Chapter Seventeen: Dear Hearts & Gentle People
Danse sat bolt upright with a gasp, the roar of the gunshot still ringing in his ears. There was a flash of light and he made to roll away, but there was resistance, his legs trapped. Wrenching his body violently, he found himself sprawled on a carpet. There was another flash of light and another.
His eyes wide and heart hammering painfully in his chest, he caught sight of hundreds of lights dancing over walls, passing over a Brotherhood flag hanging over a messy bed and dressers. He raised a hand to his chest, the black T-shirt damp beneath his palm. He could feel the wild pounding of his heart and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sensation and ground himself. But the lights kept flashing across his eyelids and each time he flinched, expecting to hear a gunshot, to feel pain.
He heard footsteps approaching and fresh beads of sweat broke out across his skin. He turned sharply, eyes flying wide as a shadow appeared behind a partitioning curtain at his back.
"Danse? Is everything okay?"
The curtain rippled as Nora eased a corner back, peering inside the makeshift 'room'. Seeing him on the floor, she slowly entered, letting the curtain fall back into place. He didn't know the time, but she was already wearing a dress, her dark hair tumbling about her head in damp curls.
She lowered herself onto the floor beside him. His eyes searched her face, eventually focusing upon her calm blue gaze. The lights chased over her skin, giving it a warm luminescence and catching her eyes like starlight. He felt something warm lay upon his hand and when he glanced down, it was to find her own resting upon it.
Slowly, the echoes of his nightmares faded as he focused on her fingers, paler and more slender than his own, yet bearing the same calloused patterns from her time spent honing her combat skills in the Commonwealth.
He exhaled slowly, turning away to focus upon the sheets tangled about his legs. As he pulled his hand away to free himself, Nora removed hers, but remained crouched at his side. Finally, he began to ease himself to his feet, raising his eyes to observe the disco ball rotating overhead, glittering as it cast light refractions about the space. He sighed heavily, reaching up to run a hand through his sweating hair, feeling like a fool.
The skirts of Nora's dress rustled and he watched from the corner of his eye as she rose.
"I was just about to sort out breakfast. Do you want sugar bombs or a fry up?"
He busied himself remaking the bed, focusing his attention upon the task at hand.
"A fry up would be a welcome change." He managed, his voice hoarse as he raised the mattress and tucked the sheets in. He heard her move away, the curtain drawing back.
"Nora?"
More light poured into the cubbyhole as she paused, holding the curtain in her hand.
"…Thank you."
"Mm."
She let the curtain fall back into place as she walked away.
He clenched the sheets in his fists until his knuckles shone white through his skin.
The food was good, but Burke couldn't wait for breakfast to end. Not one word had been said at the table since he had arrived, the only sounds being the scraping of cutlery on plates and the music of Diamond City radio, playing at a low volume in the background.
Beside him, the Paladin kept his eyes glued to his plate, shovelling the food into his mouth whilst Nora silently prodded the meagre portion she'd given herself, her gaze distant.
Burke found himself missing Deacon. The man might be an enemy of the Brotherhood and synth sympathiser, but he was chatty and upbeat, full of amazing stories. Unfortunately he had only walked them as far as the front door yesterday, insisting that he needed to go to the security barracks instead.
He hadn't returned since.
Nora's chair scraped back across the floorboards and he glanced up to see her picking up her plate, her food virtually untouched.
"You should make an effort to eat more, soldier." Danse commented, his eyes flitting from her plate back to his own. "You'll need to be good form for when we head back to the Prydwen today."
Burke sighed glumly, dropping his own fork to sit back with his arms folded, scowling.
Figures I'd finally get to the biggest settlement in the Commonwealth and not even get to see it.
"Good form? Huh." Nora snorted, glaring somewhere past the Paladin's shoulder. "Considering I haven't even had time to go to the surgery today, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Oh, but never mind. I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work now, would I?"
Danse shot her a dark look, his jaw clenched, but she had already turned her back and disappeared into the kitchen which annexed Home Plate and the converted warehouse together.
"Do we have to go back today?" Burke complained, causing the Paladin to sigh. "You haven't even let me out the house yet to look around!"
"This isn't a holiday, Squire." Danse grunted, savaging a radstag sausage with his knife and fork. "We're here on a mission and the mission has failed –"
"And apparently one of us in this room doesn't have a life beyond missions and the Brotherhood." Nora interjected as she stepped back inside, returning to her seat.
"Knight, you are being unprofessional and validating all my points at the same time." Danse practically growled, glowering at her. "This is not an appropriate conversation to have in front of the Squire."
Nora neither answered nor looked at him, instead reaching for the glass pitcher on the table that she had filled with mutfruit-flavoured water. Another silence descended, only this time it was even worse.
Burke reached for his own glass and took a long drawn out sip, trying to focus on the song playing on the radio rather than the tense silence.
Dear Hearts and Gentle People by Dean Crosby.
He hadn't heard the song in a long time and it conjured memories from what felt like another life. A life in which his father, no matter how footsore or weary, would smile and pull his mother into a clumsy dance, holding her close until she was breathless and laughing.
It had always made him happy to watch them, but the phantom couple dancing in his mind brought pain. He bit down on the inside of his cheeks, lowering his glass to the table. It made perfect sense to him now just why his mother had always turned the radio off whenever the song had begun to play.
"Is everything okay, Burke?"
His eyes refocused on the room and he found both Nora and Danse watching him.
"May I be excused?" He asked quietly, his hands balling into fists until his nails bit into his palm.
Nora nodded, watching as he rose to his feet and hurried towards the stairs. When he was out of sight, she sighed, lowering her own glass to the table.
"Are you sure we can't wait another two or three days to return to the Prydwen?" She asked, clasping her hands on her lap. "Burke needs time to recover. I think it's pretty obvious that we all do."
"We've wasted enough time as it is." Danse replied flatly, finishing off the last of his meal. "We were due back on the Prydwen days ago to continue our mission against the Institute. Besides, I will not risk a repeat of what happened in Bunker Hill here."
"What happened at Bunker Hill's hardly going to happen in Diamond City, Danse!" She sighed, exasperated. "The guards don't let raiders in here."
"Has that stopped the spate of kidnappings?" He asked bluntly, leaning back in his chair. "Did that stop Kellogg living here?"
Nora's mouth closed with an audible snap.
"Nowhere in the Commonwealth is safer for him than the Prydwen." He concluded firmly, looking her dead in the eye. "I recommend that you visit the surgery here as soon as possible and make ready to depart."
"Well, I recommend you go and have a bath." She muttered sourly, rising sharply to her feet. "You still smell like shit."
"Knight."
She ignored him, stalking away up the stairs.
He drank in a deep breath, focusing on keeping his temper in check. He had come to pride himself over the years for his level headedness and the control he had over his emotions. It was a skill that had served him well as a commanding officer, allowing him to deal with soldiers who would drive other paladins to despair.
But with Nora, his control was fraying.
There came an insistent hammering at the front door, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Can you get that?" Nora called down the stairs.
Sighing, he rose from his seat and crossed to the door. He already had the beginnings of a headache forming. The moment he pulled it open, he knew it would only get bigger.
"Well, if it isn't the Commonwealth's very own tin soldier! I almost didn't recognise you out of your power armour! What happened? You run into a raider with a can opener?" Smirking, Piper Wright shouldered past him and into the house. "Is Blue around? I heard that the pair of you rolled into town yesterday!" As she turned to face him, hands on her hips, her face fell, nose wrinkling in disgust. "Phew! No offense, big guy, but you need a bath!"
"Thank you for your input, citizen." Danse scowled, closing the door behind her. "Knight Hart's upstairs at present if you wish to speak with her. Now if you'll excuse me."
"Yeah… nice to see you too, ya tin can." Piper muttered under her breath as he stalked back towards the opposite side of the house.
"Oh my God!" Piper gasped, wiping tears from her eyes as she gasped for breath. "I'd have paid to see his face when you said that!"
Nora sighed loudly from where she was crouched at the foot of the bed, withdrawing caps from the safe she had hidden under her dresser.
"I wish I could un-see it. I'll be scrubbing all the suits in the power armour bay with a toothbrush for the next three months." As she spoke, she counted out the caps in her hands, dividing them between two pouches she had set on the floor. "I suppose it means I get to hang out with Brandis, at least."
"Hey! You could always take me up there with you!" When Nora's head rose above the end of the bed to fix her friend with a sceptical look, Piper grinned and raised a hand to her heart. "I promise to behave! You won't even know I'm there!"
"Because you'll be breaking into Maxson's quarters looking for your 'scoop!'" Nora snorted, rolling her eyes.
"Or interviewing your fellow thugs – soldiers, I meant soldiers!" She added when Nora glanced up again. "I mean talking isn't forbidden up there… or is it? All the other soldiers I've met seem to hate talking and having a good time. Did Maxson outlaw fun, or something?"
Nora looked at her.
"Oh, present company excluded of course" she added quickly, flashing a grin in response to Nora's raised eyebrow.
"It could be something to do with the article you wrote on Maxson's 'compensating' for something with the Prydwen." Nora said lightly, her lips beginning to twitch at the memory of the article. Following that particular issue, anyone found with a copy of Publick Occurrences in the airport, police station or Prydwen went straight on report.
Piper grin widened in response. "See? No sense of humour! Although that was a serious article."
At the sound of footsteps from the floor above, they glanced towards the stairs in time to see Burke descending. He paused mid-step, frowning at Piper in confusion.
"Who are you?"
"Name's Piper Wright, Publick Occurrences." Piper smiled up at him before glancing back to Nora who was straightening up from the floor. "Care to introduce us, Blue?"
"Piper, meet Squire Burke of the Brotherhood of Steel." Nora nodded, gesturing between them. "Burke, this is Piper. She writes the best newspaper in the Commonwealth."
"A squire of the Brotherhood?" Piper's expression darkened slightly and she turned to frown at Nora. "He's a child soldier?"
"Not quite…" Nora said evasively, crouching down again to avoid looking her friend in the eye. She'd had enough arguments that morning alone and was too worn out to survive one of Piper's infamous tirades.
"Not quite? Then what's he doing on the Prydwen, Blue?" Piper demanded, her voice already taking on the hardened edge that meant trouble. "You're okay with that?"
Nora slammed the safe shut before rising to her feet, fastening one of the pouches to her cinch belt. "I didn't say that." She replied frostily, glowering at her friend for a few moments before turning towards Burke and softening her expression. "Burke, I'm heading out to the clinic and to get some shopping if you want to come with me?"
Burke's expression brightened for the first time in days. "Yes ma'am!"
"I'll just let the Paladin know we're heading out, so wait for me by the front door."
As Burke hurried across her room and down the stairs, Nora glanced back to Piper. "Look, we're not here for long so just hold off on the hard questions, okay? Just let Burke enjoy himself while he's here. You can rant at me all you want later."
Piper sighed, her expression softening somewhat. "Fine. I'll meet you downstairs."
"And Piper?"
"Yeah?"
"No interviews with Burke."
"You know me, Blue! I never make a promise I'm not going to keep!" Piper smirked, rising from her perch on the edge of the bed and heading downstairs.
Nora rolled her eyes, but smiled faintly as she followed her down. When they reached the bottom, Piper turned right to join Burke in the living room, whilst Nora headed towards the kitchen and converted warehouse beyond.
She had done her best to turn the space into another comfortable living space, with the addition of a workshop. The radio she had placed in the second living area was on, blasting out the tune of 'Sixty Minute Man'. Moving past the worn sofa and coffee table, she made for the closed curtain that partitioned the small bedroom.
She cleared her throat, one hand closing around the edge of the curtain. "Danse?"
When there came no answer, she eased the curtain aside and peered inside. It was dark, the light having being turned off. When her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she found what she had already suspected. The room was empty.
Releasing the breath she had been holding, Nora stepped inside, reaching for the lamp on the bedside table. It flared into life and the sudden brightness made her regret not opting for the disco ball instead. She moved towards the dressers and bookcases that formed a wall, her eyes seeking out something to write on.
Writing a note would be much less intimidating then having to face him in person so soon. In one of the drawers, she found a spare notepad and pencil, likely stashed in there by Piper at some point.
"Jackpot."
She sat down on the edge of the bed and began to write.
'Danse,'
She paused, frowning to herself. She almost amended it to 'Paladin Danse' before shaking her head. It's a freaking note. Don't overthink it.
'Heading out to the market with Burke & Piper. Sorted out the caps I owed you into the pouch, will sort out Rhys & Haylen's shares later.
Nora.'
She placed the notepad and caps pouch on the end table and began to rise only to pause, glancing at the notepad. For a few moments she hesitated before sitting down again with a sigh, shaking her head as she grabbed the notepad and began twirling the pencil between her fingers. Finally, she pressed the lead back to the paper.
'P.S. Sorry for what I said.'
She dropped the pencil and notepad back on the end table and rose to her feet, deciding to make good her escape before she actually had to face him. She crossed to the curtain and swept it aside, stepping through and walking straight into something solid.
Startled, she stepped back and found herself looking into a pair of wide brown eyes. Her own eyes widened as she glanced down… and found herself looking at Danse's bare chest. Her mouth dropped open as her eyes drank him in, following the pale constellations of scars across his skin whilst noting the powerful and very well defined muscles.
Other than his holotags and a pair of green trousers, Danse was bare.
All she managed was a breathless "oh."
An eternity seemed to stretch between them, as the voice of Billy Ward rang out:
"There'll be 15 minutes of kissing,
Then you'll holler "please don't stop!"
Danse cleared his throat, slowly lowering the worn hand-towel he'd been using the dry his hair, his eyes glued to her.
"I… um… there's a…"
Nora found herself floundering beneath his intense stare, her words stumbling on her tongue. She forced herself to tear her eyes from his body, suddenly feeling very hot under the collar.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to look at his face, but found that did little to help as her eyes were drawn to his full lips. She licked her own, trying to order her thoughts around anything but how beautiful he looked, scars and all.
"…I should go." She managed lamely, her heart skipping a beat when she noted how his eyes were darkening.
He swallowed, carefully schooling his expression as he stepped aside to let her pass.
"Sorry." She mumbled, hurrying past him with her face blazing. The curtain fell back into place and she marched straight from the warehouse, through the kitchen and made a beeline for the front door, passing the couch where Piper and Burke were chatting away.
"What's the rush, Blue?" Piper asked, rising to her feet as Nora opened the door. "Or should I call you Red? You're looking a little flustered there."
"Nothing! No reason!" Nora said quickly, gesturing for Burke to follow her. "Let's just get going, okay?"
"Whatever you say, Red." Piper teased, following them out into the market.
Danse released a shuddering breath when she was gone. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he shook his head, mentally scolding himself as he ran his fingers through his damp hair.
Ridiculous. You're not some child. You're a soldier… But why does she have such an impact on me?
Frustrated, he stalked towards the bed, trying to push from his mind the way her eyes had darkened, the way she had stared at him with such intensity… the way he had wanted to close the short distance between them to hold her against him, to feel the softness of her lips against his…
Snap out of it, soldier! He told himself firmly, trying to shake the inappropriate fantasy from his head. Those were definitely not thoughts a commanding officer should be having about any of his charges.
He sat down on the edge of the mattress and sighed, dropping the towel on the bed and running his hands over his face. This was bad. He needed to gather himself, strategize the best way to deal with this issue.
But why does it have to be an issue?
He groaned, trying to shake the thought from his head. If he did raise the matter with Maxson, the Elder might separate them. The war against the Institute was his top priority and he could not afford to have his men distracted, a rule that went doubly for both himself and Nora.
There was just too much at stake for them to become distracted by each other and it was already becoming a problem.
Maybe we need some time apart.
His shoulders sagged at the thought, but he could think of no other alternative. He rose to his feet, moving to a steamer trunk at the end of the bed that Nora had filled with spare clothes in various styles and sizes. He was already wearing dark green trousers from a set of military fatigues that just about fit. He withdrew a stained white T-shirt that strained over his muscles and threw the matching green shirt of the fatigues over that.
He swept his pack up from the floor and set it on the bed.
Nora caught sight of Piper and Burke emerging from Fallon's basement as she left the clinic, a small pile of fresh clothes in the boy's arms. Despite her mood she smiled, noting Burke's grin and the way he was interacting with Piper. He was usually withdrawn and wary of new people, yet in the space of a morning, Piper had somehow charmed him out of his shell.
"Feeling better now, Blue?" Piper asked brightly, ushering Burke towards her.
"Yep! I've got to hand it to Sun, the guy's a miracle worker." Nora smiled in response. "I feel like a normal person again!"
"You might want to consider a haircut to look like a normal person, too." Piper grinned, earning an eyeroll in response. "Anyway, me and Burke went and had a little retail therapy! His outfit was a bit ragged and starting to smell like Danse!"
The memory of the half-naked Paladin flashed across Nora's mind and she felt her cheeks begin to redden again. It had taken the sight of the needles at the surgery to purge the image from her head and now she feared she would never be free of it again. She was sorely tempted to find the nearest wall and hit her head on it until she either forgot it or knocked herself out.
"What? You don't approve of the new Brotherhood scent of Brahmine a la Muerde?" A voice enquired, prompting the three of them to glance up as a member of Diamond City Security sauntered by. "I heard it's all the rage on the Prydwen! Second only to Parfum de Maxson's Bullshit!"
Piper's brows drew together. "Is that –"
"Lance." Nora rolled her eyes. "He is who you think he is, but he's now Lance."
"Hey! No need to wear out the name!" Deacon grinned, backing up a few steps to stand in front of them. "Anyway, what can Diamond City Security do for you two lovely ladies this fine day? Except an interview." He added, smirking at Piper.
"Heard anything interesting?" Nora asked before Piper could fire off a retort.
"Well, the big news is the return of Lance – that's me – who was Diamond City's best and most attractive security guard before he left to go and take care of his dear old granny over in Sanctuary."
"What? Danny Sullivan bought that?" Piper snorted, folding her arms as she stared him down.
"Well, considering people believe what you put in the paper…"
"You mean the truth?" Piper scowled, stepping closer to him.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to stand back or I shall be forced to arrest you for threatening a security officer!" Deacon said in a mock professional voice, holding his hands up with a grin. "Honestly! I can't keep the women off of me in these duds!"
"Now, now play nice children!" Nora grinned as Piper blew a raspberry in Deacon's face. "Try not to kill each other while I go for a haircut!"
As Piper and Deacon began pulling faces at each other, she rolled her eyes and turned to look at Burke. "Fancy a trim?"
"Do I have to?" He huffed, rolling his eyes. "I want to grow it out and they'll just shave it when I'm back on the Prydwen, anyway!"
"Yeah Nora! Let him have some style!" Deacon grinned. "Give it a few days and there'll be enough hair for me to teach him how to style it like this!" He ran his fingers through his particularly lush wig and Nora fought the urge to pull it from his head.
"Fine. But you're coming with me anyway so I can keep an eye on you." She insisted, leading the way to Kathy and John's Super Salon.
"Can't I just walk around the market instead?" Burke whined, pulling a puppy dog expression.
"Now, Squire!" She sighed, pausing to fix him with a stern look. He finally obliged with a long sigh and began to follow in her wake, his clothes still in his arms.
"Hey! How about I see you guys for power noodles when my shift ends?" Deacon called after them. "Piper's buying!"
"Am not!" Piper snorted, shaking her head as she began to follow Nora and Burke.
"Okay! Nora's buying then! I'll see you at six!" He grinned, before turning on his heel to continue with his patrol.
"So are we going to have power noodles tonight?" Burke asked, looking up at Nora hopefully.
"Ugh. I'm going to leave Diamond City a very poor woman indeed." She sighed as she moved towards a grinning John.
"So, you been up to much while I've been away?" Nora asked, watching as Burke crouched down beside a ragged looking cat that was sunbathing in front of the chapel. The animal warily sniffed his outstretched hand and she couldn't help but smile when it gently butted its head against his fingers, demanding attention.
She had always hoped that Shaun might grow up like that, with a natural empathy for other creatures. Something that was all too often missing in this new world.
I hope his parents are proud of him, wherever they are.
"A bit of this and a bit of that." Piper shrugged as she took a drag of her cigarette. "I'm actually leaving town in a couple of days though. I found a guy who's as prone to crazy adventures as you are and he needs my help."
"Do you need any help with it?" Nora asked, turning to look at her, only for John to place his hands on either side of her head with a tsk and make her face forwards again.
"I think you've got a full enough plate as it is, Blue." Piper smiled. "Besides, what he's dealing with is personal business, so he wants to keep it small."
"Personal, eh?" Nora glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye. "So you're not going to publish the details later?"
"Nope."
"I see… so how long have you been dating?"
Piper erupted into a violent coughing fit and Nora couldn't hide the sly grin that curved her lips. As her eyes scanned the market before her, she caught sight of a familiar figure striding away from the direction of Home Plate, a bag slung over one broad shoulder.
Even out of his uniform and at a distance she easily recognised Danse by his poise and stride. Just like that her good humour was gone, her smile replaced by a frown . "Where's he going?"
"Who?" Piper asked hoarsely, clearing her throat.
"Danse." Nora nodded in his direction as he moved past the salon, his eyes distant and turned towards the ground beneath his feet.
"Well, if I didn't know any better I'd say he was heading to the Dugout… with a bag." Piper frowned, watching as he disappeared around the corner. "Huh. But I thought you had plenty of beds at yours?"
"I do." Nora swallowed, feeling icy worms beginning to slither and knot themselves in her stomach.
Maybe I really offended him earlier… Her hands tightened into fists on her lap. Of course I did.
She exhaled heavily through her nose, slumping in the chair.
"Something wrong, Blue?" Piper asked gently, crouching down beside her and trying to catch her eye. "I know you say you don't smoke, but I'll share my cigarette if it helps? 'Bad for your body, good for the soul!' as Vadim likes to say!"
"It's nothing… but would you do something for me?" Nora asked, dipping her hand into a small pocket hidden in the skirt of her dress. "Would you go into Home Plate through the blue door and take a look in the guest room?"
"Uh… sure." Piper said slowly, accepting the keys from her hand. "What am I looking for?"
"I don't know." She sighed, hugging herself as she lowered her eyes to the ground. "Just see if his stuff's still there or something. I mean he could just be going to sell some surplus, or a drink but…" She trailed off, her words unconvincing to her own ears.
"Okay. I'll see if I can find anything." Piper nodded slowly before taking a final drag of her cigarette and walking outside. Nora watched her go before closing her eyes, trying to relax as John combed through her hair with his fingers.
Usually she loved having her hair done and would find it a relaxing and uplifting experience. But now she wanted nothing more than to spring from the chair and race after Danse, to demand an explanation and hope for a trivial answer in response.
"Hey! No animals in the salon!"
Her eyes opened at the sound of Kathy's sharp voice and she found Burke stood on the threshold, the stray snuggled into the new clothes he was holding in his arms. It was a scruffy little thing, with white and ginger fur, a crooked tail and tattered ears that suggested it was the veteran of many scraps.
Burke was smiling fondly down at it, carefully raising one hand to gently rub its cheek with his fingers. She knew what he was going to ask before he looked up and opened his mouth. "Can we keep him?"
His expression fell slightly when he saw the way her shoulders heaved, but his green eyes continued to bore into hers.
"I don't know, Burke." She sighed, not in the mood to argue with him. "Cats take a lot of care and we'll be returning to the Prydwen soon. Probably today, if the Paladin gets his way." She added bitterly, peering past him for any sign of Piper.
"But he's hungry and he likes me!" Burke protested, pouting as he fussed the purring cat in his arms.
"Burke…"
"You won't even know he's there!" He insisted stubbornly. "I'll take care of him!"
"I'll think about it." She said with another sigh, resisting the urge to shake her head.
Burke frowned at her before heading back towards the chapel, muttering something under his breath.
"Oh, sure. So you'll consider a feral cat for Burke, but you won't even think about letting me own a deathclaw called Fluffy!"
Nora glanced up to find Deacon leaning against the entrance of the salon, smirking beneath his sunglasses.
"Weren't you supposed to be on patrol?" She asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
"I am on patrol! I just happen to be patrolling the same place I was patrolling five minutes ago!" He grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"Okay, looks like I'm done here!" John commented brightly, running his fingers through her hair one last time. "No more filth and all the dead ends and singed hair are gone, leaving you a beautiful head of hair!"
Kathy grunted, approaching with a hand mirror to show off John's hard work. The woman was prone to malicious gossip at times, some of which Nora suspected she had been the victim of in the past. She seemed to have it out for women she considered younger or prettier than herself – which, according to Piper, was everyone save Anne Codman, Becky Fallon and Myrna.
He had done an impressive job as always, but she was far too distracted by Piper's absence to pay much attention to her appearance. With barely a glance in the looking glass, she rose to her feet and flashed John the ghost of a smile.
"Thanks. Great work as always."
Kathy muttered sourly under her breath as Nora dropped the caps into her palm. She was quite certain that she heard the word 'synth' mentioned at least twice.
"Make sure you come back sooner next time, all right Doll?" John winked, trying to distract from his mother's bitter expression. "You and that fine head of hair are welcome in this chair anytime!"
"I'll try." Nora nodded, already stepping outside to join Deacon. She couldn't help but run a hand through her hair, already undoing some of John's hard work. Ignoring the pained sigh from the salon, she turned to face Deacon as he followed her into the street.
"Hey, I've got to go and check on something back home. Could you just keep an eye on Burke for me for a few minutes?" She asked, peering past him towards Home Plate.
"Oh I don't know. I take my job with security very serious- hey!" Deacon cried, looking affronted as Nora swept past him. "Just because you know it's a lie doesn't mean you can just walk away!"
"Piper?" Nora called as she eased open the door and stepped inside. The house was quiet, the interior illuminated by strings of lightbulbs above. She could see the soft twinkling of the disco ball just visible between the dressers and cabinets that formed a makeshift wall for the spare room.
She heard a heavy sigh beyond them and frowned, walking further inside. The two suits of power armour were still standing beside one another against the back wall. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly. Danse would never go far without his power armour.
Maybe I don't need to be so worried after all.
She walked towards the partitioning curtain and found it open, the space beyond immaculately tidy. Piper was sitting on the bed, a piece of paper in her hand. She glanced up as Nora entered, her eyes sad and pitying.
"Blue… You should read this." She said quietly, raising the paper she was holding.
Nora hesitated before squaring her shoulders, moving forwards mechanically, her feet dragging across the carpet. When she reached Piper's side, she perched on the edge of the bed beside her and took the note from her hand.
At first glance she recognised Danse's neat print and the feeling of dread intensified.
"Do you want me to go and keep an eye on Burke?" Piper asked quietly, leaning forwards to try and catch her eye.
Nora nodded, staring fixedly at the first line of the note.
Nora Knight Hart,
The strike through her name already said much.
She felt the mattress rise beside her as Piper stood. She watched in her peripheral vision as Piper left and then listened for the sound of the closing door.
When she was alone, she released a shuddering breath and began to read.
Nora Knight Hart,
I am not blind to the fact that our earlier discussion has clearly placed a strain upon our professional relationship. Due to this, I think the wisest course of action would be for us to spend time apart outside of our immediate duties.
As such, I have made the decision to rent a room at the Dugout for the duration of our stay within Diamond City. Should any incidents arise, you are to report to me there.
You have 48 hours to conclude any business you may have within the city and to recuperate. After that I will signal for a vertibird to return us to the Prydwen.
Ad Victoriam,
Paladin Danse.
The paper was taut between her fingers. Her eyes flitted over the neat print of his handwriting several times without taking the words in. Finally she raised a hand to her face, wiping away the single tear track that dampened her cheek. She rose to her feet, nodding her head as she creased the paper into a ball and shoved it in her pocket.
It's fine. She told herself, smoothing down her skirt. Nothing's changed. We're just being strictly professional.
She wiped away a second tear that escaped before moving towards the nearest mirror. When she had a convincing enough smile on her lips, she nodded to herself and left the house, suddenly unable to remain in the lonesome silence.
A/N: I can't believe Bleeding Steel's hit over 10k views! I really can't express how grateful I am for the support you've all provided as I've been writing (I can be as socially awkward as Danse at times I'm afraid!) but seriously; thank you! I really do appreciate every review/follow/fav etc!
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter & thanks for reading!