Esmeralda:
"You let this happen to me."
Nate was in front of me with that head wound bleeding out.
"I couldn't do anything, baby, please let me out."
"You. You let this happen to me. Our son is gone because of you. You are here because of me. Me."
I began crying.
"Nate please let me out, it wasn't my fault."
He raised Kellogg's pistol.
"Looks like they won't have their backup after all."
The shot rang out.
I woke up in tears. I nuzzled my head into Arthur's bare chest, hoping I wouldn't wake him up but I was shaking too much.
"Hey. Hey, shh shh shh are you... sweet pea, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Sweet pea. This man was a fucking angel.
"I... nightmare..."
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want."
He held me closer, kissing my forehead, kissing my tears, kissing my lips. Being here was the safest place in the world, it felt like. I didn't want to leave any time soon.
"Don't let go of me, okay?" I choked out.
"Never. I'm not leaving you and I'm not letting go. You're safe here, I promise."
This man.
"Ok-ay" my voice cracked.
"Shh it's okay, just try and get some sleep okay?"
I responded placing a kiss on his collar bone, directly in front of me. He sighed contently and rubbed my hair down with his thumb repeatedly.
We dozed off.
I woke up happy for once.
Arthur wasn't up yet so I tried waking him up by kissing his nose. His eyes flinched a little.
I kissed his forehead. He shifted a little in bed.
I kissed his cheek. His eyes fluttered open.
I kissed his lips. He kissed me back.
His grip on my waist tightened slightly.
"Morning sweet pea."
"Morning handsome."
It was 6:30 AM. He kissed my neck lightly.
"I don't want to get up. This is utopia."
"Utopia. Thomas More, right?"
"I wasn't referring to the book, but wait, you read it?"
"Sure did. I read lots of the classics."
He rubbed his eyes and turned on his back.
"What's you're favourite book?" He sounded excited.
"I don't know! I like a lot. You?"
"I like To Kill a Mockingbird. I had a copy but it's probably garbage on the side of some road in New California now." He sounded sober.
I was super excited now. I had a copy in very good condition along with a few other books Codsworth (bless his robotic soul) saved for me. I didn't read much now, but I think I just found my book a new owner.
He got up and nodded at the bathroom.
"I'm going to shower, care to join me?"
My heart skipped a beat.
"Sure thing."
He helped me step into the shower and turned on the hot water. It felt good. What felt better was the way Arthur was rubbing soap all over me, planting a few kisses on my skin before rubbing it. Any insecurities I had washed away with the soap down the drain. He handed me the soap, and I did the same for him. I liked the way he got somewhat hard off of it. We washed each other's hair and stepped out just as the water began getting cold.
He got a towel for me and I dried up, eyeing his jacket. That jacket was so cool. I couldn't find anything close to it anywhere in the 'Wealth. I gave the towel back to Arthur. He started drying himself off when I went to put on my panties. I quick threw his jacket on and looked at myself in the mirror. I was pretty insecure about my looks but this jacket looked hella fine on me. After looking at myself and remembering suddenly Arthur was still in the room, I turned to him.
His jaw might as well have been on the floor, his eyes wide, his penis erect.
"Y-you look... g-good" he muttered.
"Thanks honey."
I walked up to him and kissed him, feeling his erection on my thigh. He wrapped his hands around my waist and ran them up to my breasts. My breathe hitched.
Oh I am so ready for a repeat of last night.
There was a knock at the door.
"What." Arthur sounded pissy.
"Elder, sir, it's Proctor Ingram."
I've never seen a man get dressed faster.
I put on my tank top I usually worn underneath my jumpsuit. I put on my jumpsuit up to my waist. I threw his jacket back on before he opened the door. Mary had a pretty stern and professional face on. It immediately left when she noticed me in the corner of the room. She had the stupidest grin on her face.
"I see the two of you got to know each other a little better last night."
"Shut up Mary."
Arthur turned away from me.
I looked at Mary and made fists, palms facing up. I extended them out and brought them back in sharply toward my hips. The universal sign for 'we totally fucked'. She snorted and Arthur looked at me quizzically. I shrugged innocently much to Mary's amusement.
"What'd she do?"
"Don't worry about it elder. I'm just here to tell you the scouts I needed to look for the steel I requested have been dispatched. Here are the names and all the details." She said handing a dirty Manila file to Arthur.
"Ah yes. Thank you Proctor."
"Oh, and elder, you know I respect you and would take a bullet for you, right?"
He looked so confused.
"Yes?"
"Well it true. However, break Mer's heart, and I will break your face."
I started laughing and Arthur just looked concerned for his own well being.
"Is that a threat Proctor?" He sounded worried.
"No sir. That... is a promise."
She turned away and yelled 'Ad Victorium' as she marched out of there.
Arthur looked genuinely afraid for his face.
"Don't worry honey, girls always threaten their best friend's boyfriends."
"Oh." That didn't seem to comfort him at all.
"Here" I said handing back his coat.
"You're leaving?" He pouted. How adorable.
"Not forever silly."
I gave him one last kiss before I left. He effectively made me weak at the knees with every kiss. He introduced his tongue and I responded enthusiastically. It was going to get hot quick so I pulled away. He gave me feather kisses all over my face, jaw, and neck.
"Look, I get every other Sunday off as a personal day. Come this Sunday, I have an idea."
"Promise." I gave him one more quick peck on the lips and left. I ran down to the vertibirds, knowing what the first thing I was grabbing the minute I got to Sanctuary...
"Knight Storm. Where are you going off to?"
Come on, seriously?
"Just trying going home Cade."
"I thought you said you wouldn't be..."
"With all due respect sir, I would very much like to not stay on this airship for a week. I promise I'm not doing anything that'll hurt myself. Just want to head on home, relax."
He raised his eyebrow at me.
Come on man, do a sister a solid.
"As long as you promise not to do anything irrational."
"I will not let your good work go to waste Cade!"
I flew out the flight deck and told them to make it to Sanctuary.