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“Hey, kid. C’mere.”
Lucy jolts, glancing over at quite possibly the largest man she's ever seen. “Huh?”
“Got something for ya’.” Luna beckons her over to one of the well stocked shelves.
She quietly obliges him, drifting to his side.
The man hums, seemingly measuring her shoulders with a hand. “You ever worn metal armor before?”
“No, sir.”
Luna chuckles. “Ah, no need for that. Just call me Luna.”
“...Okay.” She knows she's going to do it by accident, but she'll try.
“So anyways, what would you rank your endurance at?” He returns to the gear before him, sorting through many different pauldrons and chest plates.
“Uh, around a six according to the S.P.E.C.I.A.L exams.” Lucy replies.
“The what?” Luna gives her a confused look.
Oh. Did surface dwellers not have those? “Uh, it's a test we did in the Vault. So, a six out of ten.”
“Huh. You'll have to tell me more later. Anyways-” The man picks up a piece, handing it to her. “See how that suits you.”
“Oh, no thank you, I don't have any caps-”
Luna makes a dismissive sound, clicking his tongue before hissing softly. He waves his hand as though he's dispersing a bad smell. “No payment necessary, chica. You're no use to anyone if you're dead.”
…That certainly makes sense. Carefully, Lucy straps the cool metal to her shoulder. She makes a face. “It's loose.”
“I can fix that. What about how it settles? Rotate your arm, does it get in your way?”
It doesn't. It glides smoothly over her clothing, hugging the muscle nicely. “No, it's good.”
“Perfect. Here-” Luna produces a small pencil from his sleeve. “Pull it taut.”
Lucy does as told, fingers drawing the straps to the appropriate length. She watches as the merchant marks the leather before backing up.
“Alright, let me have it. While I’m doing that-” He taps a shelf with several metal chest plates. “This shelf is fair game. Pick one out that strikes your fancy.” Then, Luna takes the shoulder guard to a small table, pulling a rolled set of leather tools from a pocket inside his coat.
As he sets about his task, Lucy glances over at the Ghoul, hoping he’d have answers for her.
Once he senses her gaze, he watches as she flicks the tip of her nose towards Luna. It only takes a moment for him to realize what she was silently asking. “If he’s offerin’, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
“What does that mean?” Lucy tilts her head.
“Uh…” The Ghoul searches for the words for a second. “Means you should be grateful and not question it.”
“Oh.”
“He’s always been this way. Be able to argue better with a rock.” He shakes his head. “Ain’t a point in stressing over it.”
“I’m just looking out for you, kid.” Luna chimes in, handing her the pauldron. “No good to folks if you’re bleeding out. Well, other than the local wildlife.”
“But there’s nothing I can do for you personally.” She takes it, strapping it into place. It’s a lovely fit.
There’s that tsk again. “If cowboy thinks you’re important, who am I to question him, hm?”
“Isn’t that a little naive?” Lucy wonders. “He might be using you…”
There’s a loud snort from the Ghoul’s direction, followed by a poor attempt at stifling a laugh.
“What?” She huffs.
“I’m not sure you’re the one to accuse others of being too trusting.” He stands, cocking his head. “Who says that boyfriend of yours ain’t doing the same to you?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” Lucy makes an indignant sound, her cheeks lighting up a bright red. “And that’s different!”
“Didn’t you mention he lied to you about who he was?” The Ghoul needles her. “That don’t sound too different from where I’m standing.”
“Aw, lay off the poor kid.” Luna gives her the matching shoulder guard. “She’s got a right to ask questions.”
The Ghoul sighs, rolling his eyes. He waves a hand, bowing out of the conversation temporarily.
The merchant goes to find something for her legs. “To give you an actual answer, it’s only naive if I trust him blindly. I’m more than happy to beat the hell out of him if he actually steals from me. But he knows better. If he really wanted to rob me, he would have done it by now.”
That makes sense, she guesses…
“Don’t let cowboy get to you, chica.” Luna returns with a set of shin guards. “He’s just trying to make sure you don’t die. Whatever his reasons, he’s going to make sure you’re ready for what’s ahead. So am I.”
…Huh. “I-...I appreciate it. I apologize for being so distrustful.” Lucy holds out her leg so the man can see if his selection fits.
“Eh, no apologies needed.” He grins at her. “Most of the time, Vaulties are too trusting. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
“She’s a quick learner.” The Ghoul offers. He’s sharpening the knife he keeps in his boot.
Lucy wasn’t used to him praising her in a genuine fashion. “I was top of my class.”
“Well a classroom in a Vault is a bit different from the real world, kid.” Luna points out.
“I’m not a kid. I’m twenty.”
That earns her a belly laugh from the man. “Dunno, I’m forty seven. From where I’m standing you definitely are.”
Lucy rolls her eyes. “Still, you don’t have to baby me.”
“Oh, you’d know if I was babying you, chica.” Luna turns to modify the thigh guards and chest plate’s straps. “I wouldn’t be giving you things to protect you. I’d be insisting you stay behind a locked door. Safer that way.”
“...There’s only so much it would be able to withstand.” She folds her arms, gaze flicking over to the Ghoul. “If someone really wanted to break in, they could.”
“Very true.” The man hands the thigh armor to her. “But I’d prefer to know you can handle yourself. So consider this my blessing for your journey.”
“Blessing?” She wonders, putting the gear on.
“Gift, blessing, boon, whatever you want to call it.” Luna offers the chest plate. The star painted on it is faded, but still clear. “It’s going to keep you alive longer than what you had before. Unfortunately, all of my helmets are spoken for. You should consider investing in one if you find it.”
Lucy tightens the straps along her ribs, testing if any of it limited her range of motion. “Well, I do appreciate it. You really don’t have to do this for me.”
“Not for you.” Luna flicks his nose towards the Ghoul. “Like I said, if he says you’re important to his plan, you’re important to me.”
Right.
“Well, I’m going out for a smoke.” Luna gets up from the desk. “Cowboy?”
The one in question grunts, pushing off the wall he’s leaning on.
As the two make their way out, Luna glances back at Lucy. “You should really try and get some rest. The Mojave is pretty brutal to Vaulties.”
Then the door closes, leaving her to her thoughts.
It’s quiet at first.
Cooper pulls out a cigarette, holding it out so Luna could inevitably light it. Once it’s smoldering, he takes a long drag. The heat sinks into his lungs before he exhales. “So, you really think she’ll make it?”
“Oh, yes.” Luna nods, loosely holding the stub of a cigar in his broad fingers. “She’s got a pretty good teacher.”
Cooper rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “Only so much one can be taught. There has to be a personal drive, otherwise there’s no need to win anything.”
“Well, obviously she has a basic survival instinct.” Luna huffs, a cloud of smoke billowing from his lips. “Unlike some folks I know.”
The ghoul doesn’t dignify that with a response.
“And you mentioned something about her Pa’?” He pries gently. “She wanting to bring him home?”
“In a sense.” Cooper watches a dust devil whirling on the horizon. “Turns out, he ain’t the upstanding Overseer she thought he was.”
“So she’s seeking revenge?”
“Hm. Dunno.” He flicks his cigarette butt to the shifting sands. “From what I can see, it’s more along the lines of justice. You know how noble Vaulties get.”
“That tracks…” Luna nods quietly. “...So, how long before you think we’ll see each other again?”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” The merchant scoffs, facing him. “I miss you, querido. Is that not obvious? You keep getting into shit that I find out about years later when I find you again.”
“You knew who I was when you got into this.” Cooper tries to redirect the issue. “You know my work means I’m not reliable.”
“Doesn’t make it hurt less.” Luna crosses his arms, coat straining over his thick shoulders. “I don’t like not being there to help. You’re plenty capable, I just…” He vents a harsh breath. “I don’t know why it’s been eating at me lately.”
He’s always been a bit flighty when it comes to commitment. Especially after the bombs fell…
“One of these days, you’re going to get into something you can’t get out of.” The man tosses the stump of his cigar into the dust. The wind buries it quickly. “And I won’t know. Weeks, months, years? Who knows when word would reach me…but I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to fret over me, Luna.” Cooper hates things like this. He’s terrible with touchy feely things like this. Sex was one thing, but this was different.
This felt like Barb.
He drops that thought like it burnt him. “This is how we are.”
“I don’t want it to be.”
For Luna, that was extremely direct. No shades of gray in which to hide.
“I don’t want to be some little housewife waiting for news of her husband dying in the war.” He snaps. His fingers digging into the meat of his arms. “For fucks sake, I don’t even know your name. We’ve been together for years and I still feel like this is some summer fling.”
“Where is this coming from?” Cooper tries to break the tension.
“I don’t know , cowboy!” Luna barks, finally turning to face him. “Maybe it’s this kid, maybe it’s the fact that I’m getting older, but I can’t keep watching you walk away.”
“...Are you asking to come with us?”
“Maybe?” He shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what I want. I just want this pit in my chest to go away. If something were to happen, I don’t know if I could move on from you. I’m not…used to being this invested in a partner. It doesn’t help when you disappear for a few years.”
If he was being honest, Cooper felt something similar. Time was different for ghouls. He needed to remember how long a year felt to regular folks.
“I can’t keep wondering if you’ll be coming back to me, cowboy-”
“Cooper.”
It’s like a sheet of glass shatters.
Luna’s rich brown eyes are wide, studying the ghoul’s face for any hint of deception. “...Cooper?”
Something in his stomach flutters. He hadn’t heard anyone else use his name for so long. It almost feels foreign. Incorrect…
But he’d be lying if he didn’t acknowledge how good it sounded from Luna’s voice.
“...Guillermo.”
Oh.
“Guillermo.” He repeats. It doesn’t sound nearly as handsome with his accent. But it clearly does something to his partner, because his eyes gain a subtle shine.
“I still prefer Luna…but yeah…”
For once, Cooper is the one to initiate contact. He offers a hand to him, meeting his intense gaze.
The taller man takes it, his calloused palm tightening around the ghoul’s fingers. “Cooper…it’s cute.” He mutters as he reels him in for an emotional embrace.
“Now I’ll have you know it was considered a very manly name in my time.” He huffs petulantly.
“Well I find it precious.” Luna tilts the man’s chin until they’re breathing each other’s air. The scent of smoke hanging heavy between them.
It still makes his pulse stutter.
“I’ll be selfish, keep it to myself.” The merchant chuckles.
“Likewise.”
“Please, don’t call me by my real name.” Luna makes a face. “Like I said, not a fan of it.”
“If that’s what you want.” Such a damn shame. It really was lovely. “So, if I asked you to start working with me…would you?”
There’s no hesitation to the man’s answer. “Without question.”
“With all the baggage that comes with it?” Cooper tilts his head. “Might cut into your business.”
“You’re worth it.”
Oh that sticks right into his ribs.
“And I’m a creative fella. I’ve worked out awful schedules before.” A hand slips up to cradle the back of Cooper’s head. “So, yeah. I’ll team up with you.”
“It’ll be nice to see you fighting again.” He admits. “You’re a monster in a brawl if memory serves.”
“So you were checking me out.” Luna teases, a grin wide across his face.
“Maybe.” Cooper chuckles. “Is it a crime to find you attractive?”
“I’d be concerned if you didn’t.” He agrees.
“Well I do…” The ghoul sighs, a soft smirk playing on his ruined lips. “I really do.”
Luna closes the distance, claiming his breath for his own.
It’s honestly wonderful. Deep and passionate. The taste of tobacco and chems doing little to distract from the heat of the moment. Oh how easily he could get lost in this man’s touch. It had been quite some time since they’d had a moment to enjoy one another-
The sound of a door startled both of them. Cooper accidentally headbutted his partner square in the nose.
“...Is this a bad time?” Lucy asks nervously.
Luna has to pull a cloth from his sleeve, using it to blot the small amount of blood running from his nose. “It’s fine, chica.”
Meanwhile, Cooper is dying of shame. It was already bad enough that the kid realized they had something going on. Now she’d caught them sneaking out to neck like teenagers.
“I was just wanting to know when we were supposed to head out?” Lucy was blushing brightly, clearly embarrassed to intrude on such a private moment.
“Ah, probably nightfall. Take advantage of the cool air.” He confirms. “Sound square?”
She nods, eyes flicking to Luna. “And you?”
“Hm?”
“Are you going to come with us?” Lucy prods carefully.
“If you don’t mind.”
She shakes her head. “I’m fine with that. The more the merrier, as they say.”
“Good.” Luna turns back to Cooper. “Then we’ve got everything all worked out.”
The ghoul nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I think we do.”
He could definitely work with this.