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“Hey, Des?” asked Nora, still covered in wastelander blood. Deacon was off talking to Tinker Tom. Nora so rarely got to speak with Desdemona without her partner-in-crime, and she’d had a question nagging at her since she joined up.
“Wanderer. Great work on the field lately. What’s up?”
“I was wondering. Before I joined up, did you have Deacon follow me?”
Desdemona’s brow furrowed. “Follow you? Why would I waste an agent on that? No offense, but you weren’t exactly a person of interest when you joined up.”
That was fair. Nora stumbled across the Railroad by chance, led there by a holotape she found in her room at the Dugout Inn. When she managed to guess their password, she’d been expecting an old geocacher spot, not a freedom fighting organization.
“He wasn’t assigned to watch the vault from afar from, say, a lawn chair or anything?”
“No. Why? Was he wasting time doing that?”
“No! No, probably not,” said Nora, hastily, not wanting to land her partner - and, subsequently, her - overtime work. “It was probably someone else.”
“So you’re saying you think there’s been someone following you? Is our location compromised?”
“Or not. Quite possibly not. Deacon has a knack for blending into a crowd - no wonder I thought I saw him everywhere, right?”
Desdemona squinted. “Hm. Well, if you see anything suspicious, come straight to me. We can’t risk compromising our headquarters, understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
-
“Glory?”
“Yeah, Wanderer? Need somethin’?”
“You know how Deacon’s always out in the field doing random stuff? Stuff that maybe Desdemona doesn’t know about necessarily?”
Glory barked out a laugh. “You and Deacon, you mean. He hasn’t been a one-man-agent of chaos since you joined up. The two of you send Des up the walls. It’s hilarious.”
Nora shot a stray glance at Deacon, who was bothering Dr. Carrington in the corner of the room. She sometimes forgot he used to run solo. He was always so talkative, matching her energy effortlessly. The few times she’d had to bring someone else with her instead, she’d heard from the others that Deacon practically waxed poetic about her in her absence - for show, mostly, no doubt, but the enthusiasm he had at her return was unparalleled. Like a puppy greeting its master at the door.
She made a mental note to voice that comparison to Deacon. Surely he’d find it as fitting as she.
“Before I joined up, though. Surely he still wreaked havoc then. Do you know if he had any side projects going on under the hood? Moonlighting as a Diamond City Guard, for instance?”
“Not that I noticed. Or that he bragged about. You gotta remember, just before you joined up, we were in shambles. Our old base had been wrecked, our numbers almost halved. We needed all hands on deck. I think Deacon knew that, so he tried to keep his jokes light-hearted and practical. Like placing a jack-in-the-box in the toilet. God, Carrington’s reaction to that was priceless.”
“That’s considerate of him.” Nora paused. “So he didn’t have any free time at all before I came?”
Glory shook her head. “He was always out on a mission. Mostly supply runs. He’s the best barterer out of all of us. Took up all his time. Honestly, I think he took the loss of the Switchboard harder than anyone. Other than Des, I mean. He really loved that place. Was just starting to make it a home. Afterwards, he just wasn’t the same. I thought for sure he was gonna pop a stealth boy and leave us for dead. Until you came around, that is. Now you two are joined at the goddamn hip.”
Nora frowned. She hadn’t thought too much about what the Railroad was like before she’d joined up. Apart from their first mission, Deacon generally avoided speaking about it. Truthfully, that is. He lied about it just as colourfully as ever.
“Not that I’m complaining,” added Glory hastily. “You two are good for each other. For Deacon especially. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him. Des thinks it too, though she won’t say it out loud. Usually she’s pretty strict with the ‘no fraternization’ rule, but you guys have boosted our productivity so much she’s turned a blind eye.”
Nora grinned. “Goddamn, we made Des break the rules for us? We must be good.”
“Two of the best agents we’ve ever seen,” affirmed Glory, returning a smile. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, and the Commonwealth will be fixed in no time.”
“Sounds like a lot of work,” called Deacon from the corner. “Can’t we stop at the institute? Why do we gotta fix the Commonwealth, too?”
Glory snorted. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Des will let you take a vacation in between the rebuilding of the government and the creation of a legal system.”
“Damnit. It better be paid time off.”
-
“Hancock,” greeted Nora. “I scouted Pickman’s Gallery for you. The rumours were true. The fucker was making art out of dead bodies. Reminded me of a pre-war serial killer.”
Hancock cocked a brow. “Was?”
“I decided to go above and beyond and take the guy out. He won’t be making people put the lotion on the skin anymore.”
“Don’t know what the hell that means, but good on you for taking out the trash. I’ll put some guys together to tidy the place up.”
“Just doing my civic duty.”
He handed her a bag of caps. “Here’s what I owe you.”
She glanced behind her. Deacon was over by KLEO spouting off nonsensical recall codes. Thankfully, the assaultron seemed more amused than pissed off. She turned back to Hancock. “Actually, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Hit me.”
“Before Deacon and I started travelling with each other, did you ever see him around Goodneighbour posing as a drifter?”
“Your organization’s got a lot of connections in our neck of the woods. They get most of their supplies from us. Don’t usually send someone as high up as Deacon to pick up packages. Sometimes he plays dress up just for the hell of it, though. Not that he has to change much about himself. Goodneighbour’s for the freaks of the world, and he fits right in.”
Nora smiled. “Sounds like Deacon. You remember when I first came to Goodneighbour?”
“Hard to forget. Not even five minutes went by before you shot a man in the head. You sure know how to make an entrance, sister. Not that I’m complaining. If you hadn’t done it, I would have.”
“Good times, good times. Anyways. I could’ve sworn I saw Deacon in the crowd. He almost seemed like he was watching me. Was he in town that day?”
“Now that you mention it, I did see him around. Thought he was, ah, delivering a package to the Memory Den. You think he was watching you?”
“Maybe? Yes? I don’t know, does that sound like something he’d do?”
“Your partner in crime works in mysterious ways, you know that. But I wouldn’t put it past him. Wasn’t your organization pretty swamped around that time, though?”
“From what I’ve heard, yes. That’s what makes this so confusing.”
Hancock swung an arm around her shoulder. “Wish I could help more, sister, I really do. You’re not looking into this because he’s making you feel unsafe, are ya? Cause if he is, and you’re in need of a new travelling companion, hit me up. Life’s more interesting when you’re around.”
She laughed, leaning into him. “Don’t worry, he’s been treating me well. If that changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
Deacon walked up to them and pointedly eyed Hancock’s arm around her shoulders. “Having a party? What gives with my invitation?”
“Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear,” said Nora. Hancock returned his arm to his side.
Deacon smiled easily. “Didn’t know you were speaking of the devil. All good things, I hope?”
“Just telling Hancock about how you made me take Pickman down by myself because the place creeped you out.”
“Really, boss? Spilling state secrets? You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“You’re right. Whatever can I do to make it up to you?”
“Paying for our room at the Hotel Rexford would be the first step of many to regain my trust.”
“Remind me, Deacon, when have you ever paid for anything?”
Deacon placed his hand to his ear. “What’s that? ‘I’m so sorry, Deacon, of course I’ll cover you, despite your generous and not at all freeloading nature?’”
Hancock laughed raspily. “You two are a hoot. If you’ll excuse me, got some mayorly business to attend to. Remember, sister, my offer still stands.”
-
“Hey, boss?” called Deacon from the bed.
Nora poked her head out from the bathroom. “What’s up, Dee? Need something?” Her hair was still wet from her shower.
“What were you and Hancock chatting about earlier today? Something about an offer?” He leaned forward and smiled lazily. “If you two are gonna get hitched, the least you could do is tell me before ditching me back at HQ. Not to mention I’m a sucker for some hot goss.”
Nora laughed, surprised. “Getting hitched? Me and Hancock? The fuck gave you that idea?”
“You two seemed awful cozy. And you’re always flirting with each other. I dunno, I just thought.. Forget it.”
After pulling her clothes back on, Nora took a seat next to Deacon and squeezed his arm. “Dee, Hancock flirts with everyone. It doesn’t mean anything. Yes, he offered to travel with me, but I said no. You know why? Cause you’re my partner in crime.” Her eyes softened. “Seriously, Deacon, you’re the closest person in the world to me. There’s nothing going on between me and Hancock, and if there was, you’d be the first to know.”
“You’ve been keeping something from me, though. I can tell. I’m not exactly an open book, myself, so I don’t have a place to say anything but.. You tell me everything, you know?” He sighed. “Sorry, that probably sounds ridiculously hypocritical of me.”
“No, you’re right. I have been keeping something from you.” Nora swallowed. “Two things, actually. Before I joined the Railroad, I saw you around. Or someone that looked like you, at least. A guard in Diamond City, a drifter in Goodneighbour, hell, I even found a Railroad symbol by a lawn chair pointed at the vault. I’ve been asking around, seeing if I was just going crazy or something.”
Deacon stiffened. “Shit, you know about that?”
Nora sprung up. “I knew it was more than a coincidence!” She pumped her fist in the air triumphantly. Looking down, though, she noticed a pained expression on Deacon’s face.
“Fuck, you probably think I’m some stalker or something.”
She returned to his side. “No, not at all! I’m not accusing you. It’s more of an ego thing than anything, really. Like, I had a theory, and it turned out to be right. Also,” she smiled sheepishly, “I asked Dez about it and she basically said I was a nobody and not worth sending an agent after. Like, she’s right, but my ego could not take that.”
Deacon burst out laughing. “Dez said that? That’s too good! She really has no filter. And yeah, no offense, boss, but you were hardly top quality scouting material. A soft, squishy vault dweller that’s been frozen for 200 years. No offense or anything,” he hastily added.
Nora sighed. “None taken, I guess. I just want to know why. You have your extracurricular projects, I know, but you said it yourself. I wasn’t interesting.”
He snapped his fingers. “And that’s where you’re wrong. Believe it or not, when I was watching the vault, I wasn’t doing it for you. It was just a convenient spot. Sanctuary’s at the edge of the Commonwealth, nice and far from all the chaos of the big city. I’d go there when I felt like popping a stealth boy and bugging out. It reminded me how much I hated being alone.”
She placed her hand on his and squeezed. “You don’t need to do that anymore, though, right? Not that I’d blame you or anything. But you can tell me if you need a break. I won’t be offended or anything.”
“Boss, you’re just about the only person I never need a break from.” He chuckled wryly. “I just happened to see you coming out of the vault. You looked like a little kid seeing the world for the first time. It was adorable. Here, put yourself in my shoes. There’s a vault that nobody’s ever been in before. It’s sealed from the inside. And some chick comes strolling out looking like a pre-war model. It piqued my interest.”
She quirked a brow. “You thought I looked like a model?”
“I mean, yeah, who wouldn’t? Half the Commonwealth is in love with you. Anyways. Not the point. So my interest was very much piqued at this point. I followed you around out of curiosity, at first, but I liked what I saw. You helped those in need and did what you could to make the Commonwealth a better place. You were driven, smart as hell, and good with a gun. The Railroad needed you. So I stuck holotapes around you, hoping you’d eventually find one.”
“That’s oddly sweet.”
Deacon gasped. “Oddly? Blasphemy! I’m angelic.”
“So angelic, in fact, that you neglected to inform me you thought I looked like a model?”
“Someone as pretty as you? Didn’t think you needed it spelled out. Guess I was wrong.” In a rare display of genuinity, he took off his glasses. A range of emotion sat behind those baby blues. “You’re beautiful,” said Deacon, with a sad smile.
Nora’s heart stopped. She had only seen his eyes a handful of times. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You said half the Commonwealth loved me. Are you included in those numberS?”
“Boss, I think you know the answer to that. Come on. I just confessed to following you across the Commonwealth before you made it big.” He looked down, putting his sunglasses back on. “You don’t need to say anything. I know you don’t feel the same. We can forget this conversation ever happened, if you’d like.”
“Deacon. What makes you think I don’t feel the same?”
He scoffed. “You’re way out of my league. Think about it this way. You’re one of the big-wigs of the Commonwealth, and I’m a piece of lying scum.”
“Hey, don’t talk about my best friend like that.” She pulled him into a hug. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but.. I’ve wanted to kiss the smirk off your lips since I first fucking saw it.”