A Helping Hand

She was working in the garden again today. She was there roughly half of her time caring for her mutfruit trees. Short cropped hair damp with the sweat the work brought on. Dirt was caking onto her already filthy jeans and working its way under her fingernails.

X6 was right there with her, kneeled in the dirt. He'd taken off his heavy Courser uniform in favor for a dark t-shirt and a pair of dirty jeans. Curie had laughed when he'd told her he was going to burn the clothes as soon as the work in the garden was done.

Her laughter had spurred a very pleasant sense of pride. She'd laughed at his joke… even though he hadn't meant it to be a joke. He did have every intention of burning the filthy rags he was wearing as soon as possible.

It was both hot and muggy today, not a single breath of air stirred in Sanctuary. Curie wiped sweat from her brow leaving a streak for dirt behind and X6 smirked. Curie sat back on her heals, surveying their work.

"We have made wonderful progress." She told him, grinning. Only Curie could be this happy over rolling around on the ground. He was sure of it. "I believe this is a good time to stop. The heat can be quite dangerous if one over exerts."

X6 nodded and stood, brushing dirt from his clothes. It didn't help much. "If you wish,"

Curie was still smiling at him, it had been a week since Nora had sent the little medic to his house and in that time he'd helped her in the garden every day. Honestly they had made excellent progress. Curie's trees were well irrigated thanks to a barrel attached to hoses X6 had set up for her. The weeds had all been pulled and the ripe fruit had been harvested. He was proud of what they'd accomplished together although he'd never admit to being proud of something as ordinary as gardening.

"You have been so wonderful to me, please let me repay you."

X6 cocked an eyebrow. He knew exactly what he'd like to do with Curie but sexual favors in return for tending trees didn't seem…romantic? He wasn't sure. Feelings were uncharted territory for him. On the one hand he'd enjoyed their first encounter very much and on the other he'd heard many humans say they didn't want to ruin a friendship with sex. Curie was his friend, he didn't want to lose her.

"What do you mean?" he asked instead, realizing she was looking at him.

"I think we have earned a good meal." She told him, eyes twinkling like she knew how much she threw him off balance. "I would like to cook for you."

"You know how to cook?" X6 asked, intrigued for reasons he didn't understand.

"Oui," She took his hand, dragging him towards his house. "Of course I cook, I am French."

X6 snorted, enjoying her soft skin against his palm. "I hardly see what your nationality has to do with culinary skills."

"Neither do I." Curie laughed, opening his door. In his house it was a little cooler. "It is something one of the scientists said back in the vault. Back when I was a Ms. Nanny. Of course when he made that joke we were cooking bacteria for our research."

X6 watched Curie go straight to his kitchen and open the empty cupboards. Next she tried the refrigerator. The device didn't work but he did keep his rations in there. Curie picked up one of the dozen silver food packets and frowned, turning it over in her hand.

"What is this?"

"Field rations." He told her easily, watching her.

Curiously Curie tore open the top and dipped her pinky into the grayish sludge inside. She inspected it, and then put her finger delicately into her mouth to try the Institute's food Supplement 81. It wasn't as pleasing as 77 in X6's opinion but it was still quite good.

Curie made an awful face and dashed for the side door. He could clearly hear her spitting the supplement out outside. He chuckle to himself and took a can of water from the shelf, handing it to her when she returned.

"I take it you did not care for Food Supplement 81." He said dryly as she rinsed her mouth.

She shook her head. "That is terrible. How can you eat that?"

"I have always eaten that." He told her. "It has everything needed to perform at peek efficiency."

Curie gave him a searching look and thought back to all the community gatherings they'd had in the settlement. She couldn't remember seeing him eat…not ever.

"Have you never had real food?" she asked and X6 shook his head.

"Oh! Monsieur! You are missing one of the most wonderful benefits of have a functioning body. The ability to smell and to taste are gifts." She told him, eyes bright. "Please, join me in my home. I have food and would be delighted to prepare your first meal!"

"Very well, I will join you shortly." He told her. "I would like to clean up first."

Curie nodded, looking down at herself. "I suppose I will take the opportunity to wash myself. Gardening is…shall we say…hands on? I will see you soon."

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When X6 reached Curie's door he was freshly washed and had changed into dark jeans and another much cleaner t-shirt. It was still too hot for his armor. He knocked on her door and she called for him to come in from somewhere beyond.

X6 had never been inside Curie's house before. Like his it was clean and well kept but she had…things. Potted plants by the kitchen window. Small figures lined the shelves she'd put up. Paintings of scenery that no longer existed hung on the walls. It was…homey.

Curie was standing at her kitchen counter with a knife in her hand. She had washed too. Her dark hair was fluffed out and shown with good health. Her skin had been cleaned of dirt and she'd put on a pretty blue sundress.

When she turned he notice the color of the dress brought out the blue in her eyes.

"Do I still have dirt on my face?" she asked and X6 cursed himself. He'd been staring again.

"No," he told her, crossing the room. "May I help?"

"Oui," she smiled and pointed to a pile of vegetation sitting in the sink. "If you will please slice the tatos and the wild greens that would be most helpful."

He did as he was told, wondering what Ayo would do if he found out one of his best units was performing domestic tasks with an undocumented synth. They would likely both be decommissioned. Although Nora would fight for them. He knew that as certainly as he knew himself.

It made the courser wonder if maybe the SRB was wrong?

Maybe he was more than just a machine.

A sharp hiss and sizzle sound snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned to look. Curie had a griddle set up on top of the stove and she was overseeing to disks made of red meat bits. It looked utterly unappetizing but he didn't say as much.

"What are those?" he asked instead.

"Ground Brahmin and spices, formed into a patty. Madam Nora enjoys these very much, she showed me how to make them. They are burgers. Most delicious and not too heavy on a hot afternoon."

X6 wasn't convinced but as the meat cooked the kitchen started to fill with a scent that did peak his interest. She flipped the meat and added flat bread to her griddle. X6 left his cut vegetables on the board and got out two plates when Curie asked him too.

After that she shooed him out of her kitchen and he was sent to the table to wait. X6 did as he was told, noticing the sky outside was darkening on the distant horizon. After the heat and the humidly it was only natural that a storm had started to build. It was meant a break from the oppressive heat.

Curie joined him at her little round table, setting a plate down in front of him. Bread, meat and vegetation was piled on top of each other. She set a Nuka-Cola down to and while she retrieved her own meal X6 poked at his burger. It did smell good but he was sure he was going to prefer his food supplements.

Food consumption was for the purpose of energy to perform the tasks of the day. Why humans stood around obsessing over social meals for gatherings or chattering about ways to prepare those meals was a mystery. One that had him inwardly rolling his eyes.

Curie sat across from him and looked at X6 expectantly. What exactly she was expecting he wasn't sure but he didn't want to hurt her feelings either. He had no knife or fork and he looked at Curie's side of the table, neither did she.

The girl grinned, seeing his dilemma and picked up her burger, taking a big bite of the food trapped in her fingers.

X6 imitated her, not at all sure how he felt about touching his food but when he bit into the burger Curie had made he closed his eyes. Flavors and textures exploded in his mouth, sweets and salties, soft and crunchy.

He owed Nora an apology. Just a few days ago he'd silently judged her for fussing over a soup she'd been preparing.

Curie laughed at his expression. "I am delighted you find my cooking agreeable. Better then the packets…yes?"

"Infinitely," He almost groaned after he'd swallowed. He was pleased to see his reaction had made her blush again. They ate together and X6 listened while Curie talked. She talked about the garden and her research and even a little about what was going on in Sanctuary. X6 nodded and offered the occasional comment but he was happy to let her do the talking while he savored the food in front of him.

Curie was just clearing the dishes when the first roll of thunder rumbled overhead. She paused a few steps from the sink and looked up at her ceiling. "Oh dear…"

"What's wrong?" X6 asked, sucking a last bit of flavor from his thumb.

"I…I admit while fascinating I find storms most frightening." She put the dishes in the sink and hurried and secure her shutters. X6 helped and then he helped her gather her candles.

Outside lightening flashed and thunder boomed along with a blast of icy wind. Curie squeaked and clapped her hands over her ears. X6 pulled her against him and held onto her until and booming quieted.

"May I help?"

"I am sorry." Curies face was red as she looked down at her feet. "I am a coward, yes?"

"No," X6 told her I a low voice. "You are the bravest person I know."

She looked up at him. "You are fooling with me? How can you find little Curie brave when I am frightened by wind and thunder?"

"Because," he told her, guiding her to the couch. "I know that if in the middle of this storm someone needed you…you would go without hesitation. Bravery is not fearlessness. It's acting in spite of fear."

Curie started to smile and another boom of thunder rolled overhead. She tensed and X6 kissed her, possessing her mouth and demanding her attention.

The kiss ended as the thunder did and he pulled her closer, cupping one large hand over her ear and pressing her other ear against his chest. Curie listened to his steady heart beat and her nerves calmed down even as the storm gathered strength outside.

"Thank You, X6." She whispered, cuddling close to his warm body.

"That's what friends are for." He told her, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping it around the both of them.

The storm didn't last long. Less than an hour and it blew out as quickly as it had blown in. Just a summer squall. Enough to do a little wind damage and soak everything but not enough to cause concern for flooding like in the spring.

Neither Curie nor X6 noticed when the world outside her little house quieted. They were too busy on the couch enjoying the distraction X6 had started. Curie was on her back on the couch, the dress unbuttoned enough for X6 to play with her exposed nipples while he kissed her.

The Courser's shirt was gone, left abandoned on the floor next to them and he was grinding his hard manhood against her. Curie used the hand not braced on his back to hike up her skirt and X6 smirked against her sweet mouth when he found she wasn't wearing any panties.

X6 shifted, sliding one arm under her head to support both his weight and her neck, and slipped two fingers between her thighs.

She was already slick but he played with her clit for a few minutes anyway. Efficiency be damned. The noises he was enticing from her were too enjoyable not to draw out the activity.

X6 worked her body until she was trembling underneath him. Not able to hold out any longer he quickly freed himself from his jeans and entered her in one smooth motion. Curie arched against him, that delightful French he loved so much pouring from her lips against his neck.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he had the sudden desire to learn the language.

The thought was fleeting though as his own body worked inside the lovely woman below him. Curie wrapped her beautifully long legs around his waist, changing the angle enough for him to drive deeper. Just a few frantic thrust more and Curie yelled, her whole body tightening around him. It was enough to send him over the edge just a heartbeat behind her and he spilled himself into her, jerking forward until his muscles went weak.

X6 collapsed on top of her, only just managing to keep enough weight on his elbows to not crush her under his heavy frame.

They were silent for a moment, the only sound between them was their heavy breathing. Then Curie started to giggle. X6 leaned back to look at her and her face was red. She covered her mouth with one hand, the other still rubbing smoothly over his shoulders. "Oh dear," she whispered.

"What?" he asked, curious.

"I may have been a little loud, the others may have heard." She was still chuckling to herself so X6 felt confident in the feeling that that wasn't really something that distressed his little Curie.

His little Curie?

X6 smirked and rolled his hips forward, making her gasp. "Let them hear," he growled. The SRB had spies everywhere. Surely he was going to be decommissioned for this. Synths didn't have to capacity to love or lust.

He certainly lusted after Curie. Some small part of him wondered if he may even be beginning to love her.

Clearly he was malfunctioning.

X6 didn't care. He'd decided he wasn't going to report it himself so he'd deal with that mess when it came.

"Oh!" Curie squeaked as he pulled out of her and she stretched. "I'm wet."

X6 grinned for possibly the first time in his life. "Yes,"

"No you fool," Curie laughed and shook her head, running a hand over the back of the couch. "The couch is wet. It appears I have a leak in the roof. I will have to fix it before more rain comes."

X6 tipped his head back and saw that there was indeed a wet spot bloomed in the ceiling above them. It would have to be patched soon with these summer storms rolling in with little warning.

"I see." He told her, sitting up and pulling Curie close to him. "May I help?"