Chapter Text
flirt
/fləːt/ (n.)
a person who behaves as though sexually attracted to someone, but playfully rather than with serious intentions.
Vincent Fabron, also known as Chamber in the Valorant Protocol, was your colleague and good friend. He had invited you to go get a few drinks at a fancy bar and you accepted. It has been quite a while since you two got to spend some time together anyway.
When you arrived at the place, the man led you to an empty table. As expected to Chamber's tastes, it was an expensive VIP rooftop bar that overlooked the city. The air was warm, but it was accompanied by a refreshing zephyr. You watched in awe as the sky changed hues, the sun setting in the distance.
"Anything strike your fancy, mon amie?" Chamber asked. You hummed as you scanned through the drinks menu, noting that the prices were not listed anywhere.
"I think I'll get a mimosa," you decided and Chamber nodded approvingly. A waitress walked over to your table to take your order. "How can I help you?"
"We'll have your best wine and a mimosa, s'il vous plaît," Chamber said smoothly with a charming smile. The waitress' cheeks flushed at the sound of his voice, shooting Chamber a coy look before she walked towards the bartender to get the drinks. You almost rolled your eyes at the interaction.
"Ever the charmer, I see. You got her wrapped around your finger in an instant," you commented as you leaned back in your chair that was situated across from where Chamber sat.
"My, am I just that attractive?" He replied with a smirk, mirroring your posture. You scoffed playfully, much to Chamber's amusement. He wanted to tease you a little. "Don't you worry, mon amie, I'll make your heart flutter too one of these days."
You were inclined to kick his leg under the table but decided against it. With a sigh and a small smile you shook your head and focused on the breath-taking view of Paris instead. You and Chamber had a pretty great bond as you've known each other for years. He was actually the one who got you into the Protocol in the first place.
***
"Bonjour, (Name). It's been a while."
You kind of sensed a presence approaching you for some time now, but as you looked up from your coffee, you were surprised to see a familiar face at the café you sat in from time to time.
"Vincent?"
"Good to see you again," the man said and gestured towards the chair across from you. "Is this seat taken?"
"No, please, sit down," you said with a smile. The golden tattoos on the visible parts of his skin caught your eye. They traced his temple and side of his head, his forearms and hands. How interesting. "You've changed quite a bit."
The comment elicited a chuckle from the Frenchman. "Yes, you could say that."
You then spent some time catching up with each other. Some time after First Light, you sensed some changes in your body and eventually discovered that you had become Radiant. It was not unheard of, but the occurrence of spontaneous Radiance was still rare. Society had somewhat embraced this change in people, but hiding one's Radiance was still advised. You were one of them, as you would continue receiving some form of discrimination from people once they found out. Looking for jobs and relationships had been a bit of a struggle for you.
Vincent, on the other hand, had joined the French military before working at Kingdom Corporation. He mentioned that a lot happened, but refrained from giving you any details. Despite that, the conversation had been pleasant and you were glad for it.
"How did you even find me?" You asked Vincent who had ordered an espresso. The man gave you a cryptic expression before deflecting the question.
"(Name), what do you think about using your Radiance for good?"
It took some convincing, but after the promise of a stable income and noble purpose, you joined the Valorant Protocol.
***
Your friendship only continued to bloom from that moment on. After becoming an Agent, Chamber continuously supported you, both during and outside of missions. Unfortunately for you, this did not happen without you harbouring feelings for him along the way. To some extent, you did see this coming, but you also did everything in your power to not compromise your friendship (and professional relationship) with him.
The waitress came back with the beverages and placed them in front of you. She also presented a small charcuterie platter.
"It's on the house," the woman said as she left your table, though not before giving the Frenchman a provocative wink and her number on a slip of paper. You merely blinked, unamused. Chamber made no attempt to get rid of the paper and thanked her for bringing the drinks and snacks.
Deciding to shake off the odd feeling in your chest, you sipped on your mimosa to relish the taste. Chamber did the same with his wine. No words were exchanged and it was quiet, save for the occasional glass clinks and soft-spoken conversations coming from other customers.
"This is nice," he spoke up, his soft brown eyes fixated on yours. "I do enjoy your company, (Name)."
"How so?" You replied, flashing him a shy grin. "I'm not much of a talker."
"Doesn't matter," Chamber said and took another sip of his drink. You could've sworn you saw a faint tint of pink on his cheeks.
Some time passed and it seemed like Chamber had uncharacteristically one too many drinks. What started as a light, amicable conversation now has turned into the two of you telling wild stories.
"...And I told the guy to fuck off but he didn't stop, so I nearly ruptured his eardrums using my echolocation."
Chamber let out a low whistle and laughed when you finished telling him the story. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."
You only gave him a shrug and an innocent smile. As you reached to grab a fig from the charcuterie platter, your fingers brushed against Chamber's, who apparently had the same idea. Though it was short-lived, the interaction made your heart jump. Chamber gave you a smile, one that made you weak in the knees.
"I think we should do this more often," the man said as he looked into your eyes. "I like that look on your face."
"What look?" You asked with flushed cheeks and raised eyebrows, his hypnotising eyes never looked away. Chamber's smile grew a bit wider. "That one."
With a scoff you turned away in an attempt to hide the warmth on your face. "Oh, shut it."
Chamber laughed at your reaction.
"What can I say," he said smoothly, leaning closer to you across the table. "I live to watch that little flush on your cheeks, chérie."
"Alright, Vince. I think that's enough drinking for tonight," you said and quickly stood up. He was such a flirt! Your cheeks were indeed a bit red (you blame it on the alcohol) and your heart could not help but race at his words. "No more teasing. Don't get on my bad side, remember?"
The man leaned back and gave you a nod. "Apologies, (Name)."
"It's fine. Let's go back to HQ," you said with a small smile, running a hand through your hair. He silently watched your actions for a moment before he rose from his own seat to join you.
Chamber liked the way you reacted to his advances. It was not a total shut-down like with Viper, nor an easy win like with the waitress from earlier. It was almost like a push-and-pull between you two and it excited him.
After paying for the drinks and returning to the Valorant Headquarters, Chamber walked you back to your room. You both had satisfied expressions on your faces. The HQ halls were empty as it is night time and most Agents have retired to their respective rooms. As you made it to your door, you turned to thank Chamber. "That was fun, Vincent," you said. "We should go again next time."
"As you wish, mon amie," Chamber replied, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He took your hand and lifted it to his lips before he placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. Your eyes widened in surprise but made no move to pull your hand away. He released your hand and turned around with a wave. "Bonne nuit, (Name)."
"Good night," you said back, still a little dazed. You shook your head and unlocked your door with thoughts spinning in your mind. Chamber's actions were oddly romantic tonight. Just what exactly were you two?