A short and sweet, pillow talk conversation about home and the future.Â
Butch DeLoria x Rosie Sheridan (Lone Wanderer)
572 words | [read on Ao3]
âDo you ever get homesick?â
Snuggled against Butchâs side, Rosie felt the rumble of his voice in her ear. She knew he wasnât asleepâthe lack of snoring was a dead giveawayâand heâd been idly playing with her hand that rested on his chest. But the question surprised her, made her wonder what was going through his head to keep him awake and thinking ofâŠhome.
She nestled herself closer. âYou mean the vault?â
âNo,â Rosie responded, on impulse. She frowned into the fabric of his shirt. âI meanânot really. Iââ she hesitated, swallowing back the emotions. âI miss my dadâŠbut the vault?â
Butchâs arm squeezed around her. âDidnât mean to upset yaâ.â
âDo you?â she asked, quietly.
âNah,â he sighed, shifting slightly. âJust wonder if theyâre gettinâ by without us.â
It was a half-joke, given his tone, and Rosie was half-tempted to point out that vault they once called home wouldâve collapsed into chaos if it hadnât been for her intervention. She held her tongue, pushing away the memories of Vault 101âgood and badâit was best to leave the past behind. Megaton was her home now, and if she didnât have the metal walls to surround her, wellâŠwhat was the phrase her father had taught her when she was young? Home is where the heart is.
âYaâ think if your old man was alive heâd flip his lid if he found out we were shakinâ up?â Butchâs question broke the silence and made her wonder if he was reading her mind.
âIs that what you call it?â Rosie smiled against his shoulder before tilting her chin up to look at him. To her surprise, he looked uncertain, rather than holding a teasing smirk like she expected. âButch?â
He rubbed at her back affectionately. âHe justâŠnever liked me, yaâ know? No way he would approve of the two of us.â
âI wouldnât need his permission,â she reassured.
Yes, there was some truth to what Butch was sayingâher dad didnât have a nice thing to say about Butch DeLoria, but he never got to see this side of him, never got to see how hard Butch worked to keep her happy. Rosie figured the only thing that mattered was her happiness, no matter what her dad wouldâve thought.
âA blessinâ would be nice,â Butch mumbled, his hand tightening around hers, running along her ring finger. There was a subtle implication behind his words and gesture that made her heart race, and she carefully studied his profile and expression for a clear sign of his intentions. When did he become so hard to read?
âGuess if he was still alive, lottaâ things would be different,â he said, instead of any kind of impromptu proposalâjust the word floating in her mind made her feel dizzy. They were so youngâshe wasnât even twentyâwhat was he doing, thinking aboutâŠ
Rosie let out the breath sheâd been holding, relaxing against him when he turned his head to look at her with a raised, curious eyebrow. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself. She thought about what he had said, focusing on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat echoing against her ear.
âBest not to speculate,â she finally replied. âBetter to focus on the future.â
âYeah,â he agreed, tilting his chin down to press a kiss to her forehead. âYouâre right.â
Rosie smiled, teasing him. âArenât I always?âÂ