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“Hey, Blue?”
Kit turned her head, her faded trench coat turning with her. She looked to Piper, who was standing off the side of the road they'd been following. Piper had her arms crossed, transfixed on the sight before her.
It was a lake- a pretty lake, reeds growing by the banks and the water still as it could. The sun was setting behind the woods, the sky a burnt red. It wasn’t often that there was a sight as serene and pleasant as this. It brought back memories of a world undamaged, perfect, picturesque.
Kit held her rifle over her shoulder as she walked towards her girlfriend. “Pipes? You… okay?”
Piper scratched her arm, at the bandages wrapped around her wounds. She nodded, turning to Kit. “Yeah, I'm good, just wanted you to check this out with me.”
Kit grinned, a smirk plastered on her dirtied face. She put her rifle away, and leaned against the woman. “You're so cute . Babe, it's gorgeous. I wish the Commonwealth was always like this.”
“If it was always like this, we wouldn't have these special moments, would we?”
“I guess not,” said the vault dweller, looking over at Piper and pushing strands of hair out of her face. Piper cracked a smile and pushed her away.
“Stop it, I'm being serious!”
“Sure, sure. How long until Fort Hagen?”
“Forty, forty five minutes? Jeez Louise, Blue, you can't just live in the moment for a second?”
Kit snorted. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I guess I'm just goal oriented.”
She took in the view, properly. She sat down, holding her hand down under the cool water, making ripples with her movements. She smiled warmly when Piper sat down next to her, and the two of them leaned into one another. Kit’s hand found her girlfriend’s, their fingers slowly intertwining under the water. She could remember when Nate had taken her and Shaun to places like this, long before the bombs dropped. It would never get easier to remember how many years had passed since those good days. It was almost disturbing how everything had changed so much, but a sunset could still be so beautiful.
But now she had Piper. Tough, highly strung Piper. Gorgeous Piper. Kit never worried when she was around. She knew the reporter had her back.
“So they did have the expression to stop and smell the roses in your time, gramma.”
“The idea of me being your grandmother makes me sick, Pipes,” said Kit with a groan. “But seriously, night’s falling. We should get going, don't wanna be outside for the ghouls to get to us.”
“Ghouls will find a way to get to us no matter what,” complained Piper, but she stood and turned and walked back to the road. She undid the red jacket around her waist in favour of putting it on- it was getting chilly now.
Kit led the way until they reached Fort Hagen, the shithole in which she had shot Conrad Kellogg dead. She had suggested setting up a radio beacon there after Preston mentioned setting up more military outposts around the outskirts of the Commonwealth. Hagen was set up by Kellogg as an effective hideout, with an automated turret system installed. Plus, Kit had gunned down around forty synths as she plowed her way through the building, and- presuming raiders hadn't taken the place- their Institute issued pistols would probably still be lying around.
Regardless, it was nighttime by the time they got there, and Piper cautiously approached the Red Rocket Station where they'd decided to camp out. They sat in the back room, using a makeshift stove for warmth and setting up their sleeping bags.
“Commonwealth isn't that bad,” offered Piper as she took her red jacket off, then undoing the top of her road leathers. “Just messy.”
Kit stretched out, setting her huge load of gear down by the wall. She looked to Piper. “Messy is honestly the understatement of a century.”
Piper chuckled. “Alright, whatever, little miss glass half empty. At least you're making a difference.”
Kit thought for a moment, then sighed. “Babe, I'm sorry if I wasn't all there earlier. I didn't mean to be distant, or to make fun of your moment.”
Piper shrugged. “Oh, it's fine.”
Kit shook her head. “I should've taken it in. No guarantee we live to see another pretty sunset.”
Piper rolled her eyes. “Alright, listen. A , we are going to see plenty more sunsets, and B , you must be joking if you think Piper Wright will be put off by a vaultie not caring about the outdoors. It's fine, Blue. You've got a lot on your mind.”
“Yeah. God, clearing out Hagen is gonna be…”
Piper cocked her head. “Messy still an understatement?”
“I was thinking about Kellogg's corpse on the walk.”
“Ever the romantic.”
Kit shook her head. “Shush. I just… what are we going to do with it?”
“We’ll figure it out. But right now, I need my beauty rest.” Piper yawned. “Goodnight, sweetums.”
“Night.”