She couldn't know how long she cried into Curie's shoulder, digging her nails into the woman's back. A headache pulsed between her ears. She pulled away eventually and wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, her voice hoarse.
"Do not be." Curie placed her own hands in her lap.
Renee looked away. Some shorter strands of her hair escaped the braid and hung around her face and ears. "I… I don't handle…" She gritted her teeth. "Praise. Bad. Words…"
"I may grow irritated with you, and I am still hurt, emotionally, from when you hurt me, but I will never abuse you. Zhat I promise you." Curie reached to place a hand on Renee's forearm. "There are…many zhings I am still learning about zhis world. But I know zhat 'arming another is never acceptable."
"Whether it's acceptable or not, people still do it." Renee almost let her shoulders slump but it pulled on the fresh stitches and she was forced to keep her posture somewhat straight. "Ngh…"
Curie crawled up on the bed to inspect them. "Hm. I was 'oping zhat this new formula would be more effective, but it would seem it is no more or less effective zhan a regular Stimpak." She sighed. "Well. Yet another dead-end."
"What'd you try this time?" Renee watched her reach for her bag again.
"Carrot flower. Er, well, not quite. Just zhe tops, if zhat makes any sense." Curie dug around in the bag until she pulled out a few clean rolls of bandages. She hooked a finger around the blanket and made to pull it down.
Renee felt her face blaze and held it tighter to her exposed chest. "What are you doing?!"
"Bandaging your wound?" Curie tilted her head. "Is zhat a problem?"
"Well I'm, you know, half naked." Renee swallowed hard and shied away.
To her surprise, Curie giggled. "Please, as if I 'ave not already seen your body when I removed your clothing. And besides, it does not bother me."
"It bothers me!" Renee clenched her jaw. "It's embarrassing."
"You 'ave nozhing to be embarrassed for. Every woman has breasts, do zhey not?" Curie gripped the blanket tighter and pulled it away. "Now, let me finish treating you."
Renee yelped and covered her chest. "Curie!"
"Relax. I'm not going to touch you inappropriately."
Slowly, Renee let her arms drop. She felt her skin prickle at being exposed to the air. "Fine." She refused to meet Curie's eyes and stared a hole in the floor.
"Very good." Curie flashed her a smile.
Renee felt Curie's cool hands start to roll the bandage around her back, to the front, and back again. Around and around, carefully avoiding her chest. Though the woman wasn't totally successful, and as soon as Curie's fingers brushed against one of her breasts, it sent a shock of heat down through her core. She sucked in a breath.
"Did I hurt you?" Curie stopped, her face mere inches from Renee's.
"N-no." Renee bit her lip.
Curie finished her work and tied off the bandage. "That will 'elp any residual bleeding and keep it protected. But I want to be able to administer more Stimpaks as needed, so…" She frowned. "Hm. You usually stay at zhe Dugout?"
Renee felt a trifle disappointed that Curie didn't offer to share the apartment again, but she understood. "Yeah."
"I see." Curie remained silent for a few moments, but Renee could tell she was deep in thought by the way her eyes darted back and forth. "I'll give you caps to pay for your stay. But I want you to come by at least once a day, until zhis is healed."
"You don't have to…" Renee trailed at Curie's pointed look.
"I am zhe one who sent you to fetch a Mirelurk egg. It is my responsibility to keep you healthy." She sighed. "Really, it's my fault zhis keeps 'appening to you. If you weren't working for me, per'aps—"
"Nah, I'd still get hurt."
Curie blinked rapidly. "Eh?"
"It's who I am. I'm clumsy, and unlucky. No matter how hard I try, I always end up getting shot, or falling off of things, or tripping over my own feet," Renee began holding up her fingers as she listed, "or getting stabbed, or getting bit, or being burned, or falling onto things, or falling out of things…" She chewed the inside of her cheek. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't know how I'm still alive."
Curie pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. "We need to work on your sense of self-preservation. And you need to pay attention to your surroundings. Clearly."
"Well…" Renee rubbed the back of her neck with a weak smile.
Silence settled between them. Renee pushed herself to her feet and shuffled over to where she saw her things against the wall. "I'll get out of your hair." As she picked up her shirt, she realized it was completely ruined. The back had a huge hole from the Mirelurk claw, and she knew her jacket didn't fare much better. "Shit."
She felt a lab coat settle on her shoulders. "Huh?"
"You should be careful moving your shoulders. Zhis may not be as comfortable as you're used to, but it will be easier for you to put on." Curie helped guide her arms in and buttoned it up. "Zhere. You're covered, at least."
The coat was still warm from Curie wearing it and Renee tried not to think about that. She turned. "I can't take this…"
"I 'ave more. My lab coats don't often stay clean for long." Curie smiled. "But don't worry, zhis one is."
"Thanks. I'll be careful with it." Renee turned her attention back to her shirt and she sighed. "Well… I guess I'll be paying Gene another visit. I know I've been thinking of changing my outfit around but this isn't how I planned on doing it." She knelt for her jacket, wincing when she saw the even bigger tear in that. "Damn it."
"Let me know 'ow much it will cost to 'ave your clothes replaced and I'll reimburse you." Curie took the jacket and ran her hand over the tough material.
"You don't…" Renee smirked. "I know, I know. You insist."
"You're learning." Curie returned the smile with one of her own, warm and genuine.
"I might not be the smartest, but I do eventually learn." Renee straightened and gaze down at her. She noticed Curie didn't look frightened of her anymore, nor irritated, nor even neutral. There was affection in her eyes.
"So, you said you're from the Midwest Commonwealth?" Nate sat back in his chair, sipping at a cup of siltbean coffee.
Renee nibbled her bottom lip. "Uh, yeah, I am."
While in Curie's apartment the day after she passed out, Piper happened to stop by to invite Curie to dinner at the Publick. The reporter went ahead and invited Renee along too, though the redhead didn't really want to attend. But Curie insisted, and now she felt she was being grilled by Nate after the meal. He was intense in everything he did, and though realistically she knew he was just trying to be friendly—probably—it certainly didn't feel like it.
"Last time I went out to the Midwest was for an IndyCar race. You know IndyCar?" Nate's brown eyes weren't cold, but they weren't warm either.
"What's… What's that?"
He grunted. "The Indianapolis 500."
"I don't…"
Nate put the cup down. "If they turned Fenway Park into a city, they probably turned the Brickyard into one too. I'm not surprised."
That rang a bell. "Oh! Brickyard? Yeah, I've heard of Brickyard. It's the closest biggest city to my hometown. Well, other than Chicago, but… No one really goes to Chicago." Renee tapped her chin. "I've never been to either, but my father's been to Brickyard. He said it was huge, full of people. Mostly mechanics."
"Not surprised by that either." Nate chuckled.
"Finished?" Piper grabbed for Renee's plate from behind.
"Oh, yeah. Here, I'll help." Renee started to get up.
Curie cleared her throat. "Renee, you really shouldn't…"
"I can wash some dishes. I'm not totally infirm." Renee grabbed the silverware and followed Piper into the small kitchen.
Piper dumped the dishes into the sink and turned on the faucet. "Thanks, I appreciate it." She grinned. "I wash, you dry?"
"Sounds good." Renee leaned on the counter as they waited for the sink to fill up. She glanced back at the dining table to see Curie with both elbows on the table, just hanging on Nate's every word. She huffed. "Doesn't that bother you?"
"Does what?" Piper followed her gaze. She chuckled. "Oh, that. No, it doesn't. It used to, sure, but not anymore." She arched an eyebrow. "Does it bother you?" She smirked.
"What? No, of course not." Renee turned around and felt her face start to heat up. "Let's get this over with."
"Whatever you say."
They set to work washing dishes and soon enough Curie and Nate's conversation faded into the background. Renee hummed along to the radio playing softly nearby. Diamond City Radio played different songs than she was used to, and she wasn't sure if she totally liked the DJ yet, but she had no complaints. She did wish there was more jazz, though.
"And here's uh, here's One More Tomorrow. E-enjoy," Travis's voice crackled through the old speaker.
"Ooh, I know this one." Renee put down the plate she was holding to go turn up the radio.
Renee hummed along with Marjorie Hughes until about halfway through the song when she just started singing. So focused was she on drying dishes and remembering lyrics that she didn't even realize Nate turned off the radio and it was just her voice filling the apartment.
"…And then tomorrow I'd beg, for one more tomorrow with you…"
She nearly dropped the knife she was drying when she realized there wasn't background noise. She turned to see everyone staring at her. "Oops. Was I too loud? I'm sorry. Habit."
"I don't say this lightly, but have you ever considered singing professionally?" Nate blinked at her, leaning on hand the kitchen counter and the other still holding his mug.
"Oh, me? That's funny." Renee forced an awkward giggle.
"I'm not kidding."
"You're quite good!" Curie nodded. "I wasn't expecting you to sound so…"
Renee finished with the knife. "I did actually used to sing somewhat professionally, I guess. Sometimes I'd fill in for the singer at my sister's casino back home—"
"I'm sorry, your sister owns a casino?" Piper put a hand on her hip.
"Well, her husband's family did, but then she married him and now they own it." Renee looked away. "I didn't do it very often."
Nate hummed in his throat. "You could give Magnolia a run for her money."
"Why'd you stop singing?" Curie tilted her head.
"That's…" Renee clenched her jaw as the memories flooded back.