#fallout companions react

[danses-with-dogmeat]

if ur still taking requests, could you do r!companions reacting to when sole introduces them (maybe to like a settler or something) as their husband/wife for the first time :0?

Romanced! FO4 Companions React to Sole Referring to Them as Husband/Wife for the First Time

This is so precious! It makes me wonder what weddings in the wasteland are like 🤔

Anyways, let me know if you wanna see anyone else for this! :)

(also, sorry for being gone for a thousand years, love you guys for sticking around <3)

I hope you love it! 

Cait:

Not much had changed after they'd said their vows.

It was a strange practice in this sort of reality, anyhow. Who in their right mind would be off fiddling with the thought of marriage when most folks were struggling on scraped hands and knees just to get by?

Sole, apparently.

Wouldn't be the first time they'd concerned themselves with something so unimportant and hairbrained in their new reality. Damn pre-war mentality.

But she'd humored them. They didn't do a whole ceremony, didn't have a priest or a cake, or even a dress. No, it was just each other and a few words, a couple of promises that she would never admit had... well, had choked her up, somewhat.

Sole's always been too sentimental for they're own good. And for my own good too, apparently.

Like she'd thought before the 'ceremony,' though, nothin' was all that different after the fact. Traveling together, watching each other's backs, sleepin' at Sole's place on the same shoddy mattress...

She didn't mind that, though. Nothin’ had to change for Cait to know that she was truly happy for the first time that she could remember.

What had shaken her, though, was when they'd met a couple settlers that had recently moved to Sanctuary when they stopped by for a visit. That, too, had been normal. At first.

Preston gave them his usual too-long to-do list, Codsworth told them he'd been keeping the hubflowers in the front yard nice and tidy, Sturges showed off the new paint-job on the power armor Sole had gifted him a while back. When they ran into those new folks, though, when that word 'wife' left her lover's lips, Cait had physically reeled back like she was dodging a blow.

Sole's look after the interaction was full of concern, of uncertainty. It made Cait's chest ache.

"Jus' unused to it, is all." She'd told them as reassuringly as she could manage, her fingers moving over Sole's shoulders to lace together at the base of their neck. "It'll come with time, love."

"Good," They said, their huff of relief only slightly exaggerated. "But if it doesn't, I'm warning you now, I might just have to marry you again."

Cait chuckled at that.

"And next time, I'm not letting you forgo the ceremony."

"No!" Cait groaned playfully.

"Nor the guests, or the dress, and those sappy vows will be read for everyone to hear--"

"Enough, you little shite. Go on, then. Call me wife at the end of ev'ry sentence, jus' don't make me go through all that."

Sole giggled in return, their own hands finding purchase at Cait's hips and pulling her close.

"Though..." The redhead continued, with a mischievous glint in her bright eyes. "I, myself, wouldn't mind a second honeymoon."

Curie:

"Aw, mon cheri! Let me try, let me do it, too!"

Sole's grin was contagious as they motioned for their adorable wife to continue with her… well, unnecessary, (but Sole would never tell her that) introduction.

"Zhis is mon mari/épouse. We are just married, you see?"

The Diamond city bar-goer nodded politely to them, giving Sole an amused look that wasn't caught by the over-excited synth.

"Congratulations, you two look very happy."

Curie squeezed her hand all the tighter around Sole's, and she looked simply fit to burst with joy at the stranger’s words.

"We are. 'Appier zhan I could've dreamed." Her eyes sparkled as she looked fondly to her Sole, “We are so lucky to ‘ave found each other.” 

“It’s true…” Sole echoed, the bargoer all but vanishing from the couple’s attention as they became lost in each other again. 

“Maybe I should just leave you two be, for now. Seems like you’re still in that honeymoon phase, to me.” 

“That's, ah…” Sole’s words dissolved into a chuckle, as Curie turned away with a blush. “That’s also probably true. It was lovely meeting you, though!” 

Their new acquaintance waved a hand as he headed towards the bar once more, shaking his head with a grin as he noticed the way the pair went right back to existing in their own, sweet world. It was refreshing, he thought, to see two people so happy, so in love, in a world like this one. 

Danse:

He’d tried to introduce himself, at the start, to these friends of Sole’s, but… He’d slipped up, as he often does. 

Danse. My name is Danse. Nothing precedes that, I’m… not a Paladin anymore. 

He’d never been without a title before, not since he joined the Brotherhood all those years ago, and his name still felt so naked without it, like it was missing something so integral. As usual, however, Sole had saved him. They’d noticed, even before he did, that he was about to err, and thankfully cut him off beforehand, but then… 

He’d almost forgotten. He didn’t know how he could forget. The day he and Sole vowed to spend the remainder of their lives together had been one of the best of his life, but their past weeks were filled with the rest of the days upon that list… They hadn’t been away from each other’s sides, hadn’t really met anyone new, so it was almost uncanny when he heard the word– the title leave their lips. 

I’ve never been without a title…

Unwittingly, Danse found himself puffing up at the sound of it, much like he had when he was first called ‘Paladin’. He grinned and stood straight and proud, nodding decisively at the sound of the word husband leaving his partner’s lips. His spouse’s lips. 

Danse had never planned for an outcome like this, never thought it would be possible to dedicate the time, energy, emotional attention and knowhow he needed to be involved in a lifelong, committed relationship, but then again, Sole had made many things possible that he’d never known would be in store for him. He couldn’t imagine his life any other way now, even with the severe deviation from his original plan for himself, and though, at first, he felt like the entire situation was drastically more than unideal, he didn’t know how he ever managed to consider himself truly happy without Sole by his side. They filled the immense chasm of hurt that was drilled through him the day he lost his identity, the day he was no longer a part of the cause that he’d dedicated his everything to, but if they were to be taken from him? Gone from his life for one reason or another? He knew not even the Brotherhood could fill the crippling hole they would leave in their wake.

This new title, the new responsibility to be there for his counterpart, through thick and thin, sickness, health, all that the wasteland would throw at them, and everything in between, as far as Danse was concerned, it was the most worthwhile endeavor he’d ever taken on, and he knew he would do everything in his power to never let them down. No matter what it took, he’d strive to be worthy of that title bestowed upon him by the one he loves and respects more than any other.

Deacon:

Deacon didn’t think he’d ever be back here again… Not that he wasn’t absolutely thrilled to be Sole’s partner, their spouse, but… did he really deserve that title? He sure as hell didn’t the first time, and now, though he’s definitely less of a bigot, he still can’t wrap his head around the idea of Sole being happy with him, wanting him. As their husband. 

Shit… 

He’d have to say something at some point, have to respond, have to smile and nod and shake hands and allow himself to be introduced like this...

Yikes. 

It was a familiar feeling, but in a horrible, anxiety-inducing sort of way. He didn’t want anything more than he wanted to be Sole’s husband, he’d been the one to propose after all, but introducing him like this? Was that safe? Was it necessary? 

The spy bit his lip, his body visibly stiffening up at the words leaving Sole’s lips, but the worst part? The worst part was that jump in his gut at the sound of it. At first he thought it was the discomfort, with a healthy sprinkling of fear and just a pinch of panic, but it wasn’t the cold shock that those emotions tended to elicit, no, this was sort of… warm? An excited sort of anxiousness, an enthusiastic leap within himself, not the uncomfortable churn he’d been expecting. 

Maybe I can be used to this again. Like the first time.

Despite himself, despite the momentary thousand-yard stare accompanied by a half-open mouth, Deacon recovered rather rapidly, and even found himself smiling. His eyes crinkled up beneath his iconic shades and he turned to look over to his love, his spouse, and his teeth broke through the threshold of his lips into a broad grin. 

“Whew, could get used to that.” He whispered with a wink and Sole had to bite their lips to keep from smiling too big. 

Goddamn, I don’t deserve them.

“Well, you heard the boss. Sole’s husband. Yeah… Pleased to meet and shake.” 

But shit… I really could get used to this again. That much is true. 

Hancock:

“Fuck, sunshine, say it again for me, will ya?” 

Hancock immediately turned to face them at the sound of it, their hand in his proving not to be nearly enough contact to sate his need for his new spouse. He separated their fingers as that glorious title of his left their lips once more, as their mischievous eyes met his, opting to instead wrap both of his wiry arms around them, pulling his partner close while completely disregarding the traveling merchant in front of them. They’d get back to their purchase in a moment, but first… Hancock leaned forward, pressing his lips to his partner’s with a fervor that rivaled that of their kiss upon the altar. 

How can anyone expect me to hold back when they’re lookin’ at me like that? When they call me their ‘husband.’ 

The ghoul felt himself shudder, a grin spreading from his lips, infecting theirs in turn as he finally managed to pull away. 

“Mmm, yeah, damn straight.” 

Who would’ve ever thought? 

The esteemed bachelor, infamous junkie, proclaimer of every kinda freedom, and the Mayor of the city of sin and mirth… Married. And he couldn’t be more proud of it, more overjoyed at the prospect of spending his life with the one he loves, dedicating himself to one person. Sure, he never thought he’d see the day. But that didn’t change a damn thing. 

“Yeah, Sole’s husband speaking here. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

MacCready:

Maybe he should feel guilty, maybe the sound should make him sad, should douse him in memories of his past, in a future that he’d hoped for, but never came to be. A future with another person, another possibility for his life… But when Sole called him their husband for the first time, in front of all these people at the bar, still dressed in their glorious, dare he say sexy, wedding clothes… God, the ex-merc couldn’t quit grinning. 

It felt… strange, sure, to be called husband again, but damn, it felt good, too. It was a reminder that he still could be happy, it was proof that there are second chances, even in a world as cruel as this one. Even for both of them, who came from broken homes, from pasts filled with loss and hardship, from such different upbringings, there was still hope. 

And so, he smiled. And he let himself smile. 

He’d dealt with the guilt already, since the moment he felt affection for his partner rising to the surface. From that first awkward kiss, their strangely sad first time together, to his first terrifying declaration of his love, he’d felt that guilt simmering under the surface, waiting to boil over and burn him from the inside out, make him hurt all over again, make moving on impossible, but… Even though it had always been there, it’s grown… weaker. Sole’s reciprocation, their affirmation, their shared feelings of wrongfulness that linger behind every touch, every feeling of fondness, of love… The two of them were two sides of the same damn coin, broken pieces that, by some miracle, could fit together to make each other whole. 

That, and he knew what Lucy and Nate/Nora would want. Their late spouses loved them both, and they would want them both to be happy now, not wallow away their days alone in grief and guilt. 

And now, MacCready could smile. And damn, did he do so. It was embarrassingly toothy, it scrunched his eyes and brought tears to them. He’d cried when he saw them at the wedding, and his eyes have hardly been dry since the ceremony earlier that day, and even as the pair collected their drinks from the bar top, he couldn’t keep his eyes off his partner. His spouse. 

It was strange to feel like this again, to be back in this situation, back to this point in life, just with another person, but if it was with Sole, MacCready could truly be happy again, if it was with them… he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Nick:

It was so difficult to look away, to stop the smile from spreading too far across his synthetic lips, to pull his hand away from Sole’s in order to greet this stranger, to act as though it were normal for them to refer to him in that way. It shouldn’t be strange, with how long they’ve been together, how long they’ve been itching to use those titles for one another, but it still sent a shock through him. The warmness spread through his chest in such a way he didn’t know was even possible. Nothing could have ruined the moment that that word left his incredible partner’s lips, not even the way the stranger’s eyes were widened, their mouth drawn to a thin line in surprise and just a hint of revulsion. Nick couldn’t care less. 

Keeping his good hand firmly clasped with Sole’s, he extended his skeletal one out for them to consider, finally forcing himself to look away from Sole’s sweet, glowing expression to meet the other’s judgemental gaze. If he’d cared even in the slightest, he might’ve snorted and made some remark, but this didn’t matter at all. The approval of some schmuck in the wilds of the Commonwealth wasn’t even remotely something Nick desired, and there was no way in hell he’d let something like this ruin even a fraction of his elation at finally becoming Sole’s husband. 

“Good to meet ya.” He said with an insultingly broad grin as their eyes locked to his metal hand, their own making no move to embrace his in the customary greeting.

“Usually it’s polite," Nick began, with just a hint of salt, "When someone extends a hand, to shake it.”

That seemed to pull the stranger from their thoughts, and tentatively, they reached out and gave a small shake before quickly pulling away. 

“There we go, that’s it.” Nick let his skeletal hand fall back to his side and felt Sole give his other a tight squeeze in comfort. “And just in case you didn’t catch it, it’s Nick. Valentine. Detective extraordinaire, and Sole’s husband.” 

A sweet sound met his ears as Sole chuckled beside him, their grin scrunching their eyes as they gave their husband that look, the one that said it all, the one he’d never grow tired of seeing. The amusement at his words, and that genuine affection for him behind it all, god, it’s what Nick lived for.

Piper:

“Aw, Blue! It sounds so good when you say it!” The reporter’s eyes lit up as Sole introduced her to the bartender, and her hand squeezed their arm all the tighter. She’s been waiting, what seems like forever, to hear those words leave her partner’s lips. Now, it was even better than she’d imagined. She gazed lovingly in Sole’s direction, as they patiently waited for her to turn her attention to the man across the counter.

“Right! Hi, yes, yeah. I’m their wife. Nice to meet you.” She grinned at the man as a look of good-humored exasperation passed over his features. At his response’s lack of enthusiasm, Piper leaned forward, nearly separating her arm from Sole’s, and brought her free hand to the side of her mouth, whispering to him nearly loud enough for the entire room to hear.

“We just got married.”

“I couldn’t have guessed.” He said, deadpan, with the slightest indication of a grin crinkling his eyes. 

“Here’s your key, you two. Enjoy.” 

Sole thanked the man as Piper enthusiastically hauled them towards the stairs up to their rented room. They followed along behind the giggling reporter, their grin rivaling her own as the pair stumbled up the wooden steps excitedly. With Piper, it certainly was bound to be an eventful honeymoon. But Sole already knew that when they married her, and who were they kidding? They wouldn't have it any other way.

Preston:

Preston just cannot quit staring. He hardly even hears what the other minutemen are saying to him and his new spouse, still their General and Lieutenant. It was rather uncharacteristic of him to be paying so little attention, but how can he help it? It was their wedding day, and Sole looked more incredible than he’d ever seen them, which was saying a whole hell of a lot for his near-perfect partner; not to mention the way they’d practically ordered him to refrain from thinking of work for the whole day. 

He’d thought it would be harder to do so, his overzealous work ethic being the brunt of many a joke amongst the other minutemen and Sole’s many friends, and yet… Today, Preston finds it much easier than ever before to focus on nothing but them. 

Sole. In all their perfect glory, standing by his side, fingers locked between his, a persistent and glorious grin spread across their lips as they greeted the many guests that attended the ceremony. 

As an unfamiliar couple approached the pair, Preston still remained utterly entranced by his love, their polite voice, the way the soft glow of the slowly setting sun highlighted every perfect feature, the feel of their hand in his, their shoulder pressing comfortingly against his own. 

When their introduction leaves Sole's lips, he’s pulled back to reality. 

‘My husband,’ they’d said. That’s… That’s me. 

Preston blinked as his cheeks swelled from the pressure of his humongous grin. 

I will never get tired of that. He decided in less than an instant. In fact, as the night goes on, into the next few weeks of their early marriage, and all the years after, he tries to refer to them by their own spously title as often as is appropriate, and glows with pride and appreciation each time they do the same.

X6-88:

It wasn't proper, but for once in the courser's life, he couldn't be bothered to care.

Sole was his Director, and if anyone in the Institute took issue with their word, with their choices when it came to their own personal life, they could bring it up to him. He'd love to see how that plays out.

For now though, X6 allowed himself the unusual pleasure of being unbothered by it. Dr. Ayo could look as appalled as he wanted, Dr. Volkert could keep blushing with barely-checked rage up to his ear tips, and the rest of X6’s fellow coursers could continue with their stony glares.

Though he wouldn't admit it, X6 actually withheld a crooked grin at the way some of the synths looked at him with such awe. He felt their glares, heard their whispers, saw the ways their fists clenched, but it was peripheral at best. Sole took center stage of his attentions on this day, and the intensity of a courser's attention was unmatched.

He felt their hand brushing his arm, his shoulder, his waist, he heard their voice say his name, introduce him with that hefty title he never once would've considered for himself if not for them, and he saw their face, their infectious grin. If they were aware of the animosity in the air surrounding them, Sole gave no indication.

And nor should they.

They had nothing to be ashamed of. One day, in the not-too-distant past, he might not have held that same opinion. Today though, he couldn't fathom 'shame,' and 'Sole' existing on the same plane. He was lucky to have them. Being with them was a greater honor and opportunity than the synth could have previously imagined possible for himself. He only hoped, in such an earnest, sentimental way that it felt as though he'd left his own body, that they felt similar sentiments at being with him.

If their expression, their words, their sincere vows were anything to go off of though, X6 would say that his hope was well-founded.

[come-into-the-fallout]

(Sequel to this. I wrote the good end, how about the bad one? Just Butch for this post, I'll see when I can get around to writing the rest. Enjoy) Content Warning: Alcoholism

[Fo3] Companions React to Lone confessing before activating the purifier [Butch ver.]

Butch

Pounding. The immovable glass wall met his fists with resistance. But he could barely feel it, barely feel the raw scratchiness clawing its way into his throat while he screamed, barely feel the pulsing pain in his hands as he beat them against the near transparent barrier, not while in his hysterics.

"You can't do that! You don't get to do that!"

Denial.

"Come back- Get back here and come back, we weren't finished!" His hands finally yield their barrage against the door as adrenaline trades it place for exhaustion, his body forced to slouch and the cold surface against his sweat drenched forehead as he leans against it will be the closest thing to solace he'll get as he watches you input the code to finish the job.

"Come back! Please."

Pleading.

But the only voice to reply to his calls was the Paladin behind him trying to pry and coax him away from the scene. Those words didn't matter, though. They weren't the honey sweet words of mutual affection muttered from him to you- and you to him with flushed faces, the same words that had so stubbornly invaded his mind and brought both frustrating and delightful fantasies at every chance. They weren't your soft laughs filled with agreement to his declarations that the two of you would tear up the wasteland together and never part, that together you would make not only the best duo to exist but the fiercest force to be reckoned with.

They were words of attempted assurance, but Butch didn't feel any assured, couldn't even pay them any mind when the sight of you collapsing and the muffled thud that followed took over his sights. Even the final scream he let out in response felt muted with how zerod in on you he was. You were gone. Gone. The only one who was by his side after the vault went to shit. His partner-in-crime, and you could've been... partners.

Butch couldn't bare lingering on that thought. Couldn't think clearly, couldn't breathe, couldn't see clearly. If you hadn't been so foolish to chose the moment right before you died to tell him, and if he hadn't been so stupid and just told you about the butterflies and yearning pressure in his chest you caused him earlier.

None of it mattered now. No amount of berating would fulfill his hopes to see you smiling at him again.

He was all alone again. And he never would have expected that thought to bring him to his knees the way it did.

[ Quest completed

Take It Back ]

[ The Aftermath ]

Pounding. Persistent pounding. But not of the noise that had been mixed with desperate yells that day. A feeling. His head was pounding, and he discouraged against any thoughts of wishing that he could barely feel it. Anything to drown out the empty yet so despiar-filled feelings that had burrowed itself into him. Any distractions to make up for the lack of your company by his side.

He couldn't stop himself from wondering. Why? Why did you have to go and do that? You could've left it unsaid, you know. Could've left him debating if you ever felt the same when you were alive. It wouldn't have ached as much. Hurt still, sure, but maybe then he would've been left with enough stability to get up and move on.

But maybe he didn't deserve that. Maybe he deserved this. Treating you and Amanda that way when you were young. Always making some snide remark, always going out of his way to collide his shoulder into yours when passing by down the halls, or cornering either of you with his gang with threats of an altercation. He was an asshole, a juvenile prick. And you were too good for him. That's something he always felt deep down inside but would never confront. But it was true. And maybe that's why fate so bitterly turned out this way.

The day your life was lost was the day a numbness washed through him and tried to bury the grief that'd leave him immobile on the floor crying his heart out for months otherwise. He had trudged back to Rivet City to drown it out further at the bar. Forget for as long as possible anything that had to do with you or him. But he wasn't spared that.

"They can't be gone. They can't be. Not them, not someone as unstoppable as them. They have to be.."

Denial.

None paid attention to the drunken mumbling of the lone tunnel snake. Not as he rocked in his seat, an unconscious attempt to soothe himself.

"They can't be. You have to come back Lone. Please."

Pleading.

Maybe one day he'll get himself together. Leave his place at the bar stool and travel into the wastes again. Maybe to pick up where his companion had left off.

"Come back to me? Back to the Tunnel Snakes?"

Or maybe this will be how he wastes away. Their sacrificial feat being celebrated by many being what causes him to crumble and rot away in some water hole.

"I know I was an ass to you, but.. I can make it better. I can do better. I could be a great boyfriend if you just..."

Maybe some will say it serves him right, say its a lesson to not take what you have left with prickly and uncaring fronts. The only one who was left to stick around, to patch up his wounds when his initial inexperience led to rookie recklessness in a proper scuffle, to care- in the words he would've used; 'the only person who gives a damn about me'. That person is gone, and a chance to meet someone like them again will never cross his path.

"Come back."

[fallout-friends-react]

Okay but what would be Nick's reaction if he learned that Sole thought of him as a father figure? Lile they accidentally call him dad instead of Nick at one point and then they try to cover their ass like "kdkcoe wait no- shit sorry that was a weird accident!"

Nick and Sole were packing up camp from the night before. Of course Nick doesn't do a whole lot of sleeping so it was mostly Sole shoving their things into a bag. "Hey could you hand me that?" They pointed to a water bottle across the room. Nick silently obliged, placing the bottle in their hand. "Thanks dad!" He froze and looked at them. It took Sole a second to even realize what they had said. They quickly covered their mouth with a hand, "oh god I don't know why I said that sorry... that's so embarrassing." Nick just smiled and chuckled softly. He placed a hand on their head, "it's no problem kid." Sole had previously mentioned that he reminded them of someone but never exactly said who. He didn't mind being compared to their father, if anything he felt honored. Nick never thought it was his place to ask about their parents though.

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

speaking of brave!

companions react to finding some horses? i dunno it seems neat!

A/N: Gosh, I wish we had horses in-game. It would be literally epic 😫 It'd be like Fallout 4 met RDR2 and that would be heaven for me 😍

I hope y'all enjoy this react!! Thank you for the request! 💙

Cait - Is wary at first, but once F!Sole tames and wrangles one for her and she realizes it can facilitate her running into battle and making swift attacks, she is all for it. F!Sole teaches her to ride and she ends up loving it, blazing into gun fights with a sawed-off shotgun in one hand and her reins in the other.

Curie - Does not really want to ride it, but she is exceedingly excited about the fact that this is a new specimen for her to examine. She starts on her research immediately, and she is the one that has the idea to experiment in breeding the optimum horses. Naturally, her project ends up attracting the attention of multiple important factions in the Commonwealth.

Piper - Is honestly super excited about it once her Blue shows that it's possible to train them and ride them. She immediately finds one that she names Harper, and she loves traveling the Commonwealth via horseback with F!Sole and her horse. However, they're not super big fans back in Diamond City, and they end up making her keep her horse outside of the city because horse manure has a suspicious way of showing up at the homes of people that Piper doesn't like.

MacCready - Is at first scared of them. Honestly, he stays a little afraid of them even after F!Sole starts breaking them. He prefers to have full control over where he's going and giving part of the control over to an animal that could kill him is a little scary. After he rides a few times, he overcomes the fear and actually likes it, but he has to have the most tame, docile horse that F!Sole breaks.

Deacon - Thinks they're cool, but still prefers to travel on the ground. However, when he gets the idea to pop a Stealth Boy while sitting on the horse's back, he has to try it. When somehow only known to the powers that be and Deacon that it works, Deacon can be found mysteriously appearing all over the Commonwealth with his pompadour riding a palomino.

Codsworth - Thinks that it's quite dandy to have a horse! He knew that Mum and Sir could never have one in their old home but it is good to see Mum having the opportunity to enjoy equine companionship now after the war. It is also quite a breathtaking sight to see the horses running across the Commonwealth. It would bring a tear to his eye if he were human.

Hancock - Cannot deny the rush of giddiness he feels when he sees them. He's always dreamed of riding a white horse around Goodneighbor and the Commonwealth. It fits well with his patriotic self-image. As soon as they find a white horse, he instantly claims it. However, trying to break the wild-spirited thing proves to be a true challenge indeed.

Danse - Is honestly intrigued after he finds that they are not some sort of threat. If it's Pre-BB, he wants to share the discovery with the Brotherhood in order to facilitate ground travel. However, if it's Post-BB, he ends up growing extremely invested in helping to care for them and train them with F!Sole. He ends up strangely really taking to rancher life.

Preston - Is very interested and excited. Similarly to Curie, he wants to try to breed them, but his motivation is to supply the Minutemen. With Curie's impeccable science in breeding the best traits in the horses that F!Sole finds, within the next several years, the Minutemen are supplied with the best mounts to patrol the Commonwealth.

Valentine - Finds it nostalgic in that Nick sort of way. He thinks that it's a good idea to use them for riding and breeding, but he also thinks it's nice to have wild ones riding across the Commonwealth. It adds a charmingly Western feel to things with the untamed steeds racing throughout the wilderness and through what remains of a life gone by.

X6-88 - Insists that they are unreliable and untrustworthy when it comes to riding them or anything else. They are too large and too skittish. However, deep within himself, he tries desperately to crush the strange desire to ride one. When F!Sole offers him a black one with a white star on its head, practically forcing X6-88 on its back, he tries to deny the happy feeling within himself. However, it becomes hard to find him at a time when he's not on his horse after that.

Dogmeat - Chases them when he first sees them. However, when F!Sole scolds him, he stops, realizing that these animals must not be for chasing. But if they're not for chasing, then why do they run?! He ends up befriending the ones that F!Sole brings to her self-built breeding farm that she plans and creates with Curie, and he believes that maybe they're big, giant dogs.

Strong - Immediately wants to eat it, having never tried horse meat. However, when he finds out that they are for riding and traveling with, he does not like it. Feet are for traveling. Animals are not for traveling.

ADA - Thinks it's a wonderful find especially since it will make travel easier for her human mistress. However, F!Sole soon realizes she needs to invest in some assaultron legs for ADA so she can actually keep up...

[myunluckyjourney]

Cas is now writing for Fallout

I'm willing to write for any characters in the following games: Fallout 4 Fallout New Vegas Fallout 3

--------

Cas is probably more likely to do requests that feature the following characters: Charon (FO3) Gob (FO3, yeah, not a companion, I know) Clover (FO3) Butch (FO3) Arcade Gannon (FONV) Boone (FONV) Raul (FONV) Nick Valentine (FO4) Kent Connolly (FO4) Deacon (FO4) Hancock (FO4) ... there are probably others that I'm forgetting about. Just ask.

---------

Requests are open! Any requests, can be very self-indulgent!

I'm also willing to write for my own OCs, and I may occasionally write headcanons about my own characters. Thank you!

[falloutnewcourier]

Apologizes to everyone who sent in requests!

I’m very slowly working on them as I got a new job which leaves me tired afterwards. BUT, I’ve had some time to work on them more recently! I promise I haven’t forgotten about them!

[thatwolfnamednyla]

I just remembered a line from a fic I read and I can't for the life of me figure out where it's from.

It's something along the lines of:

"You're going to leave! You're going to realize that you should've left a long time ago, and..."

And then the character is cut off by a kiss or something.

I'm pretty sure it was a Fallout fic. It might've been one of those "companions react" things.

I don't remember the context and I can't find it, nor do I know where to start looking. I have a bunch of Companion Reacts things bookmarked but I don't know what to look for.

Does this line ring a bell for anyone?

[abraxo-official]

Companion rambles: could they operate a vehicle + other random assortment of headcannons

Curie:

Knows every single part of a car. Knows every driving safety rule. Do not let her near a vehicle. Her driving style is mad-max levels of fear. She will giggle and comment about how much fun she’s having, and how she wishes she did this sooner. Danger level: 9/10. You won’t die but you’ll never look at a corvega the same.

Cait:

In trying to hotwire it, will either blow it up or will turn it on for just enough time that the alarm goes off. If she did find a functioning one, it would probably end up in a ditch. Danger level: 7/10

Deacon:

He can drive, but in the same way that a elderly person would: you don’t know if he should be behind the wheel, but goddamn it if he’s not going to Tokyo drift into the last parking spot in front of the super-duper mart. Danger level: 5/10

Danse:

Why concern himself with pre-war ruins that aren’t even technologically interesting? He *technically* can fly vertibirds, but also…heights get to him sometimes. If he did have a car, he would dive super safe and basically act like a midwestern dad. Do NOT try and merge without signaling in front of him. Danger level: 2/10

Mac:

Really good at taking cars apart. Only knows about driving from comics. TBH I think he would be the type to only learn how to ride a bike at 10+ years old. He can’t even start the car. Danger level: 0/10

Hancock:

Would try to drive but would get either lost or just confused after about a half hour. Would probably try to add a bunch of stuff on top, like a missile launcher or a turret. It would be so decked out that it wouldn’t even be functional anymore. Would take joy in doing demolition derbies with Mac. Danger level: 3/10

Piper:

She knows how a car works, but like, only from reading 4 pages of a really old manual when she was board. She claims to defunct know how they work, but has no idea what to do when she lifts the hood. Either causes an explosion or ends up breaking at least one part. Never gets it moving. 6/10

Gage:

He can probably figure it out after about a day or two of trying to compare it to a coaster. When he does start it, I think he would actually hate driving. He’s the sole one in control, with his foot on the gas the whole time, and there is no way in hell he is ready for that. Would probably make up some excuse about how raiders don’t need to use cars to make their points. 2/10

Preston:

The safest driver in the world at first, but then he starts going after bigger things. Trucks would help with transporting supplies to settlements, he argues. If we had a garrison of tanks, imagine how many people we could protect, etc. He’s not wrong, and not bad at driving, but he really needs to stop adopting every bubble-top he comes across. 3/10

Nick:

Can drive. Will drive. Then will have to confront the reality of his muscle memory being from a person he never really was. He’ll still take a spin now and then, especially if going long distances, but he prefers to walk. It’s more….him. 1/10

Longfellow:

Cars, no. Boats? Hell yeah. He’s taught just about every sailor far harbor has. But try to get him to drive on land and he will straight out refuse. It’s not who he is. 0/10

Strong:

No. Car for throwing. Inside small, only for weak human. No need metal shell to go fast. 0/10

Dogmeat:

Sticks his head out the window. Can honk the horn. 0/10

Codsworth:

Listen, somewhere in his programming is knowing how to drive a car. Also how to assemble one from 4 cans and a high powered magnet. Can drive it either completely normal and safe or in a way that would make vin diesel scared. 7/10

X6:

Danger level: 10/10. He would succeed in the way Hancock could not. He turns it into a weapon. Stuff of nightmares. Avoid at all costs.

[amazinglyegg]

Are you still doing "companions react to" requests? if so, I've got one for ya!

Can you do "Companions react to Sole being transgender"? this can be either sole coming out as trans and wanting to transition, or sole ALREADY being trans for a while and finally letting them know.

you can do just the basics, but if you want to differenciate reactions for mtf, ftm, or enby, thatd be cool too!

alternatively you could also just do "companions react to sole being queer" if you want

(sorry if this is lengthy, ive never submitted a request like this before! keep up the good work!)

Companions React: Sole Coming Out As Trans!

Cait

I feel like she's the type of person to assume the worst when someone says "we need to talk"

So when Sole comes out as trans she's just like "OH THANK GOD"

Once that's out of the way she's chill with it

Probably asks something along the lines of "So you're a they/them?" but don't get me wrong, it's a genuine question!

Afterwards you KNOW she's calling out any assholes that misgender Sole

Wouldn't be surprised if needles are a bit triggering to her (post quest) so if Sole's taking HRT in the form of an injection that might be the one part Cait will step out for

Otherwise she's chill. It doesn't change much in her eyes.

Curie

Absolutely hyped to be trusted by Sole

Honestly Sole being trans is secondary to the fact that they're telling her all about their personal experiences!! And she gets to hear it!! Hell yeah she loves hearing stories!!

You can bet she's asking as many questions as Sole's comfortable with, some to understand how to support them better and others just out of curiosity

Also the queen of oversharing

Finds out Sole's taking testosterone and is like "did you know testosterone can lead to clitoral hypertrophy, otherwise known as bottom gro-" "THANK YOU CURIE THAT'S ENOUGH CURIE"

Codsworth

Codsworth's like the #1 ally here

He's chomping at the bit to do literally anything and everything that supports Sole in any way, and this is the perfect opportunity

The potential of a new name, new clothes, new anything!? Bro's been stuck in a catatonic state for 200 years, any sign of Sole actually existing and growing as a person brings him glee

Honestly he's probably happier than Sole is

You BET he's got an internal schedule keeping track of when Sole should take their hormones or how long they've been wearing their binder for or anything else applicable

Irons their wrinkly-ass trans flag for them

I'm imagining him pulling out Sole's clothes in the morning and laying on top is just their fucking packer. Like "ah yes and here's your cock for the day sir, I made sure to pick one that fits your mood this morning"

Danse

He's taking the conversation SO seriously

Probably has a whole speil about how proud he is of them, how this doesn't change his opinion of them, and how he'll do anything in his power to support their transition

Also being high ranking in the Brotherhood he'll be able to get anything they need on their medical file changed the second they ask

Otherwise mostly leaves it to Sole to bring it up, he doesn't want to push any boundaries or anything

But he DOES go up to Sole several months later out of the blue to tell them about seahorses or hyenas or mushrooms or any other human-gender-defying animal he just learned about like "🫵 it's like you!"

Generally very respectful and professional. Treats it like Sole just got a raise or something

Deacon

Changing identities is his whole thing, he by far has the easiest time adjusting to Sole's new gender

The biggest problem Deacon has is the conversation itself

I think he will shrivel up and die if he has to have a heart-to-heart conversation that lasts more than five minutes

If Sole's particularly worried about the backlash of coming out then don't worry, he's got like 50 different stories of being every gender under the sun while working in the Railroad

He can assure Sole with 100% confidence that nobody in HQ will care what they identify as or how they choose to present themself

Group trip to the feral-infested clothing mall for a wardrobe change!!! You KNOW he's good with outfits

Gage

"Got it, boss, let me know if you need anything" and the conversation's over

This isn't a heart-to-heart (no way the Overboss would ever do THAT), this is a sharing of new information

It really is the verbal equivalent of 👍

You don't ask questions about other raider's lifestyle choices unless you want to get stabbed, and Gage does NOT want to get stabbed

(Will stab someone else on Sole's behalf if they give the green light, though)

Who knew Nuka World was such a kind and accepting place ✨️

Hancock

"Hell yeah."

He's probably been came out to (comed out to...?) many many times in his life. This is just like talking about the weather with him

He can hook up Sole with anyone and anything they'll need if they want to transition - surgeons? Hormones? An old "totally safe and mostly functioning" auto-doc they keep in some random smelly corner of Goodneighbor? He's got it all covered.

He's pretty confident on Goodneighbor being a safe place to exist in, but if any drifter causes problems he WILL want to be first to hear about it so he can deal with them swiftly

All I'm saying is that there's no way Finn's the first asshole he's stabbed

Maccready

Immediate flashback to all the slurs he said as a young boy

Nah but for real the "worst" reaction Sole would get out of him is just "uhh...? Alright? Why are you telling me?" if they've still got the whole "Sole hired him" vibe going on

Otherwise once they've got a closer relationship with each other he's decently comfortable with it

I'm imagining him going to Daisy or someone else he knows like "I want to show Sole I actually give a shit about them what do trans people like"

Comes back with pink thigh highs and a blahaj for Sole. He doesn't even question it.

Clueless but he's trying his hardest!

Nick

The closest to a Normal Coming Out Experience Sole's gonna get

He'll listen, he'll tell them he's proud of them, he'll give them a hug if they ask

Would also offer to help Sole come out to anyone else if they're worried about doing it themself

Brings back a nice tasteful pride flag to put in his pencil holder or something

Supportive grandpa all around

I doubt Diamond City has too many assholes but he knows very well who to avoid and will make sure Sole's safe and comfortable

Probably nervous about helping Sole with their HRT injections if they ask, it's been a long while since he's gotten a shot and he doesn't remember how to do it

Piper

Little bit more sheltered due to living in Diamond City, will probably take the time to ask what that actually means in terms of their relationship

Like "Should I use a different name??? Pronouns??? Can I still call you dude if I use it in a gender neutral way???"

Once she's got it she's got it. Probably takes notes or some shit

Has enough connections that she'll be like "omg you'll get along so well with my friend's uncle's roommate, they're trans too!" or something equally as a random

Also WOULD make a news article vagueposting transphobes in the community. Will still respect Sole's privacy though, don't worry

Preston

Another member of the "expects the worst" when it comes to serious conversations. Probably panics when Sole asks to talk and then keeps panicking a bit wondering if they're only telling him because something bad happened

Sole's just gotta reassure him that they just wanted him to know, not that a settler's commited a hate crime or something

King of the passive-aggressive correction of pronouns if anyone misgenders sole. "He's the general?" "Yes, SHE'S the general" very pointedly

That kind of awkward but very sweet supportive vibe. Whenever Sole changes their outfit even slightly Preston immediately notices and is like "Looks good, general :)"

He puts up a pride flag in some public area of the settlement and tries to act all cool about it like "well I just want to make sure ALL settlers feel respected here" while secretly looking to see if Sole approves

Strong

I don't think Strong knows what a gender is. I don't think (Commonwealth) Supermutants have genders.

And honestly it'll probably just make him confused if Sole tries to explain it

Probably makes him a decent ally ngl. He won't question if Sole's appearance or voice changes. Hell he probably won't even notice

Is Strong the true #1 ally here???

X6-88

You know the "Hey girl I mean they" meme?

That's him the first time he tries to use sir/ma'am after Sole comes out. He's trying his hardest he just doesn't know what the gender neutral term is.

It's best if Sole just like, gives him a list of acceptable terms. Otherwise you might find him threatening someone who has the audacity to say "hey guys" while talking to a group that has Sole in it

He's also not great with emotional conversations but he will stand there and awkwardly nod to show his support.

Will find a pride flag somewhere and point at it stone-faced like "it's you." and then continue on.

The worst Sole will get is him criticizing their clothing for being suboptimal during battle

It doesn't matter if you're a HE, SHE, THEY, or IT, if you're going into battle YOU'RE WEARING ARMOR

[sugarbombs-n-stuff]

Companion's Comfort Foods

(I didn't include Ada and Codsworth cause they don't eat)

Cait: Cait's comfort food is cottage pie (which is shepards pie with beef instead of lamb). It was on the food rotation at the combat zone before the raiders took over and it brings back good memories of her first few years of freedom. Cottage pie and a beer is a good supper for her.

Curie: A bowl of sugarbombs. It was the first meal she had after she got turned into a synth so she's grown really fond of it. She likes cereal in general so if you sit her down with some and a puzzle, she'll be so happy, though she does like eating while talking to a friend.

Danse: When he was in the BOS it probably would have been coffee seeing as the food really wasn't great. It was pretty much flavorless chicken and mashed tatoes and the thought of it made his stomach churn. A cup of coffee however was guaranteed, and it was good every time. After BB no questions asked his comfort food is beef(brahmin) stew. Sturges makes some flavorful, mouthwatering, downright sinful tasting food and you'll always see Danse first in line whenever it's the stew in particular that's being made. He also likes to dip some cornbread in it, and it isn't uncommon that you'll see him patting his stomach after eating like some midwestern dad.

Deacon: Roasted mutton on fry bread with hot peppers. Deacon was raised on Lake Mead by his mom and grandparents. His grandma was Navajo, so they always had something with fry bread and meat, normally bighorner meat. The mutton became his favorite though. It's a wave of nostalgia every time he takes a bite. He doesn't really have it anymore, partly because of he can't really get it in the commonwealth and partly because even if he makes it, it's never as good as his family makes. A big stupid smile is on his face whenever he manages to get his hands on some. He hasn’t seen his family in years but when he takes a bite, he considers going back for just a minute.

Dogmeat: Dogmeat will eat anything, and he doesn't really have a comfort food. His favorite food though his dried brahmin ears,

Strong: Pre War Strong and Super mutant Strong actually agree in this area, his comfort food is still ribs. Pre-war, he liked dry rub ribs that make your mouth water and stomach grumble when you look at them, he was damn good at making them to cause he learned from his grandad so anytime he made them he thought about him. Now he likes raw brahmin ribs. He isn't picky anymore and doesn't care as long as he eats but if he really concentrates, he can still hear a deep laugh like rolling thunder and smell a hint of spice when he takes a bite.

Preston: Rabbit Stew. Growing up with his auntie on far harbor he ate pretty much everything, mans was a human garbage disposal. However, he had broken his leg when he was 10 and his auntie made him rabbit stew. They sat in the bed and laughed and joked for hours as she told him stories. His big brother even joined them and joked around too. Now every time he makes it, that memory is at the front of his mind, it causes a smile to sit on his face for the rest of the day afterwords.

Piper: Her dad used to make cabbage rolls with corn and rad stag. She still makes it for Nat but when she starts cooking it, she swears she can hear her dad talking her through how to make it for the first time. She doesn't let herself get sad at the memory when she's cooking, she embraces it. She keeps promising to teach nat how to make it but she's kind of swamped with work at the moment, but they have it every week they can afford it.

MacCready: Like danse he also likes stew however his comfort food his mushroom stew. He remembers eating it in Little Lamplight and when he takes a bite suddenly, he's Mayor MacCready sitting with his pals and getting irritated at Princess again. He also thinks of him chatting with lucy, both as kids and adults and gets a comforting sadness for a little afterword but comforting none the less.

Hancock: Him and his brother used to make fruit jam growing up and would sell it in Diamond City market. He still makes the jams now with the help of Daisy and sells them in her store. His mind wanders and he wonders that if things were different between McDonough and him, if they would still make them together. His brother's favorite was the dandy boy apple one so that's his comfort food. Dandy Boy Apple Jam.

Nick Valentine: Coffee. Nick doesn't eat much and human nick really only ate out of necessity. Ellie makes him a cup every morning and they talk before they get to work. Good memories are enjoyed over coffee and that's good enough for Nick.

X6-88: When he was in the institute he liked the coconut nutrition pouches but he wouldn't classify it as a comfort food because he was a machine that didn't need comfort in his or the institutes eyes. Now that he runs around with sole survivor though, his comfort food is braised deathclaw with rice. It's extremely filling, and he thinks of that first night he was assigned to Sole and they made them this. It was one of the first times he seriously considered being something close to human.

Longfellow: Roasted Fog Crawler with black beans and a side of scotch. He cooks well and he actually really enjoys it. Whenever he cooks, he gets peace and peace is comfort. Not to mention the whiskey settles his soul for a bit.

Gage: Spicy Curry. He learned to make this dish originally from his mom and for a while after becoming a raider he didn't touch it again cause of the memories. Eventually though, one night when he wasn't thinking about it, he started taking out the ingredients to make it. Muscle memory is a bitch but he's not going to waste food and when he took that first bite, he heard his mom singing in his brain and telling him to wash up after. It's rare when he does eat it but when he does you might be able to hear him humming as he makes it.

[fallout-through-the-crawlout]

Hancock [staring at Sole]: They could fix me.

Nick Valentine: Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

Hancock: No. They’re perfect. I, on the other hand am a mess and they could fix me

[danses-with-dogmeat]

fallout 3 and fallout new vegas companions trying to flirt with lone/six for the first time?

FO3 Crushing! Companions Try to Flirt with Lone for the First Time

I. Absolutely. Love. This. The mental images that this prompt inspired were just lovely 👏👏

Sorry this took like... literal years to get out 😅 I hope you like it!

Fallout New Vegas is on the way as well, so look out for that... eventually :)

Butch:

He’d flirted with them before… only, even he hadn’t really known that that’s what it was. His mom often said he liked them, and other adults commented similarly when Lone and him were kids, but he’d always made disgusted faces, retching noises or flipped the people off that tried to tell him he liked Lone. Of all people, Lone?! No, not Butch. He bullied them, he disliked them, if anything. 

At least, then, that’s what he believed. Now though, Butch knew the truth, and he couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been all along. He plans to make up for lost time, to correct those little errors of his from the past. Butch has a short lifetime of flirting under his belt, and he means to put all that experience to good use. 

Just need to find the right time. Can’t do it out of the blue, not with Lone, can’t risk something like that. Has to be all romantic an’ shit…

–

“See anything you like?” Butch wiggled his eyebrows as Lone’s blurry form swam into focus. “You’re… awfully close to me, baby.” 

“Butch?” They mumbled, and he noticed that their eyes were closed. He’d thought they’d been staring at him, but their eyes were closed.

Just my luck…

“Butch, you’re awake?” Lone nearly jumped out of their seat as their blinking eyes widened in shock. “How do you feel?” 

“I feel great, baby. How’re you?” 

Their brows furrowed quickly, confusion warping their concerned features. 

“You were hurt, Butch. A car, some raiders… It exploded and you passed out, lost some blood, you… I wasn’t sure when you were going to wake up. The doctor said you might not.” 

Butch’s foggy mind began to clear, a headache began to form at the front of his skull, and the aches in his body became more and more pronounced with each word that left his companion's mouth. 

…I what? 

“Lone, only blood I loss was because you pierced my heart.” 

That one sounded good, right? That one should really drop the hint to ‘em. 

Butch grinned at the thought. 

“Oh, Butch…” They reached out a hand, tentatively reaching for his forehead and brushing away a few strands of hair. “You’re still coming out of it, huh? Just rest, okay?”

A new determination burned through his aching joints, his battered body. At the feel of Lone’s tender touch, at the realization of their obliviousness to his, frankly obvious, feelings, Butch tried again. 

“Can’t rest. Not now baby. Not ‘till you’re mine. Not ‘till you see it… See the way I feel.”

He tried to get up, to emphasize his point, but his arms could hardly move. The blanket that was stretched over his half-bare body felt like sandpaper over his burned and blistered flesh, and his muscles roared in painful protest at every movement. 

A groan left him at the sudden pain of it. 

“Butch, no, easy.” Lone’s hands gently encouraged him to stay down, and their eyes shone with sympathy that made his chest ache from more than his wounds. “You must be half delirious to be saying all this, but… don’t try to get up, okay? Just try and rest.” 

He wanted to listen to them, wanted to do what his partner asked, wanted to please them that way, but he needed Lone to know. 

It’s been too long. Maybe this deliriousness is what I needed. 

Shoulda tried this earlier.

“Lone, no. You gotta understand-”

“Butch, shh.” They laid a finger over his lips as their other hand stroked over his shoulder. “There’s time. You can tell me everything soon. I want to hear it, okay? Trust me, I do. But now, please… just rest for me. Work on healing, just for a little while. Then you can tell me how you feel.”

Butch’s eyes closed without his permission, their sweet words lulling him back to blissful unconsciousness as their hand continued it’s soothing stroking over a bit of unmarred skin on his arm.   

“And then,” He heard, just as he felt sleep wrapping him in its embrace, “Then I can tell you how I feel, too.” 

The last thing he could recall was a simple touch. In reality, it was faint, but to Butch, their lips upon his forehead felt like a heavy crash, an avalanche of weight poured over him that left nothing in its wake but the possibilities. For his future, and for theirs. 

Charon:

“Wait.” A large, calloused hand grasped at Lone’s shoulder as they made a move to step out from behind the pillar. “I’ll go first.” Charon’s rough voice sounded close to their ear as his hand stayed firmly on them, encouraging their form to move back behind cover once more.

“Why? Did you hear something?”

Charon paused at his companion’s inquiry. Did they think it was odd that he took precautions? That was his job, wasn’t it? It was in his contract...

But we both know I don’t always follow every little rule the paper alludes to in the finer print.

The ghoul cleared his throat, retracting his hand from Lone’s shoulder as he moved to step in front of them, pointedly avoiding their gaze as he thought through what he should say.

Charon didn’t ever recall being so concerned for his employer’s safety before. In fact, it was more likely he would do the bare minimum that was required to keep them from being blown to bits or falling off a cliff than it was for him to go out of his way to ensure their safety of his own accord. He had to follow orders, had to step in harm’s way, should it suddenly become clear to him that they would be injured or killed if he didn’t do so, and… That was it. The contract never mentioned the careful thought process he now went through each time the pair entered into a potentially dangerous situation. Nowhere in the paper did it say that his heart would need to flutter with anxiety when his companion was in danger, or that his body should flush with the heat of anger when a bullet did happen to graze them. The contract never told him to remain up all through the night, poised and ready for an unexpected attack, or lie awake in Lone’s dim room, his mind fraught with worry for the next day.

Yet, here he was. Doing all of that. When the hell had all this happened?

Charon tried to convince himself that it was only due to Lone’s kindness, to their low-maintenance in comparison to the likes of his previous employers. He tried to tell himself that the only reason he didn’t want them dead was because then he’d be saddled with some other asshole he had to answer to, but Charon knew deep down that that was bullshit. Even when his employers had been bearable, he’d never felt this strongly for them.

A moment of silence passed before Charon finally fixed his companion with his intense, icy gaze.

“No.” He said simply, “I didn’t hear anything.”

Their eyebrows scrunched together and Charon saw the question forming in their mind. Before they could even voice it, he replied.

“I just want to keep you safe.”

Clover:

“Sugar, you know I mean it when I tell you you look good, right?”

Clover always flirted, it was more of a personality trait than a conscious action at this point. It was just the way she was, the way she had been told to be, made to be for so many years that it just became a part of her. Now was different though, she always flirted without realizing it, but now… Well, she actively wanted to, and of course, of course Lone would be impervious to it. Did they really not notice? They almost seemed to ignore her little compliments, her teasing words and forward touches, and Clover does not like being ignored under any circumstance.

Finally, one day, she'd been driven to confront her companion about it.

“What’s your problem, huh? What’ve you got against me?” Clover finally burst out after the umpteenth time she’d said something sickly sweet that they’d just completely brushed off like a dead leaf on their jacket.

Look, she’d tried being subtle, she’d tried being low-key as much as the ex-slave could be, then she’d gotten more aggressive with her verbal affections, she’d gotten more direct with her lingering touches and her suggestive comments, but Sole seemed to just laugh off all of it, or worse, they’d pretend as if she didn’t do anything at all.

Clover was over it.

“Is it the way I look, huh?" She held her arms out wide, and Lone shrank back in response. "Is it cuz of my past, then? What, I been with too many folks for you to handle? What?”

“Clove,” Lone looked down at the floor in… what, embarrassment? Shame? It was hard to tell. “I didn’t realize–” 

“No, you look at me, sweetheart. Look me in the eye as you tell me what I don’t wanna hear.” 

“I didn’t want to take advantage of you, is all” Their gaze was sympathetic as it met her sizzling expression. 

“What?” 

“It’s like you said, about your past… I wasn’t sure if you, well, how you felt about me at all. Not when, your whole life, you’ve been forced to try and attract everyone around you, to be suggestive and touchy and I didn’t just want to be another asshole that only sees you as a piece of meat.” 

They wrung their hands with their confession, but their eyes stayed locked to hers, just like she'd asked. 

“Because I don’t. I… I like you, Clove.”

“You… Honest? You really do?” She took a step closer, her expression vastly changed from the flared nostrils and low brows she’d had before. Elation hung behind a thin curtain of disbelief. 

“Well, yeah. I just… Didn’t want you to think that’s why I bought your– well, you."

The word sounded so hollow, and Clover felt it like a pang in her chest. It wasn't often that she let her past hurt her this way. That wasn't a trend she could afford to start, but seeing the way it pained Lone to speak about...

"You don’t owe me anything." They continued somberly, "It’s as I said before, you’re free to go, if that’s what you want–”

“It’s not, sugar.” Clover shook her head as a poorly contained smile tugged at her full lips, as her hands went to either side of Lone's face, her thumbs brushing over their cheeks. “As I’ve been tryin’ to tell ya all this time… I want you.” 

She couldn't help all the flirting she did, both before, and after their conversation. Her past also made it hard for her to know which feelings of hers were truly real, as opposed to ones put in place in order to defend herself. Clover's still working all of that out, but just knowing... Understanding Lone's point of view, and hearing the genuine words leave them... It made the process of falling for someone easier than it's ever been before.

Cross:

“A very good shot. You must have exemplary eyesight, ma’am/sir.”

The action of flirting never came naturally to the Paladin. Obviously it wasn't high on her priority list when it came to skills she sought to perfect. If it were, her proficiency in other areas, with focuses on survival and combat prowess, surely would've suffered. But at this rate, she wished she could've had at least some form of training in the subtle art of wooing someone. Not just any someone, but Lone. Her companion, her friend, someone not in the Brotherhood, someone who wouldn't cause her to break decorum if she were to be with them.

It was a strange sensation, knowing that she had feelings for Lone. She was rarely certain about these things, and she almost never caught feelings for anyone. Maintaining distance from those around you, remaining indifferent to people you spend inordinate amounts of time with, it's a burden every soldier had to bear if they hope to defend their hearts and minds from the brutality of sudden and bitter loss. And yet, here she was, catching feelings for a civilian.

Perfect.

Cross tried to ignore it for ages, but it only seemed to become more obvious the more she attempted to conceal it. She would stumble over her words, blush more, become embarrassed about certain uncivilized things soldiers shouldn't think twice about. Why did she have such a hard time asking Lone to halt when she has to… relieve herself? She's a damn Star Paladin for Christ's sake, taking a ten-one shouldn't effect her in such a way.

In the end, she would find herself utterly unable to keep from at least complimenting her companion on their combat skills, their abilities as a diplomat that she so admired, their compassion towards others, and even their athletic physique. Is it really flirting? Hopefully Lone thinks so, because this as much as the Paladin can seem to muster in the ways of wooing.

Fawkes:

“You are a good companion, and an even better friend. I am beyond fortunate to have you in my life, and if ever there is anything you need, I will be here.”

Fawkes isn't quite sure what all of these feelings mean. The way his stomach tingles, a smile involuntarily crinkles his eyes, how he feels so warm inside when he looks at his companion. Is it friendship? Friendship is strong, and he felt strongly towards Lone, that, he knew.

When it comes down to it, Fawkes has no idea what he's doing as he relentlessly compliments this incredible person beside him. He's simply honest with his companion. Fawkes thinks they're the bravest person he's met, they have a good sense of humor, a kind heart, and they gave him a chance when no one else would even think to. He's proud to call Lone his friend, and he doesn't hesitate to let everyone know.

The day he finds out that it's more than friendship that he feels for his companion, Fawkes becomes, well... quite shy. Though, he'd never want to waver in his compliments, as he believes in being genuine and would never feel embarrassed about telling Lone the truth, he'd be more careful with his word choice, and the comments would be less frequent. As he continues his assault of kind words, praise, and appreciation for his companion; he would be planning his confession to them. Lone deserved to know the way he felt, even if they didn't feel the same. He just had to tell them, because, if they did feel the same? It would change his whole world for the better.

Jericho:

"Fuck, kid. You're crazier than I am, heh."

No form of praise is light praise, when it comes to Jericho. The ex-raider has a sorta allergy to compliments, especially the genuine kind, but Lone, he likes.

So what if he tells 'em that they're nuts enough to run with him? He can eye them up when they make a great shot, or tell them they're a badass when they make some shit explode, check out their ass in those tight road leathers they like to wear. That doesn't mean nothing.

He's too old for any of that shit, anyway. No, Jericho outgrew the ability to have feelings for anyone when he was about 10 years old. An' his conquests back in his raider days had left him full enough for two lifetimes in terms of companionship.

Nah, Lone was just... They were alright. The first 'alright' vault dweller he's ever met, and the first person in ages that didn't make him wanna set off that bomb in Megaton's center and give them all a little peace.

It wasn't 'till his actions started reflecting those little glimpses of... whatever the fuck was going on with Lone, that he even realized he was acting out of character.

Sure, sharing ammunition and helping 'em scavenge enough scraps to fix up their armor, sewing up a wound while they gritted their teeth, and swapping food stores wasn't anything groundbreaking, but... Well, he's never done any of that shit with past traveling companions. Hell, he more so wished his past companions’ armor would fail so he could loot their corpse when they dropped, that they wouldn't notice the ammo he swiped from their pack at night, that their wound would fester and he could have a few more caps in his pocket when they didn't wake up from fevered sleep.

With Lone though... it went even further. Giving them first dibs on loot, offering to carry more of their shit, so they could have a lighter load, sharing a fucking cigarette with 'em. That shit was strange.

Cigs are like straight fucking gold to the ex-raider, and yet...

Shit...

Look, they wanna run with an old raider like him, Lone has gotta be the one to say it, to admit any feelings. But those actions of his? That's as loud as Jericho gets with the vulnerable shit, everything else is in their hands.

[imagine-silk]

Hello! May I request fallout 4 companions (Nick especially) with Sole who shares the bare minimum of information about themselves? Not because Sole doesn’t trust them, they really enjoy theirs companions company. Perhaps they busy themselves so they don’t have to think about all the little and big things they miss. (I bet Codsworth would find pristine things that Sole would miss (like a favorite movie, vinyl, or comic?))

Sorry if its not something you’re interested in doing right now. The ask kinda came out as a ramble, I’m lacking sleep haha. Thanks again for considering my request!

》Honestly one of my favorite kinds of characters.

【Cait】 She doesn't appreciate it. Her contract was traded to some random weirdo who barely says anything. It took three days before the topic of your name came up. And two weeks to know what you were looking for, who. But in return you don't ask what she does on her own time or what she's done. It feels like you don't mind rather than you don't care and that makes her feel seen. It stays between you unsaid in her eyes.

♡If romanced she doesn't push for any information. You'll tell her if it's important. People think it's weird the two of you to not share about yourselves like normal people but you're happy, that's all that matters.

【Codsworth】 It's just like it was before. He, unlike the others, already knows you. He knows you very well. Not only did you do an intake for daily preferences but he also served you for a few years. While you're out and about you'll do something or say something that sounds like no information to others or out of context and he'll answer, "Just as I was thinking as well." While you camp with some of the other companions he does chores the way you like without needing to ask, making comment on recent events, which makes them jealous for sure. He digs up things from the house he preserved or found and fixes them up brand new before presenting it to you. Songs you liked or wanted to hear. Movies and shows and comics. Clothes pressed for you and the furniture is redone the way it used to be. He knows you and wants to keep it that way.

【Curie】 Low-key doesn't care. She has one thing on her mind and that's her own goal to better medicine. Finding things to do that is all she needs of you. When she goes to be a synth her feelings overwhelm her and you guide her through that. She's never ever asked about you. She'll tell you about what she's feeling but never thinks to ask what you feel. In her defense, is doesn't understand the nuance of social interactions. And to her credit, it works for the both of you.

♡If she's romanced she realizes she wants to know what you feel and if it's the same as her. She's mostly interested in what you feel now rather than what your opinion is in the past or isn't currently relevant.

【Danse】 Right away he doesn't care for it. A mercenary who talks very little can be dangerous. But you followed orders well and are a damn good shot. The way he asks is more like demanding. It was all for a vetting process but still rude. After the intake he didn't care about your lack of openness. Didn't matter to him personally. After BB he suddenly regrets not knowing you. He was so rude and dismissed you as another faceless soldier and you saved him, from the Brotherhood and himself. Now he wants to know you.

♡If romanced he makes effort to know you, like really know you. For a long time he refused individuality so his own sense of self is not great. But you know yourself and make no attempt to hide it. You are so sure of yourself you don't need to explain. That's one of the things he loves about you.

【Deacon】 He thinks you're like him, that you want to hide in plain sight. As much as he gives that to you he's nosy as fuck and takes every chance to learn about you, mostly from afar. It doesn't take any time at all for him to realize you'll just tell him. Most of them are one word answers. It takes him even less time after that to realize you'll comment on things from before the war especially.

♡If romanced he goes out of his way to show you stuff. Old posters and toys. If you follow my headcanon that he's pre-war, he makes old references and generally adds comments on things to bait your answers.

【Hancock】 He thinks it's pretty cool. "Oh, tall, dark, and handsome/beautiful." He does play twenty questions with you 24/7 and is very happy with your half-answers because an answer is still an answer. Plus he knows at least two other people like you. He is the one who figures out that you just don't have the time or think about talking about yourself rather than purposely keeping secrets the fastest. He knows people so he knows better.

♡If romanced he plays with it. You want a kiss? Tell him what's your favorite color. He'll get on his knees if you tell him what you like about your new home. But honestly he'll do it anyways. All he needs to know is that you want him like he wants you.

【MacCready】 He was more concerned about you putting a bullet in his head while his back was turned. Everyone in the Commonwealth was looking out for number one. So imagine his surprise when you were looking out for your number one and it wasn't you. Not only were you looking for your son but you stopped to help every person who asked for help. Your actions spoke to him in a way your words, he figured, couldn't. You didn't need to help him but you did. You didn't take the caps back. And you killed the gunners the second they turned their guns on him even when they said their beef wasn't with you. It was what you did, not what you told him.

♡If romanced he will ask things. Basic ones are like, "How was your day?" Normal questions that are the peak of domestic life. Then the more personal things. Some sound silly, "What's your favorite color?" But most build off of a quick thing you said in passing, "Wait, you've been to California? What was it like?" He trusts you'll tell him the truth.

【Nick】 As a private detective this simply won't do. He gets it at first, you just need him to find your son, it's business. However, you want him to stay with you after that. It confuses him because you made no indication you like him in the slightest way. He's the second fastest to realize you're not keeping to yourself on purpose. As one of the only ones who are pre-war he's able to get things the others can't. He'll talk about things and give his options and bait you into answering it. That was a common way to get people to talk back then when you were trying to be polite and keep up the conversation, even if the conversation stays a bit thin.

♡If he's romanced he makes fun of the fact you forget to say things about yourself. Don't get it wrong, he makes it clear you don't need to share. He's just poking fun.

【Piper】 This simply won't do. She asks as many question as they come up but she gets depressing short answers. You either give one word answers or say you're not really in the mood, on some occasions you admit you don't know, you never thought about it. It takes a long time for her to stop and that's only because the questions start getting old. And you still feel like a mystery even though you've told her everything.

♡If she's romanced she realizes how much you've told her and pushes it. What is your type? How do your lips feel? Why do you look so good? It becomes playful and light, never serious.

【Preston】 In the beginning he didn't realize he didn't know much about you. He took your help selfishly to get him and his people back on stable ground but you told him you were happy to help. So he takes time to learn about you and give you everything he could possibly help you with. In hopes you would share by yourself he gives things to you without any prompt. It doesn't really work most of the time.

♡If romanced he asks things with hearts in his eyes. He is so lovesick he takes all of your half-answers and files it away in his mind. It hardly matters at that point.

【X6】 It wasn't his mission so he didn't care. You owed him no explanation or justification. Doesn't mean he doesn't question you. He asks why you helped someone, why you stopped for a distraction. And of course you give short answers like, "They needed help." or "I wanted to." Later, after the Institute is gone, he sees how you carry yourself and tries to copy it. Obviously he can't so you help him too. You showed him he can figure himself out by himself and he didn't need you. So he held the same opinion; he doesn't need to know you like that.

♡If romanced he's still comfortable with you keeping things to yourself. It's only after months of being together do you realize he's never asked you a personal question, that you've never shared anything that personal. When you bring that to him he tells you that hardly matters. But seeing you make the effort after that gives him a feeling he can't describe. It's a good feeling he thinks.

[fallout-friends-react]

If you haven't done it already, how would the fallout 3 guys act around a lone wanderer that he has caught feelings for and what is his initial reaction to realizing that he HAS caught feelings for the lone wanderer?

This specifically says guys but I'm doin' everyone lol

Butch: It started as really small things. The way Lone looked by the campfire light. Hearing their voice call his name. When they worried about him after a fight. All these things made him feel.. something. He was never quite sure what that feeling was. Until one day, Butch sat against a wall, catching his breath after a long day of walking. With no warning, Lone crouched in front of him, "dude your hair's all messed up." They started fixing his hair for him. The closeness made his heart lurch. He instinctively threw his head back, smacking it against the wall. "Holy shit are you okay??!" Lone worried. "Yeah I'm fine. Whatever." Butch held his head in his hands. Thankfully they couldn't see his beet red face.

Clover: Clover has always liked Lone, from the second they got her out of Eulogy's grip. Her affinity for them wasn't much of a secret either. She loved to hang on them, and flirt with them whenever she could. The longer they traveled together, the more she really started to care for them. The moment she knew she really liked Lone, was when they pointed to an old pre-war dress and told her it would look good on her. She doubled down on her physical touch and flirting, to the point that it started to get annoying.

Charon: Charon and Lone's relationship was complicated. They held onto his contract after all. He was bound to them whether he liked it or not. They were never unkind to him though, and he never took it for granted. On a routine visit to Underworld, Lone was busy in the general store. Charon, waiting outside, was asked by a resident how Lone was treating him. Thinking over his memories of them, he realized just how much they meant to him. With an imperceivable smile on his face, he replied simply, "they treat me well."

Dogmeat: idk why I keep adding the dogs at this point lol

Jericho: Being the cold, hardened old man that he was, Jericho didn't feel many girly emotions. (as he would put it) LIKING someone has been outside of his realm of possibilities for decades. He would never admit it, but he developed a soft spot for Lone. Going out of his way to make sure they stayed healthy. He'd often cuss them out for doing stupid things that could've gotten them hurt. It didn't seem like it, but it was how he showed he cared.

Fawkes: Fawkes would never call his feelings for Lone romantic, though he definitely cared for them. They saved him from his confines. They were possibly the only person willing to have a civil conversation with him. He often mentally cursed at himself for not being able to do much for them, other than protect them from harm. He didn't know how important that one thing was.

Star Paladin Cross: Cross has known Lone since they were an infant, sort of. Romance between them never crossed her mind, but she certainly loved them in a way. She was especially protective of them. Always sure to check if they were wounded after a fight. Always making sure they were eating and sleeping well. Though sometimes it was a little overbearing.

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

Hello I hope you are doing well. Are you still doing Fallout 4 companions react? If you are I got a funny one for you. How would the companions react to someone telling the Sole Survivor to act her age, and she immediately plays dead.

Thank you! I'm doing quite well, and I hope you are, too! I hope you enjoy this one! 🥰 I know I loved writing it 😂

Cait - Despite the fact that she is utterly fuming at the person who had dared tell F!Sole that, she cannot help but snort in amusement when she understands the reason she fell to the ground. F!Sole's sense of humor is undyingly (no pun intended) awful and literal, but it is a nice way to put the person in their place.

Curie - Misses the joke at first and is immediately at F!Sole's side, worrying for her health because people don't collapse for no reason. However, when she understands the joke, she does find it rather funny, but only after she has ensured Madame's safety.

Piper - Almost immediately falls to the ground laughing with her Blue because her naturally smart-mouthed self INSTANTLY gets it. However, she manages to hold herself together long enough to make a sarcastic quip to the rude person saying something along the lines of "Ask and ye shall receive."

MacCready - Takes him a second to get it, but he cannot help but find it extremely funny when he does. He laughs a little as he gives the person the stink-eye until they go away and leave him and his "dead" friend alone.

Deacon - Falls to the ground with her before he fully understands the joke. No explanations or anything, he just goes and plays dead alongside her just to further mess with the person that had told her to act her age. He's always in for a good prank.

Codsworth - Laughs happily. The joke doesn't take long to occur to him, and he is more than eager to support her attempts to ward off the haters. He scolds the person, making sure to make a few clever comments himself.

Hancock - Would have just assumed stab them as look at them for saying something like that to F!Sole, but when she fell to the ground in response, he waits for just a couple of beats, trying to figure out what she's doing. As soon as it dawns on him, he is instantly cackling loudly and unashamedly at her clever way of putting the person in their place.

Danse - Is somewhat embarrassed and terribly taken off-guard by the display. He is instantly dragging her up and leaving because this is not an honorable sort of way to represent the Brotherhood or if it's Post-BB, it's not a way to conduct oneself in public regardless. -5/10, not outstanding.

Preston - Is somewhat shocked that his general is behaving this way, but it is slightly funny despite his reservations about how this must represent the Minutemen. He just sort of looks away awkwardly until she is done.

Valentine - Just sighs tiredly and he gets it instantly. However, he can't help enjoying the joke despite the ridiculousness of the entire thing. After a few moments, he asks her if acting his age was dead, too, and if he should go ahead and join her.

X6-88 - Is terribly unamused. This is a waste of time. It would have been more fitting to simply threaten the person or skip the formalities and simply shoot them. But he lets her have her fun despite how silly it is.

Dogmeat - Does not understand the humor and is instantly confused and a little concerned when she falls over. He sniffs her carefully, trying to figure out if she is alright. However, when he sees she's okay, he barks excitedly, taking the opportunity to lick her face now that she's more conveniently at his level.

Strong - Is instantly confused and he kicks her side a little to see if she's really alive or if she just fell over dead for real. When she quickly comes back to life to assure him of her livelihood, he gets angry. "Why tiny human pretend to be dead when NOT dead?!!! MAKES NO SENSE!!!"

[companionhell]

I'm a slut for the 'overheard conversation' trope so like,,, romanced companions react to overhearing a nervous Sole as they're practicing their proposal speech? Bonus if Sole is ramble monologuing out loud they're worried it's not good enough for their amazing bf/gf. Just some nice fluff to make your day bright. ((Only if you want to of course. Love ur work, m8))

This ended up pretty long, so I put it under a read more. Enjoy! :)

Cait: Cait’s hearing wasn’t the best after years in the deafening Combat Zone, but Sole wasn’t exactly speaking quietly. So she listened in pretty damn easily-- who in god’s name was Sole talking to, anyway?

“Cait, darling,” Sole said, then paused. Cait strained to hear more, interested by the mention of her name, but the next few words were mumbled. The next she heard was the middle of a sentence: “--start over. Look, I know this isn’t… this maybe isn’t what you were expecting. I don’t know. This stuff is different, after the war. But I can’t think… shit, no, that’s bad.” Sole took a rattling breath, and Cait stepped closer over squeaky floorboards-- what was all this about? “You’re just… Cait, you’re everything to me, and I’m so in love with you, and I just… I wanna marry you.”

Sole jumped when Cait opened the door, looking her lover in the eyes. “You… you just said… you want to marry me? That’s… you really mean that?” Cait’s eyebrows were raised in absolute surprise, and when Sole nodded nervously, Cait broke into a genuine smile. “Never thought I’d be the marryin’ type,” she said, pulling Sole into a kiss. “But, if you really want it… I don’t think you know how much this means to me.”

Curie: Curie did have some manners programmed into her, but her intense desire to learn more about people in general (and Sole in particular) won out. She’d never understood talking to yourself, and she hoped to figure out more by listening in on Sole from the next room, thinking of it more as scientific observation than eavesdropping. It was quite a fascinating habit, after all!

But after only a minute or two, Curie quickly figured out what was going on. “Curie, my love. I don’t know… Okay, not that. Um, there’s a human tradition I’d like you to participate in. With me. It’s to show how much I love you, to promise I’ll stay with you forever… alright, that’s a little better.” Curie started smiling behind her hands, unable to contain the butterflies of excitement in her stomach. Ignoring Sole’s next mutterings about how she deserved a better speech, Curie made her way to their bedroom with a lovestruck expression.

“Oh, mon p’tit chou!” Curie exclaimed. Sole stood at the mirror, holding what looked like a pre-war ring, surprise and embarrassment filling their face as they realized that Curie had heard. She didn’t care that she’d flustered them, though, and clasped her hands to her chest. “Is it true, my love?” Once having received Sole’s affirmation, Curie pressed light kisses on their face in quick succession, speaking in between: “Oh, I love you. I feel my heart may burst- I never knew there could be such bliss.”

Danse: Danse wasn’t really consciously eavesdropping. The house’s walls were thin, and he was just drawing out possible modifications in the next room when he heard Sole talking to themselves. He didn’t think much of it at first- they talked in their sleep, after all. It was likely just another unthinking habit of theirs, so he barely processed their words while he concentrated.

“This needs to be good.. I can’t… ah, damn, I’m going to mess this up.” Danse heard the nervousness in Sole’s voice and momentarily forgot his work, eyebrows furrowing. “Alright. Recent events have been… uh, difficult. For all of us. And I know you’ve been taking time to sort everything out. I have been, too. I was just dropped into the apocalypse without my family, and since then, it’s mostly only gotten worse.” Danse put down the pen and stood, hesitating. He didn’t know what to do, but Sole spoke again. “But if there’s one part of this world I couldn’t live without, it’s… it’s you, Danse. You’re more important to me than words could say. I’m in love with you. And I’ve been thinking about it, and I want to marry you.”

Sole stopped talking, interrupted by loud footsteps rounding the corner and the door slamming open. Danse stood there, flustered and mouth agape, eyes surprised and confused. “Did you… Did you just say you want to marry me?” Sole, more shocked than embarrassed, repeated their proposal, and Danse moved to hold them close, arms wound snugly around the person who’d, months before, saved his life. “I… I can’t explain to you how much that means to me. It’s… a lot to think about, but… I can’t imagine facing the world without you.”

Deacon: Deacon knew something was up with Sole from the minute he heard them talking to themselves. He stepped silently to the end of the hallway, avoiding the squeaky floorboards whose locations he’d memorized, and stopped by the doorway. Deacon steadied his breathing, shifted the center of his weight, and listened.

“Deacon, I…” There was a deep exhale. Deacon’s heart jumped for a moment- had he been seen? But no, Sole continued. “I need to tell you that in this insane world, one of the first things I learned was not to trust anybody. But I can’t help but feel that you’re… different, I guess. Shit, I need another word… you’re… you make this big show about lying a lot, but you don’t bullshit about your beliefs. You don’t bullshit about how fucked-up all this is, and you don’t bullshit about where you came from, and that makes you more genuine than nine-tenths of the people here. I’ve fallen in love with you, Deacon, and I wanna marry you.”

Deacon couldn’t stop himself from inhaling sharply. He… he needed to go think about it. So he quietly made his way outside, lighting a cigarette and staring into the post-apocalyptic wilderness. And Deacon thought- he thought about Barbara, and about the love he’d been so happy to find in Sole, and about himself. Could he commit to moving on? Would Barbara have wanted him to? Did it matter? The next few days were more solemn for him than usual, as he made his decision. And he was glad he’d thought about it- glad that, when Sole finally got it together and proposed, he was able to finally say yes.

Gage: Gage wasn’t really the stealthy type. Looking for Sole, he checked every room in the house, finally walking to their shared bedroom. He didn’t even bother trying to muffle his steps, and considering the heavy-ass cage armor he wore, Gage was pretty damn loud. So when he saw that Sole hadn’t even noticed said clunking footsteps, and that they were so focused on muttering to themselves that they hadn’t turned around to see him, Gage had to listen in.

The first few seconds was just Sole swearing before sighing heavily. “Gage… It’s been a wild ride.” What the hell did that mean? Gage didn’t have time to think about it too much before Sole shook their head and moved on. “This world is fucking insane, and- I don’t think the people are more untrustworthy. I think they’re just more honest about it. Anyway, it was kinda a culture shock. But after wandering in the wasteland, I found my place. At Nuka-World. As leader of the raiders. Gage, I found my place with you.” His eyebrows shot up. Their relationship usually didn’t involve this kinda sappy shit- but this felt more important than usual. “I… I love you, Porter. And I know it’s not a raider ‘thing,’ but fuck it- I’m the Overboss, and I say what I want, so I wanna get married.”

“Damn, Sole,” Gage said, crossing his arms. Sole couldn’t ignore that one. They turned, clearly flustered at the interruption, and opened their mouth to speak- “Nah, gimme a minute, boss. Shit, Sole, that was somethin’ else. And… I guess marryin’ always seemed like bleeding heart bullshit to me, but… you are friggin’ amazing, boss, and if I’m stickin’ with anybody for life, ain’t nobody I’d rather be with than you.” He smiled, kind of sheepishly, and when Sole came over to embrace him, Gage held them tighter than he ever had before.

Hancock: Yeah, okay, Hancock was being kinda sneaky. But the ghoul had damn good ears (what was left of ‘em, anyways), and couldn’t help but try to listen when he heard muttering coming from the room he shared with Sole. So there he was, half-crouched in the hallway, straining to hear what his significant other was saying. This wouldn’t be as hard if Sole wasn’t speaking so damn quiet, anyway.

“John.” That was the first word Hancock heard, and he was already paying attention. Sole only called him that when they were being serious- a couple of near-death scenarios, a heartfelt conversation or two, maybe a few (or more) of their nights together. “My love, I know… commitment isn’t your thing. I understand. And I know you’re doing a lot more of that than usual for me-- I’ve seen you turning down hopefuls from Goodneighbor up to Far Harbor. But I just… I love you, John, and it would mean a lot…” A pause, and a heavy sigh. “Fuck it, I’m never gonna do this right.”

Hancock had inched close enough to the threshold to see Sole staring at their hands- was that a ring glinting in the light? His breath caught in his throat and before he knew it he was tip-toeing outside, somewhere open, somewhere else. He rummaged in his bag for something to take the edge off, but nothing seemed right-- Jet to slow the hell down or Mentats to think clearly? Hancock settled on both, and he sat there and thought for what felt like hours. From the minute he woke up from his radioactive dose he’d never expected anyone to wanna deal with him for much longer than a night or two. Sole was the wrench in that plan… and the best damn thing that’d ever happened to him. Oh, Hancock had made his decision when Sole was the first person he’d sincerely told he loved them since childhood. And when they finally got their act together and asked him, he might as well confirm it.

MacCready: MacCready was about to amble into the room, looking for a comic he’d misplaced- he was sure he’d last been reading it in bed- then heard Sole talking. He stopped instinctively, pausing at the door to listen. Was… anybody else in there with them? No, it seemed like the only one speaking was an increasingly frustrated Sole. MacCready debated with himself for a minute, then elected to stay there, leaning closer to the door to better hear.

“RJ, you gave me something a while back. Something that meant a lot to you.” Were they talking about the toy soldier? What the heck was going on? MacCready edged closer. Sole was sitting on the bed, turning something over in their hands. “It’s time for me to… No, that’s stupid. Um, I want to give something to you too. I love you, RJ. We’ve both lost a lot, but I think it’s best we look to the future. Together.” They slumped, muttering something about how they sounded like an idiot, and MacCready finally caught a glimpse of what they were holding. A ring. Identical to the one they always wore.

He felt tears burning his eyes. After Lucy, he thought he’d always be alone. And here came Sole, who’d not only saved his life and his son’s, but also made him happy for the first time in years. Not barely getting by, not ignoring his pain, but truly happy. “Hey, handsome/beautiful,” he said, crossing the threshold. He laughed at Sole’s shocked expression, and found himself unable to stop smiling. “I definitely don’t deserve someone as good as you, but… hey, if you wanna keep this little thing we have going forever, well, who am I to say no?”

Nick: Alright, Nick had a sneaky bone or two. You had to in his line of business. But he made a point of not going digging through Sole’s dirty laundry, so he tried his absolute hardest to be as not-nosy as possible when he heard them talking from the bedroom. But good god, were they talking for a long time. And loudly. He walked down the hallway, fully intending to alert Sole to his presence, mind you, but heard them say his name. He stopped. What on earth were they on about?

“Nick, I wanted… no.” Sole took a deep breath. “Nick. My love. You’re the best man in the Commonwealth, synth or not. You’re compassionate, and caring, and funny as hell. And I…” They paused, as if thinking. Nick watched from the doorway. Sole was looking into the mirror, staring at themself, and shook their head. “I’m not good enough for you. But… I love you, Nick. And I kinda want to stick together. ‘Long as I’m kicking, anyway. There doesn’t need to be any ceremony or anything if you don’t want to-–”

Nick didn’t hear anything after that. Ceremony? He retreated back down the hallway, as quietly as he came, and sat on the front stoop. Lit up a cigarette. Watched the sunset and the comings and goings of the neighbors. He thought for a long time, examining his reluctance to marry Sole-- the best thing that had happened to him in his decades wandering the Commonwealth. It wasn’t Jenny. God knows she’d have wanted him to move on years ago. And it wasn’t a lack of love. Sole was all an old bot could ask for– the luckiest day of his life was the day they crawled outta that cryo-pod. It had more to do with his disbelief that a stunner like Sole would want to be tied down to a run-down synth with a bum hand and a hole in his neck. He didn’t deserve them. But hey, it was their choice, he thought, looking up at the stars. He’d marry them, alright. And he’d follow wherever they led.

Piper: Piper grinned when she heard Blue mumbling in the bedroom. Their sleeptalking was always priceless. She grabbed a pad of paper from her pocket and slowly eased her way down the hallway, careful not to make too much noise. Sole was a light sleeper. Piper peeked around the door, her playfulness rapidly turning to confusion as she saw that Sole wasn’t asleep, after all. They were sitting on the bed, turned away from her, but still speaking softly. What the heck were they doing?

Sole looked deep in thought. “Maybe start out with… Piper, you’re hard on yourself. Hmm… no, that’s no good.” What? Piper was hard on herself? She leaned in closer to hear. She had good ears, but Blue was barely speaking audibly. Sole kept going. “I know you think of yourself as loud and pushy, but what I see is the kindest woman I’ve ever met. You’re confident, you’re honest, and you’re determined to do good in the world.” Sole looked down at something they held in their hands. “And I know the institution of marriage probably isn’t important to you– or to the Commonwealth, generally– but I thought I’d ask– no, that’s wrong…”

As Sole continued workshopping their phrasing, Piper’s jaw dropped. Marriage? She sidled into the bedroom, purposefully stepping loudly, and saw a glint of gold in Blue’s hands. “Blue!” she said too loudly, startling Sole, who nearly dropped the ring. “Oh, I, uh– Damn it, I’m sorry, Blue, I messed up your moment.” Piper came closer, cupping Sole’s face in her hands. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” She kissed their forehead, smiling at their still-shocked face as she pulled away. “My answer is yes. I will marry you, Blue.”

Preston: Preston definitely hadn’t meant to overhear anything. He’d woken up with his arms empty. Sole wasn’t there. Not too unusual– sometimes they got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Still, it was hard to sleep without Sole next to him. Groggily, he lifted his head off the pillow and looked around. It was dark. No moonlight shone through the window. But under the bathroom door, there was a crack of light. And through the wall, he could swear he heard… mumbling?

Preston frowned. It had been about a year since they’d taken down the Institute– since Shaun had died. He couldn’t imagine that kind of pain. He’d woken up before to find them crying, silently, in his arms, and done his best to comfort them. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and rolled out of bed, crossing quietly to the bathroom door. Inside, he could hear Sole speaking. He paused for a second to listen. “Preston, I– I don’t think I can… no, that’s no good.” Preston furrowed his eyebrows, lifted his hand up to knock, but was interrupted when Sole started speaking again. “I can’t express in words how much I love you. You’re– you’re kind, and loving, and sweet, and– shit, I’m rambling. Um–”

Preston smiled, leaning on the door so it swung open. “What are you…” He trailed off as he saw what Sole was holding. A ring. The ring that matched the one they always wore. Tears pricked at his eyes. “Are you… planning to propose? …To me?” When Sole confirmed it, Preston beamed. He didn’t think he’d ever stop smiling. He pulled Sole into a hug, pressing kisses against their temples and their forehead. “God, I love you. Of course I’ll marry you– if you’ll have me.”

X6-88: X6 was... concerned. When he and Sole spent an evening at Sanctuary, they usually spent their free time tinkering with their weapons or armor. Or catching up with the settlers. But this time, they’d simply given him a kiss and retreated straight to the bedroom. After two hours of messing with mods for his laser pistol, it seemed clear that Sole wouldn’t be joining him anytime soon. So he quietly trod down the hall. As he approached the bedroom door, he could hear Sole speaking.

“Why am I doing this anyway?” X6 moved closer. Had he done something to upset them? Why not talk to him about it? “He’ll think it’s too sentimental... shit. Maybe I can-- um, alright. X6.” He started, thinking for a moment that Sole had discovered him in the hallway, but they continued talking. Practicing talking to him? “You’re determined, you’re loyal, you’re funny. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And-- and it would mean a lot to me if-- well, you might not care about this kind of thing, but...”

“What kind of thing?” X6 asked, stepping into the room. Sole whipped around to look at him, too surprised to hide what they’d been holding. A gold ring. A wedding ring. X6 took a moment. Sole was right, in a way. He’d keep watching their back until the day he died, and he had never thought of needing a ring or a ceremony to prove it. But... Sole was the person he most cared for in the world. Maybe the only person he cared for. And if wearing a ring was important to them? He would proudly wear his loyalty to them on his finger. It was no object.