#fallout x reader

the ropes were starting to dig into your skin by now , wrists being rubbed raw. you didn’t voice any complaints though , too scared of The Ghoul’s reaction. you wanted to believe that he was still Cooper Howard , but he’s shown you time and time again that he’s not the same person. and that scares you honestly , he was the only familiarity you had and even he was starkly different.

but you knew who The Ghoul was. you’ve heard about what he’s done , and now you’ve seen it firsthand.

you’re overwhelmed. very overwhelmed.

you hadn’t had time to process anything and you’ve been doing emotional backflips since your first meeting with The Ghoul. from trying to get your brother a vial so he wouldn’t turn , to being kidnapped by somebody you used to know. to then traveling with Lucy and being treated with kindness you haven’t seen since waking up , just to being kidnapped , once again , by The Ghoul and now being treated like less than.

you wanted to cry , but you wouldn’t. not until you were alone or it was the middle of the night. you couldn’t show weakness , it could , and would , get taken advantage of.

walking along a dust covered path , you notice some blue peaking out. you squint at the floor , being greeted with some white stars scattered as well , confusing you. what was the path originally ?

Cooper coughs harshly as he trails behind you , breaking you out of your thoughts and causing you to glance back. he doesn’t react , continuing to trek forward. you decide that it would be best to ignore him for the rest of the walk , looking around and gazing out at the abandoned town.

after a while of walking , you come upon a medical clinic. the building still looking majorly intact , surprisingly. walking closer , you can start to hear snarling coming from inside , startling you. “Roger !”

“my name- is Roger !” Cooper looks at both of you , motioning with his head for you to start walking inside. you furrow your brows , mouth opening and closing with protests you can’t quite vocalize.

your hands start to shake as Cooper pulls his pistol out and steps behind Lucy , pushing her into you to force her to start walking. you whimper silently in the back of your throat , making your way into the building slowly.

you knew what those sounds were. of course you did , you weren’t stupid !

it was a ghoul turning feral.

you walk forward , breath stuttering in fear. you could still hear ‘Roger’ snarling , convincing himself that he was still all there and himself. Lucy pauses for a second but Cooper just pushes her along , forcing you both to keep going. you hesitantly look around as you walk , taking in the abandoned building.

your body starts to tremble in fear as you make it to the end of the hallway , the sounds only getting louder and louder. Lucy walks through the door first , followed by you , and then The Ghoul.

“my name is Roger.” he repeats the words like a prayer as you all stalk closer. you and Lucy stop before Cooper—he decides to continue until he’s in view of the other ghoul. “hey Rog.” the man startles , starting to laugh lightly when he sees The Ghoul , the sound more akin to a wheeze. “hey. h-ey..” you keep your eyes on him , unblinking.

he seems fine. for now.

“fancy seeing you out here !” he has a smile on his face despite the circumstances. he pants , talking lowly. “you out for that bounty , too, huh ?”

“yep.” Cooper takes his saddle bag off , crouching down. Roger starts to snarl again , getting a flinch out of you at the sudden sound. you can see empty vials near him , scattered about.

“how you feelin’?” Roger chuckles , shaking his head and panting. “you know..” he nods before shaking his head lightly. “it’s hard out here. dang smoothies can be so unkind.”

he glances towards Lucy , catching sight of you hidden behind her as well. “i see you got a couple smoothies of your own.” your lips pull into a small scowl. what the fuck did he mean by that ?

he starts to snarl again , jerking about slightly. Cooper waits for Roger to collect himself before speaking , voice almost solemn. “you’re turnin’.” Roger grunts , tilting his head side to side slightly. “yeah. yeah.” he starts to nod , laughing lightly. “maybe.”

“hey , you-you don’t happen to have any vials , do ya ?” he sniffles while Cooper looks back towards Lucy. you already knew what he was trying to say; she was the reason he couldn’t give the man a vial. but honestly. you don’t think he would’ve given one up anyway.

“just one little puff and i’ll be back on my feet. you know i’m good for it.”

Cooper shakes his head as he speaks , his voice low. “i’m sorry , Roger. i’m all out.” Roger is quick to speak again , “that’s okay. that’s okay.” he pants heavily. “though um- you and your smooth faced friends , you um , might want to clear out.” he nods lightly , “before things get ugly.” he’s not even threatening you. just starting facts. once he turns , he would only see you and Lucy as food.

he starts to snarl again , neck snapping around unnaturally. Cooper looks down before his eyes are drawn back to Roger by him talking. “i did okay.” he looks towards you and Lucy. “twenty-eight (28) years since i first started showing.” he snarls after his words.

you smile softly , stepping out from behind Lucy slightly. his head jerks about as he tries to get his mind back under control. “aw hell !” he pants , forcing his next words out. “not as long as you though.” he directs the words towards Cooper , making you glance at him in time to see his lip quirk up. “you’ve outlasted us all. how long since you first started wastelanding ?”

“a long time.” you’re eyes drift back towards Cooper. you could only imagine how long he’d been alive. Roger breathes heavily , “that’s a lot of vials.”

“well , i’ve always been good at making money , Roger.” Cooper rises walking over to a cabinet behind him and opening it. “say.. you remember how good food used to taste ?” you stare at him from the corner of your eye , confused.

Roger brightens up , “yeah ! BlamCo Mac & Cheese.”

Cooper stares back at him. “ice cream and apple pie.” Roger laughs brightly.

Lucy smiles at that , but you furrow your brows. what was Cooper doing ?

“hot damn !” he looks over towards Lucy , addressing her. “you know , my mom used to-” you watch , almost in slow motion , as Cooper draws and shoots the other ghoul , killing him. Lucy stumbles back , knocking into you and sending you both into the wooden cabinet that was against the wall.

Cooper holsters his gun , starting to walk over to Rogers dead body. you quickly look away , scrunching your shoulders up to your ears. you don’t know if you’d ever get used to seeing the aftermath.

Cooper moves forward , grabbing the corpse and maneuvering him to lay him flat on his back.

Lucy stumbles forward a few steps , “wait.. why’d you do that..? he was sick..” Cooper takes his hat off , flipping it over in his hands and placing it on a stool. standing , he collects some tools from his saddle bag before crouching down beside the corpse again. he opens Roger’s mouth , yanking a tooth.

you flinch at the sound , a pained whimper escaping. “stop. stop , stop ! please ! i- no , i know it’s hard up here , but you don’t.. you don’t have…” Lucy swallows thickly , watching as Cooper starts to pull the corpses shirt up. “you don’t have to resort to.. to..”

Cooper pauses , “what’d you say your name was ?”

she hesitates for a second , glancing back at you before answering. “Lucy Maclean.” she squares her shoulders , standing proud.

Cooper turns , staring Lucy down with an unreadable look. “Maclean.” she nods , confused. “huh.” he turns back towards the body , starting to make incisions. “well , Lucy Maclean , it ain’t all canned peaches and marmalade left up here , sweetheart.” the pet name sounds mocking coming from his lips now.

you remember when he used to call Janey that. sometimes teasingly , most times lovingly.

but now , the name leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

he continues to cut into the body , making you gag as the scent of iron and infection fills your nose. “sometimes a fella’s gotta eat a fella.” he grabs some of the flesh , stuffing it in his mouth. “mmm. mmmm , mmm.” you gag again , breathing heavy as your head tilts back. Lucy looks away in disgust and disbelief , swallowing thickly.

“you know , my vault has endured hardship too.” Cooper tosses some of the flesh forward as Lucy continues to talk. “in the Great Plague of ‘77. everyone had to quarantine , they couldn’t work the farms together. people starved.. my mother included.” she swallows thickly , continuing strongly. “my dad dropped to 128 pounds , and he still refused to do anything like this.” Cooper starts to laugh mockingly , shaking his head while still hacking away at the body.

“what. what’s so funny ?” Cooper pauses , chuckling before starting to speak. “well , there’s what people say they did ,” he throws a glance over his shoulder at Lucy. “and what they really did.” he turns his head away , beginning to saw away again. “i’ll bet your daddy was first in line at the cookout. i bet he had a bib with a drawing of his neighbors ass on it.”

Lucy stares at him , shaking her head in disgust. “how do you live like this ?” Cooper pauses , panting. “why keep going ?” the silence that follows is deafening.

you had thought about that more than once.

why keep going.

you didn’t have your parents by your side.

you didn’t have your brother anymore because he was turning feral and Cooper killed him.*

so why keep going. if all you will face is pain and suffering , why keep fighting.

Cooper stands , turning and walking towards Lucy with powerful steps. your head jerks further to the side , trying to hide the fact that you were starting to tear up. you don’t know why you were starting to cry , just that you were.

“well , one good question deserves another.” he holds the weapon out towards Lucy , starting at her with apathetic eyes. “why the fuck am i doing all the work ?” Lucy stares up at him with wide eyes.

“now , come on , vaultie.” his lips quirk , head shaking from side to side. “ass jerky don’t make itself.” she looks between him and the knife , swallowing thickly.

looking away , her face scrunches up before she turns to face him again. she grabs the knife , facing away as she does. Cooper comes to stand in front of you , glancing at your scrunched form. you were actively trying to make yourself smaller , thinking he wouldn’t interact with you if you took up as little space as possible. Lucy steels her expression , walking towards the body and crouching down.

you turn abruptly , speed walking out of the room. Cooper scoffs , going to follow after you. “do anythin’ stupid , and i kill the kid.” it was an empty threat , but he could see how Lucy tried to protect you and how she cared for you already. he knew that if he threatened you with harm , it would keep her in line.

you rush outside , falling to your knees and gasping for air. your tied hands come to grasp at your neck , scratching slightly.

you want to throw up.

oh god , you can’t breathe.

fuck.

you can’t breathe.

tears are steadily falling down your cheeks , dropping onto the ground below.

you hear his spurs before anything else , causing a groan to leave you. Cooper crouches down next to you , cocking his head. “now , what’chu cryin’ ‘bout ?” your head slowly turns towards him , a maniacal laugh leaving you as your breathing stutters.

“oh ! oh , i don’t know ! maybe the fact that my best friends’ dad EATS PEOPLE !!” you shriek at him , an expression akin to a wild animal on your face. “or ! or , maybe it’s the fact that yoU TORTURED LUCY AND MADE ME WATCH !!” you shriek as you laugh slightly , hands coming up to claw at your head. “oh my gods , i’m gonna kill myself.. i can’t do this..!” you pant heavily , head falling forward so your forehead rests against the floor.

Cooper huffs , rolling his eyes. “well , now , that ain’t gon’ happen , kiddo.” he shakes his head , patting you on the back and ignoring your flinch. he stands , “c’mon , pick yerself up and get back inside.”

Cooper walks back into the building , giving you privacy to pull yourself together.

——————

you had been given the privilege to have your hands untied.

yay.

you don’t know why he allowed you to have your hands back but your weren’t going to complain. your wrists still hurt still , being rubbed raw , but you had wrapped some clean bandages you found in your pack around them.

you trail just behind Lucy , keeping your arms crossed firmly across your chest. Lucy stumbles as she walks , causing you to reach out to try and stable her.

your geiger counter suddenly begins to crackle again , alerting you of the rads nearby.

as you look around , Cooper starts to slow , the three of you passing by some gutted cars. once he completely stops , he takes his canteen out , starting to fill it with disgusting water from a trough.

he pours the water into his mouth , drinking his fill while watching Lucy with a mocking look. you look away , starting to shake your head. why is he such a dick ?

Lucy falls to her knees , startling you with the suddenness of the action. she crawls the few feet towards the trough and pauses before cupping some of the water in her hand. she brings the water up to her mouth , choking on it. “now you’re getting it.” you send him a glare as he mocks her.

slowly , he crouches down , staring at her in amusement. she continues to drink the water , choking for air. “how does that Golden Rule jibe with what’s goin’ through yer head right now ?” Lucy breathes heavily , slowly turning her head towards Cooper. she stares at him for a good second , panting. “what.. are you ?” Cooper tilts his head , mocking her more. “oh , i’m you , seeetie. you just give it a little time.”

suddenly , he breaks out into a coughing fit.

Cooper rises up slightly , wheezing and trying to get more oxygen in. Lucy throws a glance at you before she takes off , running away. you’re quick to follow , fast on her heels.

she jumps over the hood of an abandoned car , attempting to make distance between her and The Ghoul. you circle around the car , speeding up to get closer to her. slowly , she comes to a stop , stunned by the crater in front of her. you keep running for a few more yards even after she stops.

you slow down to a walk once you reach the edge of the crater , getting transfixed on the height.

one step.

that’s all it would take.

one step and you’d be free.

all you have to do is take one step and you could finally be happy.

you don’t hear it , too focused on contemplating suicide , but Lucy gets lassoed up , being dragged backwards. and just as your foot lifts , you hear Lucy’s yelps , causing you to whip around.

you sprint over , completely forgetting your previous thoughts and trying to see what was happening. “now , that right there is the closest thing we’ve had to an honest exchange so far.” you stare in horror at the amputated appendage in Coopers hand.

he quietly pockets it as Lucy pants in pain.

——————

you’re finally coming up on what you assume to be your destination.

walking over a broken gate , you look up at the repurposed Super Duper Mart. Cooper has decided to keep a firm grip on your nape instead of tying your hands back up , keeping you where he wants you. you weren’t complaining though—you could space out as much as you wanted and didn’t even have to worry about tripping.

as you get closer , he grabs Lucy by the arm with his other hand , dragging her over to an intercom system. he lets you both go , taking his saddle bag off his shoulder and tossing it on the ground.

Cooper presses the call button , a small noise being heard. “transaction.” your eyes move towards him , an eyebrow quirking up.

a voice comes over the intercom. the voice of a robot that you somehow recognize. “yes ?”

Cooper presses the button again , speaking. “two (2) month supply of vials. exchange one female. mint condition.” he glances at her finger , pressing the button again. “near mint condition.” your eyes widen when you hear that , shame filling you. you hadn’t done anything to try and help Lucy , you’d only made it worse for her.

the robot comes back over the radio , “condition grading requires physical evaluation. please send her in.” a buzz is heard , a door starting to open.

you stare in horror. you should do something. anything ! but you won’t. because you’re scared. scared that Janey’s dad , the same person who would invite you to stay for dinner every single time you and Janey hung out , would hurt you.

Cooper pulls out a large knife , cutting through the ropes binding Lucy. “whats in there ?”

“you’re about to find out.” she looks at him in shock , “you’re selling me ?” Cooper takes his pistol from his holster , cocking it and pointing at Lucy. “you got problems out here too , sweetheart. best you try yer luck behind that door.”

Lucy turns her head staring at the building , body tight. slowly , she turns to stares Cooper down in anger , shaking her head. he just tilts his head , motioning for her to get walking. “go on.” she doesn’t move , just staring at him.

he grabs her arm , jerking her forward and towards the door. Lucy walks slowly , glancing back and being met with your guilty face and Coopers apathetic one. he motions with his gun for her to continue walking , a reminder of what would happen if she didn’t comply.

you shake your head , arms wrapping tighter around yourself. “what the fuck , man..” you watch Lucy step through the door , it closing automatically behind her.

Cooper breathes heavily , swaying in his spot slightly before falling over. you flinch , jumping back.

staring down at him , you watch as he takes a few wheezing breaths. looking around , you start to pace. “oh , what the hell..” your hands come up , grabbing at your head. what were you going to do ? you were fucked. well and truly fucked. the only person who could protect you , was on the ground , groaning. and the only person who would protect you , was inside the building in front of you. ‘probably getting her organs harvested !’ your mind unhelpfully supplied.

“oh , you fucking asshole !!” you whip around , stalking towards Cooper and delivering a swift kick to his abdomen. he grunts , being rolled onto his back from the force. “if she doesn’t come out of there , i’m going to fucking kill you , Cooper Howard !” your voice shakes as you make the threat , finger pointed down at him. you stomp on his stomach for good measure.

huffing , you crouch down , starting to rifle through his saddle bag. smirking as you find your knives , you pocket them for yourself. you take your water as well , taking a small sip before putting it down next to you.

you sit still for a minute , trying to get your breathing back under control. swinging your pack over your shoulder , you toss it in front of you. standing , you start to pace , walking in tight circles.

abruptly , you pause , turning to face Cooper. tilting your head , you walk closer until you’re right over him. “what would Janey say…” his eyes snap towards you , narrowed. “do you think she’d be proud of you..?” you shake your head , looking towards the Super Duper Mart.

you probably shouldn’t bring up his (maybe) dead daughter , but who cares.

Cooper groans lowly , turning back onto his stomach. “shut up , dickhead…” you crouch down as you speak , grabbing your bag and starting to rifle through it , searching for something you can eat. you find a box of Sugar Bombs that you didn’t remember having. smiling softly , you tear the box open , putting a handful in your mouth.

sitting down fully , you start to munch on the treat , zoning fully out.

suddenly , the door opens , causing your head to jerk up. you stand quickly , rushing over to Lucy and leaving all your stuff behind. “i’m so sorry !” are the first words out of your mouth as your arms come to wrap around her , not caring for the blood that got on you. she stumbles back , not expecting the hug but embracing it and holding you just as tight. just as quickly , you release her , jogging back to your things and gathering them.

“we have got to go.”

she slowly walks up to Cooper , a pistol in one hand and vials in the other. she stares him down as you come to stand next to her , pack secured on your back.

she holds the vials up , “you don’t get these ,” Lucy motions with her gun towards the building. “you turn into one of those ?” she looks back down at Cooper. “that how it works ?” Cooper struggles to take in a full breath , nodding his head as much as he could as his eyelids flutter. Lucy crouches down in front of him , inspecting him for a second before inspecting her gun , debating.

she lowers her gun , speaking lowly. “i may end up looking like you…” she shakes her head. “..but i’ll never be like you.”

she places the vials in front of him gently , standing. she walks away a few steps , watching as you crouch down near him. “Golden Rule , motherfucker.” she continues to walk away , not looking back.

“and , i’m takin’ your hat , cowboy.” you say the name with such disgust it almost makes him flinch as you snatch the hat from the ground , placing it gently atop your head as you stand. jogging , you quickly catch up to Lucy.

you walk on her side , glancing at her out of the corner of your eye. she examines her Pip-Boy for a moment before lifting her head back up , continuing to trek forward with determination in her eyes. you just follow her , hands clasped tightly around your backpacks straps.

honestly , you had taken the hat for petty reasons , but now , now , you understood. it blocked the sun out really well !

after a few miles , you decide to speak up , breaking the silence. “i’m sorry.” Lucy pauses , looking at you and tilting her head. “what for ?”

“i didn’t stop him ! i didn’t even try to !” your eyes start to tear up , making you start to rub them roughly. you wouldn’t cry. you already did today !

she walks closer to you , taking your wrists in her hands and gently pulling them away from your face. “you don’t have to apologize , Y/N. i didn’t expect you to stop him.” she shakes her head lightly , grabbing your shoulder and rubbing it while she starts to walk again.

you stay under her arm for the next few miles , leaning into her side lightly.

————————————

you and Lucy sit side by side in front of a small fire. the sun was starting to set over the horizon , making the sky turn a beautiful red.

“you can play games on these ?!” you’re eyes are wide with delight. Lucy just smiles , humming as she nods. she had been showing you all that you could do with the Pip-Boy’s , letting you mess around freely. she had transferred some of the games she had onto your Pip-Boy just a few minutes ago. and now , she was showing you how to play them.

“oh ! and before i forget !” she brings her Pip-Boy up , navigating to the tracker system. gently , she grabs your wrist , putting your Pip-Boy’s near each other. she notices your confused look , chuckling lightly before explaining. “i’m syncing our Pip-Boy’s so if one of us gets lost , we can find each other !”

“ohh..” you nod , “smart !” she smiles , finishing the process.

“you should probably get some sleep , i’ll take first watch.” you nod at her words , yawning as you stretch out. you grab you bag , placing its under your head and getting comfortable.

after while , you manage to fall asleep , unconsciousness finally taking over your mind.

—————————

i don’t know if Pip-Boy’s can sync up like that to track each other so let’s just say they do :3

*so the ghoul you gave the vial to in the first part was your brother. he was born after the bombs dropped so you didn’t know him as a kid. he was born in a completely different vault (and because i don’t want to make up vault lore for him) he never told you anything about his vault in the few (3-4) months you traveled together. i’ll probably go more into this when reader , Lucy , and Max are in vault 4 but i just wanted to tell yall now

Arcade doesn't consider himself to be a jealous lover--in fact, he prides himself on being the opposite, providing his lover with the freedom that they so desire--but today, that all changes. Why? Because of you.

Unfortunately, it seems that you have a type. That type? The gay wasteland doctor. You, in all your travels, have dated both of the doctors in the wasteland that just so happen to be gay.

Now, normally, Arcade wouldn't care if you got checked out by some other doctor. Hey, that's less work for him, and more pretending to work with plants, but something about getting told that you'd been treated by the very man who not-so-secretly still has a thing for you got under his skin. Who can blame him, right?

What's even worse is that you don't seem to see the problem.

He'd been a bit short with you for a few days, but you keep whining and whining, practically begging for any attention he could spare, asking why he's been so upset lately, not realizing that you're the problem! Arcade's at his wit's end with you, but he doesn't want to be vocal about why he's upset. So instead, he sasses you. Without even looking up from his work desk, he huffs, "why don't you go ask Alex for attention? Since you two seem so close now," he grumbles stiffly. If you don't understand that he's jealous after that, you're a lost cause.

You huff, still pestering Arcade, before it finally dawns on you that he's jealous. Idiot. Of course, at this discovery of yours, you're working extra hard to get back on Arcade's good side.

Whenever you both have free time, you know better than to disturb him when he's actually doing something you're clinging to him. Despite how he grumbles about how you're being too clingy, he enjoys it, given that he's not pushing you away.

His complaints always go something like:

"Ugh, Six, you reek, I'm begging you to shower," Arcade groans, playfully swatting you away when you wrap your arms around him after returning from some odd job you'd picked up to help out around the Fort.

"I would shower, but you're still mad at me, so I need to be sorry before I need to be clean," you retort with a huff, burying your face in the crook of his neck, your usual spot.

At some point, you can tell that he's gotten over his jealousy, but is just milking it so he can get more affection from you. That doesn't deter you from giving him affection. In fact, you give him more now. Every time you have the chance, you're touching him.

He's lazing on your couch? You're draped on top of him, even though it's hot. You're walking by him? You're smacking his ass, despite his protests that he needs to be "professional," whatever that means.

Soon enough, Arcade gets bored of pretending to still be mad at you, and stops huffing at you completely. He doesn't say anything about it, and if you decide to mention it, he's going to make some comment along the lines of:

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want me to still be upset? Because that can be arranged."

“Not a lot of space,” you mutter, stepping inside and glancing around.

Behind you, Cooper huffs quietly. “Ain’t a lot of options either.”

You turn, folding your arms. “Then you can take outside.”

He tips his head slightly, unimpressed. “Yeah, that’s not happenin’.”

“Thought you liked roughing it.”

“I like surviving,” he corrects. “Difference.”

Your jaw tightens.

You both look at the same spot at the same time.

A narrow stretch of relatively clean ground, tucked near the wall. Just enough space for one person to lie down comfortably.

Two, if they don’t mind, you look away immediately.

“No,” you say.

He lets out a low breath, something close to a laugh. “You saying that like you got a better idea.”

“I do,” you reply. “You stay over there. I stay here.”

“That ‘over there’ is a pile of rusted scrap.”

“Sounds like your kind of bed.”

He smirks faintly at that, eyes flicking over you in a way that makes something tighten in your chest. “You always this welcoming?”

“Only when I’m forced to travel with someone I don’t like.”

“Yeah?” he says, stepping closer. “Coulda fooled me.”

Your eyes narrow. “Don’t start.”

“I ain’t started anything.”

“You’re always starting something.”

“Only when it gets me what I want.”

And just like that, your mind drags you back.

5 hours earlier

“Not a chance,” you say, tightening your grip on the bag.

Cooper leans casually against the counter, like he’s got all the time in the world, even though the place is barely standing and the trader looks like he’d shoot first if things go wrong.

“You’re asking too much,” you add.

“I ain’t asking,” he replies smoothly. “I’m negotiatin’.”

You scoff. “That’s not negotiating.”

“It is if you’re listening.”

You glance at the trader, still watching, still waiting, then back at Cooper.

“You don’t even need it,” you mutter.

He shrugs. “Maybe not.”

“Then why—”

“Because you do.”

You freeze slightly, just for a second.

His smirk shifts, less cocky now, more… intentional.

“You really gonna walk away from this?” he murmurs, just low enough that only you hear it. “After all that?”

You hate that he’s right. Hate that he knows it.

“…You’re insufferable,” you mutter.

“Yeah,” he says. “But I get results.”

You ended up with the Rad-X. Not because of anything you said. Not because of any deal you made. But because of him.

You leaned back slightly, arms crossed, watching from the side as Cooper rested an elbow against the counter like he had nowhere else to be, his posture loose, almost lazy.

“Now, I’m just sayin’,” he drawled, voice smooth in a way that made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing, “you got yourself a real nice setup here.”

The trader, a woman with sharp eyes and a sharper grin, tilted her head, clearly not immune to it. “Flattery ain’t gonna lower my prices.”

“Wasn’t trying to,” he said easily, flashing just enough of a smile to make it look effortless. “Just calling it like I see it.”

You rolled your eyes slightly, shifting your weight. Of course. Of course he’d do this.

They went back and forth for a bit, but it wasn’t really negotiating. It was something else. Something slower. More deliberate.

He leaned in just a little closer at one point, voice dropping, saying something you didn’t quite catch, but the way she laughed after told you everything you needed to know.

Your stomach twisted. You looked away. Well, tried to. But your gaze kept flicking back.

The way he talked. The way he held eye contact just a second longer than needed. The way he made it all look so easy, like he wasn’t trying at all, like it was just who he was.

It was irritating. It was ridiculous. It was… you exhaled quietly, jaw tightening.

“…Alright,” the trader finally said, sliding the Rad-X across the counter. “But just this once.”

“Appreciate it, sweetheart.” Cooper replied, picking it up like it was nothing.

Like he hadn’t just shifted the entire situation in his favor.

He glanced at you after, brief and knowing. Like he was waiting for something. A reaction.

You scoffed, turning away before he could get one.

“Unbelievable,” you muttered under your breath.

“Got what we needed, didn’t we?” he said, stepping up beside you.

“Yeah,” you replied flatly. “By flirting your way through it.”

He huffed something close to a laugh. “If it works, it works.”

You shook your head, pushing past him. “It’s cheap.”

“Didn’t hear you complainin’ when you needed it.”

“I’m not complain—” you cut yourself off, jaw tightening again. “…I just wouldn’t do it like that.”

“Yeah,” he said, tone just a little too knowing. “I know.”

You didn’t trust it. Didn’t trust him. Didn’t trust how easily he could slide into something like that, how natural it looked.

And you definitely didn’t trust the way part of you, just for a second, found it a little too easy to watch.

——

“Problem?”

His voice pulls you back.

You blink, refocusing on the present, on him standing too close again, watching you like he’s waiting for something.

“Just thinking,” you say.

“Dangerous habit.”

“Yeah,” you reply dryly. “You should try it sometime.”

He chuckles under his breath. You hate that sound.

The wind picks up outside, pushing dust through the broken doorway, a reminder that staying out there isn’t an option.

You look at the space again. Then at him. Then back.

“…Fine,” you mutter.

His brow lifts slightly. “That easy?”

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

You lie down first. Back to the wall. Facing away. Creating as much space as possible. Which… isn’t much.

You hear him move behind you, the shift of fabric, the quiet thud as he settles in.

You can feel the heat of him through the space between you, barely there, but enough to be impossible to ignore.

You stare straight ahead. Don’t move. Don’t react.

“Relax,” he murmurs after a moment.

“I am relaxed.”

“You look like you’re about to bolt.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Not much room for that.”

You grit your teeth. “If you move any closer—”

“I ain’t movin’.”

That’s the problem.

Silence settles. But it’s not quiet. It’s full of awareness. Of tension. Of everything you’re trying not to acknowledge. You shift slightly. Just to get comfortable. Your leg brushes his.

You freeze. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t comment. But you can feel it, the way he goes just slightly still.

“Accident,” you mutter.

“Didn’t say it wasn’t.”

“You were thinking it.”

“I think a lotta things.”

“Keep them to yourself.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

You exhale slowly, trying to ignore the way your body refuses to settle, hyper aware of every inch of space between you. Or lack of it.

“You always this tense?” he asks quietly.

You don’t answer. Because if you do, it’ll come out wrong. Or too honest. Or both.

“…You’re not,” he adds after a moment.

That makes you frown slightly. “Not what.”

“Not someone who lets people get that close.”

Your chest tightens. You turn your head just enough to look at him over your shoulder. He’s already looking at you.

“You don’t know me that well,” you say.

“Don’t I?”

Your breath catches slightly. And you hate that it does. For a second, neither of you moves. Doesn’t speak.

Then you turn away again, pulling the thin blanket tighter around yourself like it’ll fix the space between you. Like it’ll fix anything.

“…Get some sleep,” he mutters after a moment.

You huff quietly. “You first.”

“I don’t sleep much.”

“Yeah. I noticed.”

Another pause.

“You trust me enough to do this, though.”

Your grip tightens slightly.

“Don’t push it.”

He doesn’t respond. But you can feel it, the faint shift, the smallest movement as he settles in just a little more.

You don’t move away. And sometime between trying not to think about it, and failing, sleep finally pulls you under. With him still there.

Too close. And not nearly far enough.

Taglist

pulling back slightly, he meets your gaze again, his breath hitching when you press your hand flat to your stomach, fingers spreading wide. when your hand starts to shift downwards, he notices the wet patch on your panties. it makes him freeze for a moment, mouth dropping slightly, tongue darting out to wet his suddenly dry lips.

out of instinct to see more, his fingers bunch the fabric of your panties up and pull upwards, a groan tearing from his lips right as a choked moan slips from your mouth. the material clings to your lower lips, outlining your pussy. butch’s eyes zero in on the sight. he wants to see more, wants to see you soaked completely until he can see you through your panties.

butch talked big game before the two of you ended up in your bed, stating if you wanted to get closer, all you had to do was ask, but here, now—he wishes he did more with that traveler, wishes she would’ve been kind enough to show him the ropes. because all he wants to do is make you feel good, and he’s not sure he can do that when you have him a complete and utter mess on the inside seeing you laid out beneath him.

“i—” he swallows thickly, ready to speak, to say maybe the two of you had one too many to drink and shouldn’t do this.

“butch.”

his eyes dart from your slowly moving hand to your face, eyes searching yours. the expression you’re wearing is unreadable, eyes hooded as you watch him, and his fingers twist harder into the grip he still has on your panties, causing you to arch your hips up, seeking out friction.

“butch.” a gasp this time, your free hand darting out, reaching for him. reluctantly, he releases you, forearms bracketing your head, letting you tangle your fingers in his once styled hair, tugging on the strands to pull him into a series of deep kisses. he groans into the kiss, hands cupping your face, tilting your head back, his hips move on auto, jerking forward against your cunt, the rough material of his pants harsh on your pussy causing you to whimper.

there’s something about still being partially clothed while you’re in nothing but your panties that sets him off. his hips rock against yours, a moan forced from between your lips with every thrust. the hand between your bodies grips his hip to snake its way into the back of his pants, squeezing his ass while he ruts into you.

his cock is throbbing, leaking heavily, making a mess of his underwear. you’re being a tease beneath him, rolling your hips up as best you can to feel the drag of him against your cunt. if he listens closely, he swears he can hear the wet, slick sounds of your bodies meeting.

suddenly, you’re gripping his other hip, legs splaying open to allow him more space to grind against you. butch feels like he’ll explode if he doesn’t get to feel you soon. but at the same time, having you like this feels so raw and primal. the two of you, too impatient to properly undress, your hand sneaking toward the front of his pants, urging the fly open to feel his length through the thin material of his underwear.

the wet patch staining his underwear is growing larger the longer this goes on. his tip is drooling pre down his shaft, the milky substance bleeding through the fabric to smear along your own undergarments, mixing with your arousal, turning them completely see-through. with every roll of his hips, his cock drags along your clit, and butch can feel your knees draw up around him, trembling as he brings you close to the edge.

there’s no time for him to register that he’s pulled away from your mouth before his lips are dragging across your cheek, and smearing across your throat, kisses pressed hot into the flesh while he lets go of your face with one hand, reaching between where you’re connected to pull his underwear down far enough just to free his aching length.

the next thrust forward has him swearing out, wet, sticky hand returning to your face to bring your lips back together. the glide of his heavy, sensitive, bare cock against your barely clothed cunt has him nearly bursting right then and there. then your next words make him throb even harder, lips parting into a deep groan, cockhead catching and pushing against your entrance.

“n-need you to cum, butch,” you pant into his mouth, hands gripping his ass, and smoothing up and down his back before finally coming to settle over his shoulders, desperate to meet his thrusts, but the sheer force of him drives you into the bed with each punishing roll.

“yeah, doll?” his voice is hoarse, a sound he doesn’t recognize when your lips are centimeters apart, and this time through your heavy breathing, he can hear the slick, sloppy squelching of your bodies meeting, sliding over one another, as you seek out release in each other.

“y-yes, please.” you writhe beneath him, the broken whine that slips out from between your lips finally does him in, that last thread of his sanity snapping. he’s tried to keep things grounded and stay in control, but the way you feel beneath him, so perfect, arching up into him, desperately trying to help him reach his peak—-

it’s all too much, the slick, wet slide of your bodies together, the obscene sounds, the way your skin feels against his. it makes him feel like he’s being swallowed whole by you. your legs lock around his waist tighter, and in turn, he presses more of his weight into you.

any sense of being gentle gets thrown out the window the moment he feels that heaviness in his guts, his pace turns brutal, the friction hitting a point that tips him over. a groan, heavy and ragged tears through his chest, his cock throbs and pulses against your pussy, shot after shot of cum decorating your panties and between your clothed folds.

a full on shudder rolls through him, his eyes rolling so hard they begin to ache, vision doubling as you come back into view beneath him. harsh breaths wash over your cheek, lips sliding across the skin. burying his face into the dip of your neck, his arms wrap tight around your midsection, hips taking on a brutal pace as he draws out his release, tip catching on your clit, listening to the mewls and gasps escaping your lips.

butch is experiencing a state of bliss no drug or alcohol can ever compare to. he’s touched himself countless times, and as mentioned before, had that experience with the traveler, but nothing compares to what he’s feeling now. it feels like he’s weightless, floating in the air as euphoria floods his veins. next thing he knows, his lips are parting, tongue dragging across your pulse, teeth sinking into the skin, only to feel you lock up beneath him, your own release causing your legs to shake.

“b-butch,” you whimper, panting heavily enough that it causes him slight concern. his hips slow to a gentle roll, dragging along your cunt one final time before coming to a complete stop, a reluctant noise leaving butch as he leans up to get a look at your face.

“you okay?”

he was never one that could comfort others, but he doesn’t want to see you upset. especially because of him. but what he sees when he looks at you isn’t fear, or hurt. it’s lust, and something else. something else he can’t quite put a name to, and something he’s not sure he’s ready to explore yet. because if you’re looking at him like this, then how is he looking at you?

he doesn’t get to dwell on his thoughts long when you pull him in for a kiss, hands brushing through his hair softly. then you pull back, lips parting a fraction before he’s diving back in once more, returning your mouth’s gentle embrace. butch lets a hand travel down your side, squeezing at your flesh softly, swallowing down the sweet sounds you make.

there’s no telling what this’ll do to your relationship, he can only hope for the best possible outcome. he doesn’t think he wants to head back to his spot in rivet city any time soon.