Arthur was drunk. Really drunk. Well maybe not THAT drunk, but the young Elder was finding hard to walk in a straight line, and even harder to stay standing. The Airport below was full of activity and merry drink as the Brotherhood cheered to the absolute destruction of the Institute. While Arthur had originally only planned on giving the soldiers some extra liquor rations for their service, it was Gwen's idea to hold a party. Nearly the whole chapter now knew how hard it was for their 'battle-hardened' and 'ruthless' Elder to say no to his wife. That also explained the freshly pressed tuxedo that Arthur was wearing. Damn his limited wardrobe experience, because trying to worm his way out of a bowtie was a lot harder than the multitude of zippers on his usual black jumpsuit.
Arthur collapsed onto one of the couches on the observation deck. All he could hear was the gentle hum and rumble of the Prydwen and her many moving parts. On the many nights where no manner of tablets from Cade would help his insomnia, Arthur used to simply lay down in his bed and listen to the Prydwen. Listen to her talking to him through creaking doors, rattling sheets of metal and the hisses from the hydrogen tanks overhead. Nowadays, Gwen was the only remedy that Arthur needed to get some sleep, but Arthur always found comfort in listening to his ship.
Looking at the small table of spirits that Arthur always had on deck, Arthur willed his arm to grab one. It wouldn't budge and no matter how much pressure Arthur applied to his brain to see if he had telekinetic powers, the bottle of amber fluid sat there before him… until it suddenly wasn't. Arthur turned his head to see who had taken his drink, but he got his answer when a beauty wrapped in crimson suddenly took a seat in his lap. Gwen sat before him, gently swirling the bottle just far enough out of Arthur's reach, well that would be if Arthur could move any limbs.
"Hey Arthur… Why did you leave the festivities? Had me worried sick before a Lancer told me that you had asked to be brought up here."
"Well… I'm tired and I wanted to return to our quarters and… sleep."
"Then why are you passed out on a couch on the observation deck? I've only been living on the Prydwen for a short while and I can remember that our Quarters are upstairs…"
"It seems that my legs never got the order to bring me upstairs. I don't think I can move…"
Gwen laughed at Arthur's antics. It was rare that Gwen got a chance to see Arthur, rather than the Elder and it was a side of him that was reserved only for her and his most trusted allies. It was during times like these that Arthur got to act like his age, and Gwen also got to experience Arthur's surprisingly sharp wit. As Gwen went flicking through the various screens on her pip-boy, the sharp light was too much for Arthur's weak perception and he fell further into the couch in a bid to block the assault on his eyes. After she finally settled on playing some soft music, Gwen took off her pip-boy and threw it down on the couch where she was sitting. Then, using a strength that few knew she had, Gwen lifted Arthur up onto his feet and pulled him out into the middle of the deck.
The music was soft and gentle on Arthur's ears. A pleasant melody that had his mind gently swerving to the tune, but Arthur's body was as stiff as a board. Gwen had placed Arthur's right hand on her hip and was softly holding his left hand in the air beside her face. Somehow, Arthur went even more rigid and Gwen laughed again before she placed a soft kiss to Arthur's lips. Arthur seemed to finally shift along with her to the beat of the music, but he was still very stiff.
Internally, Arthur was now screaming. While the setting was perfect, and the company even more so, Arthur didn't want to tell Gwen about how he couldn't dance to save his life. He could clip a bloatfly's wings at 500 feet with a sniper rifle, but dance? Intimately? Not a chance! Arthur's attention shifted to the gentle light of the moon that had lit up the deck perfectly and then shifted to Gwen and how close she was leaning on him. What was Arthur so worried about?! Here was Gwen, his wife and the woman that he had pledged himself to for the rest of his days trying to spend some time with him, and here he was with the motor functions and higher cognitive function of a super mutant! Finally, Arthur seemed to start following along to the music and he tightened his grip around Gwen. Both Arthur and Gwen started laughing now and there wasn't a single place or thing that Arthur would have rathered to be doing then then what he was. Arthur got frightened when the song changed, and Gwen started moving a lot faster. With Gwen's help however, Arthur stayed in sync with the dances and after an hour of straight dancing, both Arthur and Gwen collapsed onto one of the plush couches, laughing, panting, and sweaty.
"Now I know my body can't move. Why did we not head upstairs again?"
"I wanted you to have a good time tonight, so together, we'll sleep here on the deck. Also, now I'm stuck here too. If I can still move in the morning, I'll be surprised."
"I love you Gwen. Thank you for tonight."
"I love you too Arthur. And you're welcome."
Together, both Maxson's shared a kiss before they passed out together in each-other's arms. While it was the talk of the lower ranks for a while, no one said anything, or asked why, the Elder and his wife were sleeping together, all panting and sweaty, alone on the observation deck. But there was a rumour that the Scribes that got the job of cleaning the deck that day, did so twice as thoroughly as usual.