Chapter Text
They’re standing in almost the same spot as they did for their first kiss. The memory makes this one even better: in soaked clothes from the ice-cold shower where she’d fled from the mortal embarrassment, she’d almost missed the paper flower he offered.
Fortunately, he had said it again: ‘Maybe I must atone for this.’ He’d been holding her hands afterwards, politely keeping her on first base, kissing until she was on fire.
This time, he’s in the same outfit right up to the coat. She’s soaked again, but naked this time, legs wrapped around him. Her enhanced nose filters out everything but his scent: gun metal, green tea, spices and sweat. Something inside of her stops trembling.
Goro’s arms around her are strong enough to hold her, titanium bones or not. Nonetheless, she clings to him like a spider mine while he carries her across a floor that’s as clean as she could make it. Gently, he beds her down on the brand-new mattress.
I’ve missed you, I’ve missed you so much, she doesn’t say, rather kisses him again, arching her back so he can free his arms and get rid of the damned coat. She opens his belt while he takes care of the shirt, saving a bunch of buttons.
If the fact that he always answered her calls within a single heartbeat hasn’t been a giveaway, or his many texts, or the fact that he trashed the dojo — dropping his threads is proof: he’s missed her, too.
Only a few kisses worth of foreplay and he’s ready for her. Before his shirt hits the floor, he’s on the bed with her: in her arms, brown eyes finding hers, and then right where she needs him.
Neither of them lasts long.
*
Instead of falling asleep, she takes a deep breath, hooking a leg around her husband’s shins and pulling herself closer. “Found what I was lookin’ for,” she tells him.
Instantly, his eyes are open and she is the focus of his attention once more, which shocks her awake like cold water.
“What has that been, my thief?” he prompts her, and his voice is so gentle and quiet that it terrifies her. He doesn’t deserve any of this. He didn’t deserve her running off to Night City, and he doesn’t deserve this talk, but… this needs to be said.
She can’t keep having secrets.
“Truth,” Vee replies with her bravest smile, because part of her is scared shitless. They’ve both been avoiding this talk, the eviction bill in the mailbox, the chromebanger squad on hold — and it worked, for a while.
Only ever works for a while.
“There’s a few things that I haven’t been sayin’. Am gonna tell you now,” she begins. “And if you’ll stop choosin’ me after…”
Then I’ll go and be Queen of the Afterlife, she thinks and stifles the hysterical giggle.
“I will never stop choosing you,” he interrupts her, as she knew he would: they’d sworn oaths, and he’ll die before walking away from her, no matter what she’ll tell him. His eyes are begging her to shut up, to abort mission and have more sex.
She’s never been so tempted.
She wishes Johnny were here, if only to egg her on. But he went and died for her, and then she walked away even from his spectre, as if she didn’t need him anymore.
Well. Compared to Kerry Eurodyne, the world-famous rock star, she doesn’t.
“I know,” she whispers, not trusting her voice. “You swore an oath. But Goro, I’ll put that on hold while we talk. You deserve to know who you married.”
“I know whom I married!” He sounds anxious; she should’ve torn the band-aid right off instead of… whatever she was trying to achieve. He’s easing his grip around her for the third time already. “Vee — you wrote that you would come back to me, but this feels as if you were leaving!”
“I’m comin’ home, Goro.” She meets his eyes, cupping his face. “If I still have a home when you’ve heard what I gotta say.”
“I can answer your question now,” the proud samurai begs her, eyes pleading with her to stop and kiss him already. “You will always have a home!”
Vee feels like a monster, looking down so he can’t see her eyes glossing over. “Yeah, that’s because you’re perfect,” she croaks, clearing her throat. “It’s not you, it’s me, I’m bein’ gonk again. I’m not breaking’ up with you, husband. I just… I need to get this out, okay?”
His spine relaxes a little, and she knows she’s won even before he nods.
“Just hear me out, let me spill.”
“May I hold you?”
It’s such a humble question that it breaks her heart, because he feels as if he has to ask instead of just pulling her closer. “Please do,” she whispers, because if he keeps looking at her like that, neither of them’s gonna make it through what she has to say.