"Swear on my life, boss." Mac raised his right hand and crossed his heart. Amber laughed out loud and let her head fall against her arm on the table. Her face was hidden from view by MacCready's hat that she had stolen from him some time during their evening.
They'd been travelling together for more than a month now. She had cleaned up the streets as the Silver Shroud and almost robbed Hancock with Bobbi No-Nose. They'd even taught a gang of super mutants the joys of reading as a favor to Daisy. But this is how their nights usually ended. Drinking themselves to sleep at the Third Rail.
Amber seemed like a decent enough person. He didn't know the whole story, her life before the vault, before the bombs fell. He knew she had been married. She still wore the ring on her left hand. But she didn't talk about him. But MacCready knew all about Shaun.
"I think we need more booze. Charlie! Charlie, I love you. C'mere!" MacCready laughed out loud and shook his head. The Mr. Handy bartender sighed loudly and brought another bottle of whiskey to the table.
"Please tell me you're leaving soon?" Charlie all but pleaded. MacCready chuckled lightly.
"Yeah. Go ahead and take that bottle back." MacCready stood, tossing a handful of caps onto the table. He grabbed Amber by the wrists and hoisted her up to his side. She was lighter than she looked, almost lanky but not quite. Rounded, maybe. His hand rested on the small of her back, just barely brushing her ass with his fingers.
"Thanks, Charlie." MacCready lead Amber toward the stairs slowly, his barely conscious boss leaning heavily against him, slurring and mumbling to him. They reached the bottom of the stairs and MacCready sighed. He bent and pulled Amber into his arms, cradling her against him. She didn't look so small when they were fighting super mutants, or perched on top of a building, sniping ghouls to clear a settlement for that insufferable goody two shoes Garvey.
Amber's head was nestled against his shoulder, her breath hot and thick on his neck. Stop it, right now.
"I don't miss him... I just hate that he didn't know I knew.' Amber mumbled into his ear. He had no idea what she meant, but he agreed anyway.
"Definitely, boss." He said quietly, pushing the door to Rexford open with his foot. Clair was in her usual spot. She started to speak, but MacCready silenced her with a look. He walked up the stairs without a word, walking into the first empty room he found. He laid Amber into the bed slowly, earning little more than an incoherent grumble.
MacCready walked back down the stairs for just a moment. He tossed the small satchel of caps Amber has given him that week onto the counter in front of Clair before retreating back to the room to stand watch.
Amber was still unconscious, her back to MacCready as he entered. He sat on the floor next to the bed, leaning his back against the frame. He closed his eyes for a second, thinking about the story she told him on the way here their first day together. Watching her husband get shot, her baby stolen and incapable of doing anything to stop it. Mac couldn't help thinking about Lucy and the ghouls. Unable to stop it.
Amber was muttering in her sleep again. She rolled over, her face scrunched tightly, similar to the night on Piper's couch.
"Damnit, Nate. I saw you with her. Stop lying to me!" She called out, swinging her arm back around her. He touched her arm and shook her slightly.
"Boss, you all right?" He said barely above a whisper. She grabbed his hand suddenly, lacing her fingers with his.
"Don't! Don't, it's not safe." She seemed to be dreaming about something else now, so he left her alone.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his free hand, sleep creeping up on him quickly, the weight of the drinks he'd shared with his boss hitting him like a Deathclaw.
Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but sunlight was creeping across the faded carpet of the hotel room. He sat up and stretched, his back protesting to the awkward angle he'd slept at, still seated on the floor against the bed.
Amber rolled over, flinging her arm that held her Pip-Boy against his shoulder with a thud. The force had apparently pressed a button, because a man's voice was playing from the small speaker.
"Oops! Ha ha ha. No, no. Little fingers away. There we go. Just say it. Right there! Right there! Go ahead. Ha ha. Yay! Hi, honey!" Amber slapped the Pip-boy harder than was probably needed, her nostrils flared slightly. Mac eyed her cautiously. His hand was still holding hers. He pulled away quickly.
"Morning, boss." He spoke stiffly, tentatively. Amber pushed a button on her Pip-boy and it opened from the top, pushing a small orange tape from inside. She closed the small door and grabbed MacCready's hand.
"Take this. Do whatever you want with it. Just don't give it back to me." Her voice was thick and gravelly. Her accent still twinged the edges of her words.
"You got it, boss." He stated, slipping the small plastic square into the inside pocket of his jacket.
Amber took MacCready's hat from her head, shaking her long, dark brown hair loose. She ran her fingers through it and groaned.
"C'mon kid. I need a wash and a bodyguard." She pulled his hat down over the loose curls and headed for the door.
"Hey, boss, am I getting my hat back?" He called after her. She looked back with a quick smirk before laughing.
"Nope!" The door slammed behind her.