Avery
"Hello." I murmured softly staring at his back. He was still using my home as his own while I was gone, I felt a strange nostalgia seeing him staring out the window with his back to me. Sometimes when I looked at him all I would see was Nate, other times I would see him for who he truly was...
"Hey, doll... What brings you here? Without Deacon?" I take a deep breath sitting on my bed as he leans against the wall.
"I made you a promise to help you, its time to hit the road." He clenched his fist tightly.
"I almost thought you forgot about me." I shake my head biting my lip as I looked up at him.
"I could never forget about you." I look at him surprised as he drops to his knees and wraps his arms around my waist. I squeeze my eyes shut as I put his cap aside and run my fingers through his shaggy light brown hair.
"I'm sorry." The words were uttered into my stomach and they made my heart clench painfully. I patted his head gently before he sat up, His eyes were the color of a storm, dark and murky, filled with unshed tears. I wanted to hug him and I sure as hell couldn't deny that I missed him. My lover... my best friend... he was different from the others. While I felt lust for them, MacCready is the only one that pushed me further than just a carnal attraction. He's the one that bewitched me causing me to fall for him before I even realized it was happening.
Those thoughts alone are dangerous and I know I have to pull away before I fall too deep once again. I don't want to, I have Deacon waiting on me. I couldn't betray his trust because he wouldn't do that to me.
"We have work to do, come with me to Mass Pike Interchange." I stood closing myself off once more before offering him my hand, he took it allowing me to lift him to his feet.
"Thank you, for coming back." He whispered softly and I only nodded my head. Together we walked outside to where Haylen was waiting for us by the Vertibird with a worried face.
"Paladin Danse called in multiple times since we left, he is not going to be happy with us." She mutters making MacCready look over me with an incredulous expression.
"It'll be alright Haylen. I can handle Danse." She nodded getting back to pilot the vertibird.
"You plan to stay with them?" He uttered softly, I simply shrugged my shoulders getting onto our ride.
"Avery please reconsider this." He whispered lowly so only I could hear him, he sat beside me his dark blue eyes begging.
"I can't, it's too late," I stated calmly as we ascended into the air, our destination was mass Pike interchange. He sighed laying his head against the seat, this ride wouldn't be a long one, But that didn't mean that the discomfort wouldn't make it seem longer. I felt a hand over mine, I looked up at him as he looked up away from me. I just laid my head on his shoulder and shut my eyes, I could feel my whole body aching all over again.
MacCready
Before I knew it Avery was sleeping on my arm, her breaths shallow almost like when she lost her voice. I felt awful for doing what I did, part of me wonders if she realized what her drinking did to me. The way she drowned herself in it so completely. All it reminded me of was the time after Lucy's death, how I hurt Duncan with how stupid I acted. He still saw me as his father, I tried to raise him as best I could. I promised him I would be a better person, though I continued lying to him about who I was and what I did.
He believed dear old dad was a soldier, he would be so disappointed to find out his father was a worthless mercenary. So, I got out of there as fast as I could, I left him with his grandmother Anna. I ended up here only to see Avery following through in the same mistakes I had made. I didn't want her to have to answer for the things she had done in her drunken state when she did find her son. I looked down at her and I felt my heart skip a beat. Alabaster skin so smooth, her long raven eyelashes casting shadows against her rosy cheeks as the sun begins to go down over the horizon. I feel my hand twitch as I fight the urge to move her bangs from her face. In the end, I lost the fight, I pushed her maroon locks from her face tucking them gently behind her ear as I allowed myself to run my knuckles down her soft skin.
Her steel eyes flutter open only slightly as she looks up at me still hazy from her sleep."Good morning sleepy head." I murmur only to see her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mac, Stop m' sleepy." I couldn't help but chuckle as that as I cupped her cheek placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She lets a sound that is a mix of a complaint and a whine, I only smile down at her as she closes her eyes again. That's when I notice it, the leather jacket she's wearing slips from her shoulder and I see bruises covering her entire shoulder. I pull the jacket to the side making her eyes snap open as she catches my hand in hers stopping me from looking at the marks.
"Doll What happened?" Her hand loosens around mine as she allows me to push the jacket from her shoulders. Her whole body is covered in black and dark purple marks, scabs and wounds covering her shoulders and chest. I also finally notice her bandaged hands and my jaw drops, I have no idea what to ask or what to say.
"I fell from a vertibird on my last mission, But Deacon... he got the worst of it. He made sure he landed under me." Her voice was somewhat angry about the whole ordeal.
"I'd hug you but i feel like that would only make you ache more than you already are." She nodded looking a lot more awake than before.
"Haylen? How far out are we?" She says as she stands to peek her head into the room in front of us.
"Yes Miss Avery, we have reached our destination. How should we go about this?" I stood looking at the two women.
"I'm not usually one to do this sort of thing but why don't we just blow up the whole waystation." She questioned looking at me for approval.
"How would we set any sort of charges without being caught?" She pulls her backpack from her shoulder and rifles through it handing me a bag of caps.
"Youll let them bring you in. I will have Haylen drop me at the top of the bridge from there i will make my way setting the charges around the waystation." It sounded like a full proof plan except she hadn't mentioned any exits.
"how do we make it away from the explosions?" Her eyes stray to the bridge ahead of us and just by the look in her eyes i can tell what she's thinking.
"We jump into the river?" Her bright gray eyes meet mine and she nods. This sounds crazy but I'm on board if it will get me the hell away from Barnes and Winlock, I will do it. After that, I can focus on Duncan and find his cure.
"Let's do it, Here these should help you fit in. They are from my days in the gunners." I pull my old uniform from my pack followed by a hat, a pair of shades and a bandana.
"This should hopefully make things easier on us." She strips herself of her clothes not even caring that I'm watching. I swallow hard seeing her perfect body in nothing but her underwear, I don't even hide the fact that I'm watching. She stands before me in all her alabaster glory, tying her dyed maroon hair in a bun. I lick my lips my mouth suddenly feeling dry as I stared her eyes met mine and she rolled her eyes.
I shook away all my thoughts and handed her camo pants that she easily slipped into. I grabbed a belt sliding it around her waist as she pulled a white tank top over her head before slipping her arms into my shirt. I quickly buttoned her shirt before finishing up her belt. I tucked her pants into her boots and finally stood admiring our work. She hid her long beautiful hair under a gunners cap before tying the bandana so it covered her face, even with only her steel eyes showing she looked gorgeous.
I hated myself for losing her, for allowing her to slip from my grip. I wanted to kiss those sinful lips of hers, to love her in a way she would realize only I could. She grabbed the shades from my hands placing them on her face and I had to admit she was unrecognizable.
"This just might work." I grinned, she laughed behind her disguise, before waving me out of the vertibird.
"Let's do this." She nodded as I jumped down from the vertibird, I look back at her for a moment.
"If something goes wrong... I think you should know, I've been falling hard for you. Though there're reasons why I can't be in love with you that doesn't mean I wasn't starting to feel it for you. You are everything that is right with my life... Without you... I'll go back to being the miserable as- jerk I was before I met you." I regret the fact that I covered her face. I couldn't see what emotions were playing in her eyes, but maybe it was better that way.
I had just put all my feelings on the table and it was her turn to decide what she wished to do. I turned without another word and walked towards the bridge with nothing but my sniper and the bag of caps in my hands. When I was finally in range of them I tied the bag to my belt and raised my hands up high so the other gunners could see.
"HEY! IM HERE TO SEE YOUR BOSSES!" I called out and immediately all guns were aimed at me. I bit my lip hard as a familiar face came up to me and grabbed me by the arm. While a few others came and patted me down assuring I had no weapons other than the one over my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and waited once they were done. Leon my old bunk mate grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me towards an elevator.
"What the hell are you doing back here?" He questioned looking at me like I was crazy.
"Paying my dues." I muttered seeing the vertibird fly overhead but no one seemed to pay it any mind they were more worried about what an ex-gunner was doing back on their turf.
"So MacCready, you've returned to us." Barnes said all ready to meet me.
"You finally ready to give yourself up and join us again?" I scoffed crossing my arms over my chest.
"Take me to Winlock, I'm here to talk to both of you." He aimed his pistol under my throat.
"Give me another order kid and I will splatter your brains all over this waystation." I narrowed my eyes at him as he grabbed me by my sleeve and pulled me towards where Winlock was. I scanned the area, but I couldn't see Avery anywhere. My hands began to tremble as I was brought further into the compound. Their men were everywhere, I had no idea how she was planning to go about this.
"What the hell is this brat doing here?" Winlock glared at me, I smirked and put on the best damn performance of my life.
"I'm here to make a deal with you two, what will it take for you to stop hounding me as well as leaving my clients alone." The both turned to each other and outright laughed, I had to restrain myself from reaching for the gun on my shoulder.
"That's never going to happen, did you honestly believe you could leave the gunners?" I bit my tongue as another gun was aimed at my head.
"Well isn't this just rude!" Avery's voice rung through the waystation loudly as she stood on top of a car gathering everyone's attention. She had pulled off her bandana, glasses and pulled her hair from its bun.
"You..." The words left Winlock's mouth as he stared at Avery confused.
"Did you really think you could run from me MacCready? After leaving me to die in Concord?!" I blink confused by her behavior when I finally notice a small button in her hand, she successfully set the charges.
"How the hell did you get up here?!" Barnes growled at her as she hopped off the car making her way towards us.
"That isn't what matters, what does matter is the fact that this little rat scurried here for protection from me." She hisses looking as pissed off as I had ever seen her.
"Look, Barnes, it's the pretty little vault girl who almost broke your finger. But don't worry beautiful, once we kill MacCready you and all of us can have lots of fun together." They grin at each other while she looks at them in disgust. Until she raises the hand with the small button, they stare in confusion trying to figure out what it is.
"Sorry but I'm only here for MacCready, if you try to stop me, I will blow this waystation to hell." She says beckoning me to her with her other hand.
"You're bluffing!" Winlock growls placing a hand on my shoulder to keep me in place. She only smirked at him.
"I was hoping you would say that." She pulls a different button from her coat pressing the button. As soon as she did the car she had been standing on exploded behind her. Finally, they looked terrified of her, this time, she reached out her hand and I shrugged out of Winlock's grip to go to her only to be pulled back a gun pointed at my head. I cursed in my head as Avery glared at him.
"Obviously, you want MacCready. If you press that button he will have his head blown off." I see her swallow hard as she glares at him.
"You underestimate my feelings toward that worthless merc. I want him dead maybe more so than you. But I will be the one to kill him so if you don't let me. You'll have to die with him." Winlock was weighing his options as he stared at her.
"PRESS THE GODDAMN BUTTON!" I screamed at her as I stamped down on Winlock's foot before elbowing him in the stomach. I took off running as fast as I could towards Avery. She hesitated for only a moment before her thumb pressed the button. I made it to her just as everything started to explode causing everything to become chaos. She opens her arms to me as I tackle her throwing both of us off of the bridge into the water below. While was falling she looses her hat all of her hair is whipping wildly around us. We stare into each other's eyes as we fall, her hand gently runs down my cheek right before we crash into the frigid water below us.
I blink my eyes open as I look around the murky water for a moment looking for which way will get me to the surface, after a moment I break through it watching as the waystation continues to explode. Flames running through it like a river drowning all the people on it. Some who are covered in flames already choose to jump too but not in the right direction, they meet their deaths by hitting the grassy ground below.
"Holy sh-Crap! We did it! We did it!" I look around to see Avery hasn't surfaced yet.
"Shit! AVERY! AVERY!" I cupped my hands over my mouth screaming at the top of my lungs. When I don't hear or see anything I dive back into the water looking around until I see Avery sinking to the bottom. I swim as fast as I can to her wrapping my arms around her, pulling her up to the surface. She doesn't react when she gets pulled out and I swear to god, I feel panic rising in my chest. I pull her to the grass and lay her down wiping her soaked, matted hair way from her face. I gently patted her cheek to try and get her to wake up only to receive no response.
"No, no, no, no!" I screamed leaning down so my ear was right next to her lips. I couldn't hear any breath whatsoever.
"God please! please don't take her from me!" I cried as I felt her neck for a pulse only to feel a weak thrumming against my fingertips. I pulled the shirt I gave her apart causing the buttons to pop in every direction as I began doing chest compressions over her heart. It still wasn't working, I was losing her. I was going to loose Avery, I ignored the tears in my eyes and plugged her nose, opened her mouth and breathed into it.
After I did that i went back to the chest compressions a few more times before breathing air into her mouth once more. After a few moments, I pulled away feeling my tears running down my face as she didn't react. She was going to die and it was all my fault.
"Avery, doll Please. Please wake up!" I cried as I leaned my forehead against hers cradling her head as gently as I could. Then just as i was about to give up hope she turned her face to the side coughing up water, i swear my heart almost couldn't take it.
"Thank you god!" I murmur allowing my feelings to get the best of me. I place kisses all over her face as she lays back looking at me with an irritated expression.
"I'm sorry doll but you really scared me back there." I picked her up sliding my arms under her thighs and her back. I lifted her against me, her arms wrapping themselves around my neck.
"Diamond City" Were her only words as i walked us to where Haylen had been waiting for us. As soon as she caught sight of Avery she almost freaked out.
"Is she alright?" I nod carrying her into the vertibird.
"She wants to go to Diamond City, can you drop us there." She nods giving one last worried glance at Avery. I held her tight pulling her leather jacket over her.
"I hate getting wet." I muttered as i placed a hand in her hair. I almost fell asleep by the time we made it to Diamond City, I thanked Averys friend as she flew away. I carried Avery towards the dugout inn, thankfully not all security guards are as-jerks, as soon as they saw me with Avery they opened the door for me. I nodded to them gratefully as Vadim caught sight of me.
"MacCready! Are you alright?!" Vadim said as he walked over to me.
"I need a room please." I begged my old friend.
"What the fuck!" I froze at the sound of Deacons voice across the room. Before i knew it Avery was being snatched from my arms, i followed behind him as he carried her to his room. He laid her on the bed, her eyes fluttered open a small smile gracing her lips as she laid eyes on him.
"Hey sweetheart, How you feeling?" He whispered as she blinked up at him sleepily. "Tired, can I sleep?" She questioned him, he shook his head.
"Not yet love, let me get you into some new clothes." She only nodded as he ran to his own pack pulling out some clothes for her. They were her night clothes from back when we helped her brotherhood idiots. Deacon efficiently stripped her of my clothes and helped her into her night clothes. He grabbed a towel and dried as much of her hair as she would allow before pulling her blanket over her neck.
She reached her hand out her hand for Deacon like a child reaching for a parent. He laughed softly before placing a kiss on her lips, after he kissed her she passed right out.
"You hurry up and change before you get sick." He growled at me as a sleepy Danse rubbed his eyes walking into the room.
"Avery has returned?" Deacon nodded, Danse walked over to the bed and slid in beside Avery wrapping an arm around her before falling fast asleep next to her. My jaw dropped as Deacon didn't even bat an eye.
Deacon sighed as he pointed towards the shower. I shut my mouth and grabbed some new clothes heading for the bathroom.