The youngest Lamplighter, Bumble, walked Anastasia and Charon to their room.
"I don't get to do much around here, Mayor says I'm too young, and Princess says I'll just mess stuff up, but she's mean anyway. I think I could help sometimes." She said. Her footed pajamas caught on a rock and she fell, her hands clutching her teddy bear rather than going to catch her. She burst into tears, a dribble of blood escaping from a scrape on her cheek.
Before Charon could blink Anastasia was holding the little girl, cooing and mumbling comforts to the girl, who stopped crying and just sniffled into Anastasia's shoulder. Charon watched.
Must be her 'motherly instincts' or whatever they call that shit. I didn't realize…
Charon hadn't realized before that that 'kid' from the vault was actually a woman, not a little girl. Although she was newer to the wasteland, she was mature enough to handle it, to handle all the stuff she'd been through and still give everything to others, which was more than most could say.
"Mungo, you're like a mom, you know." Bumble said, sniffing.
"Call me Ana. Have you ever known your mother?"
"No," Bumble replied. "Adults drop their kids off here from Big Town. I don't really have a mommy." Anastasia was silent.
"I don't have a mommy either." Charon was startled. It hit him then, how little he knew of her, other than snippets of good deeds from the radio, and that she was looking for her father.
"Do you wanna be my mommy, sometimes when you come to visit?" Bumble asked it, nonchalantly, as if it was a regular question. Anastasia blinked, then smiled.
"Of course."
Ana held Bumble's hand all the way back to the makeshift rooms, and kissed Ana goodbye on the cheek,
"'Cause that's what mommies and kids do to say goodnight."
Charon and Anastasia found themselves alone. She smiled, wearily.
"Didn't expect to be sending the night here, of all places." Suddenly, something on Charon's armor caught her eye; a bullet hole. "Charon, you've been shot!" He grunted.
"Don't worry about it."
"That wasn't all raider blood was it?"
"Really, kid, I'm fine."
"Charon, let me see your wounds, or they'll get infected!" Anastasia demanded, tapping a finger on his armor.
"No, I'm fine."
"Charon!" She reached for a strap, and he caught her arm.
"Stop!"
"No, I need to-"
"Come on!"
"Hah!
"Damn it, kid!" Anastasia unbuckled the straps on Charon's armor and inspected his undershirt for any bullet holes, and found one.
"Alright, are we gonna do this the hard way?" Charon rolled his eyes, sighing. Truthfully, he'd love to wrestle around with her some more, but he still had his image to keep up. He took his undershirt off and stood, looking at her.
She looked at his bare chest. He was very muscled, his veins and some of his muscles exposed where he had no skin left. She could see some little indentions from his wraps, shirt and armor, and she slowly moved to him, running her fingers across his chest, almost curiously.
He watched her silently, the light from the kerosene lantern through the holes in the partition that separated them from the area of the room where the mattress was and making patterns dance across her skin, like the opposite of a ghoul, like she was being put together instead of falling apart. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers through her hair.
She finally looked up and met his eyes. The world froze, and there was nothing but them.
"You still have a few minutes left." She whispered.
"I know." He replied, touching her face lightly. He kissed her. She closed her eyes, feeling his presence all around her as he drew her close, slipping an arm around her waist, holding her tight. She put her arms around his neck. They kissed feverishly and Charon felt their tongues intertwine as his minutes slowly ticked away. Finally he gave her one more kiss, and then stepped away. "Times up." He said, feeling caged. She looked at him, silently contemplating.
"I think your watch is fast."
"What-" Anastasia smiled, placing a finger to his mouth.
"Just kiss me again, Charon." He smiled.
"As you wish."