bouncing harshly on the tatami mat. When he opened his eyes, you were staring at him intensely, your eyes squinting slightly in concentration. He then noticed that you were pinning him down. A new way of eating the ground.

“Your reflexes are weak.” You said plainly. “How did you survive until now ?” 

Gekko did not find anything to answer that. The way you easily kept putting him down since the beginning of the hour said enough. Harbor also trained him with basic martial arts knowledge to be at least capable of defending himself. But against you, they seemed pretty useless. You read his movements as if they were boringly predictable — they probably were — and slow. Plus, the fact that your face was only a few inches away from his did not really help him to focus. His brain literally stopped.

“Hm. I’d be honored to give you some muscle stiffness.”

Was he intimidated ? Yes. Did he like it ? Very. Does that make him a masochist ? He wondered.

Your training was painfully effective. In only three hours, you solidified the basic knowledge in martial arts Harbor gave him and was able to dodge some of your attacks. It took him time, but after you explained to him how to read people's body movements in a way he could understand, he managed to predict some of your punches. Not all, but it was a beginning. But even though he could sometimes predict your movements, you were way too fast for his body to react in time. He swore that your kicks were deadly weapons.

Wingman brought Gekko a bottle of water while cheering as he was laid on his back on the tatami mat.

“You alive ?” You nudged his shoulder with your foot as you looked down at him.

“I’m still breathing.” He huffed as he sat up. “I think.”

He patted Wingman's head and took the bottle while looking up at you. You did not even seem tired.

“You have more stamina than I thought you’d have.” 

“Thanks…?” He said while raising an eyebrow.

You tilted your head slightly then shrugged, your eyes still fixed on him. “You're very welcome.” You took a look at your watch then hummed. “I recommend you to take a warm shower, eat dinner, then to go to bed. You will suffer when you wake up.”

He was always stunned by the tone you used every time you spoke : a tone placed between an absolute neutrality, a subtle amusement and a vague boredom. And most of the time, he couldn't manage to guess what you were thinking about. He stood up and tried to stretch his arms but immediately winced when the pain started hitting.

“Yep.” You nodded without even looking at him. “A warm shower. Very warm.”

You walked out of the training room with a light step while he was dragging his feet behind you.

“Have a nice night.” You said to him as you walked away.

“Huh ? Ah thanks !”

Gekko always felt uncharacteristically shy around you. Which was quite surprising since you barely talked with him. He just admired you from afar since he joined the protocol, sometimes rambling about how he found you cool to Neon. You always intimidated him. He was so outgoing with people but with you, he became so shy. The other agents noticed it of course. How could they not ? The bubbly Gekko being suddenly so quiet in front of someone ? Of course they would notice. The teasing he received from his friends was colossal.

After a warm shower (a very warm) and a good dinner like you recommended, he let himself flop down on his bed with a tired huff. Today was the longest interaction you two had since he joined Valorant. A very painful interaction but still an interaction. A very physical and brutal interaction but still a lovely one. He reached out to you for help, advices and tools to defend himself, and you handed it to him without questioning. You did not judge him like he feared you would. After all, agents of Valorant were supposed to be the best defense of this world. He was one of these agents. He had a good aim, he had good stamina despite his asthma but he lacked hand-in-hand combat experience and knowledge which could be quite vital in some situations on the field. He didn't think low of himself. Gekko was just someone who wasn't afraid nor ashamed to acknowledge his weaknesses.

Outside of your sessions, everything sadly stayed the same between you two to Gekko’s despair. He couldn't help but feel disappointed. He thought that you grew  close, but outside of the training room, you stayed distant. When he waved at you from afar, you turned your face away. When he raised his hand for a high five, you stared at him in confusion. When he handed you a weapon for a mission, you just nodded curtly. When he joined your table for lunch, you barely acknowledged his presence. Neon and Jett tried to reassure him by saying that you were like this with everyone. He knew that, but he had hoped to be an exception.

After a few weeks, he still happened to taste the floor as much as when you started to train him. Not because he was a bad learner, but because everytime he adapted to a fighting style, you switched into another. Everytime he walked out of a session with you, he felt he improved himself until the next session. It was impressive how many ways you had to beat his ass. Or to strangle him.

“I yield !” He choked out as your legs stifled him. He patted the floor to indicate he was giving up. “Air ! Air !”

You released him from your legs and let him breathe and sat up with your legs crossed, staring at him.

“You dead ?”

He coughed a little and shook his head. “Nope ! Pretty much alive !”

Wingman rushed towards him with a bottle of water as he kept coughing. He took a few sip of water then looked up at you to notice you staring at him without flinching. He cleared his throat to hide his blush under your gaze (even though he knew it was useless) and turned fully towards you.

“Why did you accept to help me ?” He asked.

“Hm ?” You tilted your head slightly.

“I mean…” Gekko nervously rubbed his neck and shot a glance at Wingman who quietly nodded to encourage him. “...we never really interacted with each other outside of missions before.”

You tilted your head to the other side. “And…?”

Your attitude reminded him a little bit of a cat : aloof but attentive.

“And despite that, you accepted right away.”

You stayed silent for a moment, squint your eyes slightly then shook your head negatively. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t manage to see why this comes as a surprise.” 

He looked at you with raised eyebrows. Of course he was the only one surprised here. 

“We barely talked to each other yet you accepted right away. Why ?”

“Why not ?” You ask back. “You're my colleague, you asked for help and I could provide you with that help. So I did it. Why is it that surprising ?”

Gekko blinked for a second and let out a soft chuckle. Wingman looked between you two with a curious tilt of his little head. Your response was so simple that he never envisaged it. So simple that it was almost unpredictable. 

“Well thanks.” He laughed gently.

“You’re very welcome.” You shrugged. 

You kept staring at him with that deep (and sometimes unnerving) gaze of yours. After some time, he realized that your eyes weren't dreamy. They were intensely focused and he could see the intricate mechanisms constituting your thoughts without being able to decipher it.

“Do I have something on my face ?” He asked with a nervous chuckle.

“Freckles.” You responded simply. “And a smile completed by dimples most of the time. Why ?”

Wingman let out a few high-pitched garbled sounds that sounded like laughter. Gekko’s finger played with the bottle.

“Nothing. I just noticed that you sometimes stare at me a lot.” 

“Oh.” You nodded slowly. “Sorry. I tend to stare a lot at things that fascinate me.”

If he was already slightly blushing (maybe because of the previous efforts), he was now burning red. His eyes were wide open. Wingman put his little hands over the space where his mouth would be, looking even more flabbergasted than his friend.

“Wait…what ?”

“You seem surprised again.” 

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, cleared his throat (nervously choked on his own saliva) then looked fully at you.

“Do you realize what you just said ?”

“Words ?”

Of course. He started to understand how you worked. When most people thought A, you thought Z. Still, your trail of thought stayed unpredictable.

He was about to say something when his phone suddenly buzzed. Wingman handed it to him and he quickly read the message he received.

“Shit.” He muttered. “I’ve been called for a mission.”

When he read the callsigns of his teammates, he noticed that yours wasn’t there. He sighed. It seemed like your moment together was shortened for the day. A pity, really. He liked these moments.

You nodded slowly, stood up then stretched your arms. “Come back safe.”

‘Come back safe’ ?

Gekko stood up too and walked towards the exit door, Wingman following him. “I will. See you later.”

You said nothing back. You just stared until he fully exited the room.

Your words kept looping in his head during the briefing. 

The mission was the usual : eliminating Omega agents, defusing the spike then going back to base. It wasn't his first mission at Icebox, but being the Californian guy that he was, it wasn't his favorite place. The cold wind was whipping his face while the snow was burning his feet. He definitely should have chosen another pair of shoes and thicker socks. The mission was going smoothly: Jett and Phoenix were competing, Reyna was creepily laughing in the comm and Brimstone was complaining about the pain in his knees.

He sent Thrash to Jett and Phoenix because they fell in an ambush while he kept running where the spike had been spotted.

“Yo, I see the spike !” He said in the comm.

He then sent Dizzy to be sure no one was around before sending Wingman to the spike.

“My buddy is diffusing.” 

Suddenly, Gekko felt the hair in his neck rising and his instinct urged him to bend down and to take a few steps aside, which he did. 

“Damn.” He muttered under his breath.

His eyes immediately fell on Omega Yoru who just came out of a rift with a knife in his hand. Gekko just dodged his attack. He already had an history with this agent in particular. It wasn’t the first time that they ended up in a duel-like situation. Everytime, Yoru managed to manhandle him until Wingman stun him.

“Gekko ?” He heard Reyna in the comm. “What is happening? Where are you ?”

He took a deep breath and thought quickly. You taught him how to analyze a situation quickly and took advantage of it. 

“I’m site B.” He answered.

First step : not panicking. Panic not only leads people to make rushed actions, but it also quashes your thinking capacity. In a moment of panic, your reptilian brain is the one mostly working with your adrenaline.

‘Panic and fear are not to be confused.’ You oftenly reminded him. ‘In a dangerous situation, panic could easily lead you towards a certain death while fear keeps your senses constantly alert. It makes you more aware of your surroundings. It makes you think thoroughly at different solutions in order to survive.’

You did not only make him eat the floor. You also sometimes planned some meditation sessions. Gekko loved these. It made him feel light.

Gekko calmly watched Omega Yoru walking towards him. His step was confident. He played with a butterfly knife, visibly trying to intimidate him. Gekko almost rolled his eyes.

Second step : analyzing the situation, then your options. A thing that you insisted on : weapons never only had one way of utilization.

Right now, Wingman was diffusing the spike, Omega Yoru was walking in his direction and Thrash was too far. Dizzy could only blind him for a few seconds but then what ? His weapon was empty and he would lose deadly seconds reloading it. Yoru was walking calmly but a certain tension in his step indicated that he would soon pounce. He too had not a lot of options. His teammates were falling, the spike was being diffused and more enemies would soon arrive.

Gekko mentally counted until three then Yoru attacked him with the knife like he had planned. Gekko quickly countered the attack with the barrel of his gun and swiftly kicked his joint ball, making his opponent momentarily fall on his knee with a huff of pain. Yoru seemed surprised for an instant before he stood up again. This time, he was a bit more alert.

They kept fighting for seconds that felt like hours. Gekko was glad his stamina didn't fail him. He clearly had the upper hand while Yoru’s movements became slower and his breath more erratic. He almost found this easy. Compared to yours, Yoru’s attacks were slow and easy to predict. They had strength but lacked precision.

Finding an opening, Gekko suddenly tackled his opponent in the snow. He then proceeded to press with strength the round of his shoulder in the solar plexus of the mirror agent. You once explained to him that a violent shock in this zone would make anyone go limp. 

‘One could be as muscular as possible and have an iron will, once this zone is violently attacked, they would fall to the ground and gasp for air.’

Gekko felt his opponent’s strength faltering beneath him and his rage spiking. He heard Wingman’s high-pitched victorious scream and several hurried steps in his direction.

“Gekko, move !”

Recognizing Reyna’s voice, he obeyed quickly, standing up and taking a few steps back. A single shot and Yoru was now dead. Gekko let out a long sigh as Wingman and Thrash returned to him.

“You did good, you two.” He patted his radivore friends.

He then felt a friendly but strong pat in his back.

“Nice fight, mate !” Phoenix smiled. “You could almost be a duelist.”

Jett joined them then smiled mischievously at him.

“So you were actually training during these private sessions !”

Gekko cleared his throat to hide his blush but Reyna quickly cupped his face to inspect it. 

“¿Estás herido?”

He shook his head and smiled to reassure her. 

“I’m fine.”

Just slightly exhausted. He trained with you before this mission, after all. His muscles were sore and he was tired of the cold. His teeth were chattering and his body started to shake a little. But he tried to look fine so as not to worry her. Reyna could be quite overprotective over him.

“You did good, Gekko.”

“Gracias mi reina.”

He enjoyed the warmth of her hands on his cheeks and let out a small sigh of delight. He still couldn't feel his feet but it was a nice beginning.

“Seems like you improved some of your skills.” The Mexican duelist smiled.

Gekko felt proud at her words, his eyes twinkling in pride. He definitely had to thank you for this.

“Well, I have the best professor. Training can sometimes be brutal but I always learn something new after a session.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She was already aware —like the entirety of the protocol— of his feelings for you. At first, she was quite suspicious of you, ready to pounce if you ever had the idea of using him. But once she saw the care in your eyes, she relaxed fully.

Gekko slept during the entire flight like a log. His head leaned on Reyna’s shoulder, he snored softly, his body warming up slowly. For an instant, he dreamed about his fight with the mirror agent and couldn't help but feel some pride. He took the situation calmly like you trained him for and busied while Wingman took care of the spike. For the first time since he joined the protocol, he felt like he didn't necessarily need a gun to be useful on the field.

Once the VLR/T landed, Reyna woke him up. He jolted awake under her amused gaze and quickly got off the aircraft to join the training room. He immediately found you meditating on a yoga mat. Despite his exhaustion, there was an excited skip in his steps. He quietly closed the door behind him, took a yoga mat in the back of the room, placed it in front of yours and sat on it, his legs criss-crossed. Wingman sat down next to him.

“You did come back safe.” You said without opening your eyes. 

“Yep !” Gekko grinned. “And it’s all thanks to what you taught me.”

You slowly opened your eyes to look at him with a raised eyebrow. You then looked down to Wingman who waved friendly at you, nodded at him in return and looked back at Gekko.

“Care to develop ?”

He nodded excitedly and with animated hands movements (and Wingman to illustrate his words), proceeded to recount the events of his missions. Pride flooded from his voice and sparkles from his eyes. It was maybe another simple mission, another moment in the routine of being an agent of Valorant, but he felt like he surpassed himself. He rubbed his neck sheepishly after he finished his story, a proud smile on his lips.

“The student surpasses the master.” You chuckled softly. “Seems like you won't need my training anymore.”

Gekko’s smile immediately faded away at your words. He shook his head and leaned forward to catch your hand. He didn't want these private sessions to stop. These moments were way too precious for him to let them go.

“No !” He calmed down a little, noticing how his tone raised. “I mean…I’ll probably need more training. I mean, more training from you !”

Wingman nodded with energy beside him. You blinked, surprised by his sudden outburst.

“No worries. I planned to train you to fight with a knife at our next session.” You said as you patted Wingman’s head gently. “Plus, I enjoy your company anyway.”

Gekko looked at you with wide eyes. His hands subconsciously squeezed yours. Wingman’s eyes also widened in shock.

“If you enjoy my company, why do you always avoid me outside of this room ?”

You tilted your head slightly and looked at him as if the answer was obvious. “You’re always surrounded by others. I’m not really comfortable with too many people around. Even though they're close co-workers.”

“Friends.” 

You raised an eyebrow at his intervention. “What ?”

“You mean friends, right ?”

You stayed silent for a few seconds and Gekko wondered why you saw the other agents under such cold eyes.

“Maybe Iso, Deadlock.” You hummed. “And you, of course.”  

Gekko’s hand squeezed yours again. 

“What about the others ?”

“They’re colleagues—”

“But—”

“Gekko.” You interrupted him. “They are your friends. Not mine.”

Gekko let out a huff and caressed the back of your hand with his thumb.

“And you’re okay with that ?”

Your eyes squinted a little. “Gekko, you’re a social butterfly. Being surrounded by people gives you energy. In my case, it drains me. And while people of your kind sometimes fascinate me, yes, I’m okay with that. And I’m not sad about it.”

You gently pulled your hand off his and stood up.

“Could you try understanding that for me ?”

He clenched and unclenched his now empty hand and watched you stretching your arms.

“Isn’t it cold to call others ‘co-workers’, though ?”

You momentarily paused your movements to look down at him.

“How would you call people you work with without being emotionally close ?”

Gekko stood up and started to stretch with you. “Fair point.” 

You two (three, let’s not forget Wingman) kept stretching quietly for minutes. Gekko was thinking as he looked at you closely. Neon and Jett would call him desperate, Yoru and Phoenix a simp but he did not care. He was happy with the evolution of his relationship with you. It started with staring you dreamily from afar to stretch with you while sometimes exchanging simple words.

“I’d like to thank you.” He suddenly said.

“You don’t owe me anything.” You lowered your arms and started to stretch your back. “But I’m starting to know you. You’re stubborn and you’ll do it anyway.”

Gekko grinned widely, his eyes filled with joy. “Yep. That’s me. And I’d like to ask you on a date.”

You stopped your movements and raised an eyebrow. “A date ?”

“Yeah. As a thank for all the, you know, the training. For teaching me your techniques, your knowledge and all that. Even if that was goddamn painful at first.”

“And that's not painful anymore ?”

Gekko paused for a moment then nodded, chuckling softly.

“Okay.” He huffed. “It’s still goddamn painful. But still. I’d like to thank you.”

“With a date ?”

“With a date.” He nodded. “You enjoy my company, right ?”

“Are you sure you want a date with me as a ‘thank you’ ?”

A sudden blush dusted his cheeks but his smile remained.

“Let’s say it's one of the reasons.”

Wingman was watching the interaction with an entertained eye.

“And could you do me the honor of telling me another reason ?”

You stopped stretching to stand straight. Gekko did the same, his smile still present.

“I like you.”

“Well you’re a masochist.”

The laugh that bursts out of Gekko's mouth was booming and shaking his body, loud enough to reverberate against the wall of the room and probably make anyone passing by the door jump in surprise. You watched him calmly as his laugh slowly faded. Wingman tossed a bottle of water at you and you took a few gulps and thanked him.

“Masochist with a loose screw, I see.” You hummed.

“I’ll take it.” He snorted. “So, what do you say ? Will you go on a date with me ?”

You took a few other gulps of water, your eyes still on him. He waited for what seemed like long minutes. Was he being too bold ? He liked spending time with you but he only had the training sessions. A date would be the perfect occasion to know you better.

“Why not ?” You finally said. “But don’t go thinking I’ll be softer during your training.”

Wingman jumped and chirped in joy, making Gekko chuckle again.

“I'm counting on it !” He said with cheeky grin. “I’m a masochist, remember ?”

You snorted and exited the room. 

Gekko hadn’t felt this proud in a long time. First, the mission, now you accepting to go on a date with him. Even though he was certain his friends will tease him, nothing could stop the joy that filled him at the moment. His smile was wide, his pupil dilated. You noticed that, of course. The excitement he tried so hard to hide didn't go unnoticed. You were fine with it, though. You found Gekko fascinating. Predictable at some moment, but fascinating. His company was enjoyable and warm. 

However, the evolution of your relationship with Gekko will be far from predictable in your eyes, but so enjoyable.

I really don't know how to write an ending that could satisfy me. It's like a curse that I have: the beginning is easy but never the end.

At the beginning, my brain goes like 'DO IT' but at the end it goes like 'Nah'.

Anecdote : I've practiced several martial arts since I was a kid. It's like a thing with my mother and each one of her children. (“As long as I am your mother, you, my child, will never be a prey.”— my mom) And as a martial artist, I can tell you that a violent shock to your solar plexus is not only painful, but it also desactivate automatically your capacity to stand on your feet. Your body just goes 'nope !'. The first time I received a hit on the solar plexus, I almost choked on my mouth guard and hurt my leg during the fall 🥲. Did it discourage me from practicing ? Nope ! But it is still a very...special memory.

Thanks again for taking the time to read until the end. I wish you a nice day/night !

The name is Shana (nicknamed Nana).

I'm a french black girl (as surprising as it may seem for some people).

I'm an INFP-T neurodivergent person. (May the universe have mercy !)

I like taking random pictures (a lot), drawing (when my brain is in the mood), reading (way too much) and sometimes writing (meh).

Welcome to this random page !

(as random as my own silly and unstable existence)

Here, have a cute bug !

(Isn't he adorable ?)

Oh ! And the masterlist is right here !

Overwhelmed (Gekko x Reader)

Part. 1 Part. 3

Part. 2

Third part is right here. This chapter was quite interesting to write. ^^ Once again, thousands of apologies for my bad English.

“You’ve been dating for two weeks and you haven't gone on a single date outdoors yet ?” 

Gekko let out a deep sigh at Jett’s words as he looked at you debating with Iso and Deadlock from the other side of the room. You both had agreed on taking things slow and not a lot of things changed between you. You both still hung out a lot in Gekko’s room like usual but sometimes in yours. You still had the habit of drawing a lot together but you sometimes played video games together (he was still very surprised by your skills) or watched movies snuggled in each other’s arms (Gekko loved doing that and he knew you did too). He also sometimes kissed you. It was only small pecks on the cheek, your palm or the corner of your lips (he was still scared of overwhelming you) but his heart always fluttered when you responded with a light hand squeeze. As for outdoor dates with you, he was thinking of asking you to go on a boba date with him. He couldn't help but imagine the both of you with your fingers intertwined together, walking in the streets while sipping sweet drinks.

“Wow,” snorted Neon. “He’s really down bad, huh.”

“Gekko, you’re staring.” Jett chuckled and he snapped out of his daydream.

He giggled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. “Oh shush.”

He stole a quick glance in your direction and smiled broadly when he saw you laughing at whatever Deadlock just said.

Phoenix walked out of the firing range, parading like a peacock in the lounge. “Haha ! Now I’m definitely the king of this range !”

His prideful exclamation brought the attention of everyone in the lounge – even Dizzy who was sleepily floating next to Jett’s head – as he was walking towards his locker, a big smile on his face. Everyone was pretty used to Phoenix's prideful personality. Always bragging then humble-bragging and throwing up his confidence everywhere and whenever he could. It was always a bit surprising at first, exhausting and exasperating maybe, especially during missions. But despite his overly confident and very teasing personality, Phoenix was pretty far from being an asshole. You were still rarely interacting with him, though. Something about his high and burning extroversion had the scaring ability to consume your social battery at a concerningly terrifying speed.

“Sure, pretty boy.” Jett playfully scoffed. “What about what Cypher told you last time ? You know, about victories requiring sacrifices or something like that ?”

You lifted an eyebrow at Jett’s words but were not surprised. You wondered if Cypher’s words ignited Phoenix’s ego. It was very probable. Cypher had the talent to pick the best information into his vast collection of tea with an almost sadistic thoroughness and to use it in an almost diabolical way that you admired as much as you feared.

You looked at the camera in the corner of the room and you noticed it nodding in your direction as if saying a small ‘hello’. 

Big brother is watching me.

“Well he raised me into the king that I am now. Like, you know, a royal councilor.” Replied Phoenix, smiling smugly to Jett. “I finally got the highest score in the simulation.”

Everyone turned their eyes towards the screen board displaying the new ranking of agents' performances and you let out an impressed whistle when you saw Phoenix on top of it. You pressed a fake compassionate hand on Iso’s shoulder.

“How do you take the hit ?”

He flicked your forehead and faked a glare in your direction. 

“Ouch !”

Meanwhile, Jett was almost losing her mind, not believing it. “If Kay/O see this...”

The nanobomb couple took a better look at the scoreboard and Raze let out a surprised and excited gasp. She then pointed at you with her index finger and excitedly called your callsign.

“You never tried the simulation in the fire range. What are you waiting for !?”

Hmm. The overwhelming sensation of being the center of unwanted attention. The exasperating feeling of exhaustion swimming through your veins as the eyes of your colleagues pierced your skin. The urges to roll your eyes and to click your tongue in annoyance as everyone’s gaze seemed to ask you the same boring and predictable question : ‘Why ?’.

How unpleasant.

To that, your body let you choose between the reassuring weight of your headphones around your neck inviting you to escape, and the adrenaline twitching your fingers inviting you to be the predator instead of the prey.

Of course they would be curious. It has been two months since you became an agent of Valorant and you kept everything and everyone at arm's length. Barely present during training, ready to escape during briefings and never there during meals, the other agents hardly knew you. So secretive yet so observant.

You felt Deadlock gently nudging your knee to draw your attention and you looked at her. Her eyebrows raised slightly when she saw your fierce and sharp gaze. She silently handed you a can of juice and patted your knee. You nodded to her and chugged the drink down thankfully, throwing it in a trashcan once finished. You also felt Iso patting your back and shoving something in your jacket pocket. You internally thanked them for distracting you from the annoying curiosity from the agents in the room.

You felt like a main character of one of these multiple choice games Gekko introduced you to. Except you did not really care about the ending. Speaking of Gekko, he was currently gently smiling at you, his warm eyes sending you messages of love and reassurance that immediately relaxed you. He knew how much PDA made you uncomfortable, so he kept his distance, sending you comfort and affection from afar.

You took a deep breath and looked at Raze. “Why would I try this simulation ? It isn't even close to what we experience on the field.”

Killjoy looked at you curiously, fixing her glasses on her nose. “What do you mean by that ?”

You rolled your eyes and wondered how someone as brilliant as Killjoy could miss something so obvious. “During missions, we’re used to our enemies setting traps, ambushes, surprise attacks and engaging hand-to-hand combat while we are also under the pressure of the spike beeping each second closer to its potential explosion.” You started rambling, your eyes setting on the simulation on the other side of the reinforced glass window. “The only thing your simulation does is sending robots shooting endlessly in our direction with boringly predictable patterns, raising walls that always have the same locations and let prideful peacocks be proud for being able to do the minimum.” You shot a blank look at Phoenix. “No offense.”

“It stings a little but none taken.” The Brit smiled.

Killjoy seemed like she was taking notes, mumbling to herself in German. Raze smiled at her girlfriend, as if sensing her sudden excitement. Killjoy then looked back at you and walked towards you. She took your hands and squeezed them excitedly.

“Thank you for your constructive comments !” She excitedly leaned towards you as you leaned backwards. “Would you like to test the new simulation once I’m done upgrading it ?”

You grimaced at her proposition, your nose slightly scrunching. “Uhm…may I ask why ?”

“Well, your comments will certainly help me improve the simulation so it’s only fair you’d be the first to test it.” The German engineer answered breathlessly. “And you're always so impressive during missions. I’m curious about how you’ll handle the fire range simulation.”

You frowned a little and looked around to see that everyone was staring at the both of you. You let out another sigh, patted Killjoy’s hand, pushed her gently towards Raze who gladly took her in her arms, and took a step back. Just imagining yourself fighting in that freaking simulation while the other agents analyze each of your movements like mad scientists made you sick.

“Very sweet, little engineer but I’ll pass.” You shook your head then pointed at Phoenix. “Ask Peacock Boy instead.”

“Oh come on !” Inquired Phoenix. “We only see you fight on the field.”

“It won’t kill to keep it that way.” You coldly retorted, forcing a smile.

How irksome.

You knew that your colleagues were curious about your abilities, but their inquisitiveness made your skin itches like some kind of rash. You did not want to stay here. You had to see Sage anyway, to change your bandages. So you walked out of the room at a quick but not rushed pace, too buried into your own thoughts to notice a certain blue floating creature following you closely.

Meanwhile, some agents exchanged silent glances. They found you cold, icy even. You never meddle in the base activities, you stayed out of conversations and nobody ever saw you in the canteen. 

They almost thought you hated them.

Almost.

What made them doubt was how you fought during missions, taking care of protecting each one of your teammates while fiercely fighting every enemy that had the misfortune to meet your path. You were terrifying yet so protective. It was one of the first things that made Gekko fall for you. And as he ran to join you, he smiled when he noticed you playing with Dizzy in front of the infirmary door. He loved seeing this facet of your personality. This tender side that you rarely showed. The soft chuckle you uttered as Dizzy nuzzled against your chest made his heart flutter. You finally noticed him and shook your head with exasperation.

“Where did you get this habit of running for nothing ?” You sighed as the floating critter nuzzled in your arms. 

Gekko smiled, cupped your face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of your lips. “I don’t know. Let’s say that my love for you fuels me in energy.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s those energy drinks you love to chug down.” You said, taking his hands to gently squeeze them.

He looked at your bandaged forearms and restrained a sigh. Since you came back from that almost week long mission two weeks ago, you had these burns on your forearms that required care almost daily. These burns were not regular ones. According to the other agents that were with you during that mission, you carried the spike in your arms and ran far from your injured teammates while defusing it while it was a few seconds from explosion. That was the reason why Neon heard Sage screaming in the comm two weeks ago. Your ‘dangerous and reckless behavior’ (Sage’s words, not his) could have killed you if you weren't so lucky. 

“You sure you don’t want Sage to use her radiancy on your injuries ?” He asked, his thumbs caressing the back of your hands.

The grimace etching your face made him sigh. He did not know why you were so adamantly opposed to letting the healing abilities of the Chinese sentinel treat your injuries. Even after two weeks of trying to convince you, you categorically refused to let Sage heal you with her powers. At first, he thought that it was only just your pride restraining you, but the grimace of irritation and exhaustion stretching your face each time he mentioned Sage and her healing ability begged him to differ. 

“Want me to stay with you while she applies the ointment on your forearms ?” 

You shook your head and Dizzy made a sad gurgle noise and nuzzled in your neck. “I’d prefer you don’t look at these…uhm…injuries.”

Well now he was curious. How bad would that be ? He took a better look at your forearms and frowned a little. Those burns were proof that he indeed almost lost you two weeks ago. Gulping, he forced himself to ignore the cold shiver that ran down his spine and cleared his throat.

“I was thinking maybe we could go on a date ? Outside the base. Like, right after you’re done with Sage.”

Your eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. “How spontaneous.” You tilted your head and restrained a sigh when you noticed the camera on the wall behind Gekko, the lense focused on the both of you. “I accept but please, next time warn me a few days beforehand.”

You caressed Dizzy’s shell as Gekko smile illuminated his face.

“Hell yeah ! Join me in my room when you're done.”

He gave you a quick peck on the cheek then took Dizzy and ran through the corridors. You grimaced at the camera before turning back and opening the door of the infirmary. You found Sage sitting on her desk, reading a book. She raised her eyes from her book once she noticed you and set it down.

“You’re here.” She smiled. “How are you feeling this morning ?”

You did not return her smile, just sitting on the hospital bed while she took the bottle of ointment and a first aid kit off the cupboard.

“Alive.” You answered plainly. “I’m still breathing.”

She took a seat in front of you and proceeded to take off your bandages, humming softly.

“I heard you and Gekko are now a couple. Congratulations !”

“You’re two weeks late but thank you.”

The bandages finally off your forearms, you took a better look of your skin. Colorful burn marks decorated your epidermis, glowing softly of radiant energy and pulsating with your heartbeat. The effects of the almost-exploding spike on your skin. These marks vaguely reminded you of Jett’s ones on her wrists when she used her ult or Gekko’s tattoo linking him to his critters on his left arm. Your veins stood out the most, an ethereal touch on this beautiful chaos that is now your skin.

“Does it still hurt ?” Asked Sage as she started to apply the ointment on your derm.

You shook your head and sighed at the coolness of the liniment. “No. But it sometimes tickles.”

The healer nodded, focused. The glowing of your marks subdued once she was done with your arms and she let out a sigh. “Their glow is weaker than last week. You should be able to go back on the field in a few days.”

Well that was good news. You grew tired of staying in the base. Of course you sometimes ran errands with Iso and Deadlock, but you sometimes missed the adrenaline of missions. You will not have to wait for Gekko’s return in the hangar or in his room. You’ll be directly with him. 

“Please be less reckless next time.” Sighed Sage. “I know you did this to reduce the risks of further injuries on your teammates, but know that they’re also here for you.”

A grimace appeared on your face as you remembered Iso taking you in his arms, begging you to stay awake. It was the first time you’ve seen his face so expressive, so panicked. Skye had tried to heal you without much result. Something about the raw energy transferred from the spike to your body was interfering with her ability. It was a great euphemism to say that that mission two weeks ago was far from boring. Well in fact, you did not really have time to be bored since you almost died.

“I can’t promise, sorry.” You sighed back.

Sage shook her head and rolled new bandages around your forearms. “I knew you would say that.”

Once she was done with your arms, you stood up and thanked her, walking towards the door. When the door slid open, you saw Cypher playing with a trap wire on his knuckles.

“Hello !” He said, his tone joyful.

“Optimus Prime.” You nodded, your tone flat. You let the door slide shut behind you and started walking in the corridor. “I don’t have time for a game of chess today, sorry.”

Cypher peacefully walked beside you, his pace and demeanor relaxed but attentive to yours. “Oh I know. You have your sweet outdoor date with Gekko.”

Of course he knew. You were used to it at this point. Observant but secretive, Cypher always looked after you since the day he dragged your ass out of one of your hideouts to convince you to join Valorant — while also stealing your stacks of tea. If a few months ago someone had told you that you’d be hunted down by a cyberpunk cowboy preaching the noble goals of a secret organization and how good the food was in their base, you would have peed yourself in laughter. Well now look at you, walking down the said base’ hallways with this cyberpunk Moroccan informant cowboy.

“You seem less tense these days.” Said Cypher in his usual mischievous tone. “I’m glad that loneliness isn't eating you out anymore.”

You raised an eyebrow and rolled your eyes. “Can loneliness really eat me out when you're constantly spying on me ?”

“Good point.” He giggled. 

At least he was not hiding it.

One thing that you loved about Cypher : you did not need to lose your time talking to him that he already knew.

“I’m glad that Gekko is your new balance between a wanted company and a recharging isolation.” You could literally hear the soft smile in his voice. “I recommend you two to communicate, though. Especially you.” He pointed at your forearms with a knowing tilt of his head.

One thing that you hated about Cypher : you did not need to lose your time hiding anything that he already knew.

A true know-it-all.

“Does he know about the… peculiar aspects of these burn marks ?” He asked, but a slight inflection in his tone indicated to you that he already knew the answer.

You didn't tell Gekko about the oddness of these burn marks. Knowing him, he would panic, be worried sick and ask you every ten minutes how your arms felt. He already found it odd that you needed to see Sage for applying this ointment. You could not tell him that you needed Sage to inspect the glow of your forearms. He even offered to help you apply the ointment but you declined. That was very sweet and made your soul flutter but you had to refuse. You did not want to worry him. You cared about his smile and you did not want to kill it. But you suspected his radivore critters to have a slight idea of what was happening with your arms. Especially Dizzy who always nuzzled in your arms and Wingman who always patted your bandages.

Until two weeks ago, you would have never thought that you could be in love. You thought yourself too broken to feel that kind of feeling, sometimes cringing when you read it in some novels you liked to read. The only examples of that kind of love that you ever took the time to observe were from the duo of menace that were your biological parents and the sweet but spicy couple that were the nanobomb duo. Who would have thought that your heart would be in that kind of situation ? Craving for his smile, his laugh, him. You did not want to see the worry shadowing his light, even if you had to go through pain for it.

“No need.” You answered plainly to Cypher.

You heard him sighing.

“Love is not only about sacrifice. It’s also about sharing.”

“Please don’t start with your proverbs or I’ll rip your mask off your face to shove it in your ass, Amir.” You sighed, massaging your temples.

He raised his hands in mock defense but his lips didn't stop moving under his mask.

“It isn’t fair that Gekko is the only one not underestimating his partner.”

The offended look you shot at him made him laugh. You were about to retort something when the sound of a door sliding interrupted you.

“You’re finally here ! I passed by your room to– Cypher ?”

What a beautiful look of surprise on Gekko’s face !

“Greetings, Gekko. I wish you both a lovely outing.”

Gekko glanced at you, a bit lost but nodded at Cypher. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

You were still massaging your temples when Cypher patted your shoulder in an odd fatherly way. 

“I leave you two then.” Cypher started to walk away. “Oh, and don’t forget to use protection !”

You were still massaging your temples to relax yourself as you heard Cypher turning around the corridor. You were certain that he would spy on your outing through CCTV, sipping a cup of tea like the gossip starved bastard that he is. You let out a deep breath and your shoulders relaxed. You then looked up at Gekko and noticed his very flushed face. Flushed to the point that his face stood out more than his hair.

“You did not run for once. So why the heck is your face red ?” You brows furrowed. “Are you having an asthma attack ? Where is your inhaler ? Wingman, the inhaler !”

Gekko snapped off his daze and shook his head and took your hands. “No, no –Wings’, put that down !– I’m good. Everything’s good.” Your skeptical eyes squinted at him and he lifted your hand to kiss your palm. “I’m good, babe, really. You’re cute when you’re worried, cariño.”

He shot you his boyish smile, his face still very flushed and you raised an eyebrow. 

“Then why is your face redder than a poppy flower ?”

“I– Didn't you hear what Cypher just said ?”

You walked in his room and sat down on his bed — high-fiving Wingman in the process — then looked around. Your eyes landed on a pair of shoes near the foot of the bed right beside your partner’s skateboard.

“Be precise, he’s quite talkative.” You shrugged then pointed at the sneakers. “Aren’t these my shoes ?”

You recognised the sneakers with retractable roller skate wheels.

“Huh ? Oh yeah, that’s what I wanted to tell you. I passed by your room to take them.” He cleared his throat and you and Wingman exchanged glances. “I thought that we could do our date on wheels. You know, like you on your roller skate and me on my skateboard.”

You nodded and gently stopped Wingman’s tiny cute hands from caressing your bandages, humming softly. “It has been a while since the last time I roller skated.”

“Here’s a good opportunity, then ! I wanted to see you on roller skates since you told me you used to use them a lot.”

Here we go again, your heart fluttering. In only two weeks, he showered you with so much love and respect that you sometimes wonder where he got it from. He listened, did not suffocate you in any way and always supported you. It was new for you, but not unwelcome. He was always gentle but revitalizing.

★★★

Boyle Heights neighborhood, Los Angeles, California.

Funny that Gekko grew up there, you literally had a hideout in this neighborhood. But even though you used to hide there, you never really took the time to explore it. Especially with someone so eager to show you their favorite spots while showing off some skateboard tricks or cheering everytime you did a stunt on your wheels. A thing that you discovered about Gekko : he loved taking selfies and short videos. It was a cute thing about him that made you smile.

“How did I manage to survive without these gifts from Heaven ?” You breathed out, your eyes sparkling at the dish on your plate.

After hours of showing graffiti spots and street performances, he brought you to a food spot that served one of the most delicious foods that ever touched your taste buds.

“I’m glad you love the food here.” Gekko chuckled at your enthusiasm.

You put another fork in your mouth and a delighted smile painted your face. “Woah. Even in a gastronomic restaurant I can’t have this much taste.”

Gekko seemed to perk at your words. “Gastronomic restaurant ? Didn't know you were a foodie.”

You shook your head. “I’m not.” You took a sip of your drink and sighed at the taste. “Damn. Even the drink is good.” 

He chuckled at your words but he stayed thoughtful. You rarely talked about your past before Valorant. You dropped some anecdotes sometimes and when he asked more, you went silent. He suspected you already knew before joining Valorant how to fight since you barely went to training sessions (to spare your social battery, you said) but always managed to make your enemies suffer on the field. And the fact that Fade and Iso had a slight idea of you might be when they heard Valorant taking an interest in you made him curious. 

“Is this plate better than a gastronomic one ?” He asked.

“Most of the time, gastronomic restaurants focus more on the quote-unquote presentation than the actual taste.” You sighed. “Which can sometimes lead to people choking on a tiny little thing sold as food that barely tastes like something.”

Gekko coughed on his food at your words. He took a sip of his drink to clear his esophagus. He then restrained a laugh as you raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’ve got beef against gastronomic restaurants ?” He coughed his laugh down.

“Oh absolutely.” You said calmly.

“What started that beef ?”

And you went silent again. Gekko restrained a sigh and kept eating, his eyes on his plate. He agreed to go at your pace, to be patient, but sometimes, it sadly felt like he was talking to a wall. You listened to his story but you never gave him the occasion to listen to yours. He heard you clear your throat and his eyes set back on you. Your eyes were on your plate and your fingers nervously tapped the table.

“I was around nine the first time I went to a gastronomic restaurant. I threw up on a waiter.”

The randomness of this revelation caught him off guard. A small smile appeared on his lips as he acknowledged your attempt at a conversation about you.

“No way !” He chuckled. “And that’s how your hatred towards these kinds of restaurants started ?”

No pressure, only encouragement.

“I think it’s just the repetition of unfortunate events that keep happening everytime I’m in these types of restaurants.” You said, your forks playing with the remnants of your meal. “Throwing up on a waiter, spilling my drink on the owner, choking on food, being sick for a week… No matter the country, a gastronomic restaurant stays the same.”

Gekko nodded. He remembered you briefly mentioning that you used to travel a lot around the world. You took a deep breath and put down your fork.

“What are we doing this afternoon ? Are we going back to HQ ?”

He giggled at your attempt at changing the subject.

“Nah, we’re not done chilling.” He shook his head. “I know a place you would like.”

“Oh ?”

After your copious meal, you two walked down the streets of Boyle Heights, digesting your food. Your shoes had their wheels retracted in their sole and Gekko held his skateboard under his arm. Your eyes were wandering on the different shops while Gekko glanced at you from the corner of his eyes. His demeanor was hesitant. His eyes sometimes landed on your hand and avoided yours when you caught his glances.

“Is everything alright ?” You asked, looking at him.

“Huh ? Everything's good. No worries.” He laughed awkwardly.

“Okay.” You resumed looking at the different display glasses on the street.

Looking down on his cross-body bag, Gekko saw the disappointed look his crew sent him, making him gulp. Slightly nervous, he cleared his throat, catching your attention.

“Actually, I’d like to hold your hand.” He said in one breath. “If it’s fine with you.”

You looked back at him and he noticed your eyes slightly widening in surprise. You then looked down at his hand, then back at his eyes and nodded. A smile immediately illuminated Gekko’s face as he intertwined your fingers together.

“Your heart is beating so fast right now.” You said.

“And who’s fault is that ?” He retorted, chuckling.

If Los Angeles did not already have sunny weather, Gekko would be the cause of it. His happiness was so flagrant that most people on your way thought that you just accepted his marriage proposal.

You, on the other hand, were slightly moved but hid it pretty well. Gekko’s blatant happiness was heartwarming and even though this kind of public demonstration of affection made you a little bit uneasy, your boyfriend's smile held your soul in a comforting embrace. 

Still walking hand in hand with your partner, you buried your other hand in the pocket of your jacket. Your eyebrows raised when you felt something hard against the pads of your fingers. 

“Oh ?”

“What is it ?” Gekko turned to you and looked at you curiously.

You pulled the object out of your pocket and saw that it was a lollipop with a purple packaging. You immediately recognised it as one of these sweets Iso liked to eat. 

“A lollipop.”

Funny. It was as if a piece of him was saying that he was there, that you were not alone anymore, like an older sibling watching over you. Cypher, Iso, Deadlock and now Gekko and his fling of colorful and joyful critters. Who would have thought that you wouldn't be alone anymore ? Not you.

Gekko hummed as he dragged you into a store. The soft fragrance of old paper invaded your nose followed by the scent of coffee. 

“A bookstore ?” You gasped.

“Yup ! And it sells good coffee too.” He looked at you, a confident smile on his lips. “Do you like it ?”

Your eyes traveled on the different shelves around you, the different covers hiding so many stories, the different seats so inviting… and then you froze, your eyes fixed straight ahead of you.

You immediately spotted a certain book on a shelf and rushed towards it. “I haven't read it in years.” You murmured, nostalgia dripping from your voice. You turned towards Gekko and handed the book to him. “First time I read it, I was a kid. I got so scared that I hid it in the farthest closet from my bedroom.”

Gekko took the book and smiled. He put down his skateboard near a couch and sat down, patting the space beside him. “Wanna tell me about it ?”

You put the lollipop in your mouth and joined him on the couch.

And that was how you spent the afternoon : remembering some moments of your childhood through books. You laughed, teased, and playfully bantered together for hours, quietly of course to not disturb other readers. You snorted together each time somebody hushed at you for being too loud and you had fun making a tier list of the best covers on a shelf. Gekko really had a talent for creating comfort zones and it was one of the many things you loved about him.

It was at the end of the day when you walked out of the bookstore, laughing, Gekko’s arm around your waist. A new level of complicity bloomed between you. 

“Oh ! Before we go back to HQ I have to make you taste the best boba tea in the world !” He exclaimed.

You giggled at his enthusiasm and as he pointed to a bubble tea parlor not so far from the bookstore.

“The best boba in the world ?” You repeated.

“You heard me right !” He set his skateboard on the floor and grinned. “The first one there ?”

“Seriously ?” You raised an eyebrow.

His sweet puppy eyes took you off-guard for a second and he noticed that. “Come on !”

You rolled your eyes and quickly pulled the wheels out of your sole and started rushing towards the parlor without waiting for him, giggled at him accusing you of not waiting for a countdown. You quickly heard the wheels of his skateboard behind you. You found yourself laughing in delight. Gekko’s sunny personality could erase a storm. You both abruptly stopped right in front of the parlor, startling the employee. 

“I win.” Said Gekko, catching his breath.

“You wish.” You snorted.

You exchanged a smile and Gekko handed his hand to you, which you accepted, squeezing it gently. You ordered your drinks and circulated hand in hand in the streets of Boyle Heights as the sun was slowly settling.

“Mmmh. This boba is really good.” You nodded. “But I know better.”

“Better than this !?” Gekko dramatically gasped. “Impossible.”

“I’ll drag you there someday.” 

Gekko’s heart missed a beat. Did you just imply that you will organize your outing next time ? 

“Did you like our date ?” He asked.

You nodded and smiled softly at him. “Yes. But please don’t organize it at the last minute ever again.”

He just laughed and kissed your cheek and laughed louder when you complained about his lips being cold because of the drink. He too liked your date. And as he took a selfie of the both of you, he promised himself to cherish this moment. A few weeks ago, he would have never thought that you two would end up dating. You were so close yet so far, always in your bubble and letting almost nobody in. He himself was so surprised that he managed to slither into your cocoon. But now that he was in, there was no way that he went out.

He wondered what Cypher meant earlier about him being the only one not underestimating his partner, though. He pretended that he heard nothing, but it still ran free in his mind. But he decided to set it aside for the moment. He was having a good time, and no negativity had the right to ruin it.

“Now that I think about it,” Gekko started as he stopped walking. “We've been dating for something like two weeks and I still don’t know your name.”

You stopped right in your tracks, your eyes widening in shock. “Damn. You’re right.” Even though you never called him by it, you knew his name : Mateo. Since the day he told you his name, it never quit your brain. It wasn't fair. The only people in the protocol knowing your name was Cypher —of course, Deadlock and Iso.

Squeezing his hand in yours, you tell him your name, staring into his warm eyes. You saw his pupils dilating as the syllables escaped your mouth. He repeated your name in a soft murmur, as if pronouncing a precious secret, squeezing your hand back. And as you returned back to the HQ, he kept repeating your name in his mind like a lucky charm.

Let's say I'm a tiny bit satisfied with the ending this time. A tiny bit. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Anecdote : A friend made me a tacos and I was eating it while writing the restaurant scene. It was so good that I almost cried. But my facial expression was so weird that she thought I was having an allergic reaction to something in the food.

Thank you for taking the time of reading this. I wish you a great day/evening/night.

"Can you make zombies ?"

Sage froze her movements and raised her gaze from your injury to look at you with a lost expression.

"Excuse me ?"

It wasn't the first time you asked her these kind of questions. However, she will never get use to it. It seemed like you were particularly inspired when you were wounded.

"Well, since you can revive people and all that, what if you could do something in between ? Like, reviving but not really reviving."

She momentarily wondered if you had lost too much blood. Or if you had breathed the new plants Skye was gardening a little too much. She focused back on your still bleeding injury with a small sigh and resumed her ministrations.

"I am very doubtful of zombies existence."

You hummed, your feet momentarily swinging and she had to stop your movements to focus more on your injury.

"Well, I've seen Brimstone on a sunday morning and he could make anyone believe in their existence." you said with a shrug.

Sage's eyes raised again to look at you with an almost exasperated glint.

"Plus, if a being like Omen exist, why not zombies ?" you added. "I'm saying that respectfully, of course. No diss to Omen. He's a cool knitting cutie patootie."

She found nothing to respond to that, so she just resumed on disinfecting your wound. While she sometimes found your trail of thoughts amusing, she could not help but worry that someday you might submit to those crazy idea that ran free in your mind.

"I'll ask Viper if she could make me a concoction."

"Please do not."

Yoru loved riding his bike with you behind.

Feeling the wind on his skin, the warmth of your body against his back, your grip tightening around his waist during every bends and accelerations, everything felt perfect.

"Are you good back there ?" he asked at a red light, his hand reaching back to caress your knee.

"Yep !" you said with energy, playfully knocking your helmeted heads with his.

You only giggled at his grunt. The light turned green and he started the engine again. He enjoyed the illuminations of the city as much as your sighs filled with wonder. Yoru loved loneliness, but he wasn't against being alone with you. The lone wolf wasn't so lonely anymore, and he was fine with it. Sharing these moment with you melted his cold heart.

A gentle smile painted his lips as he accelerated, feeling your torso almost merging into his back.