Thick green fog rolled over the water, enveloping the view of far away islands and wrecks of distant ships. It looked so far away, out at sea, but encroaching ever closer. The fast approaching radstorm brought a horrible, bone-chilling cold that buried itself so deep it felt almost supernatural.

Pulling her leather coat tightly around her torso, slender fingers fumbling against the cold fabric, Nora sighed. Little puffs of air clouded in front of her lips and she shuddered. "If we keep going, we can probably make it to Finch farm by ten."

Nick strode beside her, long legs easily keeping pace with Nora's eager strides. "We could, doll, but I don't know if we'll make it." He watched the radstorm with narrowed gold eyes. "Even if we ran the whole way, we might still get caught."

"Then what do you suggest?" Nora grumbled, stuffing her hands deeper in her pockets. There was nothing worse than camping out in the middle of a storm - especially a radstorm. If they made it to Finch farm before it caught them, at least they'd have somewhere proper to lay low. Although, this meant more time alone with Nick, which was never a bad thing - unless of course she was sick with rad poisoning.

Nick seemed to consider it for a moment, those wonderful yellow eyes flicking around, taking in their surroundings. It took him less than thirty seconds to come to a conclusion - he wasn't a detective for nothing. "Well, we could camp out in one of these old buildings." Nick gestured with his good hand to the nearest one - little more than a metal shack. "It won't do much, but it's better than being caught in a full blown storm." He turned to her with a worried frown pulling at the corner of his lips. "I don't want you getting sick."

When he said those words, Nora fucking melted. In the short months she had spent with Nick, from the moment she found him in that vault and heaved his ass to safety, she realised Nick cared way too much for other people. His career choice almost required it, but she knew it went deeper than that. He was a softy at heart, a worrier, someone who just wanted everyone to be safe. It was admirable.

With a roll of her eyes, Nora relented. "How about a compromise? We keep going, then camp out at the next, less dilapidated building we see. I'd really rather keep going-" Nora's whining cut itself short as a shiver ran down her back, broad shoulders heaving as the first touches of green settled around them.

When had that happened?

A quick glance behind confirmed that the irradiated fog had completely blanketed the sea, slowly creeping up on them while Nora first raindrops pattered against the ground; small green tinted puddles forming at their feet. Within seconds, the radrain was belting down on them, each drop pricking Nora's skin like tiny irradiated needles.

"Fuck!" Without pause to think, Nora swiftly grabbed Nick's hand and sprinted for the nearest crumbling heap of a building. It barely registered in her mind that Nick had gone rigid, latexhand stiff in hers.

In the seconds it took Nora to shoulder open the door and dart inside, the first burst of hot yellow lightning struck ground. The following crack of thunder was deafeningly loud and Nora could have sworn she felt the ground shudder.

She sucked in a gasp as radrain dripped in her eyes, vision blurring for one long, agonising moment before swimming back to normal. They stung like hell, sharp like shampoo in her eyes but so much worse. The ticking of her Geiger counter told her to be more careful. With a huff she reached into her pockets, pulled out a rad-x bottle and downed two pills.

Nick let out a strangled sigh as he slammed the door closed behind him, but there was a smirk on his lips that told her one thing - told you so. "Still think we could have made it?" he teased, lips pursed to conceal a grin.

Nora narrowed her eyes, half shaded by thick blonde hair dripping wet. "Fine, you were right!" She couldn't help but laugh as Nick grinned smugly. Even such a gloating smile at her own expense made Nora's heart skip. It was cute, the way his smile curled more on one side, the less damaged side.

"Hey doll?"

"Hmm?" Nora snapped to attention, green eyes drifting up to Nick's glowing yellow ones.

"You going to let go of my hand any time soon? Not that I'm complaining."

"Huh? Oh." It hadn't occurred to her, really, that she hadn't let go. His fake latex skin felt warm, though it lacked the softness of a human hand. She had grabbed it without thinking, but now it just felt so right, his hand nestled in hers.

Clearing her throat, Nora slipped her hand free - ignoring the way her chest ached at the loss of contact. "I should get changed. Bag's waterproof enough the stuff inside should be okay."

"Right, yeah. I should do the same." Nick shifted, eyes narrowed as if studying her. His gaze dipped when Nora met his eyes, then he turned swiftly on his heels and disappeared into the next room without a word.

Something was up, that much Nora knew. What? Well, that was a mystery. Nick was a mystery. Sometimes his thoughts were so critically guarded Nora wondered if he ever let his guard down. He seemed to with Ellie, at least, but no one else. Not even her. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but she felt a pang of irritation as she watched Nick's retreating back.

Groaning quietly, Nora ripped her gaze from the now empty doorway and focused on the task at hand. She dropped the bags unceremoniously to the ground and bent to her knees to rifle through. Inside was a spare pair of clothes - just plain jeans and a t-shirt, thin enough she could fit her armour over top. Not that she owned much armour, but that wasn't the point.

Peeling off the soaked leather jacket proved to be more difficult than expected. It clung to her skin as she wrestled it off her shoulders, then refused to slip down her arms. She squirmed and shimmied it down to her elbows, finally wrenching it free with a satisfied, "yes!" Then off came her ratty old grey t-shirt, quickly replaced by the dry one.

Without the extra layers as insulation, it hit Nora just how damn cold it was. She felt as if she'd been shoved in a freezer overnight, hands sluggish and clumsy. The wet jeans clinging to her thighs didn't help - but at least she had a spare pair. She had almost considered sacrificing a change in favour of extra purified water.

She was in the middle of changing her jeans when footsteps reached her ears. Though her back was turned, she recognised Nick's walk anywhere - the footsteps far too heavy for a human man his size. She looked down at herself, tanned legs and too-big boxers completely on show.

A grin teased the corners of her lips as she spun around, hand on hip. "Don't you know how to knock?" she questioned, thick brow raised. Hey, she wasn't going to be embarrassed about it - she had been caught in much more compromising positions. After her mother had caught her having sex with Nate on the coffee table, this was nothing.

Except, going by the wide eyes and the fact she could hear Nick's internal fans whirring, he didn't think so. "I uh… shit, I'm sorry. I was gonna ask you to - it doesn't matter. Come find me when you're… decent." He whipped around so quickly he nearly lost his footing on an uneven floorboard, then all but tumbled back through the door.

All the while, Nora watched him go with a bemused smile on her lips. If she had known he would get all flustered like that, she would have done it intentionally. Shame he all but ran from her, though. Still, it was cute when he did that - something she kept strictly to herself. No use wrecking an amazing friendship on the off chance he liked her back. No, she was quite happy with how things were.

Right?

Remembering Nick had mentioned wanting to ask her something, Nora quickly discarded the wet jeans and pulled on the fresh pair, still-damp legs making the task a little tricky. Eventually, fully clothed, she went in search of Nick.

She found him in the next room - it looked like it had once been an office; an old, battered desk and chair lay haphazardly across the room. Like everything else in the wasteland it was crumbling to pieces - part of the roof had collapsed in the corner, leaving a tiny hole for foggy radstorm to seep in.

Staying a safe distance away, Nora searched the room. Nick sat on a beat up old love seat, head in his hand. When she cleared her throat his head snapped up to look at her - and if he was able to blush, Nora guessed he would have been scarlet.

"Don't worry, I'm covered," she told him with a grin, "what was it you wanted to ask?"

He blinked and said nothing, eyes subconsciously drifting to her legs. If she hadn't known better, Nora would have said disappointment flashed across his face when he saw black jeans instead of tanned flesh. After a moment he shook his head and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette. He offered one to Nora - then lit one for himself when she declined. "Don't worry about it. I think that rain fried a wire or two, but it's nothing I can't fix myself."

He wasn't looking at her. Doubt crept into the back of Nora's mind. Really, the whole incident hadn't been a big deal. If she didn't care about being caught in her undies, why was Nick so embarrassed about it? The question sat at the tip of her tongue - but never made it out of her mouth. No, that would only make things even weirder between them.

Anyway, there was a more pressing matter. Nick. Injured. She settled into the seat beside him, so close she felt her arm brush against his - he wasn't wearing his coat, she noticed. Must have been too wet to put back on. "If you need a tuning, I can help out. I was an engineer before the war, you know. Well, before I decided law was the way to go."

He glanced up, brows furrowed. His skeletal hand raised to his mouth and he took a long drag of the cigarette before replying, "I'm not like any of the cars or computers you took apart back in the day, doll."

She shrugged. "Well, you can guide me, right?" She quirked a brow and leaned forward to survey the wires peeking out from the crack in Nick's jawline. Some people found that creepy; either because it was another obvious sign he wasn't human, or because it made them think of what a human jaw in that state would look like. Honestly, Nora thought it was oddly alluring. It gave him character, like her scars did for her.

After a moment, Nick shook his head. "I'm fine. You should get some sleep - I can patch myself up while you catch some shut eye."

Nora's almond eyes narrowed as she regarded him, leaning back in her seat. Normally she wouldn't press, wouldn't demand he do something he wasn't comfortable with - but the second he said his wires were fried, that nagging worry had refused to leave. "I won't force it," she spoke softly, "but what's a few wires? I can sleep all I want once I know you're okay."

For a moment Nick looked as if he was about to refuse - lips pursed, brows pinched - but then he sighed ever so softly and nodded. "Sure, kid. Go ahead. The tool kit's in my bag."

Nora nodded an affirmative as she hopped off the sofa, bare feet quietly padding against the ground to fetch the bag.

It sat by a boarded up old window, and when she glanced over Nora saw the murky green radstorm raging through the gaps in the plywood. Wind battered against the boards, rattling against each other. Rain water pooled on the floor.

With a shudder, Nora snatched up the bag and hurried back to Nick.

She settled back down beside him, shifting so one leg curled underneath her on the seat as she faced him. "So, what do you need me to do?" she questioned as her hands delved into the bag to find the tool kit. She took out a spare off-white shirt, stimpaks, and all of the assorted junk that wouldn't fit in her own bag - before finding a little red toolkit right at the bottom.

Nick pursed his lips. "The front chest plate's going to have to come off to survey the damage. It… might be weird for you." He stubbed out the remainder of the cigarette on the back of the ancient leather sofa. Immediately he replaced it with another, taking out his lighter and flicking it across the end of the cigarette.

He was focusing just a little too hard on that lighter, using it as an excuse to avoid eye contact. Nora knew that tactic - she had seen it plenty before; when he was trying to think of something to say during a difficult case. When Ellie scolded him and he couldn't think of a witty reply. When he was overcome with embarrassment.

Frankly, Nick had no reason to worry. Nora was more occupied with the fact she was going to see Nick shirtless. This wasn't exactly how she imagined it happening, though. In her mind there were candles flickering in the dim light of a darkened bedroom, Nora perched on the bed, Nick underneath her. His coat was tossed over the headboard, hat beside it. Nora flung aside his tie and made fast work of the buttons of his shirt…

"Doll?"

Nora jerked, hand knocking the tool kit and almost sending it sprawling - she caught it at the last minute, slender hands catching it mid fall and throwing it back onto the sofa. Cheeks burning, Nora tried to hide it with her hair. It would have worked, if one side hadn't been shaved to stubble.

Nick rose a brow, lips curling into an unsure smile. "You okay? I guess the thought of opening me up was too much for you. I don't blame you." Something like relief spread across his face, but there was something in the way his brow furrowed. Disappointment?

Of course, Nick had no idea what she had really been thinking about. Probably for the best.

Clearing her throat, Nora shook her head. "I'm good." One hand curled around the tool kit - when had she started sweating? Her hand was damp, leaving smudgy imprints on the metal surface. With a small huff she turned her green eyes to Nick and said, "ready?"

Nick shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."