This was just a simple, silly drabble I couldn't get out of my head. The main ship is, of course, Nux/Capable. There are hints of Cheedo/The Dag as well, though.
Non Beta'd. All mistakes are mine.
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Husbands Wear Bowties
After they'd returned, after Immortan Joe had left their world permanently, a certain new order had started to be created. Many of the treasures tucked away by Immortan had been disrupted, or at least open for others to view. These items were not just greens and water, but the other precious materials many of the Wretched had never dreamed about. Books, cloth, paintings, trinkets, clues of the world from the past.
While the wives openly shared these treasures, there were a few items that they kept for themselves. Cheedo had always been fond of a golden necklace that seemed to shine brighter than the sun. Perhaps it may have seemed vain to some, Capable did not miss the glances the other woman shot towards The Dag. The golden chain was long enough to easily be made into two necklaces. The wives had heard tales of rings being exchanged to symbolize marriage or other jewelry for bonded pairs and relationships. Capable wouldn't be surprised if The Dag and Cheedo walked out with matching golden chains around their necks one day. Now without Immortan to separate them so fiercely as he'd done before. Perhaps a new marriage was right around the corner.
Toast, unsurprisingly, took a few of her favorite books. Although they'd been treasures from Immortan, they were no less valuable. The pages themselves weren't tainted, no matter how poisonous the man they had come from was. They held knowledge and delight, and Toast had discussed inking the precious words onto her skin. After all, if anything were to happen to the delicate pages, the words would be lost forever. Such a thought wasn't acceptable.
The Dag took a small, round trinket. On the outside the once bright colors and images had faded, a crack running across the glass. But the magic remained on the inside. Once opened, a concoction of sounds erupted from inside the item. A small figurine of a girl, who lifted up her leg high in the air, would twirl around perfectly with the music. It was mesmerizing. Enchanting. Perfect for the Dag.
Capable, meanwhile, had decided on something that perhaps many would overlook. At first she'd thought to only take her favorite book (The Tempest, by some person titled Shakespeare). But there had been another item that had caught her eye.
"You have never felt anything like this, I promise you," the red haired woman stated, barely able to keep the glee out of her voice.
Standing in front of her, the still healing War Boy regarded her with a mixture of curiousity and perhaps even a bit of hesitance. Capable flashed Nux a gentle smile in response, and he felt himself breath a bit easier instantly. It was concerning, how quickly she was able to do that. He'd never had anyone affect him so much before. Not the way she did.
"Close your eyes," Capable murmured softly, and Nux had no choice but to obey. White eye lids closing shut, the War Boy waited patiently.
For a moment, all was silent. Slowly, though, he could hear movement from the woman. She had come closer, the warmth of her skin radiating closer to his. Nux felt his breath become shallower, almost cutting off completely the closer she came. That's when Capable's intentions became closer.
Smooth. A word Nux had never thought he would use to describe anything in their world.
Capable had placed a small, thin material of sorts around his neck. It slid against skin in a fascinating way. Almost soft, and undoubtedly delicate. Nux had never felt something so strange before. Capable moved it this way and that, shaping it. Her fingertips would brush over his skin every so often, the War Boy unable to stop the pleasant shiver that raced down his healing spine.
"Alright, done. Open your eyes."
The sensations had felt nice, and Nux was ashamed to admit it may have taken him longer than it should have to do such a simple task. Still, when his eye lids did eventually obey Capable's words, the scene that greeted him was not one he'd been expecting.
Capable had managed to grab a small, cracked mirror and had held it up in front of him. Blue, startled eyes stared back at him, confusion shining in them. But what drew his attention was not his face, but the thing around his neck.
A white material had been wrapped and twisted around his neck. But it wasn't a simple knot. Rather, it had a pattern or some sort of design to it. Loops. They were delicate and perfectly placed. Strange.
"What…what is it?" he asked, unsure.
Capable placed down the mirror, taking a step back towards the War Boy. Reaching up, the red head's hands gently touched the material, seeming to stretch it a bit more and move it slightly, making the loops more pronounced.
"It's a silk ribbon. Feels good, right? I made it into a bowtie for you. Apparently men wore things like this sometimes for fancy occasions. Like parties. Dances. Weddings."
Weddings.
The last word struck a chord with the War Boy, who frozen. His skin, however, felt as if it would practically glow with warmth. Nux licked at his dry, cracked lips, throat suddenly feeling dryer than usual.
Capable appeared not to notice as she continue to fix the bowtie, frowning slightly.
"It doesn't look like the pictures I saw. I guess it's not the right material. But it's pretty close-"
"Do you want a wedding, Capable?"
Green eyes instantly flashed up to him, wider than he'd ever seen them before. Capable's hands froze on the bowtie, fingers lightly touching the War Boy's skin. Nux could still feel the warmth from her skin, and perhaps he was imagining it but it seemed to have increased in mere seconds since he'd spoken. It was probably also odd to realize, now of all times, just how much he towered over the woman. Or just how much it made his own skin warm up in the process.
"I would need a husband to have a wedding," the red head breathed out eventually, eyes not leaving the other's as she spoke.
Nux wanted to nod his head, move, something, but he remained rooted to the spot. As if a simple twitch would crash whatever was around them.
"Husbands…Husbands wear bowties, right?" the War Boy asked, voice strangely softer than he'd ever heard before.
Capable brushed her fingers over the smooth material of the ribbon, though her eyes still did not leave the other's face. Couldn't, really.
"Yes, they do."
"And I'm wearing a bowtie."
"Yes, you are."
With the small, whispered confirmation, Nux gingerly moved his hands away from his sides. They settled carefully over Capable's own near his neck. Her hands were just as warm as he thought they'd be. Fitting, for the girl with fire for hair.
"Then I gotta be somebody's husband. 'Cause of the bowtie," Nux murmured, fingers tightening slightly over Capable smaller ones. "Those are the rules. You wear a bowtie, you become a husband. Right?"
A smooth silence surrounded them. The heat from the outside world was nothing compared to the warmth that had started to be shared between them. They were so close. Facing each other. Neither able to turn away. An honesty they hadn't known the other to possess.
In the end, it was Capable who moved first.
Without a sound, the red head leaned up, reaching on her tip toes towards the War Boy above her. Nux met her half way, inching his head down. Dry lips met softer, smooth ones. A thrill that had never come from the road raced across the War Boy's skin. Electric. But beautifully contained. Briefly, Capable thought of lightning. Perhaps this was what it tasted like.
Nux moved to gently cup the woman's face with one hand while the other rested on the small of her back, gently pulling her closer. Capable stepped forward, going with the pull. A small, almost unnoticeable sigh escaped the red head's lips, and Nux's ears and neck burned more than he ever thought possible.
The material around Nux's neck was almost uncomfortable with his skin seeming to grow warmer by the second. But he made no move to take it off. No, he wouldn't dare.
After all, husbands wore bowties.
