The Morning After

The morning sun broke in through cracked blinds, illuminating the room and lighting up the dust particles floating in the air. A window-mounted AC unit kicked on, causing Miz to stir. Her head was pounding with the dull roar, the sounds sharpening. As her eyes opened, the room came into focus; this was not her apartment. She shot up from the bed, her head reminding her what a bad idea that was as she winced, reaching up to massage her temples. The room was decorated in the fashion of a teenage boy; sports posters, band posters, athletic trophies, and other odds and ends. The clock in her HUD read 08:27.

Miz looked over, finding the other side of the bed undisturbed. She gripped the sheet covering her, pulling it up as she fought to piece together the events leading up to this moment. The fog in her brain wouldn't let up. She looked at the edge of the bed, finding her pants neatly folded under her jacket, next to a pair of clean gym shorts, not hers. What the fuck happened last night?

The last thing she remembered was the music; she had grabbed Billy and pulled him to the floor in front of the stage. They were dancing, and then it hit her; the kiss. She felt her lips as the shock of the kiss set in, and she blushed. Everything else beyond that was a blur.

She pulled herself up and out of the bed, struggling to find her balance as she reached for a bed post to lean against. She adjusted her bandeau top, fitting everything back in its proper place. Once she was steady on her feet, she reached for the gym shorts, bending over to put them on before losing her balance again. She laughed quietly to herself, unable to remember the last time she was this hungover.

Resigned to sitting on the floor of the room, she slid the shorts on, shifting up to pull them to her waist. They were entirely too big, barely hanging on her hips as she pulled the drawstring as tight as she could in a knot. She reached up to the bed post and pulled herself back to her feet, still having trouble with her equilibrium. She stood still for a few seconds, taking deep breaths as she stabilized.

Feeling confident in her ability to walk a straight line, she made her way to bedroom door. She carefully turned the knob of the old wooden door, the frame and hinges creaking as it swung open. She exited the room and found herself at the end of a hallway adorned with framed paintings and family photos hung on the walls. As she stepped quietly, the hallway opened up into another large room with several couches and a TV on a stand. She stopped dead in her tracks; there was a large male body stretched out on one of the couches, covered in a blanket, a tuft of dirty blonde hair sticking out from underneath. Light snores emanated from the body as it shifted, the blanket raising and lowering with his breathing.

Miz was careful to walk deliberately with light footsteps as she made her way through the room. She reached an arched entrance to the kitchen, where she was met with the smell of fresh real coffee from an old coffee pot sitting on the counter. The kitchen window was cracked open framed on either side by paisley curtains flowing with a breeze coming in, and Liv was standing in front of it, her back to Miz, a lit cigarette in her cybernetic hand. A sudden wave of bashfulness washed over Miz, she couldn't explain why; she tried to turn around and leave before Liv called out to her quietly, "Good mornin', sunshine."

Miz turned, cheeks flashing hot with embarrassment as she rubbed her eyes and answered sheepishly, "G-good morning..."

Liv turned around, exhaling smoke through her nostrils as she smiled, her eyes bright. Whatever power this woman held, Miz immediately felt at ease, but still shy. Liv placed the cigarette back in her mouth and stepped over to grab the coffee pot and a clean white cup as she said, "Y'all certainly had some fun last night."

Miz didn't know if she could blush any harder. She just wanted to bury her head in the sand. Liv giggled quietly, turning to hand her the warm cup as she continued, "Have a seat, please. Can I make you some breakfast?"

Miz graciously took the cup as she answered, "I-I'm okay. I'm sorry... I don't know what happened last night."

Liv smiled again, "You were both pretty out of it after that last set. Dancin' and drink will do that."

Miz took a seat at the island in the kitchen, careful to not make too much noise with the chair scraping against the vinyl tile. She took a sip of the coffee with a groan of satisfaction. Liv stood across the island from her, setting down a small glass of water and two red pills, "Here, this should take the edge off."

Miz set the cup down, grabbing the pills and the water. She knocked them both back, already feeling better just being in the presence of this shining star of a woman. Liv turned back to the window, returning with an ashtray and a softpack as she nodded. Miz almost felt ashamed and started to decline before Liv cut her off, "Sugar, please, make yourself at home."

Miz smiled as she pulled a cigarette from the softpack and lit it. Her head rushed with the usual buzz as she exhaled smoke, closing her eyes for a second. Much better.

Liv took a sip from her own coffee cup and asked, "How'd you sleep?"

Miz didn't know how to answer. She was out cold until a few minutes ago. Good? Like a ton of bricks? She quietly answered, "I think I slept okay. I'm sorry, everything's kind of a blur at the moment."

She sat in silence for a minute before she asked an embarrassing question, "Uh... has Billy been on the couch all night?"

Liv laughed softly and answered, "Well, I only got home an hour or so after y'all left. You were already tucked in snug. So unless you're just that quick, I'd reckon he didn't lay a finger on you last night."

Miz blushed and cracked a smile. She had already jumped him once, and she would do it again, but it was nice to know that he still respected her. She said, "You've done a really good job with him, Mrs. Barrett."

"It's just Liv, darlin'; no need to be so formal", she insisted, "Boys will be boys, but I did the best I could with him."

Miz laughed, "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this, y'know, waking up in someone else's home."

Oh. My. GOD. She looked down and suddenly realized in that moment that she was sitting basically half naked in someone else's kitchen. She crossed her arms to try and cover herself, but Liv just giggled and said, "Sugar, you act like you're the only person ever woke up in a stranger's home after a night on the town? There's nothin' to be embarrassed about; nothin' to apologize for."

Miz was reassured, but still felt awkward about it all. She took another sip of coffee, followed by a long drag of her cigarette.

Liv stood against the counter with both arms, holding the same authority she had while manning the bar the night before and asked with a smirk, "So... how long have you and Billy been... figurin' it out?"

Miz nearly choked on her coffee. Jesus, lady!

She managed to recover while Liv had a good laugh as she answered, careful of what details she divulged, "We actually only met a few days ago. We were on a job together."

Liv followed up, "A job like last night?"

Miz saw there was no way of pulling one over on this woman. A streetwise bartender in Night City was a force to be reckoned with. She considered her words for a moment before she asked, "How much do you know about what Billy's doing since he moved to Watson?"

Liv shrugged, "Well, he moved out 3 months ago, sayin' he was lookin' for work. In our calls, he mentioned he'd crewed up with some hotshot fixer in the H10 block. Somethin' about protection gigs?"

Miz was more comfortable talking about this than anything else. She filled in the blanks, "He was hired muscle on a fixer's crew. The fixer runs all business coming in and out of the block. Since not all of the business is above board, the fixer hires muscle and enforcers to protect his interests."

Liv took a drag and exhaled, "Makes sense."

Miz continued, "We were given a job with bad information; at the front of the job, the fixer insisted we take one of his crew along, so he tagged Billy for the job since he was the newest member of the crew."

Liv interjected, "Build up his bona fides, get him some mileage with an experienced edgerunner crew."

Smart woman. Miz kept going, "Exactly. Except the real job for Billy was the fixer wanted him to monitor and record everything we did. The job itself was a bust. The fixer wanted to zero us along with a group of scavs so he could take over the whole mess."

"Sounds like a real piece of work", Liv scoffed, "So, Billy obviously didn't do what he was told."

Miz smiled, "He didn't record a thing. The job was a mess, but we got out of there okay. Billy came clean about it all on the way back."

Liv returned the smile, "Honest to a fault, that boy. Guess I did okay with him... so, where do you come in?"

Miz looked down, "He uh... I was caught out in the open. Dead to rights. Billy stuck his neck out... he saved my life."

Liv leaned in, "So you jumped him?"

Miz shot up, shocked at the bluntness, her cheeks flashed red. Liv laughed, "Ain't no shame in it, sugar. But I saw last night the way he looks at you. He's had a taste, and he wants more. So what about you?"

For the first time, Miz didn't hesitate, not even a little, "I'm not one for opening up to people. But, I feel safe with him. Especially seeing him in his element last night."

"Family's important to him", Liv remarked, "And judgin' by the look on your face, that's a trait you've seen in someone else you hold in high regard."

Miz looked down at her coffee. Liv had hit the nail on the head. In a lot of ways, Billy was just like Pops. Honest, kind, but willing to fight for the people he loves.

Liv reached over and squeezed Miz's hand reassuringly as she smiled and said, "And for what it's worth, he needs a strong woman like you. Someone who's not afraid to take what she wants."

Miz looked up to meet Liv's eyes, the same as Billy's, and she gave a slight smile. Liv continued, "I can tell you care about him; and that's all a mother needs to know."

Miz began to feel tears forming at the edges of her eyes. Liv let go of her hand, placing a finger over her lips as she looked over Miz's shoulder.

Billy walked in from the den, stretching overhead with a loud groan and a yawn. He placed a hand on Miz's waist as he leaned around and pecked her on the cheek, "Mm. Mornin'."

Miz's nose wrinkled, her face threading flashed pink for a second, and she smiled. He made his way around, giving Liv a peck on the cheek as well before turning to the coffee pot like a camel to water. He poured himself a cup and turned, taking a sip, to see smiles and both pairs of eyes locked on him. He spoke one word, "What?"

Ya gonk.

--

Pops stood by the open window of his apartment, coffee in one hand, lit cigarette in the other. He reached up, placing the warm cup against his head and rolling it side to side. He was getting too old for this shit. As much fun as they all had, his partying days were long behind him. But, for what it was worth, he had no regrets. They got the job done, everyone came out okay, they got paid and then some, and there was the prospect of new work. And he made a new friend.

He smiled to himself as he looked down. Liv Barrett was a remarkable woman, and it explained how Billy came to be the equally remarkable young man he was. Pops had to admit, he was duly impressed with how Billy had handled himself the night before. That was the first time the crew had really seen him in action. The Waterfront job, he was more of a support role, just learning the ropes. A little bit of spit and polish, Pops thought, and Billy would make a fine edgerunner.

The smile was short-lived as Pops felt a tinge of guilt, Mei crossing into his mind. He brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag with a deep exhale. He missed her more and more every day. It didn't matter what anyone said, he would always blame himself just a little bit for not being there to save her.

His thoughts were interrupted by a private holocall from a blocked ID. His gut sank as he immediately flashed back to the first time he'd spoken to Wakako Okada, and the pain surrounding that period of time. He warily accepted the call, and a catching, strong and yet warm female voice spoke, "Phoenix Gray?"

A sigh of relief, it wasn't the Lady of Westbrook Estate. He was near ecstatic that he had no idea who this was as he answered, "Speakin'."

The voice continued, "I understand you're looking for work?"

This was the call Pops had been waiting on, but it didn't stop him from having a little fun, "Depends on who's askin' and where you heard from."

The voice answered, "A little birdie with a bad haircut from Santo."

Pops chuckled, "He's a good man."

The voice continued, "Are you free tonight?"

Pops answered, "Can check with the crew, but I reckon so."

A moment of silence passed before the voice said, "The Afterlife, 20:00. Bring the whole crew. And don't be late."

The call dropped. Pops smiled as he thought, Miz is going to love this.

--

The hangover was subsiding, but still present. Miz and Billy could both feel its effects. They had sat around and talked for another hour with Liv before thanking her profusely for letting them crash, deciding to get out of her hair so she could rest before another long night shift. Liv being Liv, she dismissed it entirely, reassuring Miz that she was welcome anytime. Billy was her son, so it went without saying.

It was a short hike, only two blocks, from Liv's house off the intersection of Mallagra and Manzanita to the H7 NCART Station. The biggest obstacle was the four flights of stairs they had to climb to reach the station's platform; it was a chore for anyone, even those who hadn't mainlined tequila the night before. As they boarded the Metro, they both crashed into the seats. They were stiff, despite vinyl padding designed to provide some comfort. Just another corner cut to keep costs down. As they began to move, Miz felt a churn in her stomach, breathing deep to try and contain it. Billy was feeling a similar sort of way, shaking his head to stay clear.

Miz giggled as she scooted closer to Billy, leaning into him. He placed his arm around her, bringing her in for a kiss on the side of her head as he ran his fingers up and down her arm. To the rest of the passengers, they were just a young couple going for a morning ride through the city without a care in the world. No words needed to be said.

The buildings passed by with dizzying speed as they made their way around Charter Hill and into Japantown. The neon signs and holographic billboard panels were flashing by, the sounds of advertisements over the loudspeakers coming and going. As the Metro rolled to a stop at the Japantown station, a crowd of people formed near the doors, packed in like a sardine can. With a final lurch, the train stopped, nearly sending Billy and Miz flying off their seats, not doing their stomachs any favors. The doors slid open and the crowd of passengers nearly poured out onto the platform. A few other passengers boarded, taking their seats or grabbing hold of the stanchions and standing uncomfortably.

Among the boarding passengers were two young Tyger Claws gangers, decked out in yoro sweatpants, menpo masks, and brightly colored tanktops. Miz caught sight of them almost immediately, and Billy felt her entire body tense up. She looked away, carefully pushing the folds of her jacket closed to hide her tattoos. She didn't want to let anything ruin this moment. Another day, another time, maybe.

The train slowly accelerated and they were on their way again, the loudspeaker calling out the next stop as "Megabuilding H10". The gangers seemed to pay no heed to Miz or Billy; they were preoccupied with bickering at one another. She only caught bits and pieces from what they were saying. Something to do with motorcycles. It was enough to know they had no idea what they were talking about. She smirked, her body loosening up as she turned to Billy and gave him a wink. He smiled, returning the wink as he looked out the windows. They were passing over the harbor between Japantown and Kabuki. More neon signs flashed by, but lower than the ones dotting the skyscrapers in Westbrook. Miz pointed down, showing Billy the apartment she grew up in.

The Med Center was passing by to their right, off in the distance. The train suddenly shook as a pair of Trauma Team AVs flew overhead, the jet wash from their vectored duct exhausts reverberating against the roof of the train car. They made their last turn, rounding the bend as the H10 block came into view. They were almost home.

The train decelerated, the loudspeaker again indicating they were arriving. Bodies began to shuffle, moving for the door. Miz and Billy joined them, standing up as others passed by. The train jostled as it lurched to a stop, and Miz lost her footing, falling backwards. Billy caught her, but barely, being careful to prop her up beside him. They held on to the stanchions until the rest of the crowd cleared, following closely as they exited the train.

Prior to 2079, you actually had to exit the Megabuilding altogether and walk across the street to an open-air elevator to board the Metro. Within the last few months, NCART had been smart enough to finally finish construction on a new corridor that led directly into the block. The corridor was crowded with people coming and going, bodies bumping into each other, indifferent to anything happening around them. Miz and Billy were careful to avoid them, trying to make their way back to the atrium elevators as quickly as possible.

They were in luck; the nearest elevator was waiting for them already as bodies poured into it. Miz prayed the capacity alert wouldn't go off before they stepped on. Someone was listening, as they were able to just make it, squeezing into a corner. Every button on the panel was lit up, save for the unmarked ones going all the way to the top. Almost nobody rode up there anymore since the last week's happenings.

A few more bodies crammed into the elevator, bumping Miz and pushing her against Billy. She laughed, uncomfortably trying to shift as Billy lightly pecked her forehead. She happily resigned to this fate, leaning into him and closing her eyes for a few seconds.

The elevator stopped at every floor on its ascent, with more people leaving and others boarding. Miz and Billy shifted their way around to the front as they anticipated their arrival at Level 7. After a few more seconds, the elevator crawled to a stop, the panel showing "L7". Miz and Billy exited, nearly trampled by several other people pushing their way out from the back. Lucky for them, this elevator directly faced the atrium gates for the hallway leading to Miz's apartment, otherwise she would have followed them and raised hell.

Miz and Billy made the same familiar walk as they had several days prior, but this time they were walking side by side. As they rounded the corner, Billy saw the lit sign for 0618. He smiled as he kept walking, before Miz called out to him, familiarly, but with more kindness in her voice than last time, "Hey... the fuck you think you're going...?"

Billy turned, finding Miz's hand reaching out to him. Her cheeks were flushed and she had a coy smirk on her face. Another familiar thought ran through his head, Am I dead?

He took her hand and she pulled him inside, the door sliding shut behind them.

Miz pulled Billy to her in the entryway as she reached up and gave him a deep kiss, her tongue parting his lips. He reciprocated, cupping her face in his hands, their bodies pressing against one another. He pulled back for a moment, "Wait, wait. W-what if Pops walks in again?"

Miz giggled, "If he pulls that stunt again, you have my permission to shoot him... you know, in the foot or something."

Billy laughed as he looked in her eyes. He read three words from her gaze, Take. Me. NOW!, and her face threading was pulsing hot pink.

He kissed her roughly as his lust took over. She almost threw off her jacket before unbuttoning her pants with one hand while trying to undo his pants with the other. His lips worked down the side of her neck to her collarbone, admiring every bit of bare flesh. She emitted a light squeal of pleasure from the playful nibbles as she pulled his pants down; he reached down to return the favor, massaging her gently. She shifted her legs, letting the pants fall as she kicked them away. In one move, Billy wrapped one arm around the small of her back and braced with the other as he picked her up and put her against the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she growled at him, placing her arms around his neck and pulling herself into him.

She wanted to feel him again, grinding her hips against his torso and letting out a feral moan. He pressed himself into her, releasing his arms to pull her top over her head. He threw it... somewhere... as he buried his face in her breasts and breathed deeply. She squeezed them together, digging her nails into his collarbones and shoulder blades. He nibbled lightly, eliciting more squeals from her as she pressed his head deeper. He held her up and pulled away from the wall, carrying her toward the couch before she stopped him. She anchored his face up by the chin and gave a playful syllabic tap on his nose as she shook her head, "Ah, ah, ah. Bed."

Billy smiled as Miz snapped her teeth at him, turning towards the bed as he kissed her again. She pulled away, lightly biting his bottom lip. As much as he wanted to just throw her on the bed and ravage her, he set her down softly, pushing her back with a finger on her forehead as he looked down and admired her naked body glowing in the sunlight. She flexed her thighs and locked her ankles, pulling him towards her, his girth now fully hard and resting on her stomach as she reached down to feel it throb in her hand. With her free hand, she reached down to finger herself into a frenzied mess. She begged for it, whimpering and pleading for him to take her. She wanted it, needed it.

At last, Billy obliged her, placing his hands on her hips as she guided him. As he entered, her entire body contracted with pleasure, followed by a slight scream as she bit her knuckle. He started slowly at first, letting her feel every inch before he started to thrust in and out. She flexed her legs and core again, pulling herself up to wrap her arms around and grind against his body. They shared another long, breathless kiss, their moans getting louder. Billy pulled back and cupped Miz's face in his hand, placing his thumb in her mouth as she bit down. They stared into each other's eyes as they tore each other apart for the next hour. No one was going to interrupt them this time.

--

Pops was laying on his couch, eyes closed. He was resting, peaceful as could be, until a holocall pinged from Ky.

He smiled as he answered, eyes still closed, "Mornin' cowboy."

Ky spoke, "Hey hoss, just checking in. We didn't see you when we left, making sure you got home okay."

Pops chuckled, "Took the NCART."

Ky paused for a second, "...you rode the Metro from Santo to Watson at night, alone, drunk, without a weapon? And you call me a cowboy?!"

Pops laughed out loud, his head still throbbing. Ky continued, "Balls, man. Maybe even bigger balls than Billy had, squaring off with those gangers."

"Yeah, that was some good work last night; from all of ya", Pops said, "Speakin' of, you heard from Billy or Miz yet?"

Ky answered, "Nah, when we left, they were still dancing. Looked to be having a hell of a time too. Thought it best to leave them be."

Pops' mustache flared as he cracked a smile. After a few seconds he spoke, "S'pose I'll call them in a bit, make sure they got out okay. Oh, you and Max free tonight?"

Ky affirmed, "Yeah, what's up?"

Pops answered, "Got a call about some work. Contact wants to meet at the Afterlife, 20:00. Wants all of us there."

Ky paused again, "...you know Miz is going to flip her fucking shit, right?"

Pops laughed again, but added with some concern, "I'm more worried how Max will handle it..."

Ky agreed, "Ah... shit. I'll uh... I'll see if I can talk to her about it. She's sleeping right now."

Pops concluded, "Good luck, and see ya later."

The call dropped. Pops' eyes were still closed, but his mind was a flurry of activity. There was history between Max and the Living Legend of the Afterlife, even though they had never met. As he stroked his forehead, he honestly wondered how it would all play out.

--

Billy was flat on his back in the bed, Miz grinding on top of him with her hands digging into his chest. They had been at it for over an hour, their bodies soaked with sweat. Miz had been treated to climax after climax. As she moaned louder and louder, reaching yet another, Billy sat up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply once again as he reached his own. They both came together, moaning into each other's mouths with pure ecstasy as they collapsed into each other on the bed.

After a minute of silence and rest, Miz's hand curled up, and she ran her fingertips up and down Billy's chest as she listened to his heartbeat. He laughed lightly, ticklish to the touch as he reached his hand up and stroked her head. They both gave deep sighs of equal parts exasperation and satisfaction.

Billy looked down at Miz and asked, "Hey?"

She answered, "Hm?"

He paused for a moment, letting the suspense build, "Uh... thanks for not making me finish in the shower again."

Miz scoffed as she playfully smacked his chest, "Really?! Now?!"

Billy laughed as he continued stroking her head softly. She turned her head to look up at him, then lightly kissed his chest. After another minute, she pulled off, carefully, rolling onto the bed and curling up next to him. She nuzzled his neck as he placed his arms around her, shifting so he could hold her. After another minute, he spoke again, still trying to catch his breath, "So... what'd you and Mom talk about while I was still out?"

Miz chuckled nervously, "She, uh... she grilled me about how we met, how you got hooked up with the crew."

Billy laughed, "You tell her I was just some stray pup sitting cold in the rain that you took pity on?"

"Yeah, something like that", Miz smirked, "You did really good last night. I didn't expect you to square off with those gonks all by yourself. I don't think any of us did."

Billy thought for a second before he spoke, "I don't know what happened, really. Last night was the first time I'd actually seen Mom since I moved out. She was so happy, but the fear in her eyes when those gangers walked in... it all kinda of came into focus. She's all I have, y'know? I knew I had to protect her. All we've ever had is each other; been that way for as long as I can remember."

Miz looked up at him, "Dad wasn't in the picture?"

His eyes clouded over, "Dad was killed when I was 2 years old. He was a supervisor over the building of the Laguna Bend Dam."

Miz's eyes went wide, "Holy shit, what happened?!"

He continued, "Official report from Night City Dam says he blatantly violated safety protocols and put the whole project in jeopardy; 's why Mom never got compensation for any of it. Real story is NCD was using subpar equipment. Something started a fire and caused a cave-in. It crushed a young kid's leg and pinned him down. Dad disobeyed his foreman's orders to leave the kid to die and ran back in to get him. He got the kid out, but the structure collapsed on him instead."

Miz tightened her grip on Billy as she said, "Fucking corpo-rat bastards..."

He scoffed, "Yeah, that's about the way I feel, too. It's why I said I'd never work for a Corp. I'll go out guns blazing before I take a knee for some prick in a suit."

Miz rubbed her hand up and down Billy's chest as he asked, "So, what about you and Pops? What's the story there?"

Miz smiled, "We've been together for seven years. He was working as a Solo hired gun in Kabuki when he met my mom, and they fell madly in love immediately."

Billy chose his next words carefully, "And... your mom?"

Miz began to sniffle, "She was a Tyger Claws joytoy. After they met, she wanted out, was trying to save up money to buy out of it; but they caught her stealing. I made a choice around the same time that I didn't want to be a TC anymore, so the local boss decided to make an example of both of us."

Billy hated himself for what he asked next, "What happened?"

Her sniffles turned into slow tears, "They kidnapped us in the middle of the night while Pops was on a job in the Badlands. Held us for three days before he found us. They tortured my mom, killed her; and me, they... d-did... the—"

She began to tremble. Billy held her tight as he said, "Hey, hey, I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Miz looked up at him, trying to smile through the tears, "It's okay... Pops found us. He saved me, got me out of there. I've been with him since."

Billy planted a soft kiss on her forehead before he asked, "So, what happened to the guy that kidnapped you?"

Miz's face went stone-cold as she answered, "He was my first kill. Pops managed to track him down through Wakako, and they set up a meet. She said a blood debt of honor was owed to settle accounts. She handed me his Unity and said I had to be the one to kill him with the same weapon he'd used to dishonor the Tyger Claws."

Billy asked a stupid question, "Is that the same Unity you carry now?"

He felt Miz's head nodding against his chest. He gently rubbed her back. She thought for a minute before she said, "You know, your mom may have been all you had, but that's changed now."

Billy looked down at her as she turned to face him. Her eyes meeting his, she said, "You have me. Us. The crew. You're one of us now."

Billy smirked, "Even Ky?"

Miz chuckled, "Yeah, sorry, you're stuck with him now just like the rest of us."

They shared a laugh before Billy asked, "So... is this how you initiate all the new members of the crew?"

Miz reached up and playfully smacked his head, "Ya gonk."

After a second Miz rolled over to her her other side, pulling Billy's arm around her as she backed into him. He rolled over to meet her, and wrapped her tight in his arms as he nibbled on her ear.

Miz squealed and giggled, "Careful, Tiger. That way's trouble."

Billy spoke softly in her ear, "You know my heart skips a beat every time you call me that."

Miz turned her head to face him and playfully snapped her teeth. His arm moved up as he cupped her face and brought her in for a kiss. Not bad at all, Tiger.

--

Ky was in the bathroom brushing his teeth as Max pulled herself out of bed. She stretched with a yawn, wincing as the sun caught her eyes from the window. She stood and walked over to Ky, wrapping her arms around his torso as she leaned her head against his back, "Mm. Bonjou, papi."

Ky spit into the sink as he answered, "Morning, babe. Sleep okay?"

She smiled, "Wi, I ha' good company ta keep me warm."

Ky smiled in the mirror as he placed his hands over hers. He had to talk to her, but he didn't want to ruin the moment.

She asked, "You talk ta Pops? He get home okay?"

Ky laughed, "Yeah, gonk took the NCART home in the middle of the night."

Max chuckled. Ky turned to face her, bringing her hands down and holding them in his as he continued, "And... he got the call, we got work."

She stared in his eyes for a moment, "Bonjan, wha's de catch?"

Ky looked down, hesitating, "Uh... call came from the Afterlife."

Max pulled away slightly, all the happiness gone from her face as she looked down. After a few seconds, she nodded, her face smacked with sadness.

Ky hated seeing her like this, and he would do anything to make it so she never had to frown again. The silence was untenable, and he said, "Look, I know what that place means to you. You lost a lot because of her. Anyone would want to get even."

Max's eyes shot up and she fired back, "I don' wan' payback. Wha's done is done. I wan' answers."

Ky squeezed her hands gently, "Maybe... this is a way for you to get answers. Might be you look in her in the eyes, hear her side of things."

Max looked away for a moment, "Mm. Mebbe. But, is good fo' da crew. Das all I need."

Ky smiled. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. She pulled back, arching her neck to look up at him as she pulled him in for a kiss on the lips.

--

Miz awoke to a holocall pinging, followed by Pops' voice, "Hey kiddo, you up?"

Miz answered, "Mmrf, I am now."

Pops chuckled, "Sorry 'bout that. Wanted to check up, make sure you got home safe."

She was wrapped in Billy's arms. She couldn't get more safe than that. She said, "Yeah, we crashed at Liv's place, took the NCART back this morning."

Pops asked, "Hm. He jump you?"

Miz scoffed, "No, he was a perfect gentleman. Liv said he spent the entire night on the couch."

Pops smirked, "So you're back now?"

Miz could've shouted at him to get to the point, "Yes...?"

Pops fired back, "So, you jump him?"

Miz rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to answer that."

Pops laughed, "He there now?"

Miz chuckled as she turned and looked at Billy sleeping peacefully, "Yeah, he's sleeping."

Pops paused for a moment before he said, "Y'all did good last night. Billy especially. I was damn impressed."

Miz answered, "You weren't the only one."

"So I heard", Pops joked before continuing, "Anyhow, I got the call. We got work. Fixer wants to meet tonight, 20:00. You free?"

Miz smiled, "Always. Where we going?"

Pops answered, "Meet at the lockup, 19:00, tell you then... and Em? ...I'm happy for you."

Miz bit her bottom lip as she said, "...me too... thanks Pops."

He ended the call with, "Talk soon. Love ya, kiddo."

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