Broken «Goro Takemura & female V» PART 1 🔞 ✔️

01 Nibble

"I'm glad I could finally convince you to eat with me."

V met with Goro Takemura at the entrance to her new apartment for their dinner date. A big smile and butterflies in the stomach accompanied her, head almost buzzing with excitement mixed with dread.

She was wearing a dress, and her magenta pink hair was loose this time, flowing down her back in soft waves. All of her piercings lay in a box in her closet. She had no idea if the change of style would be of any help to her, but she endeavored to look as sophisticated as possible, even if just to prove that she could.

"You said you found food I will actually be able to enjoy."

He gave her a warm smile and shrugged. His unmistakable, but thankfully not unique implants gave the gesture extra eloquence. His eyes fell on her in a casual, but gentle way, and she could tell there was a "glad to see you" in there somewhere.

V's anxiety died off at the comforting sound of his raspy voice, the distinctive accent and the curious, forced way he uttered words. It all felt so familiar and comfortable, as if they'd known each other much longer than a few weeks.

She'd been thinking hard about sending that text. Originally, she'd just wanted to be straight and offer 'company'. She'd chickened out and now he was here for a meal she couldn't deliver.

Her grin widened as she quietly hoped he wouldn't be too mad about it.

"Of course, yes! Come on up!"

"I'm curious: how did you afford such a place?" Goro was scanning the reception as they walked towards the elevator.

"I saved a rich guy's life," she smiled. "This was his thank-you. He rented it to me for a fraction of the price it would normally go for. I'm still paying three times as much as I used to, but I'm not short on well-paying jobs, so it's fine for now."

"Sweet life," Goro made an approving grimace.

"Well, things could be better. The landlord may also have heard about my life expectancy," she rolled her eyes. It hadn't been her choice. "I think he felt sorry for me."

"And yet, you still took his offer. I thought you were prouder than that."

"Wait till you see the apartment, man," she yelped, bugging her eyes. "I keep drawing the short straws, I should at least get to spend the little time I have left in nice digs, no?"

Goro fell quiet after that statement. They stepped into the elevator and began their ride in silence.

V cursed at herself internally. It was hard, going on living, knowing your days were numbered, but she didn't have to keep talking about it. She didn't want him to pity her, too.

So you would say no to him, if it was out of pity, then? Maybe there's hope for me yet.

A tall figure blinked into existence, leaning on a wall of the elevator as it was going up. Johnny Silverhand, smoking an imaginary cigarette, judging her choices through his sunglasses. A voice resonating in her mind alone, grating on her nerves whenever he disapproved. The constant, inescapable reminder of her numbered days.

'Shut up, Johnny.'

Why, so I don't spoil your fun? Y'know, if I had a stomach of my own, I would puke right now.

'Go away, please.'

Seriously, you couldn't have picked better? It's enough that you're into guys, but does it really have to be a Japanese corpo Daddy? Fuck, V, it's like you're going out of your way to make me sick.

'Uh-huh, because you can just choose to fall for someone. And even if—my body, my choice. Remember, that it's still my body, right? Go hide in a corner, or whatever, and just think about something nice, I don't know.'

Johnny gave her a dark look. Then he shook his head, put out the cigarette and his image dissolved.

"We will figure this out."

"Hm?"

V looked up, puzzled by his words that seemed out of context to her now. She'd managed to forget what they were talking about just before Johnny interrupted her train of thought.

Goro was looking down at her, eyes tender.

"We will figure this out, V. Do not lose hope."

She swallowed as tears prickled in her nose. How does one come to love a man that was supposed to be their enemy?

His beloved boss would've been the first to order her head on a silver platter, and Goro, as he'd been back then, would not have batted an eyelash before executing that wish. A corpo enforcer, an old tyrant's bodyguard, a lackey not unlike those Arasaka had sent to cut her off corporate benefits years ago. All of that would be reason enough for her to hate him, to want to kill him.

But he had saved her life once... and he seemed determined to do it again.

He had a pragmatic reason at the beginning—involving exactly zero feelings towards her person. She was the only witness to Saburo Arasaka's murder, and Goro wanted to get revenge on his son, the killer. But that was before.

They've been communicating and working together for weeks now. Goro was clearly lonely, alone and on the run in a foreign city, and V was drawn to his presence like a moth to a flame. His cold, stoic mask soon dissolved and an actual human being popped out. One she intensely liked.

She felt that he considered her a friend now, which was a feat all in itself. Wanting more was her brilliant idea. She fought attraction since meeting him, her trust issues cooling the excitement, but she was fresh out of reasons. Their little slumber party staking out an Arasaka warehouse gave her hope she hadn't dared have before.

"Doing my best, Goro," she whispered through constricted throat, battling the desire to take his hand and hide in his embrace. They weren't that far.

Yet.

As the door to her apartment slid to the side and let them in, his eyebrows rose. He took in the luxurious interior, the amazing view, the overall rich and crispy clean feel of the place, nodding to himself approvingly.

"This is a very nice place. I see your pride was not in a fair fight."

"Nope," she laughed.

She put her bag down on a conference table and headed straight for the big windows. All shaders were up and the room was filled with soft evening light. The view was mostly of buildings, as the apartment wasn't high enough in the tower to overlook them, but they were all quite far away and the sunbeams were getting through the space in between them.

Goro stood beside her and basked in the view. He didn't like the city, but the lighting alone made everything look more beautiful than it really was. Hopefully, V as well.

"So," he said when he was done taking in the sunlight and turned to the empty dining table right behind them. "What do we have for dinner?" He left his spot by the windows, impatiently checking the counter in the kitchen.

V bit her lip and smiled nervously.

"Takeout?"

Goro's shoulders visibly sagged. He really was looking forward to good food. She felt bad for lying to him.

"Oh, V," he sighed. "So why did you really ask me here?"

"I thought," V shuffled her feet a couple of times, moving closer to the wall of glass, „that maybe you'd want to nibble on something else."

She skittishly looked up from under her lashes and nonchalantly slid one of the straps of her dress off her shoulder. It tickled and the anticipation of someone else's touch sent a wave of goosebumps down her side.

Goro's gaze followed the movement and his jaw loosened. When his eyes found hers, there was a question in his face.

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