#tinker Tom

[stoat-party]

Fallout + Text Posts pt. 4: Minor Character Edition

Pt. 3 Pt. 5

[some-brave-apollo]

Queer Railroad Headcanons

Desdemona (she/her) is bisexual, at least that's what she's going with right now. She suspects she's actually a lesbian, and once the synths are freed and the Railroad inevitably disbands, she hopes to explore her identity more. Personally, I imagine she'll find she's very butch.

Glory (she/they) is a non-binary lesbian. Their honourary sister, G5-19, taught her what those words meant.

Carrington (he/him) is gay, but he's very insecure about it and has only told Desdemona.

Deacon (any pronouns) is openly genderqueer and achillean but if directly asked he will always say that they're cishet with the same tonation as when she tells the jetpack story at the end of tradecraft.

Tinker Tom (he/they) is aro/ace. He has proposed the dies of learning to perform gender affirming surgery but Carrington won't let him.

P.A.M (it/it's) does not consider itself to have a gender or a sexuality.

Desdemona was Boxer's (she/her) gay awakening

As much as Deacon claims to be the token cishet, that title goes to Drummer Boy (he/him)

[fawncr33k]

Random headcannons I have for the Railroad specifically

Glory and Tinker Tom have a close sibling bond

Drummer Boy is trans

They usually have some sort of snuggle pile

Sometimes, when they can find them, they all take turns playing prewar video games on a terminal (either it's P.A.M's or Tinker Tom's idk-)

Desdemona journals in her free time

Bullseye (Bane) wants to attempt to introduce X6-88 to the Railroad, but knows that it'll only end up worse. (Aka Bane knows everything about the game I know because she is ✨️self aware✨️)

Nick sometime's helps with Tinker Tom's theories, mostly just to debunk them, but it gives him something to do so i mean-

[fallout4incorrectquotes]

Tinker Tom: How are we supposed to put a tracker the size of a penny on Sole without them noticing?

Deacon: Hey, Sole, I bet you 5 caps that you can't swallow this penny.

Sole: *takes and swallows tracker* Pay up, loser.

Tinker Tom: ...

[everydayyoulovemeless]

How The Fo4 Companions (+Maxson and Tinker Tom) Are With Synth!Shaun

➼ Word Count » 0.9k ➼ Warnings » None

MacCready's really good with him! You can always find him outside showing him little tricks on how to stay hidden or just simply playing tag. He's great with kids in general and Shaun is going to love when he comes over, especially since he's fairly laid back and childish himself when it comes to most things.

Nick likes to sit out on the porch and listen to Shaun ramble on about his day. He thinks he's really intelligent for the age he appears to be and doesn't mind answering any questions the kid might have, especially if they're about the Commonwealth or his job.

Cait's kinda scared of Shaun. She's worried that parts of her personality will rub off on the kid and refuses to go near him. If you asked her to babysit she would, she'd just be distant and would only really give him one-worded responses.

Danse treats him like he's in the Boy Scouts. He'll take him camping and show him how to tie knots and start fires and all that. He's usually not sure what to say to him so he's glad Shaun has the child-like charm and curiosity that makes it easier to talk to.

Preston's the kind of guy who'd play dead if a kid pretended to shoot him. He loves playing silly little games with him. One of his favorite things to do is to pick him up and pretend to drop him. He'd also 100% play cops and robbers with him, or as they like to call it, Minutemen and raiders.

Codsworth still feels upset about what happened with the original, but it doesn't stop him from treating Shaun any differently than he would've before. He's constantly there to dote on him and make sure he follows some form of sanitation. He also gives him small chores to do around whatever settlement he's in to help keep him from being bored.

Piper likes to take him and Nat to go explore the Commonwealth. She never takes them anywhere dangerous, they mostly just walk around Diamond City or Concord after it's been cleared out. Piper really doesn't like sitting in one place and thinks that it's a lot more fun to go snooping around the surrounding areas. She even teaches him how to direct the conversation in a way that gives you the information you want.

Curie's better with babies and hasn't spoken to a ton of kids in her life so she'll probably ask him more questions than he will to her. She'll teach him ethical ways to study and investigate things if he ever wanted to, and she's very careful about him not getting hurt. She and Codsworth are especially good caretakers when they're watching him together.

Please don't leave Shaun with Strong. He'll just insult him for being small and weak and encourage him to eat human flesh. There's nothing that could go right with this. And PLEASE don't tell Strong that he's a synth, if he hears he's a robot, he might attack him.

You're gonna have to keep an eye on Hancock cause he doesn't interact with kids very often. He'll ask if he wants to try some of the chems he's got on him to see which ones are his favorite or teach him all the best places to stab someone. The one thing you can trust with them being together is that Hancock won't let any harm come his way.

Deacon loves Shaun. He's the type of guy who still does the 'got your nose' thing. He'll hang him upside down, tell him bad jokes, and would steal one of those funny Minutemen hats for him. He even helps him build a fort in your living room.

X6-88 isn't too sure how to feel about being around the younger clone of his former boss. He's taken care of this same kid before, but he felt it was different because he knew that he was only meant to be a part of an experiment of sorts, not to be genuinely raised. He'll still do what you ask and look after Shaun, and he'll try his hardest to get along with him, however, he'll still come off as closed off and cold.

Dogmeat usually just follows him around and defends him from any mole rats that might pop up randomly from the ground. They're hardly ever apart from one another.

Old Longfellow is actually really good with him. It's like the kid he never got to raise and he's genuinely so happy that you asked him to watch him. He'll take him hunting and fishing, play darts with him in the bar, and makes sure that he doesn't touch any alcohol while he's there. (well maybe a sip but he won't tell you that)

Gage isn't sure what you expect him to do so he just sits up in the Fizztop Grille with him and lets him run around semi-unsupervised. He does try to keep him away from all the other raiders, and will maybe take him out on some of the rides, but other than that, he won't do much.

It's best to try and avoid the whole, 'my-kid-is-a-synth' thing because Maxson will want him killed if he finds out. Other than that though, he'll show him around the Prydwen and let him fly around in a Vertibird for a little bit before grouping him in with the other squires while he gets back to work waiting for you to come pick him up again.

He and Tinker Tom are always playing hide and seek, although, it's more like them hiding under a counter to avoid a possible alien invasion because Tom had told him some crazy story of his and it ended up going haywire and they're both now panicking behind furniture.

[thesettlementneedingyourhelp]

this is a pro tinker tom blog, if you're a tinker tom hater DNI

[coolboil]

i think about them so much

[zolubaby]

Look at my Brotherhood of Steel disguise.. I wore Deacon's pompadour wig lmao (Hancock in the background lol)..

Me dragging my favourite male characters in FO4 onto missions.. they follow me like baby birds i love them 😂

[petezone]

I did not care for the railroad

[fallout4-reacts]

Can you give your idea about every important npc like you've done about the companions ? (by important npc I mean Sturge, the long family, diamond city mayor, Fahrenheit and etc)

Interesting one and I am so eager that you will just, hm... jump the list

(I will be so hated)

Sturges - Fahrenheit - Tinker Tom - Irma

Sturges had to be gay. If not, he needs to be an ace/aro. It would be shame if he isn't.

Because you absolutely need Sturges as your gay best friend. The gay best friend of everyone.

Yes, he is a modest, ingenious man who comes up with his own words when none exist to express what he wants to say—not quite as intense as Tinker Tom, but you get the picture.

Everyone, even homophobes, needs Sturges as their gay best buddy. They just don’t know he is. They’ll appreciate him.

Furthermore, presuming he isn't Ace/Aro, Sturges is, secretly or not, attracted by Preston. And if he is Ace/Aro, he still has to have a platonic crush on Preston.

Well, that's all there is to it.

Although Preston is charming, the ragtag group of Quincy survivors would be severely lacking in charisma if it weren't for Sturges, our gay neutral buddy who possesses an excess of verve that overwhelms our feeble minds.

It is canonical that Fahrenheit is Hancock's daughter. It's in the code. That's it.

Why didn't Bethesda have the guts to include it in the game? No idea. Still, she's.

Now that we've covered that, let's move on to the two headcanons in the game.

To start, no one has mentioned the fact that she is actually Hancock's daughter.

It is clear that Hancock knew her mother before he turned ghoul. For one, Fahr wouldn't exist if it weren't for this. Second, she would be younger than five years old.

With this being, it's plausible that Fahr hasn't spent much time in Hancock's company, even given she's between the ages of 25 and 35.

For the most part, I'm fine with the 2-3 year time frame that's commonly used in fan fiction.

On the other hand, I have my own headcanon.

Fahrenheit was born out of a fleeting encounter with a girl, a bar, and a reckless young Hancock. Totally careless to the point where the pregnant woman wanted him to know absolutely nothing about her pregnancy.

An affair with the stunning McDonough for just one evening? Of course. Sharing parental responsibilities? At no point.

However, Hancock had found the truth in some way. Perhaps his own brother was aware of what was happening and wished for him to suffer hardship.

"You are such a disaster; Alyssa has fled Diamond City so you will never find out you are a father!"

When it happened, Hancock's havoc level skyrocketed. So much so that his friend Nick, who was becoming famous for his sleuthing abilities, once suggested he go after the girl and the child, who was probably a toddler by then.

And he found them.

Here's another set of diverging head canon. Somewhere Nick is unable to rescue the mother but the child, while others have Hancock watching after his ex-girlfriend from a distance as his daughter grows up.

But eventually, mom either dies or vanishes. And the Wasteland is no place for Fahrenheit to be alone.

Next, we have two more variances.

1. Similar to Piper and Nat, Hancock takes in and raises the girl as best he can. In contrast, Fahr is more of a rat street and does not receive much direct attention from Hancock. Nevertheless, compared to the Wasteland, being Diamond City's rat street, or kind of drifter, is greater.

Or

2. Fahrenheit is bestowed upon a family that Hancock has confidence in.

Whatever the case may be, Farh eventually shows up at Goodneighbor after Hancock turns into a ghoul and is almost definitely involved with Vic's expulsion. The still, small voice that encouraged Hancock to do it.

Fahr already sees her father's potential—with a little guidance—as a Master of Chess, and she wants to help him reach it.

She is quite helpful.

Rather than deal with a symbolic authority that she leaves to her father, she chooses to focus on the military corpus.

That concludes her relationship with Hancock.

Now let's talk about her personality.

The character Fahrenheit is more nuanced than her lines suggest, as is typical in Fallout.

An observer, she is.

She avoids bonding herself with anyone, as they are just pawns on her board.

No matter how fond she is of Hancock and how dedicated she is to his goal, she still looks down on him.

The wickedness she experienced as a child is largely to blame for this. She could have been led to believe by her mother that her father had abandoned the family. Or something.

Also, her mother perhaps has been cold and distant as she struggled to provide for her family. Perhaps she felt this way because her daughter was a bittersweet reminder that she will never get her heart's desire.

Whatever the case may be, it's given a Fahrenheit that doesn't connect to anyone or open to anyone.

She prefers to follow her own path and isn't interested in sharing it with anyone.

This is something that Hancock acknowledges and values.

That is why Hancock has her respect.

That is why they make a great duo to lead Goodneighbor in the right direction.

One of Deacon's greatest secrets is Tinker Tom.

Yeah, you heard me well.

Of Deacon.

There is an unstated origin story behind Tinker Tom. He was rescued by Deacon, who then integrated—hiding—him in the RailRoad. That is precisely why Tinker is so incredibly paranoid. Simply put, he has an absolutely compelling reason to be so.

Everything he experienced and learned is a thousand times worse than anything you can ever fathom.

A timid young prodigy who was relentlessly exploited until Deacon came along and provided him with a safe haven.

Now, most people respect him; those who seek his assistance must first prove they deserve it.

He is under no more any sort of obligation.

Yet, he keeps a subdued attitude in the face of the "RailRoad leader," but it's all a joke between Deacon and Tom, and Tom KNOWS that no one can command him anymore, be mean with him in any manner. 

Should one go on, Deacon would expose his worst traits, leading to the person's doom...

And somehow, everyone in the RailRoad realizes that.

Irma is a woman of power. While they were younger, she flirted with Marowski and took advantage of him.

Simply put, she is a woman with the big W.

A stunning lady.

But she refuses to be a pawn for anybody.

She had brought the Memory Den long before it became significant. It wasn't just anything; it was plainly a brothel.

Bawd suits well to Irma. A clever matron.

And Amari is a very wise lady as well.

Akin to Irma, she has seen the property's potential. The proposal was made by her. They have associate.

And that's Irma that tricked Nick Valentine in the Memory Den.

Because it was not otherwise.

After following the trail of a runaway spouse once, Nick arrived at the Third Rail. He was quickly spotted by Irma.

At that time, he was not quite as battered as he is today. Everything about him—his handsome style, his deep, cool voice, and his gentlemanly behavior—was exquisite for someone with an open mind.

His charms have captivated Irma.

She has exhausted every possible means to lure him into her clutches. However, he still manages to gracefully sidestep her traps.

And her attraction has just intensified. Nevertheless, she possesses an elitist aspect that should not be lowered. Never would she have knelt for him.

After that, a status quo of sorts. Just like him, she's a gamer.

However, if the SoSu are successful in their romance with Nick, Irma will go absolutely wild. SoSu, be careful with your drink if Irma serves it to you.

[caelumroxas]

DOING MORE RAILROAD QUESTS!! | Fallout 4 - Part 22

Part 22 of Fallout 4 is available now!!

[stoat-party]

If you finish Fallout 4 with the Minutemen, Desdemona will act like Glory is dead even though she’s still walking around Railroad HQ.

[nukacoola]

Spoilers for the Railroad ending of Fallout 4

I just found out that Tinker Tom refuses to leave kid Shaun in the Institute when he begs to go home with you if you say no to him. ;~; It’s so good. If you say you’re definitely not gonna take him he says,

“Look I can’t stand by and not do something. I’ll make sure the kid gets somewhere safe, okay?” and “Don’t worry, we’ll look after him.”

I love Tommm I love the Railroaddddd

[crossstitchcodsworth]

Adventures in the Wasteland #1 (Shaun's Biometric Scanner)

I'm doing these vignettes because it seems like I've only got fanfic ideas in my head right now. Hope someone enjoys!

.....

This was the fifth damn lab in a week, but a request is a request. And a family, well, that's a family, too.

With everything settled down in the Commonwealth, there wasn't much left to do. Once in a blue moon, P.A.M. sent them out to kill another Courser. Carrington sometimes needed help rescuing synths (more like having them do the hard work). And even more rarely, there was some raider that needed to be dealt with.

Any attempts at reviving the Brotherhood or the Institute was a threat to everyone, especially their family.

Family was such a weird word, Deacon thought. Or maybe it was weird because he never thought he'd have it. But with Grace and Shaun, he found family again. Everything happened so fast for him that sometimes he'd forget it'd happened at all.

If he'd had a nightmare, waking up next to Grace was Deacon's anchor back to reality. She always woke up after him. She'd snore lightly, almost like the beep of an old alarm clock. He'd brush back her brown hair from her face just to admire it more.

Then there was Shaun. He obviously wasn't the real Shaun. He'd met the real Shaun, Father, once. His Shaun was a synth, forever a child. He wanted more than anything than to get that stubborn little booger to warm up to him. Deacon, after all, was the boy's stepfather.

So, Deacon and Grace were in their fifth lab in a week. Shaun asked for a biometric scanner. Of course, they had to get it for him.

This little lab was hidden in the basement of an old bookstore. It was their last hope for this little "mission" they were going on. But nothing ever stopped the best husband and wife duo in the Commonwealth from getting this job done.

The door was locked tight. Grace had put herself to work, using a bobby pin to get the door unlocked. Deacon watched intently, taking this time to take a sneaky look at her backside. Something about her wearing her old vault suit just turned the gears in his head, taking him places where he couldn't currently go.

"Damn it!" The bobby pin broke. Grace reached for another and started from scratch.

"Don't worry, babe! No lock will stand before you!" Deacon quipped. They both laughed.

This time, Grace had it figured it out. The door swung open, revealing the once sterile, now dusty lab before them.

It was an abandoned Institute remnant lab. Notes written by Brian Virgil covered the tables and tile floors. It looked like they were dropped in a hurry. Deactivated turrets were on each corner of the ceiling.

One by one, Deacon shot them. There were no cutting corners in any mission, especially this one. The last thing Shaun needed was the death of both of his parents. As much as Grace considered Deacon a father to Shaun, he still didn't believe it himself. One of the reasons he was so eager to go with Grace on this mission was to prove himself to Shaun. And also, well, he couldn't bear being away from her.

The couple then went to each side of the room, rummaging through cabinets. Trying to find this damned biometric scanner was like prospecting for gold. Both of them talked about how those things used to be a dime a dozen. And now? They were just gone. Zipped away from the face of the Earth.

"Maybe the Zeitans took 'em." Deacon joked. "There's no other way."

"Maybe I'm just being oblivious." Grace answered. "Everyone says that."

"You're not wrong." Deacon turned to look at her again. Grace crouched down to the bottom of a cabinet. She gasped, grabbed something, and then jumped up.

"Deeks, I found-"

The announcement was interrupted by a robotic voice, "Hostile targets detected."

"Jesus H. Christ!" Deacon pulled a laser pistol from his back pocket and scanned the room for synths. Grace followed suit, safely storing the miracle biometric scanner in its former home.

At first it was just one Gen 1. Then, it was ten. They were surrounded. Grace shot two in the head before having to duck as a laser headed her way. Deacon took care of two more. With both of them being contributors to the Institute's destruction, they were both major targets. The synths were constantly spinning their heads, unsure who to kill first. Deacon took advantage of this and took out all but one.

Grace took the last shot and killed the last synth with another clean shot in the head.

As quickly as they appeared, the Gen 1s were gone.

Good riddance.

Grace quickly got the biometric scanner back out. "As I was saying, I found one!" She delicately wiped away the dust from the machine. "I think we're all good to go back home now."

"Thank God! Let's get out of this fucking dump!" Deacon took a deep breath of relief. Just seeing the damned thing made their whole ordeal worth it.

"Let's hope he doesn't ask for another one." Deacon took the scanner in one hand and held his wife in the other. Then they began their long walk back to Sanctuary Hills. The walk took two days. Two much less tiring, much more enjoyable days.

The Wasteland felt unusually calm and empty, save for a few ferals. Even so, the sight of Sanctuary was a welcome one. Just before entering, Grace stopped walking, catching Deacon off guard.

"You okay?" This wasn't like her. She was a trooper and wouldn't normally stop so close to home. Now she held the biometric scanner and observed it. She made sure it was in good condition.

"I have an idea." She then turned to him, wearing a pensive look on her face.

"For what?" Deacon's curiosity was piqued. What would she possibly want to do now, so close to home?

"I want you to give this to him." Grace offered the machine to Deacon.

"He asked you, my dear. You're his mother." His cheeks flushed. Grace's belief in him was something he felt honored to have. It was still something he was adjusting to. She was one of the only people he was ever truthful with. He intended to keep things that way.

How would Shaun deal with that? Could he let Shaun get hurt too?

"You're his father. I think he'd like that. We both would." Grace kissed his cheek. "We love you. Even if Shaun won't say it."

Deacon could tell that Grace saw right through him. She was but she was the one who knew him best. Despite her social naivety with others, she was no longer able to fall for his bullshit. He couldn't lie to her. In fact, he refused to.

"You're right." He accepted her offer, "Let's go."

It didn't take them long to arrive at their home, Grace's pre-war home, to see Shaun watching cartoons on the couch with Tinker Tom. He was the best babysitter and the best tech guru. Only he could get a pre-war TV up and running, complete with Hubris Comics holotapes. They were both laughing at Grognak the Destroyer, destroying his enemies.

"Ah man, they're back!" Tom turned to the open front door. "We were having so much fun!"

Shaun immediately ran to his mother, wrapping her in a tight hug, "Mom, did you find it?"

Grace laughed and looked down her son, "No, it was a bit of a tough job for me." She moved away from her son, letting him see Deacon holding the scanner. "Deacon found it for you."

Deacon awkwardly held the biometric scanner, trying his best to flash a smile at Shaun. If he didn't love Grace so much, he'd have killed her for putting him in this vulnerable position. The next thing he knew, that feeling disappated. Shaun hugged him tightly, too.

"Thanks, Dad!" Grace quietly took the scanner from Deacon so he could hold Shaun. She and Tom let the boys have their moment and watched from the kitchen.

Deacon was taken aback, but embraced Shaun anyway. He'd always wanted to be a father and thought that opportunity had passed him by. Family is a weird word. Any word is weird if you look at it long enough. As he hugged his stepson, Deacon decided he liked weird. It suited him. Weird was wonderful, like a dusty prewar book. It was everything he spent so long hiding from and everything he didn't want to lose. It made him remember a quote from T.S Eliot, one he vowed to live by from then on:

"There’s no vocabulary

For love within a family, love that’s lived in

But not looked at, love within the light of which

All else is seen, the love within which

All other love finds speech.

This love is silent."

[danses-with-dogmeat]

Day 6 -- Tinker Tom

The (nsfw) details for Kinktober, Day 6 are just below the cut!

Minors, please don’t interact.

Frottage with Tinker Tom x M!Sole

Tinker Tom really was such a blast to write for, and his VA deserves ALL the love for his performance, he's just such a fun character!

I hope you all enjoy!

Here is the link to the Kinktober 2023 Event List so you can stay up-to-date, or re-visit these works as you please.

Also, just a TW for mentions of recreational drug use! (no actual drug use takes place in this story though)

Included: Frottage, rubbing, kissing, hickeys, nipple play, misunderstandings (but the good kind), enthusiastic consent, alleyway (almost) sex, semi-public.

Words: 4k

--

“Fixer, hey! You’re back, man! That’s great, that’s really, I mean, that’s just… well, yeah, it's great.” 

The unsettling pittering of Sole's heartbeat gave a stuttering pause as his gaze caught on Tom's gangly form, but if the eccentric inventor noticed his anxiety, he gave no hints of it.

Suppose that's a good start... Just have to play it cool, easy going.

Simple enough.

“Hey!" Sole shouted in response, already spreading both arms wide in a welcoming motion. "C’mere Tom.” 

“Aw, man, you know I’m not too mushy, not like Carrington, you know?” Tom chuckled a bit, giving an ‘aw shucks,’ sort of gesture with one hand as Sole continued walking towards him, perhaps more insistently than he consciously meant to. 

“Nah, come on Tom,” Sole threw him his signature puppy eyes, his hands still extended outwards invitingly, “Come here, bring it in. I know you want to.” 

“Alright, alright. Hey, no need to shout it out loud.” He whispered the last bit as he crashed into Sole’s chest, and the railroad agents both wrapped their arms around one another. “No need to get the whole Institute involved with this hug, eh? Ears everywhere, you know?”

“Right." Sole spoke into Tom’s shoulder, letting himself relax into the embrace as he thought fondly back to all of his friend’s conspiracy theories, they way he'd talked about them for hours at a time while Sole listened with nothing but a fond smile and a humoring shrug of his shoulders or nod of his head... 

Their embrace lasted longer than Sole expected it to, what with Tom’s usual twitchiness; but his contact... it seemed to calm the squirrely man down in a way he didn't care to linger on for too long.

If he did, he surely wouldn't stop.  

For Sole, well, it was just nice to see Tom at all. He’d made it a point lately, of returning to HQ less and less, after they had, well… 

The inventor pulled away first, the caging contact proving to be too much for him now. 

“You’re um… Yeah, you were right, Fixer, that was… well, nice. 'S nice to see ya back here. You been a real stranger here lately.”

“Yeah…” Sole rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, something between a smile and a cringe settling upon his face. 

They hadn’t said more than a few words since that night they’d spent together, after a few drinks of Tom’s making, something that’d thrown them both into a... frenzy of sorts. Come to think of it, had it even had alcohol in it at all?

Didn’t matter either way, Sole supposed. It seemed both of them were intentionally disinclined to mention it. For… some reason. 

Sole hadn’t said a word, that’s true, but… with the way Tom chooses to operate, how outgoing he is with his friends, outspoken too… Why did Sole have to be the one to bring it up? And after all, he was the one who made the drink in question, right? But even still, a few weeks have gone by, and now... still nothing. Was it meant to be just a one-time thing? 

C-could it not be? Was that... possible?

Sole wasn’t sure how the Railroad operated it, but back in his army days, people had to be careful about relationships within the ranks, but if Tom were willing to try and make it work...

“So, have you been–”

“OH. Fix, my man, have I got something to show you. Come on, follow follow, let’s go.” 

Tom's sudden hand-claps echoed around the brick walls of the hideout right alongside their hurried footsteps as he led Sole through the alleys within; but not… Not to his work area.

“Come with me, Fixer, and get yo’ fix, ha. That’s good, huh? Like a jingle, you know?” 

“Y-yeah Tom, that one’s a keeper for sure.” Sole mumbled distractedly as he followed, now trekking further back into the alcoves than he remembered being, maybe ever. “Um, where are we going?” 

“Almost there, oh, you’ll be excited man, this stuff’s even better than the last.” 

Immediately, Sole felt the blood rush to his cheeks, and felt his skin grow clammy at the very same time. He gulped to keep from choking on his own spit, and honestly? Sole was just glad he didn’t trip and completely fall embarrassingly onto the uneven cobblestone below. 

“T-the last? Tom…” Sole cleared his throat, hoping to flush out the frog stuck within it. “Tom, we never talked about–”

“And we’re here! Take a look, man, wa-hoo-ey, this is gonna be good, I can feel it. Not even tested this baby yet, this is gonna be the good stuff though, I guarantee it.” 

All the inflections in his words were driving Sole crazy. He was, well, Tom was almost always manic, and Sole had never minded that, but… There was something that seemed to have him even more on edge than usual tonight. 

You and me both then, I guess.

“What’s it gonna do?” Sole asked himself more than he asked Tom, who was busy pouring out his mysterious liquid invention into a couple of long, clear test tubes. 

Maybe that means he’s measuring it properly this time?

Sole could only hope. 

Or… Not. I could hope the opposite, instead…

He bit his lip as he watched Tom work, as vivid memories– well, foggy ones, but memories nonetheless– flooded over his vision. 

Was it wrong of him? To want what he and Tom had before? Even if maybe it had been more of an accident than anything with actual romantic potential? Was it wrong to rush into it again, to not discuss it, even when it felt so good that first time? It felt so... right, then, that night they'd spent together, so... who was Sole to say it's wrong to want to repeat it?

“Here it is!" Tom interrupted Sole's avalanching thoughts, "Ready to be consumed and absorbed and totally, completely take over our–”

“Tom.” 

Sole stopped him suddenly, both physically and vocally, grabbing at either of the tinkerer’s shoulders as the man's own hands still grasped onto the full test tubes. 

“T-that’s me, what’s goin’ on, Fixer?” 

Finally, it was as if Tom could see him. He wasn’t looking through Sole, wasn’t avoiding eye contact or scurrying around, he was still, and he was looking right at him. He was listening. 

Now. I have to say something now.

With a slow blink of his eyes, a quick breath out to expel the lingering nerves, Sole’s gaze met with his again. 

“Just hold on, okay? We need to talk about… About last– shit, I don’t even remember the day or anything, but, the last time we tried one of your experiments out like this… Everything that happened.” 

He merely blinked at Sole for a second, the silence allowing the ex-vault dweller to hear his own rapid pulse.

“S-sure, Sole, yeah, we can talk about it. Just… I thought we were cool, you know?” Tom gave a little shrug, jostling Sole’s hands upon him, “Both of us made it through all right, no big side effects or nothin', and you seemed to have a damn good time, so I thought you’d wanna try something again, you know? Wasn’t too far a leap, in my humble opinion.”

Sole’s head shook in disbelief, and he felt his body follow suit, a shock running through it like a painful volt from an exposed wire. 

“Do you… Tom, do you actually remember what happened? What that drink did to us? Made… ahem, us do?” 

“Huh?” One of Tom’s brows quirked comically high on his forehead. 

“Well, 'made us do' sounds kinda bad," Sole released his grip on his friend, stepping away as he rubbed over his face with one hand, "It might’ve happened anyway between us-- that night, even-- maybe, but the drink definitely–” 

“Woah, woah, woah. Fix, you good? You seem like you… Like maybe I– Just, okay, you wanna be a little less vague about all this? So I know what the cheese you’re talking about?” 

Sole blinked at him, and felt his shoulders slump. 

Holy shit. 

His heart raced, his mind was pandemonium, every thought whizzing around his head until they were crashing against each other, like so many crazed insects in a confusing frenzy. 

Does Tom not remember... anything? At all?

“Oh Fix-er, yoo-hoo.” Tom waved one of the vials in front of his face, catching Sole’s distracted attention with the sight of the strange, vivid liquid within. 

“Right, sorry, I just... I don't know how to put this, but you and I, Tom, we… Do you really not remember?” He sucked it up and voiced his worries, hoping to everything that he was wrong. If they’d been intimate, and Sole was the only one in his right mind, then… 

What the hell have I done?

“Yeah, I remember.” Tom nodded so enthusiastically, it almost allowed the vault-dweller to hope, “I remember us sucking down that sweet, sweet mixture I made, and then you tipping back in a bedroll on the floor, rolling around and mumbling while you had the lucid daydream of a lifetime. Heh, took mine a bit to kick in, but then things went wild and crazy. I went on a whole ass adventure. You ever wonder how China’s doing right now? Feel like I could tell you and be right, that’s how real it felt. Shit I made was good, huh?” 

“W-wh– lucid dream?” 

Sole was at a loss, and by Tom’s expression, he knew it too. 

“Yeah, man. Hallucinogenic. Hell of a strong one too, like I keep sayin’ to you, good shit.” 

Sole couldn’t move, his limbs like lead as the truth weighed down on him.  

“You look so hurt, man. Like somebody kicked your dog or somethin,’ you… Oh shyyyyiiiiiiit.” 

The floor was all Sole could think to focus on, with the realization buzzing around his head. 

So real… 

He wasn't even listening, couldn't hear a word Tom said, until:

“Shit, did you dream– Like, you thought that we–?” 

Sole closed his eyes as his mouth opened to answer, allowing the words to spill out before his overwhelmed mind could think to stop him.

“That you and me slept together… yeah.”

The vault-dweller's throat was audibly dry and tight, and his confusion at this whole situation never seemed to lessen, but at least he didn’t feel quite so guilty now. 

A dream... a hallucination. Shit.

“Well... was it good?” 

Sole's eyes opened, and his gaze snapped to meet Tom's.

“W-what?”

“Man, you heard me.” 

That managed to pull the slightest of laughs from him then, despite the circumstances, and Sole was nodding before his voice could properly answer. 

“Yeah, Tom. Yeah, it was good.” Sole got lost for a moment. The vividness of their closeness, the feeling of it all, the sensations, the smells, the touches, both light and heavily impassioned, it had a hold on him still, even after finding out it was nothing but a dream of sorts. “It was, yeah… really nice. Incredible.”

He whispered out the last bit, not even intending to say it aloud. 

“And so… that’s something you’d be interested in?” 

Tom was leaning against his little steel prep table, placing the still-full vials of liquid back into the test tube rack as Sole merely blinked.

He hadn't thought it possible to be even more confused in this situation, but... well, here he is. Yet another instance where Tinker Tom caught him off-guard.

“Well, would, um, you?” Sole’s voice shook a bit as he responded to the question with the same such inquiry.

“Yo, hey, no, that’s cheating. I asked you first, Fix.” 

“W-well, yes.” He said, quickly. He had to say it quickly, before his mind could get wrapped up in the answer until it became so jumbled that it didn’t make sense. 

“Hm.” Tom gave a little nod, his lip twitching as though he were stifling a grin. “Now that’s interesting…” 

“What?” 

“Just, didn’t have you pegged as being into a guy my type, that’s all. Thought maybe you and Deacon got along that way. But let’s face it, with him? I never know.” 

They both chuckled lightly at that, and Sole felt some of the nerves dissipate at the easy action of simply talking this through. And maybe just a bit too, by the way Tom seemed more than a little excited at what he’d learned. 

“Nope, me and sunglasses are just mates, that’s all...” 

There was silence for a moment, as Sole trailed off. He played with his fingers, picking and fidgeting as Tom spaced out on something behind him. 

Where to go from here? After that confession, after learning that it’d been a dream… my god. It was only a hallucination. 

Sole, ironically, couldn’t wrap his head around that. 

“So, it really was just a–”

“Do you think you’d ever–”

They both spoke at once, cutting each other off until the pair both dissolved into another bout of laughter on either side of the brick-walled alleyway. 

“Okay, you go first.” Sole offered. 

“Right, yeah. Yeah, so, just curious, you know… So, that’s really something you might want? For me and you to…” 

A vaguely lewd gesture blossomed from Tom’s expressive hands just then, but Sole tried to ignore it. 

I don’t want him to think it meant nothing. Don’t want that to be what he expects, or to think I... disrespected him in some way. 

“Well, maybe not just go straight away to sex, l-like we did in the dream thing, with the drink that-- it doesn't matter. Anyway, what I really had in mind was, I don't know... A little date, maybe?” 

“Ohh?” Tom raised his eyebrows playfully, and pushed off from where he was leaning against the table,  walking towards him with a peculiar sway in his step. “And what, do you think we’d do on this little date? What with me not really being able to leave the safehouse and all.”

Right. Sole pursed his lips. Des’s orders. Something about being too valuable to be put at risk. That person-specific policy had felt so nice to hear for all those working out in the hazardous field.

Yet now... Sole found he didn't really mind it. If it kept Tom safe, well... 

“I’m not sure… But this place isn’t bad.” Sole gestured upwards with his hands, mimicking the arch of the ceiling with his action. “Kinda secluded, romantic, you know? We could have a picnic or something, maybe? Or just a…”

Tom was leaning closer, looking up at him with eyes like molten chocolate, rich and dark, but with a shine to them that had Sole readily reciprocating his forward movement. 

“... A chat. Like a long conversation, about our interests, what we like and…” 

“Hey Fixer?” Tom’s voice sounded low, barely catching Sole’s transfixed attention. He was just… Like in his dream, Tinker Tom was so much more than the local conspiracy theorist or tech geek or handyman. He had this draw to him. He was so much more than even the Railroad took him for.

Sole couldn't have said exactly one thing that it was about him, but Tom had been so welcoming from the start, so kind and hilarious and exciting to be around, and more, he was selfless, good-hearted, and just a little bit crazy, but... That really had it's own kind of appeal, didn't it?

Not to mention those attributes that likely had Sole's mind so in-the-gutter when it came to the hallucinogenic; Tom's big eyes, the soft-looking, springy hair that was so often covered by that contraption on his head, and were those little dimples on his cheeks when he smiled?

“Fixerrrr. You in there?” Tom's voice was still low, but it managed to catch Sole's attention this time. Still though, he found he could only blink down at him.

“I’ve got, like, a super, mega important question for ya. But I need you to answer completely honestly. Think you got that?”

“Yeah.” Sole gave a nod, their faces so close it allowed their foreheads to brush together briefly. He very nearly made a joke in his light-headedness, something about telling the truth, about him not being Deacon, but Tom's next words swept any developing thought out from under his feet.

“Can I kiss you?”

Is this... Was that real? Did he really just ask that so readily, so easily?

Maybe I did take one of those tubes of Tom’s new mixture. What if I just don’t remember it, like last time? Maybe this too is an illusion. 

So then…

Another part of Sole's consciousness chimed in.

What have you got to lose?

“I just, man, I wish you could see yourself," Tom continued in response to Sole's silence, "You just look so kissable right now, and me? Well, not to spill it all to you, but, I’ve liked you since you stepped through our shitty, feral-infested door. Always thought you were pretty cute, I won’t lie to you. Then, with the way you defended me against Carrington with my Institute food camera theory, after having just met me? Man, come on, that shit had me smiling for days.” 

Finally, this stole Sole from his boggy thoughts. The realness of that memory, the fond feelings behind it, his own first impressions of the eccentric nerd he was stumbling his words over now...

“I think you’re cute too, Tom.” Sole managed to whisper out, unconsciously raising one hand to brush over his friend's stubbled jaw. “And, to answer your question, I’d love it if you kissed me.” 

They wasted no time, then. And damn, did it move fast. Sole was almost positive this had to be another dream, with the way time shifted and stood still, with the way the kiss melded them together, like either side of a magnet being hauled into one another by unseeable forces, they collided, and Sole got lost in it. 

Tom’s lips were deceptively soft, pillowy, as they set upon him, and Sole had enough enthusiasm for them both pouring into his actions, his hand sliding over Tom’s cheek while he tilted his head, deepening their kiss and parting his mouth to drag his tongue over the seam of Tom’s lip. 

The tinkerer groaned into him, and Sole felt a heat begin to pile deep in his belly. Next Sole knew, new hands were upon him, fingers running from his torso up to his chest, where they settled just beneath his shoulders. 

“Damn, man, you good at this.” Tom said to him as he pulled back with a delighted expression on his face. “Wanna keep going?” 

“Well, seeing as we’ve already gotten to third base in my head, I’d say it couldn’t hurt.” He chuckled out, feeling himself blush all the same, even as he tried to make light of it-- for his own sake or Tom’s, he didn’t quite know. 

Just been spending too much time with Deacon, probably. Always gotta lead or follow with a joke.

“Got to play a little catch up, huh? Sounds good to me.” Another smile lit up Tom’s charming features, and Sole couldn’t resist the call of him this time either. 

The kiss was even more fervent now, as the force of Tom’s hands encouraged them both backwards, until Sole's back was flush to the cold wall behind him. It sent a chill through his body, but quickly, that same, familiar heat returned as Tom’s hands began to stroke over his chest in soothing, undulating motions. His fingers dragged over the sensitive points of his nipples through his thin, cotton T-shirt, and Sole found his own hands moving– to reciprocate, to pull Tom closer, to make him feel good, like he had in his dreams.

One hand held firmly to the small of Tom’s back, hauling his body almost onto Sole's own, and stroking over the rear hem of his jeans eagerly. The other hand held its ground upon Tom’s face, mesmerized by the texture of his stubble, by the heat of his cheek, by the way he leaned his head further into the touch. 

A moan fell from Sole’s throat at Tom’s continuing movement over him, the way the pads of his thumbs paid direct mind to each of his nipples, rubbing there until the agent was thrusting his chest forward to meet the sensation with even more delicious force. 

Didn’t even know I was into this… 

But leave it to Tinker Tom to think outside the box I would’ve fitted myself into. 

Soon enough, Sole’s breath was leaving him in huffs, and the pair were having to pull back from one another just to drag air into their lungs, and in one of those moments, as Sole’s gaze darted to the floor for some unknown reason, he quickly found out why. His jeans-- and Tom’s-- wore matching bulges below their belts. Their movements, the heated kisses and fervent touches, the connection between them proving, apparently, to be too much for either of their bodies to handle in a respectful sort of way.

“We, ah, don’t gotta do more if you’re not into it, Fixer. I-I mean, if you’re not feelin’ it, or not ready, or just plain ole- wanna stop, you just say the word–”

“I don’t wanna stop.”

It was the firmest thing Sole had said all evening, the most certain he’d sounded since returning to HQ. 

With both hands, Sole reached out, cupping the meat of Tom’s ass confidently and hauling him forward until their bodies were flush together, damn-near cemented like the brick walls they were surrounded by on all sides.

“Ohh, o-k, eager beaver. You really don’t wanna stop, huh?” 

Sole shook his head, already moving to mouth at his partner’s neck as he held them tightly together with firm hands. Tom’s grasp moved to his shoulders, then, stroking over those too, the action both soothing and ardent all at once. 

“You-- ah, geeze and fuck, my friend, you got strong hands.” 

Tom was interrupted by his own reaction, and that fact had Sole smiling against him as his hands squeezed over Tom’s ass cheeks, as he ground his hips up and against him, and felt Tom’s own erection press into his lower stomach. 

“What I was gonna say…” 

Heat pulsed through him at the sound of Tom’s breathlessness, and Sole found himself encouraging him on with a growl; hungry for more sounds he could pull from his partner, more shaky breaths. 

“You, ah, you good to go all the way tonight?” 

That caused Sole to pull reluctantly away from where he’d been laying lovebites across Tom’s collarbone. 

“Y-you want– Well… You just…”

“You can say no, babe.” 

One of Tom’s roughened hands stroked over Sole’s flushed cheek reassuringly. 

“I just..." He started, before the truth of it left him in hushed tones. "I wanna make it clear that, well, you mean more to me than just a one-night thing, Tom.”

His partner smiled at that, and you could feel his smile invade his whole body, at the way his hand gripped harder over one shoulder. 

“You too, Fix.” 

Tom leaned in for a quick kiss to Sole’s lips, and that nearly set the ex-vault dweller off into a frenzy again, but he managed to hold himself back, needing them to finish this discussion before allowing himself to move forward. 

“And it won’t be. It’ll be like a… a multi-night thing, maybe. We could go and do some of those dates you were talking about, do some snuggling, work on fixing shit together, all of it, the whole deathclaw’s hand.” 

“That sounds nice, Tom… Really nice.” 

“Perfect, so that’s a…?”

“Oh, it’s a yes.” 

“Perfect, ah, just perfect. You know… we goin’ the whole way, well, we gon’ need some supplies. And have I got just the right mixture. Slippery-est lube I’ve ever come across. And I should know. I made it, so I had to sample a lot--”

“Okay, yes, I understand, Tom. Just... so long as there’s no battery acid.” Sole quipped as his heart began to race, as anticipation bubbled from his belly up and through the fingertips that were still resting upon his partner's skin.

“Nope.” Tom answered without hesitation, almost as if it’s what he'd been expecting Sole to ask. “And no hallucinogens. Though, if I can make an assumption here, you seemed not to mind those all that much.”  

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Hello!

I always wondered honestly how FO4 faction leaders (and maybe some companions that also belong to sayd faction, like Danse) whould react finding out the Sole Survivor is with the Enclave? (Maybe via a tattoo they have or dogtag)

Im guessing most whould be very unhappy and instantly accuse them of being a spy.

I'm interested what you think, since for fo4 the only Enclave option you really have is the Enclave rising mod but companions don't comment on it of corse.

Fo4 Factions React To Sole Being With The Enclave

➼ Word Count » 1.7k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic, Angst? ➼ A/N » This is such an interesting idea! Also, I hope you don’t mind but, I added a few more faction characters 🤭

Preston was horrified when he found out. There have been a few stories from settlers migrating from the Capital Wasteland, but he never imagined that you, of all people, would be with them. The entire idea of 'cleansing the land' is precisely what the Minutemen are trying to fight against. He feels as if you've just been using him this entire time for your own personal gain. Why else would you agree to be general if you didn't believe in their cause? Did you ever think they'd be able to make a change? Or were you just playing along for the fun of it? It's an understatement to say he's angry, though, more at himself than you. Out of everyone he could've stumbled upon to make into the Minutemen's new leader, you're who it was. And he was the one who supported you. Preston's won't be in the mood for compromising, he'll just turn you away. Similar to how he does when you side with the Nuka-World raiders. He's over it. He'll start over - find someone new, and you can go back and do whatever it is that you do. He's disgusted with himself for sticking with you for so long, but also because of how he can't bring himself to kill you. He just wishes you didn't try so hard to be friends with him. Then your betrayal wouldn't hurt him so badly.

Sturges noticed the Enclave marking early on but didn't know what it symbolized and never mentioned it. It wasn't until he overheard your argument with Preston that he decided to approach you about it. He stopped you while you were leaving Sanctuary and softly asked what happened between you and Preston. A part of him hoped he could mend your relationship with him, even if he knew it was far past that point. He cares for the both of you. The Minutemen were the best thing to ever happen to him, and he'd be damned if he let it break apart without trying to fix anything. That's what he's known for, isn't it? Fixing things? Even after he talks to you, he's still not sure what the Enclave is. All he knows is that he desperately wants both you and Preston to come to an agreement. He feels like a kid in the middle of a messy divorce and it stresses him out.

Any tough exterior that Elder Maxson puts up is immediately shattered when he sees that painfully familiar mark. He's seen firsthand what they've done to the world - what they're capable of, and he refuses to condone that behavior, especially when it comes to a supposed member of his cause. He'll stare you down with both a mix of fear and anger for stepping aboard the Prydwen. Who do you think you are? Surely, your joining the Brotherhood wasn't an accident, and he's not willing to wait and find out what your purpose for infiltrating them is. You're off the ship. No discussion necessary. He refuses to fight alongside anyone of your stature, and if he ever sees you again, he won't hesitate in ordering your death. The Commonwealth won't be a repeat of the Capital Wasteland. He'll make sure of it.

Danse doesn't have many memories of the Enclave, but if it evoked a reaction like that out of Elder Maxson, then he's sure you can't be anyone good. The decision on what should happen to you is out of his control, but whatever is decided, he'll stick with and enforce. His loyalty to the Brotherhood outweighs his relationship with you. Even if you were considerably close to him, he'd still be firm in his stance. You either need to leave for another state or be exterminated. Heartbroken as he might be, this isn't the first time he's had to do something he found hard for the betterment of the Brotherhood. He was close to Cutler, and look where he is. Danse doesn't sympathize with enemies, and you're no exception.

Haylen might not have been a scribe during the Brotherhood-Enclave War, but she still remembers those moments vividly. It was concerning as a civilian, and she can't even imagine what it felt like for those who were on duty. Despite the threat you could be to the Brotherhood, she feels conflicted about completely dismissing you. You've done a lot to support their cause and, to her, that means something, no matter if you've got an Enclave marking or not. Whatever Maxson decides is what he decides, but know that if you ever happened to be in the same area, she'd gladly bring you a bit of supplies.

Desdemona notices it, and would've turned you away when you first discovered the Railroad if it weren't for Deacon vouching for you. She's suspicious of you from day 1 and nothing ever changes about that. Even if you helped them out from start to finish she'd be suspicious. The Enclave is a massive and very dangerous organization that the Railroad does not support in any capacity. The fascism alone makes her feel critically toward you and you'll have spies observing your every move until she decides that she finally trusts you, which probably won't happen until you show you've fully quit working with them altogether.

Deacon’s aware of who you're affiliated with early on, but he hopes his shpeal about looking at what the organizations are doing rather than what they're telling you will change your mind. He really likes you and thinks that you'd be a great asset to the Railroad, especially since you've had military training at some point from being with the Enclave. Maybe it's idealistic of him, but he's really hoping that he can get you to change sides. He knows what it's like to have a past you're not proud of, and he genuinely believes he can get through to you and convince you to quit the Enclave at some point. Even if no one else in the Railroad agrees with him on that. There's just something about you that he's always been drawn to, and he doesn't want to give up on you so fast.

Tinker Tom's with Dez on this. He doesn't trust you either and would build you a gun just so he can track where you go. Every time you come near him, his eyes go wide with fear and his shoulders tense up. You don't know it, but he's got a pocket knife on him that he's itching to use the second you do something to fast. The only thing that'd make him feel a little better about having you around is if you agree to be injected with his battery acid. It'll make him calm down a little bit, but he still won't exactly like having you around so often. You're just not one of them. The Enclave and the Railroad both have complete opposite goals and it's hypocritical for you to argue you're loyal to both.

Glory might actually start firing on you if you even slightly raise you're voice at anyone in HQ. She's with everyone else in that she doesn't think you're someone who can be relied on and she does everything she can to get that across to you. In fact, if you do anything she deems suspicious or possibly traitorous, she'll attempt to assassinate you on your next outing. You're going to have to prove a lot to her, and many other Railroad members that you're not going to sell them out the second the opportunity arises. She's rude to you, sure, but you've got to understand that this is her family she's trying to protect, and you being there is a threat in it of itself.

Father doesn’t care as much as he probably should. He doesn’t see the Enclave, or any group for that matter, as a threat. At most, they’re just a nuisance that might slow down the Institute, but it’s something that’s easy to fix. He's a bit cocky in that way. Unless your relationship with the faction interferes with any of the Institute's plans, he won’t pay much mind to it. Just keep them in DC, won’t you? There's enough organizations to deal with in the Commonwealth as it is, no point in adding another.

X6-88 doesn't like it, and he's very vocal about wanting you to quit, but it's ultimately your decision. In his mind, the Institute is the only faction you should be focused on, especially if you're planning on being the leader, so quitting the Enclave would be in your best interest. He also has a cocky outlook concerning the Enclave and fully believes that, if anything were to occur, the Institute would be able to defuse it instantly. Despite his disagreement with who you're affiliated with, he'll still follow you. You're still his boss, and until you give him a reason to suspect that you're not as committed to the cause as you claim, it's none of his business who you decide to work with.

Dr Li is on edge the moment that you’re introduced. She can’t help but think back on everything the Enclave's done to the world - done to her. She does her best to hide her face from you, and whenever she has to talk to you, she's noticeably more nervous and tense. All she can think about is the assassination of James and the abduction of the Lone Wanderer. She's never trusted them and doesn't intend on doing it now. She's fully convinced that part of why you're here is to finish the job in exterminating her. She doesn't believe for a second that you'll do the Institute right and will leave to rejoin the Brotherhood if you happen to stay. It stresses her out that none of the other scientists seem to feel as concerned as she is with the thought of you being in the heart of their bunker. No amount of pleading will get anyone else to agree with her about being suspicious and that makes her incredibly fearful.