A/N: Okay, yeah I totally did just do this. Yeah. So sue me. I don't actually ship it, but this was more of... a dare. So I wrote it. And turned it less into a ship fic and more into a humor fic. REGRET NOTHING (*cough*Zaigefan*cough*) Didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would. I learned that I love writing Salvador. People don't give him enough love :3
I don't own Borderlands. So there's that.
Choices
"Come on; the chika's gotta be here somewhere." Salvador practically pulled the assassin along the streets of Sanctuary. It was late - at this point, more like early. Both would have preferred to be elsewhere; Salvador had to keep within a ten yard radius of Moxxie's or else it would suck him up and spit him out at some other ungodly hour.
As it was, the only reason he wasn't asking Moxxie for the millionth time about the tattoo on her bosom was because Gaige was missing. She had gone out into the city earlier that day to do something or other and had yet to return. It wasn't like the Mechromancer to drop off the face of Pandora, so the Vault Hunters figured she had gotten herself into some sort of situation.
Which she was prone to.
A lot.
"Gaige is quite strong, Sal/We search within the city/She might have returned." suggested the tall Eridian. Salvador waved him off, instead deciding to check within the contents of a nearby dumpster.
"Nah, Axton would have echoed us by now." Upon finding nothing, the Gunzerker growled and slammed the lid shut, joining his comrade back in the street.
"We've searched everywhere!" The truxican shouted to the world. "Zed's, Marcus's..."
"Moxxie's" Added Zer0. Sal winced. The assassin had gone solo for that one.
"The only place we haven't checked is Scooter's garage, but what would the kiddo be in a place like that?"
"Parts." Stated Zer0. Salvador tapped his chin.
"True, amigo, very true...well then, next stop Scooter's!"
"Onwards."
Scooter's garage want too far away, a good couple minute jog and the two Vault Hunters approached the large, crimped iron door. It wasn't surprising that it was open; Scooter usually had late night company in the form of either Salvador or Axton looking to snooze off the booze in one of his runners. Said dwarf was just about to bellow the mechanic's name, when a more feminine voice did it for him.
"Scooter!" this exclamation was followed by a smacking noise and a yelp.
"Wha' was that for?" asked a voice both Sal and Zer0 recognized as Scooter.
Quick as whip, Zer0 grasped Salvador's collar and pulled him behind a nearby runner. The Gunzerker opened his mouth to protest, but the assassin hushed him with a single digit to his visor. The duo then peered carefully over the runner as the scene unfolded in front of them.
Upon seeing said scene, they both quickly ducked back down again, Salvador covering his face with his hands and Zer0 displaying a D: emoticon.
"Never," murmured Salvador, " Never did I need to see that..."
"At least her top portion was clothed." said Zer0 quietly.
"I'm telling Maya to talk to her when we get back to base - if the Chika's gonna wear stockings, at least wear some type of a garter with them!"
The assassin cocked his head at the comment.
"What?" defended the Gunzerker. " I was raise by my aunt. She used to complain about them all the time."
"Mhm."
"I'm serious!"
"Whatever you say./ What you do within spare time, /I don't need to know."
Salvador growled. "Amigo you are testing my restraint. Say one more thing and I-"
Their hushed argument was interrupted by a fit of giggles.
Gaige's giggles, to be exact.
"Come on Scooter, let me gooooo. I need to get back to base before morning."
"Ya know, the offer still stands; ya can stay the night here. Ah don't like ya mosey'n around Sanctuary at night all by yer lonesome."
"I can take care of myself, Scooter!"
"Ah know ya can, just...makes me un-comf-ter-ble is all."
Gaige gave a sigh. There was a shuffling noise. Salvador and Zer0 exchanged looks. Salvador gestured for Zer0 to peer over again, but Zer0 shook his head and pointed to Salvador. The Gunzerker's brow crinkles at the thought of what happened last time.
"No." he hissed. "Just peek over amigo."
Zer0 shook his head again.
And so ensued a silent argument mostly done in gestures and the occasional fragment of a word. Eventually, Zer0 gave up and glanced over the runner. Nodding to Sal, the dwarf followed shortly.
"Damn Assassin, not wanting to do his job." he grumbled. This got him a swift elbow to the side.
Gaige was now fully clothes. Her face was buried in Scooter's chest. while his arms were wrapped around her tightly. He gently stroked her back.
"You worry too much." came her muffled murmur.
"Can't go lose'n mah number one mechanic, now can ah?"
"Hm."
Scooter dropped his head onto hers, so that his face was buried in the Mechro's hair.
"I'm leaving out tomorrow."
"Ah know. ya told meh."
"Well, I'm telling you again."
"Gaige, promise meh you'll be careful. Don't be go'in all dis-re-spectin yer life in all, cuz..."
Gaige looked up.
"Cuz what?"
Scooter smiled, but it didn't look too happy. More like nervous. Sal could have sworn he was going pale. The mechanic released the vault hunter and turned away to a nearby bench. There he snatched something up. Re-approaching Gaige, he proffered the object to her, but at the time it was too small for Salvador to see.
"Scooter-"
"Well, yer mah girl and all...ya stop the shop enough tah practically help me run the place, ah like ya, yer pretty, n' the sex is more outta this world than a Tediore rocket launcher. YEOW!" Scooter paused, a handing reaching back to scratch the back of his head. "Er, Ah was only supposed tah stop that thought at 'pretty'. Cuz, ya know, Ah just thought a pretty girl would like something pretty. Ah, uh, made it myself."
Gaige laughed, the object now held delicately in her hands.
"Ah just thought that it would remind you that...well ya got people wait'in for ya here in Sanctuary. A place to come back to n' all."
Standing on her tippy toes, Gaige gave Scooter a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you Scooter." Salvador heard something in her voice that her hadn't thought possible. It was a slight waver. He glanced at Zer0, who was already looking at him. The assassin heard it too then.
Gaige was crying.
"Oh Angel now I'm getting all sentimental..." she groaned. Scooter laughed it off. They both jumped when something beeped from within the bowls of the shop.
"Oh, that reminds me...shit, what time is it?" Gaige asked. "Damnit, I gotta jet Scooter. They've probably already sent out the search parties."
"Yeah, about two hours ago." grumbled the Gunzerker.
"Alrighty then, sure yah don't want meh tah come with ya?"
"Scooter, I'm really sorry, but you can't-"
"Ah, know, ah know. On the DL." He chuckled. "Just come on back whenever ya like. Ya can catch a ride on me anytime." He winked at her and she rolled his eyes. Next to him, Salvador felt Zer0's visor connect with the body of the runner. Rightfully so too; that joke was just six types of terrible and wrong. Especially when considering Gaige was on the receiving end. No. Just...no.
The duo waited for Gaige to get far enough from Scooter's garage before they ambushed her. The Mechro was waltzing past Dr. Zed's when Zer0 stepped out from the shadows in front of her.
"Whoa!" Gaige leapt back. "Yo, Zer0, what the hell? Don't do that, I almost made you look like Swiss cheese."
"So chika, long time no see." Salvador stepped up behind her.
"Geezus Sal! What the hell is up with you two!" Gaige's brow furrowed as she looked skeptically at the two Vault Hunters.
The Gunzerker decided not to beat around the bush.
"So how long have you and Scooter been doing the horizontal tango, because that's how man rounds I get to pump into his redneck ass."
All color drained from Gaige's face.
"Oh Angel," she groaned.
"Speak up amiga, I didn't seem to catch your answer."
"I ...we...a...how did you even...come on, Sal!"
"No response is bad, / gives him full authority, / to pick what he wants." Zer0 suggested coolly.
"O-Only a couple! I really like him and he really likes me!"
"A lot of guys will say that for puntas."
"Sal!"
"Hey, I'm not the one having a secret affair with the mechanic across that way!" The Gunzerker roared.
"I was going to tell you guys..."she mumbled.
"Yeah, and my grandpapi is a skag." Salvador spat. He turned away from Gaige and started heading toward the Crimson Raider's HQ.
"Come in, Chika, it bee a long night looking for you."
"Sal...Sal! You're not mad at me are you? Cuz I totally have the right to make my own choices. I'm 18. This is Pandora. Down with the system!"
Salvador turned around abruptly, almost colliding with a trailing Gaige. In this instance he seemed taller than he was, his very presence dwarfing the young girl in front of him. Zer0 took a step back. The Eridian was familiar with that look, and it never meant anything good.
"Listen chika, you are absolutely right; you have your rights, your way, your freedom! But sometimes these choices that you make are the wrong ones! Chik- Gaige we are only trying to help you; Angel knows I'm not your keeper."
"My choice with Scooter was not the wrong one." The mechro defied. She stood strong against him, her jaw clenched, her fists balled tight at her sides. The slight waver in her voice was unnoticed by all but Zer0.
"I never said it was-"
"You implied." she hissed.
"-but your choice to hide it from us was."
"I was expecting this from Axton!" growled the Mechromancer under her breath.
"Well tough, because now I'm giving the lecture; probably the only one I'm ever going to give you. You think Axton will be this understand? Or Maya? I haven't even started on your sex life, or would you like me to jump down your throat some more?"
Gaige didn't respond, only kept her head down, eyes glued to the sidewalk.
"Now come on. Its late-"
"Early." Corrected Zer0
"- and we have places to be and people to kill tomorrow."
They trudged in silence for a while, Sal taking point, Gaige slumping behind him, and Zer0 bringing up the rear. It was...unnerving how quiet Salvador could be when he wanted to. The assassin filed that tidbit away for father analysis later.
They reached the headquarters.
"Sal?"
"Hm?"
"You're going to tell Maya and Axton...aren't you?"
The Gunzerker let out a large sigh. After a moment he responded.
"No. It's not my place. My name aint west and I'm not in this mess, kapeche? You have to live with your own choices." His grip tightened on the door handle. "I learned that the hard way."
Then he opened the door and walked inside, leaving Gaige and Zer0 out in the night.
Gaige turned to the Assassin. "What about you? Will you tell?" Zer0 simply shook his head, preferring not to speak. Gaige smiled.
"Thanks." she sighed. "Ya know, I thought I knew him. I though he did care a skag's ass about me or anything I did."
Slowly, she approached the HQ. Grasping the door firmly, she glanced back at Zer0.
"Suppose I was wrong, huh? Guess it's good to not be right for once."
Then, she too went inside.
Zer0 opened his hand. There, sitting in it, was that gift that Scooter had given to Gaige - a single mechanical flower. It looked to be designed like a cherry blossom. At the touch of a button, it bloomed and unbloomed. He felt bad from snatching it from her pocket, but his curiosity had overwhelmed him. He would give it back to her when he went inside.
"Crazy family, / all locked away inside but, / we are all we have."
The assassin disappeared. The door to home opened of its own accord.
~Fin~