A pause. A long pause.
The woman sitting across from Shiloh waited for her eyes to widen in horrified realization. Then she finally spoke, "But I dumped him."
"You…" Shiloh found she wasn't very hungry anymore, "you dumped him?"
"Mmm, yeah." Giovanna looked curiously at Shiloh's food, "Ugh, you have a stronger stomach than me."
"Back up. Back up to the part where you're going to marry Maxson." Even in her shock, she didn't dare address him as Arthur to a stranger.
Giovanna wrinkled her nose, "Yeah, no thank you. Arthur was cute as a teenager, but brooding soldiers are more...your type." Shiloh didn't miss the smirk, almost leaning away from it.
In multiple ways, Giovanna was a factor that would tilt Shiloh's world off its axis. For one, she didn't do well with that sensual, strong-willed and beautiful type of woman. Women could be hard enough, being raised by a single father all her life, but ones like Giovanna were foreign to her.
For two, Giovanna proved herself to be the personification of her self-consciousness about her relationship with Arthur. Not saying anything, Shiloh narrowed her eyes at Giovanna, taking her in. She was beautiful and confident and looked rather healthy. Not a hair was out of place. This was what the Brotherhood expected of someone in a relationship with Maxson.
Pushing her plate away, Shiloh reached for her crutches to get up and leave as gracelessly as one could with a bad leg. Dropping the smirk, Giovanna stopped her with a hand on her wrist, "I'm not here to upset you. I'm just trying to figure you out."
Shiloh sat down, but cringed a little, "What's your angle?"
"I still love Arthur."
"Great," Shiloh got up to leave again, but Giovanna spoke before she could even stand.
"No, not like you do. I want what's best for him."
Focusing on Giovanna's first sentence, Shiloh glared, "You don't know anything about me."
"So you don't love him?"
"Is harassing strangers what's best for him?" She pointedly ignored the question.
"No, but harassing you is. I know all about you and your history with the Brotherhood. Arthur may be a living prodigy and the toughest man I know, but he's always had a bleeding heart. Lone Wanderer or not, I want to make sure your intentions with him aren't alternative."
Shiloh felt her stubbornness tearing her apart inside. She wanted to be offended that anyone would believe she was using the Elder. Hadn't she done enough for the goddamned Capital Wasteland? But...she couldn't be mad. Because she remembered Sarah having the same worries. Over a shared dinner between the two of them, Sarah expressed that she was torn between protecting Maxson from the people who would try to use him and letting him learn those lessons on his own. It seems, in Sarah's absence, Giovanna had been that friend to help the Elder when Shiloh was sure he didn't think he needed it. Sighing, she answered truthfully, "I have no intentions with him. Things are more complicated than they should be. But I'm loyal to him and I trust him. I wouldn't be Sentinel otherwise."
"Do you fully understand the Brotherhood you've chosen to be a part of? It's different than it was with Sarah Lyons."
"It's...something else we need to talk about."
"You two need to talk about a lot."
"He was supposed to have a meeting with me today, but he's probably swamped."
"Do you want me to just grab him?"
Shiloh almost laughed, if the situation wasn't so jarring, "It's alright. I'll just occupy my time with other things until I heal."
Giovanna glanced at the clock, standing up, "I've got other things on my agenda, too. Don't go running off too soon. I'm not done meddling yet."
The other woman flashed her a smile, but Shiloh was too unsettled to return it. Taking a calming breath, she forced herself to actually eat and headed off to find her weapons.
-0-
Two days. He practically slept in the Great Hall from how much every little department needed him for something. Every spot of the table was covered in paperwork. The archives needed updating, every Brotherhood foothold needed fortifying, and every soldier needing assigning. Traditionally, the Sentinel would play a pretty vital part of this planning, but he knew better than to ask Shiloh if she wanted to help position soldiers with him all day.
It was late now, almost 2am, when he was finally free of most of the signing needed. A lot of the work could be diverted between the Proctors now and he was able to stretch his legs. He would have thought Shiloh was asleep by now, until someone mentioned in passing that the Lab's lighting was still on because someone was working in the workshop.
Already having an idea of who it was, he knocked twice on the door to the workshop before opening it. Shiloh had her back to him and was humming along to the tune of the radio. "Easy Living" by Billie Holiday filled the room from the radio in the corner and he leaned against the wall, just watching.
Her hair was tied back with fabric and she was wearing the standard issue tank top and fabric pants that most Brotherhood soldiers slept in. She looked...different...domestic. Workshop fantasies aside, he liked seeing her looking so relaxed. The only thing off about her was how she favored one leg, still healing from her bullet wound.
She turned slightly, finally glancing at him in surprise. She quickly reached over and turned down the radio, "I thought you were another scribe coming to tell me to go to bed. I didn't think they would send you after me."
"They may have mentioned you, but I came of my own volition." He deadpanned, trying not to grin.
She wiped her hands on a towel, putting the gun she was working on aside. "Here's as good as anywhere for that meeting."
"I suppose," truthfully, he was way too tired for this conversation. But who knew when they would have another chance. She looked uncomfortable, so he started it. "I've spared you from the technicalities and planning because we both know you would be better suited away from that. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you joined us knowing full well that this isn't Sarah's Brotherhood." She nodded, growing somber at the mention of Sarah. He would talk about those memories with her at another time, a more personal time.
She frowned at what she was about to say, "The world doesn't trust the Brotherhood anymore."
"It is because we have become ruthless out of necessity. Our resources were so thin when Sarah came to power that if we continued Owyn's ways, if we continued giving all we could to every soul who came across our path, we would have collapsed. Sarah knew that. And I know you didn't like it, but Sarah became ruthless. When I took over, I finished what she couldn't start because I was willing to take on the reputation that would get me. The western elders may be blind to many things, but they are not blind to the dangers of technology in the wrong hands. My work to eradicate this world of synths has convinced many that I plan to destroy all ghouls and everyone else in my way. This is a misconception. Anyone I've made the order to destroy has been done so because they stood on the side of the synths."
"Like the Railroad."
"Exactly. Which I will not apologise for. Those people were dangerous. And if this wasn't the kind of world that it was maybe they could have been convinced with words. But I will stand by my decision. They funnelled out things programmed by the Institute into the world. It was a necessary evil."
She nodded and he knew what she was thinking. She was thinking of Danse. And she didn't have to say the words in her head. A necessary evil is still an evil. Somehow, it still struck him a little. He waited for her to say something on the subject, but instead she changed it, "What are you plans now? There's no Institute here."
"Here we fortify and we reclaim. Our main bases of operations are here; the Purifier, the Washington Monument, and the GNR Plaza. Those areas need new fortifications and more personnel to do them. Additionally, we will be taking back more areas and eradicating the super mutant menace that still plagues a large portion of the wastes. The settlements in the area can be side projects and Proctor Teagan is working with them on trade routes. Proctor Ingram is in charge of most of the fortifications and Proctor Quinlan is focusing on technology still hidden in many buildings and factories. That is my Brotherhood, Sentinel. I'm not here to kill everyone who stands in my way, only those who stand in humanity's way."
To his surprise, Shiloh smiled a little, "You may be different than Owyn, but your plans are still to help people."
"Of course. I'm not a monster, despite my reputation in Underworld."
Shiloh grimaced a little, imagining the kind of things a city of ghouls had to say about Arthur Maxson. "I'm sure."
"Do me a favor and don't tell me what you hear when you visit there." Her eyes widened at his awkward crack of a joke during their serious conversation. She smiled.
"I won't say a word."
"So…" he took a breath, "now we've had the unpleasant conversation of how the entire world things I'm a power-hungry bigot and I'm asking you to stick with us."
"Elder, are you asking me to be your Sentinel?" she teased and he frowned.
"You're making this harder."
She untied the fabric around her head, letting her hair fall free, "I already accepted the position. It's not even a question that I'm sticking around."
He still had one more topic to cover with her. The relationship one. But it seems she had other plans. Tired from the past few days and tired from the anxiety of trying to explain his entire life's goals to her, he simply allowed it when she approached him and pressed close to him. She smelled like gun oil, intoxicating him a little.
"Not even a question, huh?" he ventured, still not quite believing she would even remotely accept his way of things. He knew she believed in the individual, be them ghouls or monsters. And he knew how she felt about Danse, likely about other synths.
Her expression grew serious. He couldn't tell quite what she was thinking about. If he had to guess, it had something to do with Giovanna. The brunette woman approached him yesterday teasingly about how she talked to Shiloh, but wouldn't give any details. However, he didn't bring it up because that would mean bringing the whole relationship conversation up. She was still giving him a serious look and he waited for her to speak. "Arthur, I'm not going anywhere." Realising her words, she quickly corrected, "Well, I'm actually going lots of places. But I'll still come back, I'm not going anywhere in terms of the Brotherho-"
He kissed her to stop her rambling, causing her to smile into it a little. She sighed, grabbing at his jacket again like she always liked. He wondered if it was because the leather was smooth and cool, or because of the muscles of his arms underneath. He broke the kiss to breathe, looking a little dazed, "I've been thinking about doing that for two days." It was an intimate statement, a little more than he meant to admit, but she looked pleased.
Playing with the buckle of his jacket, she pressed closer, eyes on his, "Jacket off, Elder."
"I quite like this jacket." he smirked, not moving despite her pout.
"I know you do. I like it too, but right now it needs to come off."
He shrugged it off after opening the buckle, tossing it onto a table. He really did like that jacket, but he was a little occupied at the moment. Since his second day of being back in the Capital Wasteland, he went without the black Brotherhood fatigues. He felt more comfortable now in a standard shirt and buckled slacks. Wearing a one-piece outfit for two years got old. Shiloh kissed him again, moaning when he wrapped his arms around her and dug his fingers into her hair. She pressed closer, feeling the hard lines of his body against her softer curves.
She wriggled her hips lightly and he quickly stilled them with his hands, clearing his throat. He was already hard as hell and his slacks were doing nothing to hide it much. She broke the kiss to trail her lips down his neck as her fingers played with his shirt, "I want this off too."
He glanced up at the room around them, "I have a perfectly good bedroom, you know."
"Mmmm," she was still breathing against his neck, "I don't want to wait." She pulled back to look at his surprised face, "Later we'll have a conversation about how everyone in the Brotherhood thinks you're incredibly attractive, but for now, off," she tugged at his shirt a little.
He rolled his eyes to hide his own blush, "Fine, fine," he pulled off his shirt, tossing it with the jacket. She immediately ran her hands down his chest, purring in appreciation.
"I've been thinking about this for two days," Before he could take matters into his own hands and begin taking her shirt off too, she placed her hands on his abs and kissed down his chest. He felt his heartbeat go wild when her lips reached below his navel. Oh shit. Oh fuck.
He moved to protest, be a gentleman about it, but his mind was fuzzy and she grabbed his hand to tangle it in her hair. He cleared his throat, growing embarrassingly red when she opened his belt buckle and unzipped his trousers. She looked up at him them, looking pretty with shiny eyes and swollen lips. "Do you want me to stop?"
He leaned his head back against the wall, free hand gripped so tightly his knuckles were white, "Absolutely not."
Still, his breathing was a little fast and she quickly stood to kiss him sweetly, "I want to taste you."
Fuck. He swallowed, "Sentinel...Shiloh…" he didn't know what he was going to say. He couldn't form words very well at the moment. Shit, this wasn't his first time, he wasn't some shy virgin and his own nervousness frustrated him, but this was her, her, practically begging for him like he wasn't going through one of the greatest moments of his young life.
He was the goddamned Elder, able to strike fear into his enemies with his name alone, but he was absolutely wrecked when she sank down again and freed him from his briefs. He didn't even get a chance to blink at the sight of her hungry look at him before she took him into her mouth. Surprised, he slammed his hand into the wall beside him.
She licked his cock feverishly, not even focusing on his expressions. His hand was gripped in her hair, but he didn't push her head as she sucked on his tip. He was biting his lip so hard it almost hurt to keep from making any noise. Her breathing was heavy when she pulled off him and looked up, "Good?"
He nodded, voice strained, "Yes."
She smiled, cheek pressed against his thigh as she pumped him with her hand. He felt a little exposed with her just watching him as he came apart. His muscles flexed with each pump and he let out a full groan when she licked the tip again as her hand continued pumping.
She nodded, moaning in appreciation at hearing him so vocal. With her free hand, she pushed his clothing further down and cupped his balls. It caused him to actually thrust into her mouth and she moaned again in pleasure.
Well shit, if she liked it rough that was his specialty. Abandoning the anxiety and the need to be gentle, he gripped her hair tighter and experimented with thrusting into her mouth. Her hand prevented him from going too far and he could actually see her blush in approval. She was rubbing her thighs together, noticeably wet from her ministrations.
He tried to pull her off when he came, but she shook her head and pressed closer, deep as she could go as he came into her mouth with a low groan. He immediately let go of her, allowing her to pull off and wipe her mouth as he pulled his pants back up. He was sweating more from nerves than exhaustion but his breathing was hard.
She sat back on her legs, biting her lip as she enjoyed the view of his naked chest and abs. He watched her eyes follow the trail of hair from his navel down into his pants. He hadn't really gotten the chance to show off his strength with her, but he proved it by pulling her up fully and slamming her against the wall. She gasped, staring right into his eyes as she blushed a deep pink.
For a moment, he wanted to forget himself and just enter her. Just take that final step that he desperately wanted. He had the energy and the libido to do so. And he knew how he felt about her. But, he stopped himself. They still needed that conversation where he would have to drop his pride and bare his soul to her. And they couldn't do that with his hand in her pants. If he took that plunge and she didn't want what he had to give he...he didn't want to think about it.
So, without telling her directly, he did his best to tell her as he touched her face and kissed her. With his other hand, he shoved her pants down her legs along with her underwear and she kicked them off as she kissed back.
He could sink to his knees and return the favor, just taste her, but he was selfish and he wanted to kiss her. He was rougher with her this time, only gentle with his mouth on hers as his fingers pumped into her mercilessly.
Her leg was curled up around his hip as he added a third finger, feeling her tightness squeeze him. He kissed her as her moans turned into a shriek of his name as she came. She gasped for breath into his neck, resting her head on him in exhaustion. Suddenly, she smiled into his neck, "My leg hurts."
He pulled back, helping her back into her clothes. He pulled on his shirt and jacket, feeling heavy with exhaustion. Why couldn't they have done this in his bedroom? He didn't know how to ask her to sleep in his bed, and they still hadn't had that conversation yet, but he did gently brush her hair back into place as she smiled sweetly at him.
They exited the workshop and went their separate ways when they reached the quarters. It just wasn't time yet.
The next day was Ripson's trial and, when he sent someone to find her, Shiloh was gone.