Fallout 4: AR

65. Contract Mercenary

"RJ!" I paused for a moment, savoring the sight of my partner, the dark blue bathrobe accentuating his eyes. He looked tired and wan, but very much in the present, propping himself up on one elbow to address me. "Hold on," I said. Placing the sniper rifle gently back on the table, I suppose being dirty for a little longer won't hurt it too much, I snagged the covered bowl of noodle soup and sat down on the bed next to him, heart fluttering. "Here. Before you say anything, eat up."

He took the bowl with raised eyebrows and a quirk of his lips. "It's cold."

I crossed my arms and gave him a fondly stern look, twitching my own robe a little more snugly around my shoulders. "It's still good, even cold. Eat. Then you can take all the time you want to talk."

"I saw you looking at my rifle..." He trailed off, then hesitantly scooped up a portion of noodles with the provided chopsticks, pausing to look closely at me with the bite hovering just before his lips. "Wait." He stared intently, as if seeing me for the first time. "What... what happened to your hair?" His eyes were widened in surprise, brows raising higher than I had ever seen them before.

Almost unconsciously, I lifted my hand to run fingers through the curly mess. "Disguise," I sighed sadly, reaching for the drawer that held my braid, and taking it out to show him. "You're not eating," I reminded him.

He hastily slurped up a mouthful, eyeing the length of cut braided hair. "Smart, if drastic," he mumbled around his food. When I didn't reply, he shrugged and scooped up another bite, taking a long drink of the cold broth. In this manner, he polished off the meal with his usual culinary alacrity. Once he set the bowl aside, he reached for the braid, twisting it around his fingers absently. "I, uh..." was all he managed to say.

We gazed at each other.

"I guess I like it," MacCready finished lamely.

"Right then. Good to hear." Stung by his lukewarm reaction, I went to stand up and return to the couch, but he reached out a hand to stop me. I paused, my insides churning with confused emotions.

"Wait. Please?" In that moment, he looked so unsure, so wistful; a look that I only ever caught in glimpses while he slept. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first. "I... I need to talk to you, but I don't know how to say what I have to say. Promise you'll hear me out?"

The look he gave me would have melted the heart of a stone statue, and never mind that I was already hopelessly in love with him. "Of course, RJ," I assured him around the sudden tightening of my throat. Based on how you've been acting lately, I don't know if you're about to rip out my soul or not, but I'll listen.

"Thanks, angel."

Angel? My chest fluttered at the endearment. He was awake and lucid, and he called me "angel." Maybe...?

When he reached out to hold my hand, I let out the breath I didn't even realize I had been holding. "All right, I'm just going to go for it," he began.

"I don't break my contracts." He paused for a long moment after that statement, eyes distant and scanning the room, as if searching for what to say. The hand holding mine was still, and I gave it a slight squeeze to encourage him to continue, a little befuddled as to where he was going.

"My reputation as a mercenary hangs on my trustworthiness to complete contracts. It's one of the reasons I'm the best gun in the Commonwealth. I'm expensive, and rightly so," he preened, "but once paid, the job's as good as done."

Then he sighed, slumping his shoulders a little. "Until I met you."

I blinked in confusion, holding my tongue, and waited for him to continue.