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Fade has a cat in her quarters— a real one.
That just one of the many things Reyna learns about Fade after the dream seer kisses her for the first time.
The cat's name is Mist, a Turkish Van that took a liking to Fade when she was living on the streets back in Istanbul. Mist is white with a black tail and black spots on its nose, tummy, and head. Oh, and Mist is a she, not an it, Reyna is quickly corrected.
How, exactly, she managed to sneak it her onto the artificial island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the members of the VALORANT Protocol call home, Fade adamantly refuses to share. One… interesting… thing she does share is that she managed to train Mist to use the toilet in her en suite, so she doesn't need to maintain a litter box— something that would surely be quickly noticed during the randomized room searches recently implemented by Viper.
To say Mist is spoiled would be putting it lightly— she has her own dedicated area within the dream seer’s quarters that’s complete with a heating lamp and blanket, a water fountain, a basket with an assortment of toys, ranging from an old-school barrel-mount laser attachment converted for cat use to a squeaking mouse toy that Reyna quickly learns is Mist’s favorite.
There’s also a hidden compartment in the back of her closet for the supplies she can't quite as easily pretend are for Prowler: brushes, food, cat treats, vitamins, and the like.
Speaking of Prowler, Reyna learns that it and Mist initially had some trouble getting along, but the two have since become friends, with the Radiant creature shifting into its cat form to play and occasionally even curl up with the feline.
One thing that stands out to Reyna is the way Fade talks to Mist— not the language she speaks (usually her native Turkish), but the tone.
It’s soft and sweet, similar to the tone Fade often uses when speaking to her, yet still distinctly… different. A night-and-day difference from the deadpan, almost uninterested tone she uses with the other agents or in the battlefield. And it makes Reyna fall in love with her a little bit more every time she hears it.
At nighttime, after she's sure Reyna is fully asleep, Fade will sit on the floor at the foot of her bed, observing with a small smile on her face as Mist and Prowler play, sometimes with one of the toys, sometimes with each other. Her eyes rarely leave the two cats as she takes small sips from the large thermos of Turkish coffee she manages to sneak into her room without her partner noticing.
"Sen iyi bir kediciksin, değil mi?" She isn't sure whether she said the words aloud or telepathically communicated them with Prowler, but either way, the Radiant creature pauses to look in her direction for just long enough to allow Mist to take the upper hand in their current wrestling match. Fade is unable to stop a small chuckle as Mist leverages the distraction to flip Prowler around and pin it to the ground for a brief second before Prowler phases out from under her.
Fade froze as the sound of movement from the bed reached her ears. Hazarding a glance over her shoulder, she found that Reyna was still on her side with her back toward the en suite— the same position she had been in when Fade slipped out of bed earlier. Her breathing pattern had changed, though, and one arm was now above the duvet. She was awake, but pretending not to be.
Fade groaned internally. Great, now she was going to have to deal with a conversation. One that’d probably end with her getting dragged back into the bed against her will and having to force herself to endure a restless night of sleep as she tossed and turned, praying for the sun to rise as quickly as possible and praying even harder that the inevitable nightmares wouldn't rear their ugly heads yet again.
Just the thought of that was enough to send a surge of anxiety through her body, and she took a hefty gulp of coffee in an attempt to calm her heartbeat down before Reyna heard her—
"Come here, amor."
Fade peered over her shoulder to where Reyna was now sitting at the edge of the bed, then looked back to Mist and Prowler, who were completely oblivious to what was happening. She sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat, and stood up, setting her thermos down on the side table as she moved to stand between her partner's legs.
Reyna's hands landed on her waist, sliding around to the small of her back as she pulled Fade close and rested her head on her abdomen. The gesture is familiar; safe and grounding.
"I won't make you," Reyna murmured, "I know it doesn't help."
Hearing those words, spoken so soft and gentle, from her usually flirty, forward partner made Fade's chest tighten. Guilt settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach as familiar thoughts started to swirl in her mind. 'She shouldn’t have to accommodate you,' a voice called out in her head, 'You should just be normal, like everyone else.'
Something of her turmoil must’ve shown in her body language, because Reyna was suddenly on her feet, arms snaking their way around her midsection, and now she’s met with her partner’s steady, albeit still a bit drowsy gaze.
"Stop," Reyna whispered, bringing their foreheads together, "No estás haciendo nada malo. You aren't doing anything wrong."
Something deep inside her argued the validity of that statement. Of course she was doing something wrong— her insomnia and nightmares were a hindrance to not just herself but to Reyna as well. But she knew there was no point in voicing her thoughts, especially not when Reyna was already anticipating them anyway.
"...Sorry,” she mumbled instead, eyes falling shut.
"No tienes nada de qué disculparte," Reyna said, snaking a hand under Fade's sweater to leave gentle marks down her back with her nails. She placed a kiss on her forehead, then again on her nose, one on each cheek, and finally, gently, on her lips, "Come. Let's go refresh your coffee."
Written by a human in Ellipsus.