Author's Note: Something a little bit different here. So if any of you have read From The Vault, then you know that Alex is my evil Lone Wanderer and my precious baby. A friend that I collab with posed me the interesting idea of "AU where Alex never leaves the Vault." This immediately set the wheels in my head turning. So I would like to make this clear that this story isn't directly connected to From The Vault, nor will it change the course of that story in any way. Just a bit of a different take on my favorite OC to see how I could write her as a polar opposite. I hope you all enjoy.
The ancient wooden door creaked on its rusted and rotted hinges as it swayed gently to and fro with the wind. Ophelia took it gently, almost worried that the wood would crumble if she gripped it with more force. She pushed it open, and the wind made it slam into the rock that held up the doorframe. It hit with such force that the prehistoric hinge snapped cleanly off, and the whole structure crashed into the dirt, sending a plume of dust scattering about the feet of the small group of Raiders.
"Well, this is already going smoothly." She pushed some of her shoulder length, bright pink hair away from her face. Gage scoffed quietly behind her, and the few other men remained silent. As her small group started to head into the cavern, they were immediately accosted with the smell of rot and death.
Gage gagged quite audibly, pinching his nose with his thumb and forefinger and stopping dead in his tracks. "Oh fucking Christ. Ophelia, this place is already fucking disgusting; for all we know that distress call is old as hell and this place has already been picked over more than a whore at a bachelor party."
The pink haired woman looked back at her second in command, giving him a glare. "C'mon, Gage, don't act like a pussy. This place could be a gold mine, and if it's not in too bad of shape we might be able to set up an operation here."
The older man scowled as the other men laughed at him, and he drew his gun confidently. "You already know I'm down for this, just smells like ten kinds of shit," he glared daggers into one of the men that was laughing at him, "Shut the fuck up, or you'll be joining whatever fucking corpse is creating that stench."
The insults and laughter finally dying down a bit, Ophelia led her group further into the cavern, holding a bandana over her nose and mouth to filter out some of the stench of rot. She could see that the vault door was sealed shut, and there was a panel with blinking lights nearby, indicating that the power was still on. There were some skeletons in front of the door, most of them obviously pre-war and so rotted that Ophelia was surprised that they were still intact. Signs were scattered about them, giving desperate pleas to be let in, or even threats.
The source of the rotting smell was here as well, there was a somewhat recent corpse of what appeared to be another raider. His skin was filthy and his mismatched armor covered in long dried blood. His belly had been torn open, and his innards were mostly gone. Flies covered the corpse, and Ophelia noticed with a start that both of his eyes were gone.
"What the fuck happened to this poor son of a bitch?" Gage muttered, looking at the corpse with a stony expression of disgust. The pink haired woman leaned a little bit closer to the body to get a better look in the dim light that trickled in through the doorway. "It looks like it could have been some sort of animal attack maybe. His throat and eyes are gone."
One of the men shifted about uncomfortably. "I got a really fucking bad feeling about this place."
Ophelia stood quickly, turning to glare the man in the face. His name was Jason, and he was a rather young boy that had joined the gang just a few months ago. The pink haired woman had a knack for sniffing out weakness, and this nineteen year old, scrawny boy was definitely the weakest link. He had long brown hair down to his shoulders, and a scruffy beard that grew in patches on his cheeks and jaw. Jason was rather short, and quite skinny, but he did whatever Ophelia asked him without question.
He was obviously intimidated by her, as she constantly told him to nut up and be a man. Ophelia was no shrinking violet, and she ran a tight ship; being the Overboss was not the job for a pushover. She rounded on the young man without a second thought, her voice taught with anger. "Jason, how many fucking times do I have to tell you to stop being such a little boy? If you want this life you have to grow a pair. It's one dead guy, that probably got attacked by feral dogs or something."
Almost as if on cue as she spoke the words, there was a deep growling that came from the doorway. Six heads whipped around to take in the sight of a rather large dog making its way through the doorway, blocking out some of the light as it crept into the cave. Before anyone really had time to react, the beast was bounding forward, leaping onto a man by the name of Tony and knocking him to the rough stones of the ground. The dog had ripped his throat out in a matter of seconds, leaving him gurgling and choking on blood as he gripped at the wound that used to be his throat.
The creature was darting at Gage next, but the more experienced raider was ready for the attack. He drew a combat knife with smooth finesse, darting forward to collide with the animal. It sunk its teeth into his forearm, and he cried out in pain and rage as he thrusted his knife up to the hilt into the dog's chest.
Yelping and howling in pain, the dog released his arm and hit the ground with a solid thump. Gage growled as he looked at his arm, dripping blood at an alarming rate all over the stones of the cavern. "This is fucking shit, goddamn place better be worth it." He wrenched his knife out of the dying animal, thrusting it back in several times to finish it off.
Ophelia turned away, crouching down next to Tony. His brown eyes were blankly staring up at the cavern's ceiling, his hands limp on his chest and his throat still weakly oozing blood. "Alright everyone, we're down one man. Be on your toes." She stood up, looking down at his corpse with a stony expression.
Gage was gripping his forearm, blood trickling from between his fingers. He looked up at Ophelia with concern in his single eye, and she felt a small worry grow in her chest. Her relationship with the man was complicated, and a small part of her had started to hate him, but he was still her second in command and they had been through a lot together.
They had run out of Stimpaks the day before, and Ophelia was a little worried about her compatriot. "There might be some kind of medical supplies in this vault, we need to flush that wound before we wrap it up Gage."
The pink haired woman made her way over to the blinking panel, looking at the controls. There were only a few buttons, a lever, a small speaker, and a slot for a key, but there was no key to be seen anywhere. Not really knowing what else to do, and seeing that none of the buttons were labeled, Ophelia began hitting different buttons until something happened. There was silence for a minute or two, and the raider felt irritation twist in her heart.
Just as she started to turn away from the speaker and tell everyone to roll out, a woman's voice crackled over the speaker. "Hello?"
Ophelia spun back around in shock, rushing back to the panel and smashing a button near the speaker, praying that it was the correct button for this vault dweller to hear her. "We got your message about needing help, and we're willing to make a trade. We've got an injured man out here, so if you take care of him, we can stomp out your little problem."
Silence crackled through the air for a tense moment, before the sultry voice finally came back over the ancient speaker. "Alright, just give me a moment to open the door."
The raider almost couldn't believe her ears. A grin spread over her face; slaughtering the vault dwellers should be a simple enough task if they were really stupid enough to just let anybody in.
A few minutes went by before a tremendous metal screeching filled the small cavern. The raiders covered their ears, and Ophelia grit her teeth so hard that her jaw ached. Gage looked absolutely miserable as blood ran down his forearm and spattered his filthy armor. They didn't even have time to discuss a plan before the massive metal door was rolling open. The men looked to Ophelia for leadership, and she just gave a simple, "Keep it civil, and follow my lead."
Ophelia approached the door confidently, expecting an armed guard to greet them, or even a ragtag group of survivors, but what greeted her in the doorway of the vault door completely floored her.
She had raven black curls down to her shoulders, full, pouty lips painted a bright crimson, intelligent emerald eyes, framed by a jet black cat eye and sharp cheekbones. Her jaw was small and feminine, yet somewhat sharp and intense. Ophelia felt her cheeks color as her eyes drifted to the woman's skin tight leather vault suit. Her hips were wide and curvy, her waist thin and accentuating an hourglass figure. Her chest was full and the raider caught her eyes lingering there for longer than necessary. She looked like a pre-war pinup.
Any trace of hostility that had been in her soul seemed to dissipate like steam into open air at the very sight of the woman with the raven curls. She tried to force herself to say something, anything at all, but her mouth went as dry as cotton and her blood seemed to boil. Ophelia knew she was blushing hard and just staring at this woman with an open mouth, but the vault dweller did not react to this.
Those emerald eyes regarded the pink haired woman briefly before drifting to the blood trickling from Gage's arm. As she noticed the dead man, she covered her ruby lips with her hands, stepping back slightly in shock. "You've already lost someone so close to my vault? I am so sorry, you must come inside and let me help you!"
Ophelia gave a nod, swallowing thickly and motioning for her men to follow her inside. Her legs felt like jelly as she walked towards the beautiful woman, and her mind was spinning slightly, wondering why this random vault dweller was affecting her so badly. She looked over at Gage, seeing that he was gritting his jaw hard to cover his pain. Looking to her right at Jason, he was blushing hard and his eyes were glued to the vault dweller. Apparently the woman with raven curls was having the same effect on the young man and the pink haired woman.
The vault dweller pushed her raven locks away from her eyes and smiled warmly as Ophelia grew close. "You all can follow me, and I will take care of that man's arm. I am terribly sorry about your poor friend." Her voice was low and smooth like silk, Ophelia did not want her to stop talking.
She didn't even give Ophelia time to say anything before she had turned away and was leading them into the vault. The raider's eyes snapped to the woman's backside as she walked, swaying her wide hips, and she felt like she was about to have a brain aneurysm. There was no possible way she would be able to take this angelic woman's life; she didn't want anyone to lay a finger on that pale porcelain flesh.
Most of her mind was now considering getting Gage patched up and killing the roaches before simply leaving; but as they followed the woman with the raven curls deeper into the vault, Ophelia became increasingly aware that the vault did not appear to be in any sort of distress. There were no roaches to be seen, or any other people for that matter. The long metal halls were exceptionally clean and lacked any evidence that there had ever been any radroaches.
The vault was absolutely silent except for their own footsteps and the quiet humming of machinery. As they grew nearer to a cafeteria of sorts, Ophelia grew slightly more concerned as to what was going on in this vault. "So, we got your message over the radio, about radroaches. And so far I do not see a single roach, or even another person for that matter. Did this place get evacuated or something?"
The woman turned around to give the raider a warm smile, gently clasping her hands together as she spoke. "Oh that old message? Yes, there is no longer a state of emergency here, as I'm sure you can tell, Miss?" She trailed off, expecting for Ophelia to introduce herself further.
The pink haired woman felt herself becoming slightly more composed, and she tried to give the most confident smile she could. "I'm Ophelia," she gestured to Gage and Jason, introducing them quickly before rattling off the names of the other men, Aiden and Gary.
The strange vault dweller smiled warmly at the small group, giving a small curtsy. "Nice to meet you all, my name is Alexandra, but you can call me Alex. If you'd kindly wait here for me, I can get a Stimpak and some bandages for you, Gage." Trusting as ever, the curvy woman turned away and marched off into the vault, on a mission to help the raider.
As soon as she was out of the room and the automatic door had gently sealed shut behind her, Gary let out a loud wolf whistle. "Damn, you know this place was a good idea. I could get used to this, we already got some hot chick waiting on us. I wonder what else she does?" He gave an obnoxious chuckle, elbowing Jason and nearly making the smaller man tumble off the metal bench. Jason's face was still beet red, and showed no sign of letting up.
Gage gripped his forearm a little tighter, gritting his teeth and speaking in a low, irritated tone. "I honestly don't like this shit one bit. None of you are slightly worried at all that we have seen no one else since we got in this place?"
Ophelia felt a small spark of irritation ignite within herself, but tried to remain in control of her emotions. "Gage, she said she would explain after she gets you patched up. I'm pretty sure that if she wanted to kill us or some shit, she would have already done it. Why would she waste medical supplies on a man that will be dying soon?"
The more experienced raider sighed, clearly set on arguing with the woman. "Opie, how do we know that's even what she went to do? For all we know she could come back in here with six armed dudes to take us the fuck out."
Cringing at the nickname, Ophelia fought the urge to dig her finger into his wound. "Gage, do not call me that. Now is not the time or place. If shit gets crazy, I can guarantee that we are better armed and have a lot more experience."
As if on cue, Alex returned to the cafeteria with some bandages, peroxide, and a stimpak in hand. "I'm terribly sorry to keep you all waiting; are you doing alright, Mr. Gage?"
The older man scowled at her, and Ophelia wanted to smack the shit out of him. This woman didn't know him from a hole in the ground and was sharing her supplies willingly, and all he could do was give her dirty looks. "Don't call me that." Ophelia glared daggers into his soul at his sharp retort.
The vault dweller's expression shifted slightly, going from that welcoming smile, to offense, to some dark look that Ophelia could have sworn she was imagining, before doing a complete 180 back to that winning smile. "I apologize, I don't get many guests, so I can be very formal at times. May I tend to your arm?"
The aging man gave her a stiff nod and she motioned for him to follow her over to the kitchen area, where Ophelia presumed she would be leading him to a sink. I could hear Gage grumbling in pain, and Alex apologizing in her gentle tone as a result.
Aiden's expression was unreadable, as always. Ophelia had been wondering what was going on inside the man's head, and now he was leaning across the table to speak quietly to her. "This place could be a big deal for us, Boss. Why don't we just take it from her?"
A strange sense of rage ignited inside of the Overboss. "No one lays a hand on her. That woman is helping a total stranger right now, and has been nothing if not completely proper to us. She doesn't know us from a fucking hole in the ground, but she's already been more welcoming and helpful than anyone you could meet in the Wastes. I've got a good feeling about her."
Gary, as vulgar as ever, decided to chime in. "What kinda good feeling, Ophelia?" He winked suggestively before rubbing between his legs and imitating a woman moaning, dramatically rolling his eyes back in his head.
Jason snickered while Aiden gave the man a deadpan look. Ophelia felt her cheeks flush almost as pink as her hair. She swatted the man on the arm and sputtered in disgust. "You're fucking gross, Gary! I'm still your superior, and you'd do best to fucking remember that!"
Gary wiped some tears from his eyes from how hard he had started laughing. "Lighten up, maybe I just like the idea of you getting superior all over our beautiful hostess."
The men guffawed even louder, and Ophelia threw her hands up in exasperation. Before she could say anything, Alex was leading a grumbling Gage back in.
Ruby lips smiled alluringly, and brilliant emeralds met Ophelia's. "I believe Gage here will be just fine. Nothing a Stim and some bandages couldn't fix," she paused briefly, noting that Gary was lowly chuckling, "Did something happen?"
Gary opened his mouth to say something, probably disgusting and sexual no doubt, but Ophelia interrupted him. "Oh nothing to be concerned with. Men and their strange humor. Why don't we discuss your situation here?"
Alex nodded slowly, her expression somewhat grim. "My. Well, we suffered from a very bad radroach infestation. People were getting killed in their rooms, mostly the elderly or weak. They would disappear for a while, and when we would go to check up on them, we would find a roach feasting away on their body. It grew. The problem spread like wildfire, leaving panic and bodies in its wake. It got to the point where most people evacuated. I stayed behind with a few others that were brave enough to fight. As you can see, I'm the only one that faired well." She gestured to the emptiness around her shapely body, a sadness hanging about her pretty features.
Gage was quick to drill her for more information; Ophelia knew him well and he obviously thought she was lying. "So you're telling me that the others left to go brave the wastes because of some fucking roaches? And out of all the fighters you are the only survivor?" He scoffed.
The vault dweller instantly looked offended, and Ophelia felt her heart sink. "Did you expect me to lay down and die? Tell me, Mr. Gage, do you think I'm weak because I'm a vault dweller, or because I'm a woman?"
Just when Ophelia thought that she could not fall any harder for this beautiful stranger, she most definitely did. She did not just fall, she leapt. She stood quickly, gently placing a hand on Alex's shoulder, "Please do not take offense to my...partner's comment. He means nothing by it, just that the wastes are a very unforgiving place. Especially for women, but even more so for beautiful women."
Ophelia was more than a little shocked by her own forwardness, but the look of approval that Alex gave her was worth every word. "I'll tell you folks what," Alex paused to look at her Pip-Boy, "it is getting later in the evening. I would be very honored if you would like to stay for tonight. The vault is very generous with amenities and luxuries that most people only can dream of. Air conditioning, hot showers, pool tables and games, even a bar and smoking room. I would welcome you to them."
Jason and Gary's faces lit up like a couple of children on Christmas morning, whereas Gage and Aiden exchanged a hard look of disapproval. Jason was the first to speak in his shaky voice, "I would love that, Miss Alex."
The pin up smiled at him, and the young raider's cheeks flushed a bright red. The awkward young man dropped his eyes to the floor, his scruffy brown hair falling in his face. Alex gave a small smile, and a quiet hum of thought.
Ophelia sputtered out her words without even consulting her second in command that was obviously intent on leaving as soon as possible. "I would be absolutely delighted to share the night with you, Alex."
She didn't even catch how suggestive the words sounded until Alex lightly bit at her lower lip in an intoxicating manner, the full red flesh rolling away from small, even white teeth as those emerald eyes peeked up from long, dark eyelashes. The vault dweller did so with a wide grin, as if she knew the effect that she was having on the raider.
Oh my god, she's fucking perfect. Ophelia knew in that moment that she had to have this woman. Gage had been a constant for the past few years, but she had never even wanted him. She did not want to be Overboss, and she sure as hell didn't want to be stuck with Stockholm Syndrome for some man who was twice her age, and had half the balls she did.
She often considered killing him in his sleep. Staring at his snoring face after a round of disappointing sex that failed to do much for her at all, ensured that all she could think about was suffocating him with a pillow. Gage had grown even more bitter somehow over the years.
At first he had a constant sneer plastered onto his rather plain features. He knew that by forcing her hand and making her choose Nuka World over the Minuteman due to the fear of death had completely eliminated her will to live. Gage loved having a boss who didn't have the spirit to completely stand up for herself. Ophelia was nothing but a pretty, broken toy for him.
After some time, he fell genuinely in love with her. Porter Gage would have done anything for Ophelia, his one true love. The raider queen thought of this as the honeymoon phase. There had been something there for a while, and she thought that she might have even reciprocated his feelings. She grew drunk with power; they raided more than the man had in years, or so he claimed. They made wild love almost every night.
With time it changed. Ophelia felt herself losing that thrill of being by his side. Gage would still do anything for her, even though he was becoming more and more grumpy and agitated. He still whispered sweet things into her ear while he laid in bed with her, and told her how much she was perfect for him while he drove himself into her over and over, panting and sweating, not even wondering why the woman was laying there almost lifeless.
It was as plain and simple as unrequited love, but as complicated as being mentally imprisoned by someone that had completely taken over her life. Gage was still her best friend and confidant, however. She knew she was drifting, and she knew that he saw this and it killed him inside, but she never realized that she did not need him until she laid eyes on that woman with those raven black curls, Alexandra.
"Should I show you all to your rooms? Perhaps I could whip something up to eat as well." Alex was as polite as ever, standing there in front of the raider queen with her hands clasped politely, and her shoulders back and proud as she offered Ophelia anything that she wanted.
"Both of those would be lovely, Alex." For a woman who had been murdering and raiding for years, Ophelia felt that Alex's very presence made her want to be on her best behavior.
…
"Why the fuck don't you want to share a room with me, Opie? I feel like I don't even know you lately. You make decisions without asking me at all, you spare vault dwellers. This shit is too weird." Gage was sitting on the immaculate couch in the room that Alex had given Ophelia, his face twisted in a look of pain. The look of a man that was realizing that his woman did not love him any longer.
"Gage, I am around you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week; and I have been for years. I just want some time to myself for a bit and I honestly don't think that's a big deal. Do you not want some time away from me?"
Gage had a heartbroken look in his single eye; it made Ophelia's chest ache a little. "No. I don't, Ophelia. Because I love you and I always will. If you want me to give you some space I will, but I won't enjoy a single moment of it."
He is so fucking dramatic. The pink haired woman fought the urge to roll her eyes, and opted instead to push the button on the door for the man to leave. Gage stared at her for what felt like an eternity, and she gave a gentle wave of her hand in the general direction of the door to get him moving.
The aging man acquiesced, giving her sad, dead eyes before rising to his feet and exiting the small room. Ophelia smashed the button with a sigh of relief, before quickly pulling the blinds shut over the small window that looked out into the hallway. She wanted to lock the door, but when she hit the button to do so, nothing happened. Her finger depressed the mechanism several more times in frustration, but the door did not comply.
The raider queen sighed in frustration, but a small part of her hoped that Gage had gotten her message loud and clear. Without another thought, she began stripping off her worn clothing. She smelled like sweat and had that dirty stench of death and blood on her.
From the moment Alex had mentioned that her room had a hot shower, it was the dominant thought in the pink haired woman's brain. Heading into the bathroom, she looked about, taking in the small sink and mirror combo. There was a toothbrush neatly laid on the edge of the sink, a tube of toothpaste on the opposite edge, and a bar of soap placed gently in the upper corner.
Everything in the room was pristine, scrubbed to a polish. You could probably eat off the damn floor. As much as she loved the gritty, hardened wastes, there was a large part of her that felt calmed by something so neat and orderly. She could get used to this place.
When the hot water met her skin, Ophelia could not help but let out an audible groan of approval. All of her stress, and pain, and worry seemed to melt away. Looking down at her feet, she saw the water taking on discoloration as it ran down the drain. A small part of her was astonished that her skin had been so dirty, and another part was ashamed that she had been standing before someone as intoxicating as Alex in such a filthy state.
Grabbing the soap and shampoo, she set about the task of scrubbing her skin and hair as much as she could. When the water no longer ran down the drain with a disgusting brownish tinge, the pink haired woman felt satisfied with herself.
She clambered out of the shower, nearly slipping on the water that remained. There was a simple white bathrobe hanging on the wall near the door, and she shrugged into the cloth. It was one of the softest things she had ever felt, and it had such a beautiful scent to it, unlike anything she had ever smelled before. Burying her nose in the cloth without a second thought, she enjoyed it for a few moments.
It was the little things that she found herself taking so much pleasure in. Making her way over to the sink, she brushed her teeth until they no longer felt caked with plague and dirt. When Ophelia looked at herself in the mirror, she almost looked like a completely different person. Her face was absent of dirt or blood, her teeth looking almost white. Her skin was smooth, despite some small scars that were usually kept hidden away under her clothing.
She gave herself a genuine, happy smile, looking at her reflection grinning back like she had just won the lottery. Tying her robe shut, the pink haired woman found a brush and a blow dryer in a small cabinet in the corner of the room. Making quick use of them, she covered her ears with her hair, a self conscious tic that she had developed since being a child. The ragged remains of her left ear covered by that wildly pink hair, Ophelia gave a satisfied sigh.
It had been a long time since she had felt this good about herself. No wonder Alex took so much pride in looking so put together with her carefully styled hair and makeup.
As she began to head back to the main living area, she felt herself hit with a dilemma. What the fuck was she supposed to wear? Her clothing was filthy and caked with dirt and blood. When she opened the bathroom door, she heard a quiet humming and her hackles immediately rose. It quickly occurred to her that someone waas in her little apartment, and she had no weapons on her at all. Not that she really needed her guns to kill someone.
A small part of her thought that it might have been Gage, and the idea of him touching her at all made her stomach churn; but this humming was low and sultry and alluring. There was only one other woman in the vault, and the idea of that woman with those raven curls waiting for her while she was in nothing but a robe made her blood boil with excitement.
Alex was bent over the large sink in the kitchen area, and it quickly occurred to Ophelia that she had unzipped the upper portion of that right leather vault suit, and it was now pooled around shapely hips. She wore an equally tight simple tank top underneath, the white cloth impossibly spotless. The vault dweller was scrubbing away at something in the sink full of water, her hips and her backside lightly shaking back and forth as she scrubbed.
Ophelia caught herself staring at this woman's thick leather clad backside for longer than necessary before she awkwardly cleared her throat. "What are you doing in here?" It came off as slightly rude, and Ophelia regretted the words as soon as she had spoken them.
Alex whirled around in shock, placing a soaking wet hand against her chest as if holding her heart. Those emerald eyes were wide and Ophelia blushed slightly as they locked eyes. Her own blue eyes immediately followed Alex's hand for some reason, and she quickly noted that the water from it had soaked the front of her tank top. There was a lacy black bra peeking clearly through, her large breasts barely contained by the cloth.
Ophelia's cheeks colored brightly and she forced herself, quite unsuccessfully, to look away. "Oh, excuse me, ma'am. I wasn't trying to be rude, you've just caught me off guard because I just had a shower and I wasn't expecting anyone, and…" she yammered off quickly, trying to distract herself.
Alex lowered her hand, giving a gentle chuckle. "I am very sorry to barge in so unannounced, Miss Ophelia. I had finished up dinner and I was making my rounds, and when you didn't answer I just let myself in. The locking mechanism is broken, you see? When I heard the shower I figured it would be a kindness if I were to launder your clothing for you. Our washing machine is on the fritz, and I haven't quite figured it out yet. Washing everything by hand is such a chore, but it is worth it."
Ophelia swallowed thickly, that blush not leaving her cheeks. Alex could zip her suit up at any time, she knew there was no possible way that she did not feel how wet her shirt was. A small part of the raider wondered if this woman was teasing her; she thought of the way that she had suggestively bitten her lip back in the atrium. "I appreciate the effort so much, Alex. You don't have to go through all that trouble with me. Perhaps I could have Jason look at your washing machine as a repayment? He's very crafty."
The vault dweller smiled warmly, tucking some of her raven hair behind her ear. "I am quite crafty myself, I would not worry about it too much. I'll get the old girl back on the lam soon enough, I am quite good with my hands."
Ophelia looked her carefully cut and painted nails, the same shade of ruby as her lips, and almost couldn't see this woman doing anything but posing for a pre war calendar. August 2077, featuring Alexandra in a skin tight vault suit and holding a wrench as she sat on top of some pre war automobile. Her mind melted at the thought.
Alex must have taken her silence as disinterest, as she quickly waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Oh, I apologize. I can ramble about silly things quite often. Why don't I take you to where I have prepared your dinner?"
Was this how it was for pre war men who came Home from work at a decent hour, loosening their tie and kicking off their shoes, while their wife as beautiful as Alex waited on them? She got a rather odd visual in her head of herself hanging up her hat and kicking off her shoes, Alex greeting her in some light blue day dress, kissing her with those full, red lips and loosening her tie for her.
It was a strange mental image, though not unpleasant, and it gave Ophelia a warm fuzzy feeling as the woman with the raven curls sat her down at the simple table. She had prepared some kind of steak, mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese. There was a glass of clean water, as well as a glass of Nuka Cola with ice.
Ophelia was taken aback by Alex's generosity, and she looked up at the beautiful woman with wide blue eyes. Her heart was fluttering as Alex stared back, her expression open and kind, those ruby lips curved upwards in a welcoming smile. "I do hope you will enjoy my cooking. I make do with what small rations we have left, as well as trading with anyone that passes through due to that message. Oh, and I did not want to assume that you partake in alcohol, so I played it safe with a cold Nuka Cola instead. Would you prefer something stronger?"
Ophelia shook her head gently, completely taken with everything about the vault dweller. Alex nodded politely, taking a seat next to the raider at the table and crossing those long, shapely legs. "I should finish your laundry soon enough, I just don't want to be rude and run off again without much of a chance to speak."
The raider took a heavy drink of the water, feeling the pure and clean liquid invigorate her dry mouth. "Why are you being so kind to us? I've never met anyone as fearless and kind, and pure as you."
Alex giggled gently, drawing a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. How the things got into the tight suit without being crushed was a miracle. She asked for approval, to which Ophelia said she did not mind. "Well," Alex began lowly, gently placing her lighter and pack of cigarettes onto the table, "I think that it is important to be a good hostess to any guests. As simple as that."
Ophelia blinked, astonished that this woman was even still alive. "Has no one ever tried to take advantage of this kindness? As I mentioned before, the wastes are very cruel; full of nasty people ready to shoot you as soon as look at you."
Alex exhaled a plume of smoke, the butt of her cigarette stained ruby red from her lips. "Well of course. Being a woman looking the way I do, I have had more than my share of fools that think I am weak or stupid. I've woken up with men that wanted to stay here snooping about my room, and even had a few on top of me." Ophelia felt her cheeks flush with anger at this comment. The idea of some bastard trying to take advantage of such a kind woman made her never want to leave Alex's side. The vault dwellers smoky voice drew her attention back. "But I am no shrinking violet honey. Looks are deceiving, and clearly I am still here. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty."
"You are incredible." Ophelia could not muster any more than that. This woman continued to surprise her with each sentence she spoke, and the idea of Alex putting down some stupid prick made her want to beg the raven haired woman to take her then and there.
Alex smiled and gave a low chuckle. "Oh, I try my best, Miss Ophelia. You would do best to eat before your dinner gets cold now." She ashed her cigarette in a small ashtray nearby, before looking down at her shirt. Time had done little to dry the cloth, and Alex shrugged a little as she looked at her compromising situation. Ophelia tried to focus instead on eating, but had a hard time concentrating.
"I do hope you are not thinking of me as some hussy right now. If you were a man I would have zipped this right back up; it's very refreshing to have another woman around. I feel comfortable around you. Honestly, this poor shirt is probably going to get even more soaked when I finish up your laundry; do you think I should just remove it now, or would this disturb you?"
The raider nearly choked on her mashed potatoes, and she quickly gulped some Nuka Cola to cover herself. "Um, I can't give much of an answer to that one, Alex. Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. I would just hate for Gage to pop in and think the worst, you know?"
Alex was giving Ophelia some kind of devilish grin, rising to her feet and stubbing out her cigarette. "Hmm, it's very constricting, but I do not wish to step on any toes," her long fingers fiddled with the hem of the shirt, moving it slowly upwards, exposing enough of her alabaster, smooth skin and the curve of her shapely hips to make Ophelia fantasize then and there, before changing her mind and dragging it back down to cover her navel. "I'll be right in the other room if you need me." There almost seemed to be a double entendre in those words. Alex strutted off, back to the sink, with that alluring sway to her hips.
Ophelia sat there, absolutely shell shocked by the other woman's behavior. The woman with the raven curls was most definitely teasing her, there was no doubt about it. She would not bend over into a sink that far without realizing how enticing it made her ass look. Nor would she bite her lip in such a suggestive manner, or expose half of her belly while clearly gauging Ophelia's reaction.
It was almost like the woman could see that her relationship with Gage was hanging by a small thread, and she wanted to pull and tease that thread until it snapped. Surely this seemingly omniscient creature knew that Ophelia was terribly frustrated with the whole situation; she simply did not find the aging man attractive anymore. He couldn't even satisfy her needs, sexually or in a loving manner. She hated him. Desperately she was craving something new and different, and this curvy pin up knew that, and seemed intent on pushing the raider queen to the edge.
Her skin felt like it was on fire, but when she heard Alex go back to her scrubbing, she forced herself to focus on the food. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy, as was the mac and cheese. Ophelia determined that the meat must have been some kind of pork, and it was tender and juicy. Scarfing down everything like a starving animal, the raider then polished off both of her drinks before leaning back in her chair, full and satisfied.
As if on cue, Alex strutted back into the room, slowly zipping up her jumpsuit as she did so. The woman gave an exhausted sigh as she looked at her Pip-Boy. "My my, it's already nearly 9. I should be heading out now, and let you get some rest. I did put a vault suit on the bed for you to wear while your clothing dries. And if you should need anything I am not too far away, room number 14." Alex gave a winning smile, picking up Ophelia's dishes and heading to the doorway. Those emerald eyes looked back at Ophelia's own, "Sweet dreams, Miss Ophelia." With a quick wink, that woman with the raven curls was gone and the door was quietly whirring shut behind her.
It was quite odd being alone, and it was even odder to have a genuine fire ignited at the base of her thighs. The raider shed the robe without a second thought, crawling into the clean covers of the bed and setting the carefully folded leather vault suit, twin to Alex's, onto the bedside table. A small switch near the bed shut the lights out, and the quiet humming of the vault wrapped around her senses.
Her mind was clouded with the seductress, there was no doubt in her mind that this otherworldly woman desired her, and all she could think of was pressing her lips to Alex's of full crimson. She wanted to kiss her slowly and passionately, before growing hungrier and requiring more. Before she knew it, she was fantasizing about being on top of all of those curves, drinking in every inch of the woman's porcelain skin after removing that impossibly form fitting suit, gripping those raven curls loosely as the vault dweller dipped her head between the raider's thighs. Seemingly on its own accord, her hand had found its way to stoke the fire growing inside of her lower abdominals.
Low gasps and moans fell from her lips, and the raider queen felt herself coming undone almost embarrassingly quickly as she thought of Alex; she finished with a loud moan, burying her face in the pillow, taking in the smell of clean cotton. Chest heaving, she lay back in shock of how depraved she was acting. A mere few hours after meeting this exquisite creature, she had already climaxed while thinking of her. Part of her felt ashamed, but another part felt that Alex would enjoy knowing that her teasing was definitely having an effect.
Gage would be furious. The man was notoriously jealous, and had killed more than a few that had showed interest in "his woman." Surprising herself, she was not worried about making him happy; doing something for herself had made her feel absolutely blissful. For the first time in many years, Ophelia fell asleep feeling actual positive emotion, and without a thought of Porter Gage in her mind.