Work Text:
Moments Like This
Before the bombs, Nora thought she was the luckiest woman in the world. She had a husband that loved and supported her. She had a beautiful baby boy. Her career was taking off. Everything was perfect.
But that world was destroyed over two hundred years ago. Her husband was shot and killed in the very vault meant to protect them. The vault that was supposed to prepare them for the future. The vault that froze nearly all of its unaware inhabitants to death. Her baby boy was kidnapped from the vault and raised by The Institute. He had aged sixty years in the blink of an eye. He was a cold-hearted, horrible reminder of everything she had lost. With nothing but rubble remaining on the surface, she had no purpose.
Or so she thought.
Preston Garvey, last of the Minutemen, gave her a purpose. And for over two years, she gained the trust of the people of the Commonwealth, became General of the Minutemen, and (with only a little bit of widow’s guilt) found love again. Love was always kind of funny in a twisted sort of way. She hadn’t followed the status quo before the war, marrying for love instead of status. Of course, what woman didn’t want her husband to be a soldier? But it wasn’t his rank or the benefits that drew her to her late husband. It was his heart. It was because, despite the fact that he was part of the system, he hated the system. And he hated the war. When he was honorably discharged, all he could talk about was how he would be a stay at home dad and take care of Shaun until he was older, and then he would get a nice engineering job somewhere—maybe at Wilsons Automatoys Factory. All he told anyone was how he was so proud of Nora for getting her degree in law and that it was her turn to shine. His disabled vet benefits would give them a nice cushion to work around while she worked and he took care of the house. He always told people “my wife will end the war with the turn of her head when she gets her first case.”
But none of that came.
No stay at home dad, no first case, no...nothing.
And now?
Now after everything, who did she go and fall for, but the scrappy, chem addicted, ghoulishly handsome mayor of the “worst city in the ‘Wealth’”.
John Hancock.
He wasn’t traditionally handsome. Hell, who was anyone kidding, he was a ghoul! A walking, rotting tomb of flesh and bone. But Nora knew love was more than skin deep. She knew every emotion that flickered behind his nearly unreadable onyx eyes. She saw the small smiles he gave when he thought no one else was looking. She had felt his heartbeat under her fingertips when even he wasn’t sure he had one.
Oh yes, Nora was in love with John Hancock.
Indisputably.
Irrefutably.
Unconditionally.
Absolutely totally in love.
And he knew it. And he reciprocated her feelings with his own. Nora had pieced together his life prior to their meeting from snippets of conversations they would have while on the road together. He was a wild card in his youth, but he stood up for what was right, even if that meant losing his only remaining family in the process. He used his power to knock down tyrants, and used his deep pockets to take care of those in need.
And that is why Nora loved him.
Although, currently, Nora would say she loved him for how he treated her people. There was a party going on at Sanctuary, and Nora had excused herself hours ago. But, she watched the festivities go on from her bedroom window. The community house built across the street was lit up like a Christmas tree. She could see inside through the windows and she smiled at all of her friends enjoying themselves.
Preston, Ada, Nick, and Curie were sharing a booth and talking enthusiastically about something. Cait and Macready were arm wrestling, with Old Longfellow and Porter Gage drunkenly cheering them on. Strong was sitting in a corner with X6-88 and Codsworth trying to explain something to him while he gently scratched Dogmeat behind his ears. Even Deacon and Paladin Danse seemed to be getting along tonight, talking casually as though they were friends and not sworn enemies. Although it may have been because Piper was right beside them and neither wanted to act out in front of a lady. It was Hancock that made her heart melt.
Mixed in the chaos of all her friends and her people, was Hancock dancing away. He danced with Mama Murphy before she waved him off (probably complaining about her feet or his youth), he danced with Curie (before Preston intervened and sat her back down at their booth), he danced with Sturges (who quickly put Hancock to shame with his quick feet and square dancing), and he danced with just about every kid that came up begging for a turn to dance.
He had a little boy in his arms, probably no older than five, and Hancock was dancing in circles with the boy on his hips. He dipped him low, letting the blood rush to the boys head, before quickly swinging him back up.
And everytime the little boy squealed with glee, Hancock’s face lit up.
And every time his face lit up, Nora’s heart melted a little more.
She wanted to do nothing more than pull Hancock out of the party and show him how much she loved him, but he seemed to be having so much fun, and it was so rare that everyone could get together and actually get along. So, Nora was content to just watch for now. Hours passed and she eventually found herself unable to keep her eyes open any longer. The party had died down.
Preston and escorted Curie to her room a while ago and she had seen the light to his room turn on and off briefly, meaning he too had gone to bed. Piper and Cait were both asleep in a booth, leaning on each other. Strong had wandered up the stairs of the community home a while ago, and she assumed he went to bed. Porter Gage and Old Longfellow were currently struggling up the stairs, both a little too drunk to return to their homes. X6-88’s light was on, so Nora assumed he was reading one of the books she had left for him. Ada, Deacon, Paladin Danse, and Macready had all made their way up to their rooms on their own time in the past few hours. Codsworth and Dogmeat had returned to her house half an hour ago, where Codsworth went in to low power mode in the corner of the kitchen and Dogmeat jumped onto Nora’s bed.
Most of the settlers had gone back to their own homes and spaces throughout Sanctuary. Kids were being carried home by parents, and everyone was wishing each other a good night and sweet dreams.
Nora was trying to stay up until Hancock made his way back across the street, but he and Nick were having a nice conversation. At least, she assumed it was nice, as both men were smiling. Nora pushed herself out of her armchair and trudged the few steps she needed to take to get to her bed. Her boots had been kicked off hours ago, so all she had to do was hang up her General’s coat, take off her chest armor, and lay down.
It seemed like mere seconds had passed by when the bed was rustled beside her. Nora had no energy to open her eyes, but her outstretched hand was grabbed by a familiar ghoulish hand, with a familiar metal band around one of the fingers. Hancock raised her hand to what remained of his lips and he kissed it gently. She hummed with content and Hancock laughed quietly. “I didn’t realize you were still up.”
“I’s waiting f’r you.” Nora mumbled, her face half buried in a pillow.
Hancock laughed as he settled into bed beside her (when had Dogmeat left?). “Sorry, I didn’t know.” Even with her eyes half closed she could see his smile.
“‘S’okay.” She smiled back as much as she could. Nora tried to push herself towards him, but simply couldn’t wake up enough to do so. Thankfully, Hancock saw her attempts to move and he gently pulled her into his arms. He had discarded his old frock and was just in his shirt and pants. Her hands tiredly grabbed at him and he hummed his laughter when she inhaled his scent and snuggled closer. They eventually came to rest with him on his back, one arm slung under her like a pillow, and her pressed close to his body, resting her head in the spot between his shoulder and chest. Their legs were tangled together, and they both took deep breaths as they relaxed into the bed.
“John?” She mumbled into his chest.
He took a breath, “shhh, it is time to sleep.” His voice was barely above that of a whisper.
Nora chuckled, “John?” She persisted.
His chest vibrated once under her with a silent laugh, “Yes?”
Nora whispered, “I love you.” Before she arched her neck back to try and kiss his jaw. She missed and kissed a sensitive spot of his neck by his ear. Hancock shivered and turned quickly enough to kiss her lips. It was a tired and slow, but deep kiss. One that instantly took Nora’s breath away.
“I love you, sunshine.” Hancock whispered back.
Satisfied, the two readjusted themselves one last time and fell asleep.
Yes, before the bombs, Nora thought herself the luckiest woman in the world. But now? Now Nora knew she was the luckiest woman in the world. She got to experience real love twice. And she would treasure every moment she had with John Hancock.