"So , it's like that then?" Boone says quietly, lips pursed in a thin line. Manny wants to shake him, slap that cool and calm collected manner out of him until he screams at him. Until he shows something other than that stoicism that Manny first fell in love with.
So Manny screams at Boone, trying to break the stone expression that covers Boone's face.
"Yeah, it's like that. You haven't talked to me, or even fucking looked at me since Carla vanished," Manny yells, and notices he doesn't wince at the mention of her name anymore. What the hell did that Courier do that he couldn't? He glares at the Courier, who shifts on the balls of his feet nervously next to Boone. He feels a twinge of jealousy, and that makes his voice louder. "Christ, you thought I sold her to the Legion." Boone does wince at that, and Manny feels a fleeting sense of some sick victory. "And now you want me to help at Hoover Dam?"
"Yeah, that about sums up," Boone says, and Manny does hit him. Boone barely flinches, and grabs the Courier's arm when he takes a swing at Manny.
"It's ok," he says quietly, and the Courier lowers his fists. Many glares heatedly at them and turns his back. He points to the door.
"I'm not helping you. I happen to like life. Get out," he says. Boone nods, and wearily motions for the Courier to follow him. He glances over his shoulder at Manny, and Manny hates himself for meeting his gaze.
"Take care of yourself," Boone says softly, shutting the door behind him. Manny sinks down on his bed and buries his face in his hands, water cascading over his fingers.
Death wears crimson, Boone thinks, and at one point, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Figures the bastards would catch him when he finally decided he wanted to live. He blinks the blood out of his eyes. Damned if he wouldn't look the bastard in the face.
The NCR was winning Hoover Dam, and the thought gave Boone a little solace. Legionnaires were getting sent to hell left and right. Boone regrets he didn't send more of them, and he tells the recruit as much. He gets another rifle butt to the face for his trouble, and he grins through the pain.
"Profligate," the legionary growls. "We'll see how long you smile when you're lashed to the cross." His friends laugh, and Boone laughs louder than them.
"You'll have to tie me down first," he says, shakily standing to his feet. An ugly grin breaks over the legionary's face, and he lunges at Boone. Boone braces himself for the stab that never lands. The legionary's head explodes, and Boone can trace where the shot came from. He can see the glint of the rifle gleaming from the hills. The group scatters, and legionary's run toward the glint.
"Boone!" he hears far away voice call. "Boone, where are you?" He punches a legionary in the face, and takes the man's machete. He runs the legionary through and drops his corpse on the ground. He begins fighting his way toward the voices calling his name, but looks over his shoulder first. He sees the sniper that saved him being overrun with legionaries, looking like so many ants. He motions to the Courier in the distance, and he crouches down to shoot at the group. Veronica flies past him and he follows in her wake. Courier and the others managed to whittle down the enemies enough to give Veronica and Boone a fighting chance. Boone's boots splash in all of the blood, and he fights to urge to turn the other way. Grimly, he and Veronica make short work of the surviving legionaries between them. Boone makes his way to the glint of the rifle, and sees the sniper slumped over the ledge.
"Hey," he calls, fearing the worst. "You ok?"
"Boone," he croaks, and Boone drops to his knees next to him.
"Manny," he whispers, eyes following the scattering of bullet and stab wounds that map his body. "Manny, oh Jesus. Let me get Courier, he's good at this sort of thing. Gannon's been-"
"No time," Manny's voice is painfully quiet. "Boone, I-"
"Save your strength. You're gonna get through this. You're-"
"Boone," Manny demands. "Listen to me." He smiles weakly. "Never expected you to talk so much."
"Why? You said you weren't coming," Boone says, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Manny motions him closer, and Boone can feel his breath on his cheek.
"Grant a dying man one last request?"
"Anything," Boone says automatically. Manny chuckles, and his hand wraps around the back of Boone's neck.
His lips taste like blood and death, and feel roughed and cracked against his. Boone bites back a sob as Manny pulls him closer like a drowning man fighting for air. Boone holds Manny to his chest until the Courier runs up with his doctor bag, but it's already too little, too late.
Numbly, he allows the Courier to pull him away and deposit him like a package in Raul's arms. He can faintly make out his words through the roar of his thoughts in his ears.
"Get him out of here, Raul. Some place safe. Jesus, I know. Just get him out of here."
Manny loved him, and he is dead. Manny loved him, and Boone let him die.
Boone follows Raul away from Manny, and leaves the last remnant of his old life behind.