#still have mention of hanako x v / glass sanctuary

[sekaithemystic]

run away with me [chapter 1]

or as known as the songv roadtrip fic that was supposed to be a oneshot but my hands slipped and now it's going to be insane

ao3 link

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

The room was as cramped as V expected, but she still couldn't help a sigh from escaping her lips. At least the bed looked decent, and she immediately threw herself upon it, unconcerned about everything else. 

Well, maybe one thing—one person, more specifically.

“Jeez, here I thought I was tired.” So Mi put their backpack against the wall, and V didn't have to flop on her back to know she was wearing that teasing smile that never failed to make her heart race. 

“Have 'ever driven this far,” the mercenary replied, finally finding the strength to sit up. Song came to settle down on the foot of the bed, so she scooted lower until their shoulders bumped against each other. “And you kept pointing the wrong way.”

“How am I supposed to know that they hadn't updated the map of this area for years?” So Mi jabbed her elbow at V's side, and the younger woman cackled, hands moving to defend herself from the upcoming assault.

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

So here they were, sprawling across the bed in a motel out of nowhere, tired and dust-covered after a long day on the road.

“Come on, let’s take a shower before you fall asleep.” So Mi pulled her up by the arms, metal fingers curling around her wrist. V grumbled in protest but followed her nonetheless. The bathroom was, surprisingly, clean and neatly organized, not like there was much to begin with. The mercenary went for the water tap and twisted it counterclockwise until her grip was met with resistance. It was rather cold for an evening bath, but whatever, she supposed, before turning around to face So Mi.

A naked So Mi, more specifically.

She had shed the Samurai t-shirt she hastily took from V’s wardrobe before they left, leaving her bare skin on display, even though V doubted much of it was actual skin anyway. The last thought was drowned away by a wave of embarrassment and self-consciousness on the fact that this was the first time she saw the netrunner unclothed, and as if to make the matter worse, she was staring at the woman quite impolitely.

Um. Shit. Fuck.

In a rather clumsy attempt to hide the rising heat on her cheeks, she pinned her gaze on the tiled floor, one hand covering her burning face. Above her, a laugh rang out, so full of teasing that it only intensified whatever emotion she was feeling right now. Right, she was a full-fledged, soon-to-be 24 years old, who had been through enough shits to be called a legend in Night City, and she was also blushing like a maiden.

“Full of surprise, aren’t you?” said the reason V couldn’t even look up, the echo of her chuckles lingering by her reddened ears. “Come on, what’s there to be so embarrassed about? I’m sure you have had your own fair share of experience before.”

Song wasn’t wrong about that, but it was not like she could mutter back a response when she was still too busy to calm her racing heart down. She didn't understand why she was acting like this, either; but before any more questions could take place, So Mi's hands came to rest on her waist, urging her to undress as well. Mindlessly, with her head bowed, she complied, fingers sluggishly popping button after button of her drenched shirt, revealing the sports bra under. V could feel Song's gaze lingering on her exposed skin, admiring the well-defined muscles and hard edges, and goosebumps broke out on her arms, a chill threatening to rush down her spine. Her hands moved up to push the fabric away and smooth over her shoulders, toying with the cotton straps. Those mechanical fingers that were meant to type on the keyboard endlessly did a wonderful job of evoking nerve-wracking sensations inside her, and had her brain been a computer, it would have been fried long ago. Her arms suddenly wrapped around V's neck, forcing her to look So Mi in the eyes.

“You are beautiful.” Words left her mouth even before she could comprehend it. So many times, and the woman had always left her starstruck by her beauty like in their very first meeting. Could it be possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again?

“I know,” So Mi answered with a raised eyebrow as if it was obvious for V to be smitten. “But that bath is calling to us, so take those pants off, V.”

Reluctantly tearing herself away from the warm embrace, the younger woman unbuckled her belt, pulling both her jeans and underwear down until they pooled around her ankles. The tub managed to fit both of them, somehow, not that V complained. She still found it rather awkward to look at So Mi, instead opting for a blank spot on the wall. For a good moment, there was no sound, save for running water and the hum of the air conditioner. The peacefulness overwhelmed her senses, to the point she almost forgot that she would die, soon.

Yes, she had six months left, six months before her body failed and dragged her to the grave. The selfish part of her demanded an explanation on why she was wasting her time out here, trying to please someone whom she had to sacrifice her own chance of living for, but the selfless one—the stupid one really, found it rather comforting that she was able to show kindness, even when the world was ending for her. Then it led to another question: should she break the news to So Mi?

“What’s on your mind?” Brown eyes met hers in the dim light of the bathroom, full of worry and concern, and V knew the woman would only blame herself if she got a grasp on her situation. She had just escaped years of burdens, years of guilt; there was no way V could do this to her.

Or at least, the “good” part of her advised so.

“Just… thinking.” V swiped her hair back, feeling water trickling down the back of her neck. “A lot’s been happening and I haven’t had time to actually sit down and think about them, suppose.” Especially the part where I am dying and I’m not sure how to deal with that.

“You want to talk about it?” The offer was sincere, even without So Mi’s consciousness lingering inside her. How much should she talk without being too tightlipped or oversharing?

“Johnny and I, we parted on bad terms.” Bad terms was an understatement—she couldn’t recall their last talk without remembering that one last disgusted look he threw at her. More than just disgust, anger, disappointment, and betrayal were burning in his eyes, all at the same time. “I’m not sure how to deal with the knowledge that I failed him.”

“Because you trusted Arasaka?” inquired So Mi, and she nodded solemnly. “There are always strings attached when you run with corporations, we both know that,” V winced at the absolute fact that she knew but ignored all the time, “but in the end, it comes back to you: how do you feel about your choice?”

Like shit, she was tempted to answer so; however, she thought back to her options, of how most of those would have her putting her friends and acquaintances in danger. What were the chances that Panam couldn’t walk out of Arasaka Tower alive? Or Rogue? Or herself? 

Or that one person she had promised to protect with her whole life, a long time ago?

“I think I chose right,” V admitted with a sigh. So Mi smiled then, fingers twirling a strand of her pink hair; it had grown longer since the last time they saw each other.

“There you have it.” She reached over to lay her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Right doesn’t always feel good, but at least it’s your choice, not his, not a choice you made under his influence, either.”

But sometimes she wished he would have made that choice, instead of her. It was always easier to follow others than to follow her own way, or maybe she couldn’t escape her nature in the end.

The bath had turned cold by the time they left it, but something warm burned inside V’s chest; a tiny fire, made by So Mi, started its new life here and now, right at this moment.

.

“Turn that valve, and check if there is any soot inside.” Her father’s voice was rather static through the phone speaker, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all, considering how bad the signal was.

“Yeah, there is a little stuck in here,” replied V, stealing a glance at the pixelated image of the older man on the screen So Mi was holding. “Do I clean it?”

She dreaded the idea of their car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, but now that it came true, there wasn’t much she could do aside from hoping that her amateur mechanics skill would be enough to get them to the nearest garage. Her father turned to speak with someone else, likely one of his apprentices, before directing his attention back to her.

“Grab a napkin and use your finger. Something’s wrong with the fuel pipe probably, so this is just a temporary solution for now.” That made both of them wince; whatever happened with the car sounded critical and beyond their ability. Funny how defeated Night City’s rising mercenary and one of the world’s best netrunners were at doing such mundane work. “I should have taken a look at your vehicle by myself hadn’t my headache persisted. Told those kids they still had a lot to learn, and apparently I was right.” He huffed, and V could imagine those young mechanics sweating nervously while thinking of the upcoming berate.

“Well, it’s fine really. We’ll manage.” Even she didn’t believe her own words, but whatever to keep her father’s worry at bay. So Mi chimed in, a polite smile that would absolutely charm him plastering on her face.

“You already help us more than we can ask for.” It was impossible to read his expression with how bad the video quality was, but V assured herself that Song’s words probably had an effect on him somehow.

“Remember to call your mom later before you turn in for the night,” he reminded her, before hanging up, leaving both women heaving a sigh. 

“Here to hope that heaven will bestow a lifesaver upon us,” V grunted and So Mi cackled, handing her a dry towel to clean her oil-covered hands.

Twenty-three miles later, with the clock barely hit eleven in the morning, they spotted what must have been a dozen pickup trucks and cars heading their way. So Mi shifted nervously in her seat, and V couldn’t help but mirror her action. Best case, it was just a normal nomad group; worst case, the Raffen Shiv had decided that they were the latest target, and the obvious solution was to fight their way out.

But that symbol on the flying flag tugged at the back of her hazy mind, a familiarity she couldn’t place. Something started with A, a place that had accepted her to be one of them.

“Pan!” V leaned out of the window, screaming at the top of her lungs. Poor So Mi was probably startled by the sudden reaction, but she would apologize later; right now, her eyes were squinting to catch sight of that figure returning her gesture. Unsurprisingly, she heard a response, the sound almost lost in the wind and sand of the desert.

“V you bastard!” Panam laughed, or cursed, or whatsoever, and her car skidded to a stop right next to theirs. She looked the same as V last saw her, with even more energy than usual. “What the Hell are you doing out there? Thought you and your city girl ass would never set foot out here?” 

“Road trip,” the mercenary replied, motioning at So Mi awkwardly sitting next to her. “Panam, So Mi. So Mi, Panam, as known as the most natural asshole of Badlands.” 

“That’s no way to refer to a lady, you rat!” She swatted at her shoulder, though that grin didn’t look like it would disappear any time soon. “Come, we are setting up camp soon. You and your friend should join us.”

“Not gonna say no to that,” V chuckled, waving at Mitch approaching them, “especially since we need a good mechanic to take a look at my car.”

Later, when they were following the Aldecaldos across the desert, So Mi finally spoke up, her gaze setting firmly on the younger woman as if she couldn’t believe whatever just unfolded in front of her.

��Interesting friends you have.” V only laughed at that, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “How did you end up being friends with a nomad group?” 

“Come on, I’ve done wilder things, and you never ask about them.” The pout elicited a smile from So Mi, who nudged at her teasingly in order to coax the story out of her, and it was not like she could deny the older woman if such a thing was possible in the first place. “I did what I’m best at: getting between family drama and, well, you know the rest.”

This time, it was So Mi who pouted at the vague answer; now that V had seen how cute she was, she felt like she should do this more often. Still, she offered an apologetic shrug, one hand scratching at her sweating nape.

“To be honest, a lot of my memories were jumbled as an effect of the Relic.” Her gaze softened at that, and V couldn’t help the sudden warmth rising in her chest. “So if you want the whole thing, it’s better to ask Panam, really.”

“So you had to go through it too.” A shiver.

“Not as bad as you.” She thought back to So Mi’s words in Dogtown. A snowflake lands on my glove. I can calculate its unique fractal structure, but what did my mom’s voice sound like? “It’s like, someone goes inside my home and puts everything in the wrong cabinets, instead of taking them away. And now I have to reorganize the whole thing.” If I can live until then.

“So listening to others should help you?” V twisted her lips in thoughts, before giving a firm nod.

“I guess? Only one way to find out.” Before she could return her full attention to driving, So Mi laid a hand on her arm, fingers curling around her wrist. Their eyes met, and she gulped, not sure what to expect at this moment.

“Just know that I’ll help you however I can, I promise.”

#am i insane? probably #sekaiswrite #cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #song so mi #songbird cyberpunk #songbird #cyberpunk 2077 v #songv #good lord i sat down and wrote 2k words #valerie phan #ship: broken cage #but like i made v as ambiguous as possible (?) #still have mention of hanako x v / glass sanctuary