Chapter 4

Fade thought things were going to change. The day after Neon kissed her, the dream seer had been waiting for the duelist's apprehension; her second thoughts. To her surprise (and relief), Neon didn't act any differently towards her. At least, not negatively.

There were more kisses and more meals eaten together. There were more caresses under the table and sleepovers that often ended up with Fade kissing Neon until they both melted. It was nice. Really nice.

Then things started to get hectic around base. There were more mission assignments every day, often sending Fade and every other Valorant agent on back to back reconnaissance or hit missions. Neon was gone most of all though, as any attack on Omega earth required her presence in case the portal ever failed. That left Fade alone more often than not most days. Eventually, the days turned into a week and then a week turned into a few.

Half way through the third week, there was finally a brief meeting explaining the committed pressure Valorant had been applying to their enemies. It was all quite political and Fade didn't very much care. It didn't involve her person; either of her persons for that matter and she'd be required to help regardless of the details.

The only thing that piqued Fade's interest was the promised down time. With so much accomplished in the last few weeks, things were going to slow down. The initiator knew that Neon was going to be excited to unwind. Hopefully she'd find time in between snacking and running to invite Fade over.

That thought was interrupted when the coffee pot in front of the dream seer chirped happily. Her new brew was done. Fade was making her typical concoction, focusing intently on stirring in her sugar, when a familiar buzz in her pocket went off. She knew it was Neon without even looking.

The duelist had been blowing up her phone ever since getting back to base late the night before. Apparently her last mission had gone very well. The spike didn't even get planted and the mirror Neon was "slower than my nana" as the duelist put it. The confidence was adorable. At least from Fade's perspective.

The initiator pulled her phone out as soon as she stepped through her apartment's front door, coffee in hand, "Could someone's brain melt from boredom?"

The ridiculous question made Fade smile until a silent laughter shook her shoulders. She'd been doing that more often thanks to the certain someone currently texting her.

"I don't recommend trying it. We have enough people trying to kill us without us doing it for them, haha," Fade typed back. As she hit send, the dream seer tossed the device on her bed in the corner of her room and retreated to the bathroom. She really wanted a shower, in case Neon stopped by.

Once the hot water cleansed most of Fade's worries from her soul, she returned to her phone on the bed, towel draped over her shoulders. Neon had, of course, replied already, "OH. Yeah…I guess you're right."

Fade frowned at the words on her screen. That was a more serious response than she was expecting. She replied, "Whoa, is everything ok? I was just teasing."

Fade watched the screen typing bubbles appear and disappear several times before Neon finally sent something back, "ah sorry. I'm…just feeling a lot. I can usually shrug off one mission. I know we can handle most things…but then they send us to a second place. Then a third. Every day passes and we don't know anything beyond our fight. It's been hard, Hazal."

Her name. It wasn't the first time that Neon had used it in their private conversations. It was usually filled with such wistful admiration that Fade was starting to love hearing the duelist say it. Reading it though, typed out like that, with such a heaviness that Fade wasn't used too? It was sad. It made Fade feel sad.

"I'm sorry if I made your worry seem insignificant," the dream seer typed out quickly, not wanting to overthink her response.

Neon's reply was much faster this time, "I don't think it's you. it was a long few weeks v.v"

Fade's eyes danced over the words a couple times before sighing heavily. What the duelist was feeling made sense. When was the last time anyone got to leave base for something other than a mission? Surely everything didn't have to be paperwork and missions all the time right?

That gave Fade a really, really good idea. So good, that just the thought alone made the initiator grin. Her fingers moved quickly across her keyboard, "What would you say to getting out of the base for a night? Maybe…with me? :)"

Once again, Neon's reply was almost instant, "Uh YES! Of course. How many rules are we breaking?"

Fade chuckled at Neon's blatant disregard for consequences and shook her head, typing back a response, "We aren't going to break any rules. I'll get Brim to approve it. I have my ways." Sent. Then as an afterthought, "But you'll come? You don't care where I take you?"

"I just got done telling you how bored I've been, stupid. 3 ofc I wanna go. Tmrw?"

Fade sent back a quick affirmation and wished her feisty duelist a goodnight while she cut off the lights. Coffee forgotten, the blackmailed settled into bed. Nightmare was fed plenty the last few days so sleep should come easy. Hopefully her good dreams would too.

Getting Brim to approve Fade's night off request was actually much easier than she had expected. The initiator had gone in with a plan and then some just in case the discussion went south. Turns out the commander was not as stoic as Fade had been made to believe.

She had walked into Brimstone's office, presented the official looking document she'd received via email from Viper that morning, and the gruff commander barely glanced at it before approving it.

"You didn't even look at it," Fade had said, crossing her arms begrudgingly.

"Viper emailed me this morning about it," Brim chuckled, reaching up to scratch at his beard, "She always makes anyone who asks her fill out an official "VP policy PTO' form, but we don't use 'em."

Fade rolled her eyes, letting out a scoff, "That snake."

"The one and only. She means well though," the commander offered, a warm smile on his face, "Seriously though, you're free to leave the base. Just no radiance. From either of you. We're still a secret organization afterall."

Fade's irritated demeanor shifted instantly as soon as Brim reminded her of the upcoming night with Neon, "Understood. I…appreciate the gesture of good faith Brimstone. Really."

"Don't mention it."

The two agents shared a look, and Fade felt the urge to explain more but held back. He didn't need to know how much she'd come to care for the lightning duelist or how terrified she was to feel so many things right now. Even she didn't know what could change after this. So Fade just nodded, letting her feet carry her out of the room before her mouth started making a mess of things.

Fade's steps were hurried as she made it back to her apartment. There was an ever growing list of stuff she still needed to do before tonight, and a quick glance at the clock told her it was already noon. Even as the dream seer typed out the good news to her girlfriend, there was some apprehension lingering in her chest. What if Neon was disappointed with her plans? What if she ended up finding Fade's company awkward outside Valorant? What if Fade didn't act like a good girlfriend?

How is someone supposed to act normal when their whole shtick is devouring fear and talking to an entity of darkness in their mind? Fade sighed hallowly before plopping onto her bed. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"Self loathing is an interesting choice, Hazal," Nightmare grumbled, their voice more uniform from all the feedings. They were always more approachable after they ate, which was, at least to Fade, hilariously human of them.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've hated how fucking weird I am," Fade replied, conjuring a bit of black mist to twirl in between her fingers.

Nightmare was quiet for a few beats, then they chuckled, "Mortals. You are so complex for the sake of it. The lightning girl is lucky to have our blessing. Your self pity is unnecessary."

Fade snorted, "I won't take dating advice from a cryptid. Especially one as cynical as you."

"We are wise," Nightmare insisted, their voice raising in pitch, "We do not understand mortal qualms. But we know emotions. We know them well."

Fade didn't immediately respond, letting the words sink in farther with the silence. Her eyes still watched the black smoke curl down her arm and intertwine with her fingers before banishing it away with a wave, "You make a good point my friend. I will worry if Neon gives me a reason too."

Nightmare hummed approvingly and their presence receded, leaving Fade alone in her room once again. There were still a few things the initiator needed to do before night came and she was done over thinking everything.

Before settling on a task though, Fade glanced at her phone to see if Neon had replied. There was one message from her, "8pm works great! It's a little unreal how excited I am to see you 3"

Fade couldn't stop the way her heart tripped over itself. Fuck. This was really going to happen.

Fade waited as calmly as she could manage for Neon to show up at the plane hangar. Kay/O was tasked with dropping the two off on the outskirts of Turkey. Fade had made a few calls, and one of her contacts was able to squeeze them into the VIP section of his club. It wouldn't be super romantic, but both agents seemed to like music so Fade thought it would be a good way to let loose and connect over something. The initiator hoped Neon agreed. Where was she anyway?

Before those thoughts could take hold, Fade heard footsteps coming from the entrance and turned just in time to see Neon come around the front of the plane. The dream seer was not prepared for what the runner looked like.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Neon started quickly, not noticing the dream seer's wide doe eyes, "I told Jett she didn't have enough time to do my makeup, but she insisted." Once the duelist was close enough, however, she looked up from the bag she'd been digging through. The two agents' eyes met and a concerned look flashed across Neon's face, "You ok?"

The proximity was enough to snap Fade out of her reverie. She cleared her throat and tried to pretend like a blush wasn't climbing up her cheeks, "Yeah, I'm okay. You just. You look…"

Neon glanced down at herself and then back up again, "I look fine for where we're going right?"

"You look downright electrifying," Fade murmured quickly, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. Neon was causing something primal to stir in the blackmailer's belly. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but that was probably because Neon was such a sight to behold right now.

Neon had swapped out her normal sports bra for a warm, yellow crop top, leaving her tantalizing midriff exposed for Fade's eyes to roam over. Her usual gloves were swapped over for some soft, purple, fingerless ones. Neon's legging remained pretty much the same, but complimented her color palette by being a deep blue. The mentioned make up only accented Neon's gorgeous eyes and bright hair color, which Fade noticed had been styled in the typical pigtails.

Overall, the outfit felt as outstanding as any other girls club outfit. However, Fade knew that it was because Neon was wearing it on their date that made it special.

"That's so corny," Neon laughed, still smiling nonetheless with a small blush, "but thank you."

Fade buried the embers in her belly for now and took Neon's hand into hers, "You're most welcome, love. I hope you're ready to dance."

"There's going to be dancing?!" Neon exclaimed, following Fade into the plane. Once inside, Kay/O briefly filled the two agents in on their coordinates and arrival time, keeping it vague at Fade's behest, then took off towards Turkey.

The ride over passed quickly as Neon pestered the dream seer with question after question, trying to get more clues about their destination, but Fade gave none. Then their conversation turned over to talking about their week's worth of missions. It was the easiest thing to discuss since both agents knew how hard the week had been. However, once the two women disembarked from the plane, their talk quickly fizzled out.

Not because it was awkward or anything. Just because the night was so beautiful and the atmosphere was so comfortable. Also because Fade had to drive them from the desert to the club in downtown Istanbul.

Once the cityscape surrounded the car and they were minutes from their destination, Neon finally asked another question, "Are we close enough that I can know where we're going yet?"

"I suppose there's no use in hiding now," Fade glanced over and smiled at her girlfriend when she squealed in delight, "An old contact of mine owns a club downtown. It's an invite only place, but I cut him a deal to get us VIP."

Neon's mouth dropped, "Nagbibiro ka. No way! You got us VIP?"

"It wasn't that hard, Tala. I'd do more for you if I could."

"Well," Neon offered, reaching over to squeeze Fade's thigh, "I'm twice as excited now."

The movement did not go unnoticed by the initiator. She desperately wanted to mimic the action to Neon, but decided to keep her hands to herself for now. With luck, there would be time for that later.

Just as expected, Fade pulled up to the club's valet after just a few more stops and turns. She left the keys with club staff, and before Neon could gush again about the luxury, Fade quickly pulled her inside the clubs' velvet doors. The bouncer didn't even look their way, although all the people waiting in the long line did.

Inside, there was just one more set of doors before they reached the club's interior. Fade turned to Neon and offered an excited grin before pushing the last door open, "Welcome to Karanlık Ritim"

It was almost too good watching Neon react to the club's inside. The main dancefloor room was entirely too crowded, with only the area around the doors having room to move. The lights that hung from the ceiling were plenty hues of red, blacks, and whites, and they flickered along with the pulsing electronic beats. There was a bar on either side of the room as well as booths and tables. On the far side of the room, opposite the entrance, girls danced in the middle of red waterfalls. Their clothes did not leave much to the imagination.

Fade found herself watching Neon take it all in, even as people continued to brush past them. When the duelist finally looked over, her contagious grin was back, "This is so cool!"

"I'm glad you like it! Let's get to our section!" Fade shouted back, leading Neon towards the dancing girls. In between the two entertainers was the DJ booth. Then, just behind him, was the spiral stairs that led to the VIP floor. The bouncer manning the stairs, barely flinched when Fade approached and quickly waved them up.

The second floor of the club was much like the first, only there were a lot less people. Still some of course, since there were plenty of rich bastards in Istanbul's inner city, but the area to dance in was much more open. Also, like the downstairs area, there was still a bar on both sides of the room and girl entertainers dancing on red lit fountains.

Fade's eyes caught her code name on the closest table to the stairs and brought Neon over to it, "This will be us for the night!"

"You didn't tell me you knew how to party!" Neon exclaimed, dropping her bag into the booth, head bobbing to the beat, "You're always so serious!"

Fade laughed and shook her head, "I was much more rambunctious as a teen. It's hard not to be drawn to places like this."

"I see the appeal. This place is sick," Neon said, gaze moving across the rows of lights and speakers on the ceiling, "I've never seen anything quite this fancy."

"Seen one underground club, you've seen them all. Trust me."

"If you say so."

Fade felt herself cringe at how bad she just cut that conversation off and shook her head. She was going to have to relax a little if this was going to be fun. The initiator gestured to the drink menu on their table, "Do you want a drink? It's on me of course."

Neon head snapped away from the dance floor and she frowned, "As if I'm letting you pay for my drinks when you've set all this up."

"They know me here. They might even waive the price altogether. It's no trouble," Fade insisted, trying to reassure Neon with a small smile.

"But…"

"No buts," Fade cut in, walking over to hold Neon's chin into her fingers, "I'll be spoiling you tonight, ok?"

The duelist's cheeks flamed at Fade's hold on her face, but she nodded nonetheless and lifted herself up just an inch to kiss the blackmailer, "Okay. Something fruity."

"Right away," Fade purred before pulling away and walking to the bar. She ordered herself a White Russian and Neon the first drink with strawberry rum in it she saw. It was called a smash punch or something. Fade didn't very much care. The bartender, of course, knew who she was and requested no payment for the tab. The lady was actually fairly skilled and made the two requested drinks at the same time.

Fade made a mental note to tell her client about this amazing bartender, and then made her way back to her waiting girlfriend.

Neon was seated this time, but her body was still swaying to the plunky wubs saturating the air. If nothing else, the music was damn good in this club. Fade slid into the booth next to her girlfriend and offered her the red beverage, which the latter took with much excitement.

The next hour was filled with light touches and light conversation. The music overhead continued to bang out heavy synth sounds, killer drums and Neon complimented it often.

Fade made sure to keep the drinks light since they didn't wanna be wasted, lest Brimstone flay them alive for being irresponsible. Of course, that didn't stop Fade from getting Neon another drink whenever she asked.

When the dream seer returned and set the third drink down, a new song started playing overhead and Neon got this look in her eyes, "Hey, since you've been to like a hundred clubs," The duelist started lazily, sliding out of the booth and approaching Fade, "Does that mean you know how to dance?"

Fade's belly curled at Neon's tone and a cocky smile overtook her face, "Most definitely."

"Modesty suits you," Neon said slowly, still letting her words fall lazily out of her mouth, "Dance with me then?"

The runner leaned back to watch Fade nod, to which she walked the initiator out onto the dance floor by her hand. Her eyes never left Fade's heterochromic ones. As soon as the music felt like it was right on top of them, Neon started to move.

If the blackmailer thought Neon looked breathtaking before, Neon's dancing was that feeling times ten. There was so much confidence in the fluidity of her hips, or the way her arms would touch and wave in different ways. Neon bit her lip when Fade's eyes dipped for just a second and that was all it took to get the initiator involved.

The song that was playing shook the room with bass, but Fade didn't even notice with Neon's hips in her hands. The duelist used the new closeness to snake her arms around Fade's neck and that anchored both agents together so they moved as one with the music.

Fade leaned down to press a kiss against Neon's throat before laughing darkly, "You're dangerous, you know that?"

"Dangerous?" Neon asked coyly, "I have no idea what you mean."

"I think you do," Fade insisted, nipping the skin at the junction between Neon's neck and shoulder. The duelist whimpered softly at the action and the embers in Fade's stomach quickly reignited, "I think you've got quite a plan up your sleeve."

Neon let out a breathy laugh and spun around so her back was flush against her girlfriend's front. Fade felt Neon hold one of her hands firm against her swishing hips and the other pulled teasingly at her hair.

When she bent down to chase the duelists tugging, Neon tilted her head back just enough so her lips panted hotly against Fade's ear. She murmured after a few beats, "I may be insinuating your luck later tonight."

"Is my luck high?"

"If you keep touching me like this," Neon breathed out, her eyes fluttering shut when Fade's hand skimmed the skin under her shirt, "Most definitely."

The initiator swallowed the growl that wanted to escape her throat at Neon's breathy words and planted more kisses along the runner's ears and jaw. The two agents kept swaying together, lost in each other and the pulsing red lights.

As soon as the song started to slow down, Fade turned Neon back around and hoisted her up to carry back to their booth. The duelist instinctively wrapped her legs around Fade's waist. They shared quite a few messy kisses before the initiator plopped Neon right on the table, the requested drink forgotten, and probably spilling behind them.

"You're driving me crazy," Fade muttered, pulling back to watch Neon's hooded eyes flutter again. Her lips were glistening from spit and her skin was a little sticky from dancing.

"I feel the same way," Neon replied, licking her lips, "Ever since that night, it's never been the right time. More missions. More training. More meetings. I've just…missed you."

"That's our job, Tala. Valorant will be back in the morning."

Neon frowned, "I know that!"

"I'm sorry I didn't–," Fade tried.

"No, no," Neon interrupted, "Don't apologize. You're right. I'm just being a baby. But–"

This time Fade shook her head and cut in, "Not here. Let's go home."

Neon licked her lips again and then nodded, "Okay."