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“This is a nightmare”
“You say another nightmare themed pun, I will shove you down the watering hole”
“Lighten up will you, girlies. It ain’t like it’s a live shooting session!”
“I’d rather have had a live shooting session so I could shoot my—” Neon hops up to slap a hand over Fade’s mouth.
“I know you’re miss all doom and gloom but do not hurt Skye’s feelings. I have a billion volts running through my body, I will discharge if there are tears. Understood?” Fade goes wide eyed, nodding slowly. Neon slowly lets go, glaring at the dream seer.
Skye had been none the wiser about the little exchange since she was too excited rambling on about their camping site.
Why? Why on earth did they have to let slip that they’ve never done the infernal affair which was to reject modern technology and live in the fucking woods.
“I blame you for this”
“You blame me for everything, sparks. Gay marriage would suddenly be illegal again and you’d blame me” Fade takes +10 damage from a punch on the shoulder.
“Because it actually is your fault this time! Gaga ka! Ba’t mo rin kasi ako nilaglag?!” (You asshole! Why’d you drag me into this!?)
Ever since joining the protocol, Fade was usually nose deep into her research regarding her brother, and if not for research the dark themed woman was often seen playing video games during her leisure time.
Everyone in the protocol was aware and even grown to accept of how unphysically motivated Fade is.
Omen had came up to her defense saying that it was just how Fade grew up. She found comfort in the four cornered walls as it meant not having to constantly look over her shoulders. Growing up on the streets did that to a person.
But Skye, ever the naturalist, commented that Fade still needed a little bit of sunshine, that camping would be a good way to stay healthy. Then the asshole had to bring it up…
“What about Neon? Sparks has never gone camping and she’s healthy”
Skye’s eyes practically shot up in flames and requested a leave for all three of them right on the spot…
Neon has seemingly not forgiven her since. Fade shrugged.
“Misery loves company?”
…
…
…
“SIKTIR!!!”
Skye had the foresight to bring a healing totem to remove the suspiciously Neon sized fist on Fade’s arm.
“All good! No more fighting, yeah?”
Both women gave half hearted yesses, but lets be honest, everyone and the worms know they were lying.
They’d began setting up their tents for the night under Skye’s careful tutelage. Fade had been fairly helpful so far. She actually knew how to set up a tent.
“Neon, where’s yours?” They had two up already, one green one for Skye and one black for Fade. They’d carved through all their belongings and nothing.
“I swear I brought it! I had it next to my bed right before—” Raze invited her to a quick game before they left, her last hurrah before getting stuck in the jungle she said.
She’d gamed all night that she forgot to put it next to her bag for exact the purpose of object permanence not existing in her rapidly moving mind!
“Do I consider this divine punishment?” Fade remarks smugly, Neon looking up with sparks dancing in her palms which was enough to shut the dark themed woman up.
“Hey, no worries. I could just sleep under the stars! I like it better that way anyways! You take my tent, Neon” The duelist shook her head. It wouldn’t be fair when it was her own fault for just not doing the task.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll rough it out. I was able to bring my sleeping bag at least” Neon laid it out on the cold, damp earth.
“Or we could just share? The tent I got is too big for one person either way” Neon turned to look at the tents. The black one did look slightly wider than the green one…
“This feels awkward, Hazal…”
“Who let you use my real name, Tala” This earns Fade another slap for the umpteenth time.
“Siktir, you are violent. I should file for domestic abuse at this point!”
“We’d have to be married to file that, gago!”
“Y’all both already fight like an old married couple! Now can it and get some shut eye!” The women stiffen, laying back down as quiet as possible.
“You’d be the husband with all the domestic abuse, by the way”
~
“Mornin’! Y’all get good rest?” Skye greets when Neon finally emerges. The shorter agent looks Skye, back at the tent, then says nothing. The duelist didn’t have to answer with words when Fade hobbles outside of the tent, limping, her hair smelling burnt…
“What am I going to do with you lot?”
With the less than stellar morning, Skye had decided that the camping trip will now be “Learning how to tolerate one another trip”
Both women scoffed of course, they only wanted to complete the trip and be rid of each other, but then, Skye did the unthinkable. A familiar green hawk flew into the sky during their hike and exploded.
Once the flashing light rescinded, the nature woman was gone… and so was the compass.
“Tangina?! Skye! Bumalik ka dito, hayop ka!” (What the fuck?! Skye! Come back here, you animal!) Neon shook Fade with ferocity
“Track her! I am so not staying out here and getting lost with your bony ass!” Prowler came out, but instead of tracking Skye, it bit Neon. The duelist yelped in pain while Fade tried to find her bearings.
“What is with you and physical abuse, kıvılcım?” Fade kinda wished that Neon still feared her presence so she’d have far less bruises. “I understand that you’re mad, but I’m stuck here with you just as much as you are with me!”
Neon flinches, not used to Fade actually raising her voice at her. She’d gotten used to just Fade taking it…
“I— uh… yeah…. Sorry…” the duelist was able to stammer out.
Fade huffs, taking a step forward to a random direction.
They’d walked around in silence for a while, trying to look for their campsite. They’ve spotted a pond, a herd of deer, and even a ravine but no campsite because, fun fact, all the trees look the same when you don’t go out and touch grass often.
“Siktir, Skye must have sprinted. Haunt is not picking anything up other than wild life” Fade calls back the weird ball like creature and she stumble back a bit.
She’d been feeling lightheaded and using her abilities like this was taking its toll.
Neon catches her arm though before she hit her head.
“Teşekkürler. I had assumed we’d be back by camp after a few hours and I wasn’t able to eat” Fade half expected a smack, or a dumbass coming from Neon but what she gets is sandwich offered to her.
Fade stares at it for a good while. There had to be a catch.
“D—Don’t make this weird… You’re probably low on blood sugar. I know how much you don’t take care of yourself” Neon shoves the sandwich into Fade’s chest before going off to sit at the root of a tree.
“I was getting tired anyways…” The duelist’s cheeks were dusted red. Fade hides her smile behind a bite. Neon looked cute when she pretends, she doesn’t care.
The sun was still up high, so a few minutes of break wouldn’t hurt. The dream seer watched Neon as she ate. She didn’t mean to raise her voice really, she was just hungry, tired, and getting blinded was not a pleasant experience for anyone.
While she wanted Neon to be less violent with her, she hated it even more to see the sunshine incarnate that was the other woman dimmed down.
“I’m not mad, you don’t need to act as if I am about to shout at you again” as expected, Neon tried to hide her reaction again. Fade wasn’t graced with anything else. The silence was ass even more so when nightmare loved to mock her for hurting the shorter woman so she tries once more.
“Why do you hate me so much?” The question catches both her and Neon off guard. She’d meant to push it at the far recess of her mind, because as much as she likes to play the cool loner wolf, she’d actually felt some sort of camaraderie from Neon.
They had similar struggles, just in different fonts. Neon had been deathly afraid of her, yes, but in moments where they don’t think she’s listening, she can hear how Neon pulls back from outright insulting her, how she scolds her friends when they went too far with messing with the dream seer when she was freshly recruited.
Because as much as Fade sees herself in Neon, she knows Neon sees the same.
The dream seer sees the way Neon’s palms lay flat on the soil, sparks getting nullified by the ground. Mükemmel, you’ve made things even more awkward.
“I don’t hate you… I’m just… trying to recover I guess…” Ne? was she hurt in a mission I wasn’t aware about? That can’t be right… we were together in her most recent one and I made sure to watch her flank…
Fade internally goes through the scenario in her head. Every gun fight, every flank… No… She’s certain that not a single bullet even got aimed at Neon…
Seeing Fade start to overthink things, Neon finally fesses up. This is going to suck and she might go into overdrive, but might as well rip off the band-aid.
“you.. re…ted… me… and… ll… urt”
Fade raised a brow “Could you try that again in English, lütfen?” she’d expected a lot of things. She’d expected that nightmare may have latched on to her and gave her nightmares, that she been rude to Neon at one point and held a grudge, hell she’d expected that Neon still harbored resentment over her initial blackmail fiasco, but this—
“I SAID YOU REJECTED ME WHEN I ASKED YOU OUT ON A DATE AND I’M STILL HURT OKAY!” Neon shouted so loudly that Fade was sure that Skye heard it all the way back at camp. The deer and birds certainly did hear from the way they all scampered away.
Wait— hang on— She did what now?
“Pardon, but when did this happen?” Fade felt all sorts of feelings, giddy, confused, and kinda embarrassed. What kind of chemicals was she on when she rejected Neon?? Surely, she’d been drunk, or perhaps woozy from the lack of sleep? Either way, she couldn’t have had rejected Neon with a sound mind!
Neon had dropped her jaw meanwhile. No way did Fade not even remember it! It happened just two weeks ago!
She’d been so hurt about the casual rejection that she was so pissed off at being forced to be around Fade in a forest out in the middle of nowhere, unable to sulk and drown her feelings in soju.
“The common room? You were playing Sekiro?? And you said, and I quote, ‘Oh, maybe another time? I’ve a bit busy at the moment’”
Huh?
Oh
Oh….
Now it was Fade’s turn to light up in flames. She was stuck with the mini boss for hours and she’d reached her flow state. She didn’t register how shyly Neon had asked her to hang out at a restaurant somewhere, how Neon practically stammered to get it out.
No, all she heard was that someone was taking her away from her precious games that she didn’t jump at the fucking chance to go on a date with the one woman who had captured her affections whole heartedly.
Fade remained silent, then moved to kneel in front of Neon. She took the duelists hand at grazed it across her face.
“Tangina, what was that for?” Neon just shouted to the entire world, quite literally, how she was still unable to move on from Fade’s rejection and said woman is doing some weird thing with her hand.
“It’s so you don’t hit me once I confess that I had not registered it as a date and I do hope that I did not just ruin my chances with you?”
+6 damage physically
+5 emotional damage
Once Neon finally stopped her rampage, they’d settled in comfortable silence. Fade sat against the tree bark Neon previously occupied while Neon herself sat with her back pressed against Fade’s front.
“I’m still sorry if I was too mean to you this entire camping thing…” Fade shrugged, kissing the crown of Neon’s head. Siktir, I’ve always wanted to do this.
“Don’t be, I am frustrated with myself as well. Had I listened not only would I have saved you the pain but you and I would probably not be stuck in the woods as well” Neon groans
“Why do you have to have a point? I guess we better get going before the sun sets…” Fade’s hold over her waist tightens.
“I don’t think so, sparks. The sooner we get back to Skye the more outdoorsy activities she’ll make us do. Just let me enjoy holding my girlfriend a bit longer” Neon felt warm all over, butterflies flying in her tummy.
“Who said we were girlfriends? We need to have a first date first”
“I said so, now hush. You feel comfortable” The duelist couldn’t complain when Fade leans back, coaxing Neon to lay down more on her chest. The shorter woman fears that she may get addicted to this, being held by the woman she’s admired for so long, surrounded by her scent…
They still had a long ways to go in regards to their relationship but… For now, they earned a little shut eye.