Chapter One
Piper is the first to notice it, and of course she is. She's a reporter; it's something she takes pride in, being able to notice even the most subtle things.
And subtle it is. She isn't even sure it's anything worth noting at first, but the reporter in her won't let it go. She tells herself that she pursues this lead so relentlessly because her friend is involved, but she knows deep down she just loves the thrill of a new story (even if it's one she'll never put to print).
At first, it is only the way he addresses her that changes. He's friendlier around her, and calls her 'sister,' and though that normally wouldn't be enough to set the bells off in Piper's head, she does not miss the way his eyes now glint when he looks at her dear friend.
Piper doubts that Nora even notices at first. She knows that she's been through so much, and though time has passed and she's found her son (but certainly not how she'd hoped – Piper would never forget the grief in Nora's eyes when she'd come back to Sanctuary that day) there is still a hurt in her eyes sometimes.
The sadness in her friend comes less and less often the more time passes, but Piper knows it's still there. Grief like that never really lets go, only comes and goes like the tides.
Piper sees all of these things, more clearly than others but slower than some. She wonders if Nick has noticed the change in Hancock yet; the old PI doesn't miss much, and he misses nothing when his friends are involved. Piper knows he's come to care for Nora in a way that surprised him initially.
As time passes Hancock becomes more and more obvious, but only to Piper. If anyone else notices, they don't say anything. The look in his eyes when he sees Nora, and the way his mouth turns to the most subtle smile when she waves at him, coming over the bridge and back to Sanctuary are the only signs Piper needs to confirm what she's suspected for some time now.
The old ghoul cares for Nora.
And not in the way that they all do; Nora has her charm and they've all fallen for her in their own ways. Hancock's, though, is different, special, in a way that makes Piper almost envious of the Sole Survivor.
It almost doesn't surprise Piper; not really. She's dug up her fair share of dirt on her town and she's had her suspicions as to where the ghoul comes from, and she knows he is no stranger to hardship. His hardened chem addiction alone is enough for her to see that he is just as alone as they all are, out in the wastes.
For someone like Nora, someone so caring, so kind, and so originally her to come along into a life like Hancock's; it is no surprise to Piper that he's falling for her.
What does surprise Piper, though, is that Nora goes straight to Hancock once she's in town. She embraces him (she hugs them all, when she first sees them again after some time apart) in a way that is different from the way she hugs Piper, and they linger just a moment longer than they might otherwise have done if there was nothing between them.
Piper considers Nora her closest friend, and to be fair, it is because it's the truth. Nora is the first person in so long to give Piper a chance; to look at her as another person just trying to get by instead of a snoop, just digging for the next big story. And Nora trusts Piper, truly trusts her, in a way that still staggers the girl. She was the only one who knew the truth of the Institute, of Shaun's role in everything. She'd been the one that Nora cried to when she realized that not only did she miss the first ten years of her child's life, but the first sixty.
Piper wonders how soon it will be until Nora comes to her, wondering about her feelings for Hancock. For as clearly as Piper saw through him, weeks ago, with a glint in his eye, she now sees too through Nora. There is a linger in their embrace when she returns, and a look in her eyes not unlike Hancock's, and a smile in her voice that Piper is almost sure she's never heard before.
Piper does not know the demons that Hancock is running from. She knows well the ones that chase Nora, and wake her most nights in a cold sweat. She thinks that though both of them have their problems and their fears, they might be good for each other.
She hopes so, at least, because she's tired of unhappy endings in the stories she writes.
A/N: Hey there! Here's my first Fallout fic. I wanted to jump on this bandwagon, because I've been playing the game nonstop since release. I figured if I'm going to slow down on playing, I might as well write.
Feels counter intuitive, now that I think about it.
Anyways, I always appreciate reviews! Let me know what you think; present tense is so fun to write but it's not my best, so I'm always looking for some gentle constructive criticism. Hope you like it!
I'll be running through various character's views on the f!SS/Hancock relationship. Mostly companions, some random characters thrown in just because they're interesting. I'm hoping to update twice a week, but if I write the whole story in one go (it's a boring day, it's possible) then I'll just dump it out on here a little faster.
Cheers!
-Sgt