Fallout 4: AR

26. A Day Off

"Thanks, Nick. At this rate, I'll deal with anyone who might have answers. I'll be careful, I promise." Looking at the scattered folders on his desk, I asked, "Got any new leads for me?"

"'Fraid not, kiddo," he answered glumly. "Not many high-level scientists outside the Institute, I'm afraid. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and I'll let you know if anything comes across my desk."

"Sounds like the best plan we have." We shook hands and I left his office, a little dejected at the lack of leads.

I took my time perusing some of the few shops on the way back, waiting for MacCready to appear, but he was taking longer than I thought. Shrugging to myself at the delay, I picked up some more soap, and even a small sewing kit this time around. Bullet holes might look intimidating, but they were damn cold when the wind blew.

Having stalled as much as I cared to in the chilly air, I took the chance that Takahashi did take-out (he did, or at least he didn't stop me from taking the bowls with me) and hurried back to the Dugout Inn central room with our meal. If MacCready was on his way out, I could intercept him and save him the trip. Vadim allowed me to set up our meal on the bar as long as the drinks came from him. My companion still hadn't appeared, and the noodles were cooling, so I tucked in.

A flash of movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention as I glimpsed a casually dressed man go to sit down where I had set the second bowl of noodles and beer. I turned swiftly to stop him, then stopped and stared in complete surprise.

"Is this seat taken?" It was MacCready, but he was... clean. His hair was still slightly damp, and he was wearing a long-sleeved brown checkered shirt over a white tank top and a faded pair of jeans. He grinned at the look on my face and I hastily turned back to my noodles, trying to hide the flush that burned my cheeks. I had to peek back just to make sure it really was my companion. He was looking at me, an almost playful smirk crossing his lips as he pulled the bowl of noodles closer. "Surprised, Boss?"

Damn, he cleans up nice. "I-uh," I stammered, still feeling the blush across my cheeks. "I thought you hated getting wet." I looked him up and down. Without his leather duster, he looked even more lean and wiry, all angles and sharp planes. Dangerous, and attractive.

He chuckled, taking a pull of his beer. "Usually, I do. But after seeing you in complete scrubbed bliss after your shower, I figured I'd give it a try. Picked up these spares when I traded for our haul." He indicated his outfit.

"And how was it?"

"Not bad, not bad," he bantered. "I could get used to it. You're teaching me to be civilized, Boss." He tapped his lips with the ends of the chopsticks. "I have to admit, my teeth don't hurt as much anymore, once I started using the toothbrush you gave me in that kit."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad I can help you out, even in something as minor as laundry." I patted my jacket for the sewing kit. "Speaking of that, what happened to your, ahhhm, usual outfit? I got some needle and thread and can fix the rips and tears from our latest adventures."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "You sew, too?" At my nod, he declared, "Boss, you are a domestic miracle." He snickered into his noodles when I rolled my eyes at him. "My 'usual outfit' as you call it is currently hanging up to dry along with the rest of the stuff. I tried your trick of showering clothed to start and I think it worked."

I tried very hard not to picture it. The noodles needed to be eaten, so I slurped up another bite. "You think it worked?"

"It took a while for the water to run clean. There was a lot of mud."

Vadim overheard us talking and came over to chat. "Good thing we have so much hot water for our guests! The Dugout Inn is best place to stay in the Commonwealth!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at the bar, chatting with Vadim, exchanging gossip, and enjoying our day of rest. Most of the gossip went completely over my head, but MacCready seemed to have a reasonable passing knowledge of the topics under discussion. Vadim kept the drinks flowing, but at a more sedate pace than our last visit. MacCready and I traded tales with him and his brother Yefim. Trying to keep my history as vague as possible, I nevertheless was able to tell some stories from my Army days, and even adapt the occasional instrument repair tale, revising it to fit the Wasteland environment.

As the evening wore on, more and more local residents entered the bar. It was at this point that the crowd started to get to me. Once I reached my socialization cap for the night, I nudged my companion and let him know I was going back to the room. He nodded, tossed some caps on the bar to pay for our last round, and we made our way back to the quiet sanctuary of our room. I wasn't expecting him to follow me, but was glad for the company.