Nuka World was Gage's cross to die on. Even back when it was dark, when Colter was in charge, he still saw the destroyed park as the vehicle for his ambitions. He saw an empire, but didn't have the leadership skills to head it. That's why he elected Colter.
In the dark days, before he rigged a fight between Colter and a lady in a vault suit, Mags Black introduced them to a woman from the Capital Wasteland named Klara. She never directly said it, but word traveled fast and all of Nuka World knew the Lone Wanderer was there. A decade out in the wasteland and far from allied with The Brotherhood or any other faction for that matter, she primarily worked on caravans and disintegrating slave networks in the Capital Wasteland.
Mags was charming and cunning. She would have easily been Colter's second-in-command if she wasn't solely allied to the Operators. Knowing the Lone Wanderer was coming off a caravan trip to the Commonwealth, she invited the woman to speak to Colter for a peace agreement. Colter had snorted initially, "Just one woman," but a look from Mags said everything. She had an entire network of allies, powerful enough to take Nuka World down from its fragile foundations.
The woman, gemstone eyes trained on Colter, tilted her hips in a way that caught the Overboss's attention. Gage chose to stand back as they talked. He'd seen first hand what she did in the Capital Wasteland. Seen raiders talk about how all their comrades were slaughtered by one girl in a vault suit. She was dangerous.
She had one request, "Stay out of the Capital Wasteland." Seemed she was mostly interested in keeping her home turf slaver-free.
Colter held his big meaty hands out, gesturing to the dilapidated park around them, "This is my kingdom, love, nowhere else I'm going."
Klara looked uninterested at the area, with its sad venues and chipping paint. Judgemental, Gage would say, for someone whose homeland was nothing more than an old ship and crumbling concrete. At least they had something left to improve here.
The woman crossed her arms, standing beside Mags, "Fair enough."
"That it?" Gage spoke for the first time during the meeting. He was never known for having tact, "You ain't gonna go runnin' through the Marketplace freein' our help? Ain't that what you're known for?"
Her electric focus was now on him. She took him in, sizing him up and using that infamous perception to read him as if he was the Wasteland Survival Guide she helped write. His words sank in and she placed a hand on her hip, so delicate for a hand that could snap someone's neck, "I'm not the blood-born hero they say that I am. My interests are in the Capital Wasteland only."
Mags seemed to sigh in relief. If he wasn't so intensely focused, he might not have caught it. Seemed she pulled the Lone Wanderer for a meeting as soon as she met the woman. Mags was cunning, sure, but she didn't make gambles. She loved her money and her crew too much for that.
Colter let out a chuckle, stretching his facial scars with his wide grin, "Have a drink with us, sweetheart. I could show you some real raider hospitality. None of that wasteland gang shit."
She'd agreed to the drink, but denied Colter's personal hospitality. She was decidedly not charmed by the Englishman. Sticking to Mags for most of the evening, she sat with the Operators while the courtyard was filled with a genuine raider party.
Lawn chairs were lazily strewn about with broken umbrellas. Fire pits and lit up trash cans kept the area bright enough not to be a hazard. Some raiders arm wrestled, some drank and told stories, and some listened as Red-Eye strummed his guitar. In the pool and against buildings, pairs were already going at it despite the earliness of the evening.
Klara moved to a lawn chair, disinterested in the Operators, and flipped a bottle cap repeatedly in her hand. She watched the metal piece intently, face lit up by the fire in front of her. He didn't have a good reason for why he was watching her all evening. Which was detrimental to him when her eyes caught his.
She was watching him now, taking him in like she could read his thoughts if she tried hard enough. Standing from the lawn chair, she approached him. He was standing away from the crowd, uninterested in the over-drinking and the drug usage. He was a raider, not an animal. Having an unclear mind would get you killed, even in a place like Nuka World.
She approached until she was standing beside him, head turned towards him. From here, he could see how long her hair was and how full her lips were. She knew he was looking. Her face was neutral as she spoke, "Are you from the Texas Commonwealth, Porter Gage?"
"Close," he spoke, barely above a whisper. It was more of an answer than he would have given anyone else.
She tilted her hair, soft locks close enough to brush his arm, "You wanna show me raider hospitality?"
He swallowed, "Thought that was Colter's job?"
"Colter's higher than the Prydwen right now. Sloppy and uninteresting. I want an interesting tour."
He should have probably defended the Overboss, but considering he was already planning on how to overthrow the man, he didn't. That and his brain was decidedly taking a backseat to his dick right now.
Not missing a chance to look at her curved backside, he nodded towards the Fizztop Grille as they left the noisy courtyard.
He guessed he should have been more hesitant to bring her up to his room. He should have maybe considered that she was the most dangerous woman in Nuka World. It could have been a trap. It could have been a lot of things.
But as soon as he saw her staring out the open window of his room on the Grille, framed by the evening skyline, he was fucking hooked.
She turned and he saw the profile of her face. Soft, full lips, a scar across her jaw and down her opposite eyebrow. Impossibly wavy hair too long to be practical. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to approach.
He heard her whisper in the dim room, "You always wear the cage armor, Porter Gage?"
He took her challenge, unlatching the armor and setting it on a counter with a thud, "Just Gage."
"Just Gage, huh? Then I get to be just Klara."
He took in the silence and removed his eye patch. It hit the counter with a metallic thud. She gave him a quizzical look but he wasn't gonna tell her why he wore it when he didn't need it. "Ain't gonna call you Lone Wanderer."
She looked at him over her shoulder, unzipping her jacket, "I like you even better now."
"What, you don't like being a hero?"
She rolled her eyes, "If I were a hero I would have Nuka World burning the second Mags approached me. I've learned to keep to my own unless it's threatened. I'm too old to be picking fights."
It was his turn to roll his eyes, "I've got at least ten years on you, girl."
"Mmm," she purred, looking him over as he stood in just his tank top and leather pants, "no protests here."
He crossed his strong arms across his chest, visibly enticing her more, "What game you playin'?"
"No game," she turned to him fully, "that's why I'm here, in your bedroom. You don't like games. Me neither." She approached him despite his defensive stance. When she was close enough, she ran her hands up his biceps, prompting a shaky breath from him.
His hands looked so much darker on her skin as he reached up and grasped her face, thumbs pressed on her jawbone. She moved closer, looking up at him. "You don't know what your askin'," he would only warn her once.
She bit her lip at his baritone accent, "I know exactly what I'm doing. Always do." Then she let him kiss her.
The intensity that followed would leave marks on their bodies for weeks.
He wasn't fully prepared for how much his dick wanted to be inside her. He picked her up and placed her roughly on the counter top as soon as her tongue was in his mouth. She bit his lip, gasping when his hands ran up her thighs to grip her ass.
He yanked her jacket back off her arms and, as soon as she was free, she ran her fingers up his sides. Her hands took his shirt with them and he pulled the fabric up and off, savoring the press of her soft lips against his chest. Her hands spread across his ribs then ran down his abs.
She moaned when he pulled up her shirt and ran his fingers down her spine. He saved the shudder she gave in response in his memory for later. She tugged off her shirt completely and tossed it behind her. Clad in her bra and the bottom of her vault suit, she pushed against his abs until she was able to slide off the counter.
Sinking to her knees, she began to unbuckle his pants. He was already sweating by the time she got the zipper down. She pressed her lips to his hip bone, cool against his hot skin. Reaching in, she freed him from his briefs and glanced up at him. Those eyes of hers were piercing and her pupils were dilated as she took him in. After an experimental pump that had him gripping the counter, she took the tip into her mouth. When he wound his fingers in that long, long hair, she nodded in approval. The motion sank her lips deeper on his shaft and he groaned.
She bobbed her head slightly, allowing him to control her by her hair. When she felt him twitch in her mouth, she moaned. The vibrations caused him to slam his palm on the counter.
Grabbing her hair, he pulled her back and gave her leverage to stand up again. He pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss. He let go of her hair to unhook her bra, nearly tearing the hooks apart in the process. She was blushing pink and her lips were swollen, soft enough to tempt him into another kiss.
She pulled the bra off while he occupied his hands with her breasts. He kissed her jaw, down her neck, to her chest just below the collarbones. Her nipples hardened from the cool night air, but he didn't give her the satisfaction of playing with or sucking on them and she whined.
He kicked off his boots while she quickly unlaced hers. She pushed her hair back as they both did the same with their pants. Grabbing her again, he turned and roughly pushed her onto his bed. It wasn't as fancy or comfortable as Colter's, but it would be enough cushion for what he was about to do.
He shoved a hand in her panties, groaning into her jugular as she released a loud moan, "Gage, mmh…"
"Yeah, girl?" He teased.
"God, fuck me, please…"
He plunged a finger into her heat, biting into her neck as she gasped. She arched her back slightly, overstimulated. He grinned when he added another finger and she was so tense she was shaking.
Wriggling her hips, she turned slightly to him as she panted, "Please…"
"You want me inside ya?" He looked her in the eyes as she pressed her lips together tightly.
She arched her back again when he pumped his fingers inside her, pressing on her clit with his thumb, "Yes, yes!"
"Alright," he grabbed her roughly, flipping her over with his raw strength. She gasped at the change in position and the feeling of his fingers leaving her. He placed a hand on her stomach and pulled her up so her ass was sticking in the air. With a quick pump, he lined himself up so he could easily plunge into her heat.
She gripped his feathered pillow, groaning as he filled her up. Slapping her ass once, he thrust experimentally into her. He was in bliss as her warmth and wetness surrounded him. He could feel her dripping wet and the urge to slam into her overwhelmed him.
Breathing through his nose, he ruthlessly gained speed until he was pounding into her. She shrieked, moaning as he shoved her back into the pillow. She clawed at the mattress, practically screaming as he pounded into her so hard that their skin slapped together.
She whined and he bit his lip as he slowed. He could last quite a while, thanks to a life of living on a high amount of stamina. He refused to finish until she did. She was shuddering beautifully into his pillow until he pulled out and flipped her.
Her nipples pressed against his chest as he entered her again. He kissed her, not wanting to quiet her but wanting to taste her. Her eyes were bright and shining when she opened them. The hair on her forehead was sweaty and she was flushed.
He kissed her neck again, listening as she whined softly, until he was kissing her nipples. He was able to suck them a little, feeling her claw his back in reaction. The skin where they were connected was impossibly wet and slippery. She was swollen already, but she thrusted her hips for more.
She arched her back when he grabbed her thighs and pushed them up against her. With the new angle, he leaned back and thrust into her again. Her hand scrambled for his and, for a split terrified second, he thought she was gonna hold his hand. Fortunately for his sanity, she grabbed his hand and placed it on her neck.
Hell yeah . He hadn't had a woman who liked it like that in a long time. He gripped her neck lightly, only tightening enough to stop her from squirming so much. She gasped, nodding in pleasure as he pumped into her. He picked up speed till his hips were slamming against hers again.
He snarled, leaning down to nip at her collarbone and shoulders. Like he expected, she was becoming more worn out than him. His ability to last became an issue when it came to most women because they wore out quickly. That's why usually when he did indulge himself he preferred the company of two women. Most raider women didn't mind.
She was clawing at his back and shoulders, but the feeling became less intense over time. Panting, he slowed down just enough to feel intimate while he watched her to make sure he should keep going. Not getting a clear sign, he ventured, "You alright?"
She looked surprised at his question, staring up at him with those pretty eyes. She nodded, still panting and flushed, but pleased, "Yes, Gage, of course."
That was all he needed to hear. Wanting to physically and mentally distance himself from this weird mushy part, he pulled her up until he was standing with her in his arms. He felt her shudder when he slipped out of her.
The sky over Nuka World was inky blue and starry. He wouldn't have noticed so much of he hadn't sat on the edge of the mattress with her in his lap. Her body was framed by those stars as she gripped his shoulders and fucked herself with his dick. She moved to pull back her hair but he put his hands on hers to stop her.
Gage would swear on John Caleb Bradberton's grave that he saw her whole body blush when he touched her like that. Clearing his throat, he placed both of her hands in his behind her back and used his free hand on her hip to give her leverage as she thrusted.
It was quiet now, so much that he could faintly hear whoops and hollers from the raider party on the ground below. She clenched tight on him when he nosed between the strands of her hair to suck on her breasts.
They were the softest things he'd ever felt in his life. His hands just barely covered them and they tasted like light sweat and evening air. The way she moaned when he kissed her nipples had him clenching his abs so he didn't come before her.
He pulled away, letting himself look again to see how she was holding up. As her hips continued swiveling on him, she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into a kiss. In it, she gasped and whispered, "I'm close."
He knew just what to do then. Flipping them over with the last of his strength, he pressed her into the mattress as he began his assault once more. She continued holding onto him tightly and buried her face in his neck. She kissed and sucked on his jugular while he gripped her thighs. When she moaned his name into his ear, he was done for.
In the split second the rush came to him, he pulled out and grasped himself. Before she could question his actions, he moved himself down to between her legs and plunged his tongue into her sweet heat.
She shrieked then, coming as soon as his mouth was on her. He let the taste envelop his senses. This was better than any high. Sucking on her swollen clit, he let her come down from her orgasm.
As she came, he did too. He considered that sticking to his promise. His hand was sticky and his mouth was positively soaked. He could feel her thighs shaking as he moved up to find something to clean them up. He didn't want them just to air dry like savages who fucked in alleyways.
Using his shirt, he wiped off his hand and face then moved to her. She was so weak that she barely reacted when he cleaned her up. He looked up so see a slight grin on her face, "Such a gentleman."
"Ain't used to sleeping with polite raiders, huh?"
"I don't sleep with raiders," she mumbled as she nuzzled into the pillow. He wasn't gonna submit a woman like her to the Walk of Shame and he was bone tired, so he ended up laying in the bed with her without really thinking about it.
He almost flinched when he felt her body press against his. Her slender arm wrapped around his stomach under his worn-out quilt and her face was pressed into his shoulder. He lay staring at the ceiling trying not to think about it. He told himself that it was a cold night, that was all.
-0-
When he woke up in the morning, she was still there. Dressed in panties and her shirt, she was examining her vault suit on the counter. He took a moment to admire her ass, expecting the awkwardness that never came.
Her hair was pulled into a bun, strands of it cascading into her face and on her neck. She looked real pretty in the early daylight.
She turned to look at him, hearing his groan as he stood from the bed to look for his briefs. He gave up on them and found a clean pair to pull on before he found his leather pants.
She messed with the vault suit again, waiting until he raised an eyebrow at her to speak, "This thing is old. I like to make sure it held up against your strength."
"Well I wasn't preoccupied with your vaultie uniform when I was trying to get under it," he snarked.
She grinned at him, unphased by his deadpan, "You sure you don't wanna blow this joint?"
"Nah, you don't need an old raider in your crew. I got a lot to go on here," he tried to be as smooth as he could. She's not-so-subtly just asked him to come with her. He had a thousand questions. Mostly: why ?
She approached him again as he stood by the window, "Too bad. You're interesting."
"Like a mutated pet?"
"Don't think I could dominate you like that," she winked, watching as he took the vault suit from her hands and placed it on the table beside them.
He hadn't really expected to fuck her again. But despite his reservations he had her pressed to the window, naked from the waist down, as he thrust inside her from behind. She was moaning and gasping his name over and over, like a prayer.
When they finished, she simply pulled her panties back up and put on the vault suit. She did it slowly, either to torture him or because she was hesitant to leave. He chose to believe the former.
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, "Gonna sneak out. If Colter or Mags ask, you saw me sneaking through the gates."
She was asking him to lie for her. He didn't hesitate for a second, damn him, "Yeah alright."
She slipped out of the bedroom the same way she'd slipped in.
-0-
Nora became Overseer thanks to timing. If he actually had a choice, he wouldn't have chosen her for a second. She was a bleeding heart and the goddamned Minuteman General. But she survived the Gauntlet (with his help) and killed Colter (with his help) so he quickly elected her as leader of Nuka World.
He wasn't completely convinced she wouldn't stab him in the back until they killed off Mason and his savages and turned the power back on. He'd been by her side as she cleared the parks one by one, tolerated when she talked kindly to the help, and waited as patiently as he could as she explored the arcade like a little kid. When she finally told him she was some pre-War broad unfrozen and thrown into the wasteland, he wasn't completely surprised. She acted funny, asked obvious questions, and sometimes looked at childrens' toys with this longing stare. He didn't ask about that last thing.
He congratulated her as the lights of every park lit up, particularly Galactic Zone and Kiddie Kingdom. Even Nuka Town USA was something to admire now that all the shops and buildings could be safely moved into. It's not like an empire of raiders would do anything to actually improve or clean the place, but he could hope they would do something with it.
He stood with Nora at the power station overlooking the parkland. She looked proud, said as much, and asked him if she should stay here or live in the Commonwealth. He didn't have an answer for her. While she still was Overboss, she didn't have to spend all her time in the penthouse of Fizztop Grille. Plus, she wasn't aware about the plans he and Shank had for the Commonwealth settlements.
Something told him that might push her to betray him, but he didn't speak of it for now. The sun had set long after they'd killed Mason and the evening was beginning to light up with stars again. It only made seeing the power turn on that much more spectacular. He frowned at the stars. His chest was once again filled with this unwelcome aching. He imagined what Klara would look like with Nuka World's power making her gemstone eyes shine.
"What is it, Gage?" perceptive as always, Nora pressed him for an answer.
"Nothin' boss,' he played it off, like he always did.
But the fight and the success put her in a bossy mood. She nudged him with her elbow, "I know that look. You're pining again."
"Ain't pinin'," he nearly snarled, trying to control his temper.
But she wasn't scared a bit, "Don't give me that. Everytime we see something pretty or fascinating, you get that look in your eyes. I've seen that look in men before. You're thinking about someone and I can't figure out who because I would know if it was someone in this park."
"And you get a look in your eyes when you see souvenir toys, but I don't bug you about it."
She deflated, backing off, "Fair enough." He knew he pushed too far, but he wasn't interested in discussing this with her. When he finally let the guilt eat at him and moved to say sorry, he saw her perk up in determination, "If she's alive, I can find her for you. Bring her here."
He never said she but Nora kept it anyways. He gave in, shoulders slumping, "Don't know where she is, boss."
"Could you at least tell me her name?" He hesitated. She sighed, "My son was kidnapped by the Institute and became their leader. So, I think about how it would have been to raise a child in this world. If he would have liked the arcade like my husband did. Or if he would have loved the stuffed bear I found in Kiddie Kingdom. I pine sometimes. Now, tell me her name."
She didn't even give him a moment to react. He sighed. She knew how he worked. And eye for an eye. "Alright, boss. Her name's Klara. Got a reputation like you but in the Capital Wasteland. Known as the Lone Wanderer in some parts, but don't call her that, she hates it."
Nora tapped a finger on her chin, "I actually have a friend who knows her. Give me some time."
"Look," he held his hands up, "we ain't even friends. Don't go framing me like a sap to her."
Nora placed her hands on her hips, "You are a sap, Gage. Just going to invite her to the new Nuka World is all."
He frowned, exhausted from beating a Pack member's face in with a wrench, "Ain't gonna say no more, boss. Let's get out of here."
She grinned, "You don't have to say anything else, Gage."
-0-
Two weeks later, in the VIP room of the Third Rail, MacCready excitedly introduced Klara to Nora. Seems the two were old friends from his Little Lamplight days. With her, she brought a tall, quiet ghoul. He said nothing and didn't introduce himself, only stood in the corner and observed.
Klara slumped lazily into a soft seat next to Nora, shaking the younger woman's hand, "Whatsup MacCready, you don't usually introduce me to your lady friends."
MacCready stammered grumpily, but Nora blushed prettily. Klara noted how Nora didn't seem to protest the idea at all. As MacCready sat on the couch beside Nora, absently cleaning his gun, Nora spoke to Klara diplomatically.
"I wanted to invite you to Nuka World."
Klara raised an eyebrow, "Nuka World? The raider settlement?"
Nora blushed, "If you could call it that...I'm kind of the Overboss."
Klara whistled, "MacCready really knows how to pick 'em. You kill Colter?'
"With Porter Gage's help."
"Porter Gage, huh?" Klara's face gave nothing away.
"Yeah he's my second. We did a bit of...spring cleaning. Got the place powered up."
"Really? And the slaves?"
Nora paled slightly, "We're working on that. Gage isn't excited but he's open to listening to the possibility of getting caravans involved. Trade instead of slaves that have to be fed and housed anyways. It would be a win with Mags but we'd have to convince Nisha."
Klara nodded, "Smart thinking. And this involves my caravans somewhat, right?"
"We figured we could start somewhere. You're a familiar face. And…" Nora hesitated, but seemed to take the plunge, "my second might be interested in seeing you again."
Klara exchanged a look with Charon. He shrugged, having heard her jabber enough about the smart, handsome raider that turned down going with her. Charon had teased her in his own, quiet way, saying she turned soft and mushy like him. She'd grumbled, but she was ready to admit she'd found Gage fascinating and wanted to get to know him better. The fact that he was mind-blowing in bed helped.
"Gage showed some interest, hmm? Well that changes things. Too bad about Mason, he was a hunk under that moustache. But I can't say I miss Colter," she stood from her seat and slung her rifle on her back, "When are we going?"
Nora grinned excitedly and shook MacCready's arm to snap him out of his distraction with the gun, "Can I expect you in three weeks?"
Klara grinned back and nodded to her companion, "Come on Charon, we've got quite a bit of work to do. What do you think the caravans would say to a vacation?"