ORIGINALLY WRITTEN: December 2023
NOTES: A gift for Tumblr user wingedhorrors as part of anaisonfire / cp77nyexchange 's New Year's Exchange event!
The sound of the holo ringing (again) was one of the last things Kerry needed to hear today. Honestly. The deals he'd been busting his ass over have gone to Hell and back. All that bouncing between studios and offices and for what? Oh, some shattered glass and some shutterbugs digging through his trash. The confrontation wasn't even the worst part of it, honestly. They'd frozen at the sight of THE Kerry Eurodyne, and it was easy enough to keep their attention until some badges rolled up and took them in. No, it was dealing with the media shit storm that came after the fact.
Exhausted face plastered all over the screens. Lights upon lights outside his home, shining in on him as he danced around the team of investigators and the cleanup crew. Constant interruptions asking if he was okay, if he was hurt, if he wants to have NCPD patrols stay behind, if he wants to press charges, if he wants—
Did anybody really give a damn what he wanted? No. So he rolled with it. Downplayed it as much as he could. Just some gonk looking to earn a few quick bucks by selling whatever their paws could latch onto. Musical memorabilia. Discarded garments. The fucking hair from his brush, if they were that desperate. And at the end of the day, he just wanted to drink himself to sleep and forget it all happened; hope to satiate the gnawing void in his gut. But the avatar that appeared in his peripheral was more than enough to bring up his mood and motivate him to answer.
"Heyy, V, what's up? Well, besides dyein' your hair again." Kerry couldn't help the low laugh that'd escaped him. It wasn't malicious by any means. "Looks good. Say, wanna come over and grab a drink? Could use the company."
"How can I say no?" A coy grin. "Be a little bit before I get there. Had to take care of some things out of town… You know how it is."
Kerry nodded along. He'd never made the trip himself, but he could always tell when V was out in the Badlands. The subtle static of the call. The obscured scenery. It'd be at least eighty 'til he made it all the way up to Villa Eurodyne. "See ya soon."
The silence that followed the end of their quick conversation was… uncomfortable. Tense, in a weird way. They'd met up like this a thousand times over but, that edge from earlier did little to smooth over. With all the time he'd had, Kerry figured he may as well get a head start and see where things went. And that's exactly what he did, floating toward the rich supply of booze and liquors he'd curated over the years. Gifts from others in the industry, personal purchases, remnants of brands who'd dove out of business with the increasingly cutthroat competition in the city… Huh. Sounded familiar enough. He guessed that's why his hand settled on a nice bottle of aged tequila. Why he'd dug through the collection of bottles for Angostura bitters, stirred in just enough agave nectar, and sprinkled a pinch of chili peppers atop the concoction.
Familiarity in failure; now that was comfort.
Time blurred as the rocker boy absentmindedly found himself a spot on the elegant couch, feet kicked up on the coffee table beside the goods as he downed one, two, three and more. Many drinks and many minutes passed him by, and right as he felt that familiar buzz tickling at his old bones, he heard the rough rumbling of Douglas.
"Door's open!" There was strain in his voice, syllables only just crawling from his throat as he sat up to pour a shot into the spare glass he'd set aside for V. "Oh, and uh—Don't—Don't mind the crime tape. Not my fault this time, promise."
"Yeah, heard something about a break-in on the radio. You good?" The nomad plopped himself onto the couch right next to Kerry, letting the light highlight the rich blue hue of his hair… and the vibrant colors of his jacket.
Kerry gave the outfit a curious glance over.
"Cheesy to say it, but think you're the brightest thing I've seen all day, V. Literally. Any inspirations for the vibe or…?"
"Nah, just going with the flow." Proud eyes peeked over the visor of his glasses. His gaze softened a bit, concern glossing over his eyes even as a sly hand reached for the shot. "But seriously, though, everything okay after the whole thing? Like, you were literally home when it happened."
Kerry briefly paused his own pour. "V, it's chill. You'd be the first to know if it wasn't."
"Uh-huh." A pause to kick back the liquor. "Well, if anything happens—"
"Call you, I know." A nod, and the tilt of his head to join his companion in drinking. "It's all settled, really. Fuckin' amateur this guy was. I mean, who the hell pulls a stunt like this and doesn't hide their face?"
V laughed. "Us? Remember when we met up to ambush that one transport? Who was it for… Oh yea, Us Cracks. You literally just wore a hat and called it a day. At least I tried to keep myself out of sight."
"Well—Come on, the hat did work. Sorta. Besides, your running was more than enough to keep us off any surveillance. And get everything done clean." Kerry couldn't help but laugh himself, shaking his head as he sunk back into the cushion.
A languid arm came to drape over his eyes, shielding his gaze from the light. Golden cyberware glistened beneath the overhead, accentuating the soft flesh between it. Bringing attention to the subtle hairs that needed a good shave. For a moment, he looked properly relaxed. At peace with the circumstances surrounding him, damned be the fact it'd all start over tomorrow morning when the sun rose past the horizon. For now? Such a concept was one of the last things on Kerry's mind.
Especially as he felt V sit back and nestle into the empty space beside him.
"Comfy?" A curious eye peeked open, an arm coming to rest upon the merc's shoulders and coax him closer.
"Hmm…"
The faint smell of dye lingering beneath Kerry's nose. The feeling of V's head upon his chest, shot glass in hand, as the distance was closed. The gentle, passionate connecting of their lips. A gentle hum as they settled against one another. The sounds of the city seemed to drown beneath the comforting blanket of affection that came over them. To be silenced by the sound of their still beating hearts. An equally silent reminder for the two of them that at the end of the day, they were both alive. Both safe.
And that was more than enough.
"Now I am." V smiled. Kerry smiled back.