"Yes, I'm sure," she glanced at him with a small smile before she went back to searching through her pack. Sure enough, she managed to produce a small can of coffee and brought it over to him. It was a can of Colombian dark roast. "Here you go."
He knew a lot of her generosity came from a place of always having enough. Of not growing up in a society where coin was of a concern. But still. He was a little bit touched. "Well thank you, darlin," he murmured, accepting the coffee can. "Should I make enough for two?"
Yes, it was important to share but she also understood where he was coming from when he told her that the canister of coffee would be worth a lot. She might have even considered selling it but he was so happy about it that she wanted to share it with him, so she was pleased when he seemed touched by it. The smile up at him held a note of warmth as she nodded. "You're welcome and please, I'd like a cup. Thank you."
The Ghoul made a quiet sound of acknowledgment and reached up to cup her chin in his hand, brushing his thumb over the corner of her lips to smudge away a crumb. "You get enough to eat?" he asked, still holding her face lightly in hand, absent running his thumb along her jaw and making no move to start the coffee. "How's the neck?"
Sometimes it was startling how quickly his mood could change but it wasnโt as startling as to how quickly a soft touch from him could affect her. It made her cheeks warm but she liked it, liked the lazy brush of his thumb as it sent warm tingles through her. โIโm good, the pie was filling.โ
โI feel okay. Throat is still a little sore this morning but the medicine helped,โ the tip of her tongue peeked out as she wet her lips, then she lifted her chin and turned her head. โHow does it look?โ
"Could be worse." He still scowled as he tilted her chin up gently and took in the bruising that would linger for a few days, even with a stimpak. It bothered him. The only bruises he wanted to see on her were ones he put there himself.
He paused, a bit awkwardly, then lowered his head slowly to her neck and pressed a gentle, warm kiss to the marks. His sigh exhaled across her skin, the bony ridge of what was left of his nose touching her earlobe. "...I don't know how the fuck to do this anymore, Vaultie," he admitted, easing back and letting go of her to turn the coffee tin in his hands.
"Exactly, he could have killed me," she said plainly even though that probably wouldn't help the scowl on his face. But he was right because it could have been worse than it was and she didn't want a repeat anytime soon.
Then she paused as he leaned down to press a warm kiss to the side of her neck, making her pulse jump even as another kind of warmth spread through her at how gentle he was being. Blinking slowly when he pulled back, she gave him a curious look as she slid a hand up his arm. "How to do what anymore?"
"Almost did." No, it didn't help him feel better, but it was the truth. Saying it plain out loud was better than coating in with sugar to go down easier.
Here he was half hoping she'd assume he didn't know how to make coffee. Would've been funny, at least. A little. "You spend a couple centuries learning not to give a shit...you forget how to give a shit. You forget..." He sighed, still staring down at the simple white tin he was absently turning in his hands. "Hell, Vaultie. Everything to do with giving a shit."
Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked up at him as she heard his confession and realized that he was talking about giving a shit...about her. Probably Dogmeat too but he had been plenty freaked out when the large Legionaire had been on top of her, choking her. He had been protective of her even if he had been pissed off with her at messing up because, yes, she still viewed it that way. But what a turn when he could have been talking about not remembering how to make coffee.
"I think you're doing a better job of it than you think," she told him in a soft voice, still watching his face as he stared at the simple white tin he was holding in his hands.
"Do you want to know what I like about you?" She asked suddenly, lifting her brows.
The Ghoul scoffed softly, lips quirking into a wry smile a he finally looked from the coffee tin to her face--probably the most vulnerable he'd looked since they'd met, save for when'd been face planted on the ground outside the Super Duper Mart, laying in a puddle of drool, gasping for breath and fighting to stay conscious. "Can't imagine a thing if I'm bein' honest, Vaultie."
"Actually, it's that right there," Lucy replied with a quirk of a smile as she studied his face, knowing that he didn't understand how she could like anything about him, much less touch or desire him.
"You're honest," she continued. "It's true that it is sometimes to the point of almost being cruel and I don't always agree with your tactics. Plus there is the fact that you won't give me a name, not even a nickname to call you by. But you're honest and I've come to realize that's important to me."
"Plus you have compassion sometimes. Like with your friend, the other ghoul that was turning feral," she drew in a breath and released it with a sigh. "I didn't understand it at the time but you were showing him compassion by killing him before he turned into something that he didn't want to be. Plus you made his last few moments happy by reminding him of things that he loved."
She hadn't understood though until the moment she had chosen to shoot the thing that had once been her mother. She knew that now as her gaze flickered down and she leaned into him. "There are other things I like about you. Maybe you push me until I feel like I'm going to drop but you take care of me too."
The Ghoul made a low sounds of acknowledgment because he supposed she had a point; he was nothing if not honest. He was quiet for a lengthy stretch of time, just ducking his head to rest his chin lightly against the top of her head when she leaned into him.
"...Cooper," he murmured after a spell, finally breaking the drawn out silence. "It's Cooper."
She was starting to worry that she had said too much as the silence stretched on. Not that she thought she had gotten any of it wrong but maybe he didnโt want to hear it. Maybe it would make him uncomfortable even as he let his chin rest on the top of her head, the two of them leaning into each other as a sort of embrace.
Then he offered a name and she blinked, leaning back to look at him before she smiled, pleased. Rising up on her tiptoes, she cupped his cheek as she brushed her lips against his in a light kiss. โThank you.โ
She leaned back, settling on her heels. โI promise to use it only when weโre alone.โ
"Yeah, you fuckin' better." The Ghoul caught her around the waist and pulled her back in for a better kiss, trying to be mindful of the lingering soreness in her throat. Even so, he nipped gently at her lower lip before letting her go, stepping around her to rustle through the cabinets again for a pot to fill with water. "You really gonna call that dog Caesar?"
He would see the flash of a smile and feel it briefly against his lips when he caught her to pull her in for a real kiss, almost like he couldnโt help himself. She didnโt even notice any twinges from her neck as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back, lingering just enough to set a nice warm hum to her blood. Pulling back after, she released him so he could look for something to boil the water in, laughing at his question while she nodded. โWell, the guy kept going on about how everything in this land belonged to Caesar. Plus you would call him Dogmeat Two or something, so Iโm picking Caesar.โ
Walking to the door, she opened it up and was ready to call for the dogs but they were waiting, both of them wagging. Caesar seemed a little more hesitant but he was eager to brush past her as she ran her fingers over the top of his head. Both of them followed as she went to get them jerky, smiling.
The Ghoul made a quiet sound of amusement, setting the pot on the stove and poking at it to see if it would even work--and hopefully wouldn't short out and set the trailer on fire. "Dunno, darlin', Dogmeat Two's a mouthful, and might get confusin'," he quipped, opening the tin of coffee while the water heated up. The pull tab exhaled a satisfying hiss when when he used it to pop the seal, and the strong scent of coffee wafted up immediately from the opening. He made a low sound that was...honestly pretty close to the kind of sounds he made during sex as he lowered his head and breathed in. His sense of smell wasn't what it used to be, but something as strong as coffee still registered. "Goddamn, that's good."
He tipped some grounds into the percolator and glanced over his shoulder at the dogs, trotting after Lucy for breakfast. "You oughta see what commands he knows...and if he'll listen to 'em from you. Tell him to sit, stay, all that shit 'fore he gets a treat."
Maybe if she was quick like him to make playful retorts, she would make a joke about mouthfuls but she didn't as she picked up the pack of jerky to open it. She was aware of him opening the can of coffee but she didn't look until she heard the sound he made, one that was familiar to her and had a way of stirring her blood even when it wasn't directed to her. It was like her body was being trained for the sounds he made, making a link between him and feeling really, really good.
Clearing her throat softly, she looked at the dogs while he made his suggestion about training. So she gave Dogmeat her piece gently, motioning for her to go lay down before focusing on Caesar. Tearing a piece of jerky off, she held it up so he would see it before nodding. "Sit."
Lo and behold, he sat down rather quickly, wagging his tail until she gave him the piece. He responded much the same way to lay down and stay, watching her with keen eyes. She was pleased with him too, her smile growing with each successful trick until she was pretty much beaming.
The Ghoul moved to lean against the wall and watch her run through some simple commands with the hound she'd so fervently advocated to save. "Hm." He held his hand out for Dogmeat to nudge her head against as she padded up to him for a pet. "Credit where it's due, I reckon, fuckin' Legion knows how to train a dog." He wondered if the hound understood, somehow, that Lucy was the only reason it wasn't lying dead with its former master. He sure hoped it did, because if it turned on her, he'd put it down without hesitation. He looked from the hound to Lucy...who was so damn excited, like every followed command was a personal triumph. Shiny and beaming like the sun.
Goddammit.
Huffing out a breath, the Ghoul pushed off the wall and moved back into the kitchen to check on the stove and make sure nothing was on fire, before he did something stupid like grab Lucy, haul her off to the bedroom and tear all her clothes off.
"He probably knows a lot of other commands," Lucy glanced over at the Ghoul, flashing that beaming smile in his direction where he was leaning against the wall so he could watch her. There was something in his gaze that made her almost hesitate, feeling a rush of warmth spread through her before she tore her gaze off so she could focus on Caesar who was still watching her expectantly. She tapped her side, making a clicking noise like she had heard Ghoul do plenty of times, and was pleased when Caesar moved to her side. She tested walking around the kitchen, into the living room, and back again while the dog remained her constant shadow.
Finally, she squatted down, feeding him the last piece as she rubbed a hand over the top of his head and against the side of his neck. "Good boy," she praised in a low, happy tone as she continued to smile at him. "You're a very good boy, aren't you? Who is a good boy for listening?"
The Ghoul's lips quirked as he listened to her cooing, poking around to see if there was anything useful in the trailer cabinets worth hauling around while he waited for the water to boil. Other than a pack of Mentats in a drawer, he didn't find much.
"That what I should be doing when you listen," he quipped, turning to lean against the counter, crossing his legs at the ankle and folding his arms. "Feed you a little treat and tell you what a good girl you are?"
"You're just saying that because you know you wouldn't be getting any treats at all," she huffed at him but there wasn't much heat to the response, not when her eyes were dancing with humor and a hint of something else. Surely he had noticed that she reacted a certain way whenever he praised her.
"But he is a good boy," she rose to her feet, letting the new dog wander away to sit by Dogmeat. "You'll be okay with us taking him eventually."
"Oh I wouldn't?" A grin flashed, quick but undeniably filthy. "Cause prior history when it comes to certain activities says otherwise."
He glanced over his shoulder at the water just starting to simmer, watched the hound pad over to Dogmeat. "S'fine, so long as it behaves," he drawled, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "How strong you like your coffee, Vaultie?"
Damn him. She felt her cheeks warm as he flashed her a quick but filthy grin, the kind that made her insides clench and a little rush of heat between her thighs. "I didn't mean like that and you know it." She even stuck her tongue out at him.
Brushing her hands over her hips, she made her way towards him as she considered his question and answered. "Strong, please."
The Ghoul chuckled and considered cracking a remark about putting that thing away unless she planned to do something with it, but he decided against it.
"Glad to know you're a woman with some taste," the Ghoul remarked, dumping the water into the percolator once it started to bubble. He inhaled again as the immediate scent drifted with the steam, just from the water hitting the grounds, and made another contentedly, slightly sexual noise, though a less obvious one. "Damn, that's good. Almost forgot what coffee was s'posed to smell like."
It was probably a good thing he didnโt because she would have been tempted and he seemed very focused on coffee at the moment.
โIโm glad youโre noticing that now,โ she chuckled as she sat on the edge of the table and used a broken chair to balance her feet on. Then he made that noise and she felt her core tighten while she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees with a sigh. โWhile Iโm happy youโre enjoying yourself, must you keep making those noises?โ
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Date: 2024-06-14 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-06-17 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-06-17 03:53 am (UTC)โI feel okay. Throat is still a little sore this morning but the medicine helped,โ the tip of her tongue peeked out as she wet her lips, then she lifted her chin and turned her head. โHow does it look?โ
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Date: 2024-06-17 04:35 am (UTC)He paused, a bit awkwardly, then lowered his head slowly to her neck and pressed a gentle, warm kiss to the marks. His sigh exhaled across her skin, the bony ridge of what was left of his nose touching her earlobe. "...I don't know how the fuck to do this anymore, Vaultie," he admitted, easing back and letting go of her to turn the coffee tin in his hands.
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Date: 2024-06-17 12:50 pm (UTC)Then she paused as he leaned down to press a warm kiss to the side of her neck, making her pulse jump even as another kind of warmth spread through her at how gentle he was being. Blinking slowly when he pulled back, she gave him a curious look as she slid a hand up his arm. "How to do what anymore?"
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Date: 2024-06-17 11:54 pm (UTC)Here he was half hoping she'd assume he didn't know how to make coffee. Would've been funny, at least. A little. "You spend a couple centuries learning not to give a shit...you forget how to give a shit. You forget..." He sighed, still staring down at the simple white tin he was absently turning in his hands. "Hell, Vaultie. Everything to do with giving a shit."
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Date: 2024-06-18 12:54 am (UTC)Oh.
Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked up at him as she heard his confession and realized that he was talking about giving a shit...about her. Probably Dogmeat too but he had been plenty freaked out when the large Legionaire had been on top of her, choking her. He had been protective of her even if he had been pissed off with her at messing up because, yes, she still viewed it that way. But what a turn when he could have been talking about not remembering how to make coffee.
"I think you're doing a better job of it than you think," she told him in a soft voice, still watching his face as he stared at the simple white tin he was holding in his hands.
"Do you want to know what I like about you?" She asked suddenly, lifting her brows.
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Date: 2024-06-18 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-06-18 03:51 am (UTC)"You're honest," she continued. "It's true that it is sometimes to the point of almost being cruel and I don't always agree with your tactics. Plus there is the fact that you won't give me a name, not even a nickname to call you by. But you're honest and I've come to realize that's important to me."
"Plus you have compassion sometimes. Like with your friend, the other ghoul that was turning feral," she drew in a breath and released it with a sigh. "I didn't understand it at the time but you were showing him compassion by killing him before he turned into something that he didn't want to be. Plus you made his last few moments happy by reminding him of things that he loved."
She hadn't understood though until the moment she had chosen to shoot the thing that had once been her mother. She knew that now as her gaze flickered down and she leaned into him. "There are other things I like about you. Maybe you push me until I feel like I'm going to drop but you take care of me too."
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Date: 2024-06-18 04:49 am (UTC)"...Cooper," he murmured after a spell, finally breaking the drawn out silence. "It's Cooper."
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Date: 2024-06-18 05:03 am (UTC)Then he offered a name and she blinked, leaning back to look at him before she smiled, pleased. Rising up on her tiptoes, she cupped his cheek as she brushed her lips against his in a light kiss. โThank you.โ
She leaned back, settling on her heels. โI promise to use it only when weโre alone.โ
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Date: 2024-06-18 08:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-06-18 09:07 pm (UTC)Walking to the door, she opened it up and was ready to call for the dogs but they were waiting, both of them wagging. Caesar seemed a little more hesitant but he was eager to brush past her as she ran her fingers over the top of his head. Both of them followed as she went to get them jerky, smiling.
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Date: 2024-06-19 04:19 am (UTC)He tipped some grounds into the percolator and glanced over his shoulder at the dogs, trotting after Lucy for breakfast. "You oughta see what commands he knows...and if he'll listen to 'em from you. Tell him to sit, stay, all that shit 'fore he gets a treat."
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Date: 2024-06-19 04:25 am (UTC)Clearing her throat softly, she looked at the dogs while he made his suggestion about training. So she gave Dogmeat her piece gently, motioning for her to go lay down before focusing on Caesar. Tearing a piece of jerky off, she held it up so he would see it before nodding. "Sit."
Lo and behold, he sat down rather quickly, wagging his tail until she gave him the piece. He responded much the same way to lay down and stay, watching her with keen eyes. She was pleased with him too, her smile growing with each successful trick until she was pretty much beaming.
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Date: 2024-06-19 04:57 am (UTC)Goddammit.
Huffing out a breath, the Ghoul pushed off the wall and moved back into the kitchen to check on the stove and make sure nothing was on fire, before he did something stupid like grab Lucy, haul her off to the bedroom and tear all her clothes off.
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Date: 2024-06-19 05:08 am (UTC)Finally, she squatted down, feeding him the last piece as she rubbed a hand over the top of his head and against the side of his neck. "Good boy," she praised in a low, happy tone as she continued to smile at him. "You're a very good boy, aren't you? Who is a good boy for listening?"
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Date: 2024-06-19 08:14 pm (UTC)"That what I should be doing when you listen," he quipped, turning to lean against the counter, crossing his legs at the ankle and folding his arms. "Feed you a little treat and tell you what a good girl you are?"
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Date: 2024-06-19 09:03 pm (UTC)"But he is a good boy," she rose to her feet, letting the new dog wander away to sit by Dogmeat. "You'll be okay with us taking him eventually."
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Date: 2024-06-20 03:05 am (UTC)He glanced over his shoulder at the water just starting to simmer, watched the hound pad over to Dogmeat. "S'fine, so long as it behaves," he drawled, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "How strong you like your coffee, Vaultie?"
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Date: 2024-06-20 03:15 am (UTC)Brushing her hands over her hips, she made her way towards him as she considered his question and answered. "Strong, please."
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Date: 2024-06-20 08:27 pm (UTC)"Glad to know you're a woman with some taste," the Ghoul remarked, dumping the water into the percolator once it started to bubble. He inhaled again as the immediate scent drifted with the steam, just from the water hitting the grounds, and made another contentedly, slightly sexual noise, though a less obvious one. "Damn, that's good. Almost forgot what coffee was s'posed to smell like."
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Date: 2024-06-20 08:39 pm (UTC)โIโm glad youโre noticing that now,โ she chuckled as she sat on the edge of the table and used a broken chair to balance her feet on. Then he made that noise and she felt her core tighten while she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees with a sigh. โWhile Iโm happy youโre enjoying yourself, must you keep making those noises?โ
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