Chapter Text
Radstorms in Diamond City were arduous. The sound of the rain hitting the metal roof was comforting at first, but eventually it became deafening along with the loud cracks of thunder. A loud and constant reminder of the radiation infested world they lived in. The thick, green clouds encapsulated the Commonwealth. It wasn't a cold rain either, radstorms made the air humid and heavy. Making it difficult to breathe.
Pre-war stories of gentle, calming rain perpetuated the minds of the people of the Commonwealth. Two-hundred years ago people would even wish for rain. To sit outside on a covered porch, watching the world as it goes by. Not to say they didn't have a forgiving drizzle every so often, but rainwater was dangerous. Along with all the other kinds of water in the Commonwealth. People were already infested with raditation, adding to it was something most people would avoid unless you were a ghoul or a crazed child of Atom.
To combat the fear and occasional melancholy that came with radstorms, people would tend to conjugate. It was somewhat of a Diamond City tradition to gather when radstorms took place. Generally in the Dugout Inn. Others would kindly open their homes to other citizens, hoping for some company. It was an excuse to get drunk, eat good food and gossip.
People of the upper stands were somewhat hard asses about it. They didn't want to admit they gathered during radstorms, seeing it as a lower stand sort of tradition, but they did anyway. The warmth others offered during the storms was something people needed.
The community built around this custom was something Nick Valentine admired.
Often would he be invited to these gatherings, usually by Vadim, but Nick could never bring himself to go. He cared about the people of Diamond City, and even if only a handful of people were scared of him, he didn't want to take the chance to ruin the welcoming nature of the congregation.
Piper and Vadim would fight tooth and nail to convince Nick to attend, but, every time without fail, he would refuse.
Nick wouldn't admit it, but the main reason he hired Ellie was because of many lonely nights. The alienation got to him sometimes, sitting in the dimly lit office, with the pitter patter of the rain being the only sound he could hear. It drove him crazy.
The institude programming loneliness into him must've been some sick joke.
Luckily, ever since he hired Ellie all those years ago, radstorms have been significantly less solitary.
Better yet, ever since Nora pulled him out of that vault, getting lonely wasn't a problem Nick had to worry about anymore.
Having a 'travel buddy' as she called it, wasn't too bad. Nick enjoyed every moment he had with Nora, there was something about her he couldn't shake.
Nick sat in the office, the hum of the lightbulb above him and rain hitting the roof being incessantly loud. Not that he could hear it, being so deep in thought.
The night overtook the Commonwealth, making the lights coming from Diamond City being the only thing people could see from kilometers.
He lulled over various files, trying to find a common thread between them. He'd noticed that all these cases had similar circumstances whilst going over them in the afternoon, and had been busy ever since.
He was deep in thought when Ellie walked in, soaked.
"Hi, Nick."
Nick, not turning his head, "Ellie. Is a storm starting? You're drenched."
"How could you tell?" She removed her jacket and hung it up.
"The rain has a certain… odor to it."
She laughed gently, "Is super smell a synth thing?"
"Well, no." He finally turned his chair towards Ellie, "you never noticed the smell? Radstorms have a scent to 'em."
Ellie sat down at her desk, "don't think I ever noticed, or maybe I just tuned it out." She began to organize the files at her desk. "That's why you're the detective, Nick. Always noticing details other people take for granted."
"The devil is in the details, Ellie." Nick said, very matter-of-factly.
She chuckled.
There was a pregnant silence between the two before Ellie spoke up again, "find anything interesting?"
Nick hummed, "I've noticed they all took place in the same general area, other than that, nothing of note."
"Hm, think the missing persons have anything in common?"
Nick flipped through papers, "… good point."
Suddenly, Nora burst through the door, completely sopping with rainwater.
"…hey!"
Ellie and Nick both turned to Nora, startled.
"Got stuck in the rain, did we?" Nick said, jokingly.
Nora plopped down in the plush chair in front of Ellie's desk. "You could say that."
There was something comforting about Nora. Once they started traveling together, especially after she helped him close the Eddie Winter case, it felt like they've known each other their whole lives. She was something familiar.
And the second she walked through that door, he felt the room become enveloped with a comforting atmosphere.
"What on earth were you doing? You could see that radstorm coming a good ways from here." Ellie said, getting up and searching for a towel.
"I was trying to get here before it got bad. You guys here have that thing, right? Whenever a radstorm brews up you guys all get together."
This took Nick by surprise, why would an important woman like Nora come all the way for some lowly synth and desk jockey?
Ellie was flattered.
She handed Nora a towel to dry off. "You came all this way to spend time with us? You're such a doll." Ellie said teasingly, but sincerely.
"Why'd you go through all that trouble?" Nick asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Ellie looked over to Nick with a raised eyebrow.
A concerned look painted Nora's face, "Well, you know, I care about you guys?" She laughed awkwardly, "a good excuse to hang around your office without getting kicked out."
Nick could tell Nora was playing it off, he couldn't help but shake that there was another reason. Maybe he was just being paranoid.
Ellie rolled her eyes, "we have never kicked you out."
"No, but, still a good excuse."
Nora finished by drying off her face, hanging up the towel to dry next to Ellie's jacket.
She perked up, "oh, I completely forgot," she said, pulling some candy from her backpack and placing it on Ellie's desk. "I got you some candy, Ellie and…" She continued to rummage through her backpack, "Nick, I've got something for you too."
Nora pulled out a handful of tools, oil and coolant.
"I've noticed you've been running out, and your screwdriver broke when we got in that tassel with those super mutants the other day."
Nora handed Nick his various gifts. Their hands touching for a miniscule of a second.
"Well, thank you. Didn't think you would've noticed."
He really didn't. Maybe Valentine was selling himself short of Nora's affections, but he didn't think she would bother getting him more 'self care' supplies one could say. She had more pressing matters to take care of, he didn't think that'd him and Ellie would be one of them. He didn't think he'd be one of them.
"'Course I did." Nora said with a smile.
Nick wasn't able to feel his heart beat on account of not having one, but he could feel the coolant pumping through his tubes grow more intense.
Nora offered him a kind smile, and sat back down in the red sofa-chair, "so, any new cases?"
"No, but Nick thinks there might be a common area between a handful of them." Ellie explained.
"Maybe we can go out tomorrow and investigate, Valentine." Nora said, turning to Nick.
"Yeah, that sounds like it'd be a good idea."
A day out with Nora. Just the idea of it made Nick more excited than he'd like to admit.
The three of them sat around the office for a few more hours, talking about anything that came to mind, open cases, closed cases, their past. Of course without revealing too many details that would demonstrate any of their deepest secrets, insecurities of anything similar. All three of them were too caught up in the present that dwelling on the past would be unnecessary.
Radstorms were good for bringing people together, but for some with more tragic pasts, it was an opportunity to make happier memories.
Throughout the entire conversation, Nick would glance over at Nora. Maybe it was the light, but he could swear she was glowing. Like a beam of light in a dark tunnel.
Throughout the entire conversation, Nora would glance over at Nick, watching his eyes closely. She would notice how they shifted from side to side. She particularly enjoyed how they glowed under the worn hat he never took off.
Eventually, Ellie sat up from her chair.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed, I'm pretty tired."
"Night, Ellie." Nick said, solemnly.
Nick may sound dreary most of the time, but having a brain scan of a man going through the worst stages of grief ought to do that to someone. Once a person gets past the grim tone he carried, Nick was a generally positive person.
"Goodnight, Ellie. I hope you sleep well." Nora said, vastly more chipper than Nick.
"Goodnight you two," she pointed towards Nora, "you should probably go to bed soon too."
Nora adjusted in their seat, "I might. I'll have to see if the Dugout has any rooms open."
"Don't kid yourself, use my bed." Nick offered. "Not like I need it anyway."
"You sure?"
"Positive, it's not a problem."
Ellie, walking up the stairs, finally exclaimed, "have fun with that, you two."
The makeshift door to Ellie's room could be heard closing, leaving Nick and Nora alone.
There was a silence between them, but this one was more comfortable.
"When do you plan on turning in?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.
Nora mindlessly braided her hair, "soon, maybe."
Nick watched as she braided her hair. Her fingers were calloused, yet they still had a gentle nature to them. She may have used them to hurt and kill, but she also used them to comfort and love. The way they moved was slow and calculated. He ran his good hand over his face, forcing himself out of thought.
Nick leaned forward, "well, if we want to get an early start on those cases tomorrow, we should get up bright and early."
Nora stopped braiding her hair, "hm, you're right."
She got up, and started walking to the back room, where Nick's bed was. Before she turned the corner, she looked back at him.
"Goodnight, detective."
His breathing hitched, which was funny, because Nick didn't breathe.
"Goodnight, Nora."
When she turned that corner, he felt like his systems would override and he'd power off forever.
Unfortunately, he didn't.