Fallout: Fury Blood

Chapter 118: No Rest For These Bones

Gloomy thoughts danced over Kelly, mocking her in cruel caricatures of victory. Ad Victoriam, they rattled at her, like the bones of the dead. Ad fuckin' Victoriam.

The barracks on the Prydwen were of cold steel and emptiness, all souls elsewhere in the aftermath of battle, gathering down in the mess, working on repairs in the maintenance bay, or burning off some unspent adrenaline in the gym. The Brotherhood type were notoriously bad at chilling out, even during off-duty hours. Lucky for her, it meant the barracks was at her mercy.

The madness in her was itching to break out and trash the place, break locks and steal caps, throw shit at people walking below, kick tables and chairs off the balcony, smash precious items for the hell of it, rip up straw pillows with her teeth, spit on left-out food morsels, piss on the deck, shit on someone's bed, smear it all over herself and run around terrorizing the Squires.

But the woman in her was at her man's side, cradling his weight in the soft, plushy curl of her body. Kelly wished she could see his face, stroke it and wipe it clean. Beneath Maxson's dented helmet, Danse was slack and bloody and in need of her lips on his. If only I could drench him in my love and kiss away his pain. Bearing the thought of losing him never got easier, it only got harder and harder the closer they grew, the more they endured, the longer they survived. If one died, so did the other. There was no questioning it, no blundering through thoughts of how the other would go on with only half a soul. It was a waste of thought. The war, the world, none of it mattered, just meaningless woes in a blip of eternity that was only stuck on repeat, destined to an undying cycle. Only love was precious.

They were upon the spare bed she had once taken refuge on many a night after a hard day of service. Oddly, no one had claimed it after her exile. The Brotherhood were scanty with resources, never letting anything go to waste for silly sentimental reasons. But it was as though her exile had tainted everything she had once touched. Even Danse's belongings had been allocated out as a free-for-all garage sale after his execution.

A rogue bout of 'toxic' sentimentality from the Brotherhood, or orders from above? If so, then why? So Maxson could say I told you so, if she were to ever come crawling back into the arms of the Brotherhood? And fuck damnit, she had. Without even thinking about it. Just helped herself to their aid and resources and now she was riding their airship back to their safety. By Brotherhood decree, an exile should be killed on sight if ever caught breaking the terms of freedom. Yet here she was, sitting pretty as though none of it applied to her. It smelled too much of him.

Elder Maxson's presence here was too strong, like an inexorable shadow, hunting her and saturating her skin. She needed to keep herself far away from him if she wanted to keep her sanity intact. What is left of it. But so many questions were scattering through her brain in need of answers. It was almost enough turmoil to distract her from the emotional toll of everything else. Almost.

Lying there was like torturing herself. Even in Danse's precious warmth. The grasp of anxiety was a quickening in her chest and a knot in her stomach that refused to abate. Visiting her Minutemen only served to subdue it until she left again, and all the while she was anxious to get back to Danse. The passing glowers that struck her were like lashes across her bare heart. Yet the darkling in her blood glowered back at them.

It was all a facade. If a group of soldiers took it upon themselves to corner her in a dark passage, she didn't have the mettle in her to challenge them, even emptily. She would only curdle to her knees and go catatonic, letting them have their way with her.

Part of her wanted to.

But Kelly fucking Harper wasn't yet out of the hellfire. She had her man to protect, her people to support, her bearded nemesis to quell. Sleep would be on the back burner until her duty was done.