9 for Dollie/Danse and 49 for Atti/Dorian? đ
Answering number 9 here, will share number 49 separately so keep posted đ
9. Thereâs only one bed and we sleep as far away as possible from each other but wake up cuddling. (Dollanse)
Danse could hear Dollieâs teeth chattering from the harsh cold, even though she was fighting to hide the severity of her shivering. Sheâd let her hair down over her shoulders to keep her ears warm. Heâd been surprised by the number of bobby pins she retrieved as she did so.
He exhaled and could see his own breath in the blue moonlight as it turned to steam, floating upward toward the cracked ceiling. He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, trying hard to ignore his own shivering.
Theyâd been traveling for hours. The temperature had dropped unexpectedly, and the cold steel of their power armor rigs had cut straight through their uniforms. Theyâd agreed to stop for the night.
The recent rain had left everything they could burn sopping, but at least the power armor had kept them dry. Theyâd camped out inside one of the military bunkers that lay hidden throughout the Commonwealth.
Dollie had managed to hack into the terminal on one of the desks, and gotten the turrets running. They could both rest. But it didnât do anything for the cold.
Danse had a suggestion, but he didnât think sheâd be receptive to the idea. Sheâd declined such in the past in the winter when that flash blizzard had hit. Heâd found himself in close quarters quite often as a soldier, and the prospect didnât phase him. He understood her modesty, what with her pre-war life, but she wouldnât always have that luxury in the Wasteland.
They had to be practical and he cleared his throat, tired of not having a solution to the problem at hand. âWe can zip our sleeping bags together, huddle to keep warm.â
He ignored the flush in her face, the way it showed pink through the scars that creeped across her left cheek, but showed a rosey red through the unblemished skin of the right where the scars didnât reach as far. It was the cold, it had been there before he spoke... even if he hadnât noticed it.
âIt isnât that coldââ she started to protest, but a harsh wind pitched through the bunker and she shuddered. She nodded, hugging herself tightly against the chill. âYouâre right.â
Brotherhood standard issue sleeping bags were designed to zip together in case of the cold. Danse put himself to work, unrolling his sleeping bag and then Dollieâs when she handed it to him. He laid them out side-by-side, coaxing the cold metal of the zippers to cooperate through his leather gloves.
Once the sleeping bags were connected Danse maneuvered himself inside. He considered the broad width of his own shoulders and thought he understood Dollieâs concern. But being close was the point of huddling for warmth. It was the best option to avoid frost bite. She wouldnât be the first soldier heâd had to share a sleeping bag with.
She hesitated on the other side of the sleeping bag and he felt a moment of discomfort, recalling involuntarily the scent of her hair the last time heâd been near enough to notice it- the smoothness of her hands when sheâd last touched his skin. Inappropriate thoughts to consider, and likely the reason she was apprehensive.
He made a quick decision to roll onto his side, hopefully giving her more room. He had a clear view of the bunker door. If anything got past the turrets without them hearing, heâd know about it.
After another moment of hesitation he felt the sleeping bag move as she slid down into it. He felt her arm press into his back through his bomber jacket, and felt one of her boots as it bumped against the heel of his. The sleeping bags shifted as she wriggled herself into place.
For a long time they said nothing. For once he didnât know what he should say. Asking after her comfort could be misconstrued as inappropriate, and he wanted to avoid that. Staying warm was a necessity, and he didnât mean to take advantage of the situation in any way, regardless of how heâd found himself feeling for her. He hoped she knew that.
The polyester of the sleeping bags was still cold, not yet warmed from their body heat. Skin-on-skin contact would have warmed them sooner. He knew this, but it was completely out of the question. He felt himself flushing at the thought. It lingered in his ears unlike the flush that persisted in his nose from the cold.
Danse risked a glance over his shoulder, noting her back to him, her black hair filling some of the space between them. If her K9 companion had been along, the mutt could have fit between them, could have provided extra warmth.
He returned his gaze to the doorway, trying to allow himself to sleep. And sleep he did, the way he always slept in the field. It was more like heâd closed his eyes in a meditative state, hesitating on the edge of consciousness. He contemplated their journey and whether itâd be warm enough for them to continue when the sun rose. The ideas were vague, almost dreamlike.
Despite his light sleep he awoke some time later feeling well rested. There was a tickling feeling against his ear that drew him back to consciousness and he blinked his eyes open. The sweet smell of melon blossom filled his nose.
He still faced the door. He wasnât one to shift in his sleep. The pre-glow of daylight had begun to lighten the sky beyond the bunker.
He felt the tickling against his ear again and it drew his eyes tiredly from the doorway toward his shoulder. The tickling was accompanied by a movement against his back.
The frizzy waves of Wallaceâs hair met his eye, and she shifted where sheâd moved closer in her sleep. He was too tired to restrain the amused smile that tugged at his lips.
She murmured something he couldnât decipher and he felt the vibration of it in his back. Something shifted beneath his hand and it took him a moment to understand the sensation.
Her fingers were threaded through his, her arms curled around his middle, and one of her legs tangled through his own. He was surprised how incredibly comfortable he felt wrapped in her arms.
His mouth went dry and his chest ached. He was blindsided with an overwhelming wave of fondness for the woman holding him. Heâd never been held, not to his memory. If she woke, he knew sheâd be mortified, and his smile turned sad.
Carefully, the Paladin disentangled himself from her arms, rising from the sleeping bags. He gave himself one last moment of leniency, brushing the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.
As he left the bunker to check the perimeter in the cold, the warmth of her embrace lingered.
