Chapter Text
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the landscape as Mostima and Fiammetta trudged along the dusty road. The two Operators from Rhodes Island had been sent on a reconnaissance mission to a distant town rumored to be under the threat of an emerging Infected outbreak.
Mostima walked with a carefree stride, her staff resting casually on her shoulder. She glanced over at Fiammetta, who marched beside her with a stern expression, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger.
"Relax, Fia. We’re not even close to the town yet," Mostima said, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Fiammetta shot her a glare. "Don’t call me that," she snapped, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her irritation.
"Oh? And what should I call you then? One of your many callsigns? Suffering? One-Armed Chainsaw? Maybe ‘My Darling’?" Mostima teased, leaning closer with each name.
Fiammetta's face turned a deeper shade of red. "Just... Fiammetta is fine," she muttered, turning her gaze away.
Mostima chuckled, enjoying the reaction she had elicited. "Alright, Fia it is then. But you have to admit, Darling has a nice ring to it."
They walked in silence for a while, the only sounds being the crunch of gravel under their boots and the hustling of the wind. Despite her teasing and lax demeanor, Mostima kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, her senses alert for any signs of trouble. Fiammetta, meanwhile, struggled to keep her composure, her thoughts a whirlwind of irritation and something else she couldn’t quite place.
As they rounded a bend in the road, Mostima suddenly stopped, her expression turning serious. "Hold up," she said, holding out a hand to stop Fiammetta.
Fiammetta instantly went on high alert, her hand moving to her weapon. "What is it?"
Mostima pointed to a plume of smoke rising in the distance. "Looks like there’s trouble up ahead. We should proceed with caution."
Nodding, Fiammetta followed Mostima as they approached the source of the smoke. They soon came upon a small village, where several buildings were ablaze. Panicked villagers ran in all directions, trying to put out the fires and help the wounded.
"We need to help them," Fiammetta said, already moving forward.
"Right behind you," Mostima replied, her staff glowing as she prepared to use her Arts.
Together, they sprang into action. Fiammetta used her sniper skills to take down any threats from a distance, while Mostima unleashed powerful blasts of energy to douse the flames and fend off attackers. The villagers looked on in awe as the two Operators worked in perfect harmony, their combined efforts quickly turning the tide.
After the last fire was extinguished and the remaining enemies were driven off, the village elder approached them, his face lined with gratitude. "Thank you, brave warriors. You have saved us."
Mostima smiled and gave a casual wave, calming down the villagers that had surrounded them. "Just doing our job old man. But we should stay a bit longer to make sure the threat is completely gone."
Fiammetta nodded in agreement, though her thoughts were elsewhere. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at Mostima, admiring the way she had handled the situation with such ease and confidence.
As night fell, the villagers insisted on serving them a meal. Mostima and Fiammetta sat side by side, enjoying the food and the warmth of the fire. In between all the adulation coming from the villagers that gathered Mostima found a moment of quiet and leaned in close, her breath tickling Fiammetta's ear.
"See? Not so bad traveling with me, right?" she whispered.
Fiammetta felt her heart skip a beat. "I suppose it has its moments," she replied, trying to sound indifferent.
Mostima chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement before she was called out by one of the kids, asking her to show them her Arts. Fiammetta just quietly watched her as she played along with the children’s wishes.
As the feast wound down, the village chief approached them, thanking them again for everything.
“It’s dark already and I wouldn’t want to see you two wondering through the night so we prepared a room for you to stay the night. Follow me, please."
Mostima and Fiammetta followed the chief to a small cottage at the edge of the village.
“It’s nothing special so I hope you don’t mind” The chief added.
“Not at all, it beats having to camp outside again” Mostima replied, thanking the chief for preparing something in such short notice.
After the chief excused himself, Mostima and Fiammeta made their way indoors. Inside the small room there was a single bed that was neatly made, a small table and chairs in the corner and a window offering a view of the starry night sky.
Fiammetta's eyes widened as she took in the single bed. "Wait, there's only one bed?"
Mostima's grin returned, wider than ever. "Oh, this just keeps getting better” she thinks to herself.
“Don't worry, Fia, we can share."
Fiammetta's cheeks flushed a little. "We both can’t possibly fit—"
"Sure we can," Mostima interrupted, dropping her bag by the door and stretching. "I'm not sleeping on the floor, and I doubt you want to either. Unless, of course, you're saying we need to cuddle?"
Fiammetta sputtered, her face growing even redder. "N-no! That's not—"
Mostima laughed, clearly enjoying herself. "Relax, Fia. It's just one night. I promise not to hog the covers."
Fiammetta sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. But stay on your side."
Mostima raised her hands in mock surrender. "Scout's honor."
As they settled in, Mostima took one side of the bed, lying back with her hands behind her head. Fiammetta carefully lay down on the other side, keeping as much distance between them as possible. The silence stretched, filled only by the faint sounds of the village winding down for the night.
"You know," Mostima began, her voice soft in the quiet room, "it's kind of nice, having a quiet moment like this. Finally with a bed underneath us."
Fiammetta turned her head slightly to look at Mostima. "It is nice," she admitted. "But don’t think for a second that this means we should just laze around when there are people out there needing our help."
Mostima chuckled. "That’s not what this is about, Fia. Getting to rest wouldn’t feel as good if it wasn’t well deserved."
They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, the tension between them slowly easing. Fiammetta found herself relaxing, the warmth of Mostima's presence strangely comforting.
"Hey, Fia," Mostima whispered after a while.
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for being here. I mean it."
Fiammetta felt a flutter in her chest. "Somebody has to keep an eye on you, Mostima."
Mostima turned slightly, her eyes meeting Fiammetta's in the dim light. "Yeah, but I’m glad you’re the one that’s doing it."
Fiammetta's heart raced. "What am I to do with you" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mostima's grin softened into a genuine smile. "Goodnight, Fia."
"Goodnight, Mostima."
As they drifted off to sleep, the distance between them gradually lessened, both finding solace in the other's presence. The barriers they'd built around their hearts starting to soften.
The first light of dawn filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow across the small room. Mostima stirred, her eyes fluttering open. As she awoke, she realized something was different. Fiammetta was nestled against her, her arms wrapped around Mostima in a tight embrace. Mostima couldn’t help but smile as she took in the peaceful expression on Fiammetta's face.
That smile, however turned into a mischievous grin. This was too good an opportunity to pass up. She carefully adjusted her position, making sure not to wake Fiammetta, and allowed herself to relax into the embrace. The warmth and closeness were surprisingly comforting.
A few moments later, Fiammetta began to stir. Her eyes slowly opened, and she blinked sleepily, trying to make sense of her surroundings. As she became more aware, she realized she was holding onto something—or rather, someone. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Mostima just lying there looking at her, a smug expression on her face.
"Good morning, Fia," Mostima said, her voice a playful whisper.
Fiammetta's face turned bright red, and she quickly pulled away, sitting up with a start. "I-I didn't mean to—"
Mostima laughed softly. "Relax, Fia. I didn't mind. In fact, it was quite nice."
Fiammetta buried her face in her hands, her embarrassment palpable. "This is so embarrassing..."
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad," Mostima teased, sitting up and stretching. "You looked so comfortable that I didn't want to wake you up."
Fiammetta groaned, her blush deepening. "Stop it, Mostima."
"Hey, I'm just saying. I bet neither of us have had a good sleep like this in a long time," Mostima continued, clearly enjoying herself. "I might have to request more missions where we share a room."
Fiammetta shot her a glare, though it lacked any real venom. "You're impossible."
Mostima's grin softened into a more sincere smile. "Well, I didn't mind at all. Actually, it was kind of... nice."
Fiammetta's eyes met Mostima's, and she saw the sincerity in her expression. Her embarrassment began to fade, replaced by a warm feeling in her chest. "You mean that?"
Mostima nodded. "I do. Maybe we should do this more often."
Fiammetta closed her eyes and exhaled. "I guess I don’t mind doing it when we can’t help it like today and I guess getting a single room would be cheaper if we have to stay at an hotel. But only if you promise to stop teasing me so much."
Mostima chuckled. "I can't make any promises there. Teasing you is just too much fun."
Fiammetta rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Fine. But I hope you don’t mind me getting you back for this."
"I look forward to it," Mostima replied with a wink.
As they got up and prepared for the day, the awkwardness between them began to melt away, replaced by a newfound sense of closeness. Despite Mostima's teasing, Fiammetta couldn't deny the comfort and warmth she felt in those moments of quiet intimacy. And for Mostima, the teasing was just her way of showing affection, a playful way to bridge the gap between them.
They had a mission to complete, but both knew that their journey together had only just begun, and with it, the promise of many more shared moments—teasing, laughter, and perhaps something deeper that neither of them was quite ready to admit.