Usually when people camped the only sounds you would hear were the low murmurs of other campers and the chirping of crickets. Or the wind dancing through the leaves as it passed through. Now only the sounds of distant firefights and mutant dogs howling could be heard. After three months in this hell hole Charlie had almost gotten used to it. She'd never forget her first night, the horrible sounds all around her keeping her up all night. But with her traveling companion Hancock right next to her in the cramped little tent it eased her worries. His breathing had evened out but she knew he truly wasn't asleep. No one ever slept in the commonwealth unless they were stupid or dead. She really didn't know how she charmed the mayor of Goodneighbor out of the safety of his home, but there he was. Hancock claims it was the adventure he was after, but she couldn't wrap her head around it. After 200 years life gets boring, well she could only guess. The past 200 years were just a drop in the bucket for her, nestled safely in a vault completely untouched by radiation and grit. Sighing for the tenth time, Charlie finally rolled over to face Hancock. Of course the all to familiar sight of the back of his coat greeted her. She was always the burden, always staring at his back as he led the way. The woman out of time craved so badly to just sleep with her body pressed against his back she couldn't help but obsessively daydream about it. They weren't particularly close, but the deep ache that Nathan's death left in her heart was unbearable. She craved the comfort of another person, anyone. Fuck, even Dogmeat would be a real help. Her furry friend was back home, probably limping around Sanctuary with his leg in a splint. Poor thing was thrown around by a supermutant, hence why she recruited Hancock when the opportunity arose.
Slowly she inched forward, every rustle of fabric and breath amplified by ten as she tried to be sneaky. Finally she was a breath away from his shoulders, her warm breath coming right back and warming her cold nose. 'This is stupid.' She thought to herself, glaring at his back for what seemed like an eternity. The gentle touch of her head against him made Hancock flinch horribly, wether he was awake or not she didn't know. If he was he didn't seem to mind. Slowly gaining confidence she tucked herself up against his back fully before letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.
The minutes ticked by, her anxiety growing as she waited for him to tell her to move or scream at her. But the minutes turned into hours, and hours faded into nothing. Charlie had finally fallen asleep.
The sun warmed the cold tent, rousing the woman from a deep sleep. She was now fully in Hancock's sleeping bag, hogging the entire thing. The poor man was forced against the edge of the tent. She sat up quickly, wiping the drool from her mouth with a cringe. How embarrassing, a full grown woman clinging to a man like a scared child. Taking one last look at his back she let out a short puff of air and swung open the tarp covering the entrance.
The face of a ghoul inches from her own forced a scream from her throat, only a squeak got out before a hand was clamped tightly over her lips. Charlie was pulled back into Hancock's chest, his arms and legs shielding her as the ghouls shot up and growled. It sniffed the air, Hancock holding out a boot in front of its face, it seemed to settle down once it got a long whiff of his dirty sole and slumped back over on the ground. Charlie glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, he seemed just as afraid as she was. He held up a finger to his rough lips before gently removing his hand from Charlie's mouth.
The ghoul slowly pulled her back into the tent, the quiet rustling of the tent flap falling back into place only roused a few ghouls. She shook in his arms, useless to the world as she clammed up. The familiar scent of old cigarettes and chems overtook her sense as Hancock took her cheeks on his rough hands and pulled her face towards him. His glare shook her, all those feelings of uselessness coming back as he glared. Slowly Charlie's bottom lip began to tremble, her face twisting in a grimace as she repeated her mantra of 'Don't cry, Don't cry, Don't cry.' In her head. His thumb roughly swiped away the tear that fell down her soft cheek. Hancock pulled her into a hug and pat her back, almost rocking her back and forth. This absolutely broke Charlie. The tears flowed freely as he held her firmly against his coat so the small pathetic whimpers wouldn't alert the monsters outside.