"So Hancock, how does it feel to be in Diamond City for the first time in basically a million years?" Nate beamed over at Hancock from his perch on the crumbled wall by Diamond City's entrance.
Beside him, Hancock beamed back. Even with leathery skin and thin lips showing way too much teeth, the smile was always enough to make Nate melt. Damn, why did he have to be so handsome? If he noticed though, Hancock didn't say a thing. Instead he just beamed. "Blood brilliant. Only you would be able to convince Security to let me in. You're fantastic, you know that?"
Nate felt his cheeks flush as he ducked his head. If anyone was fantastic here, it was Hancock. "Thanks. Now, let's not hang around; I don't want to waste a second here." Spending time with Hancock was never a waste - but there was so much to show him! "We have to go to Takahashi's for noodles. A robot that cooks. I love it."
Hancock nodded along with that easy smile of his, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Not like normal. But when he spoke there was a laugh in his voice, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I could use something to eat. Been walking all day."
Nate slid from his perch, feet crunching on the hard earth, and held out an arm for him. "Well let's go."
They linked arms - something Nate never would have done with anyone pre-war, but intimacy felt so natural with Hancock. Like they just felt right together. Piper had once joked that perhaps they were soulmates.
The black ink of his real soulmark, curling along his wrist up to his elbow, proved differently. His soulmate's name was John, but that was where the similarities ended. John McDonough - no relative of the Mayor, as far as he knew - was a name he had come to hate. Selfishly, he wished it were Hancock's name instead.
Crinkling his nose, Nate tried to banish the dark thoughts with a shake of his head. Messy, dark curls fell in his eyes and he brushed them away with his free hand. "So," he said, grinning, "noodles, then?"
"Noodles," Hancock replied without meeting a beat, "but you're paying."
"Of course. I always do."
A blond haired security guard narrowed her eyes at them as they walked by - but word must have been passed around because she said nothing about Hancock's ghoulishness or position as Goodneighbour's Mayor. Nate nodded to her but only received a turned up nose and curled lip.
They settled down at Takahashi's, Nate wriggling on the too-small barstool and silently cursing his pre-war body. Everyone noawdays was way too thin. Next to Hancock he looked enormous - though thinking on it, Hancock only every had good things to say. Flirty things, even.
Not that it mattered.
Hancock slipped onto the stool beside him, completely oblivious to Nate's internal struggle. His smile was as wide as he'd ever seen it - so bright that even in the semi-darkness of the evening Nate only stared. Hancock turned to him with a raised brow, but he only laughed. "You all right there? It's like you've never seen me up close before." His smile was still dazzling - but Hancock tipped his tricorn just a little lower.
Nate dropped his gaze, face reddening. "Just admiring the view." The words slipped from his mouth without his permission; Nate stifled his gasp with a throaty cough hidden behind his hand. "Uh Tak! Two noodle bowls please."
It was times like this he wished the robot was capable of conversation. Anything to keep his mind from that stupid slip up.
In true John Hancock style he took it all in his stride, winking at Nate. "Well, glad someone appreciates it," he shot back with a gravelly laugh that sent shivers down Nate's arms.
One day, Hancock was going to be the death of him. Possibly even literally. Either way, Nate was going to die without a single regret; except maybe dying without ever kissing him.
Ugh, he was such a loser.
A steaming bowl of noodles made its appearance in front of him; the delicious smell of hot broth and molerat hitting him a second later. Nate smiled to himself, breathing in, before grabbing up his set of wooden chopsticks.
Beside him, Hancock was already digging in. He shovelled in what must have been half the bowl at once, almost like he was trying to inhale it.
"Woah slow down! You're going to make yourself ill and I am not cleaning up your puke."
Hancock paused, mouth still full of noodles, and shrugged. "Na. Ghouls don't get sick like you - besides, I'm starving."
Nate winced and turned away because fuck, he really didn't want a view of half chewed noodles. A laugh bubbled in his chest though, a small snort escaping before he started on his own meal.
It tasted delicious; better than noodles pre-war, even. Salty and a little overcooked - but that was the way he liked them. Weirdly, the molerat meat tasted better than chicken or pork. Maybe his taste buds were just getting used to what the Commonwealth offered.
"So," Hancock asked between mouthfuls, voice barely understandable through the noodles, "this is way better than any food in Goodneighbour. You think the folks there would be interested in shit like this?"
"Sure," Nate replied. He brought the chopsticks to his mouth but the noodles slipped, splashing back into the bowl. Huffing, Nate gave it a second attempt - only for them to splash back again, broth hitting the tip of his nose. Sighing in defeat, he picked up a fork. "I mean, noodles are great. Who doesn't like them? It's like pasta but better."
"Wouldn't know; never had it. Except Blamco - does that count?"
Nate didn't think so, but he just gave a non committal hum. "If you're wanting to open a new shop in Goodneighbour, does that mean you're going back there soon?" He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice but couldn't help the way his shoulders slumped.
Pushing the now empty bowl aside, Hancock just rolled his eyes. "You kidding? I'm having the time of my life. Nothing's better than being on the road again, fighting raiders and deathclaws and fuck knows what else. The company's pretty good, too."
Relief settled in Nate's stomach as he took another mouthful of noodles. "Good," he said with a nod, "I'd hate to lose my favourite travelling companion." He nudged Hancock's shoulder with is own meatier one - almost sending Hancock toppling from his stool. Nate only grinned.
Until a burly man in a leather trench coat marched up, a deep scowl marring his features. "Hey, what's a ghoul doing in Diamond City?"
Both Nate and Hancock turned almost in sync, Nate's eyes wide while Hancock's smile slipped from his lips. The man, however, didn't drop his glare.
"Excuse me? I'm not just any ghoul; I'm the Mayor of Goodneighbour." Hancock quirked a brow - or what was left of it - and pressed a hand to his hip.
Somehow, Nate noticed distractedly, he made it look hot.
"I don't give a fuck if you're the King of the world; you're a filthy ghoul and you don't deserve to be here." Even though the stools were high he had a foot over Hancock, looming ever closer.
Nate leaned away, nose crinkling as the sour smell of alcohol reached his nose. Oh boy, this might get nasty...
"Look, brother," the word, usually an endearment, dripped from Hancock's lips like acid, "you better fuck off or things are going to get bad quick." Slipping from the barstool Hancock stood to his full height - not impressive by any standards, but he didn't need height to look like a murderous crazy. Lips curled back, head raised in defiance, Nate knew that stance anywhere.
"All right!" Nate launched himself from his own stool, catching his leg on the bars and almost knocking into Hancock. He wobbled, hand braced against Hancock's bony shoulder - how he managed to stay standing with Nate's weight on him he didn't know - and pointed a finger at the glowering man. "We don't want trouble. Security let him in; we're just here for dinner."
The man's lips curled, one thick hand reaching out to prod Nate's broad chest. "That has no place here. Neither do you, ghoul loving freak."
Anger sparked in Nate's chest, the urge to retaliate rising. He wanted to shove him, punch him, anything to make him shut up about Hancock. How dare he? He took a deep breath, resisting the urges. "You have no right to talk to us like that. Now fuck off."
He just laughed, and Nate felt Hancock's arms stiffen beside him. "Ghouls are fucked up monsters. All of them. McDonough tossed them all out; and everyone who tried to help. If he's willing to toss out his own brother, he won't mind doing the same to you."
Nate stepped forward, eyes narrowed to slits - but in a blur of motion Hancock reached for his pistol and shot forward. There was a deafening crack right in Nate's ears. Next thing he knew the trenchcoat man lay in a puddle of crimson slowly seeping from a cavern in his forehead.
"Shit Hancock!" Nate lurched forward, hands blindly grabbing for the gun. Hancock's grip went slack as Nate snatched it from his hands - but the deed was done.
"Hey, what the hell is going on?" The woman from earlier, dressed in her tattered security garb, appeared in their line of sight. Her gaze dipped down, widening as she saw the man bleeding out at her feet, then lifted the rifle from her shoulder. "All right, we let you in here under the condition you didn't cause trouble. Murder is trouble. You're coming with me."
A crowd began to form - first a couple of kids, then a group of adults from over by Mirna's, then a handful more until it seemed like half the city was staring at them with wide, fearful eyes.
"We should probably split," Nate urged as he grabbed Hancock by the wrist. Any other time he would have wondered about the intimacy of the action - but all that passed through his mind was, guess I won't be in Diamond City for a while
Nate was poised ready to run - but the security guard grabbed him roughly by the arm. She didn't look like much, barely any bigger than Hancock, but It felt like she was trying to amputate his damn arm. With a growl she wrenched Nate's grip from around Hancock's wrist.
Suddenly everything exploded around him. Hancock's arm looped around his torso and before he knew it Nate was running, feet pounding against the uneven concrete as Hancock towed him along. Dimly, through the sound of his own pounding heartbeat, he was aware of someone chasing them.
Nate skidded around a corner, disappearing from sight, and grabbed Hancock to pull him back as well. "What was that about?" Breathless from, running, his voice didn't hold the urgency of the panic in his chest. "I know murder is kind of your thing but that? That was next level."
"What the fuck?" Voices drifted over the hum of the city. A second later two security guards marched past - but the didn't notice the two figures hiding in the dark.
"We need to get out of here. This is what you get for sneaking people into Diamond City." Nate sighed, running a thick hand through dark hair. Really, what did he expect? Not this obviously, but Hancock was a magnet for drama and chaos. He should have seen it coming. "Come on, we can sneak around; I know another exit."
"Is it the one out back of the stadium?" Hancock asked without missing a beat. He quirked a grin, lips as emotive as ever even pockmarked and leathery, but it was an uneasy sort of smile.
Nate just frowned. "It is, yeah. How do you know?"
He just shrugged. "I hear things."
"Right." Nate squinted at him, lips pursed. They didn't have time to argue though - it was time to get out of here. Now. Instead of going back the way they came, Nate slipped around the corner. Valentine's Agency was just up ahead - and Christ, Nick was going to have a field day with this - but they hurried down the darkened street without giving the luminous heart sign a second look.
A woman dressed in shredded jeans watched them from the Dugout Inn as they passed, her eyes narrowed. She took a slow puff of the cigarette dangling from her fingers but didn't say a word.
Even so, Nate hitched a breath as her eyes followed them. He held her gaze for barely a second before her suspicious glare became too much.
Beside him, Hancock huffed and tugged the tricorn over his face.
The sounds of the search party faded into the distance; shouts became little more than a wordless buzz, everything melting away until it was just them.
What a day.
Hancock took the lead, weaving his way through broken stadium chairs like he had done it a million times before.
It occurred to Nate then how little he knew about Hancock. There he was, moving around Diamond City like he knew it better than Goodneighbour. Of everything that had happened, that shouldn't have been the thing that stuck.
Sighing, Nate tore his gaze from Hancock, gaze dropping to focus on the uneven ground beneath his feet. Taking a step forward, he tried to ignore the doubt stirring in his gut.
Distantly, voices drifted closer. Somebody shouted, the words unrecognisable from such a distance; but the rage carried across the stadium, igniting a new spark of worry in Nate's chest.
Nate squeezed himself through the tiny gap between stage and wall just in time to see two burly security men bolt around the corner. Then he was standing in an empty, abandoned street void of any source of light. He was barely two feet from Diamond City, but he could have been at the other side of the Commonwealth.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Hancock grinned at him, and even in the dark street the stiffness of the smile was clear.
"What the hell was that back there?" Nate demanded, voice strained, "seriously, you can't just pull something like that and then act like nothing happened."
Hancock simply shrugged, spinning on his heel. With a lightness in his step he started walking. "The guy was being a jerk, so I took care of him. The first rule of Goodneighbour is not to mess with me."
Just once, Nate would have liked Hancock to be honest. Just once.
Already Nate's blood was beginning to simmer, hands bunched into fists by his side. Why did Hancock always do this? What did he gain from pretending like everything was fine? He had to bite back the urge to grab Hancock and pull him back - and although one hand inched forward to snag the back of his stupid coat, Nate just groaned. "For God's sake, don't just walk off."
He kept walking.
"Hancock wait, c'mon-" Nate huffed as he jogged after him, thick legs struggling to keep up with Hancock's gangly limbs and brisk pace. "Will you slow down, I just want to talk to you."
"Maybe I don't want to talk to you," Hancock shot back, his false cheer a strained mimicry of his usual upbeat tone.
Nate came to a halt, heavy boots planted firmly in the ground as he stared at Hancock's retreating back. What was up with him? In all the months he had known him, Nate had never known Hancock to act like this.
Hancock disappeared into the dark; either he didn't notice Nate wasn't there or he didn't give a damn as he strode off, arms folded firmly across his skinny frame. In moments, he had completely disappeared from view.
"Shit."
Nate cast a glance behind at the looming shadow of Diamond City's formidable wall, the hair on his arms prickling. He couldn't just leave Hancock by himself - but he couldn't make him talk, either. There was much more to this than Nate knew, but did he really want to discover the truth?
Behind him, beyond the towering wall of Diamond City, voices floated over to him.
Hoisting his bag more securely onto his broad shoulder, Nate hurried after Hancock.
The remains of the town weren't much more than a ruined, crumbling mess of concrete and brick. It was impossible to know what any of the buildings had been before. Houses, offices, coffee shops all blended into one war wrecked disaster. Most of the rubble was mostly dust, only the odd grey chunk large enough to cause a problem. At least the ruins made the path linear enough it was easy to guess which direction Hancock had gone.
A huff left Nate's lips as he ducked under a slab of concrete. His hips were wide and his shoulders even wider - someone like Hancock could have fit through the gap easily. Nick, however, had to shimmy his way through so slowly he felt impatience beginning to simmer. His shoulder snagged, the thick leather of his jacket straining to get free, and Nate groaned as he tugged himself free. At least no one was here to witness his embarrassment.
Of course, if Hancock hadn't stormed off like a bratty child, this wouldn't have been a problem in the first place.
With a grunt Nate's jacket came free and he landed flat on his back. His head spun for a moment, the murky darkness merging into one black blob - before his head slowly cleared, vision swimming back. Heaving himself to his feet, Nate resisted the urge to kick the stupid concrete and instead turned to sweep his surroundings.
Well, Hancock was nowhere in sight. He was in some sort of office building - or what remained of it. Crumbling stairs to his left, a room to his right that barely had two walls still standing. He had two choices; either Hancock had kept walking, or found something upstairs. Probably a stash of jet or a pile of mentats. Maybe even psycho.
Hancock swore he had never touched psycho, but at that moment Nate wouldn't have put anything past him. If he found that idiot upstairs high on anything, he was going to-
Up above, the ancient, rotted floorboards let out a dull creak. Footsteps, then the muffled squeak of springs as someone collapsed onto a bed. Hancock, or someone else? There was only one way to find out.
Nate's broad hands found his pistol, resting gently against it as he put his foot on the first step. It held, but the further up he went the less secure the stairs seemed. They groaned under his weight, the ancient concrete seeming to physically crumble as he crept higher and higher.
At the top of the stairs there was just one long, empty hallway. Barren door frames led to empty rooms, each one of them as destroyed as the one before. Nate checked each one with perfect precision, shoulders tense, ready for an attack. Nothing came.
After the fifth door Nate popped his head through, expecting to see nothing once again, but paused when he saw a dark figure splayed out on a bed in the corner of the room. Squinting, he just made out the outline of a long coat and heavy boots, their face obscured by a hand across their eyes.
Hancock.
His shoulders slouched, the breath hissing from between clenched teeth as he all but collapsed against the door frame. Thank God. "Hey," Nate whispered as he took a step inside the room, "I was worried I wasn't going to find you."
Hancock didn't stir. His thin arm stayed draped across his eyes, body still. Was he pretending to be asleep?
With pursed lips and folded arms Nate stepped closer. The old floorboards creaked as he moved, so loud in the silent building it was as if an entire platoon was marching across the room. He winced, slowing his steps as he neared.
Still Hancock ignored him.
"Jesus, I know you're not asleep. Be an adult for once and actually talk." Nate's voice rose, no longer the soft whisper it had been only moments ago. His adrenaline rose with it, blood boiling and dammit, why was Hancock so damn infuriating? Of all the people he had chosen to travel with, why him?
Well, he knew why, but his feelings for him weren't important right then.
There was an old, dusty chair by the bed that reminded Nick vaguely of a hospital room, though such things hadn't existed for a few hundred years. He flopped down into it with a sigh and dropped his pack onto the floor at his feet. "Look, I'm not mad, okay? Well I am, but I'm also trying to understand. So give me a hand here?" He reached out a hand to touch Hancock's shoulder - but he hovered above, not quite touching the fabric of his coat or the sliver of leathery skin peeking through a small tear.
It wasn't until Nate withdrew his hand that Hancock moved. He sat up so slowly - as if he was making a point of it - hands falling to his side. His expression was grim, void of the usual toothy grin and glittering eyes that Nate loved so much. At least there were no signs of chems for once.
As Nate's gaze locked onto Hancock's, he had to wonder if perhaps, in this case, chems might have not been such a terrible idea.
"I guess I've got a lot of explaining to do, huh?"
Nate's nose wrinkled, lips curling. He sure did, but now Nate wasn't so sure he wanted to know. His body flooded with panic, mind going blank as he struggled for words. He was blowing this out of proportion - of course he was, because Hancock didn't have any dark secrets, didn't have anything to to hide. Right?
As he stared into Hancock's dark eyes, his stomach clenched and he knew there was more to this than he knew.
Finally, Nate managed, "I won't stop you."
"Right." Even in the darkness, it was clear by Hancock's pursed lips, gaze downcast, that Nate wasn't going to like what he was about to hear. "See the thing is, you don't know everything about me. Hell, you don't know much about me at all. There's... stuff I've been hiding. From you and everyone else - but I should have known you'd catch on."
Nate's lips parted, but not a single word left his mouth. Silently he waited, thick brows furrowed as he tried not to reach out to Hancock. To touch him, to give any distraction, would only end up in Hancock losing his nerve and quitting on him.
Hancock didn't look at him. It was so strange, seeing him like this - head bowed low, eyes glassy and lost in thought. This wasn't the Hancock he knew - but maybe it was the real Hancock, not the safe persona he put on for show. When he did look up, his expression was carefully blank.
All it took was that one look, with eyes so dark they almost looked like hollow holes, for the fight to drain from Nate in a second. With a sigh he sat back, running a hand through thick, dark hair. "Take your time. Whatever this is I know it's tough, but I get the feeling it's also really important." He tried to smile, but it fell flat as his eyes drifted back to Hancock.
"Yeah."
Silence. With only the tiniest speck of light drifting through the shattered window from the street outside, it was easy to imagine they were the only two people in the whole world. In that moment, Nate would have been okay with that.
Eventually Hancock let out a strained laugh, leaning against the cracked wall behind him. "I guess I should start with McDonough."
Nate's brows creased. "Mayor McDonough?"
"That's the one."
Nate's mind immediately went to Diamond City. The way Hancock had snapped, lunged himself at that guy and just... shot him. Blood pooling as Nate dragged him back...
He shuddered.
"So you know McDonough. Knew? And his brother too I'm guessing."
"Not exactly, no." That familiar smile crossed his face, thin and scarred lips peeled across slightly too large teeth.
The sight usually warmed Nate's chest, made him grin right back, but it just gave a sinking feeling in his gut. "You're going to need to elaborate on that," he encouraged quietly.
Hancock brushed a hand across the back of his neck, gaze dipped low as he sucked in a deep breath. "See, it's pretty easy to guess my real name isn't Hancock, right? Would have been one hell of a coincidence with this getup."
"I figured the outfit came first," Nate replied with a shrug. How was this important? He felt like the answer was staring him right in the face, glaringly obvious - but he didn't get it. He waited though, lips pressed firmly shut as if to physically stop himself from asking questions. Hancock needed to tell him this on his own; whatever this was.
"Yeah, you're right," Hancock muttered. Gone was all pretence that everything was okay - with his head lowered, wide tricorn hat shading his face from view, Nate didn't even need to see him properly to know he was barely keeping it together. "When all that shit went down in Diamond City, I wasn't a ghoul yet. The great Mayor McDonough kicked them all out, threatened to have them killed if they didn't leave - and I left too. Couldn't stand being there when my own brother was parading around, destroying the lives of people that needed help most..."
Hancock kept talking, barely pausing for breath and his voice was so strained, like he was holding back tears - but it was all drowned out by the rapid thudding of Nate's heart, his pulse racing as one word stuck in his mind.
Brother. He wasn't John Hancock; he was John McDonough. A name Nate had seen every day since he was a little boy, had grown up knowing as the man who was going to be his soulmate.
Nate froze, eyes wide at he stared at Hancock, entire body held rigid. When he opened his mouth to speak, only a ragged gasp escaped.
"Yeah, and that's not even the worst of it. I'm your-"
"You're my fucking soulmate," Nate finished for him, "you're my soulmate. Hancock this is big - bigger than that, it's enormous! We've been travelling for months and you never said a word. This isn't something you should have hid from me - your name, who you are, the fact your the mayor's brother." Words that stuck in his throat just seconds ago suddenly gushed from his mouth, so fast he couldn't stop them.
Nate expected some stupid quip, a dumb joke or a laugh - a strained attempt to make light of the situation. After all, wasn't that what Hancock was known for? Instead he fell silent, thin fingers playing with a frayed end of his tattered red sleeve. Eventually his dark eyes flickered up, and he said, "I'm sorry."
Nate was floundering. Hancock had a million defence mechanisms and Nate knew them all - the laughter, the jokes, the subject changing - but this new, honest Hancock, this was unknown territory. Nate closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. His chest still hammered, his hands unsteady, but the uneasiness in his stomach was beginning to calm. When he opened his eyes, Nate smiled gently and reached out for Hancock. He wasn't good with words, so he hoped that was enough.
When his massive hand brushed across Hancock's shoulder, he didn't pull away. He shifted under Nate's touch like he was considering his options - then slowly leaned into it, chin bumping against Nate's hand so gently he barely felt it. "You're one hell of a guy, you know that?"
Nate rolled his eyes. "Flatterer."
"Really. You could have lost your shit, marched out that door and gone back to Sanctuary without me. Or punched me or something. I wouldn't have blamed you, either."
"It's... a lot to take in," Nate admitted quietly, "I just want to know why you never said anything."
He shrugged, and the motion jostled Nate's hand and he moved to withdraw it - but Hancock wrapped his own skinny, leathery hand around his. Nate smiled softly as his gaze dropped to their intertwined fingers. If there was anyone else in the world who could have been his soulmate, he would still choose him. Warmth settled in his chest; a light, soft feeling he'd never felt before.
He had never been in love with Nora, not beyond something deeply platonic. Is this was real romantic love felt like?
When he looked up, chocolate eyes meeting Hancock's pitch black ones, he was lost in them.
Hancock crinkled his nose - or, what was left of it, and not for the first time Nate was struck by how cute that little habit was. "Look, you're not going to like what I have to say; so maybe I shouldn't give you the whole spiel."
"Tell me," Nate insisted, his eyes boring into Hancock, "please? You've kept the truth from me this long, don't you think I deserve to know?" He wasn't trying to guilt Hancock - he hid it well, but Nate knew he harboured more than his fair share of the stuff. But looking at him now, with their hands locked together, Nate needed to know why Hancock didn't want to tell him they were soulmates. Unless it was because he didn't want them to be. Had Nate pushed this on him?
With pursed lips, Hancock sighed. "It's not that I didn't want to - but me being John McDonough isn't exactly common knowledge. As far as everyone's concerned, McDonough disowned his brother and he hasn't been heard from since. I didn't want to make things difficult for myself. Then I realised who you were, and that we're soulmates and, I don't know, I figured you'd be happier not knowing."
Hancock's voice was so soft, so unsure and unlike himself that Nate had to fight back the urge to wrap him in a long, tight hug. He settled for lifting himself from the chair and settling on the bed beside him - and pulled Hancock close so his head rested on Nate's wide shoulder. "And why wouldn't I want a fantastic guy like you, huh? As far as I'm concerned, you're the best damn person I know."
"You can't know a lot of stand up people then, can you?" Hancock shot back, but the laugh stuck in his throat. He didn't move away though - in fact he buried closer into Nate's shoulder, head tilted to his warm breath tickled Nate's bare skin.
"I'm a great mayor, but person? Not in the slightest," he paused, "I've done a lot of shit I'm not proud of. Hell, if you knew about even half the things I've done, you wouldn't be so happy about us being a thing. But if you think I'm great, there must be some truth in it."
Another pause as Hancock sat up, gently shaking himself away from Nate's gentle embrace. When he looked at Nate there was a moment where he was so open, his eyes dark and unsure and so vulnerable it was like Nate was staring at a whole different person.
Then his expression cleared, that all too familiar crooked grin spreading slowly across his thin lips.
Nate knew that smile was fake, knew that almost every smile Hancock gave him was fabricated in some way - but maybe, with this new honesty between them, Nate could work on making him feel comfortable enough to smile for real.
A broad hand reached out for Hancock, wrapping easily around his much smaller one. Nate had never considered himself a big guy - tall sure, and relatively buff - but next to Hancock's wiry frame he looked like a giant. A wave of protectiveness overtook him, the urge to pull Hancock into his arms and never let go. So he did just that, thick arms wrapping around Hancock and pulling him to his chest for the second time that day.
Outside the first droplets of rain pattered against the ruined roof. The rhythmic drip drip as the rain splashed onto the floor by the bed was barely noticeable; but in the quiet of the night it made Nate smile.
"Hey," Hancock spoke, and Nate didn't have to look at him to know there was a soft smile on his face. The softness in his voice was foreign, as if he didn't want to break the peaceful silence surrounding them. "If we're soulmates, does that mean you've had your soulmark since before the war?"
Nate couldn't help the grin spreading across his face, nor did he want to. "Yeah. It appeared when I was nine, I think. I was too young to know what it meant, but my family were kind of known for their soulmarks appearing early. After I woke up in that vault, I figured it was too late to meet them. Unless they were a pre-war ghoul or something.
"Pre-war I'm not, but you got yourself that ghoul." Hancock grinned back, showing too much teeth and receding gums. Honestly, it was the best smile Nate had ever seen. "So what do we do now? This is going to surprise you, but I've never exactly done long term relationships before; not even long term friendships."
Shit, that was true. He had been so wrapped up in all this it hadn't even occurred to him that this wasn't Hancock's usual thing. He probably didn't even want this - being tied to someone, especially soul bonded to someone, was probably his worst nightmare. Nate watched him warily, the sudden realisation silencing him despite the fact there were a million questions whirling around in his mind. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?
Hancock's broad smile didn't budge and there was a genuineness to it that Nate still wasn't used to. It faltered slightly when his eyes landed on Nate, stuttering for a brief second. "Don't look so panicked. I don't… I mean, if you want to, then I want to. You're the only person I'd ever want to get serious with."
Just like that the tension flooded from Nate. It was like the stress disappeared, his shoulders slumping as he sighed quietly. "For a moment I thought you were going to say you didn't want us to be soulmates."
Hancock's lip curled, but instead of chiding Nate he just sank deeper into his side. "Trust me, since the day I found out I've been trying to figure out how to tell you it's the only thing I've ever wanted."
Warmth bloomed in Nate's chest, and Nate was left wondering why the hell the world had kept Hancock from him for so long. "I think you're going soft, Hancock. Not that I'm complaining."
Hancock replied by shoving him with a narrow shoulder, grin widening. "Don't go telling folks, got it? I have a reputation."
"A reputation founded on lies," Nate shot back. A laugh bubbled up and he ducked his head, stifling it with his free hand. "But hey, if this means I'm the only one who gets to see this side of you, that's fine by me."
"Thanks though, for being so understanding. I mean it - most people would have fucked off long before this point. So kudos to you for being basically the greatest guy in the Commonwalth." Hancock smiled, nudged Nate's shoulder one last time, then let his head drop onto Nate's wide shoulder. "I think that's enough mushy bullshit for one day, don't you?"
"I dunno, I could do with a bit more." Nate trailed his hand down Hancock's arm, watching with lidded eyes as Hancock smiled softly. "I like this side of you - not that rude, sassy Hancock doesn't have his benefits too."
"Well personally, I've officially exceeded my quota for today, so sass is all you're getting."
Silence fell over the two; something so rare with Hancock. Nate closed his eyes and revelled in it - the peacefulness of just sitting together, enjoying each other's company. Until a yawn rose in his throat, escaping before he could stop it and breaking the peace. He stifled it with a hand, but it didn't stop the second yawn from attracting Hancock's attention.
His grin was broad and familiar as he quirked a brow at Nate - or, rather, what had been a brow long ago. "Tired eh? There's a perfectly usable bed right here."
Nate glanced sceptically at the rickety old frame. Even in the darkness it was clear how twisted and rusted it was. "We're playing with fire just sitting on it. You really think it'll survive a whole night?"
Hancock wasn't paying attention. He sat up, already shrugging off his coat and tossing it on the chair opposite. "One way to find out," was his simple reply. Next came the boots, then the tricorn, all joining the red coat in a messy pile.
Nate could have argued - but another yawn forced its way past his lips and he relented by kicking off his own boots and lying down. The mattress was lumpy and smelled faintly of sweat; but it was hardly the worst thing he had slept on. Besides, with Hancock there, pressed up beside him. Well, it wasn't going to be so bad.
A moment later Hancock joined him, back pressed so firmly against Nate's stomach that he felt the little ridges of his his spine. Fleetingly Nate wondered if Hancock ate enough, or if it was just a side effect of being a ghoul.
"'Night, Sunshine." When Hancock spoke, his voice had the soft edge of someone fighting sleep - but it didn't stop him from curling his skeletal hand around Nate's and shuffling even closer, fitting perfectly into the space Nate's curved body created.
He had never thought of Hancock as the spooning type, but who was he to complain? A tired smile graced his lips as he pressed a soft kiss to Hancock's neck, wrapping one enormous arm securely around his tiny waist. "Goodnight, John."
Within minutes, Nate was asleep.
Nate rolled over, groaning as weak morning sunlight hit his face. He stretched an arm out to pull the covers over his head - but instead of finding coarse fabric, his hand landed on thick, scarred skin. His eyes snapped open, only to land on the grinning face of Hancock.
Then everything from the night before came rushing back, his mind stuttering to a complete and utter halt.
Hancock's grin broadened, dark eyes tinged with sleepiness. "Morning sunshine."
Distantly, thunder rumbled - deep and earth shaking. A sign of a radstorm to come. But that hardly mattered when Hancock was right there in front of him, grinning like an idiot.
"Morning." Nate felt a flush bloom across his cheeks, silently thankful for the burst of freckles that hopefully hid it from view. "You been awake long?"
"Na, just a couple of minutes. Anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you sleep?" His honest grin turned cheeky, eyes sparkling with hidden laughter.
Nate ducked his head, pressing it into the mattress so Hancock wouldn't have to see how scarlet his cheeks were. Christ, he was like a schoolboy with a crush! Actually, he had never been this bashful around any of his previous partners.
That one little word made him smile, the embarrassment slipping from his mind. Partners. Boyfriends? Hancock had made it pretty clear last night that he wanted this - whatever this was. It wasn't like Nate had experience with this kind of thing! A person only had one soulmate; what they made of it was up to them.
"You all right there?" Hancock chuckled, reaching over to brush a thin hand across Nate's mass of curly black hair. "Not having second thoughts I hope." The smile faded from his voice then, though Nate knew he was forcing himself to sound indifferent. Typical Hancock, even now he couldn't handle his own emotions.
A frown tugged at Nate's lips as he propped himself up on his elbow, reaching out with his free hand to cup the side of Hancock's face. "Never. Do you know what it means to have found my soulmate - for you, of everyone, to be the person I'm soul bonded to? There's not a drop of doubt in my mind."
Hancock stared at him with wide black eyes, mouth open, desperate to say something but unable to form the words. Instead he just leaned into Nate's gentle touch.
Nate was lost in those eyes - such a rich, endless black that so many people found frightening, but they were so beautiful. Just like the rest of him. He ran a thumb across Hancock's cheek, soft smile playing on his lips. "If we're soulmates, do you want people to know? I don't know how we'd explain me having McDonough across my wrist but-"
"I don't care." Hancock had been sprawled across what little room the bed had to offer - but he sat up, inching closer to Nate so he could brush a hand across his jaw. They sat like that, perfect mirrors of each other, before Hancock said, "This isn't something I want to hide. Anyway, who'd want to keep secret the fact they're dating a stud like you."
Hancock's quip, and the grin that followed, caused laughter to bubble up in Nate's chest. It burst from his lips in a wheezing snort of surprise - but he couldn't miss the way his chest fluttered at the compliment. "Well good," he managed to splutter out between laughs, "because I wouldn't want to hide the fact I'm with you either."
"Can't say a lot of people are going to like it; a wonderful guy like you with someone like me. But that's their problem."
Nate caught the self depreciating undertone, the way the smile slipped from his lips for just a moment - and before he had the time to question himself, Nate wrapped a massive arm around Hancock and pulled him close; so close the two of them nearly tumbled from the narrow bed. Bracing himself against the crumbling wall, Nate shifted so Hancock fell squarely into his lap.
"Not that I don't appreciate this wake up call, but we should move. Unless you want to look like a stick of beef jerky too."
As if to prove his point, thunder rolled across the sky - a deep growl that Nate swore shook the very crumbling foundations of the building itself. Through the hole in the roof, rain pattered through.
Nate cast one quick glance through the long shattered window, shrugged, and ducked down to press a kiss to Hancock's lips. "I've got Rad-X, I'll live."
Dark eyes seemed to question Nate's choices as Hancock leaned back - but then his expression cleared, frown replaced by that wide, toothy grin that Nate loved. "I guess an extra hour or so won't hurt. I mean, the storm's still a good bit away."
"Exactly."
They sat there with their limbs tangled, dark tan and freckles against a mass of reddish radiation scars. Nate took a moment to admire Hancock's skin - the grooves and indents, battle scars and ghoulish skin all mingled into one-
Then Hancock's lips were against his, and it didn't matter that they both had morning breath because holy shit, Hancock was kissing him and it was the best feeling in the world, his chapped lips pressed firmly against his own.
Nate shifted, legs knocking into Hancock's as he fumbled to find his waist. Hancock felt so tiny against him, and as Nate pressed a hand to his bony hip, pulling him ever closer, it became even more clear just how huge Nate was by comparison.
Hancock groaned at the touch, breath heavy and laboured - then his hands cupped the back of Nate's head, fingers curling in his messy hair so tightly it almost hurt, but Nate didn't give a damn.
When they broke apart Nate was flushed, warmth spreading across his face, his neck, his chest. He let out a ragged gasp, bright smile curling at his lips.
Hancock's shirt was a wrinkled mess, top three buttons undone but Nate didn't remember either of them undoing it. When he grinned back it was so bright it was almost blinding - an untamed smile so wide it didn't even seem possible. He was stunning.
"Damn, Nate; if I knew you kissed like that I would have done it a long time ago."
Nate let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head so messy curled fell in his eyes. He reached up to brush them away but Hancock reached out, careful hand tucking the curls behind his ear. When Nate opened his mouth to speak, not a single word left his throat.
Then bright light flashed through the shattered window, lighting up the room for the briefest second - and thunder followed, a deep howl unmistakably close, too close.
Nate jerked, heart skipping in his chest as a hand snapped to his ear. "Shit, I think we should find better shelter." His eyes darted to Hancock, disappointment welling inside of him. Things were just getting interesting too.
Hancock just grinned as he leaned forward for another kiss, a brief brush of lips. "Sure thing, Sunshine. Then we can pick up were we left off."
Nate's eyes dropped to Hancock's waist as he spun around. When Hancock bent to grab his shoes, legs and ass perfectly silhouetted by the very tight leather, Nate knew exactly what game he was playing.
"I'd like that."