Chapter Text
Wednesday, 25 May 2078 | 9:52
It had been a week since they spent the night under the stars in Rocky Ridge. V had been playing around with ideas of how to revive the ghost town, and so far most of their friends and family had come on board in one way or another.
Joss worked in Rancho Coronado, and she was up for moving out there, it wasn't too far from her work. Dakota was down with anything V planned, just happy that the area would finally be cleared out properly and safe.
V also miraculously convinced Judy to stay; she had been determined to leave Night City and settle with her grandparents in Oregon. Judy wanted to get away from Night City itself, and renovating Rocky Ridge meant she could do just that, without actually leaving.
V had a few more contacts she wanted to brainstorm with.
River, for his part, lined up several new PI clients, but still somehow found time during the week to work on their new home, too. The fence was the first to go down, and in its place River installed a state-of-the-art barrier.
Well, technically, River was just the muscle, it would be down to V or Randy to activate the security system. He would probably short circuit himself and everything in the vicinity if he tried.
River was content to focus on the handyman jobs; it gave him something to do when work or V wasn’t around to keep his demons at bay. John was getting too old to maintain the property so there was always something to tinker at.
Debris and rusted vehicles were piled up at the back of the house, and the structure itself needed work. Some of the beams and walls had to be reinforced. Both the exterior and interior could do with a coat of paint as well.
The only problem? Renovations weren’t cheap and it was already costing a pretty penny just to get their new home livable. But River figured there was no rush, although the lack of funds was dampening his enthusiasm just a bit.
It was early morning and V was sitting in the lounge of their home in the trailer park, sipping a hot mug of coffee and enjoying the warmth of the sun through the window. Dressed in one of River’s oversized T’s and a pair of panties. It was too hot for anything else.
River was working on a new PI case. Murdered wife and all the evidence pointed to the husband, who claimed to be innocent. It was a tricky one.
"Babe”, he called from his office, “would you be able to look at the fence today?" The Raffen Shiv hadn't returned to the area but he didn't want to take any chances either way.
"Sure, Riv, later this afternoon okay? I've got a few contracts to finalize at Afterlife first”.
"Preem, I should be done by then as well, we can go together. I need to take a few measurements while I'm there”.
"Sounds like a plan".
“I'm heading into NC soon, need a ride?"
“Nah no need, I have a few other errands to run as well and I want to pop by Judy’s, too. I'll arrange for Del to pick me up."
V took another sip of her coffee. Her eyes flashed blue while she made a transfer. Five seconds later River made a sound that could only be described as shrieking, followed by a curse. V nearly spat her coffee out as she tried to contain a laugh.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
"You okay, babe?" she called in his general direction, mustering as innocent a tone as she could.
He appeared in the doorway, just wearing his pyjama pants. Naked torso all muscle and skin and heat. "Mind explaining to me why I just got a transfer for 2.5 million eddies?“
V casually took another sip, not breaking eye contact and looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "I sold the mansion in Watson yesterday".
"What? Why?"
“For the Rocky Ridge renovations”.
“Babe, you didn't have to do that, not for my silly dream”, he was rubbing his forehead as if trying to relieve a piercing headache.
V unfolded herself off the couch and walked up to him, wrapped her arms low around his waist. God, he was so beautiful.
“First of all. It's not a silly dream, so jot that down…”
“But..”, River protested.
“No, buts, River. This is something good . We deserve to have something good; Night City deserves something good. And second, we haven't been to the mansion in seven months, haven’t lived there in eight. We weren't happy there, remember? The city, that place and all its memories tore us apart. We can't allow the past to keep us hostage".
“Yeah but still. I can't accept it V”. River knew she was right, though. He didn't even want to think of when he almost lost her, and the mansion was just a reminder of how close he came to that.
“It's not yours to accept, you gonk. It's yours . Period. It's mine. It's ours, “ V said with such conviction that River was falling in love with her all over again. “Other than it being tacky and so not our style, that place costs me in upkeep every month anyway. An’ besides, Rogue came to me with the offer”.
“Rogue, huh? Thought she's done with Night City?”
“Rogue’ll never be done with NC,” V said with a chuckle. “And as much as Johnny loves to pretend he hates it here, the fucker is in love with the city too.
“For real?”.
“Yep, we shared a brain, 'member? He can't pull a fast lie on me if his life depended on it”.
River roared with laughter. Would be interesting to see the rocker boy again, he mused. He’s not that fond of the man, but Johnny is important to V and River knows that’s a bond he can never compete with. They haven’t spent any time together since Johnny returned from the Blackwall. It would center V to have Johnny around, River is not going to pretend otherwise.
‘Sides, being with V during those first few months meant Johnny was part of the package too, whether either man wanted it or not. River won’t go so far as to say he was in a relationship with a dude, but it’s pretty much what it came down to, they were all in it together.
V interrupted his thoughts. “Speaking of, they'll be back next week. Rogue’s gonna call you about a gig. Needs to track down someone, I didn't ask for details”.
“Where would I be without you, hmm?”
V shrugged and with that gave him a slow, deep kiss that took his breath away. “Lost, I bet”. She squeezed his ass with one hand, the other still wrapped around his neck. “Now get back to work before I cancel all my appointments and, you know…” V trailed off as she ran her finger across his jaw, down his neck and over his pecs.
She began to pull away, still needed to get dressed before Delamain showed up, but River had her trapped in his arms. “No fair, V”, he growled and the look he gave her made her head spin, made her so damn wet for him. The same look he gave her when they came down from the water tower the first night they spent together after she pushed him against Randy’s trailer and a pair of bystanders interrupted them.
River pushed V against the wall. “I’m not ready to let you go just yet”, he whispered and she could feel his hot breath on her ear. He slid his hand down to her body, gripping her leg and wrapping it around him while the rest of him had her pinned against the wall. V gasped. This new angle allowed her to feel how hard he was getting.
River gave her a predatory smile and rolled his hips against her, so damn slow but with enough pressure to make V’s heart skip several beats. “You’re gonna have… fuck… you’re gonna have to be quick, Del will be here soon”.
She struggled to form the words and used her hands instead, pushing his pyjama pants down over his sculpted hips and giving his hard cock a few strokes that made him grunt and bite his bottom lip. She lined him up to her core and he could feel the slickness of her cunt. The sensation made him slam his hand into the wall next to her.
He pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and whispered, “Yes, ma’am”. With that, he slid into her to the hilt, in one smooth motion that made V moan sinfully. River desperately needed to hear that sound again and thrust into her harder while building up a rhythm.
V had one hand on River’s ass, trying to pull him as close to her as she could, while her other hand slid between their bodies. She pressed the pad of her palm against her clit – easy to do because River had her spread wide, one leg still around him – while positioning her index finger and middle finger on either side of his cock and squeezed.
Her fingers added extra pressure on his cock every time he thrust into her, while her palm provided the friction she needed against her clit. V loved the way River practically lost his mind whenever she did that, and he wasn’t even trying to keep his moans from ripping through his chest.
V is convinced it was the way he growled her name that pushed her over the edge, and he fucked her through the ecstasy without letting up, only slowing down to kiss her deeply. With his one hand still gripping her leg, he moved the other hand to her lower back and pulled her into him while picking up the pace again.
River bucked his hips against her, thrusting deep while she edged him closer, encouraging him to cum in her, whispering in his ear how she wanted to hear him moan her name as he filled her, his future wife . The last part tipped River over the edge, and V’s heart nearly shattered hearing him grunt “Valerie” in her ear.
“Fuck…” River breathed hard, struggling to find his words. “Sure I can’t convince you to stay in today?”
She laughed. “Gonna have to wait 'till later, handsome. We got shit to do.”