"Goood morning, Night City! Yesterday's body count lottery rounded out to a solid n' sturdy thirty! Ten outta Heywood - thanks to unabated gang wars! One officer down, so I guess you're all screwed. 'Cause the NCPD will NOT let that go. Got another blackout in Santo Domingo. Netrunners are at it again, pokin' holes in the power grid. While over in Westbrook, Trauma Team's scrapin' cyberpsycho victims off the pavement. Aaaand in Pacifica... well... Pacifica is still Pacifica. This has been your man, Stan. Join me for another day in our City of Dreams!", Stanley, the voice of Night City announced the daily business.

Torn from your slumber, you flinched in bed, growled and hit the alarm clock. It fell to the floor with a crash, exactly where it had fallen thousands of times before, leaving a notch in the floor.

Wood, from real trees that grew in a forest. Again in a natural way that was unheard of in Night City. Kurt had got the laminar without telling you. Walking on it bare footed for the first time had felt so unfamiliar.

You yawned tiredly, stretched your legs and moved your feet. You'd got out of the habit of doing that every time you woke up a few years ago. To see if the cyberware prosthesis that replaced your destroyed foot still felt like a foreign body. Over the years, the feeling had disappeared but the habit had remained.

Soft sheets nestled against your naked body lying on a soft mattress. All luxury. But the warmth of another was missing next to you.

With a quick glance, you looked out of the window. Daylight fell through, into the apartment that had been set up at the top of the gigantic black and gold skyscraper.

The Black Sapphire.

Kurt had spent many years making the casino a place of luxury. It also served as the headquarters of the Barghest militia that administered Dogtown under his command. Business was booming and an empire had sprung up within months.

That was seven years ago now.

Sighing heavily, you pushed your legs over the edge of the bed, which was also made of real wood and metal, and glanced at the alarm clock lying at your feet.

2077, a Thursday at eight o'clock in the morning.

Annoyed, you wiped your face, long, black fingernails made of polished metal scratching lightly across your skin. These fingernails were sharper than the ones you had lost in the war. It was more than just a weapon, but also a warning not to get too close.

"Kurt?", your voice was raspy from sleep.

Or rather the lack of it. Most days you spent in bed, moving through the Barghest territory at night. Kurt ruled the day, keeping law and order and the mighty corporations busy, putting on a good face.

And you?

You made sure that no one stabbed him in the back in the shadows at night. It was a give and take. But sometimes this circle demanded more than you would have liked.

Silence filled the apartment.

The wood of the floor was cold when you entered the bath and ran hot water. Steam filled the shower, the heat chased away the tiredness.

Sighing, you let your head fall back, feeling the drops run down your (H/C) skin. Noise dispelled the silence in your head.

The door to the apartment opened, which was directly connected to a lift. And there were only two people who had access to this lift.

You and Kurt.

Your eyes glowed red, connected with the cameras in the entrance area. Smiling contentedly, you rubbed soap over your body.

Heavy footsteps crossed the room. Then the door to the bathroom opened and a thick fog lifted.

Smirking with amusement, Kurt leaned in the door frame, his arms crossed in front of his chest and watched. His white eyes traced every curve of your body, from your shoulders to your breasts and stomach, around your waist to your bum until the wall of black glass blocked his view.

"You shower like you want to burn the skin off your body.", he remarked with an amused grin.

You gave him the benefit of the doubt, turned round so that he had a better view of the beads of water running down your back and chuckled.

"I have to wake up somehow.", you shrugged.

The water ran dry.

"Might as well just sleep when I do.", he motioned with his hand and his eyes softened. "I missed you last night."

Immediately you could feel a wall inside you melt away.

"The night has called for me.", with a sweet smile you came up to him, still soaked and dripping and put your hands on his chest.

The steely expression on his face relaxed.

Neither you nor Kurt had put on a uniform since the break with the NUSA. It just didn't feel right to look fake and phoney while you were both clearly broadcasting your intentions to the world.

Kurt was against everything the system stood for. There were no taxes in Dogtown, the black market with mainly arms deals flourished, not least thanks to the many wars in which the gangs of Night City were constantly involved.

But even beyond the city limits, the money was flowing. The relationships were good. And everyone who wanted to have a little fun without morals came to the Black Sapphire to gamble and party.

Kurt had maintained the discipline of a soldier. But everything else had changed. You could see that in his clothes in particular.

For work he always wore a black t-shirt that hugged his broad torso perfectly, black cargo trousers with lots of pockets and a techwear belt. Your fingers twitched and just couldn't resist playing with the buckle, as they had done so many times before.

The belt opened with a click. Rolling his eyes, he let out a sigh, but couldn't hide the smirk on his lips.

"My lady Sapphire.", a black cyberware arm gently caressed your cheek.

After Dogtown had been established, you had managed to do business with a corrupt Militech employee. This left arm Kurt was now wearing was worth a fortune and such a splendour that it had made one or two of the Barghest members envious.

"My beloved hellhound.", you purred and slipped two fingers under the brown leather harness he was wearing over his t-shirt to pull him closer. "You programmed the alarm to wake me up."

"Guilty as charged.", he leaned down towards you, wanting a kiss.

You pressed one of your razor-sharp nails against his lips.

"I hope you had a good reason for that. Otherwise it would make me very, very angry."

A breath made his chest quiver. His eyes darkened.

"I... would like that."