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Stars. Billions of them littered the sky in small pinpricks of lights, giving color to the solemn earth. It was cold, dry December evening as you walked past an irradiated lake, breath visible in small puffs of white. Paladin Danse calmly strolled beside you, his weapon armed and ready for anything that came your way. His expression was diminished, empty from the previous night’s happenings. With all that happened with Elder Maxson and discovering Danse was a synth, your companion had been silent all night. It was not out of the ordinary for the man to stay silent on nights like these, but you felt a discernable tension lingering in the air. You steal a glance at Paladin Danse, his milky brown eyes focused forward in a military-esque fashion. There was a tinge of pink spreading across his face from the cold, and he looked absolutely worn out from the bags forming under his eyes. Somehow you felt a motherly instinct to give him a kiss on the forehead, to tell him everything will be alright, but right now it felt inappropriate. You continue your journey, not really sure where you’re off to. The adventure was more for Danse to get his mind off of things as he had gone through a lot in the past few days. You understood he was a soldier, he needed these kinds of things to function properly. Suddenly, Paladin Danse stopped in the middle of the street you both were traveling on and lowered his head.
“Thank you. For saving me, I mean.” He said quickly, turning his head slowly to face you. His sunken eyes were barely visible in the given light, but you could see his lips trembling with fervor. You’ve never seen him like this, so emotional vulnerable and hunkered down. You’re at a loss for words as you gently placed a hand on the shoulder of his power armor, caressing the cold steel beneath your fingertips.
“Danse, you’re welcome. Don’t worry so much, you’ll make yourself stressed out.” Your hand trailed down his armor, sliding down to his open palm. His fingers felt like electricity as you touched the icy digits, a strange warmth spreading in your chest. Paladin’s lips pulled into a half sided smile, his fingers gently intertwining with yours. The smile faded, however, as his head turned to the north. There was something that had caught his attention, but you had neglected to hear.
“I hear something. Come on, let’s go investigate.” He led the way, with you now aware of the sounds coming from the nearby woods. It was a quick jog towards the disturbance. A mole rat suddenly jumped out of the ground, and your body flooded with adrenaline. This was the kind of thing that Paladin Danse and you both liked, the grit of a fight, gun residue on your fingertips, blood staining your armor, and the smell of burning flesh from the laser pistol holstered on your hip. There were more of them now, and it helped to have your companion by your side. The quarrel was dispelled quickly as you killed the rodents with the quickness of your pistol, and the aid of Danse. You lean your head back, noting how the vastness of the sky was slowly being replaced with the glimmer of an oncoming sunrise. Time had certainly passed, especially in that brief moment with Paladin Danse. There was a hand on your shoulder now, a small squeeze revealing it was friendly in nature. You turn your head to find Paladin Danse standing beside you, looking up at the dilapidated sky. His eyes nostalgically stared into the distance, as if he was recalling a memory that was both happy and sad at the same time. You place a hand over his, your eyes traveling back up to the breeching sunrise. Moments like these were rare in the Commonwealth, with no inhibitions holding you back or obligations to hold you down. Just the cold air chilling you to the bone. A companion at your side, patrolling the endless wastes, seeking out to help those in need. With Paladin Danse here, you felt safe. And you secretly hoped he felt the same.
You started forward, quickly going back to the original path of asphalt you had started on. There were now streaks of orange and pink in the sky as you kept going, aware of Danse trailing behind you quietly.
“Do you want to find a place to sleep?” He asked, catching up to you. The statement was a bit peculiar, since the man was very quiet up until this point.
“Sure, anyways, I’m getting a little hungry too.” You were definitely hungry, as if the rumble from your stomach didn’t say much, and sleep was definitely on your mind. The map on your pip-boy showed that there was a small inn nearby that seemed decent enough. The journey was set and you both set off into the throws of the early morning, weary and restless.
Birds were chirping, and there was a slight chill to the morning breeze as you stepped foot onto the concrete path of the Inn. There were shambles of dying grass scattered around the premises, and clumps of dead leaves cluttered the wet earth beneath your feet. Danse commented on the muck, but you didn’t catch the quip for you were too focused on the delicious smell emanating from the Inn’s open window. With the Paladin at your side, you enter the building and are immediately hit with a wave of warmth. The Inn was very homely, ornately decorated with wood paneling and pictures of various wasteland flora. A few candles were placed at the corners in the room, giving it an illustrious and calming ambience. It certainly was different from what you had come to know, not that you minded of course. Paladin Danse gazed around, taking in the sights of the Inn and smiled briefly.
“This is a good place to make base.” He looked around, apparently trying to find the person running the Inn. “Hello?” Paladin called out, and a small, impish woman appeared from a room behind the corner. She stood at approximately 5 ft., and a wonderfully toothy smile. Her brunette hair hung low, a beautiful rose intertwined in a thick braid. You and Danse walked over to the woman, pulling out some caps.
“We’d like a room to rent please.” You said, taking a glance at Paladin Danse. His liquidy eyes are focused forward, as always, staring intently at the woman.
“Of course, darling. That’ll be 10 caps.” You hand over the caps and stand patiently as the woman steps from behind the counter and shows you your room. It’s a little small, but it’s a great price for 10 caps.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Paladin Danse said, watching as the woman smiled and left you alone together in the room. You heard something coming from Danse’s power armor, and are surprised to see the man exit his tin can. His body is heaving with sweat and blood, a testament from last night’s quarrel with the mole rats. Your eyes widen as he began to peel off his uniform, muscular skin pulled taunt beginning to show.
“Paladin!” You cry out, not wanting to embarrass him. He simply looks at you, and removes the rest of the uniform off. Now his entire body is on display, sheened with the glimmer of sweat and hints of bruising. It was a sight to behold, since you’d never really seen him outside his armor.
“Sorry, I just had to take it off. It gets a little hot in here after a while.” He stated simply while taking off his Brotherhood of Steel hood. His hair was a little damp too, and it stuck up in certain places which made him look absolutely silly. You couldn’t help but laugh at the half naked man in front of you, his raven hair raised like that of the feathers of a cockatiel. The laughter subsided as Paladin gave you a not-so-amused look and went into the wash room. A few minutes later he returned and looked refreshed, his hair slicked back into its normal position and the glimmer of sweat now replaced with a more refined texture. Honestly, he looked damn good. And it got your heart racing, as you were sitting on the bed, watching the man pick up his uniform and pull it back on. The uniform was tight against his golden skin, almost as if it was molded for his wonderful body. You stared for just a bit longer than intended, and now Paladin Danse turned around and saw your gaze directed at his ass. There was a moment of lethal tension in the air. Was it hot in here now, or had it gone unnoticed? Your heart began to race faster, eyes trying to desperately avoid those of Danse’s. He leaned in close, his lips barely ghosting across your ears.
“What are you staring at, soldier?” he whispered, a hand gliding across your neck. You swallowed thickly, paralyzed from saying anything. This was highly unusual behavior coming from Danse. He was your commanding officer, your companion, your trusted friend. Thoughts were clouding your mind as the hand trailed lower, brushing past your collarbone. It was a very risqué move, one that tugged on your heart strings and made you feel weak below the knees. You couldn’t think straight as that large, rough hand traveled further down, touching the lip of your pants…
“Danse…” you manage to say, breath coming in hard. He looked deeply into your eyes, his brown orbs swimming with raw emotion. “I… I’m not ready.” You watch as he removed his hand from your body, taken aback from your statement. He took a seat next to you on the bed, gently grasping your hand and placing it on the center of his chest. You could feel a dull pulsation from the tender flesh, remarking on upon how close to human it felt.
“It’s funny.” He said suddenly, laughing remorsefully. “I led my life believing that the Synths were the enemies. That they were a menace to society, that they had no place in this world. But now… I’ve contradicted everything that I swore to uphold. I’m a failure.” You can’t help but take hold of his face, pulling him so he faced you directly. There are what appears to be tears brimming in his eyes, and his lips are tightened back into a thin smile. He looks absolutely worn out, probably in need of a good night’s rest and a warm meal, something not very substantial in the Commonwealth. Or a nice hot shower to get those tired muscles relaxed .
You got up off of the bed, and kissed him warmly on the cheek, brushing a knuckle across those plump lips of his. His liquidy eyes gaze up at you, and there are flecks of green and hazel imbedded into those beautiful irises. So much emotion is showing now, almost an overwhelming amount of it. Something was troubling Paladin Danse… and he was your responsibility now. So now you took his hand, pushing him down on the bed. “You’re not a failure Danse.” you whispered into his ears, curling close to his surprisingly warm body. “You’re a wonderful person, human or synth. A heart of gold and a beautiful smile, and a great soldier.” Danse grinned happily, throwing an arm over your body.
“You don’t know how much how much that means to me…” You nod, and gave him a kiss again on his cheek. You both closed your eyes, letting the day fad to darkness and a new day to start.