#kiwiscript

        "This was a mistake,” He continued, “we shouldn’t have done this.” Jackson removed his hands from his face and stood, you followed in suit. Your blood was boiling, angry at the Jackson standing - barely - before you. “You know what? Maybe it was a mistake. I shouldn’t have asked you to come along. You’re too much of a fucking pussy to ever pull a stunt like this so why don’t you run back to your Mommy and Daddy, and beg your way back into the fucking Vault, okay?!” You knew you shouldn’t have said all of that, but this pathetic piece of Jackson was too much to deal with especially after his bout of “badass-ness” back in the Vault.

         Jackson stood there, eyes glued to you as he opened his mouth to speak, “Fuck you, (Y/N). They were right about you.” You scoffed, hurt over the words coming from him but even then, you knew it was only anger talking. 

        “What? That I’m a screw up?” You retaliated, “that I’m too reckless and you should never have befriended me? That they should have thrown me out into the Wasteland with my Father?” Tears pooled in your eyes and your hand flew to wipe them before any could spill, “They’re right. I’m sorry I fucked you over, Jackson. Go back into the Vault, but I’m not following you. I’m so-” You were cut off by an ominous growl in the distance, Jackson instinctively ran to your side.

         "What was t-that?“ He stuttered, huddling into your smaller frame. "I-I don’t know, but maybe you should get back into the Vault if you don’t want to find out." Jackson looked at you incredulously, scoffing at your words, "And leave you out here to fend for yourself? No way, no.” You sighed at his stubbornness, “Just give me the rifle and go." 

        "There’s no ammo left." 

        "What?!” You screamed, another growl echoing in the distance, this time however, it was close.  

        This was of no growl or roar you’d ever heard. Of course, living in a Vault you’ve had your fair share of run-ins with mole rats and radroaches but none of them had ever emitted a sound this sinister before. The only light came from the moon, creating shadows from nothing and illuminating only the field. 

        “Jackson, we need to get out of here. Either you go back into the Vault or we’re leaving. Now.” You whispered, turning on the pip-boy light. Jackson copied your actions, exhaling in the process, “Let’s go.”  

        You smiled up to the brunette boy, genuinely thankful that he decided to go with you. The both of you turned in each direction, trying to find a way out of the now pit of a baseball field. 

        “Okay,” You hushed, “Right there. If we climb up the sand there, we can go through that opening and hopefully find a way out.” Jackson nodded, following you to the steep hill towards the exit.  

         "Wow, we’re really going to have to climb,“ You sighed, bringing your foot to the side of the hill and making small indents into is as you hoisted yourself up. Jackson followed closely, slipping a couple of times but other than that you two made it up to the entrance easily.

        "Okay,” You said, catching your breath from the short climb, “I’m really out of shape.” A laugh left both of your lips as you walked through the white hall.

        Trash littered the floor and graffiti of all sorts was plastered over the walls. Different logos and symbols and phrases were present, and you couldn’t help but to read some of them.  

        “’My Cardinal Rose, meet me in the box upstairs. I’ll be waiting, Yours Always, Drake.’” You whispered aloud, “You think they found each other?" 

        "Maybe,” Jackson shrugged, “look at that one. It’s weird.” He said, pointing over to another graffiti mark.  

        A red bird. It’s wings were black and smudged and the scent from the oil paint that was used still lingered in the air. Even though it was small, something about it seemed threatening.  

       "Signed ‘SG’, Huh?“ You commented, bringing your fingertips to touch the crimson bird. It’s paint was still tacky. Someone had been here recently.

       Jackson trudged forward up the stairs to the main floor while you lagged behind staring at the logo before you, swearing that you’d seen it somewhere before. 

       "You coming?” Jackson hollered down to you, ripping you from your thoughts, “Yeah! I’m Coming!”

      The two of you explored a bit longer. Finding nothing besides trash and empty bullet shells. Each stall that was once bustling with customers now closed off with a metal gate, locked up for what would seem to be the rest of eternity.  

       "Hey, do you know what a hot dog is?“ Jackson asked, pointing at a sign from a little cart to the side. You winced, becoming sick to your stomach even thinking about humanities past diets, "They used to eat dogs? Maybe the nuclear apocalypse wasn’t such a bad thing.”  

        Suddenly, a low hum vibrated through the floor causing you and Jackson to freeze in your tracks, “(Y/N), this really was an awful idea.” Jackson breathed. From the corner of your eye you could visibly see he’d began to shake. You sighed, annoyed at his constant vocalization of how bad of an idea this was, “How many times are you going to say th-” Then, a dark roar rumbled from behind you, each step the mysterious beast behind you took shook the entire vicinity.

        You turned with caution, not knowing what to expect. What stood before you was something you’d only heard legends of. Something that you’d previously denied it’s very existence. But there it was, angry and snarling with hot breaths you swore you could feel run against your cheeks. It had to have been at least 15 feet tall, its body was covered in armored scales, and it’s infamous teeth and claws sharpened to perfection. The beast stood to its full height and in that moment, you agreed with Jackson.

         "Deathclaw! (Y/N)! Run!“ He yelled before breaking into a sprint. You stood frozen with fear as the beast raised its fists, ready to pummel you into the cement you walked on. 

         It swung, missing you purposely as if saying "You better start running.” Cement debris flew in each direction and that’s when you decided you’d better get moving.  

          The Deathclaw followed close behind, knocking the random food stalls you swerved through out of the way. It’s mouth was wide open, knowing it could catch you in a matter of seconds but this Deathclaw was different. This one liked it when it’s prey put up a fight. The chase led to a better taste and here it had two different meals just waiting for him.

        All of sudden, the Beast threw itself ahead of you, blocking the way you ran as you slid to stop. You frantically turned the other way, trying to get another head start from the monster behind you, but you were too slow. The Deathclaw’s pointed claws wrapped around your ankle, dragging you to him.  

       Your screams were heard around the ballpark and you were sure they could hear it from the Vault as well. Your fingernails snagged and broke from the cement as you tried to latch on to something, to anything. But, the beast was way too strong for you or for anything to be honest.  

       Jackson tried to sway the beast by throwing anything he could find at it. Rocks, empty ketchup bottles, old frying pans, anything to get its attention from you to him. “Let her go, you vile, disgusting Freak of Nature!” He yelled, chucking whatever was in his hand at the monster.  

       The pan hit the Deathclaw in the head and even though you knew it did no damage to the beast, it sure as hell irritated it. Its grip around your ankle tightened, hard enough to nearly snap it, as it lifted you from the ground, dangling you in front of its face. Your squirms and kicks to it’s hand did no damage as it turned to Jackson, swinging its free arm to knock him out of the way. Jackson went flying back into one of the metal gates, instantly knocking him out, and bending the wiring behind him.  

      “Jackson! Just let me go you-you… You thing!” Your screams turned into whimpers as the monsters opened it’s mouth wider, ready to swallow you whole. 'This is it.’ You thought as you closed your eyes tightly and muttered any and every apology you could think of. 'This is the end.’

      You could feel the teeth at your leg, eager to clamp down at any second as the beast took its time. Demented snarls and sounds ejected from its throat, excited it was finally receiving its next meal.  

      “Just get it over with!” You yelled to the Deathclaw, tired of its constant teasing. But, before it could snap it’s yellowed fangs around you, a single shot rang off in the air and a bullet entered the side of its head, lodging itself in the hardened skin before it could reach the brain.  

       It dropped you at once. You let out a loud 'oof!’ As your body thudded against the cold concrete and turned quickly to see what was happening. The Deathclaw’s head snapped in the direction of which the bullet came from, drawing any attention it had from you, to this potentially new meal.  

       You followed its line of sight to find a person on the opposite side of the field. It was a man. He held a hand gun aimed directly at the beast before you. From what you could see, the man was dressed in all black from head to toe, the only color coming from a dirtied, white t-shirt underneath the leather jacket. A backpack and machine gun were slung around his back, but you couldn’t see his face, only the onyx colored hair that shined in the moonlight.  

       The Deathclaw stalked its way from you to the stands, lurking slowly towards the new being and once it was far enough away from you, you ran to Jackson.  

       "Jackson, wake up!“ You cried, shaking him lightly. Nothing, he stayed still, no eyes fluttering or fingertips moving, just… nothing. 

       "C'Mon! Don’t leave me like this!” You wailed, slamming your fists against his chest. You leaned forward, crying into his Vault suit as you realized that the swing must have been more powerful than you originally had thought. Fortunately, Jackson finally stirred, uttering choked words along the lines of “What happened?” You threw yourself on to him, hugging him to you tightly. 

        “Jackson! You’re awake. Thank God. You don’t remember what happened?” He shook his head, confusion written along his features as he scanned the area. “All I remember is walking around this place and then everything going black.” You chuckled as you realized he more than likely blocked everything out due to how scared he was, “Jackson we were being chased! By a Deathclaw! Speaking of whi-” Your words were cut off before you could finish your sentence, “Unless you guys have a Death Wish, I suggest getting a move on.”

       It was the man in black, he looked at you and the brunette boy and back to the Deathclaw who was currently wrapped up in some net of sorts before running off in the direction of what you assumed to be the exit. “Wait!” You yelled, turning to Jackson to lift him up and follow the mysterious boy. “Can you walk alright?” You asked him. He nodded as he winced slightly, “Yeah, l-let’s go before that gets out.”  

       The two of you chased after the boy, catching up to him easily at the Entrance of the Stadium. 

        “Hey!” You shouted, “Who are you?” The man’s head snapped up to you as you finally reached him at the gate. 

       "Shut up.“ He hissed. 

       You were shocked. Who was this man who thought he could speak to you like that? "Excuse me?” You scoffed. The man looked up again as he fiddled with something on the wall near the gate, electric sparks flying out the socket he was currently messing with.

      “I said. Shut. Up.”

       You and Jackson looked up to each other, both stunned at the man’s tone and as you opened your mouth to say something again, a snarl echoed through the air. One you now knew belonged to the Deathclaw.  

       "There,“ He uttered, closing the socket and hovering his hand over the red button that covered it, "Stay back.” His words were curt and full of animosity, but you and Jackson listened, stepping numerous steps away from the man and the gate.  

       "(Y/N)… Maybe we should just go. This guy seems to have it under control.“ Jackson huffed, clearly not a fan of the man in black. "Wait.” You said, your eyes focusing on the hall to the field, knowing any second the beast would be running down it.  

       Its heavy footsteps echoed from around the corner, chilling you to the bone.  

      And there it was. It huffed and howled and snarled as it sprinted on all fours towards the three of you.

       "Three.“ The man said causing you to look at him, only briefly before turning your gaze back to the monster lunging towards you.

       "Two.” He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. Jackson latched himself on to your arm in typical Jackson fashion only this time, you latched back, preparing yourself for the worst.  

       "One.“  

       The Man in black slammed the red button right as the beast sprung forward, stretching its mouth forward to finally get a taste of the man before him. But unfortunately for the Deathclaw, the gate snapped shut with such force, it cut its head clean off. Discolored blood spurted in each direction, staining the both of your Vault suits and faces as the beasts head rolled to meet the Man in blacks boot.  

       "Gotcha.” He smiled down and the detached body part, kicking it lightly in the direction of the rest of its remains. The man picked up his backpack and gun, slinging it over his shoulder easily as he turned his head towards you.  

       "Th-that’s it?!“ You sputtered, amazed at what had just happened. The man faced you and Jackson, and by the look of it, he really wasn’t in the mood for a conversation  

       "Yep. That’s it. Unless, ya know he had some other friends around here, then in that case it’d be the best idea for us to leave.”  

       "Wait!“ You yelled, reaching your hand out to stop the man from going any further, "What’s your name?”  

       He turned to you, his jaw jutted forward slightly, signaling his further irritation. “It doesn’t matter. This is the only time we’re meeting. Also, word of advice since I can tell you’re not from around here,” He said, eyes scanning over your obviously different attire, “Don’t ask people for their name. You know what, just don’t talk to people at all. They won’t be as friendly as I am. Especially in these parts. Now run along, Vault Dweller. Oh, and I’d change those clothes. People see Vault Dwellers as weaklings and from that display back there, they wouldn’t be wrong. See ya.” The man waved, turning away from you and Jackson as he walked towards the dense city.  

       The Sun had finally started rising. Hues of blues, oranges, and pinks garnished the sky as the massive ball of fire you’d never seen before made her appearance. Your eyes lifted towards the sight, squinting as you held up a hand to block the harsh rays of light. A puff of air escaped from in between your lips as you watched it ascend. It was amazing. Tears caught in the corners of your eyes, not just from the intense glow but from something so breathtaking. Something you’d been sheltered from your entire life.

       Jackson watched as you studied the sunrise, then turned back to the man in the leather jacket. He was already looking at the both of you. Well, you, to be exact.  

       "Ahem,“ Jackson interrupted, bringing the man’s attention away from you, "Is this area irradiated?” Your fascination with the sun finally simmered and your ears perked as your friend spoke.  

       "You act as though you’ve never seen the sun.“ The man asked, completely ignoring Jackson’s question. Your eyes glistened at his flat tone, glazed over from the intensity of the Sun. His breath caught in his throat at the sight.

       "I… I haven’t.” You admitted, tearing your gaze from the man to the ruined sidewalk. His eyebrow quirked as he looked over you and Jackson once again. “Turn around.” He commanded. “W-what?” “Just turn around.”

       You did as your were told and turned, and then it all made sense to him. “Ah,” He breathed, “So you’re both from that Vault in that baseball field, huh. I thought it was empty.” Your lips pursed as he shook his head, a smile coming to his lips.

       "Well, since you guys won’t last that long out here. I’m Trig,“ He beamed his pearly whites towards the both of you, "Welcome to the Wasteland.”

       You and Jackson stayed still and quiet as the man, now known as 'Trig’ stalked his way over to you. “You’re going to kill us, aren’t you?” Jackson hushed, his voice dripping notes of panic.  

       Trig shook his head, the smile adamantly stayed. “Me? No way. You guys haven’t done anything to cross me. Well, besides that whole Deathclaw thing back there. You guys are lucky they aren’t the hardest thing to kill. That is, if you’re experienced.”

       His smile faltered as he reached you both, his dark orbs looked over Jackson as if he were sizing him up before chuckling. Then he turned to you. His expression was unreadable at first, but slowly, it turned into one of disinterest.

       "So, what’s your names?“ He asked.  

       Trig was met with silence and that did not settle well with him. He huffed as he rolled his eyes before swiftly grabbing the knife from his pocket and bringing it to your throat.

       "I said, what’s your name, sweetheart?”

       The cold blade pressed up against your neck, cutting a small slit into your flesh, showing you just how sharp it was. You could have swore Jackson nearly died right then and there. Yet, you weren’t phased. This was some man trying to be all big and bad and you wouldn’t stand for it one bit. Plus, he already said he wouldn’t kill you, so why would he go against his word? But, maybe that was you just being a bit too trusting.

       "It’s (Y/N). This is Jackson.“ Jackson’s eyes went wide, as did Trig’s; but only momentarily. Jackson felt as though you’d just signed the waiver to be killed by this mysterious wastelander, who was clearly a psychopath in his opinions.

       "You could have gave him fake names or something…” He mumbled.  

       Trig lowered the knife from your neck and pushed you away from him, sucking his teeth as he looked off into the distance. His eyes widened ever so slightly again before he spoke. 

        “Alright, so, I’ve been nice enough but I’ll be nice for just a bit longer.” He grabbed you and Jackson by the collar of your vault suits and dragged you across the jagged road to a building that’s windows were busted open.  

        “What the hell?! Let us go!” You squirmed underneath his grasp while Jackson remained complacent. Trig pushed you harder, beckoning you to go through the window. “Just go!” He hushed, shoving you in. Jackson followed, no questions asked. He was still in shock from everything going on from the escape, to the Deathclaw, to this random man possibly attempting to hold you both at ransom. But for what? Why would he do that? Your guess was as good as his.

        The three of you jumped over the window ledge easily as Trig pulled you further into the building, setting you and Jackson behind a rack as he kept look out.  

        “Why couldn’t we have used the door…” You muttered, picking a small glass shard from your palm. You looked over to Jackson who was at his wits end and sighed. The regret really began to sink in as thoughts of your previous life flooded into your mind. Sure, you’d never met your real parents and sure, you didn’t have many friends aside from Jackson and that girl with the long braid from the South Wing of the Vault. What was her name again? Jennie? Li….sa? Either way, you were sure going to miss her. Other than that, your only attachment was Jackson, and he was here with you. It never hit you until now just how much he gave up to come out into the Wasteland. His whole life. His Mom, his Dad, his career in the medical field with his Dad. He was going to be successful. He was going to live a happy life and get married and have kids. And now what? He gave it all up for what? To spend a few weeks, maybe months with his trouble maker friend until they’re inevitably torn to bits by Raiders or Deathclaws or whatever else is out here to search for some imaginary safe-haven? Now, you were terrified.

        “Okay, be quiet.” Trig whispered, ducking low enough to where he couldn’t be seen by whatever you were hiding from. “Excuse me, but what the hell are w-” “Shut. Up.” He seethed. 

        He did that thing again, the thing where he clenches his jaw and it juts forwards a bit. You did as you were told as your heart did a small flip at the sight of him. He was so intense, and that fascinated you. Maybe even turned you on a little bit.

         You sat with your back against the display shelf that housed old baseball memorabilia: Bobble heads, T-Shirts, Baseballs, you name it and it was there. All of them were adorned with the signature 'Chicago Cubs’ logo. As you looked around you realized the purpose of this shop was to sell purely baseball items. The walls were chipped and dusty but a few pictures and paintings still hung from them. The floors were molded, a glowing fungus grew in the corner, most likely the cause of the awful smell that brought tears to your eyes. But then again, there was something extra in the air besides your typical mold smell. The floor was also littered with picture cards, comic books and calendars. But, something caught your eye.  

         Towards the registers, a medium sized monkey figurine sat, holding symbols in its hands. 'Was a monkey the mascot for the Chicago Cubs?’ You thought, only to later deny it because if they were the 'Cubs’, then why would their mascot be a monkey? Not to mention all of the destroyed teddy bears that graced the wall on the opposite side of the room. Whatever that monkey was or was used for, you weren’t sure you wanted to find out.

         Trig’s body pushed into your side, making you scooch closer to the frozen Jackson. Once he felt your hand grip his wrist, his eyes flicked to yours, fear being the only thing sketched upon his features. You winced slightly, honestly regretting your decision to ever leave the Vault but still, you snaked your hand down to his, squeezing it to reassure him everything was going to be okay. And surprisingly, he smiled gently back, returning the squeeze.  

         "I hate to interrupt this love fest,“ Trig whispered, "But, we need to be ready just in case they find us.” Your eyes squinted up to the man before you, grinding your teeth harshly before replying, “We. Have. No. Weapons.”

        “Here,” He said, quietly removing the bag from his back and grabbing the machine gun and 9mm, “The machine gun for the scaredy cat, and the 9mm for the lady. Do you know how to use them?” Jackson opened his mouth to speak, but you nodded, lying for the both of you. I mean, how hard could using a gun be? Trig nodded and went back to watching the window as the footsteps increased and voices between the men could finally be heard.  

          You maneuvered your way to your knees quietly, peeking through a small hole in between the racks as your gaze finally settled on what you were hiding from. These men wore studded leather armor with tassels draped from their jackets. Skull patches were sewed into the sleeves, signifying this was in fact a gang. Thankfully it was only a handful of them so in case shit were to hit the fan, it would be a somewhat matched fight.       

“Ugh, it’s been so long since I’ve gotten laid.” One of them said. He was grimy looking. His hair was covered with some kind of beret and the facial hair growing unevenly on his face was unkempt and dirty. A few of the other men nodded as they all stopped to take a break, scanning the immediate area in case anything was lurking. 

          “Yeah, same here. Lillian not putting out any longer?” An orange haired man cackled, he had to have been the nastiest of them all, and your face scrunched up at the sight. “Nope, not really. I’m always having to talk her into it. She’s mad about the whole Kyle incident.” Another man chimed in, adding, “I’d be mad if my supposed lover killed Brother too.” Causing the men to rile into a fit of laughter. “He deserved it! That disgusting swine.” Said the orange haired man.  Your face contorted at their sense of humor, and what came out of your mouth next was good ol’ word vomit, "Disgusting Men.“

          The group of men’s laughter seized as your hand flung up to cover your mouth. Both Jackson and Trig gawked at you, while Jackson’s eyes distilled with fear, Trig looked as though he’d murder you right then and there.

          "What was that?” One of them said, their hands heading for their weapons. “I don’t know, spread out.” The Orange haired man said, signaling with his fingers the directions to look in.  

          Trig crouched down, walking stealthily around the racks as one of the men walked in. He was clutching his firearm as he stalked through the aisles, even combing over some of the products that were left over from the detonation. “Hey! They have key chains with bears on it. My mom would love one of these.” He smiled, tucking away one of the ornaments into his pants pocket, and you wondered if they were really as evil as they came off to be.  

          Trig watched the man with hawk eyes, slipping a tactical knife from his boot and gripping it until his knuckles turned white. The man roaming around skimmed the place quickly before heading towards the registers, “A Monkey?” He asked, reaching the money drawer. Trig smirked at the sight and no more than seconds later, a timer sped down to zero, and when it hit its pinpoint, the monkey exploded. 'A trap?’ You thought. Unfortunately for the man, he had been standing too close to the explosion, completely dismembering his arm from his body, and when no sounds emitted from him, you assumed he was dead.  

        “What the fuck?!” The Orange haired man yelled, running to the scene of the incident. Trig fell back, signaling you and Jackson to move as well. The rest of his group flooded the place quickly, all of them looking upon their fallen brethren. “Sad. He was new too. Should have stayed back home with your Mom in Boston, huh?” The grimy one laughed, kicking the poor guys remains. You realized there that they were as evil as they seemed, and you grimaced at the thought.  

        “Well, looks like nothing else is in here. Let’s go boys. Should we head over to Wrigley and see if we can do something about that Vault?” The Orange Man wolfed, the men all put of fits up detest, shaking their heads as though they were shaking droplets from their locks. “No way, Man. I heard there’s a Deathclaw nest in there. The Sanguine Company led a bunch of them over there and I’m not taking any chances like that.” “I was just fuckin’ with ya anyways, that Vault has been empty for years. Let’s go, we got places to be, things to steal and ladies to uh… Ya know. C'mon!” The Leader yelled, swinging his arm to round up his crew and leave the run down building.  

         As soon as the men were gone and out of earshot, you let out a deep sigh causing Jackson and Trig to look at you. “That was close.” You breathed, your hand reaching up to your chest in an attempt to calm yourself down.  

         "That was close? That’s all you have to say?!“ Trig growled, his teeth were tight against one another and you were surprised none of them shattered. "You could have gotten all of us killed! 'Disgusting Men’!? You couldn’t have kept your mouth shut?” Your eyes widened at his tone, glazing over from the pure venom dripping from his tongue, but you were determined to not shed any tears in front of him. 

         "But we made it out okay! See? I’m here and you’re there and he’s there too! So why be mad about something that’s already said and done!?“ You fought back. Jackson sat there watching the two of you bicker, he wasn’t exactly sure if it was his place to say anything. Sure, he was upset at your little slip of the tongue but you were right. You all made it out alive. They didn’t even realize you were there at all! And that was a win in Jackson’s book.

         "Sure, we made it out this time, but the next time we might not get too lucky!” He yelled, veins appearing in his neck and forehead and you softened at the sight. “Hey,” You sighed once again, lowering your tone into one that was more soothing, “Look, I know I fucked up and I’m sorry. But like I said, it’s done and over with so we shou- Did you just say next time?” Your eyes widened, realizing that he might have meant that you all should stick together.  

         "Next time? I never said anything of the sorts.“ He huffed, his temper settling down. "You did though…” Jackson added, causing Trig to roll his eyes and take the guns back from you both. “Even if I did, which I didn’t,” He said, eyeing you two, “I didn’t mean it. I don’t travel with people. They’re a waste of space, resources and quite frankly my time.” He stood to his feet, which you both copied, watching him as he slung the gun and bag back over his shoulders.

         "I’m leaving, and you should too. Once again, I’ll be nice. There’s a reservation a few cities over. You should head there. It’s probably around 9 or 10 am now? If you leave now, you’ll probably get there in a couple of days. But here’s some solid advice,“ Trig pursed his lips before continuing, "Make sure to leave the city. It’s… not safe. Clearly. When the sky turns green, find shelter unless you wanna end up like a ghoul. Loot. But loot carefully. You’ll be surprised what you find in some of these buildings. Don’t talk to anyone, and seriously. Change your clothes. I’m leaving now. Hopefully we won’t meet again." 

          And with that, Trig headed towards the door. Jackson nodded his head towards him, attempting to coax you into going over and trying to stop him, but you shook your head. 'NO.’ You mouthed to him. He put his hands up, begging at this point, ”(Y/N), we won’t make it without him,“ He whispered, "He killed a Deathclaw as if it were the easiest thing in the world. We need him. Please.” Jackson pleaded, busting out his (in)famous puppy dog eyes. Usually you’d ignore them, but he was right. You needed Trig. Well, not you, but Jackson as well. Plus, he was pulling some really cute puppy eyes right now. “Fine.” You huffed, causing Jackson to show off his pearly whites as he pushed you in the direction of the door.  

          “Hey, Trig!” You yelled out, your hands finding home in your pockets as you kicked a random pebble on the ground. He turned slowly, eyeing you slightly before completely turning in your direction. “What?”

          “Um, well. We just want to thank you. For everything! If it weren’t for you, we’d be in that Deathclaws stomach by now.” He nodded, agreeing with everything you said. “And,” You continued, “We more than likely would have been killed by those raiders.” Trig crossed his arms as he stood there sucking on his teeth, before speaking.  

          “I’m not traveling with you guys.” Your mouth opened to respond, but he already turned to leave. “Wait!” You yelped, reaching forward in an attempt to grab onto the back of his jacket. But, you ended up tripping, falling right into the solid back of a very irritated Trig. 'This boy is all muscle…’ You thought, attempting to rid yourself of the growing blush and recover from your near fall.  

           "Listen,“ He barked, spinning around and grabbing on to your shoulders tightly, "I travel alone. Go off with your little bitch of a boyfriend before I blow your brains out. Got it?” He turned once again, letting go of his hold on your shoulders, but you grabbed on to the back of his jacket.  

           "Can you just listen to me for a second?“ You whined, causing something to switch in Trig, his anger almost undetected. "You have 30 seconds to make your case. Shoot.” He coughed, trying to regain his composure.

           "Okay! Listen, Trig. We really need you. Like, really. I’m not trying to cross you or get in your pants or anything like that but… Me and Jackson won’t make it by ourselves. We have no idea how to fend for ourselves or how to loot or anything!“ You sighed, "Trig, please. Just take us to that reservation and you’ll never have to see us ever again. It only takes a few days, right? It’s just until then. Please. Please, please, please, p-” “Enough!” He interrupted, facing you once again, “What do I get out of it, huh?” He asked, leaving you at a loss for words. “You… You get the satisfaction of rescuing two helpless civilians?” Trig scoffed, “That’s not good enough, Sweetheart. How about, I take you and your Boyfriend to the res, in exchange for a lil’ somethin’.” He smirked, causing your heart to leap in your chest and vile to rush up into your throat. “How about… no?” Trig laughed, his eyes going into half moons before settling into a slight grin. “I’m just kidding. But seriously. That doesn’t cut it.”

           Your hands flew up into the air before one of them ran through your hair, “I don’t know! But we can figure it out on the way, okay? Please.” “Please stop saying please or I’ll really shoot you.” He grimaced.

           You looked at him through your eyelashes, pouting ever so slightly in an attempt to coerce him into doing this favor. “Trig… c'mon.” You said sweetly. Jackson laughed in the background, giggling at your attempt to be cute. It never worked on anyone in the past and if he were to be honest, you were more scary than charming.  

           Trig’s heart lurched in his body at the sight of your eyes twinkling up to him. His gaze falling upon your bottom lip that pointed out slightly and in that moment he thought about how your mouth would feel against his. He quickly shook that thought from his head, scolding himself to even have one of that matter.  

           You sucked your bottom lip in between your teeth in your last attempt to make the man before you agree. As soon as you did, unbeknownst to you, Trig was putty in your hands. “Ah, okay. I’ll take you guys there.” Your eyes shot open. Did it really work? For the first time in history, your cuteness got you somewhere. “Really?!” You exclaimed, causing Trig to exhale a shaky breath and return to his normal, stoic stance.  

           "Yeah, I guess. But if stuff goes down, I’m leaving and you’ll be on your own. Also, don’t do any of that anymore. It’s weird.“ He said, referencing your charms. "I won’t! Thank you so much, this means everything to us, right, Jackson?” Jackson was just as surprised as you were as he walked over to the two of you, smiling nonetheless. “Right!”

           "Well, then let’s not waste anymore time. C'mon.“