I want to apologize for the space between updates. I know this used to update pretty consistently, and I hope to get cracking on quicker updates once my other writing project's finished. It's actually for a Saints Row Big Bang that's running until August, and as soon as that's done I'm definitely going to see about posting it here too if I can. So, thank you all for sticking with me and the story, especially after this long. I seriously appreciate it.
As for this chapter, this was originally part of a fic with a happy and sad take on the prompt "Perfect". It's on the shorter side, but I couldn't resist including it here.
Post-SR3, but before IV.
The television was on when Troy came home. It was on one of the channels he switched to when he didn't need to overthink or be reminded of what crossed his desk just that morning, and the movie playing right now was one he and V had seen at least four or five times by now.
Gunfire rang out, loud as the hero continued their one-man rampage, but V didn't notice. She was asleep, balled up on one corner of the couch, and Troy wasn't sure how she managed to do it. Only pure exhaustion left him able to tune any of that out, and he put his coat and briefcase down before placing a hand on her shoulder.
It didn't take much to wake her up, just a gentle nudge. Her eyes scanned the room, looking everywhere until they settled on him. "Hey." He almost didn't catch it as he watched her angle her head towards him. "Early night?"
"As early as they come. Would've been here sooner if I'd known you'd be waiting, though."
"Finished all of my shit early too," she said with a yawn. "And…the others wanted to relax by throwing a party, but I wasn't feeling it." She blinked up at him, and her hand covered his. "Turning in?"
"Not yet." Troy gestured towards the couch. "Room for one more?"
The corner of V's mouth curved up, and she gave his sleeve a small tug. "You bet, Chief."
He sat down next to her, her hand still on his sleeve, and when she tugged his arm around her he pulled her close. Her hair tickled his nose, and he brushed it away before pressing a kiss to her head.
He missed this. He'd missed a lot of things, but having her close like this topped the list. With half her time spent here and over in Steelport, it just wasn't possible to get her to sit still as often as he used to, and he didn't want to waste a single second of it. Not when he was able to get her to slow down, just for a bit.
Troy's fingers ran through her hair as he listened to her relax, drawing that faint hum, almost too silent to catch. The arm around his middle went slack as the movie approached the end, but when he tried to adjust their position, he felt V's grip tighten. "Troy?"
Her voice was sleepy, and he wished he'd stayed still. "Yeah?"
"Sorry."
He frowned. "For what?"
"For not calling ahead. Should've warned you."
"About being home? No reason to." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and tried to calm the feeling rising in his gut. "I'm just glad that this shit gave you a break tonight so you wouldn't have to stay up to settle it." He waited a second, then spoke again. "Party or no party. Tempting as it is."
"I hear you. And I've got a place to crash out there, but it's just not the same, you know?"
Sleeping alone? V returned the squeeze, and he shook his head. "No, it's not."
"The next few days are looking good, though. Easy stuff, nothing like the fucking mess that went down last month. Should be able to sleep through an entire night for once. Won't have to wake you up by shuffling around either. Should be nice, right? To be able to sleep pressure-free without a care in the world?"
Her tone was light, and Troy couldn't bring himself to match it. "With you there? Yeah."
She sat up and placed her chin on his chest, peering up at him. The light from the television didn't travel far – neither did the light in the hall – but he could see her face perfectly. The way her lips tried to pull up into a smile, but fell just short of it.
"You know what we should do?" he asked, getting the idea out before he lost the nerve. "Get away for a little while."
"Away? Like a vacation?" She tilted her head, and eyed him, but when he didn't change his response, her eyes widened. "You're serious."
"Yeah, I'm serious." He was expecting the skepticism, but the unsure look that followed made him mull over his words before continuing. "Somewhere with a little more sun, and a little less bureaucratic bullshit. Just you and me."
"You and me?"
"We'll wrap things up before we go, but…yeah. You and me."
Curiosity flickered across her face. "Easier said than done, you know," she said, chewing on her lip. "Escaping."
"Sure, but there's no reason not to try, right?"
V's teeth left her bottom lip as she considered him, but unlike before, Troy didn't see that uncertainty. Not in her eyes, or in the soft smile she came to wear. "No. Not at all."