Trudging behind Nora, Remi often fought the urge to wait until the older woman was distracted by her mindless babbling before turning around and running for the hills. She didn't want to be at Sanctuary Hills any longer. She felt cheated; MacCready hadn't warned her of the people who were perfect in every sense of the word. Being around Nora and Preston made her feel so unimportant.
"We don't have as many settlers as we'd like just yet," Nora explained as the two came to a stop in front of a tan house. Their last stop on the tour, thankfully.
The holes in the walls had been patched by haphazard pieces of lumber and the windows looked as if they actually held glass. After a hasty period of speculation, Remi realized that there was indeed glass and her mind reeled. How in the hell did they manage that? Most of the windows back at Diamond City held only flimsy, ripped sheets and blankets.
"So, until we get more, consider this house yours."
The windows paled in comparison to those words. "Seriously?" Remi questioned, searching Nora's face for any sign that she was joking. The house was rather large, especially in contrast to her former home.
Nora offered a compassionate grin. "This is a three bedroom, so once more people come to Sanctuary Hills, you'll have to share. But until then, it's seriously all yours."
As much as Remi wanted to disclose the insignificant fact that it wasn't necessary because she wouldn't be sticking around long, she took a step toward it. This, technically, was the first time she'd been in an actual home. All the dwellings in Diamond City – aside from the mayor's, which overlooked the entire city – were speedily built shacks that groaned and wobbled during windstorms. Resting her hand on the rusted doorknob, Remi glanced back at Nora, who simply nodded in approval.
The interior caught the girl off-guard. Much more immense than she expected, the den and kitchen were fully furnished with an obviously used couch, a wooden dining table, matching chairs, and a dirty, yet somehow cozy-looking rug.
"I gussied this one up myself," Nora commented from behind Remi. "I never realized just how therapeutic home design could be." Although she meant for her words to come across lightheartedly, Remi picked on the subtle dismal tone underneath. "Well, I'll leave you to get moved in. Remember, if you get hungry, there's usually always someone cooking in the community house."
Remi waved her off, relieved to finally be alone in her new – albeit, temporary – home. She closed the door the moment the woman was out of sight and plunged deeper into the building. With a choosing between three bedrooms, Remi picked the master to drop her belongings in upon seeing that it was the only one with an actual framed bed.
Lying back on it, she couldn't help but wonder how they'd even found enough mattresses to offer. In Diamond City, even a twin-sized one sold for roughly two thousand caps. It had taken Remi three years to save up for hers just to have to leave it behind. If all the houses in Sanctuary Hills held even one mattress a piece, Nora was practically sitting on a gold mine.
Just as Remi began to doze off, her stomach rumbled deeply. Sighing, she opened her eyes and stared at the paint-chipped ceiling. The mattress underneath her body was so comfortable – it definitely beat sleeping on the dirty concrete floor of the shed that MacCready had taken her to the night before. She pulled herself to her feet, wondering where he'd gone to. She hadn't seen him since Nora had taken over the tour and although she didn't want to admit it, she was starting to miss his annoying remarks. Big houses, she soon came to realize, were much easier to feel lonely in.
The walk from Remi's home to the community house was rather short. Whether it was the actual distance or the fact that her stomach controlled her pace, she made it in no time at all. Lights glowed from the windows and boisterous laughter echoed throughout Sanctuary Hills.
Before she even set foot into the house, Remi was greeted by two people reclining in plastic chairs outside. Both men, she only recognized the one who seemed to be a few years older. It was the security guard from earlier. Instinctively, her defenses heightened; the last thing she felt like putting up with was this asshole.
Instead of meeting her with a glare and venom in his words like before, he grinned and waved her over. "Hey, new meat!" he yelled, his words slightly slurred. As Remi approached the two, she noticed the booze bottles in their hands and the empty ones littered around the chairs.
"Don't call me that," she deadpanned, trying to ignore the man who was more unfamiliar to her. Taking sip after sip of his beer, he kept his eyes locked on her. "Is MacCready in there?"
"You mean our good buddy RJ?" The two men exchanged a knowing look. "Yeah, your boyfriend's in there," the younger replied with a chuckle. "Why don't you stay and keep us company, though? We're more fun than he is."
Rolling her eyes, Remi scoffed, refusing to justify the boyfriend comment with any sort of acknowledgment. "Pigs," she spat as she made her way into the house.
The main room wasn't crowded by any means, but all the chatter made it feel as though it were. She stopped short, indecisive of where she should go next. To her left, she spied a man pacing back and forth in the kitchen, muttering to himself. Two large tables had been placed in the room she stood in, both occupied. Fortunately, after a moment of scanning faces, she came across Nora and MacCready sitting at the one furthest from the door. She wasted no time making her way to them.
"Look who finally decided to join the party," MacCready commented, his cheeks a soft tint of red. He pulled one of the chairs next to him from the table and patted the worn seat. "Getting settled in all right?"
Plopping herself down, Remi curled her nose at the stench of alcohol that permeated the air around him. "You're plastered," she said without a hint of doubt. Her eyes dragged to Nora, who simply shrugged and took a delicate sip of her own beer. She didn't seem nearly as drunk as MacCready."You guys seem pretty calm for having an entire neighborhood to protect, especially when the sun is starting to set."
"We've got two on duty," Nora assured her as she waved down the man from the kitchen. "Three, if you count Dogmeat. There really is no need to worry, Remi."
But the younger girl wasn't convinced. Even as a plate of some sort of grilled vegetable was placed in front of her and her mind was slightly distracted by the scent of it, Remi couldn't bring herself to believe there was nothing to worry about. "There's a dozen guards on duty at all times in Diamond City," she informed them, using a bent fork to dig into her food. "It's just a little hard for me to think this place is protected by two people and a dog."
Exhaling loudly through his nose, MacCready leaned backward, resting his arm on the back of her chair. "This place isn't as...advertised as Diamond City," he retorted. "I haven't heard of an attack here since...well, ever." His eyes widened in realization before his gaze settled on the back of her head.
Remi, however, was too appalled by the way Nora stared at him to come back with anything to continue proving her point. Nora's features softened, her own eyes casting an almost dreamy look. Maybe it was because she'd been drinking, but Remi doubted half a beer could bring anyone to that level.
"Well, if it happens," Nora said, a sly grin growing on her face, "at least I'll feel better knowing I've got the best gun-for-hire in the Commonwealth on my side."
Whatever vegetable Remi had been munching on suddenly tasted of mud. Her stomach flipped, her appetite disappeared, and she pushed her chair back from the table. What the hell was going on with her? Why did Nora's words – which should've meant nothing to Remi – force a pang of...of...whatever this feeling was inside her?
"Hey, you good?" MacCready asked, a crease of concern between his brows as he tilted his head back to look at her. "You only took three bites."
Remi's russet eyes paired his blue ones for what felt like hours before they dragged down to his lips. Somewhere on the other side of the table, Nora's voice echoed, but Remi couldn't pick up on what she said. She'd never paid any attention to MacCready's lips before, so why was everything about them suddenly so different and enticing?
"I'm full," she squeaked, stepping away from the chair to push it back into place. "I never eat much. You two can have the rest. I'm, uh, going to turn in for the night. So, yeah. Bye."
Whatever MacCready had called out fell on deaf ears. Feeling as if she couldn't get away from the two quickly enough, Remi practically jogged from the community house, her stomach pining for more food. She ignored it the entire way back to her own home, her mind advising her that only the taste of dirt would fill her mouth.
Once she was behind closed doors, Remi shut her eyes tightly and let out a heavy breath. She plopped herself onto the dusty couch and buried her face in her hands. Just what exactly had that been about? She'd never felt so bitter about being around a person before. Her gut lurched just thinking about Nora and the way she looked at MacCready.
MacCready.
In the Commonwealth, there were at least five hundred things to fret over: radiation poisoning, finding enough food to last until the next day, druggies who were so brain fried that they couldn't tell a human apart from a Deathclaw. Men were definitely the very last thing on that list, if they weren't trying to kill you.
Cupping her mouth and nose between her palms, Remi shook her head. "Get a hold of yourself," she scolded outwardly against her skin. "He doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is staying alive."
In the darkest, most honest corners of her mind, however, she knew that MacCready did matter. If it hadn't been for him, she would've been turned into Super Mutant shit long ago.
Three heavy knocks at the front door broke Remi's reverie. Gathering herself, she made her way toward the door, standing on her toes to look through the peephole. MacCready stood underneath the low light of the bulb outside, his eyes glazed over and his arms crossed over his chest.
Remi's first thought was to hurry to unlock the door and yank it open. She stopped herself short, deciding that maybe it would be better to pretend she was asleep. Then again, what if he needed something – something Nora couldn't do for him? That thought lifted Remi's spirits slightly.
The moment she opened the door and MacCready's eyes landed on her, a goofy drunken grin curled on his lips. "Thought you were going to bed," he commented, looking over her head to peer into the house.
Remi accepted his curiosity and pushed the door the rest of the way open. "It usually takes me more than ten minutes to pass out." As he walked past her, his face illuminated by the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling in the den, she cast her attention to the gun tied securely on his back. "Do you ever take that thing off?" She thought of her own weapon: the crowbar that had been carelessly tossed into the bedroom alongside her backpack.
"Can't afford to," MacCready replied, his eyes tracing every crevice of the walls as if he were etching the surfaces into his memories. "So, what? No tour?"
He'd come for a tour of the house? What exactly was there to show other than the bed, which was the only thing Remi was excited to own? Baffled, she shrugged and outstretched her palms, motioning to everything around her. "Um, so the couch is there," she said awkwardly. She'd never had the chance to show off a home before. "It provides cushioned seating for butts of all shapes and sizes."
MacCready's persistent smile met her dumbfounded expression. "Wow, really? I never would've figured that out!" he exclaimed with sarcasm. A hearty laugh followed his words. "Oh, don't give me that look, Remi. You know I'm just messing with you."
Sure, she knew that, but it didn't stop her from feeling that same sort of jealousy from before as the realization set in that he was here to check out the house, not to see her. Remi immediately reminded herself that it didn't matter – that he didn't matter. She barely knew anything about the guy. Hell, she'd only recently learned his true name.
With a sigh of exhaustion, Remi narrowed her eyes. "Feel free to look around on your own," she offered. "I'm not going to be staying long anyway."
Already venturing into the hallway, MacCready inquired, "Why? You'd have to be an idiot to pass up a place this nice! Three bedrooms and an actual bed? Seriously, this place is something to brag about!"
On that, Remi had to agree with him. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she strummed her fingertips on the cracked and stained surface. "I guess I'm an idiot, then," she shot back. She didn't want to explain herself, but her mind raced with reasons why she had to get out of Sanctuary Hills, the main being the way Nora looked at MacCready.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew she was being childish. She was letting a person – a guy who absolutely did not matter – control a decision that could lead her to a better, much safer life. At least here, the chances of being found were practically nonexistent. The only people who knew she was here wouldn't give out that information to anyone who asked.
Remi took a second to think that statement over before coming to the conclusion that it wasn't entirely true. She didn't know anything about these people, MacCready included.
"Sorry, wrong choice of phrasing," MacCready said as he emerged from the hallway. "Mind if I crash here for the night? I'll take the couch so I don't hog your bed."
Remi studied him for a moment. Obviously too intoxicated to keep himself out of danger, MacCready leaned against the wall, patiently waiting for her answer. New and odd feelings for him aside, there was no way she could deny him. Not after everything he'd done for her.
"Make yourself at home," Remi muttered, starting for her bedroom.
Just as she passed him, MacCready seemed to tense. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot." Digging into the satchel on his hip, he provided a wad of something wrapped in a cloth. "I knew you were full of crap when you said you don't eat much; I saw the way you inhaled that InstaMash I cooked for you. So, here."
Insanely intrigued, Remi took the wad from his hand and unwrapped it. Her food from earlier plus some. At first, she was speechless. Nobody had ever gone so much out of their way to make sure she was fed, especially two times. Then, after a moment of silence between the two, she looked up at his booze blushed face and uttered a soft, "Thank you."
Without another word, MacCready nodded and promptly sprawled out as much as he could on the couch. As Remi placed the food on the counter, she watched him lie on his back, his gun across his chest with one finger near the trigger, and seemingly fall asleep in no time at all.
She didn't loiter for too long. Just before she reached up to turn the light bulb off, she cast one more glance toward MacCready, a warm feeling spreading throughout her chest. He didn't matter, she repeated over and over again in her mind as she felt her way to the bedroom through the darkness. It was just a crush that would disappear once one of them was gone for good.
Remi's bed creaked in welcome as she crawled onto it. As tired as she felt, she expected to fall asleep as quickly as MacCready did. A noise kept her awake – one that filled her with an overwhelming sense of dread. It wasn't gunshots or frantic dogs barking. It was the simple booming of approaching thunder.
Before she knew it, Remi was back in the den, rousing MacCready awake. He woke with a gasp and immediately jumped to his feet, his gun ready to fire at any given moment. "What, what?!" he breathed, desperately looking to her for guidance. "What the hell's going on?!"
Remi had never felt so stupid in her life. Maybe she really was an idiot, but hearing the rain while being in a completely foreign place was just too much for her to handle. "It's going to rain again," she hissed.
With a huff of exasperation, MacCready lowered his gun. "You've got to be kidding me," he growled, his voice laced with annoyance. "Not this again, Remi."
His tone stung, but she kept on anyway. She needed something familiar to get her through this and at that moment, he was the closest thing she was going to get. "Just...sleep with me for this one night," she said, panic rising inside her at another boom, "please."
"What?" MacCready couldn't help but wonder if he was dreaming or still drunk and just imagining this. He knew Remi had an issue with the rain, but this just seemed a little too dramatic, even for her.
"It doesn't have to be in the same bed," Remi blabbered on as she curled her fingers around his wrist and led him toward the bedroom. Her body felt as if it were moving on its own. "You can have the bed and I'll take the floor. I don't care. I just need you in the same room."
Ultimately, they both ended up on the bed. After a series of arguments that MacCready would take the floor instead, rain began to pelt the roof and Remi proceeded to reach for his arm and yank him onto the mattress with her.
Sleep avoided the two for hours. For Remi, it was for the fact that water was splashing down everywhere around the house. It left her breathless and trembling in horror. For MacCready, it was different. He'd always enjoyed the rain, especially the sound of it. Unfortunately, he found it hard to savor it with a quivering girl lying next to him, her breathing so ragged that he was unsure if she was crying or not.
He didn't know what to do or say for that matter. It wasn't as if he could wrap his arms around her and kiss her and tell her that everything would be okay. She was practically a stranger to him, but he finally decided that anything would be better than nothing. Double checking to make sure his gun was at the edge of the bed, he rolled to face Remi, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She tilted her head to look back at him, giving him just enough of a view of her face to see what she was crying. "What's up with you?" he questioned as she turned to face him, her arms protectively wrapped around her body. "Why does rain freak you out so badly?"
Remi brought her lower lip into her mouth to bite down on it. "It's everywhere all at once," she whispered. "It smothers."
Her answer left MacCready more confused than ever, but he didn't press anymore on the subject. Remi was tough, or at least she acted like it. Whatever had happened to her to make her so terrified of rain must've been traumatizing. So, he did the only thing he would think of: he brushed his thumb underneath her eyes, wiping at her tears, and pulled her close into him.
For as long as she could remember, Remi had never had anyone hold her before. Beneath the sheer terror racking through her being, that same warmth she felt earlier lit inside her. As MacCready rested his chest on the top of her head, she relaxed in his arms, allowing her eyes to close.
They exchanged no words, but he stayed right next to her the entire night. MacCready was there and that was all that mattered.
(~)
Slender, delicate fingers gently shook Remi awake. Her eyes, swollen and itchy, fluttered open to Nora's face hazing into view. Before she had the chance to say anything, Nora silently shushed her.
As Remi began to sit up, she noticed the arm lying limply across her hips. Sometime during the night, MacCready had formed himself against her curvature, his mouth settled at the base of her neck. Ever so slowly, she pried herself from his grasp without waking him and followed Nora from the house, grabbing her crowbar along the way.
Sunlight just barely peeked out over the hills and the earth was rancid and moist beneath Remi's torn shoes. Rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands, she let out a lengthy yawn. "Why am I up at the asscrack of dawn?" she groaned. She would have much rather stayed in bed with MacCready, even if she refused to express that.
Nora seemed unfazed by the earliness of the day. In fact, with her mouth pulled into a deep frown and her brows furrowed together, she looked more worried than anything else.
"I've gotten word of a Raider gang that's planning on attacking Sanctuary Hills soon," she explained, her almond shaped eyes boring into Remi's. "I need your help taking them out."
