Authors Note: Guess who’s bacckkkkk(ish). Had a story idea after starting season 2 of fallout. The yearning for this decrepit, radiation riddled, 250 year old man is astounding. I am one of those at fault. Anyways, I plan to add more, I hope you enjoy! :) -Snax
Warnings: Mild swearing, other than that none for now! Not proof read (Sorry!)
Pairing: The Ghoul x ExVaultie!Reader
The first lie I’d ever heard was that the Vault was built to save me, protect me.It took seventeen years, six months, and a hundred and twelve “routine evaluations” to teach me the truth—that the Vault was a cage, and I was the experiment. By the time the Overseer smiled and told me that I was “ready for reclamation,” I’d already known how pain could be measured, how fear could be charted, and how survival could be graded on a curve. I learned how long a body could go without sleep before it started telling secrets, and how easily hope could be weaponized. When the Vault door finally opened, it wasn’t freedom that greeted me, nor the promise of a real life, but radiation-soaked wind and a world just as cruel as the one I’d left behind.
That was years ago now, the empty promise lead me here, stalking after a criminal and his gang, hell bent on “reconstructing” the wasteland in their own fucked up ways. My Client isn’t keen on this weed of a clan spreading further than they already have, too close to home I guess. A.K.A, two assholes that want to play king, only difference is one offered me money and the other is centered in the crosshairs of my scope. Laid on what’s left of the roof of a pre-war motel. I focus my aim just a few yards away towards the old motel courtyard the gang met in. Taking a few steadying breaths, I press my gun firm against my shoulder….hover my finger over the trigger.
I almost have the shot lined up when the hairs at the nape of my neck rise. My Target shouts off to the side, waving his pistol at someone I can’t see. I attempt to steady myself again, deep breath in…2…3…and out. Easy money. Except a faint jingle sounds from the alley below, the remnants of the old motel walls casting a shadow over the source. My finger tightens over the trigger of my gun, but the shot never sounds. I freeze again when the Geiger counter on my wrist ticks.
There’s no radiation spike, no reason for it.
It isn’t a warning—It’s recognition.
Something is close. Something is wrong.
For a moment I think about retreating, letting whatever beast that’s coming swallow the group whole and tell my client the deed was done, accept a lower pay for not bring them in alive. Against my better judgement I let my finger ease off the trigger, silently scanning the shadows below. It’s back. A small rhythmic jingle following the scrape of boots against the worn dirt. Controlled. Careful. Someone else is hunting the same prey. A dark duster coat over a lean frame comes into view just a few feet below me, cowboy hat atop their head.
My eyes blow wide as their head barely turns my way, an acknowledging glare pointing from under the brim of that stupid cowboy hat. Our eyes meet and I have to remind myself to replace my fear with a mirroring stare. I see you too asshole. I get a glimpse of rough, stretched skin. Ghoul. No mistaking that. He moves with the patience of something that’s been alive far too long to rush.
Rumors flick through my head whether I want them to or not. A ghoul that doesn’t rot. A ghost that walks through gunfire. Never takes a bounty alive. Wasteland stories are usually garbage, but the ones that stick around have teeth. The bounty sees him before I can stop this from getting messy. “What the hell are you?” the man yells, spinning, gun raised.
The ghoul doesn’t answer. He just keeps walking.
The first shot hits him square in the chest. The ghoul stumbles, recovers, and keeps coming. Second shot. Third. None of them slow him the way they should. The bounty’s confidence drains out of him like blood down a gutter. I swear under my breath. This wasn’t the plan. I can’t take the shot—not with the ghoul in the line of fire. And I don’t like unknown variables. Vault tests taught me what happens when you ignore them.
The bounty bolts for the motel rooms, firing wildly behind him. The ghoul breaks into a run, coat flaring, inhumanly fast. I’m moving before I finish thinking—sliding off the roof, hitting the ground hard, rolling behind a rusted car as bullets chew the air where my head was. “Get out of my way!” the bounty screams from inside the motel. I pop up, fire once, and blow out the lock on the nearest door. The ghoul and I hit the hallway from opposite ends at the same time and freeze. Up close, he’s worse than the stories. Skin cracked and burned, eyes sharp and bright with something that hasn’t died yet. His gun is already up, aimed center mass at me.
Mine is aimed right back.
We hold like that for a heartbeat. Two predators, same target, no trust. “Y’ought to get better at that little hide and seek method you’ve got goin’ on,” he rasps, voice like gravel dragged across steel. “Spotted you from a mile away.” Is he…teasing me? My finger doesn’t move. Somewhere down the hall, the bounty is crying now. Begging. The sound crawls under my skin. The ghoul’s eyes flick past me, calculating. Mine do the same. Neither of us lowers our weapon.
“Move.” His tone flat and unforgiving as he enters my bubble. Hazel eyes stare down at me annoyed when I don’t immediately tuck my tail and head for the hills. “It’s my bounty!” I argue through gritted teeth, gun still aimed at the ghouls chest despite seeing moments ago, it won’t do much. “I said-“ The ghoul wraps an arm around my shoulders whipping me to the side. “Move.” He spoke through tight teeth and lips, letting me roll across the floor of the old motel with a thud. I suck air through my teeth, catching myself just as he ducks into the room with the bounty. My bounty.
I scramble to my feet, shoving my way through the door all too late. Two pistols fire round after round into the gang leader, blood splattering against the wall behind him. So much for injuring him and getting him back alive. He’s dead before he hits the ground, shots from the ghoul still being fired long after the man is gone. “Think you got him.” I grumbled pulling the ghouls attention my way. “Unless you just wanted to waste ammo, in that case please, don’t let me interrupt.” My gun free hand finds the curve of my hip. “You could learn a thing or two about not interrupting someone’s bounty.…and the guy wanted him alive if possible. You’ve just made that impossible.” I gesture with my gun, shifting my weight to one leg. “You said you saw me.”
The ghoul grins, reloading his pistols as he watches me gripe at him. “Did see you sweetheart, problem is- didn’t care. N’dead counts.” He shruggs simply, eyes focused on his weapon. I scoff. “Y’done with the little hissy fit shit or you got more to say?” He finally raises a brow, eyes cast aside to look my way. “You stole that bounty out from under me!” His eyes roll in response “More to say—Talk to the fella who gave it to you, guess he figured I’d have better luck.” A cocky smirk spread across the ghouls lips as we stood across from one another. His form relaxed, even now he’s in control.
“An’ just to reign you back to planet fuckin’ earth.” He growled, long legs only needing two strides to reach me. Geiger counter ticking a few times in a row. “Watch your fucking mouth. I saw you- I spared you. That ain’t no habit of mine so feel fucking grateful, most people’d been dead right then and there.” The ghoul pressed the still warm barrel of a revolver to my neck, lips drawn taught exposing his stained teeth in a snide grimace. My life preservation instinct begs me to run, cry or hide, but the wasteland has taught me better. I square my shoulders and frown back at him. “It’s dirty, what you did.” I cross my arms, turning with the ghoul as he makes his way to the door.
“It’s the name of the game sweetheart. Learn to play it better.” His back faces me, hand slipping his gun back in his holster. An unspoken truce. He slinks away back through the dark alley he’d arrived from, boots scraping back up the beaten path.
For the next few days I tailed said Ghoul. Staying just a few steps behind, silent and slow. He stopped, I stopped. My footsteps carefully placed in line with his. That is until he didn’t stop. He doesn’t stop from what I could gather. Sweat clung to my form, my lips stuck together, each swallow pinching at the base of my throat, and I was starving. Jealous as he chewed away at the jerky he pulled from his pack, my stomach grumbled in pain. Finally the walking stopped, the ghoul stood still. I found solitude against an old cold pillar, catching my breath despite the hot burn of it. My eyes cast downward to my dust covered boots as I listened.
Lifting my head as quick as I could manage, the ghoul was gone. Fuck. I let out a heavy sigh, fist smacking against the stone behind me with a soft thud. Gravel crunches beside me in the dark, a gloved hand grasping my wrist before I could react, a hoarse yelp pushing from my chest as I’m slammed against the pillar. “You done yet?” His deep voice rang out from behind me, twisting my wrist just enough to make me gasp. “Oh, you think I didn’t know?” He presses closer, gathering my wrists. “Five goddamned days.” A dry, unamused chuckle forced from his lips. “Five days having to listen to your sorry excuse of a stake out? Hearin’ your boots, each breath. Watching your dumbass duck behind cover like I’m blind?” He growled, easily pulling at something by his hip. The rough tug of rope wraps itself around my wrists in tight, angry circles. “I—“ My voice cracked as he flipped me around in a quick motion. “DON’T” His teeth bite, a gloved hand slamming against the pillar beside my head. Dust rains down. “I’ve let you have your fun, let it go cause I figured you’d get smart or get dead.” His jaw snaps taught as he stares as me, scarred face morphing in the little bits of moonlight filtering onto us.
“Didn’t Happen.” I cough, head turning to the side. “Rumors say you’re ruthless, leave no one left behind alive. You, were supposed to be the dangerous predator that kept me from carrying on—And yet….” I face him again, head lolling from exhaustion. “Here I am.” My shoulders tug upward, tired. His scared brow lowers before I’m roughly tugged against his old leather duster. “I moved stupid. Walked in open ground, camped where I shoudn’t, took the barren route and yet you still followed. N’that tells me one of two things.” Face inches from you, irritation etched deep within the lines. “You’re real brave…or you’re real stupid.” He pushed me to walk backwards, guiding me up the old dirt road. “N’tell me sweetheart, which are you? Cause I can’t handle more stupid. Got enough of that…but that’s what I’m leaning towards.” My feet catch over small rocks as I weigh my options. “You’re suggesting I come with you?”
The Ghoul’s head tilts side to side, contemplating my fate. “Not my choice. You’ll follow anyways, made that clear. I can’t have you fucking up behind me and getting me caught somewhere I’d have never been on my own.“ he moves closer again. “Been holdin’ my tongue for days, lettin’ you play pretend double agent. S’now I figure we do it my way.” His head dips acknowledging the rope around my wrists. A gloved hand finds the back of my head, swiveling me around with a careless twist. “That didn’t answer my question.” My voice bites through cotton in my cheeks. “Get to steppin’” his boot taps the back of my thigh, I decide I’m in no position not to listen. So I begin to walk through the now heavy silence between us.
The Ghoul keeps a hand on my shoulder as he steers into a chanting camp, grip firm enough to remind you not to bolt. The inhabitants wear odd armour and helmets, gathering around myself and the ghoul. “What is this.” A tall man with a gold leafed crown waves a hand in my direction. “An offering, girl for a girl.” The Ghoul exhales through his teeth, already annoyed. “She followed me,” he says flatly. “Figured maybe she could be useful to someone else.”
My body goes rigid. His fingers tighten for half a second, like he feels it. The “king” circles me, slow and appraising. “Clean enough. Alive. That’s worth something..” He looks back at the Ghoul. “I suppose it could be good…if she meet a standard.” He chuckles deep, altering back to speaking a language I can’t understand. A word cuts through the barrier like a knife.
The Ghoul doesn’t answer right away.
He stares past the fire, jaw set, eyes distant. I see now. This was supposed to be simple. Drop me off. Walk away lighter. Safer. Alone again. “Sounds fair?” the king presses. The Ghoul’s thumb taps once against my shoulder. Once. Impatient. The men move forward to gather me from the Ghoul, my heart racing behind my ribs. He’s really going to give me away to these fuckers? Then, I feel it—the shift. His grip loosens. I’m doomed.
He finally looks down at me. Really looks. Dirt-smudged. Tired. Still standing after everything. Still following. “She ain’t cargo,” he says, irritation creeping back into his voice, but aimed inward now. “No deal.” He sighs, pulling me back into arms length. “Fine. No deal, no vault girl.” He crosses his arms, neither backing down. Vault Girl? He steps back, putting himself between me and the tribe. “What if I offered you something too good to be true?” The Ghoul’s voice laced with curiousity. The king rubbed his chin, settling back in his throne. “The location of the last remaining New California Republic.” The words dropped thick, tense. The king froze, eyes boring into the Ghoul. “Cut the girl down.”
The tribe awoke with a new passion, tossing weaons and shields at one another. “Protective all of a sudden?” My voice cuts through the chanting, though the Ghoul doesn’t look my way. “I ain’t in the business of selling for sex dalrin’-“ A dark haired girl is tossed against the Ghoul’s side, barely conscious. My eyes follow the blue and gold of her suit in horror.
It had found me. They had found me. My breathing grew heavy as the Ghoul hoisted the girl up using her arm over his shoulder. “You gonna stand there an’ stare or help somebody out?” He grunted, waiting for me to grab her other side. I couldn’t bring myself close. Whiskey eyes track my stiff movements and wide eyes. My arm aches under its own exhaustion as I slink it around the lean girl against my better judgement.
“Stay with me Vaultie.” The Ghoul speaks quietly to the woman. “Where- where are we going?” She sputters, feet dragging against dirt. “Don’t you worry about that. Just away from here.” He grunted, shifting to take more of the weight off of me. A loud explosion rings out behind us, the warm orange glow pouring over the three of us. My head snapped to watch over my shoulder. “You really from a vault?” My voice barely a whisper to the girl beside me. Maybe she’d stolen the suit for survival, maybe the name just stuck. “Course she’s from a fucking Vault, jus’ wait till she opens her fuckin’ mouth. No more proof needed.” The Ghoul grumbled back. I swallow thick, dropping my side of the girl making her gasp. “Shit- Hey!” The Ghoul called out to me annoyed.
My mind rolled back to white walls and sick smiles. My own people, a lie. It was all a lie. My throat grew tight watching the Ghoul prop the girl against some rubble, his lips moving but nothing reaches past the ringing in my ears. “I can’t-“ my head shook “They’re not what you think.” My gaze falls blank. The Ghoul’s hands grasp my shoulders. “I don’t got time for this shit. If you’re coming with us, you’ll help.” He nodded towards the girl, his eyes scanning me for more. I nod in surrender, choking back white coats and needles as I help the Ghoul lift the girl again. “Don’t make me regret it.” His frown blends into the deep radiation burns along his cheeks.
We settled in with the New California Republic, well, two members anyways. A kind woman helping us lay the vault girl down on a makeshift bed. “She’ll be alright, I’ll start an IV drip. She’ll be better in no time!” She waved her hand dismissing the Ghoul and I as she cared for “Vaultie”. I offer a unsure smile, she seems nice enough.
I settled in next to a small fire, enjoying the warmth it had to offer as night began. Feeling the Ghouls presence before my Geiger counter had the chance to tick at me. He plops down on the other side of the fire, elbows resting on his knees, fingers drumming against his thighs. His ruined face was shadowed in the firelight, but the sharp edge in his voice made the hairs on my arms stand up.
He laid it out plain. My knees gravitate towards my chest, staring into the flames quiet but alert. “You wanna tell me what you know? You from before the bombs or somethin’?” The fire crackled between us, smoke rolling up into a starless sky. My chest tightened, lips rolling tight as I shook my head. “I-I’m not scared of her.” The brittle lie slid past my lips but did nothing to deter the Ghoul.
He calls my bluff in an instant with a snort. My arms wrap themselves around my knees. Protection. A wall. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, firelight flickering across the lines in his face. “You sit there, stiff as a board, like she’s some damn predator. You flinch when she shifts. You avoid her eyes. That’s fear. Admit it.”
His eyes give me a once over. “I don’t owe you an explanation.” Placing my chin atop my knee I stare back. He’s grotesquely beautiful. A handsome bone structure stuck behind years of radiation. Shame. Though his eyes I assume, are the same as before, a mix of brown and green with dark thick lashes. I deem that the human part of him. “You can’t even look in her direction.” He coughed, arm pulling up to wipe at his lips.
It comes out more of a grunt than anything. “I appreciate the honesty. An’ no, you don’t owe me an explanation but if you’re gonna stick with us I can’t have you stabbin’ my partner in her sleep.” A gloved hand rubs down his face. “N’Lucy, well she’s different…” a lazy shrug of his left shoulder makes me scoff. “Different doesn’t mean harmless.” Wire tightens around my throat as the words come out shakily. He growled low, a sound more frustrated than angry. “Lucy’s… yeah, she’s intense, unpredictable. But she’s not out to bite anyone. Not me. Not you. You’ll come to learn that much sweetheart. And she sure as hell isn’t the reason you’re frozen in your own dirt. There’s more to it.”
I swallowed. The fire’s warmth did nothing to thaw the cold prickling in my chest. The Ghoul’s gaze flicked to Lucy, just for a second, and I caught the faintest shift in his posture. Protective, almost. Then he turned back to me, voice rough and low.
“See, I don’t trust Vault dwellers much. Never did. Never liked ’em. Rules, experiments, their shiny little worlds…” He spat into the dirt. “I get it if that makes you uneasy. But Lucy? She’s… not them. Not the kind of fear you’re imagining.” He leaned back, eyes narrowing. “So, are you gonna sit there and let your panic make you small, or are you gonna open your eyes and see her for what she actually is?” The fire popped, sending a shower of sparks into the air.
For the first time I look at Lucy for more than a second. She’s laid out, breathing lightly as she rests. Calm. If the Ghoul had been with her this far, maybe he’s right. “Okay….” I nod looking back to the Ghoul. He nodded back, an agreement between us. The woman brought us some water just as the ghoul began to hack and cough again, offering her a tip of her hat in thanks. “Thought you didn’t have friends.” I grin taking a sip of water before passing it over to the Ghoul. “I don’t. Like I said, Lucy is my partner. We have a common cause. S’all.” He sipped from the jug, rivulets of water rolling sloppily down his jaw. “So much for being honest….Well, I’m sure she’d appreciate to know that her ‘Partner’ so touchingly came to her defense.” I couldn’t help the way my eyes rolled to the side.
He leaned forward one last time, voice quiet now, but carrying the weight of every scar he bore. “I don’t like to make it a habit of picking up strays but-“ he’s cut off by a dog barking, running up to place its head beneath his hand. “Goddamnit…” he sighed, patting the dog gently. I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. Sure thing buddy.
“Don’t think I couldn’t have downed you in the beginning and have ridden myself of you for good. You being here?” The blank space of his brow bone raised, deep set eyes intense. “That was my doin’. My choice. And it’s still up for debate.” Silence broke out between us again. The fact is. He was right. The idea of it made my skin crawl under his gaze.
The fire crackled and popped, for a moment, the night felt heavier than the wasteland itself.
