#hellektr0

“You gunna come back down to earth anytime soon, man?”

Paul’s voice imploded into Butch’s daydreaming like the sharp pop of a balloon in a pin-drop silent chamber, snapping him back into the present in a back diner booth, sitting across from said best friend with an untouched burger and fries in front of him. Paul regarded him with a suspicious gaze and a mouth full of rehydrated onion rings, chewing idly with his brows arched up to his hairline, and Butch couldn’t fucking figure out what the dope had been talking about while he was off in La-La-Land; if he had to guess, probably something about all the work he had to do downstairs now that Win was on suspension, because that was all he complained or talked about these days, so naturally Butch’s mind would wander off to other, better things.

A brief memory of the inventor’s sex-drunk expression and hazy eyes pinned to his face as she begged him to finish inside her made it back to the forefront of his mind.

Better things indeed.

It was all he’d been thinking about since he woke up, naked and drowsy on the pullout couch, cursing to whatever higher power was out there that if it had all been a dream, he’d find a way to get up to the pearly gates just to kick someone’s ass. When he reached across the bed for Winona, hoping to pull her close for a quick, sleepy morning romp, he instead found the other half of the bed empty and her clothes picked up off the floor from where they were haphazardly abandoned hours before—including her boots and Pip-Boy off the couch-side table. Butch figured she scurried off to go preen herself or whatever girly shit broads did after a night of sex because she wasn’t in her bedroom, either, leaving only a note stating she’d ‘be back later’ with a scribbled heart shape (and no he didn’t grin like a fool when he saw it, fuck you very much); and if it wasn’t for Paul pinging his Pip-Boy about grabbing lunch, he knew he would’ve stuck around for her to get back… and he couldn’t tell if it was because he still hoped for that quickie, or because he just wanted to see her.

“How’s it looking out there?”

Looking back to the voice behind him, he found his mom lingering in the clinic, seeming well-rested despite her exhausted smile. She came to stand beside him, also watching the people eating and rustling themselves under blankets to sleep.

“S’alright, I guess. Got more people in today.” He shrugged vaguely in reply.

“That’s good. We should stick together in a time like this and look out for one another.” She said with her eyes panning across the floor, momentarily taking on a look of sorrow when she spotted the Kellan family. “I thought I heard Mike and his family was here… poor Jessica… we should make sure Wendy gets an extra blanket. Goodness, I can’t remember the last time I saw a child since all this started… poor little Wendy, she must be so lonely.”

“M’Sure she ain’t the only one.” So many people had died already, and he didn’t want to think about the same happening to a kid... but his mom was right, wasn’t she? When was the last time he saw a kid since all this started?

Frankly, Butch didn’t want to think about that, either.

“You eat dinner yet, Butchie? I see you working hard around here for Amata, I worry you’re not eating enough.”

“Not like there’s much t’go around,” He said with a feeble snort that made her shoot a scrutinizing look.

“How about I grab us some dinner?” She inquired hopefully as the look faded into a small smile. “We can sit together and eat... like we use to.”

Thanks again for tagging me love! I also wish to tag @corvegaassemblyplant, @imperialistbullshit, and any of my other writer mutuals who’d like to take a stab at it as well! :)

Happy reading, happy writing everyone!