Toxic [C.H]

Chapter 7: Vault Boy

I stretched as I woke up, sleepily looking over and noticing that Cooper wasn't in bed anymore. His hat was on the bed and sat up rubbing my eyes.

Grabbing his hat to move it, I found my pip boy underneath.

"Well, would you look at that." I smiled, grabbing it to place it back onto my arm. "Thought I lost this thing."

I put Cooper's hat on my head as I got up from the bed. Looking over I saw that his coat was still where he placed it last night. I might as well bring both of these back to him. I have no idea where he could've gone, possibly not far though.

As I grabbed his coat, a piece of folded up paper fell out. I bent down to pick it up and started to unfold whatever it was.

I noticed that the paper was actually a small poster of Cooper dressed in vault clothing and sticking his thumb out. He looked like his regular Hollywood self, smiling ear to ear. The poster was titled "Prepare for the Future."

Under the title read the words, "Be safe. Be smart. Trust in Vault-Tec."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Cooper was a vault dweller too?

I folded the paper back up and put it in my bra. Slinging his coat over my shoulder, I opened the door and left to find him. Walking through the house I noticed that Titus and his dog was gone.

Making my way to the front, I saw Cooper sitting outside all by himself on the steps.

"Howdy." I said, sitting next to him. Cooper looked over at me a chuckled.

"What are you doing with my hat?" Giving a light smile, taking the hat off of my head and placing it back onto his.

"Woke up to it next to me, thought you wanted me to put it on." I chuckled. "Thanks for this by the way. I appreciate it." We both looked down at my pip boy.

"No problem vaultie."

"Why are you up so early?" I asked, putting his coat to the side.

"Well, I heard Titus moving around and I didn't know what he was doing so I got up. Then he told me that he was gonna go and get his power armor and come back." Cooper stretched his legs out and leaned back onto his elbows. "That was a while ago so he should be back soon not unless he ran into some raiders."

"We'll see I guess."

I began to think about the poster again and was contemplating if I should bring it up or not. I would've never thought that he was apart of Vault Tec at some point. I wanted nothing more than to ask him a million questions.

"Hey Coop." I began as he just looked over at me. "I- uh..." I trailed off, thinking that bringing it up might not be a good idea. "Nothing. Never mind." I shook my head. I stood up but I felt Cooper grab my wrist. I turned to look at him and he pulled me down slightly to his eye level.

"Spit it out." Cooper said with a raspy voice staring deeply into my eyes. He looked down at my breasts and moved his hand up slowly. His fingers grazed my breasts lightly as he grabbed the poster that was down my bra.

He looked back up at me and I felt butterflies in my stomach from his movements. So gentle but in control.

"You went through my things too, huh?" Coop got closer to my face as his breathing got heavier.

I shook my head.

""No, I didn't. It fell out your coat when I picked it up."

"Don't lie to me sweetheart."

"I'm not, I swear."

"You weren't supposed to see this." Cooper crumpled the paper and closed his hand into a fist. His eyes still on me.

I placed my hand onto his and slowly lowered his fist.

"That's why you shot at the billboard?" I asked and Coopers eyes softened. "What happened?" I straightened up as he let go of my wrist. The sun got into my eye making me squint a bit.

"It doesn't matter now." Cooper scoffed. "Look at me, I'm not that anymore."

"You still had it in your coat so it must've meant something at one point Cooper."

"None of that means shit to me anymore! It's all gone..." He looked around. "Just a fucking piece of paper." Cooper lowered his voice and threw the crumpled paper to the side.

He looked away and didn't say a word.

"It's what got you here. Something motivates you to keep going. You do everything you can to evade death because you seek answers." My voice soft. "Stop lying to me Cooper. That was your reminder."

Cooper stood up and looked down on me. His tall stature blocking the sun out of my face.

"Stop trying to figure me out."

"I need to know the man that I'm traveling with." I said looking up at him. "The real you, not the one you present."

"He was a husband and a father." Cooper began. "Wanted nothing more but the best for my family... and vault tec took that away from me."

His eyes grew darker with sadness. Glossy and tired but he kept a straight face.

"It's been so many years and I still try to have hope. A sign or something, anything."

"I'm so sorry. You'll get what you've been waiting for." I moved in to hug him and he was stiff as a board. He didn't move. "I promise Cooper." I said at almost a whisper.

Looking up at him, he seemed confused on how to respond. I could tell his mind was running rampant until I felt his body slowly melt into mine comfortably. His arms wrapped around me near my waist. I put my head on his chest.

Cooper rested his chin on top of my head, pulling me in closer.

"Thank you Anna."

Shocked to hear him say my name and this gentle side of Cooper, I gently pulled away to look at him. I felt something inside of me light up when he said it. It felt so natural with him.

I gave a light smile and he let go of me when we heard someone faintly yell towards us.

"Hey! I made it back!" We looked over into the distance and saw Titus waving his arm in the air. He had his armor on and was standing still, his dog by his side.

"Well I'll be damned." Coop scoffed. I started to wave my arm up back to him.

"Look at that, raiders didn't get to him." I said to Coop as I chuckled. Titus began to make his towards us.

Looking back, Cooper was gone. He closed the door to the house lightly.

I remained outside and waited for Titus to come.