Yoru Found You Annoying.

Yoru found you annoying.

Why did you have to get so drunk ? You're even louder than usual now. He had to endure your irritating voice singing as he carried you on his back towards the dorm. He had to endure the sweet giggle escaping your lips every time he turned a corner. He had to endure the frustrating sensation of butterflies in his tummy when you nuzzled your face in the back of his neck.

Of course, he did not forget that your inebriated state was Jett's doing. But he could not help but think how stupid you were to drink that much even though you knew you were a lightweight.

When he finally put you in the warmth of your bed, he rolled his eyes at the sight before him.

You were drooling.

With an exasperated sigh and a scowl on his face, he wiped your chin clean and prepared to leave the room.

"Yoru."

He froze. You were only mumbling in your sleep, yet he could not stop the sigh of frustration from leaving his lips. He looked back at you, his cheeks slightly blushing, then tucked you in better.

He found himself ridiculous. Ridiculous for feeling that way towards you. Ridiculous for thinking you were cute. Ridiculous for caring that much.

He will definitely not forget to scold you in the morning while helping recover from your hangover.

Gekko and you had routines together : basking on the grass of the garden, watching movies while speaking about the plot, drawing together, cooking...

It was pretty common to see you two laughing together around the base. Jett and Phoenix were even betting on the potential date of the upgrade of your relationship.

So one would not be surprised seeing you in the kitchen, dancing in each other arms. You were supposed to bake midnight snacks, but the sweet voice of Ambar Lucid on her song 'Timeless' set the atmosphere. His arms wrapped tightly around your waist, yours around his neck and your hips swaying in harmony, one could not miss the chemistry between you two. Your eyes were communicating what words couldn't, the soft smiles you were sharing only confirming what you felt for each other. Your faces slowly got closer to the other.

"May I...?" he murmured gently to which you simply nodded.

His lips pressed gently on your cheek and your fingers clenched blissfully on his t-shirt at the contact. Gekko smiled and kissed you again, this time on the lips. You returned the kiss lovingly, your happiness merging with his.

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.

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 !

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.

There was something in Fade's focus that was so beautiful. The slight crease of her eyebrows, the concentration in her wonderful odd eyes, the precision in her hands... This will definitely not be the last time you asked her to draw with henna on your hands. The artwork she was making on your hand was simply too beautiful to be made only once.

"I know you're staring, tatlım." she said softly without even lifting her eyes.

You smiled softly, your eyes filled with adoration.

"I'm not staring. I'm admiring, that's different." you corrected her with a light chuckle.

She looked up from her art to fix her gaze on yours, an amused glint in her eyes.

"You're corny, you know that ?"

"I don't care." you shrugged nonchalantly. "You're worth being corny for."

Under the intensity of your gaze, Fade almost blushed. But she only returned your smile, shaking her head lightly with mirth. She lifted your wrist to press a kiss on it, her eyes not leaving yours.