Be Still, My Heart

Valen watched her thoughtfully a moment, wondering how such an amiable creature could have gotten this far in such a cruel world. Just a moment he bit the inside of his lip, feeling a tinge of concern over how eager she was to accommodate him, didn’t see that too often and for good reason…

“You’re far too kind.” he offered. “Maybe then, such a darling lady like yourself would be generous enough to walk a crippled man back to his room to fetch his coat.” He managed a half smirk at his own statement. “It’s so far away I might get lost.”

Standing, Darling took a moment to tap the toe of each boot on the ground, the action more pure routine than anything thoughtful. A few steps brought her to her own coat, a dove grey bomber with black, quilted sleeves that was, admittedly, too big on her. The volume of the garment only highlighted just how willowy she was.

With her hair fluffed out from under the collar, she offered Valen her arm in a way that was just dramatic enough to be on the right side of silly.

“You see…” he began, his voice beginning with a wary inflection but he continued steadily. “I do a lot of walkin in these parts; had a steed a while back but uh, she got away from me and I lost her earlier this year.” Then he shifted in his chair and reached to fetch his cane that he had laid on the floor then put forth a bit of effort to pull himself onto his feet. He managed to smile through the veil of discomfort on his face.

“I got a bad leg,” he then abruptly confessed, “And it’s a sonova bitch to get around sometimes when it’s actin up- ‘specially after a healthy day’s walk.” Now shifting his weight onto that cane in his right hand he watched her lace up her boots.

“I’d be more than willing to pay for your drinks and even a meal if you’d be kind enough to take your hands and work this poor leg-” then he quickly added, “If you’d rather not, I won’t take offense- but it’s hard to find someone willing who ain’t tryin ta be a sadist in the process.”

“You look like you got strong enough hands for it… Figure I’d ask since you’re making me walk all the way out there just to enjoy my company,” he then said, his smile evident in the sound of his voice.

She blinked, processing the information. It was an odd request at face value, but after considering it for a moment she supposed it made sense. She’d seen enough wounds to know how injuries could act up, how debilitating chronic pain like that could be.

And his smile, well, that made her all the more willing to lend a hand.

Slowly, his eyes drifted up to meet with her bright and expectant pair. He nearly stared a moment, as if he were at a loss for words, but a thoughtfulness washed across his face and he offered a small nod of acknowledgment. So she was thirsty, well he was always thirsty- maybe a drink would slake that urge. Just briefly he glanced down at his knees, then back to Darling.

“Sure,” he agreed, “I’ll just drop by my room and grab my coat, then we can get some drinks… if- you’re willin  te make a deal with me.” That thin smiled appeared, something of a mischievous quality, “Nothin too major, at least I hope it aint.”

A brow quirked up. She wasn’t sure what to make of what he’d said, wasn’t sure what to expect. She didn’t even know what he could ask of her, it wasn’t like she had much to offer up. The playful twist to his smile, however, made her curious to see what he had in mind. She was confident it couldn’t be too bad. He’d been so nice to her.

“Well now that depends, now doesn’t it? What kind of a deal are you lookin’ to make?” 

“Hi, I’m ______.”

“Oh fuck! Are you okay?”

“Crap! Sorry about that! Wasn’t looking where I was going. Here, I’ll get you a new jacket…”

“Need a ride?”

“How are you?”

“Seems like we’re gonna be stuck on this train for an extra three hours.”

“What’s your name?”

“Thank you.”

“You just saved my life!”

“Move the fuck out of my way.”

“Watch where you’re going!”

“Asshole.”

“Would you like anything?”

“You’re gorgeous.”

“Do I know you?”

“Uh, that’s my spot.”

“Oh, God, sorry! Let me buy you a new one.”

“Is that your dog? He is so CUTE!”

“Here, take my seat. You look tired.”

“Checking in?”

“Can I sit here?”

“May I buy you a drink?”

“I can spot you, if you want.”

“How’d you even get stuck in a locker, anyway?”

“Can you turn it down?! Some of us are trying to sleep!”

“Hi, I’m your new roommate.”

“I think I found your dog. Is he yours?”

“You look cold, take my jacket.”

“Hey, I think the mailman gave me your mail by mistake? [Name], right?”

“You’ve had a guy/girl over every night this week! And you’re really loud! You know how I know? I know because I live below you!”

“So, your kid apparently punched my kid in the face.”

“Bride or groom?”

“Can you switch seats with me? I can’t see!”

“Okay, look, if you’re gonna be airsick, aim the other way.”

“[Sir/Ma'am], if you don’t stop being rude to me, I’m going to give you decaf.”

“Don’t drink that! I saw some guy slip something in there.”

“Hey, is he bothering you?”

“Don’t give up your day job.”

“…Dude, your fly’s down.”

“I think you have the wrong number.”

“I’m [muse’s child]’s teacher.”

“[Muse’s child/younger sibling] was in my yard again!”

“Get out of here! This is my hiding spot!”

“YOUR STUPID MUTT RIPPED UP MY YARD AGAIN!”

“SHUT UP. And learn to stay on key.”

“Good Evening/Afternoon/Morning/Day/Night.”

“Watch where you’re going!”

“Is this seat taken?”

“Here you dropped this.”

“You remind me of someone.”

“Will you be taking this?”

“May I take your order?”

“How are you?”

“You look familiar, have we met before?”

“Be careful next time.”

“Hey, could you help me?”

“Help me!”

“I’m so sorry!”

“Are you alright?!”

“I know we’ve never met, but I think you’re beautiful.”

“I think I may have seen you before…”

“Hey! Watch it!”

“Oh my god are you okay?”

“Have we met…?”

“Were you at that one party?”

“Remember me?”

“I know you don’t know me but I love your shirt.”

“Quick, pretend to look like you’re talking to me.”

“Hey, is that your dog?”

“Service takes forever here.”

“Don’t mean to sound cliche, but do you come here often?”

“I wouldn’t sit there if I were you.”

“This is gonna be a long plane ride.”

“Can you turn that music down?”

“People are trying to sleep!”

“I’m your new neighbour.”

“Is that who I think it is?”

“Be quiet!”

“Is that your son/daughter?”

Those eyes that had been attentively watching her offered a small squint, certain he had picked up a mischievous inflection in the way she imparted a couple phrases. He did smile a bit at that and stretched out his legs so he could cross them at the ankles, the right over the left. Then he continued with the conversation, sure there would be another opportunity to encourage such a game of wits…

“Oh, well I’ve been playing since I was a boy. My mama was the one who taught me, the violin I got was hers. My most cherished possession…” Then he let out a tense breath as he reflected on a memory or two. “There have been a time or more where someone threatened to snatch it right out my hands… That violin is probably the only thing I got worth killin a man over.”

Something almost empathetic crossed her face as she watched him, hearing the difference in his breath.There was something there, more of a story, but there was always more of a story, and it wasn’t her business to go poking where she wasn’t needed. Well, not with people, anyway.

“I don’t blame you, instruments like that are beautiful and too hard to find. It’s nice that you still have it, bet there are a lot of memories there.”

That tenderness lingered for a moment, then, Darling took a breath. She sat up and that almost serene somberness lifting with her.  Hands placed on her knees, the new idea that had tripped into her mind was almost visible.

There was a soft smile offered to Darling, something submissive to the fact that he really wasn’t going anywhere else for a while. “I think here in Boston is my last destination for a while. It’s been a long run across this great expanse and I just ain’t got the energy.”

Then he leaned back into the chair and folded his hands on his lap. “You said you were tryin ta get ta Diamond City? I been there a few times, it ain’t an easy trip though, so once I get there I stay there for a while.”

“I’ll probably be here a while before I start headin up that way again. Music only makes so many caps in one place before the well dries up, gatta keep movin around. Fortunately, they ain’t got many fiddlers around here so it ain’t hard to charm a crowd.” Then he quickly added, “You like music, Miss Darling? ‘Cause I can play for hours…”

“Oh I love music.” She nodded her head back towards the travel radio on the bedside table. The machine was still playing some old romantic song as a whisper, filling in the gaps of their conversation. “I’m not anything close to a musician myself but, well, I don’t think I could go a day without listenin’ to it or singing to myself if you tried to make me.”

She dropped her leg down, leaning forward to rest her arms on her knees. Her fingers blindly found a stray thread on the seam of her jeans and idly twisted at it.