"Hey, Initiate!" Scribe Valdez peered down over the railing at Molly as she entered Fort Atlas. "You doing anything urgent right now?"
"Nothing that can't wait," Molly replied. "Why?"
"Hold on," the scribe said, backing away and running for the stairs. She descended quickly, her feet a blur on the concrete steps, and within seconds she was standing in front of Molly eagerly. "Close your eyes!"
Molly did as asked. A smaller hand took hers, tugged her forward.
"Up the stairs," Scribe Valdez said softly as she guided her friend upwards. "Be careful."
"What's going on?" Molly asked uneasily. "If this is another one of Max's pranks, I swear-"
"Not this time, promise," the scribe laughed. "Just trust me for a minute."
Despite her grumbling, she did in fact trust Valdez. They'd had each other's back too many times not to.
After the ground beneath Molly's feet leveled out, Valdez led her a short distance further, presumably to the table Molly usually spread her map and plotted expeditions on, and let go of her hand.
"Keep them closed," Valdez urged. "Just a second-" The sound of a welding torch clicking on almost broke her, but Valdez's quiet, nervous humming was enough to keep her compliant. "Ok! Open."
Scribe Valdez stood in front of her, holding a small cake on a platter out in front of her. The cake itself looked to be falling apart, held together with thick white icing and topped with Atomic Gumdrops. In the center was a single stick of flaming wax- barely fit to be called a candle, but it played the part admirably.
"Happy birthday," Scribe Valdez said. Her smile was pained, hesitant. "I know it's not exactly your favorite day, but… I couldn't just not do anything for you, with this being your first birthday away from home and-"
"First I find out you're a programmer, then a doctor, now you're a secret chef? Is there anything you can't do?" Molly said, her voice choked and her eyes burning with emotion. "Thank you. Where did you even find frosting?"
"I made it," she said, rather proudly. "It's just sugar, water and cornstarch. I made the whole thing from scratch... and that's why it's falling apart. Speaking of- the wax probably isn't food safe, so before it drips you should probably put it out of its misery and make a wish."
Molly laughed, taking the platter gingerly from the scribe's hands. Illuminated by the candlelight, the nervousness was gone from her face now. She smiled widely, reaching out to lightly touch Molly's arms, presumably helping her support the cake- though with how light it was, that seemed more like an excuse than a reason. Molly didn't complain.
There were a few things she could wish for, she thought as she closed her eyes and took a breath. World peace, to find her parents, to restore the world to its former glory, armor that didn't practically fall apart after every gunfight-
Valdez squeezed her arms lightly, running her fingertips down her wrists and covering her hands. So soft, so gentle, like nothing else in the world seemed to be anymore. The woman in front of her just might have been the softest thing left, and at that moment, that softness was for only her. She could feel herself being studied by blue-green eyes, as thumbs caressed her hands lightly.
Her chest filled with warmth and light- all she wanted was more of this moment. This moment, forever.
With that thought in mind, she blew out the candle with a quick puff of air.
Her eyes opened slowly, finding Valdez through the smoke. They watched each other intently for a moment, and that heavy, intoxicating something from a few weeks before was back.
"Scribe, I-"
"You can call me Odessa," Valdez breathed, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "You know, when it's just us."
Her head spun at the sudden sense of intimacy despite the atrium below bustling with activity. All she could manage was a nod, which Odessa smiled brightly at.
"Oh! And I'm afraid I didn't get you a present, but I do have good news," she said, finally letting her hands drop. "I got approval from Paladin Rahmani for us to go to The Forest for a week or so. Got an 'anonymous' tip about a bunker there with some 'lost' technology that could be 'important.' Bet that's exactly what you wished for, huh?"
"Obviously," Molly chuckled. The scribe might never know just how true that was.
And as they shared a crumbling cake covered in too-thick frosting decorated with decades old candy, Molly decided that despite the Overseer's best efforts in the vault with boxed cake mix and real candles, this was her favorite birthday ever.