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The Valorant Protocol was not one to really celebrate holidays. Birthdays? Only in small groups and maybe a cake to share, Thanksgiving? Less than half of the agents cared or knew about it, Valentine’s? Well strictly speaking the protocol discouraged personal relationships between coworkers. So what if cameras stopped working just that day? It was just a coincidence. New Year? Usually spent in the HQ with champagne for everyone. Of course, those who were religious celebrated their holidays, usually on their own.
But Christmas, that was something they couldn’t miss. No matter if the agents believed and/or celebrated the holiday, having a special day (or week) where they could just spend time together doing activities that didn’t require them to fight, not for the date exactly, even if that was the excuse, but to share with others, was something that people who were in risk of dying every day couldn’t pass.
So, for the last 4 years, everytime the 20th of December rolled around, the party started. Omen – who was a little more lively that time of the year – and later, his cat, would get dragged by Jett and Astra to the kitchen to bake cookies for a whole week. Reyna would recruit Breach and Viper to make drinks (which always ended up spiked, funnily enough). Sage would take the male duelists, their captain and a very enthusiastic Sova to decorate their common room, making them cut down a Christmas tree – which every year got taller – and put up a variety of decorations that didn’t match at all. As Sova used his drone to reach the top of the tree to set up a star, he wondered where did she get all of those ornaments from.
Cypher, the little rat, was participating this year. In the worst way possible too.
He was going to prank his coworkers.
Of course, he was not the mastermind behind it, those would be his fellow youngest engineers, who had approached him and Chamber (separately, of course) to tell them their idea, which would require their intellect to actually work. Cypher, being the softie he was, couldn’t deny them if he tried.
They were making special mistletoe. Artificial, of course, one that could move on its own and place itself under any lintel, completely invisible until it detected two people standing under it. It was the perfect project for their group. How could anything go wrong?
For such smart and creative people, they were idiots.
So, meanwhile the rest of the team was actually sharing the Christmas spirit, they were hiding in corners to add their part to the project.
Raze and Killjoy were the ones to build the initial prototype, a small branch that blared a festive sounding alarm when it detected people under it.
When it was ready, they sent the project to Cypher, who easily worked his own technology in the branch. Invisibility? Check.
And finally, it ended up in Chamber’s hands, who had to implement a little trick on it for maximum pranking effectiveness. Teleporting on its own? Check.
Cypher was an idiot, but a smarter one. He knew there was a high risk of being caught up in his own prank, so he mostly made himself scarce, and was always careful not to be under door frames, always letting another person pass under it first.
The first two days were the most fun ones in Cypher’s opinion, who was always watchful for those who got caught up under it, even daring to record some of the most hilarious ones, like that time Reyna got caught up with Breach when they were both carrying trays from the kitchen, or the other one when Brimstone had to kiss Kay-O – who was actually detected by mistletoe, who would’ve thought?. Then, there were some sweet ones, like the time Omen got caught with Sage, who gave the sad looking wraith a sweet kiss in the face.
Funnily enough, it was Raze the first one to fall for her own trap, having to kiss Yoru much to everyone’s amusement, then had to kiss Phoenix two hours later. It took Chamber two days to fall for it, and Cypher had to watch with barely contained anger as Sova out of everyone stood under it with the other sentinel. He didn’t even have the strength to watch the kiss happen.
Killjoy took three days to be a victim, but out of everyone, she was the one that fell the most under it. Once she had to kiss Jett, it was like the damned thing was following her everywhere. Astra, Skye, Kay-O, the poor Raze and even Reyna. She was in a constant state of embarrassment. She finally kissed Viper the 23rd under the doorframe of the dining room, a sweet thing that the engineer begged Cypher for the footage of. Finally, the mistletoe left her alone.
All of the 17 agents had gathered together in the common room, drinks and food in everyone’s hands. There were no presents under the tree, as the gift exchanging part was done better in private, but there was music and Christmas movies playing on the tv.
It was already the 24th of December, the night before Christmas, and Raze was fussing next to him because out of everyone on the protocol he had been the only one that hadn’t fallen under it.
(It was a lie. He had stupidly fallen for it a little after Killjoy did. With Viper of all people. Luckily, no one had been close to hear it. Viper shot the damn thing. Cypher had to get into Chamber’s lab to steal another and plant it somewhere. He made a promise to be more careful, it wouldn’t happen again)
Malice or not malice, he was glad they had made the little prank because even those more annoyed by it were now having fun as they watched it bounce from one side to another. They even had a bet going on about who would get the most kisses, trying now purposely to get caught up with another. (They had a chart. Only one person could win. The prize was a giftcard).
“I had to kiss Brimstone. Brimstone! He’s like my dad”
“Stop crying, you kissed his cheek. You didn’t get a full on french kiss from Breach like us!”
“Why did he have to use tongue?” a bemused Yoru said.
Cypher snorted, “You should have been more careful with your own trap” He told Raze.
The girl groaned “Ugh you sound like Sova. Talking like a hunter”
Sova.
He had barely seen the hunter since their little prank started, only seeing him once in a while for dinner. If he was honest with himself, he was leaving Sova alone. He knew, because the initiator had told him years ago, that he loved to celebrate Christmas because it reminded him of his childhood with his babushka. Cypher didn’t celebrate Christmas, and he also knew Sova had been easily bothered by his presence ever since the damn mistletoe started running around, tensing as soon as the sentinel was in the same room. The reason was obvious, Cypher wasn’t going to play dumb on that one, and instead of doing what he supposed Sova expected, he left.
Every.single.time.
Still, he couldn’t escape that night, because if even Omen was spending the night with their coworkers, he wasn’t going to suddenly become the Grinch and ruin it for the rest, so he plucked himself on a couch with a drink (non-alcoholic, for once), mask pulled up to his nose as he drank.
Sova was looking relaxed, wearing a ugly knit sweater he hoped Omen hadn’t had a hand on, with a pair of antlers that Sage had placed on his head.
Cypher was, as discreet as he could, simply staring at him. Sova was sitting on a table chatting with his friends, occasionally taking a sip of his drink which had to be very very spiked if the red tint of his cheeks were proof enough. Jett was gesticulating wildly with her hands, and Sova sat straighter, completely focused on whatever the girl was talking about.
He felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Psst. Cypher” He tilted his head in acknowledgment “Can you get me another drink?”
He didn’t stop looking at Sova while Raze talked. The hunter was activating his drone, what was he doing? Then, he paid attention to what she said.
“What? Why don’t you go get one yourself?” he asked no unkindly, just curious. Raze chuckled. Sova was using his drone to try to pluck an ornament from the tree.
“Brimstone is on the table, he’ll scold me for drinking too much” He turned to look in the direction of the table and indeed, the captain was sitting there, chatting with Chamber. Cypher snorted and Raze made puppy eyes at him “Pleeeeaasee”
He rolled his eyes “Alright. Eggnog?” She nodded enthusiastically and Cypher stood up, crossing the room, stopping in front of the table, casually eavesdropping on Chamber’s conversation a few feet away.
“I don’t know what happened, Brimstone. The mistletoe just failed, appearing out of nowhere” the french was saying. That’s what it was supposed to do, imbecile. Cypher thought. Like reading his mind, Chamber continued “It wasn’t supposed to appear in the ceiling, just in lintels”
“Well it didn’t” the captain said “It appeared in the ceiling. While I was talking with one of our investors” Cypher winced internally, finally taking one of the cups from the table. He didn’t notice Sova standing up, drone still on and hovering over his head as he walked to the same table. How could it fail? Cypher was thinking, then remembering the little incident with the original one. Right, I changed it. Must have not been ready yet.
As distracted as he was, he turned around absorbed in his thoughts, only stopping when he literally crashed on someone, barely saving the cup on his hand from spilling. He turned to apologize, finding himself nearly chest to chest with the hunter. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when the sound of the mistletoe started blaring in the room, tensing when he noticed Sova palling slightly. Oh fuck, no.
“HEEEY CYPHER AND SOVA ARE UNDER THE MISTLETOE” Someone shouted in the room, making everyone turn to look at the pair. He didn’t want to, but slowly, Cypher lifted his head to look over their heads, knowing exactly what he was about to see.
Mistletoe, hanging from Sova’s drone. Right above them.
The music continued.
“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” some started shouting in unison.
Cypher wanted to die. Die because the look in Sova’s face was one of terror, his skin white as a sheet and eyes fixed on Cypher’s uncovered mouth. He doesn’t want to do this at all.
Seconds passed and the hunter wasn’t reacting, still pale and tense. Cypher closed his eyes, trying to compose himself, then took a step back. He plastered a fake smile on his face.
“Friends I’m as heartbroken as you but I fear I cannot do this” he announced to the room.
“What?!”
“Come on Cypher! Smooch him!”
“We all had to do it! It's only fair!”
Cypher shook his head “I’m saddened but I just can’t. You see, our little owl here is drunk! I can’t kiss drunk people. They can’t consent”
He knew there was no way anyone would try to refute him after using the ‘consent’ card. Of course, after watching him for most of the night, he knew perfectly well that even if the hunter was a little tipsy, he was not even close to being drunk. He grimaced and turned to look at the hunter, who was still speechless, eyes fixed in Cypher.
The sentinel patted his chest and spoke loudly for the room to hear.
“Go sit down, Sova. You are looking pale, my friend. Better stop drinking so much” he said, walking around the hunter to go back to his previous seat, ignoring the look the duelists were giving him.
He gave Raze her drink and she thanked him quietly.
He let a minute pass, then Cypher pretended to yawn and relaxed into the couch, pretending to take a little nap. He wasn’t sleeping, of course, he was just listening to the room with his eyes closed. A few minutes later he was left alone on the couch, the group leaving to play Mario Kart or whatever they were doing on the TV. The chatter started to die a little after an hour, late enough for some of them to retire to sleep.
He must have dozed off, because when he opened his eyes again, the lights of the room were off except for those of the tree, and he had a blanket thrown over him. He saw Sage standing up on the other side of the room, Reyna helping her up.
"Oh, you're awake" Sage whispered at him once she noticed his eyes open.
"What hour is it?" He asked, a little disoriented.
"4 am cariño, you missed most of the party" Reyna answered. Cypher winced, sitting up.
Sage gave him a kind smile "Most went back to their rooms an hour ago, but I think Breach and Sova are awake… wherever they are"
Cypher nodded gratefully, and the pair left. Cypher stood up, groaning because of his stiff neck, looking around the empty room. He left the blanket on the couch, neatly folded, and moved in the direction of the kitchen, ready to make himself some coffee.
Not like he was going to sleep anymore.
He heard the sound of steps coming in his direction as he waited for the coffee maker to finish, groggily raising his head to greet whoever poor soul was alive at this hour too, gulping when he saw the hunter entering the kitchen, ridiculous antlers still plucked on his head. He quickly lowered his eyes, acting like he hadn't seen him.
"Cypher"
Fuck .
"Greetings, my friend! Still enjoying the party with Breach?" He tried to ask casually, like he hadn't just woken up.
"No," Sova answered, taking a step closer. "Breach went to sleep" .
Cypher played with the spoon between his index and middle finger, twirling it as he waited anxiously. Why did the pot take so long to finish? He gave a nervous laugh "Then you should follow his example! It's too early to be awake, morning owl or not '' he babbled, turning around, his back to Sova. The machine finally stopped, and he quickly poured himself a cup.
He was stirring a spoon of sugar into his coffee when he felt the presence of the other man closer to his back. Suddenly, a hand appeared on his right side, placing a festive small box on the counter, next to his own hand. He frowned.
"Sova? Is this for me?" He asked cautiously. The other hand touched his arm, making him turn back around. Sova was standing too close.
The hunter held the box in his hand "No."
"Then what is it?"
"It's a gift for me "
Cypher tilted his head.
"It's from you " the hunter said, giving the box to the Moroccan. Cypher was confused "Open it"
Still frowning, the sentinel carefully pulled the ribbon, carefully opening the top of the box, curiously peering inside. What the…?
He put his hand inside, and slowly pulled the object from it. A branch with white buds. A real mistletoe.
"Is this a joke? Did Killjoy tell you we made the prank? I swear-"
A pair of fingers pressed on his lips, silencing him. He looked up to Sova.
"As I said" the hunter repeated, standing even closer "This is a gift for me, from you"
His heart was pounding too fast "Sova" he breathed. "But earlier, the mistletoe-"
"It took me by surprise" He paused, then Sova licked his lips, eyes not leaving Cypher's "May I have my gift?"
Silence, just two men looking at each other, so close that Cypher could see the little spots of blue in Sova's good eye. He could feel their shared breaths.
You may.
Cypher nervously raised his hand, the little branch hanging from it, putting it directly above their heads. Sova smiled and put his hand on Cypher's waist to press them closer, slowly, so slowly, lowering his head. He stopped millimeters from Cypher's mouth, searching in the sentinel's robotic eyes for any sign of disgust or discomfort. He found none.
He closed the space between them.
How could lips be so soft?
Chapped, and his stubble tickled Sova’s face as he deepened the kiss, their noses bumping a little too hard for such a sweet kiss. And he had never tasted such thin lips that were so soft, so warm. Lips that teased him, that only took from others, pulled things against your will, stories, secrets, emotions, lips that were used to make up words to drive him crazy in anger, now were being used to comfort him, to give and only give something sweet, something he could hear clear as a day. Something he tried to answer with a not now , not tomorrow , but someday.
Still maybe, just maybe, they could have a little taste for today.
Because for now there was only them, alone, a messy kitchen, the smell of coffee and the sun coming out outside, the lights of a lit tree and the cold floor under their feet.
But there was hope in their hearts.
Because what was hope but a kiss that tastes like gold?