Heart of Steel Turned Gold

Chapter 10: You guys are a thing?

Henry:

I didn't know why Arthur was so excited when I handed that old movie to him. I decided to see him this morning, ask him how everything was going. He spent a lot of time in the Med bay while Esmeralda was recovering. It was good that he took my advice to talk to her more.

I didn't knock. Everyone is required to, but I forgot for some reason. I don't know what I expected to see, maybe Arthur working at his terminal, like... normal. I stepped in,

"Elder Ma..."

Fuck.

Arthur was on top of my subordinate, shimming her vault suit down her torso and sliding his hands underneath her bra. His mouth was attacking her neck and she was arching into him, legs around his waist and fingers brushing through his hair.

"...xson?"

They both looked at me shocked, probably more shocked that they left the door unlocked.

"It can wait" I said quickly, closing the door harder than I intended.

Was that... hot?

I didn't want to think about that. Not now. I waited a few minutes until Mer opened the door and flew past me. I walked back into Arthur's quarters and gave him a smug grin.

"I'm... sorry you had to see that." He said.

"When I suggested you get to know her better, this isn't what I intended."

Arthur blushed furiously.

"You should have knocked."

"You should have locked your door."

"Fair point, Paladin. What is it you came here for?"

"Let's assess the immediate problem here Arthur. Why didn't you tell me? And don't you dare say that this was the first time because you were way too confident for this to be the first time the two of you got handsy with each other."

He blushed even more.

"Come on, Arthur, you said I was your closest friend. Why didn't you say anything? Maybe just a 'hey heads up, whenever you walk into my quarters, there's a chance I'll be feeling up Esmeralda so proceed with caution' or something."

"I... should have told you. I just got so caught up with her I forgot to tell you. I should have, now that I think about it, because our relationship is private, and I've been dying to talk with someone about this."

"Well you have me now, so start talking." I pulled up a chair.

"She's so fantastic. I can't get enough of her. She's so vibrant, and just... so cool."

I've never seen Arthur like this. He adored her, I could see.

"What's she like when she fights?" He asked curiously.

"Pfft. She's not very hot, if that's what you're thinking. She fights unconventionally. She has this philosophy that, I quote, 'In order to survive in the Commonwealth, you have to out-crazy the next person' and she believes in that thoroughly."

"Define unconventionally." He soundly slightly worried.

"She screams and laughs and tells people they need to be reconditioned and yells 'unacceptable' a lot. Don't get me wrong, she sane. It's just a persona she puts on to scare the crap out of raiders and gunners."

"Ok. I wasn't questioning her sanity."

He started pouring some whiskey into a cup and handed me one.

"So you haven't answered the biggest question."

"What's that?"

I waited specifically until he was drinking his whiskey to ask.