#falllout

- Since the brotherhood found him in the crater that was once his home, Max has mostly known touch when it comes at him violently, something he needs to defend himself against. So when you let your fingers gently land against his skin, slowly and patiently letting him open up to you, it's almost enough to make him fall to pieces then and there. The way you give him time to prepare for every slight graze, testing the waters before you shuffle your body closer, it makes him feel safer than he could have imagined possible. 

- Touching Max has to go slowly; his holding his hand eventually moves to a gentle hug that he can feel himself struggling to accept for fear of repercussions for letting his guard down. Then you can let your hand cradle the back of his neck as he starts to melt against you, realising this feeling is worth anything that may follow it. And finally when your lips land against his, he almost collapses against you, so overwhelmed by the strength of his own feelings that he almost forgets that he ever wasn't kissing you. He thinks nothing of kissing you in the middle of the brotherhood base, so euphoric at the sensation that nothing else even registers for him, dopey smile spreading across his cheeks every time he pulls away from your lips. 

- He craves your touch from that first moment he starts to relax against it, searching you out for a quiet moment of contact any chance he gets, feeling more like the man he wants to be when he's in your arms. He hopes his strong hands firmly grasping at your waist give you the same feeling of support, pulling you tightly against his broad chest until he's certain you can feel the way his heart is only beating for you. 

Cooper Howard/The Ghoul:

- In his new decaying form, Cooper shies away from your touch for as long as his willpower will allow. He can see the way you look at him like he's still the man he was before the bombs hit, like nothing has changed in the centuries he's spent wandering alone, like he still deserves to be treated with kindness and love even though he's sure that isn't true. He wants to accept every hand you extend towards him as you two navigate this new, terrifying world together, but some part of him thinks the moment you feel his twisted flesh against yours that the spell will be broken and you'll suddenly see him for exactly the kind of creature he has become. 

- Until one day he comes a little too close to losing you and when slowly rise to your feet after what feels like a lifetime he can't help but throw his arms around you, pulling you in and letting his cheek rest against yours, the warmth of your soft skin making him feel like he can somehow still blush. All his fears melt away when you nuzzle your face more deeply against him, letting him cradle your injured form until you both reluctantly accept that you can't dwell in that spot any longer. 

- With that invisible barrier crossed and your gaze towards The Ghoul still warm and forgiving, Cooper finds himself initiating far more affections. When you two are exploring alone, the hand not resting on his rifle will inevitably find yours, grip firm as if daring the world to try and part you. And when it's time to make camp he finds himself laying beside you without asking, letting your fingertips trace shapes across his skin until your eyes flicker shut and he can hold you through the night. Cooper knows what it is to be in love, and he knows that this time he's never going to let you out of his sight, or his grasp. 

Norm Maclean: 

- Given the limited options for fraternising in the bunker, Norm grew up without experiencing the slow growth of affections that he noticed others were lucky enough to find. So when he finally has you in his life, he can't help but want to make up for lost time and feel your hands against his touch-starved skin. He doesn't know how to initiate any of this with you, but he's not afraid to try, being the first to place a hand on yours in a quiet night, even if he can't bring himself to look at you until he feels you squeeze your palm against his. 

- His smaller stature means Norm is often underestimated, so he doesn't want you to handle him like some delicate, fragile thing. He likes feeling you lay your weight on him, or pull him tightly into your arms, no matter where his head reaches on your form. When you sit near him, he wants to find the seat closest to yours and let his thigh press firmly against you, a physical reminder that whatever you two are doing, you're facing it together. 

- Norm doesn't want to leave anything unsaid in the way he feels towards your touch, so when he starts to think that you might feel the same, then he'll be the one to kiss you first, waiting until he can steal you away from prying eyes for a moment alone and pressing his lips firmly against yours until he starts to feel the undeniable curve of a smile form against them. He might not be the most outgoing when it comes to public displays of affection, but when it's just the two of you he'll make sure he's always touching you in some way, your company becoming the safe haven and home he always knew the vault couldn't provide.