Guardian of the Arts

Jackie’s nerves were beginning to rub off on V as he continues to pace. They’d have to calm him down, things would definitely go to shit if they were both crawling up the walls. 

“Jack, c’mon have a seat before you bust a circuit,” V’s playful tone seemed to snap Jackie out of his thoughts and he looks over. It was like the man had almost forgotten his partner was there.  V pats the area beside them on the couch with a grin. The man laughs a little as he parks it, “Sorry. Just... thinkin’ y’know.”

“I know.”

“If we pull this off ..so much is going to change. Been turning things over in my head..”

“WHEN we pull this off you mean. Gotta keep clear of those negative energy fields Misty talks about right?” V says and leans back on the couch. Normally the mention of Misty brings a little sheepish smile to Jackie’s face, but not this time. Instead he just nods his head, “Right.”  V decides to let that go, no picking at seemingly sore subjects. Not right now. Instead the subject was changed; what was the wildest job that Jackie had before they met. V bets that they had more outlandish stories than Jackie did. At the challenge Jackie’s eyes lit up, he took the bait and started on a story that he swears up and down is completely true. When he finished V scoffs and starts on their own story, making it bigger and more impossible than Jackie’s.  

The duo carries on like this for almost an hour. Sharing stories from their pasts, laughing at the stupid shit, calling bullshit on one another, and teasing each other mercilessly. At one point they even joke about a drinking contest with the fancy drink selection in the  suit and T-Bug has to cut in to tell them off. They just giggle like little kids being caught red-handed by their mom. 

During a particularly involved story from Jackie, V can’t help but realize how close they had gotten to one another. Jackie had one arm slung over the back of the couch behind V,  leaning in closer as he rattles on about “This one time”, free hand gesturing to emphasize the story. He was smiling, eyes on V’s face, their knees were practically touching as they were turned toward one another. Jackie looked so happy and at ease, like he was truly comfortable in this moment, and V’s breath caught in their throat. 

Jackie was their best friend, and being in each other’s space like this wasn’t something new, but for some reason it felt.. different. Not uncomfortable, far from it. Maybe it was V’s own mildly rattled nerves, maybe their Kiroshi’s picked up every little detail they missed before.. Or maybe without the backdrop of noisy city streets, gunfire or loud crowded bars they could focus more on the closeness.. The feeling was something V couldn’t put their finger on, or, more accurately, it was a feeling they shouldn’t be having. Not with Jackie. Still V’s stomach was fluttering, and their eyes drifted to Jackie’s lips...

“Hey, V? You OK choom?” it was Jackie’s turn to snap V out of their thoughts. His eyes were concerned, the hand he had been gesturing with was resting gently on V’s arm. V didn’t know what to say, they were normally quick on their feet but not this time. What did you tell your best friend who caught you looking starry eyed at their lips? Fuck. V couldn’t think properly, all they could focus on was the closeness, the fact they could feel Jackie’s warmth, and smell his cologne.. It was pulling them in.  

Instead of speaking, V closes the small distance between them, their hand resting feather light on Jackie’s chest, and their lips ghost over his. They could hear and feel Jackie inhale sharply, his body tensed up. He could shove them away if he wanted,  they expected that’s what would happen. But it didn’t, in fact nothing happened for a few moments.  A shaky laugh escapes V as they start to pull back, but before they could get too far the hand on the back of the couch moves to cradle the nape of their neck and pulls them back in.

When their lips met the kiss was soft, warm. It lasted for only a few moments, but it made V’s head swim. They cup Jackie’s jaw in their palms as another soft kiss came, and then another. With each kiss it became harder and harder to focus. Harder for them to pull apart. The hand on V’s arm moved to their lower back, pulling them closer. “Jackie..” V barely has time to say the man’s name before another kiss, and this one was deeper, more desperate. Everything outside the room ceased to exist. Night City was a blur in the background, the heist they were waiting to perform no longer registered. There was only insistent mouths and parting lips, fingers curling in hair and palms running over chests and down spines. The only thing that existed to the pair was the other. And what bliss it was..... 

But then Jackie pulled away. 

“Wait.. V..” his voice was hoarse, strained.  His expression was like a bucket of cold water, sobering V up in a matter of seconds. Jackie’s brows were furrowed, and there was a mix of emotions in his eyes. Desire, fear, happiness, guilt...There was an inner battle going on in the man’s mind and V knew that they were a part of it. Jackie didn’t have to say it for V to know who Jackie was thinking of.

“Misty,” The merc said the woman’s name feeling their own spark of guilt. The woman had been nothing but an angel, and here V was kissing her man. What a fucking mess they stepped in. V laughs, but it was a weak, watery laugh as they tapped Jackie’s chest with a fist, “ Hey, don’t.. don’t worry about it Choom. Just Gig nerves. We can pretend like it didn’t happen.. It doesn’t have to mean anything.” But it had meant something, to V anyway, 

“What? No V that’s not what I meant,” Jackie’s touch was more hesitant this time as he put a hand on their shoulder. “I care about you. I care about you a lot. I didn’t kiss you cause of some damn nerves. It’s just..” He took a breath to gather his thoughts,  “I don’t wanna do anything behind Misty’s back. I don’t want to be that kinda guy. After we pull this heist off, we’ll sit down and talk. All of us... if you want to that is..?” 

V can’t help but smile a little. Jackie was a rare breed of man in Night City.  “Yeah, Yeah OK let’s do that,” they agree and Jackie seems relieved to hear it. He slaps them gently on the back as he stands up and goes back to the window. When this was all over they could talk, talk with Misty.. do this relationship thing right.

After the heist maybe they could finally be together... If they pulled it off.