Afire Love- Paladin Danse x Reader (COMPLETE)

blind betrayal

JSKFKGK nO IVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING THIS CHAPTER SINCE THE BEGINNING BUT NOW I DONT WANNA WRITE IT uGGHF
"No, he's not a synth!" you yelled at him defiantly. "I know he isn't! He would have told me!"
"Paladin Danse isn't who any of us thought he was. He lied to all of us." Maxson leaned in closer, his icy breath sending shivers down your spine. "And quite frankly, love is a game where both players lose."
He found that out, too.
"Don't worry. We'll deal with that issue later," he said smoothly, but with a threatening edge. "We have a bigger problem. As of now, Paladin Danse is an enemy of the Brotherhood. It is your duty, as my highest ranking knight, to see that Danse is terminated."
You shuddered, looking up to meet his cold eyes. "You want me to kill him?" you breathed.
"Yes. It's your duty as a Brotherhood soldier. I know you were close with him, but listen to reason-"
"No," you managed to say firmly. "I'm not going to kill Paladin Danse."
"Knight!" He was yelling at you now, quickly drowning out your smaller voice. "You will do it! This is an order. It is not up for judgement or debate. And I know that synth taught you to obey your superiors!" He sighed and pressed a palm to his forehead, cooling off. "We can't afford to make exceptions. Your order is to find Proctor Quinlan. He's been analyzing the data and given you a starting point, because apparently Danse left without a trace. Get to it."
You stormed out of the room and slammed the door, but broke as soon as you lost his line of sight. You stumbled, colliding with the door to Danse's room. You twisted the handle, let your body weight push it open, and locked it. This isn't real, you told yourself. I'll go to sleep and wake up with him by my side, and then I'll tell him about my bad dream, and he'll cuddle me until I fall back to sleep.
You fell into his bed, the worn mattress giving out a squeak, and laid your head on the pillow. But you couldn't seem to fall asleep.
Then there was a knock at the door. "Knight? Are you in there?" It was a girl's voice, who you reasoned could only be one person.
Scribe Haylen waited for you outside. You opened up the door and tried to cover up your red eyes with you hair.
"Oh, God, Y/N," Haylen whispered and let herself in. She shut the door behind her and pulled you into a tight hug. It was something you needed badly, so you clung to her and cried into her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
You were too choked up say anything in response, so you just hugged her tighter. She didn't seem to mind.
"Why didn't he tell me?" you eventually sniffled.
"I don't know," Haylen said, stepping out of the hug. "But we'll figure this out. Listen." She held your shoulders. "Don't go to Proctor Quinlan. I know where Danse is," she explained.
If was as if your own heart sighed in relief. "You do?" you asked hopefully.
"He's at Listening Post Bravo. It was the only fallback point we had when we first came to the Commonwealth. He will be there, I'm sure of it."
"Oh, my God, thank you," you sobbed, pulling her back in.
"All right, come on. We don't have much time before someone else finds him. Clean yourself up and get out there."
"Okay, okay, I will," you said, letting her go. "Just give me a minute."
Haylen left the room with you. You went to Proctor Teagan's stall first.
"Hey," he said sympathetically. "Heard what happened with Danse. You all right? It know he was special to you."
"Yeah, it's going to be okay. I just need to restock my stimpaks."
He slid a few over the counter, and you pulled out your caps.
"Thanks," you said, grabbing them.
"Good luck, Knight."

You decided to take a vertibird to Finch Farm instead of Listening Post Bravo- if he was there, it would be better if only one person showed up. You ditched your power armor at its station and only brought your 10mm pistol- it was all you would need.
"Finch Farm," you told the pilot. The vertibird lifted off and began its flight inland.