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When Gekko woke up, he felt refreshed and in an amazing mood.
Today was going to be a good day.
He gently woke up and greeted his little homies, sensing that they, too, were in a positive vibe.
He felt like hardly anything could ruin his day.
He exited his room, immediately going for the kitchen to fix himself a latte, happily greeting Cypher while passing by.
“Well, you seem to be in a good mood,” He observed, a smile in his voice.
“Yeah ! I just woke up, too, so the vibes are just perfect right now,” He answered, nodding enthusiastically as he poured his beverage in his cup.
“Glad to hear it, young friend,” The sentinel said, nodding as well.
His critters noticed something, and suddenly grew more agitated. Wingman almost fell off the counter he was sitting on out of pure excitement.
The initiator caught him just in time, however.
Turning to see the source of the ruckus, he immediately saw you.
Just like that, his bright smile faded away.
You were looking at him and his friends with such disdain and disgust…
It made his blood boil.
Dizzy slowly flew over to you, trying to appear friendly.
Noticing her, your disgust visibly grew and you took a step back.
She wasn't going to abandon just like that, however, continuing to make her way towards your face.
“If you don't stop that thing right now Gekko, I will swat it away,” You warned, glaring at the poor little homie.
At least you were nice enough to warn him…
Gently taking her into his hands, it was his turn to glare at you.
Silently, you held his gaze, as if challenging him, daring him to say anything.
“What the fuck is your problem ?” He questioned, frowning.
He felt rage building inside his chest, hot and almost painful.
“I could ask you the same question. Deadlock has already said that those… Things were better off in a cage. Letting them roam free is a safety hazard for everyone,” You replied coolly, your eyes sharp.
Staring through him and into his soul.
It both freaked him out and made him even angrier.
“They haven't hurt anyone !” He almost shouted, bringing Dizzy – who he was still holding – closer to his chest protectively.
“Yet,” You continued, as if you were an oracle and could tell the future.
Hell, hardly anyone was aware what you were capable of, for all he knew…
He shook his head.
Gekko was giving you way too much credit.
And he wasn't about to ruin his amazing day talking to you.
Grabbing his now finished drink, he turned away from you to face his little friends.
He could sense their curiosity and pure want to befriend you.
It almost overwhelmed him.
If he wasn't already used to it, he would've been, if he were honest.
“C'mon little homies, let's go somewhere peaceful,” He announced, and he felt their disappointment.
You chuckled, dry and hollow.
He felt his cheeks grow hotter due to how much anger he was feeling.
“You do know that nowhere will be “peaceful” with them around, right ?” You questioned, nonchalantly.
He decided for his own good to ignore you, already walking away.
How the initiator allowed you to have that much influence on him was beyond his comprehension.
Slowly sipping his drink, he watched over Iso and Jett playing with his little friends in the lounge fondly.
Why couldn't you just…
He sighed, frustrated, while shaking his head.
He should seriously stop thinking about you.
Maybe he should go for a walk, perhaps that'll clear his mind.
He waited a bit, not wanting to ruin his homies’ fun.
But they all knew him too well, and slowly left the two Asian agents to be by his side.
Mosh was the last one to hop over.
“Let's go for a walk !” He offered happily.
They all cheered.
After all, it wasn't often they could explore the garden and by extension the forest, Gekko being too afraid of them getting lost or eating something they shouldn't have.
He didn't know them as much as he'd like, and he hated that.
What if one fell sick ?
… Or worse ?
He shook those thoughts away.
They had two healers that loved his little friends very much and would do anything for them.
They weren't the only ones feeling that way, too.
Now in a better headspace once again, he went outside, his friends following him close by.
He looked around, admiring the scenery and the peacefulness of nature, following the path towards the garden, which was being taken care of by both Skye and Omen.
He didn’t expect to see anybody there other than those two.
Instead of literally anybody else, he saw you.
He almost groaned in discontent, but then he saw the expression you were wearing.
You didn’t even have your eyes open as you simply listened to the world around you, content.
He noticed a bunny hopping next to you, and some birds curiously observing you very closely.
Even if he hated your guts, he admitted that this scene was…
Peaceful.
Pretty.
When you opened your eyes, he fully expected you to shoo away the animals around you, but instead…
You gently smiled at them, offering them a tiny bit of your food.
He truly couldn’t understand you.
What was so different between his critters and regular animals ?
He could argue that his little homies were more likeable than any animal, since he could at least communicate with them.
Sighing softly, he was turning around when he accidentally stepped on a dry twig that snapped rather loudly…
… Spooking every animal nearby in the process.
He winced, not uttering a single word.
He started making a step away from the whole scene, away from you, but your voice made him stop dead in his tracks.
“Hey,” You spoke up, coldly. “You could at least apologise…” You continued, your tone dry.
Right.
“Sorry about that,” He apologised, not turning to you.
“So on top of being a freak lover, you’re a freak yourself ? Just watching people silently while they’re having a nice time outside ?” You spat, clearly unhappy.
“My homies aren’t freaks !” He exclaimed, whipping his body around to face you.
“So you aren’t denying the other claims ?” You retorted without missing a beat.
“Insult me all you want, but do not come for my friends,” He hissed, using his body to block your view of his little homies.
It was Thrash’s turn to try to get close to you, and she floated her way happily and curiously.
Gekko realised that she was attempting to mimic the movements of a bunny.
He would’ve cooed if this action weren’t to have your good graces, out of everybody’s.
“Get that thing away from me while you’re at it,” You ordered, shifting away from her path.
“I don’t get why you don’t like them and yet like animals,” He muttered, kneeling to get Thrash’s attention.
“Those aren’t animals, that’s why,” You replied as if it was obviously why.
The initiator only scoffed in answer.
He received a notification from his phone.
It was from Brimstone, telling him he was on the mission in the evening.
He smiled, that would mean that he would get away from you for a bit-
“Huh, it seems like I’m on mission duty for tonight…” You mumbled, thoughtful.
He groaned.
The mission brief was simple ; get to Icebox, prevent the Valorant Legion from planting to spike – or diffuse it if they do get it down – and go home.
As to why they needed both him and you on the same mission…
Well, even if it was explained to him multiple times, he still didn’t get it.
… But he also knew that what you were capable of was unknown to him, and since it was the best team composition for this plan…
He sighed.
He felt his critters being agitated, since he was forced to sit right next to you.
He didn’t like being close to you.
It always made him feel… Weird.
He knew why, though.
He still didn’t like the reason at all.
But he remained silent about it.
He didn’t want to let you of all people know how much you influenced his mood.
Or even how he truly felt about you.
He already knew the answer to his question, after all.
Before he realised it, they arrived at Icebox.
Being one of the first to step out of the Falcon, he turned to Sage, the assigned team leader for this mission.
“So… Game plan ? What are you feeling, Sage ?” He asked, trying to sound as jovial as normal.
He wasn’t really feeling it, but at least he could try, right ?
She immediately turned to you.
“Can you hold B site with Gekko ?” She gently questioned, and you met eyes with him.
After holding gazes for a moment, you had a small sigh.
“Sure,” You caved, tearing your gaze away from him.
Stepping out of the aircraft, your cheeks and nose immediately turning a light pink.
He looked away.
He wasn’t looking forward to this mission.
It has now been a few hours since they arrived, the sun long gone and temperatures dropping way below zero.
He had to admit, he was freezing. He thought he’d be fine with just a couple of layers, but the cold was really biting, and he was struggling to hold both his weapon and keep his face warm.
He glanced at you.
You didn’t seem to be having any problems at all.
Steadily holding your angle by Yellow, you didn’t even seem phased by the freezing cold air.
“Hold your angle instead of looking at me,” You said, not tearing your eyes away from Main.
Right, he needed to hold Mid and Tube.
Looking away, he readjusted his grip on his Bulldog.
He was losing the feeling of the tip of his fingers.
“Hey, any updates ?” He questioned into the quiet comm link.
He hated how shaky his voice sounded
“Not yet, however they should be attacking soon,” Answered Sage, her tone even.
He sighed.
“How soon is soon, anywa-” He was cut off by gunshots. “Nevermind,” He continued, immediately running towards you.
“Stay in your position, I got it,” You immediately said when you realised what he was doing.
You managed to put one down, but not without receiving a bullet or two yourself.
He heard footsteps behind him.
Pulling out Dizzy, he threw her out to blind his attackers while getting to cover.
He counted two blinds.
“Someone’s here, too !” He semi-shouted into the comms.
“We are on our way,” Said Neon as he could hear the familiar noise of her running.
She should be here within a couple seconds, then.
As if on cue, Gekko heard her electrified footsteps by Snowman.
Looking over to where you were at, he was surprised to see that you were struggling.
“I’m going to try to get out of this position, cover me if you can,” You announced between two shots.
Wingman immediately went out of his bag and ran towards the enemy he saw, making them look at him instead of you, giving you enough time to run away towards Gekko.
“Can you cover me while I get Dizzy ?” He asked in the heat of the moment.
He didn’t know what he expected from his request.
A refusal, an insult, anything but…
“Sure,” You said, not looking at him.
He was too distracted by the fact that you accepted to realise that you were already shooting to cover him.
It wasn’t until you shouted at him to get his ass moving that he went back to earth, running towards Dizzy’s bubble and picking her up.
He dashed back into cover, only sustaining a couple of light injuries.
Soon enough, Thrash felt ready to be thrown onto the field.
He barely registered what happened next, everything going so fast.
One minute, he was holding Thrash in his palm, the next, she was diving in front of you to take a swarm of bullets that would’ve definitely killed you and turned into her bubble form.
Somehow too stunned to move and to kill the enemy in front of you, the initiator decided to take him down in your stead.
There was no way he would let Thrash’s sacrifice go in vain.
The rest of the gunfight went by.
Bit by bit, the enemy numbers went down, until the last body hit the ground as you shot the mirror agent in the head.
Everybody relaxed and let their guard down as Gekko went around the site to pick up his little homies.
He was exhausted, and he could tell it was the case for the others, too.
When his eyes landed on you, you had an unreadable look on your face as you stared at the body of the Omega Earth agent that almost killed you if Thrash didn’t act that fast.
He wondered what was going through your mind.
Your eyes met.
He held your gaze, unwavering, as he sat up from his kneeling position.
He shivered.
He really should’ve brought an extra coat…
The initiator looked away, already starting to walk towards the Falcon, when he heard another pair of footsteps behind him.
Knowing it was you, he paid it no mind.
He froze when he felt a soft and warm extra layer on his shoulder.
Turning to you, bewildered, he saw how close your two faces were.
Your breaths were merging into one.
You looked away, taking a step back, looking almost… Embarrassed ?
“If you go hypothermic now, Sage will spend too much time with you and neglect everybody else,” You simply justified, walking away as your cheeks got visibly redder.
He decided to blame it on the cold, feeling his own face growing hotter, too.
A few days had passed since that mission, and Gekko could tell you wanted to say something to him.
Every time he was alone, you were looking at him expectantly, sometimes even daring to take a few steps towards him before…
Turning away once your eyes locked in with each other.
He sighed.
You were starting to bug him, if he was honest.
He didn’t mind the distance you took from him, by all means.
… Was it weird that he sorta, just maybe missed the banter ?
…
Probably.
He sighed, frustrated.
He was just chilling on his bed in his room, staring at the ceiling while the little critters were either sleeping or quietly chilling.
What was he going to do with you ?
Should he continue this cycle of hatred that has been going on for months now, or should he attempt for what felt like the umpteenth time to be the bigger person ?
A soft, gentle – almost shy – knock brought him back to earth as well as catching the attention of Wingman and Mosh, the only two still awake.
He didn’t recognise the pattern.
“Come in,” He invited, expecting someone like Sage to enter.
He froze when he saw you, however.
You were wearing one of your gigantic oversized hoodies, definitely too big for your form, hands deep in your pockets.
Wingman immediately ran to greet you, and you tensed, your expression – previously timid and almost apologetic – quickly changing to surprise and wariness.
“Wingman, c’mere. We talked about this,” He recalled the little guy, who for once, listened to him.
You visibly relaxed once he was back at an acceptable distance.
You closed the door behind you.
He guessed you were finally going to commit to what you were attempting to say for the last few days.
Your eyes landed on Thrash.
“How is it ?” You asked almost too quietly for him to hear.
“She’s doing fine, no thanks to you,” He answered coolly, studying you.
Your expression didn’t change as you slowly shifted your eyes from Thrash’s sleeping form to Dizzy’s, then to Wingman and finally… Mosh.
It was as if you were trying to see something.
Whatever you were attempting to find, you didn’t manage to, and you frowned.
“What’s up ?” He questioned, squinting.
He almost got up from his bed to shield them away from your sight.
There was always something with your eyes.
As if you were able to stare into someone’s….
He didn’t know.
But you could see something, and not knowing what made him uneasy.
He heard rumours about your touch, too.
Always brief, always accidental.
But for a short moment, they felt more aware, almost opening a third eye into the future.
“Did I ever tell you why I didn’t like you and your things ?” Your voice brought him back from his thoughts.
He took some time to attempt to remember the reason why, but…
You both started off rather well, but as soon as you met the homies, you had immediately shutted down and started the hating cycle.
“Nah, you never told anybody, or I would know,” He said confidently.
You chuckled.
“A handful of people know, but I asked them to not tell you,” You replied, shifting your weight.
“... Why ?” He questioned, visibly and audibly confused.
“I’m going to tell you now,” You reassured, then sighed. “Don’t freak out, but when I lock eyes with people… I become more aware of them. It’s hard to explain, but I can understand them on a deeper level, know their fears and hopes, hell, even their past sometimes for example,” You explained, refusing to meet his eyes.
Why…
Why were you telling him this ?
“It’s universal for every living thing, radiant or not. But…” You locked eyes with Wingman. “When I look into your things, I don’t see anything. I can’t sense anything, it’s just… Void,” You finally said, rubbing your elbow.
“And that’s why you don’t like them ?” He asked, still confused but… He started to understand.
“Basically,” You sighed. “It just, it freaks me out, man. I don’t wanna find out what happens when I touch them, so I always try to avoid it if I can. So far, I’ve succeeded,” You continued, looking at the floor.
“That explains for the little homies but… Why don’t you like me ?” He enquired, fearing the answer.
“That’s ‘cause I can’t figure you out. I genuinely can’t tell if you wanna gut me or fuck me or even if you hate or love me… Hurts my head, sometimes,” You replied honestly, still not looking at him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He denied, feeling his face and ears grow hot.
“Totally not why you’re blushing, too, huh ?” You replied, amused.
He looked at you, and your eyes met.
He remembered what you said earlier, but he knew it was too late.
If you didn’t know before, you certainly knew now.
“You actually love me,” You announced out loud, surprise clear on your face.
He didn’t say anything, bracing for the impact of rejection.
“Here I thought I was alone in this,” You muttered, loud enough for him to hear.
“Huh ?” He intelligently said.
“I love you too, dumbass,” You announced, louder this time.
That was…
“Wild,” He instinctively said, which made you chuckle.
“Indeed,” You confirmed, relaxing.
Sure, everything wasn’t perfect yet, but now that the air was cleared up…
Gekko finally felt like he had a chance with you.
What was he saying, of course he had one.
He was just glad that it wasn’t going to be toxic.
That you were actually trying in this relationship, too.