She's mad because she has to sleep naked.
There's no air conditioner for their tent and Gehenna is a creature of comfort after having that suite in the Lucky 38. She doesn't like the heat, never had and coupled with having to share a bed with someone else - which she has never had to do - makes Gehenna very uncomfortable.
Vulpes has no problem with the situation.
"I swear to God, if you try to stick your hand -"
She chokes on her last words and trembles, fingers bunching in the sheets. Her eyes feel like they're gonna pop out of her skull and she can't breathe. He chuckles in her ear and she knows he is watching her but she's trying to reel herself in. That was how she melted last time. How she got pregnant. She wasn't lying when she said he had magical fingers.
"Vulpes, please," she whispers.
A beat. "You were willing earlier."
She swallows and a tear runs down her cheek. She looks over at him, chewing on her bottom lip. He's staring at her impassively, then he sighs. She's done this beforr eith the mood swings. All of her mistakes - her sniper - come crashing down on her, weigh her down. He grunts and pushes himself up, staring at her belly.
"What did your doctor say," he muttered.
She wipes away the tear and reaches out to her belly, unable to wrap her arms all the way around like she wants to. Vulpes stares at her belly for awhile then places a hand on it. Something about the action soothes her and as she rubs small circles on her belly, she thinks about the news.
"Our baby is gonna die," she hiccups.
He jerks his head back to look at her, bewilderment in his eyes while she blinks through the tears. "What do you mean?"
She shakes her head and wipes at her face. "Arcade knows the sex. Its a girl."
She's a sniper.
Boone says she's a natural.
"Really, I never noticed. Back home, the most common weapon was a sniper rifle. And Big guns. No grenade launchers, though we had plenty of grenades. I could never throw for beans so it would have come in handy."
They're sharing a cigarette in the mountains, she's enjoying the chill in the air.
He ashes that cigarette before taking a long drag; when he coughs, she cringes, hearing the horrible rasp. But she won't tell him, not yet.
"Big guns," he mutters.
She instantly perks up. "Oh hell yeah! Missile launchers, miniguns, gatling lasers - I even had a Tesla Cannon."
He gives her an odd look. "How'd you get a hold of one of them?"
She plucks up the cigarette. "I had to hunt one down, kept it until it fell apart on the trip to Vegas. I shot down a Vertibird near Searchlight."
"Of course you did," he chuckled.
The air grew quiet around then, even the wind seemed to stop. Gehenna picked at her nails, flicking the cigarette away. Hesitation was always her worst feature, bur Boone was patient. Like dealing with a child, which worked because she still was one. Just twenty one, and he was nearing fourty. Gehenna sighed, looking up towards the sky and making her peace. It had been one hell of a day but all loose ends tied, she was very tired.
"See you snagged his gun," Boone grunted.
It was in her hand. How did it get there? She rolled it around in her hand, examiningthe gold and silver visage of Mother Mary and the swirled patterns up the barrel. A very beautiful gun, a lot of love was put into making this piece. No doubt a custom piece.
"Yeah," she muttered. "Hey Boone?"
"Yeah?"
"You ever consider going solo against Cottonwood Cove? Or even the Fort?"
He shrugged. "Not really," she almost breathed a sigh of relief. "Until you made me join your little rag tag group. I think I'd fight for all of you, even go solo."
Oh no.
Gehenna shook her head, licking her lips. "Well...that sucks."
She shot him.
His head snapped and he slumped to the side, his whole body sagging. Gehenna flinched when blood sprayed across her face but holstered Maria. With a trembling jaw, she pulled him to her with all of her strength. His head lolled into her shoulder as she cradled him, crying into his bloody beret.
"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so, so, so sorry. B-But you would have done it...I knew you would..."
Arcade was coming to check on the safehouse, she'd drag him inside, leave a note. She wouldn't just leave him in the dust like Benny. She'd already fixed things for Lily, paid for Veronica's trip to her new Brotherhood chapter in D.C., sent Rex back to the King, ED-E was Arcade's partner now and aforementioned man was doing his own thing. Raul had dissapeared a long time ago, just after she had offed Benny. He was a grown ghoul.
But Boone had nothing left to do. He always followed her, he was her shadow.
And the Legion was coming for her.
The Fox was in the room right now.
He watched her while she wiped tears away, straightening Boone out on one of the spare beds. She leaned his rifle against the wall beside the bed, glaring at the cold eyed monster.
"Why do you even care for the NCR dog," Vulpes purred, bowing over her.
She closed her eyes when he brushed the hair from her collar bone; she hated him. "Why do you care about whom I care about?"
He chuckled, and it was dark and menacinf, just like the way he kissed her. He bit her lips and his teeth hit hers, but she allowed it. She couldn't fight, they'd go after her friends. When he pulled away, he couldn't even find hate in her eyes. There was only acceptance, and he honestly had mixed feelings.
For a split second.
"Come now," he placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the door.
She still cried.