3

Kerry took one final bow before the screaming crowd. His tour had finally come to a close. Tomorrow morning he would be on an AV back to Night City for a well deserved rest. Just like after any concert, his body was in overdrive. He'd been checking out the guys in the first few rows, and found a couple he wouldn't mind taking back to the hotel with him.

Lucky for him, one of them was waiting in the crowd outside the backstage door. Muscular, stubble on his square jaw, dark eyes. They flirted back and forth while Kerry signed a few autographs.

"Can I get a photo?" He asked Kerry.

He gave the man a sly smile, "if you're game, I'll give you more than a photo."

"That so?" They leaned in and he snapped the picture. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Hop in, my suite back at the hotel is a great place to… take pictures." Kerry winked and pointed towards his limo.

"Please jack in to confirm your reservation, sir." The receptionist pointed to the personal link terminal.

V did as requested and the receptionist's optics lit up.

"Thank you," she smiled and handed him a datashard. "Your room is on the 23rd floor. The elevator is to your right. Please, enjoy your stay."

V nodded and turned towards the elevator. There were two men already waiting at the doors. The taller one had his arm around the other's shoulders.

It took V longer than it should have to notice the signature leather vest, the tattoos, the sunglasses. But when he did, his breath caught and he felt pain in his chest.

Kerry Eurodyne was standing in front of him, his arm around another man's shoulders. Kerry looked healthy. He could see a smile on his lips when he turned to look at the other guy.

V wanted to be happy. He wanted Kerry to move on, to be happy. But he felt his stomach drop. Maybe he shouldn't have come to Chicago after all. Panam had tried to tell him it wasn't a great idea but he'd refused to listen. Desperate to make sure Kerry was alright.

A ding signalled the arrival of the elevator and V heard the door slide open.

"You getting on, kid?"

V looked up. The guy Kerry was with was waving him into the elevator. His eyes flicked over to Kerry, leaning against the handrail. He seemed unusually interested in his shoes.

"Uh, thanks, I'll catch the next one." V said sheepishly and stepped back.

When he finally got up to his room, V collapsed on the bed. He should have taken a shower, he'd been on the road for a few days. Phoenix was a long way from Chicago.

V hadn't realized he'd dozed off when a ping on his holo woke him up. It was a text from Kerry.

V, I'm sorry for earlier. Nothing happened, I swear. Can we talk?

His stomach fluttered as an authorization code downloaded into his soft. He got up and walked over to the door but stopped, hand hovering over the lock panel. Was this a conversation he was prepared to have? When he got here, sure. But now, after seeing Kerry's smile as he waited for the elevator, V questioned himself.

Sitting back down on the bed, he opened the message and sent a response.

No need to apologize, Kerry. I want you to be happy. I should be the one saying sorry. Maybe I'll see you around?

He dialed up Panam after he sent the message.

"V?" She answered almost right away. "Everything alright? Did you make it to the hotel?"

"Relax, Pan. I'm fine, yeah. Just wanted to call and say that you were right."

There was a pause on the other end.

"Panam?"

"V, what happened?"

He sighed. "I ended up checking in at the hotel just as Kerry was getting back to the hotel."

"Ok, that sounds like a good thing. Did you talk to him?"

It was his turn to pause. The silence hung for a long moment before he took a breath. "He was… with someone."

Panam gasped. "Oh, fuck. V, I'm sorry."

V shook his head, "It's fine, Panam. Yeah, I'm sad and maybe a little hurt, but I wanted him to move on. And it seems like he has."

"But-"

"I have to remind myself that what felt like a blink for me, was four months for everyone else. It makes sense. Anyway, I'm going to get some sleep. I'll probably book an AV home. Don't think I'm up to the road trip back."

"Alright, V. We'll see you when you get back."

Kerry sat on the edge of the bed and stared at V's response. Sure, he was happy enough. But he still held a lot of feelings for V - platonic and otherwise. Maybe there was a way to salvage the situation and come out as friends?

With a deep breath, he called V. After what seemed like ages, the call went to voicemail.

"V, hey. Listen. I am happy. But, I've missed you. Please. Please come up and talk to me. I- I need to see your face. Things are… complicated right now. Bye."

He hung up and pushed himself off the bed. Walking out onto the balcony, he couldn't help but admire the skyline. It was so similar to Night City's yet so different. Sirens could be heard somewhere off in the distance.

V was here, in Chicago. Kerry still couldn't believe it. He wished that he hadn't tried to bring Carter back to the hotel. Maybe V would have been more willing to talk if his first glimpse of Kerry in almost a year hadn't been him with his arm around some groupie's shoulders.

Kerry shivered and goosebumps formed across his exposed arms as a strong breeze came in off the lake. It was called the Windy City for a reason.

"Fuck, V." He shook his head and turned to go back inside the suite, but froze in his tracks. How had he not heard the elevator? Or the door to the balcony open and close?

V was standing in the doorway. The city lights gently illuminating his face and reflecting in his bright green eyes. Kerry's jaw nearly dropped at how gorgeous his ex-input looked.

For a moment, the two men just stood there, gazes locked. Finally V looked away, his hand nervously massaging the back of his neck.

"Hey, Kerry." His voice was soft, almost inaudible over the sounds floating up from below.

"V, hey." He took a step towards the other. "It's, uh, good to see you."

V gave Kerry a half smile, "likewise. So, what'd you want to talk to me about?"

Kerry's mind was blank. "I… don't remember."

A confused look crossed V's face. "You don't remember?" Kerry had to think of something quick. An excuse or something, but he was flustered.

"You look a lot better than the last couple messages you left for me," the rockerboy turned back to the railing and focused on the way the lights reflected on the surface of Lake Michigan.

"I'm sorry, Ker." V came and leaned on the railing next to him. "I should have called more. But… I didn't want you to see me like that. I thought a clean break would be easier for both of us."

Surprisingly, V's words stung deep in Kerry's heart. "For both of us, V?" He watched out of the corner of his eye as V bowed his head, a pained look on his face. "I was worried sick about you. The first couple months you were gone, I was a mess, living in the bottom of a bottle."

"Ker-"

"After you left me that message that you were going to try to be at the show in Phoenix, I finally started to get my shit together again. But it felt like I was lying to myself. And doubting you. You looked rough, I wasn't sure if you'd live long enough to make it to the show. The day you left for Reno and left me a message, I could have cried I was so happy. But then I saw that you looked worse than before. And I- I-" He buried his face in his hands, tears threatening to spill over.

It was quiet for a long moment before V spoke, in a barely audible whisper. "Huh, so Johnny was right."

Kerry's ears perked up a little. "Johnny? What's he got to do with any of this?"

V smiled and opened the door. "I'll tell you, but let's go inside. That wind is cold."

Kerry sat on the sofa and V took the chair across from him.

"So, spill."

"That operation in Reno, when I went under, I apparently was jacked back into the net and hit with Soulkiller again. Like in Mikoshi. And, you remember how I told you about talking to Johnny and all that?" Kerry nodded and V continued. "Well, it was the same this time, but also different. Mikoshi is gone, but pieces of it still exist. I saw Johnny, talked to him. He figured you still cared about me to some extent. Even though we split before I left. Something about the way you looked at me?"

Kerry shook his head, "fucking Johnny. Can still read me like a book after all these years. But you seriously doubted if I still cared about you, V?"

V's cheeks turned slightly pink and he looked away. The rockerboy thought it was cute.

"I should get back to my room. I need to shower and book my flight back to Phoenix." V stood and took a step towards the door.

Kerry also stood and put his hand on V's shoulder, "wait, V. Um, don't book anything. I've got a private AV coming in the morning. I can have it stop in Phoenix on the way back to NC."

"Oh, uh, alright. Sure. Thanks, Ker. I'll send you some eddies to cover the extra distance."

"Eh, don't worry about it, V. It's my pleasure."

He let go of V's shoulder and watched as the door slid open and then closed. It wasn't quite the outcome he'd hoped for, but he got to see V. For now, that was enough.