Chapter Text
V could see the soft glint in Judy's eyes, she could see exactly what Judy wanted. V didn’t need to look deep down inside herself to know that she wanted the same thing. But she was dying, and the last thing Judy needed was to mourn the death of another person close to her. But she still couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and softly caressing Judy's face, watching with great delight as Judy closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.
Just as Judy was returning the gesture, Johnny let his thoughts be known, “you really about to push this when you could kick the bucket at any moment?”
His words hit her like cold water, making her freeze. She didn’t bother to look at him as she focused on the puzzled look Judy gave at her at her change of demeanor. V swallowed thickly and steeled herself for what she was about to do.
“I’m dying, Judy,” she said softly. Something flickered across Judy's face at the brunt reminder. “I want this, but I don’t know if I’m gonna make it out of this alive or how much longer I got,” she pressed on.
“That’s more like it,” Johnny said gruffly.
Once more, V kept her attention on the woman before her, but a spike of anger rose towards Johnny.
“Don’t get pissed at me cause you can’t have her. You saw how hard Evelyn's death hit her, you would tear her to shreds,” he continued on.
Judy's brow furrowed, as if sensing something. It was then that V was quickly reminded of their connection, Judy could feel her emotions and thoughts, that included Johnny.
Judy looked around the bathroom as though looking for the former rockstar. “He's over there,” V stated with an inclination of her head, pointing to the wall on her right.
V watched as the other woman's eyes narrowed in that direction and she didn’t need their connection to sense Judy's annoyance and anger. V’s gaze dropped down to hands that sat awkwardly on her lap and sighed. This was just another thing that the terrible heist ruined for her.
“It didn’t ruin this for you,” Judy said pointedly, drawing V's attention back to her. “I'm right here, willing to take this risk.”
Still, V shook her head slightly, looking away once more. Her stomach was still in knots as she thought about her predicament. Judy reached forward lifted her face back up by the chin, through the connection and by the look in her eyes, V had a clue on what was about to come next, but she didn’t stop Judy from leaning in and kissing her, and the rest of V’s resolve melted away as she kissed her back.
“Fuckin idiot,” Johnny muttered to more to himself than V before disappearing.
That night, V took her time with Judy. She wasn’t sure how many times she was going to get to do this and was did her damnedest to savor every moment. Afterwards, while Judy was deep asleep, V simply took her in, watching the rise and fall of her chest with every deep breath. Her eyes took in every inch of skin, memorizing all the tattoos that adorned the BD editor. She ended up waking her up by tracing a tattoo with a fingertip.
With a slight groan, Judy lightly grabbed her wrist, “that tickles,” she rumbled lowly, before rolling over to face the merc. She could hardly make her out in the dark but if she could, she would be able to see the look of wonder on V’s face as she perched herself up on her hand.
“Sorry,” V apologized softly as she laid back down on her pillow.
For a moment, Judy didn’t say anything in return as she gave V a soft smile. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the dark and she could see V’s gaze slowly roam over her body. “You really like my tattoos,” she noted quietly, smile growing.
“I do,” V replied as she shifted slightly, “you are so beautiful, Judy,” she couldn’t help but to add.
“Oh, give me a fucking break,” Johnny spoke up.
‘Fuck off,’ V replied hotly, mentally giving him the finger. Her attention quickly went back to the woman before her, seeing her slightly squirm in embarrassment due to her compliment.
“V,” Judy began with a sigh, “how are you single?” she questioned, before reaching over to link their fingers together.
“Work,” V answered simply, which was true. V worked a lot, nearly nonstop. There was always some way for her to make eddies in Night City. Her desire to build her reputation meant that she never turned down a job, her and Jackie used to work around the clock (she still did even while trying to find a way to get rid of the relic). More than that, there was always someone in need of help. V didn’t really consider herself a hero or vigilante, but she had never been one to turn away from those just trying to survive the hellscape that was Night City, and her connection to the NCPD database pointed her in the direction of so many people who needed her help (the money she made didn’t hurt either). V really couldn’t help it, her Nomad upbringing demanded that she be helpful.
Judy’s smile turned a bit bitter. She gave the mercenary a once over of her own and her heart clenched. V’s body perfectly displayed the hard knock life she lived, lean and toned muscle framed her body while scars and old wounds decorated her dark skin. That was to be expected of someone who got into multiple gun fights, fist fights, and even sword fights throughout the day, every day. A part of Judy couldn’t help but feel like it wouldn’t be the relic to have V’s number but some jackass out there who didn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as V.
They were no longer connected but V had a good idea as to what Judy was thinking, any sane person would think about the horrors and dangers of her work. It was her work exactly that led her to the relic in the first place.
“And either one can take you from her like that,” Johnny said with a snap of his fingers. V wanted to ignore his words, but she couldn’t. Judy had provided a great distraction to the original problem at hand but now, it was coming back to the forefront of her mind. She was a ticking time bomb and Judy was going to be collateral damage.
She was probably going to absolutely loathe herself for this later, but V came to a decision then. “I should go,” she said suddenly, voice almost monotone. It caught the BD editor off guard if the wide-eyed look she gave was anything to go by.
“What?” Judy questioned in disbelief. V did not dare to look at her as she got up and gathered her clothing. She quickly dressed feeling Judy’s questioning gaze on her back. “V?” Judy tried again once the merc reached the threshold of the room but that didn’t stop her.
“I will call you later,” V lied over her shoulder. She rushed out of the house with Judy calling after once more. She finally came to a stop when she sat in her Caliburn. She could feel the regret of her actions creeping up on her as she tightly gripped the steering wheel. With ironic timing, the relic malfunctioned once more, giving V a sharp pain in her head and the typical nosebleed. Looking down at the blood in her hand made V even more resolute in her decision. She quickly sped away from the house before temptation got the best of her.