The Human Condition - Fallout 4 | OC x Danse |

[ prologue - it's just a burning memory ]

└── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┘

It's just a burning memory.

Nate smirked as he held out his hand, his dark eyes glinting slyly in the moonlight that filtered through the window, casting silvery shadows against his handsome face. "Care to dance, m'lady?"

"Of course." I couldn't keep the cheesy grin from my face as I took my husband's hand, the familiar callouses of his skin fitting mine just right. He pulled my frame closer, sending excited goosebumps down my arms. We'd already been married for a little while now, but he still gave me butterflies each day; no man had ever wooed me like this half-awkward, sweet, and sarcastic army guy had.

He spun me around the living room, only managing to step on my toes twice during the whole song that played out of the radio — a new record. But who was keeping score?

I wake-up in the morning, and I wonder

Why everything's the same as it was

I can't understand, no, I can't understand

How life goes on the way it does...

"Y'know... this is sorta a morbid song to dance to," Nate mused. The melancholy melody seemed to float around us, whisking our feet gently to the beat.

"But it's awfully romantic," I gushed, resting my head against his hardened chest. I was never one for fluffy romance until it came to this guy — then I would gladly accept all the cheese and cringeworthy moments there were.

Just takes the right man, I suppose.

He let himself frown for a moment — and only a moment. The way tensions had been rising between the U.S. and China recently, the threat of global nuclear war had taken a sickening spike in possibility. One that made his stomach churn at the mere thought. Soldiers everywhere had already begun preparations for such a fate.

But that wasn't his duty to worry about anymore — not now. He was given the privilege to become a normal, ordinary civilian, to live with his wife, to start a new life here. Something beyond the cursed, cyclical spiral of war he'd come to know all too well over the years.

So instead his face softened once more, tightening his grip on me. "Typical," Nate sighed, faking irritation. But anyone could catch the slight upturn of his lips, appreciating the softness of his wife's words that reminded him of the beauty of each and every small thing as he held her close.

Why does my heart go on beating?

Why do these eyes of mine cry?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said, "Good-bye"...

Nate pulled back a moment, resting his hands on my shoulders. "I love you," he stated abruptly.

My eyes widened, amused by his sudden declaration. "I love you too," I responded quietly, reaching up to touch his cheek. My heart had started to pick up — should I tell him? Is this a good time?

"You and me... this life..." He chuckled, cutting himself off as he looked around at our half-done house; we'd bought it just a few weeks ago, renovating what we could. Nate had served in the army during the Sino-American war; his position had granted us the luxury of more affordable housing in a safe, gated neighborhood. We were also in the works of buying a Mr. Handy robot. Perfect to start a family. Finally turning his life around to focus on what — who — he really wanted.

I took a second to admire the paint job of the living room, the orderly setup of the TV and couch, the quaint kitchen with him — this was our new life. And we were building it together.

He finally turned back to me, now adopting his own cheesy grin. "We're gonna be alright. As long as we're together, who can stop us?"

"No one," I replied confidently, earning a chuckle from him. My eyes flitted to the ground, a hundred thoughts suddenly running through my mind over and over.

"Hey, honey... what's wrong?" He gently placed his hand under my face, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes.

"I..." I took a quick breath. I'd held off for long enough — what was I nervous about? This man had done so much to prove he was finally ready to settle down — for real this time. I found my fingers gliding over the shiny wedding ring on my hand as I stalled for words.

Against the trembling that crept into my limbs, heart picking up speed, I finally got around to it. Clearing my throat, I boldly met his eyes, stating it as simply as I could (the only way I knew how):

"...I'm pregnant."

Nate's eyes immediately widened. He paused a moment, the thoughts racing through his brain almost visible by the look on his face. "Are... are you sure?"

"...Yes." I had heard the news from the doctor two days ago and had spent nearly every moment til now running it over and over through my head. I fought back every fear, every hesitation — it was all out in the open now. All cards on the table. Part of me didn't know if I expected him to panic or explode... Maybe both.

Needless to say, neither of us were expecting this.

What felt like ages passed until a slow smile crept onto his lips, a newfound spark in his eye. "Jane, this is... this is wonderful!"

Relief flooded me like a tsunami wave; I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "...R-Really?" My voice wavered.

"Of course! We're gonna be parents! ...I'm gonna be a father." He gazed off in the distance for a moment before his large, dark eyes returned to my face. He cupped it gently, his irises glossed with withheld tears. "We're starting a new family together. This is the happiest moment of my life... well, til the baby comes, probably."

I smiled, throwing myself back into his arms. "We'll have to keep score to see," I quipped as he wrapped his forearms around my back.

Nate dug his face into my hair, the sweet, familiar scent of strawberry shampoo wafting into his nose. "Jane, my love... our life, our family... it's just beginning," he echoed, the awe of his new role descending upon his mind.

I smiled against his chest, my own filling up with an indescribable warmth. Peace. Comfort. Something that felt like an invisible hug on top of the one he squeezed me in.

"Here's to the rest of our lives," I sighed, slowly swaying with him as the song finally dwindled to its soft end.

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said, "Good-bye"...

└── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┘

[A/N: greetings! just wanted to give a disclaimer that while i'm mostly going by the direct story, i won't exactly be quoting or running by exact missions and timelines. i'm mixing it up and adding my own fluff for the sake of smooth storytelling and developing the plot for Jane's story. so if you notice something happen that wasn't in the game or is different, i know and i meant it to happen lol. okay now carry on :) ]