Disclaimer: Fallout and its awesome characters belong to Bethesda… unfortunately :(
Author's Notes: To be honest, I'm not really happy with how this fic came out. I had started it two months ago but just recently decided to finally finish it, and I think it's a bit rushed. Anyways, please review/fave/subscribe/whatever :)
Warnings: The fic contains some minor differences with Bethesda's game. I made up some things but I hope it's not too annoyingly so. It also contains some smooching and loving between two women, so if that bothers you, please click on that little back button on your browser…
"Are you sure you want to check it out?" asked Cassidy, eyeing the small rusty shack suspiciously."You know, it could be some a raiders' hideout and I wasn't very fond of what happened the last time we just walked into an 'abandoned settlement'. Remember?" She said bitterly, sarcasm evident in her voice.
"Aw, c'mon Cass. Those drugged idiots barely stood a chance" the woman beside her laughed though she knew those were not joking matters. Three weeks ago they had entered a seemingly abandoned diner on the side of the road to New Vegas. They had been travelling for days after leaving Sloan barely getting any sleep. Quickly forgetting to scout around to make sure of no human presence they had stormed in the diner only to find about ten fiends staring at them with a mixture of surprise and anger. The resulting 'bar fight' as Cassidy had jokingly referred to it later had almost cost them their lives. They had killed all of the intoxicated raiders and survived… barely. The Courier had suffered two gunshots and Cass had nursed her for a week before continuing to New Vegas where they, thankfully, were given the key to a suite in Mr. House's residence after dealing with Benny, the bastard who had shot her in the head and buried her alive… and started this whole mess. "Besides, I bet this shithole isn't large enough on the inside to shelter more than four people, let alone even more. And by the looks of it this Raul guy hasn't been here for quite some time" she said pointing at the ragged sign, on which was written 'Raul's shack', nailed-up beside the door.
Cass rolled her eyes "I swear, Red, one of these days you're gonna get both of us killed" She shook her head, her brown locks that were not covered by her sheriff hat swinging over her forehead, her blue eyes sparking playfully at the shorter woman.
Red grinned and pulled out Maria, the 9mm pistol that had once belonged to Benny. She had fallen in love with the beautiful weapon the first time she saw it. With the image of Virgin Mary elegantly engraved on its handle and its penetration force the gun perfectly complimented the redhead's gracefulness and deadliness in combat. "Okay, I'll count to three"
Cass stripped her shotgun off her back. She then aimed it experimentally in the distance before nodding and positioning herself on the right side of the shack's door. "Ready!"
Red took position on the left and pulled Maria's safety trigger."One…" Cass watched her facial features appreciatively. She loved that gleam in the readhead's topaz-colored eyes which showed only when she was excited about an upcoming challenge."Two…" She loved the way the other woman's body tensed in dangerous situations, her toned legs' muscles flexing under the skin-tight stealth armor she was wearing "Three!"
They both kicked the door open and stormed into the shack. At first they each released a sigh of relief… and slight disappointment. But they hadn't noticed the two small shining black orbs that were eyeing them from the dark corner of the shelter. Fast as lightning a medium-sized Radscorpion emerged from beneath the workbench in the corner and and came with full force at their legs, effectively knocking Red off her feet. The creature crawled quickly on her chest trying to strike her with its giant sting and to cut her with its clamps.
Thankfully Cassidy was fast enough to kick the thing off the redhead before it'd done any damage. The Radsorpion flew across the small shack and landed with a loud thud. The ex-caravan merchant grabbed her shotgun's barrel and slammed its handle with all her strength in the mutated animal's head thus killing it. Ammo is valuable and out, in the Wasteland, every single bullet counts. Cass knew better than to waste it. She breathed heavily and looked down. The creature's body was still twisting even though it was dead. Like a snake whose head you've cut off but the body would still move. She shuddered and kicked the spasming corpse in disgust. 'That was close' she thought before turning around to check on Red.
"That's two in a roll. Keep going like that and I might just decide that you're not worth my time and leave you for deathclaw food" Cass said though the twinkle in her eyes indicated that she was joking. She reached out her hand to the still sitting redhead.
Red stared at her before shaking her head and grabbing the offered hand. "Aw, you wouldn't do that now, would you Cass?" she whimpered after she had stood up and shot her companion the best puppy-face she could manage. "I thought you liked me."
Cassidy couldn't help but giggle like mad at the broken expression on the redhead's face who was barely containing her own laughter. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get your hopes up" she rolled her eyes. Her expression then changed to a more serious one "Anyway, jokes aside. Are you okay, Lilly? Did the little bastard hurt you?"
The redhead looked up, examining the other woman's worried face with surprise. When they first met at the NCR Outpost Cassidy had seductively referred to the younger woman as Red because of the hair color… and probably because she was piss drunk and would hit on anyone passing by . Besides, redheads were rare for the Wasteland and eventually after the two had become travelling companions it got stuck, no matter how hard Lilly tried to make the other woman to call her by her first name. It was not that she didn't like the nickname. Quite the opposite in fact. She actually liked the way it sounded whenever the other woman said it though she would never admit it. And now hearing it coming from Cassidy's lips combined with her worried expression made her feel all warm on the inside.
"Been better, Cass. To be honest, I have no idea what I would do without you" she said sincerely. If the dark-haired woman hadn't been around to save her ass she would've been killed by fiends or Wasteland beasts a long time ago. She had become somewhat dependant on Cassidy and she hated that. Hated that feeling of weakness and relation. The other woman was far more capable in terms of wariness and survival. 'How the hell had I been so lucky to stay alive before we met?' she mentally sighed.
"Oh, c'mon, Red, don't make that face." Cass began haughtily as if knowing what had gone through the redhead's mind."You know as well as I do that you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. You were just caught in a bad moment. That thing could've jumped on me. I'm sure that you would have saved me just like I did you… though not as stylishly, of course."
Lilly giggled at this. Trust Cass to always melt the ice away. "No doubt 'bout that." Still feeling unconvinced but a bit better she continued "Thanks. Let's just forget about it. But one day I hope I will be able to repay you."
"Well, there's plenty of more ugly and crazy out there, in this godforsaken desert, so I'm sure you'll eventually get your turn." smirked the brunette before her face became serious again. "Alright, enough fooling around. We better get this place in check. Wouldn't want to be stuck outside placing mines when night falls. Last time we didn't get much sleep because of it." She muttered the last sentence under her breath. The other woman heard it and stiffed a laugh as she recalled the incident that occurred a few days after they had left the Outpost. The duo had discovered a small shack near the road to Goodsprings. They had decided to spend the night there and started securing the perimeter by placing tripwire and landmines around it. It had taken a bit too long and their movement had attracted the unwanted attention of some cazadors and boatflies. The women had rushed in the safety of the shack but the damn insects had continued buzzing around it the entire night. Needless to say, they couldn't get much sleep. The sun had just began peeking over the horizon when a very frustrated and enraged brunette had charged with a war cry out of the shack with a machete in her hands, much to a certain redhead's amusement. The bugs hadn't even stood a chance. Since that night they would avoid rummaging through the dessert during night time. Experience clearly showed it was bad for one's health.
"Hey, you still with me?" Cassidy asked while repeatedly snapping her finger in front of the other woman's face. "Don't space out on me like that. I almost thought you were so captivated by my body and good looks that I'd have to punch you in order to knock it off." She smirked devilishly when that earned her a blush and a mock glare from the redhead. "You with me now?" she asked and after receiving a nod continued "Good. Now let's get this over with" this almost came as an order and Cass paused when Lilly just nodded. During their travels the flame-haired woman had always been the one in charge, the one to always give the orders despite being younger and more fragile-looking. It was surprising that she was so quick to comply without making a remark on Cassidy's taking the commanding role. "My, my. You're so obedient Red" the brunette smirked in triumph when the tease earned her another blush from the other woman and quickly exited the shack.
Lilly just shook her head and laughed to herself before following Cassidy outside. 'You're one evil woman, Cass'.
The following two hours were spent in work. The duo scouted the area around to make sure there was no potential danger nearby. Fortunately for them the shack was located in a rather safe place. It was actually bigger than they first had thought. Half of it was built right into a small cave entrance although the cave itself seemed to have collapsed a long time ago so they needn't worry about cave mutants tearing the shack's walls down during the night. Another plus was that the settlement was surrounded by a high line of rocks from the back which eliminated the danger of possible mutant falling on the shack or anyone spotting them.
They also placed a good amount of pulse mines and tripwire traps in a radius of 50 meters around the shack. If anyone up to no good tried to get near their shelter they'd know.
"That should keep us at least remotely safe" Lilly said through gasps. The sun in the Mojave desert was merciless which contrasted with the freezing cold during the night. On their way to New Vegas they had found a total of at least a dozen dried corpses and skeletons. Those were the victims of Mojave – without any liquids they'd probably died of dehydration and the burning heat, leaving their bodies to the desert mutants.
"What I'm worried about is deathclaws. Remember what that Jas girl said in Sloan?" Cassidy said still scanning their surroundings warily. During their stay in the miners' town the local bartender told them to watch their backs when going to New Vegas. The deathclaws were not just blocking the road leading to the city but had also started advancing to the north, as if they were circling the huge settlement. And, indeed, Cass and Lilly had found signs of deathclaw presence around New Vegas – half-eaten Brahmin corpses and big non-human footprints… They had both become even more cautious. They had had a few encounters with the beasts and knew better than to risk their lives. Deathclaws were fucking fast after all.
"Well, let's just hope we're lucky tonight. We can't spend an entire night travelling and we need rest, especially after the crap we went through in that damn Vault." the redhead answered, her hand on her forehead to protect her eyes of the sun, looking at the horizon where the huge tower of The Lucky 38 could be seen. "C'mon, the sun is almost down. Let's get inside and light a fire."
The brunette nodded silently and followed the other woman, careful not to get caught in one of their traps. They still had some cleaning and securing to do in the shack.
(1 Hour Later)
"Ah, this is so much better than camping outside… or that stinkin' Vault" said Cass. They had made all the necessary precautions and were now sitting comfortably around the cosy fire in the middle of shed's floor. An empty whiskey bottle was lying between each of them.
"I just hope we make it through the night" whispered Lilly. She was wrapped in a blanket they'd found in the dresser to keep herself warm. The temperature could fall below zero during the night.
Her hand was still firmly grasping Maria, she was never calm when they camped outside… Or in any other settlement for that matter, not since this crazy adventure started. With The Powder Gangers, The Legion and the Viper mercs breathing down their necks they couldn't spend a single night without worrying if they'll even wake up the next day.
"Hey, don't be so pessimistic" Cassidy said softly. She put her palm on the other woman's shoulder and looked into her eyes. The flames reflected into the two honey-colored pools. The brunette just stared, mesmerized as the small blazes danced in Lilly's eyes and for a moment she forgot about her surroundings.
The redhead intrigued her. Since the very beginning, when they'd first met, Cass was captivated by the other woman. She was fairly beautiful, fit and very attractive. Yet, she wasn't a stripper in one of the many gentleman's clubs in New Vegas or trapped in a household married to a rich casino owner. She was free-spirited and capable of standing her own grounds. Her character was unique as well. She could be cheerful and determined in one moment but broody, sad and… lonely in the next – something which remained a mystery to Cass. The redhead always seemed to follow what her mind told her. That's exactly what drew the brunette. Before she knew it, she had grown to care a lot for the other woman. And with time those feeling grew into something she had never felt for anyone, neither a woman nor a man.
'Why do I feel this way about you?' she thought in her daze 'Am I just too lonely myself, desiring love from someone who I can stand side by side in this dangerous world?'
The brunette's eyes travelled down, to the other woman's lips which looked so soft and kissable and Cassidy found it hard to resist the urge to lean in and claim them. In her slightly intoxicated state she could feel her eyes start closing slowly and started leaning in. However, a soft sigh caught her attention and upon turning her eyes back to Lilly's she saw that the redhead was watching her every movement with an unreadable expression on her face.
Finally realizing she had been staring for more than it was acceptable Cass withdrew her hand and coughed awkwardly, her cheeks reddening from embarrassment. 'Shit, she caught me! Please, don't be mad!' She bowed her head in shame, expecting to be yelled at but what followed next was nothing she had expected.
"Can't keep your hands off me, huh, Cass?" the redhead was smiling devilishly, a victorious grin plastered on her face. The obvious flirt had come from absolutely nowhere. 'What? Is she-?'
However, before she could even finish her thought Lilly had pushed the blanket away and was now standing on her knees in front of the brunette. Her hands went ahead and cupped Cassidy's cheeks.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she whispered and started leaning down.
Instinctively, Cassidy closed her eyes, her mind a haze of emotions and thoughts. 'How did she know? I can't believe this is actually happening!'
After what it seemed like forever their lips touched.
Velvet.
That was how Lilly's lips felt. Like smooth velvet. They were softer than Cassidy had ever imagined. She felt like she could kiss them forever and never get tired of their softness.
Through her drunken-like state she felt the other woman gently tugging on her hair demanding for something Cass couldn't understand until it finally hit her. She was still being unresponsive, just drowning herself in the feeling of the redhead's lips on hers.
Mentally slapping herself for being so dense the brunette wrapped her arm around the slightly shorter woman's hair, her fingers entangling into flame-colored locks, and her other went around the slender waist. She started moving her own lips in sync with the redhead's.
Eventually they broke the kiss and stared into each other's faces. The redhead also looked a little dazed and Cassidy felt a bit proud for having such an effect on Lilly. It seemed she was completely taken with Cass just as much as the brunette was taken with her.
"When did you… er, you know?" asked Cass, still breathless from the kiss. It was still hard for her to comprehend what had just happened.
"For quite some time" said Red, smiling "But I thought you wouldn't feel the same so I never bothered you"
A grin spread on Cass' face, she could feel her usual cockiness returning "Ah, and yet you've left me all hot and bothered so many times before" Her smirk got even bigger when the redhead's cheeks started mirroring her hair color.
Then a sudden thought ran across Cass' mind and her face fell a little.
"You do realize it would be hard to keep this stable, with all that crap going in this damn desert?" she asked seriously. As much as she wanted to let the other woman love her, let's face it, Mojave was an unforgivable place. "Are you sure you want to go deeper when we could cause each other much more pain that way?"
Lilly closed her eyes and sighed "I knew you would say that"
She reached her hand and tugged a lock of dark hair behind the brunette's ear, before staring at Cassidy with a 'I know what I want'-look on her face.
"Cass, I haven't cared about someone as deeply as I do for you. I was raised as an orphan and trained as a Courier. The only times when I could at least pretend to have someone who loved me was when I spent nights in the whorehouses in New Vegas" she said bitterly and my eyes widen a little. So she had been with another woman before…"We live in the remains of our civilization's glory. Life hasn't had a meaning for two hundred years! And the only think we've ever done was fighting to survive. And when we at least have each other, then we have something else to fight for. Something with more meaning than to just last 'till the next morning! I hope that answered your question, Cassidy" she finished hotly as Cass just stared dumbfounded 'She is so determined'
Seeing that her speech had its effect, Red softened her expression and leaned it to the brunette's ear "I'm willing to risk" she said with confidence. "I've never been so sure"
When Cassidy's brain finally started functioning properly she smiled "Then I want to risk it as well" And watched as the red haired woman's face literally shined.
"Well then, can I kiss you?"
Deciding to act as intangible the brunette grinned.
"I don't know… Can you kiss me?"
Taking this as her answer the redhead dove in and captured Cassidy's lips. This time it wasn't subtle but sloppy and fierce. The redhead bit on the other woman's lower lip, requesting entrance. Of course, her wish was granted immediately as Cass opened her mouth to the invading tongue.
Lilly was in control of the kiss. She bluntly explored every corner of her lover's mouth as her hands moved up Cassidy's shirt.
"Whoa" the brunette gasped as she broke the kiss in need of air. "Are you sure you want to go all the—ah!-way?" She barely managed as the redhead trailed her soft and hot tongue from the neck to her ear, leaving a wet trail. She then bit on the earlobe, earning a moan from the brunette.
"Sweetie, the question is, if you want to go all the way?" she said upon pulling slightly away to look into her lover's eyes and getting back to her ministrations, this time on the brunette's neck where she sucked and licked at her pulse point, eliciting soft sighs of pleasure.
Caught off guard Cassidy thought about it for a moment.
"I d-do… but I've never been with another woman before an-Ah!" she gasped as the shorter woman cupped her breasts through her shirt. The action sent pleasant jolts of electricity down her spine.
"Don't worry" the redhead cooed through kisses "I will teach you. Remember when I said that about owing you a big deal?"
Upon receiving a confirming nod from the flustered Cassidy she grinned and without warning pulled off her shirt roughly. She then stared appreciatively at Cass' toned upper body before leaning down and trailing kisses and licks on the woman's torso, making her shudder from pleasure. When she reached the brunette's chin she stopped to look at her seductively.
"Well, you can consider this as my repayment" she smirked and captured the brunette's lips for a kiss.
Between moans Cassidy could feel the other woman's knee pressing against between her legs and her hands exploring her body.
The redhead's passion washed over her and she completely gave herself in. It seemed that, for this night, Lilly would be taking the lead for a change… Not that Cassidy minded, of course.
The End… I think
Author's Notes: I might write something else with these two in the future, we'll see. So, as I stated I'm not quite happy with this. I intended for it to be longer at first but decided against it. Also, too much unnecessary details... I guess, I just wanted to finally finish it :D And yes, in case you're wondering, I've totally stolen Cass' name for my current pen name XD
Anyways, thank you for your time. Happy late Valentine's day!