The Hazy Afternoon

Prelude to Glittering Night - Hana and her friends take an extended trip in their MEKA's to celebrate her 18th birthday, only for a purple figure to mesmerize Hana for the night

For the recently installed MEKA pilot, taking her craft and going on an adventure to an unknown place was not something she thought about. Beckoned by many older friends that desired to celebrate her aging up to a legal adult, Hana couldn't help but accept while her friends guided her to a path of a city in Mexico. One of her friends had vacationed there a time or two, and recommended the designation for their trip.

Of course the pilots agreed, and there they padded around the outskirts of Dorado, and into a small bar near where Los Muertos was known to be most active. Despite that, the area was actually quite peaceful, and bar relatively empty when they entered. It was occupied only by a gruff looking cowboy on the side, and a mysterious figure in purple on the other side of the counter.

Drinks were ordered one by one, Hana allowing her friends to drink themselves silly while she sipped slowly on an iceless mojito. She much prefered her energy drinks she usually took on gaming binges, and technically although capable of drinking at home, never abused the right. Her eyes eventually floated away from her very intoxicated friend group, and glanced over at the mysterious woman in purple.

She was swishing around a jaeger bomb, looking unamused before taking a sip. When her eyes captured Hana's in a deadlock, the MEKA pilot looked down, the smallest sheepish grin on her face.

The mysterious woman gave a smile, and hailed the bartender. The next thing Hana knew, there was a pale ale in front of her, as well as a napkin placed down with an initial scribbled on the corner. "S."

Hana rose her eyes to meet S' gaze, as she raised her glass and took a sip. She graciously returned the gesture, sipping on the drink she was offered up and hummed in delight. It was quite a delicious brew… How interesting that this beautiful stranger seemed to guess correctly what her taste might be. Deriving away from her friends, Hana moved seats right next to the woman who shared the drink and gave a delightful smile. "Thanks for the drink" She said, her voice floating with a hint of suggestion.

"My treat" Came the woman's response, the tone was almost mocking, but it was a positive one nonetheless. "You know, you look like a shy bunny, sitting over there outcast by your drunk friends" S commented, motioning back over to the 5 or so other South Korean soldiers that were still having a good time even without Hana.

"It's my birthday today" Hana responded, shrugging while the other woman tried not to act too casual about this information. "But, I'm not too big on these kinds of drinks… I prefer more-"

"Energy Drinks and sodas?" S made a guess, and made the younger gamer give her the tiniest glare. "You seem to guess right a lot" Hana observed, and S shrugged as well.

"It's a very useful skill, learning to read people" her fingernails drummed lightly on the bar, it was then Hana noticed she was in a uniform of some kind, decked out with technology and LEDs. Her nails themselves looked like delicate microchips, despite their current use. "It's almost like being able to hack them, if you get good enough"

"I see" Hana responded, taking another sip of her drink. She tried to find some hidden meaning behind S' words, but could not. "Do you… stay here often?" Hana decided to ask glancing at her new acquaintance's face, almost mesmerized by the purple eyes she held.

"Depends" She responded, swirling her nearly empty drink. "If I'm bored, or had a stressful day. I don't mind coming here too often… you meet interesting people that way too" She clearly was referencing the cowboy on the other side with the red serape over his shoulders, and Hana looked as well, but not too hard. While she was distracted, S had plenty of time to look over the young soldier and smile to herself in approval.

When they locked eyes again, they both had the same rather interesting thought.

This is a game I can't wait to enjoy

The whoops and hollers of her fellow soldiers told Hana that they were now being watched, as well as encouraged, and she blushed in embarrassment. "Ignore them…" Hana waved them while S gave her a very intrigued, yet delighted expression. "They never see me with a boyfriend. They think the strangest things like jerks" She said.

S gained an even more bemused expression as she leaned in just a bit. "Now, mi conejita… don't you think it could be fun?"

The way she spoke made Hana shiver, and her face light up red. "Maybe" Came her low response, a small hint of expectation lingering in her tone.

They were both extremely close to one another, breath could be felt if either of them focused hard enough. Hana's mouth was just in the right position of expectation, the perfect opportunity that S wanted to capture the most. Hana could say the same, the tantalizing smirk that S wore was more than enough to want something out of it. Or maybe that was the slight buzz of her alcohol she'd consumed already nagging at her wants and desires.

"KISS ALREADY"

Their moment, completely disturbed by one of Hana's friends, made her whip her head around and glare at him. The rest of the squad also turned to him and started giving half assed punches and slaps for ruining their mood. Hana kept her gaze down at that, head propped on her shoulder while she took another careful sip of her drink. S however, grabbed her by the chin when she was finished, and pulled her head back. Closer than ever with intense gazes from both women, They were right back to their previous debate.

Except S wasn't debating anymore.

She leaned in for a kiss, giving Hana a mental interior melt down while their lips lingered soft together for a few moments, before a quick separation that made Hana go fire engine red, her blush spreading to her ears and accenting her brown hair very well. S couldn't help but chuckle while she remembered easily how Hana's lips felt on hers. Interestingly enough, Hana had the same thought, it rove her mind mad for a few moment while her fingers traveled to her lps to attempt to mimic the pressure, but could not.

They sat in silence for a little while after that, both finishing their drinks and getting fresh glasses not too long afterward. The moment wasn't awkward, but rather peaceful. It didn't need to have words, as they simply enjoyed one another's company. It was all they needed to learn about one another through observing simple mannerisms. When Hana's team mates started to file out of the bar, she realized that the sky had been dark for quite some time, and she turned to S with an apologetic look. "I need to get back to the base. I'll be scolded soon if I don't. I"m sorry. Will… will we see each other again?"

There was a glance to the calendar on the wall, and S seemed to be teasingly contemplative, which drove Hana into afit of nervous unease. Then, S smiled. "If you come back here next wednesday, I'll be here, mi conejita"

Hana gave a slight nod, and placed some money on the counter to pay for the drinks she consumed. She gave S another quick thanks before she headed out the door to catch up with her friends. S looked incredibly satisfied with herself until the bartender came over to claim the glasses and money. "You're playing some kind of interesting game with that Korean gal, Sombra"

Sombra shrugged. "What fun is a game without a little risk involved, Jose?" She responded with a tight grin. "Hana Song, international Starcraft champion and newest addition to the Korean Army, I'll have a very wonderful time with you" She muttered, downing the rest of her drink.

Hey guys! Tigrissa/Nerfed Hacks. This story is also going to be on Ao3 and up on my Tumblr, nerfedhacks. If you aren't already, give it a follow and get all the updates on my stories and art!

-T18/NH