A Fun Disguise and Bittersweet Lies

-Notes-

If you have played FO4 multiple times then you are probably aware of all the stalking locations Deacon can be found at and were most likely oblivious to him following you your first run through. There are very interesting theories revolving him. Kudos to AbilityDrain's video on YouTube: 'Deacon Theory | What does he know?' It aided me immensely in getting all of the facts straight.

First time writing smut. If it sucks, please let me know. I need to practice this shit.

Chapter 2: The Fool

Caws filled the sky in the high afternoon as salmon-colored clouds streaked the sky. Deacon sat at a Railroad lookout post on a hill, the white Railroad symbol for ally painted on the side. How long had he been waiting here? Hours? Days? Months? He had forgotten. All he knew was that soon it would happen. He had been chasing this ghost for years.

In the near distance, the metallic screeching and the cranking of pulleys snapped him to attention. Mechanisms that had not been used for hundreds of years strained in their awakened state. He pulled out his binoculars and leaned forward in his chair. Was it time? Was it really time?

He adjusted the focus on his device. The massive gear-shaped elevator to Vault 111 slowly crept to the surface. A woman in blue fell to her knees. Deacon watched her electric blue vault suit with the golden '111' painted on the back scramble to wobbly knees. Absolutely dazed and confused, she was a living memory of the times long gone. She was like a character from a story that had been pulled into a different world.

Deacon grinned, pumping his fist in absolute elation. This was it! She was the ticket to everything he had been looking for; the only hope for the Commonwealth, the only one who could take down the Institute, the Sole Survivor of Vault 111's cryogenic chambers. He continued to watch as she stumbled down the beaten path of the vault towards Sanctuary Hills."

"Hello, Code-name Wanderer."


BZZT!

Bright white lights blinded Sole's vision. She recoiled as her eyes strained to adjust to the previously dark room. A woman's silhouette came into focus, flanked by a man and woman with big guns.

"Stop right there!" The central figure commanded. Blinking hard, Sole saw that she had brushed auburn hear and wore a Burberry scarf with a utilitarian outfit that covered everything but her pale arms and face. The woman continued, "You went through a lot of effort to arrange this meeting. But before we go any further, answer my questions. Who the hell are you?" Her voice was searing with suspicion.

Slightly irritated at this rude greeting Sole replied, "Why don't you tell me who you are first?" She had no reason to trust them either, why should she have to show her cards first?

"In a world full of suspicion, treachery, and hunters – we're the synths' only friends. We're the Railroad. So answer my question." She explained. So this is what Sole was looking for huh? Not exactly what she expected.

"I followed the Freedom Trail, looking for the Railroad. I'm not your enemy" Sole informed, holding up her hands in forfeit.

Guns still trained on Sole, the woman gave her a half smile, "If that's true, you have nothing to fear." Something told Sole that wasn't going to be true. The woman lowered her voice again, "Who told you how to contact us?"

Man this woman was not going to cut her any slack. What a prick. Sole glared at her as she thought of some bullshit she could spoon feed her.

"I helped Karl out of a jam. He knows a guy who knows a guy, and they hooked me up with a lead" She made up.

An attractive man with jet black hair in a white shirt and sunglasses came into view as he started walking towards the fiasco.

"We'll look into it" the woman's assertive voice brought Sole attention back to her. "I'm Desdemona, and I'm the leader of the Railroad. And you are?"

The man, now next to this Desdemona, propped up an elbow on her shoulder like she was an old pal, easing the tension of the situation. Desdemona shifted her gaze towards this sudden intruder.

"Deacon, where have you been?" She inquired.

Deacon gave her a cheesy smile and started using his hands as explanations, "You're having a party. What gives with my invitation?" He cajoled in a whimsical manner.

Shrugging her shoulder away from him Desdemona narrowed her gaze at him. "I need intel. Who is this?"

Deacon propped up his arms on his hips, "Wow! News flash, boss, this lady is kind of a big deal out there." Sole tensed up. What was he talking about? How did this man know her? She was pretty sure she had never met him before. Her first impression of him was that he was either a lackadaisical joker or an evil genius.

She decided to roll with it. "Glad someone finally noticed" she smirked.

Deacon let out an airy laugh, his attention focusing in on her. He continued, "You know, you're practically famous. The Railroad owes you a crate, hell a truckload, of Nuka-Cola for what you did to Kellogg. He was our public enemy number one."

"Thanks I-"

"Aaand as if that wasn't enough, you saved Amelia Stockton from those maniacs at Covenant. That earns you points in my book." He interrupted. "Dez, seriously, you haven't heard of her? She's the leader of the Minutemen. It seems like the whole Commonwealth if flying her flag."

"Oh stop, I-"

"Aaaand as if that wasn't enough, you're the Good Samaritan. Helping out that little ghoul boy, Billy. Not many people would do that. Does the Silver Shroud mean anything to you? I heard she took out Sinjin's gang all by herself. Pretty remarkable, huh?" He continued to gush to Desdemona. She stood there skeptically.

"What the hell you-"

"Aaaaand as if that wasn't enough, Nick Valentine was in a jam, as usual. But word is you bailed him out. And talked your way past Skinny Malone, too. She's the one rebuilding Sanctuary Hills with the Minutemen."

"You-you've been stalking me?!" Sole cried incredulously. Sole covered her body with her hands as if this maniac could somehow see straight through her.

The two ignored her as Desdemona raised her eyebrows up at Deacon. "So… you're vouching for her?"

Deacon nodded happily, "yes. Trust me, she's someone we want on our side."

"That changes things. So stranger, why did you want to meet with us, anyway?" Desdomona asked, directing her question at Sole.

"I've have a-"

"Aaand she is in possession of a Courser chip. Killed it all by herself" Deacon interrupted again.

Desdemona's brows shot straight to her hairline in surprise. Goddammit, there go her cards.

"You're saying this intruder actually killed a Courser? Single-handedly? That'd give even Glory a run for her money" Desdemona enthused, sounding impressed.

Sole narrowed her eyes at Deacon, reluctant to speak just to be interrupted again. She opened her mouth when,

"If you're done interrogating her, you might want to show this Courser-murdering machine a little courtesy. Just a thought" Deacon's mouth turned into a great big smile. Ass. He was playing with her.

This apparently was enough to convince Desdemona for she turned back to Sole and said, "I owe you an apology. Anyone who kills a Courser is good in my book."

Sole gave her a twisted smile, "Oh yeah, the little riddles and the decoder ring trick REALLY makes it hard to find you" she joked sarcastically.

"Anyone that wants to meet us is under surveillance as soon as they follow the Freedom Trail. If you were a threat to our organization, all you'd find her is an empty room." Desdemona informed, mouth hardening into a straight line, clearly peeved at Sole's making light of the situation.

Deacon looked startled, "Dez, we need to let her in! She's got an intact Courser chip, for god's sake!"

"That violates our security protocols." She shot back at him.

"To hell with that! She killed a Courser! There's no way she's working for the Institute." He emphasized as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

They whispered something to each other. Desdemona stepped off the platform and approached Sole, who straightened up. "We're letting you into our headquarters. You're the first outsider ever to be given this privilege. We'll discuss the details about your chip inside" she begrudgingly stated through grit teeth. "I need to ask you one question. The only question that matters, would you risk your life for a synth?" She leaned in.

A sweat drop rolled down Sole's neck as she swallowed, "I risk my life for people every day. Makes no difference to me if it's a human or a synth."

"Well said" she responded. Then she turned on her heel and retreated to the corridor at the other end of the room. Geez-o, this woman was going to be a hassle. "See Deacon for details" she called over her shoulder.

Sole was suddenly aware of the sunglasses maniac standing next to her. When the heck did he get there? She didn't even notice him! When their eyes met, he flashed her a cheesy grin.

"Hope you didn't mind the reception. When you tango with the Institute, you got to be careful when someone new gets on the dance floor."

Sole shrugged, "yeah I guess so. Your leader was just being cautious." She chose her words carefully. How much did this guy exactly know anyway?

"Exactly! Kind of killed our chance at a friendly first impression, though. But it's all good now. I vouched for you. Nobody got shot. Still, I would consider it a close personal favor if you didn't sell us out to the Institute. Thanks."

"Soo tell me, why did you vouch for me?"

"In our little outfit, it's my job to know things. And with everything you've done it's clear you're capable. A dangerous enemy. And, I'm betting, a valuable ally" he explained.

Something was still…off about it all and the situation didn't sit quite right with Sole. His non-committal bravado only made her more suspicious. He was skilled with words, there was no doubt. Sole painted a picture in her mind of all the people's questions he had waved away with his whimsy.

"But why the trust? You can't be taking it all on faith." She probed. If this was a game, she could play too. She stepped up closer to him, popping out her hip, crossing her arms, and lowering her gaze to look at him from under her lashes. Game on.

Deacon smirked as he looked at her posture but obligingly answered, "I don't know if we can trust you, but I hope we can. We just survived a hell of a crisis. So we may be just a teeny, weeny bit desperate for new members." He squished his fingers at the emphasis. "If everything was sunshine and bottle caps, we'd probably play a longer 'getting to know you' game. But we don't have that luxury."

Not enough. Sole's intuition told her there was something else he was hiding. She had gotten this far trusting her instinct. She took a step closer to Deacon. They were now only about a foot away from each other, close enough to wear they could feel the heat radiating off each other's bodies.

"Really? Is that all?" she asked in her motherly voice she had been practicing to use on Shaun if he ever brought home some girl from high school. Sad she never got to use it until now. Oh well.

Deacon licked his lips, taking in their closeness. He let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh, "You just don't give up. All right, I have a short list of people I think would be a good fit for our family. You piqued my interest, so maybe I asked around. Did my homework. If you hadn't found us, there's a chance I would've found you, instead. Thanks for saving me the trip."

He cupped a hand on the upper part of her arm, and tweaked his head to the side. Although she couldn't see his eyes, she could just tell he was winking. Then he walked off towards the direction Desdemona left in. The warm feeling of his hand lingered on Sole's arm.

Oh he was good.


"You were dressed as a bodyguard when I heard Hancock's speech in Goodneighbor?" Sole inquired.

"Nope. Drink up." Deacon laughed.

The two were sitting across from one another at a small round table in an abandoned shack they found during one of their many adventures. It was so cramped in the room, there was barely enough room for the two of them. The glow of the lantern danced across Deacon's glasses as he cheered Sole on while she downed another shot of Bobrov's Best Moonshine. She winced at the sharpness. She had been carrying it around for a special occasion, and when Deacon cleared out the whole place just for her to "sleep like the wrong princess on a pea," then she knew that this was the perfect time to whip it out.

"Piss. Then where were you?"

"I was posing as a drifter that day. Walked right by me, didn't even notice. You're not really that good with faces, you know that?"

Diamond City security, Goodneighbor drifter, the memory den stowaway, and Bunker Hill caravan worker were just some of the many disguises Deacon had assumed as he stalked her across the Commonwealth. Had this been another time, Sole would have definitely filed a restraining order on his ass, but now it was just curious. The more she got to know him, the more she realized that everything he did had a reason. This pathological liar covered his tracks so well that Sole had to backtrack on his words and cross-check them for reality.

"Ugh Deacon, why are you so obsessed with me?" Sole mused, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Because you're soooo cute" he kid in a girly voice with a sickeningly obvious flirtation fan of his face. She laughed.

"Ha ha you ass. My turn. When is my birthday?" She probed, leaning towards him on her folded hands.

Deacon mimicked her behavior, "February 15, 2047." He responded. "Drink."

Her face fell, "Oh come on! How could you possibly know that?" She groaned, "You're just cheating at this point!"

Deacon chuckled at her exasperation as she took another swig of moonshine. "Give it up boss, I know everything about you: your name, where you grew up, your third grade teacher, your mother's middle name, even the color of your panties you're wearing right now."

Her face flushed as she brought her hands straight down to her crotch "Bullshit!" she accused, more trying to convince herself.

He chuckled harder as he took a compensatory chug of the drink "Nah, you mumbled it in your sleep and I know your age, so I did the math."

Sole smized at him and extended a hand out towards his face, tickling the ginger stubble on his chin with her thumb and forefinger.

"It's so hot when you're being creepy" she flirted sarcastically.

He took her hand in his and placed a swift kiss on her fingers, "And momma said my charm was wasted on me."

They returned their hands to the table as they sat in a comfortable silence, looking out the window to the blanket of stars in the sky. She didn't let his flirts get the best of her. He flirted with everyone. Sometimes they flirted back, like Cait, Piper, and Hancock, but others like Danse were utterly appalled at his forwardness, leading to quite the amusing exchange of dialogue and sniggers. One time, he had even backed a very uncomfortable MacCready up to a wall, who squirmed to get out of the situation. He and Sole had howled with laughter about it later as they sat on the slanted roof of her old house at Sanctuary Hills. When Sole was a lawyer, she was trained in the practice of psychology, particularly on how to read people's behaviors. Deacon spread his affection so thin that to her, it was obvious he held no love for any of them. He always kept himself at a distance. Let people get close enough, but pushed away when they got too close. Defensiveness. He was covered in a shroud of mystery, even now, and she had spent months traveling with him!

Deacon broke the silence, "Hey, I got something important to say." He said it with such an awkward intonation that Sole's face contorted in an obvious confusion for a second. She nodded for him to continue.

"I really appreciate you putting up with my bullshit. Truth is, it's been a long time since I've had a…friend." He let out a short sigh and fiddled nervously with his bottle of moonshine. Sole tipped the bottom of the bottle to get him to drink. He did, and then continued, "I'm a liar. Everyone knows it. I make no secret of it. Because the truth is: I'm a fraud. To my core."

Deacon turned his face away from the bottle and down to the side, as if disgusted with himself. Sole remained silent.

"When I was young, a hell of a long time ago, I was… well, scum. I was a bigot. A very… violent bigot."

The air got so dark between them at his pause. "Go on," she gently encouraged him.

"I ran with a gang in University Point. We called ourselves the UP Deathclaws. For kicks, we'd terrorize anyone that we thought was a synth. We kept egging each other on. Started with some property damage graduated to some beat downs. Then, inevitably, a lynching. The Claw's leader was convinced we'd finally found and killed a synth. Looking back, I'm not so sure."

Sole's eyes widened. Deacon? Mr. I'm-against-violence? She was about to laugh, but the flicker of the flame from the lantern reflected against the serious creases in his face, so she stopped herself.

"You killed someone?" She asked, trying not to sound judgmental.

"That one was enough for me. It was his eyes… Those eyes haunt me. Bulging." His face contorted with pain as he grabbed his bottle of moonshine and chugged down a few hearty gulps. Trying to erase the pain probably. When he finished he slammed the bottle down and continued, "So I turned by back on my 'brothers' – broke all contact. Time passed, I became a farmer, if you can believe that. Then one day I found someone. She saw something in me I didn't know was there. Barbara, well, she was…She just was."

Sole suddenly felt awkward. He had such a sad smile, she felt guilty for ever having lewd thoughts about him. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she let them drop to her lap as Deacon reminisced about his past.

"What was she like?" It was the only thing Sole could think of asking.

The smile he gave! A genuine smile! The kind you only see when someone looks at someone they truly love. He had never given anyone that kind of smile. Sole felt a tiny pang of jealously.

"She had a smile like on those old magazine covers. Her eyes… We were trying for kids, eking out a living. Then one day… It turns out my Barbara… She was a synth." He paused. "She didn't know that. I certainly didn't. I don't know how the Deathclaws found out. But… there was blood."

"So they killed her?"

"Yes." Deacon balled his fist on the table. "I don't remember much clearly after that. I know I killed most of the Claws. I must've made a big impression. The Railroad contacted me, figuring I'd be sympathetic, seeing that I lost my wife. And, well, what I did afterwards."

"The Railroad let you in? Even though you were in the Deathclaws?" Sole asked incredulously, thinking back to the harsh interrogation Desdemona gave her when she had offered to help them.

Deacon shrugged, "So many years had passed that I don't think anyone, well except the Claws, knew that. All they knew is someone fought back. I don't even know why I lie any more. But I can't tell the truth. Everyone – Tom, Dez, you, even that asshole Carrington – they deserve to be in the Railroad. I don't. I'm everything wrong with this whole fucking Commonwealth. You're the only friend I got. I don't deserve you being OK with this."

Sole stood up. She felt the need to hold him. He was revealing a side to him that he hid from everyone else. There was so much grief on his face that she just wanted to take it all away. She scooted her chair right up against his and sat back down, her thigh pressing up against his leg.

Deacon continued, "Hell, I'm not even asking for it. But I figured you should know."

Sole placed a hand on his upper back and rubbed in small circles. She didn't really know how to console someone. The proper words to say to someone in a delicate situation always seemed to escape her. She just knew that she had to be there for him, "That's a lot to process."

He let out a humorless laugh, "I can imagine. Listen, you must be wondering, 'Hey, is Deacon messing with my head? Again? But even if you don't believe anything else, know that you're my friend. Maybe my only one. So. Good talk." He shifted away from Sole, trying to escape. It was the only thing he knew how to do.

Before he could, Sole grabbed him by the back of his head and forced his face towards her. Then she kissed him. It was a chaste, comforting kind of kiss. In the blink of an eye, Sole swiveled herself around to face him, straddling his legs between her thighs. Deacon must have been surprised because his mouth dropped at her sudden forwardness. She took the advantage, plunging her mouth onto his.

Maybe it was because they had just shared an emotional moment, but when Deacon finally wrapped his head around the situation, he kissed back with equally fervid intensity. When she finally plopped her hips down on his, he grunted.

Grabbing her by the arms, he lifted her up and shoved her up against the wall. In doing so, Sole bonked her head on the low hanging ceiling. Damn this tiny shack! Deacon broke their embrace to place a quick kiss on her head, and then dug his fingers into her hipbones. Her body filled with want.

Sole tilted her head to the side and let out a groan as Deacon's lips nipped at her artery. It suddenly felt too hot in there. Grabbing at his shirt, she quickly stripped it off him and tossed it to the side.

Deacon panted and thrust his hips against Sole's. She hadn't noticed how excited he was. That was fast. She grinned to herself; he wanted her! Noticing how he was fiddling with her armor straps, she helped him slip them off her. Then his lips were everywhere, nipping at her neck, trailing across her collarbone and back up to passionately envelop hers. Their tongues danced dangerously in each other's mouths as their shallowed breathing synchronized. Sole reached up to rip off his sunglasses. The table was only a foot or so away from them so she tossed them in that direction.

Shadowed blue eyes bore into hers, darkened with lust. Sole grabbed Deacon's torso and flipped their positions. He grunted as his back hit the wall. Within seconds they were back on each other, hips grinding, hands feeling, divulging in the feeling of their heat on one another.

With a swift movement, Deacon slid his hand down to cup her ass, pulling her into him, while the other unzipped the backside of her blue vault suit. Shrugging off the top half, she smiled as Deacon let out a shuddering breath at the sight of her ripe curves.

Sole gasped as he ghosted a hand over her pert nipples. Cupping both of her breasts, he thumbed her nubs in slow circles, kneading her soft flesh. She shivered. Dipping her hands into the waistline of his pants, she traced idle circles on the soft skin just above his heat.

"Fuck. Sole." He breathed.

Then she grabbed his throbbing cock and started pumping with her hands. Deacon's face contorted in pure pleasure as he threw his head back. His breathing picked up the quicker she went. His hands dug into the fresh of her waist, gripping for dear life. Bringing her head to the crook of his neck, she chuckled against his skin.

Deacon apparently had it with the teasing for he yanked Sole's hands out of his pants and twisted them back around so she was on the wall. He pushed his body up against Sole's as he reached a hand down between them to clamp her heat. Sole threw her head back at the electrifying touch. Circling her clit through the fabric of her vault suit, he pinned her to the wall, as to prevent her legs from giving out on her. The room spun like an amusement park ride.

"Deacon…" she managed to squeak out, "Fuck. Deacon, stop teasing."

"You're one to talk missy" he retorted as his lips overtook hers once again, tongue exploring her mouth in a hot, wet fervor. That was it. Pushing his hand off her, she stepped out of her vault suit and panties and kicked it aside with her foot. She looked back at him and bit her lip, eyes ever telling.

Hands were everywhere, feeling everything, as if they couldn't get enough of each other. Then that's when Deacon stealthily slid his long fingers down and into her slick heat. She gasped his name. With his other hand, he grasped the roots of her hair and pulled her hair back, letting her gasps escape outward, into the night air. With his other hand, he continued pumping, faster, and faster, until she saw stars. When he introduced his thumb back to her clit, she called out his name.

"Deacon! Fuck. Please." That was the most coherent thing she could manage under this exhilarating stimulation.

It was if that his was his cue as he released her momentarily to strip off his pants and caught her before she collapsed under her wobbly legs. His skin was so hot to the touch. She glossed her hands greedily over the taut muscles of his lean body as he grinded himself against her. The skin to skin contact was almost unbearably pleasurable.

Sole hiked her leg up around his waist in silent communication for him to continue. He obliged. Removing his hand, he entered her slowly, allowing her to adjust to his length. It had been a while since Sole had engaged in sexual intercourse. Technically it had been… over 210 years. Hah. But in all seriousness, Nate had been her last. They used to share so many passionate moments, but after he was drafted, she never got to see much of him. In fact, he had just gotten back from deployment when the bomb went off. They never even got a chance to touch each other.

Funny. It all seemed like so long ago now, as she screamed another man's name while he thrust into her.

"Fuuuuck, you're so tight. Am I popping your post-war cherry?" Deacon attempted as a joke, burying himself into Sole. He delighted in the view of her bouncing breasts in front of him.

"Sh-shut up. Go faster." Sole commanded.

"Yes boss" he replied as his thrusts came in quicker, harder intensities. His hand slid down from her head to cup the ass of her raised leg as he held her against him with his forearm. It was only moments after that that Deacon blurted, "I'm coming!"

"Ah, me too!" she mimicked.

Deacon's free hand shot back down to her clit, rubbing her right to the edge of orgasm as they both felt the surge of pleasure take hold of their senses. He quickly detached himself from Sole as he came on her chest. Fuck, she was pretty.

Panting, Deacon fell backwards onto the chair behind him as Sole slid down to the ground. The two took a moment to recollect their breaths, along with their senses. Sole, recovering quicker than he did, began recollecting her suit and armor, gathering it all in her arms. Using her hand, she began wiping off his fluids from her chest. Once she had finished that, she began stepping into her vault suit in order to zip it up when Deacon extended an arm out to her.

"Shirt please" he asked in an adorably cute voice. Sole chuckled as she threw it at his head. He tried to stand, failed, and fell back down to the chair. "Nope, I need another minute here. Deacon is down for the count."

Sole searched around for the dirty mattress they had seen earlier, lying against the outside wall, and brought it in to the smallest space left behind the table. She plopped down on her back with a relieved sigh.

"Ahhh, that felt great. I'll be…yeah, I'll be over here. Whenever you decide to join me" she mumbled, closing her eyes. Limbs extending outwards, she listened to the sounds of the night and fabric move as Deacon dressed himself.

"Ehhh 7 out of 10" he snickered.

"Ass."

Sole almost drifted off to sleep when she felt a hand reach across her tummy. The warmth of a body pushed itself up against her side as the hand continued to coil around her, pulling her close. Turning towards Deacon, she snaked a leg in-between his and snuggled herself up against his torso. He was so warm. Her chest swelled with affection at this little action. She had never thought of cuddling with Deacon before. It was…nice.

What a wild night that had been. Sole was left to her thoughts as they both silently drifted into a slumber. Deacon's breaths became heavier. As she lifted a hand to his face a pang of guilt rose in her heart. She suddenly realized that she had basically taken advantage of his weakness after he had just talked about his dead wife. What kind of scum was she? She made a mental note to apologize to him later. Deacon fascened Sole into a tighter embrace as he murmured in his sleep. It was so cute, she kissed his forehead.

"Good night Deacon," she whispered.

He muttered some more unknown syllables. The only coherent thing she could make out of his string of slurs was "Barbara."

-End Note-

'The Fool' is a card used in divinity indicating the very beginning of everything. He symbolizes the trickster that balances on the edge of a cliff with his dog that follows him blindly. This card means that you must take a leap of faith, putting in all your trust that you make it.

While I do NOT believe in divination, I think the cards are still fun in a symbolic aspect and I will be using them to title my chapters from now on.