Maverick had a flash of déjà vu in a way when they got back to Underworld. The way the ghouls parted for the Rangers, Leyah, and him reminded him of the way the members of the Brotherhood would do the same whenever he returned from a mission.
He watched with a light heart as the Rangers stormed into the Chop Shop and headed straight for Reilly. He and Leyah watched from the doorway as Reilly was almost in tears.
"Holy shit Reilly, you look like a Mutie Master stepped on you."
"It's because one did, Butcher, you ass."
Maverick's eyes widened when Brick—tough, burly, take-no-shit Brick—leaped forward and kissed Reilly straight on the mouth.
Well, he's seen bigger surprises.
He glanced down at Leyah and he wasn't surprised to see a content smile on her face. She got it whenever they helped someone else. His chest grew warm as he studied her and he tried to not think about the close call she had at the hotel. Jesus, her and muties just did not get along.
Maverick could only remember being that scared one other time in his life and that was when his sister was bleeding out on the ground.
Leyah looked up at him and he didn't look away for once, he met her steady gaze for a few moments before he let out a small sigh. "Well, you struck again, Vaultie. Being nice pays off every once in a while."
Leyah's smile grew and she leaned against the door jamb. "Yeah, this was worth it."
The Rangers were now all seated on beds and discussing their next move as soon as Reilly was well enough to walk and Maverick started to feel awkward. He knew how intimate the friendships in a team were and he felt like they were intruding.
He turned to leave and reached out to tap Leyah's shoulder, but Reilly's voice stopped him.
"You stop right there, Barrington. You both deserve a proper thank you."
Maverick arched a brow at Reilly over his shoulder. "Is that so? Thank Vaultie then, she was the one that wanted to help."
Leyah gave him what he now called, 'the look' which consisted of a pinched brow, scrunched nose, and a big, angry pout. "Mav…"
"No, both of you assholes get in here."
Maverick soon found himself leaning against a bed frame and he watched as Leyah was presented with her own full suit of Reilly's Rangers Combat Armor. They had been saving it for a recruit, but they felt Leyah should have it.
Maverick shook his head when Reilly turned to him and he gave her a hard look. He glanced between her and Leyah, hoping she got the hint.
Thankfully, she did. Leyah now had one of the best armors in the Capital Wasteland. That was good enough for him.
Reilly then recruited Leyah into helping them map out the Wasteland and promised them 100 caps for each location they were able to map. Leyah then took her leave so she could pack up what they found from the hospital and she smiled at Maverick as she left.
Maverick moved to follow her, but the sharp bark of Reilly's voice stopped him. "Just fucking tell her already. Do you know how frustrating it is watching you two?"
Sighing, Maverick faced Reilly with a scowl. "Since when are you allowed to comment on my personal life?"
"Since we saved each other's asses in the field more times than we can count. And you just saved my team," she retorted, throwing her arm around Brick's shoulders.
Maverick turned back toward her, crossing his arms. "She doesn't see me that way."
Shit, that argument even sounded weak to him.
"Bull fucking shit. Just tell her. You're giving us all tension."
Donovan winked at him and Maverick suddenly realized why he flirted with Leyah at the hotel. "I'm watching you, motherfucker," Maverick growled at him.
"Relax. I'm into brunettes."
Reilly swiped at Donovan before focusing on Maverick again. "Now get out of here and follow my damn advice."
Maverick finally left the Chop Shop and made his way up to Carol's Place. He noticed that Leyah already rented them a room again and dropped her pack in there. Both sets of her combat armor was neatly folded and stacked on top of her pack.
Reilly's words kept ringing in his head and all of the emotions and thoughts about his Vault dweller forced him to make a decision. Deciding to take a leap of faith for once, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a small sack of holotapes from his bag before tossing it onto the bed. He made his way to the counter. "Two Nuka Colas and two mirelurk cakes."
Carol winked at him before handing him what he ordered and he rolled his eyes at her before walking to the door. Her laugh followed him and he couldn't help but grin.
He asked around and Winthrop was finally able to tell him where Leyah ran off to.
"She said something about looking at the skeleton outside the entrance," the ghoul said, gesturing to the door.
Maverick nodded at him before walking out of Underworld. He saw her immediately, halfway leaning inside the mouth of the damn skeleton. She had the top of her jumpsuit tied around her waist, showing the tanktop she wore underneath her clothes.
Deciding not to interrupt her, Maverick plopped down on the steps of Underworld and lit a cigarette. She kept exploring the skeleton, completely oblivious to him, and he couldn't help but think she was adorable.
Maverick waited until she was by the tail of the skeleton to make himself known. "You know, you can probably find out what that is in those damn archives you downloaded."
She jumped and whipped around with a sheepish look. "You think so?" she asked, walking over to him.
With a shrug, Maverick tossed her a Nuka-Cola. "Maybe."
Leyah plopped down next to him and tried to twist the cap off of the Nuka-Cola. She cursed for a few moments and Maverick waited for her to hand it out to him…like she always did. She finally held it out to him and he easily twisted the cap off.
"Can I have your Pip-boy?"
Leyah took a swig of the soda before giving him a confused look. "Why?"
"Just give it here. Jesus."
The vault dweller rolled her eyes before unclipping her Pip-boy from her arm. "How hard is it for you to ask nicely?"
"I did, then you started asking questions."
His only reply was a huff.
Maverick dug into the bag of holotapes he brought and stuck one in. A song called Great Balls of Fire started to play, causing Leyah to jump and look at where he set her Pip-boy down.
"How did you-"
"My mom gave me a sack of them when I had to leave the Brotherhood. She stuck them in the pack she gave me. I found a few of the others on my own."
"We should let Three Dog record-"
"Hell no. Then he'll start replaying this shit constantly and ruin it."
Leyah let out a soft laugh before focusing on her Nuka-Cola again. Maverick gently shoved the plate with the mirelurk cakes toward her and she eagerly picked one up. "Thanks."
"No problem."
They sat in a comfortable silence, letting the music from his holotapes fall over them. Maverick looked at her out of the corner of his eye, grinning when he saw the pleased grin on her lips. She was nodding her head to the music and her foot was tapping too. She brushed off the crumbs from the mirelurk cake and set her empty bottle aside, before she stretched. She laid back with her hands behind her head and lost herself in the music.
Maverick picked up another random holotape when the end of the current song was coming to a close. He stuck it in and he stiffened when he realized it was his mom's favorite. The rough croon of Louis Armstrong started to fill the air.
"Heaven, I'm in heaven;
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;
And I seem to find the happiness I seek;
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek."
"My mom loved this shit," Maverick heard himself say.
Leyah peeked up at him, sitting up again as she paid close attention to the song. "I can see why. He's a good singer."
Maverick flicked some ashes off his cigarette. "Wait until Ella Fitzgerald comes in."
Leyah's grin widened and she started to sway to the music.
Shit, she was adorable.
Despite his fears, he finally gave into an urge he had since he started playing the music. He stood up, putting his cigarette out under his heel before holding his hand out to Leyah.
Leyah stared at his hand before looking up at him with those damn, wide pretty eyes of hers. "What are you doing?"
"Don't tell me you never danced before," he teased, beckoning to her.
"Well, yeah. But where did you learn?"
"My dad wasn't a good dancing partner, so my mom used me instead. Do you want to or not?" he asked, arching an expectant brow down at her.
Leyah beamed up at him and put her hand in his and he easily pulled her up. He moved them away from the steps before resting his free hand on the small of her back. He noticed she was trying to keep some space between them, but he wasn't having that today. He pressed on her back until they were chest to chest, and only then did he start to move them.
"Oh I love to go out fishing;
In a river or a creek;
But I don't enjoy it half as much;
As dancing cheek to cheek."
He remembered the steps easily and he almost laughed at how much Leyah was struggling. "Just follow my lead. It doesn't have to be perfect," he chuckled softly.
Leyah looked up at him with a sheepish look. "Sorry, the last time I slow danced was…I think I was 12."
Maverick let out a soft snort. "You mean your teeny bopper boyfriend never danced with you?"
Leyah shook her head. "No, he said it was for wussies and refused to."
"Now mama dance with me;
I want my arms about you;
That charm about you;
Will carry me through."
Maverick rolled his eyes. "Fuck that shit."
Now, she looked curious as he spun her out and back in slowly. "So, the Brotherhood supports music and stuff?"
"The soldiers did. It kept us sane. The Scribes thought it was silly since it wasn't technology."
Leyah made a face at that and Maverick couldn't help but grin. He spun her out and in again right as Ella Fitzgerald came in.
Their eyes met toward the end of the song and Maverick found himself holding his breath. She was looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes and her lips were slightly parted now. They slowly came to a stop and Maverick was moving before he could think.
He reached up and rested his hands on either side of her neck, using them to tilt her face up as he leaned down.
God, her lips were softer than he ever could have imagined. She tasted like Nuka-Cola and something that he could only describe as Leyah. He pressed his lips against hers more firmly before nibbling on her bottom lip.
Her hands were resting on his chest now and he could feel her fingers curling into the front of his shirt, holding him close.
"Dance with me
I want my arms about you
That charm about you
Will carry me through."
Maverick wished he could freeze this moment in time forever, with Leyah close to him, Cheek to Cheek playing in the background, and things going right for once in his life.
Slowly, as if not to startle her, he started to move his hands down her arms, then her sides, before finally resting on her waist. Her hands moved up to wrap around his neck and Maverick allowed himself to bask in the feeling.
The last chords of the song played and that was when they finally parted. What a Wonderful World—his sister's favorite—started to play and he couldn't help but smile down at Leyah's dazed expression.
"Did that just happen?" she asked softly, tightening her grip around his neck.
"Yeah," he replied just as breathlessly.
They held each other close and started to slowly sway to the music. Leyah bit her lip, causing Maverick's gaze to instantly zero in on her mouth. "How long have you wanted to do that?" she asked.
"After I told you everything. Your damn 'being nice' thing finally got to me," he admitted, linking his hands at the small of her back. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "What about you?"
Leyah's eyes wouldn't meet his for a moment before she looked up at him again. "Around the same time."
Maverick let out an amused laugh through his nose. "Damn, we're hopeless."
Leyah grinned and rested a hand against his cheek and Maverick found himself leaning into the touch. "Is that such a bad thing?"
"No. Not really."
Leyah was walking on clouds.
She still thought she was dreaming, but she was happy to stay in it as she and Maverick kept swaying to the music.
Her heart had been hammering throughout the whole song and it almost threatened to burst from her chest when he kissed her. Maverick's kisses were unlike any she had ever experienced before. While he held her close and with a strong grip, it wasn't demanding or forceful, like Wally's. God, maybe it was a good thing he was more experienced than her if this is what it was going to be like.
The next song that played was faster and had a playful beat.
"Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down."
Maverick stepped back and led them back over to the steps. Leyah was inwardly ecstatic when he didn't let go of her hand.
"My sister loved this one too," he said quietly, tapping his foot along with the song. Leyah sat beside him and leaned against his side.
"They call me the wanderer;
Yeah, the wanderer;
I roam around, around, around."
Leyah bit her lip as she looked up at him before taking a deep breath. "So, what are we now?"
Maverick arched a brow. "What do you mean?"
Leyah shrugged. "I don't know. Calling you my boyfriend or something seems a little juvenile for some reason."
She could feel him shake as he tried to hold back his laughter and she pouted up at him.
"Really?"
"Yes really!" Leyah huffed, sitting up straight and crossing her arms.
Maverick finally let out a laugh. "You think the boyfriend-girlfriend thing isn't serious enough, huh?"
Leyah nodded, waiting for his answer.
"I honestly don't care what we call what we have. All I need to know is that we care about each other. Fuck what anyone else says."
Leyah suddenly realized there was a hidden question in the statement. They never really said they cared about each other and his intense gaze was zeroed in on her. "Well, I care about you. I care about you a lot," she said quietly. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer already.
Relief washed over his features and he smiled at her. God, he had such a good smile. Leyah hoped he would smile more now that their feelings were out in the open. "And I care about you. So fuck everything else."
Eloquent as always, Leyah thought sarcastically with a smile.
Before she could say anything else, he was kissing her again. This kiss was brief and he pulled away far too soon.
Deciding to just bask in the moment, Leyah leaned against him again and listened to the music. A new song started to play and Leyah decided this one was her second favorite.
"I can't believe Three Dog doesn't try to find more holotapes of this guy. He's popular in the Brotherhood," Maverick said, leaning back on his hand.
Leyah snuggled more into his side and looked up at him. "Who is it?"
"Elvis Presley. When I was an Initiate, a friend of mine and I found more than 30 holotapes of just this guy. I think this one is called Burning Love."
"How can one guy make 30 songs?"
"Hell if I know."