Jealousy in the Wasteland

Chapter 15 - My Love

*word count : 1104*

~Y/N's POV~

I went about life as normally as I could. My first day out of bed felt way too similar to my first day out of the Vault. Everyone doted on me, made sure I had eaten plenty of food, had water, etc. Codsworth tended to my every need, but that's honestly just how he is anyways.

I was in Sanctuary's makeshift garden tending to the crops, loving the feeling of normalcy I had. I stood from my spot, wiping the dirt on my hands off on to my pants, basking in the glory of the community we'd built here.

"Hey, doll. Glad to see you're out of bed." An all too familiar voice speaks from behind me, causing me to quickly spin around and be pulled into the metallic touch I had missed so much. The smell of old books, cigarettes, and scotch fills my nose as I bury my face into the synths trench coat, relishing his touch. I pull back from the hug, looking into his amber eyes. "I've missed you, Valentine." His gaze flicks between my eyes and my lips for a moment, "I've missed you more, doll."

He pulls me into a kiss, earning ooh's and aww's from everyone around us, except Marcy, of course. I melt into the kiss, drowning everything else out. It feels perfect; like I'm right where I need to be in this moment. Nick breaks the kiss first, looking down at me with an expression I can't quite read. "What do you say we go talk over a drink?" That can't be good. I give him a nod and tell Codsworth I'm heading out, then we make our way to Diamond City.

After a few hours of walking and surprisingly not running into enemies, Nick and I make it to the Dugout Inn in Diamond City. We each take a seat at the bar, me ordering a beer and Nick waving to Vadim, signaling he doesn't want anything.

"So what'd you need to talk about?" I turn in my barstool to face him, a huge grin plastered on my face. I was just glad to be with him again. I see his gaze fall to his lap, and my expression immediately changes. "Nick, what's wrong?" I ask the synth quietly. He looks back up at me, but it's a look I've never seen before. This look is desperate, scared, sad almost.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here," He looks around the bar, "Let's just go to the office." I knit my brows in confusion and concern, and throw a few caps on the bar for Vadim. Nick leads me out of the bar and to the office, locking the door behind us. "Where's Ellie?" I ask, immediately taking note of her absence.

"It's too dangerous for her to be around me, doll." He slides his coat off and heads towards his desk, sitting in the worn chair, turning it so he can face me. I slowly walk over to my desk, leaning against the edge, hands gripping it at my sides. "Nick, what's going on? You know you can tell me anything, my love." He shoots me a pained glance, his eyebrows stitched together in hurt. "What'd you just call me?" Shit.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from." I say, feeling heat creep into my cheeks. A sad look covers his face, and I don't know what to say to mend the situation. He looks towards the ground, biting his bottom lip. "They've found me, Y/N." My heart sinks. I don't even need to ask who found him. "H-have they sent-" Before I can even finish asking, he cuts me off. "Yeah. That's why I sent Ellie away." He stares at the ground.

I blink back the tears forming in my eyes, pushing myself off of my desk and walking towards him. I kneel down in front of him, forcing him to meet my gaze.

~Nick's POV~

I look down at her, staring into her eyes. 'My love', the words seemed so natural coming out of her mouth, so right. I take her hands into mine, looking at her sadly. I stand up, guiding her with me. "I love you, Y/N." The tears she was once blinking back are now falling freely. "Every single moment I've spent with you was a moment I'll cherish for as long as I live. Every kiss, every case, every accidental touch, all of it." This is fucking killing me.

"I have to leave, doll." She lets a sob escape her, throwing herself into my chest. I rub her back softly, trying to console her and myself. "I can't lose you too, Nick. Please don't go." She pleads in between sobs. Someone may as well have stabbed me and twisted the knife. "Shhh. You'll be fine here, darling. You have Hancock, all of your friends, Ellie, you will be okay."

She pulls back from the hug, hurt and disappointment filling her eyes. "Nick don't you dare pull that." Now she's angry. "You don't run, we don't run." Her voice is filled with sadness, shock, and anger. "You're right, but I have no choice. I can either lie in wait for the Courser to kill me or take me back to the Institute, or I can go somewhere safe."

I can't stay here in good conscience. I can't put her life at risk. "Let me come with you." She says firmly. "No, Y/N. You will stay here and live your life. I have to leave to keep you safe." She cries again, tears beginning to soak through my shirt. "W-when are y-you leaving?" She ekes out. "Tomorrow at dawn." I contemplate my next words for a few seconds, "Can you stay here tonight? Please?"

She nods against my chest, not breaking our embrace. We stand there hugging in the office fore a few minutes more as I take in some of these final moments with her, the hum of the radio filling the room.

~Y/N's POV~

Why does my heart go on beating?

Why do these eyes of mine cry?

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

It ended when you said goodbye.

Travis could not have had worse timing with that song. I break our hug and pull Nick to the loft upstairs, motioning for him to get in bed with me. "Doll I-" I cut him off. "Not a word, Nick. I know you don't sleep, but you owe me this. Now take your shoes off and come lay with me."