But He Stopped Pt 2

I Feel Their Eyes

They stood before me, and damn if I couldn't even remember the words coming out of my mouth. She was here. In my rooms. Bloody and bandaged and wearing some flimsy leather getup that was somehow supposed to make me not want to jump her more. I shook my head as she handed the Silver Shroud costume and gun back to Kent. His eyes grew round as saucers. Her clothes had not been picked with me in mind. I knew that much.

"Kent, I'm so sorry." Her anguish was evident, I felt bad having to reprimand her. "I didn't know you'd get kidnapped, I didn't know-"

"It's fine." His smile didn't reach his eyes, his hands shook as he held the memorabilia, "I just don't think I'm up for that kind of adventure." He looked at the items in his arms, then shrugged , handing them back to her in one fluid motion, "I'm not going to need these..."

He looked so sad, nearly heartbroken. I couldn't stand to see a brother in such pain.

I crossed my arms, as though that would make me look tougher while being a total sap. "Don't let it get ya down, kid."

"You can't let this stop you from believing in good." Her voice was like fucking silk and honey and heaven and clean air and everything good. I couldn't stop staring at her. "You can't stop being the good. You know what I mean?"

She caught my gaze, immediately dropping her eyes to her beat up boots; gore stained and travel worn.

Fuck you. She said it without words. She didn't need them, I knew what she thought of me. Just another jackass with power.

"I'm going to keep playing the episodes, but maybe nothing big until I'm more recovered." Kent rubbed his arm nervously though his eyes had stopped dancing around the room. I took that as a good sign. A weight that had been on my shoulders lifted. "But when you're in town listen to the Silver Shroud, you never know when I might pick up the torch again."

I watched her watch him. She was chewing on her lower lip as he meandered down the hall and disappeared out of sight down the stairs. I was staring at her again, the silence stretching between us not necessarily uncomfortable so much as hostile. I didn't know what to say, where to start. How to approach her. God I wanted to talk to her so bad, about so much more than extra work or caps or Kent even. I watched her look around my apartments. Immediately I was embarrassed. I had been so worried I'd stopped cleaning. It looked like a damned drug den in here. I saw her gaze harden as she caught sight of the Psycho and Buffout. I shrugged mentally. No use in telling her they weren't mine when she'd already decided they were.

I pushed off the counter, striding across the room to the couch, my heart hitched ridiculously as I saw her finger my bookshelves. How was that so intimate? I wondered.

"You took down a big guy like Sinjin and kept Kent alive?" I plopped on the couch, suddenly aware of how ungraceful that was.

"I should have done more." She moved to the window, peering out between the slats of the boards. "A good man got hurt and it's my fault."

I snorted, "Yeah. Right. Like that doesn't happen all the time out here in the Commonwealth. You give yourself too much credit there, Sister." It amazed me how much guilt she took on for herself. I was just as much to blame as she was in this mess, even if she didn;t know it.

Her eyes met mine, electricity in them, "I'm not taking credit for anything. I egged him on. I let this happen. If I hadn't encourage-"

"If you hadn't encouraged him," I took a hit of Jet, exhaling as I spoke, "he would have stayed stuck in that damned room withering away until they found him feral and eating someone. Sit down, would ya! I'm not gunna bite." I winked, immediately appalled with myself, "Unless you're into that."

A wink?! Who the fuck winks anymore? Jesus Christ what's wrong with me??

Something must have disarmed her, she sashayed aroudn the couch and sat down across from me. "I've heard about you and your... reputation."

I perked up, Reputation?

My eyes narrowed, my heart hammered against my chest. She couldn't know about the ghouls in Diamond City, or the people here in Goodneighbor, could she? Could she know about what I did to Vic? About my family? About my bastard brother?"What do you mean?" The words came out harsher than I meant.

She motioned to my table full of used chems. "Druggie, mayor, charismatic-"

"You think I'm charismatic?" I didn't bother to mention some of the canisters were from months ago, I raised a brow.

"- Philanderer-"

"You know, people take one comment and blow it up into some huge deal -" That 'tour of the town' shit would haunt me forever.

"But you're kind. And brave. You're a conundrum, Mr. Mayor."

My heart stopped, my brain turned to mush. I couldn't remember a time someone called me kind, or brave. Not since Paul and suddenly all I wanted to do was cry. I couldn't make myself look away from her, her eyes were entrancing; a rainbow of color in the setting sunlight. All oranges and reds and greens and blues. Gorgeous.

Her sigh broke through my thoughts. She was annoyed.

"I've heard Bobbi No-Nose has work for me, Hancock and I think we're finished here. I'm gunna go."

I blinked, looking at my hands, well aware I'd been staring for far too long without breaking the silence. She didn't like me. I could tell by her words and her demenor. She felt like a wall, and I was grasshopper trying to get over.

"I've got a job for you too." I smiled, finally I would be able to bring her back here, maybe make her stay, somehow change her mind about me. "Pickman gallery."

"What's there?" She paused halfway to the door, turning to me.

I leaned my head back, feeling so stupid, feel foolish. I should take that job back. This man is a serial killer. He'll murder her for sure.

I raised my head to talk to her, to stop her but she had already left. I stood again, grabbing a garbage can and tossing all the chem canisters in it in one go. Fucking fuck up. I cursed, yanking on the planks I'd put over the windows to clear the air out. I felt suffocated, stuffy. I couldn;t think or breathe... I'd ruined it. I knew I'd ruined everything.

"H-Hancock?" Fahrenheit's voice was low, confused. "What are you doing?"

"I..." I stopped yanking on the boards, three of them by my feet already. "I don't really know."

She looked around, hands on her hips. "Gotta say, it's cleaner in here than it has been in days. Weeks actually. I like it." She looked back at me, "It's because of her isn't it?"

I sighed, then groaned, sliding to the floor. "Yes!" I cried.

"Geez. I've never seen someone this torn up over another person." She crouched down beside me, "Are you sure you're okay?"

I felt her hand on my back, rubbing up and down slowly. "I don't know. I really don't."

"Why don't you go with her?" Fahrenheit suggested after a long silence. "I mean, I already know how to run this city inside and out, I'm better at the paperwork than you are- everyone knows that. I mean... out there on the open road together, you never know what might happen and... I think it'd be good for you to get out of here." She caught my gaze, "You're like a trapped dog or Deathclaw. Just pacing the same circles over and over and over. It'd be good for you to get out, kill some people. I think Finn was your most recent kill and that was four? Five? Months ago now."

I shook my head in protest, though the idea was appealing, "I don't know..."

"Well I do." She grunted as she stood, "Get the fuck out. Preferably with her. Don't come back till you get laid."

"I can't now." I responded, standing, calmer than I had been. "She's got a job with Bobbi No-Nose."

Fahrenheit froze, her eyes glistened with rage, "Are you serious? That fucking PAWN is messing around with Bobbi?"

"That 'pawn'?" I cocked my head, confused, "What?"

"Oh Hancock." Fahrenheit cracked her knuckles, "Just wait till you hear what Bobbi is trying to do."