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#iwtv#interview with the vampire#the vampire armand#assad zaman


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THE WAY YALL BE DESCRIBING THESE MEN HAS ME WANTING TO BE LOVED BY A WRITTERRRRR
BEING IMMORTALIZED FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE
YOUR APPERANCE
YOUR BEAUTY
YOUR HEART AND YOUR SOUL
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR SINS AND YOUR FLAWS
YOUR DEEPEST SECRETS
BECAUSE ITS APART OF YOU
BEING A WRITERS MUSEEE IS GOLD STITCHED INTO LIFES ETERNAL POEMMSSS
Little Bride
Summary: Managing to escape the vaults on the day of your wedding you meet a particular Ghoul who is also looking for your sister Lucy.
Pairing: The Ghoul / Cooper Hoffman x fem reader
Warnings: Smut, oral (f receiving), p in v sex, kinda non-con, cheating, kidnapping, the Ghoul does refer to himself as Daddy at one point
Word Count: 1.7k
A/N: Not my best work but I've been in love with the Ghoul since season 1 so hope this is ok! Happy to do more Fallout series fics so any request/suggestions let me know :)
You canât believe it. Youâve made it. Of course, âitâ being the wasteland, completely covered in desert sand, decaying bodies and god knows what else. But somewhere out there is your sister Lucy whoâs looking for your father and boy are you determined to find her.Â
Preferably you wouldâve entered the surface in more appropriate attire, wearing a wedding dress two sizes too small and previously worn by your sister wasnât the most thought-out idea but hey you had one opportunity to get out of vault 33 and you took it even if it meant leaving your soon-to-be husband at the altar. Aw well, I guess youâll stay a virgin another day.Â
Your white high heeled wedding shoes pinched your feet as you made your way through the sand. The thought of walking barefoot in the dirty sand disgusted you but the shoes werenât giving you much coverage either.Â
In the distance you spot a dark figure wearing a cowboy hat and a dog walking by his side.Â
âHello! Hello! Excuse me sir!â you yell attempting to catch up to him. The figure turns to face you and as you get nearer you notice his features...or lack thereof.Â
âExcuse me sir Iâm looking for my sister sheâs-âÂ
âNow why do I get the irritating feelinâ that you're some relation to Lucy McClean?â the Ghoul wonders aloud. You gasped beaming with delight.Â
âYes! Sheâs my sister! Do you know her? How did you know-âÂ
âYou both have that same dumb smile,â the Ghoul stated almost annoyed. Your smile dropped. As children you and Lucy were inseparable and comparisons were often drawn between the two of you, taking after your mother of course.Â
âIâm looking for her,â you stated.Â
âAs am I,â the Ghoul began to look you up and down. You shifted uncomfortably. Â
âAnd why exactly is a pretty little bride searching all alone in the wasteland then huh?â the Ghoul continued. Â
âBe-because Iâm the only person that knows my sister better than anyone and uh it just so happened that the only day I could escape the vault was in fact the day of my wedding,â you admit. Â
The Ghoul smirks at this statement, âWell then pretty lady, it must be my lucky day because youâre gonna help me find your sister. But see your sister has been causinâ me some trouble lately so I will be needing some...payment from you in return for her disobedience.â Â
The Ghoul makes his way closer to you.Â
You frown in confusion, âLike wha-âÂ
He grabs your wrists and ties them together tightly with rope.Â
âNow pretty lady, I donâ know if I can trust you just yet so this is only a precaution until I know youâll do what youâre told. God knows your sister doesnât.âÂ
You struggle against the restraints. The Ghoul takes you by your waist and slings you over his shoulder. Your veil just barely holding on.Â
âHey! What the heck!â you yell. The Ghoul slaps your ass.Â
âFirstly, weâll have to consummate that marriage of yours little lady,â the Ghoul laughs walking towards an abandoned town in the distance.Â
-Â
The Ghoul sits you down on an old dusty table in an abandoned house with no windows nor doors and not much walls either. He places his hat to the side. You blow a strand of hair out of your face.Â
âListen sir, whatever it is my sister has done-â you began. The Ghoul places a knee between your thighs pushing them open so that he can stand between them.Â
âYou can call me Coop sweetheart.âÂ
âCoop.âÂ
âYes maâam.âÂ
âIâm sure thereâs a more rational solution to whatever it is my sister has done. But taking advantage of a bride on her wedding day is-âÂ
Coop presses himself against your crotch. âOh, itâs your wedding day, is it?âÂ
âYes.âÂ
âWell, I think itâs only right little lady that we bless this union and consummate your marriage. Since of course your poor husband can't be here.â Coop leans in and presses himself harder onto you. A wet spot grows in your lacy wedding lingerie. Â
âBut my husband-âÂ
âHe donât have to know.â Coop's gloved hand moves up your thigh. He slips two fingers into your panties. The sensation of the leather glove causes a shiver to run down your spine.Â
Oh, fudge it. Your âhusbandâ wasnât the best looking and hey, youâll probably die out here in the wasteland anyway.Â
Coop begins rubbing tight little circles around your clit. You gasped, whimpering as he applies more pressure and faster circles.Â
âOh, youâre a good girl alright but, like your sister you talk too damn much.â Cooper removes his hand from your panties causing you to whimper at the loss of touch. The Ghoul licks your wetness from his gloves before taking it off and shoving it in your mouth. You moan in protest.Â
He leans down. His mouth by your ear.Â
âYou know, itâs been quite some time since Iâve done any of this. I just hope I ainât too rusty,â he growls before licking the shell of your ear. You cringe and move your head away at the feeling causing Cooper to let out a laugh.Â
âNow letâs see what weâre working with.â Cooper gets on his knees his face inches away from your soaking wet pussy. He licks his way up either side of your inner thigh before taking your âsomething blueâ garter off with his teeth.Â
âToo bad your husband wasnât the one to do that.â He sling-shots the garter off to the side. âOr this.âÂ
Cooper pulls your lacy panties off before using his thumb to part your slit. Your pussy juice glistening in the light.Â
âYou know there are a lot of ugly things out there in the wasteland but that right there sweetheart-" flattening his tongue he licks from your hole to your clit. "-is one pretty pink pussy.âÂ
Cooper attacks your clit with his tongue lapping it up like a dog who hasnât had water for days. You spat out the glove moaning louder than you thought humanly possible. Coop forces your legs to stay open with his hands digging into your inner thighs keeping them from closing in on his head.Â
âGod sweetheart you taste incredible,â Coop breathed continuing to lick your most sensitive area. Sure, itâs been a while since Cooper Hoffman had seen any action, but he sure had a talented tongue and knew what to do with it. Â
You assumed youâd died and gone to heaven. Of course you werenât a complete virgin, but messing around with cousins definitely didnât involve pleasure on your end.Â
As you came you saw genuine stars. Unable to comprehend all that came from your mouth was complete and utter gibberish.Â
Satisfied with himself and grinning from ear to ear, Cooper stood up, mouth glistening with your arousal.Â
âNow that the lady is prepared, itâs time for you and I to go for a ride.â Cooper grabbed his hat placing it back on his head. He crashes his lips into yours. His lips chapped and dry but god they taste good. Lips and tongues clashed together as Coop slowly lowered you onto the table so that you lay flat on the table with your legs dangling on the edge.Â
Coop gave one last lick of your lips before reaching into his trousers and taking his cock out. He pumped himself a few times lining up with your entrance eager to let him in.Â
âYou do me a favour darlinâ?â Coop asked, only his tip inside you. You nodded.Â
âWhen I fuck this tight little cunt of yours, I want you to scream real loud for me.âÂ
And loud you were. As Coop stretched you your groan echoed throughout the empty house. He gives you a brief moment to adjust.Â
âGod I forgot how good fuckinâ a tight pussy is,â Coop groaned before quite literally fucking you into the table. His thrusts were fast and deep, allowing you to feel every last inch of him stretching and fucking you.Â
âOh Coop,â you moaned eyes rolling back. You struggle against your restraints wanting nothing more than to dig your nails into his back. Cooper takes your right leg placing your high heeled foot on his shoulder allowing him to get even deeper. Â
Cooper laughed, âI bet your husband is one jealous motherfucker.âÂ
His breathing and groans become erratic as he reaches closer to the edge. Â
âPlease Cooper!â you beg, feeling pleasure like youâve never felt before.Â
âOh yes darlinâ you better beg for Daddy's cum,â Cooper grunts, his thrusts getting faster.Â
âOh please! Please! I need oh-âÂ
The Ghoul fills you up with a loud groan before gently placing your legs down.Â
Breathless you sit yourself back up on the table. Â
âI donât think my Dad will be very happy that I lost my virginity to a ghoul,â you state attempting to wipe the sweat off your brow with your tied up arms.Â
âI hope he ainât. He may have been involved in fucking up the world, but god does his daughter have a good pussy,â Cooper replies untying you.Â
âNow, letâs find that sister of yours.âÂ
-Â
Lucyâs eyes flicker open. A needle and tube attached to her arm. She winces at the sun in her eyes and pulls the tube from her arm.Â
âLucy?â Youâre sitting by her side still in your white dress.Â
âOh my God! Itâs you! How did you-is that a wedding dress? Did you get married without-â Lucy gushed but you cut her off with a hug.Â
Sitting only a few feet away in a lawn chair the Ghoul rolls his eyes.Â
âI missed you,â you whispered. You smile at each other.Â
âI canât believe youâre here,â Lucy whispered tucking hair behind your ear, grinning like a mad man.
âI know...you wouldnât happen to have any spare underwear by any chance, would you?â you ask attempting to be casual.Â
âWhat happened to your underwear?â Lucy questioned with a frown, confused.Â
âYeah sweetheart, what happened to your little panties,â Cooper spoke, a shit eating grin on his face.Â
Lucy looked back to you still confused waiting for an answer.Â
âHeh, donât worry about it.âÂ
âïž okay but high sex with hancock for the first time thought âïž
after shotgunning jet, he leans back on his ratty couch back in the old state house and has you ride him. he sent his entourage away earlier but the doors are wide open so the ones guarding the entrances on the lower levels can hear every whimper, whine, and moan.
every husky exhale and the wet slapping of your thighs as you take his dick nice and fast, the rough glide of his fingertips making you squirt over and over again.
youâre a fucked out sloppy, mess; eyes half-lidded and drooling as you bounce on his lap. his raspy voice coos in your ear about how pretty you look, how lucky he is to have someone like you. rough lips press kisses to your sweaty temple, the sweep of your cheekbone.
his broad palms cup your hips and knead the fat of your ass, guiding you into languid grinds against his pelvis.
and when heâs finally, finally ready to cum - to fill up your pretty little cunt because you begged so pretty (damn the rad sickness), he tucks his fingers into the slick heat of your mouth. fucks the scarred flesh across your tongue a few times just to hear you whine before he replaces it with the hard plastic of a jet inhaler.
he depresses the canister with an aerosolized hiss, bucks his hips up into the cradle of your body, and nibbles your earlobe. husks, ânice deep breath for me, sunshine. enjoy the ride.â
bleary eyed and half aware, you obey with a sloppy swivel of your hips. the world spins in a blur of motion, time crawling to a stop as your back arches with a wounded noise. pleasure burns in the pit of your stomach, spreading out along your limbs as you feel every nerve ending light up like a supernova.
your clit throbs so hard it hurts as you clamp down on his cock, the shaft jerking against your gummy walls.
he growls, the low sound guttural and drawn out to your damped senses and thereâs an endless bloom of warmth deep behind your navel. every spurt of cum filling you up makes you jolt.
when the jet high finally wears off, youâre slumped over hancock. your fingers unlatch from the collar of his frock coat, stiff with disuse.
sweat soaks you from head to toe, and you feel wrung out like a used towel. aches and pains settle into your joints, your muscles too weak to hold up your hazy head.
a thumb brushes the corner of your mouth, wicking away a dribble of drool. hancock sucks his fingertip into his mouth with a hum, âdontcha worry. iâll clean you up real sweet and tender like.â
"I won't simp for another ghoul, it's not gonna happen again-"
"IM BACK IN THE FUCKING BUILDING AGAIN"
actually dying for a cooper howard x vaultie!reader smut where they have some slow burn longing steaminess, but coop thinks sheâs too good for him UNTIL she comes in contact with a sex pollen-esque chem and he finally gives in to save her đ„” please work your magic and elaborate however you want
A Flame in Your Heart
Cooper Howard x Fem Reader (SMUT!!)
CW: NSFW like absolutely filthy yâall, youâve been warned. đ unprotected sex, irradiated cream pie, p in v, p0rn w/ plot, slow burn, flirting, cursing, perverted thoughts, dub-con (because of chem usage though consent is asked and given!) rough sex, dirty talk, choking, praise kink, degradation, squirting, mention of fingering, FEELINGS!! Slight deviation from TV series, possible grammar/spelling mistakes, cooper starts off mean but slowly warms up to reader
AN: I absolutely LOVED this request! I was up all night writing down all my ideas and spent all this morning perfecting it, and this has to be my longest one yet! I thank you for your patience anon and my lovely readers as I finally post this! Hope you enjoy and that I have done your ask justice! â€ïž
Life outside of the vault was difficult to say the least. You felt hunger and dehydration in ways youâd never experienced before, going out of your way to do desperate things you would normally never do in order to get said food and water. The heat was unbearable, every stretch of land you walked across had a danger lurking around every corner, and worst of all, youâd never felt so alone. You werenât sure what it was about you, maybe it was because you were new to the surface, maybe it was your nearly perfect skin, but everyone seemed to stare or glare at you when you would walk through. It wasnât until youâd passed through Filly, meeting Ma June that you realized people didnât take kindly to people like you. âVaultiesâ she called them, an audible disdain in her tone, making you look down to remember you were in your blue and gold Vault-Tec suit. âIâll be going then, have a nice day!â You said skiddishly, offering her a kind smile before turning and exiting the shop. You just wanted to make friends, why was that so hard up here? So when your eyes set on a man clad in classic Wild West cowboy clothes, watching smoke settle after a stand off, you werenât sure why but you knew that was who you needed on your side in this world. Before you knew it, your feet were already moving and mouth speaking to him, grabbing his attention.
âI ainât no charity case sweetheart, I donât take on straysâ The ghoul spoke, his southern drawl making him even more memorable than the marred texture of his skin. You looked to the dog that trailed not far behind him as he walked, changing its pace to keep up with the man. âThe dog there with you tells me otherwiseâ you quipped. âAinât my dogâ he responded harshly as he continued walking. âI can make it worth your while!â You yelled, making him stop in his tracks for a moment, a scary sight at first before you worked up the nerve to come closer once he turned back to you. âAnd how you suppose youâd do that?â He asked, and at first you didnât know what to say, the words leaving your mouth before you could really think of a good enough reason. Did nobody like company anymore these days? âWellâŠI can be your scavenger! Pretty good at collecting stuffâ you offered, shaking your bag and making things rattle around inside to prove it, making him give a huff of a chuckle. ââf I wanted a pack mule Iâdâve found a brahmanâ he shot you down. âOkay, then I can be good company to talk to!â You offered. âThey make radios for when I want to listen to someone yackâ he shut down once again. âIâm a good cook! Even with shitty supplies, I can make a stew thatâd put a smile even on the meanest son of a gunâs faceâ you said, hopeful that heâd at least take you for something, but you had a feeling heâd probably turn you down again. âIguana on a stickâs just fineâ he said, though he had to admit the stew sounded good. Reminded him of home before all this wasteland bullshit. âOh, ummâŠâ you said awkwardly, your tone growing quiet and my how it put a sad look in your eyes. The evil part of him liked it, seeing your sweet innocent face all downturned but the part that was still human deep down, the part that hardly ever saw the light of day anymore, had half a mind to let you.
âGot a lotta nerve walkinâ up tâ me, girly. If you somehow been lucky enough that you ainât met dangerous yet, youâre lookinâ at someone who could put you down before youâd even mutter your last wordsâ he threatened, motioning to the double barreled shotgun in his hands. âI know, I saw it first hand. You hold yourself well, I envy that. Iâm new to all of this and just really want someone who can help me hold my own the same wayâ you explained. âLook, I know I donât look like much but please just give me a chanceâ you begged, looking up at him with a fighting spirit in your eyes that he had to admit, he was pretty impressed in seeing in a vaultie. âYou help me, I help you, however that ends up beingâ you offered, standing strong on this and damn if he didnât see a little bit of himself in you at that. He gave a sigh, tilting his head down before shaking it, not believing himself for the words he was about to say. âAlright, but the minute you start dragginâ youâre out, got me?â He said, and he hated the way his cold heart seemed to pump a little faster upon seeing your eyes light up with joy and a smile stretch to your face. âOh thank you, thank you, thank you!â You said, opening your arms up to hug him but being met with the barrel of his gun poking your stomach to keep space between you. âI donât do hugsâ he spoke gruffly, making you back up enough to where heâd drop the gun back to his side. âR-RightâŠsorryâ you apologized, embarrassment washing over you but still glad to finally have someone in your company. âCâmon, I ainât got all day nowâ he said, motioning you to start walking, so you joined him.
Your travels with him certainly werenât at all what you were expecting them to be. From being used as bait, to being tied up with rope most of the time youâd traveled together, or being sent in as his scavenger, you werenât prepared for a lot of the reality you faced with being up on the surface. Most nights made you question why youâd ever left the comfort of the vault, why youâd abandoned a trusty food supply, regulated temperatures, a safe place to sleep that wasnât riddled with radroaches or had the likely hood of waking up to a raider with a knife at your throat for no reason. Then you would remember the experiment in your vault, why you left that awful place for arguably a worse reality on the surface but at least you had freedom. Out here you were free to say what you want, do what you want, consume what you want so long as you could defend yourself incase that supply wasnât unclaimed. Youâd gotten pretty handy with a gun in the most recent weeks. Cooper, you learned one night was his name, using empty glass bottles as targets to help teach you accuracy and how to hit things from a longer range. In exchange, you came a little more useful than he had first thought. You had some useful stuff on you for trade like chems, ammo and food, were a good extra bag to hold stuff in, and you were a better cook than youâd talked about. Sure you had a tendency to talk too much, and you werenât great with a gun, but you were getting there.
âMight I suggest takinâ them clothes instead of wearinâ that suit?â He said, making you look at him weird for suggesting you strip a dead raider of their clothes. âWhy would I do thatâŠ?â You asked, genuinely confused and not sure what he was implying either, he was a hard man to predict. âBecause, people see that shit and get real mad. People up here donât like vaulties or the ones that run âemâ he said and it made sense, it helped you understand why you kept getting evil glares each time someone would look at you or talk to you. You figured he knew best, so you took the shirt and pants from one of the female raiders, tucking them into your bag to change into at a better time. He gave a chuckle watching you do so, apologizing to the dead body profusely as you took their clothes and whatever valuables they had on them for the betterment of your own survival. You were still so naive, part of him was hoping he could slowly start to break and corrupt your way of thinking, but that was a thought for another time.
Before you knew it, night finally began to fall. The sun setting across the horizon gave the air less of a hot, harsh bite as the temperature began to cool rapidly across the sands of the Mojave. All you managed to grab was a pair of beat up, old jeans and a tank top, so as soon as the sun set, the chill set in. As you both set up camp for the night just outside of an abandoned rest stop, you started a fire to cook some of that stew you talked about being good at. He had to admit, it was pretty damn good, likely the best thing heâs had since before the bombs went off. Though even the kindling fire couldnât manage to chase the chill away, watching you run your hands up and down your arms to try and warm up some by it. He felt a slight pang in his heart, watching you shiver like that, how your eyes lit up by the blaze of the fire and your hair seemed to be tousled just right. You were pretty, too pretty to be trekking this wasteland, and certainly too pretty to be trekking it with him of all people as your company. Even he had a heart still, as cold as it was, so out of kindness he shrugged his duster from his shoulders, draping it around you. You looked at the fabric pooled around you, pulling it over you better before looking to him as he sat down across from you again. âAinât no use if the cold gets yaâ he said, making you smile appreciatively at him as you realized what he did. âThank youâ you replied, a slight blush fanning to your cheeks as the chattering of your teeth finally died down and you grew warmer. It smelled like him, sure it had splatters of old dried blood and was rather worn, but it had that gunpowder and smoke smell to it that you associated with him. âDonât say I never did nothinâ for yaâ he replied, trying to sound cold but it didnât come off that way, making you chuckle. âWhat do I owe you?â You asked, making him fall silent for a moment as he pondered the answer to your question. He looked you over for a second before tipping his hat down to cover his face a bit, the signal that he was about to try and get some sleep. âJust keep watch for a bit, Iâll be up in a few hoursâ he responded, and while it wasnât what you were expecting, youâd take it.
He was startled awake a couple hours later when he heard a commotion, you yelling at someone telling them to back off that this place had been claimed. The raider you were up against didnât seem to like that very much, claiming that wasnât how it worked up here. The altercation took a turn for the worst when the man reached for his gun but you were quick to fire and kill him before he could let out a shot. A shaky feeling set in your hands and a horrified expression across your face at the realization that you just killed someone. Cooper, who was certainly wide awake now, was rather impressed by your quick timing and precision, coming up behind you to lay a gloved hand to your shoulder. âWell would ya look at that, looks like them lessons been payinâ off after all. Howâs it feel?â He asked, looking down at you as you stared at the gun in your hands. âHe was yelling at me butâŠhe was aiming at you. I donât really know what came over me, I didnât like that he was going to shoot you so I justâŠI killed himâ you said, recounting the encounter to him as if he hadnât seen it himself. He didnât really know what to think in that moment as you explained how your mind worked, he was proud for sure at your show of improvement with a gun, yet also touched at the same time. No one ever really looked out for him since he started his bounty hunting, he was a well hated man by many but you defended him without really any reason to. Youâd just learned his name not but two weeks ago, and before that he was dragging you around with rope yet you still defended him, had you two really gotten closer in the time thatâs passed since? He wasnât sure, but it was something he could mull over while you were sleeping. âGet some rest vaultie, sunâll be up soonâ he said, knowing you likely wouldnât get much sleep with the adrenaline still coursing through you, but it was at least worth a try, you two had a long day ahead of you.
When you woke up that next morning, things felt a little different between you two. You werenât some annoying little dog following him anymore, you were an equal. He no longer looked at you and treated you like you were lower than him as you both set out across the wastelands, he had respect for you. Hell, he even started talking with you now when you were out traveling which was almost unbelievable. You learned through those conversations that he used to be an actor in Wild West themed films, explaining his outfit, and that he was married before the bombs dropped. You of course told him bits and pieces about yourself in exchange, after all it only felt fair but it was also nice to just finally talk to someone after all this time.
When night time fell again you two sat enjoying a meal by the fire together, only rather than across from each other, he sat next to you, making a blush come to your face as youâd smiled sweetly at him. âGlad to know I donât have germs anymoreâ you said jokingly, making him chuckle. âGive an old man some credit. It ainât exactly all peaches and marmalade out here darlinâ, even cute can be deadlyâ he said, the nickname and him calling you cute sending a deeper blush to your cheeks despite knowing itâs just how he spoke. Whether it was the lack of contact with other people for so long, or just his charm you couldnât quite tell, but it always seemed to have an effect on you. âJust teasinâ you, I get it. Iâd tie me up and use me for bait too if Iâd been doing this as long as you have. Itâs a shit hole out hereâ you said, making him look at you as you dropped the first curse word heâs ever heard from you. âWell Iâll be damned, either Iâm a bad influence or youâre finally growinâ outta that naive shell there, vaultieâ Cooper replied, making you laugh as you saw a smirk stretch to his thin, marred lips, the first one youâd seen in a while that wasnât brought on by drugs, chems or that first sip of a good bottle of alcohol. âProbably bothâ you quipped, making him chuckle. âYeah, probably. Been told I ainât easy to stomachâ he said, making you hum. âYouâre alright in my book, Coopâ you replied with a sweet, genuine smile that matched your tone and was that butterflies you felt in your stomach? Did you just call him Coop? No ones called him that in ages, why did it make his heart start to flutter a bit? âYou ainât so bad yourself, vaultieâ he responded, still affording you that small smile before turning back to his food. âKeep making food this good and I just might have to keep you aroundâ he joked, making you giggle and break the slightly tense silence. âItâs not much but I certainly try. Iâll definitely make sure to stay good at it, I like traveling with youâ you said, unintentionally coming off flirtatious and fuck there it goes again, that feeling in his chest and his stomach like he needed to hit his inhaler but he felt great. What were you doing to him?
âHey, if it isnât too much can I ask you a sort ofâŠpersonal question?â You asked, holding the beat up bowl in your hands as you looked over at him. This was normally the part where he would say no, absolutely not, he wasnât here to be questioned on his personal matters. Yet, with you, it was different. Ever since last night he hasnât been so on edge with you, it was like heâd warmed up to you. âDepends on what youâre askinâ there, sweetheartâ he said, the nickname once again making you blush. âDo youâŠmiss them? Your wife and daughter?â You asked, not sure if it was a good subject or good question to ask but after finding out, you were genuinely curious. He looked down at his bowl again, thinking of the proper response to your question. The old him would have been defensive, told you it was none of your business, but now? He wasnât sure. âAinât a day that goes by that I donât think about âem. About the way I ran out on âem when them bombs droppedâ he answered, making you give him a sad look as genuine guilt filled his tone. This was the most honest and open heâs been with you this whole time. âI feel guilty. Not sure if I feel guilty for runninâ out and leavinâ âem behind or guilty for the way I ran out, been tryinâ tâ figure that out for quite a while now and I still ainât sureâ he added, and you sympathized with that. Everyone has regrets, things theyâve done in the past that they arenât proud of, people up here were no different in that aspect. âWell, in the short time Iâve gotten to know you, Iâve come to understand that everything you do has a valid reason behind it. So even if you feel it was a shitty thing to do, you obviously had a reason for doing so. No one can blame you for trusting your gut, and I donât think you should blame yourself for doing soâ you responded, your hand falling to his as a comforting gesture, your words ringing in his head almost as if youâd opened something in his mind, something heâd never really gave himself to think about before. He looked down at your hand that rested on his, noticing the way you didnât flinch away from him like others did, the way you were brave enough to walk up to him, talk to him, *trust* him when he made it very clear that you shouldnât. It was smaller than his, softer for sure, but warm all the same, then he looked up to see that caring look in your eyes and smile on your face that told him that you cared. âGuess youâre right, still wonder sometimes if it was the right choice to makeâ he replied. âI understand. Everyone has regrets, we all look at the past and hold at least something that weâve done before in regret, itâs what makes us humanâ you said, making him give a huff as a chuckle. âYou got anybody?â He asked, making you look down as you moved your feet along the dirt. âAn ex-husband, but not anyone I really care about, no. My parents passed a few years before the bombings and he and I split up when I caught him cheating on me with some other woman in the vault..â you explained, not sure why it hurt you to tell the tale still, but you felt it was only fair considering what youâd asked of him to share. âSorry tâ hear thatâ Cooper said, making you chuckle weakly, a somber look coming to your face that made his heart wrench. âI havenât exactly been in love since, and considering he and I split up just a little over ten years ago, really says something I guess, huh?â You asked, trying to laugh to bring up the mood, knowing you sounded pathetic. âHe was the fool, not you darlinâ. He was the one skippinâ out on one hell of a womanâ Cooper said, making you look to him and blush a bit as you gave a chuckle at his response.
âThanksâ you replied appreciatively and with a smile before casting your gaze down to see your hands were still connected and it left you blushing harder with embarrassment, youâd been holding his hand this entire time without realizing it. âOh my gosh, Iâm so sorry! I didnât mean to make you uncomfortable if I have I-â ârelax vaultieâ he cut you off, pushing your hand back down onto his to assure you that he was far from uncomfortable. âItâsâŠrather nice actuallyâ he admitted, making you feel relieved but your heart fluttered in your chest from it. A thick tension soon began to set in between you both after that night, something of an unspoken, kindling romance beginning to develop. âThen there it can stayâ you said, making him smile softly at you, tipping his hat at you as a silent thank you.
Months passed on like this, where youâd spend the days scavenging, picking the land for its resources you could find and hunting bounties by day, then spending your nights by a fire growing closer and closer with every passing day. Through your shared meals, jokes, deep conversations, and plenty of near death experiences, you started to notice your fondness of the ghoul you traveled with. The way youâd hang onto his words with that southern accent that seemed to pull at your heart strings, or the way youâd go out of your way to stand between him and a stray bullet. Youâd helped him on more than one occasion in getting out of a sticky spot, or getting him the stuff he needed to keep from turning feral. In return, he started to notice he was feeling the same towards you. There was this sudden need to keep you safe, to do nicer things for you, to speak better towards you, even flirt with you at times. Some nights thereâd be so much tension in the air, itâs a miracle you havenât jumped each other yet. Though in his eyes, as much as his heart yearned for you, he knew you were too good for him. Youâd been hurt before, and he had a reputation for hurting people, feeling undeserving of even just the sweet smiles and company you afford him even now. You didnât need someone like him, you needed a good man, someone who didnât kill for a living, someone who could treat you right, someone who didnât look the way he did. You were soft and warm, he was rough and cold, though he supposed thatâs where the term âopposites attractâ came from. So even when he was a whole bottle deep, he was sure to hold his tongue to a certain point.
Some of those nights around the fire were spent sober, others not so much, and this night happened to be one of those nights spent under the influence. You two had stumbled across a mini-mart, doing your best to out run the radstorm that had been trailing you guys for hours, coming in just to find whatever supplies you could to make it through the next week and possibly hunker down for the night. So imagine your surprise when you seemed to have found the largest chem stache youâd both ever laid eyes on. âCoop! Come here, you gotta see thisâ you said, making him run towards you to make sure you werenât hurt or in trouble. His nerves were eased once he saw you, fully intact. âTell me Iâm not seeing shitâ you said, pointing to all of the supplies sitting in a box on the table, joined by other supplies around it. You both looked at each other in complete and utter disbelief, this would keep you stocked for months, maybe even a whole year if you conserved it well. âWell ainât that just the prettiest fuckinâ sightâ he said. There was no way a horde of chems this large and this valuable was just completely unprotected you reasoned, so you routed around the place, scoping out for any raiders, straggling traders or ferals who happened to still be around. It was as if heaven was shining down on you both as you found no one around, seemed like no one had been here for days. So you did the most logical thing anyone would do in this situation. Stuff each of your bags to the brim of drugs of all varieties! Seeing as you had food, chems and even some clean water and alcohol lying around, Cooper locked and barricaded the door shut, proposing it could be a good spot to sleep for the night. With a radstorm approaching, it was best to have a roof over your heads to keep out the rain and potential radiation sickness that came with it. âThis is the closest fuckinâ thing to a slice of heaven Iâve seen in agesâ he said, aside from you is what played in his mind but he couldnât speak that out loud, no matter how much he wanted to. âYou said it!â you replied, and itâs even better with you here you thought, but thought it best to keep it to yourself. He plopped down on the couch, kicking his feet up to rest on the small table that seemed to be in shambles, enjoying a tape that was playing on the TV that he was surprised to still see functioning. âHoly shit, this thing still works?â You asked, amazed to see working technology out in the wastelands, sitting next to him as you watched it with him. He gave a smirk at your reaction, thinking it was cute the way your eyes would light up when you got all excited over something. Deep down it made him want to give you everything you laid eyes on like that just to see it pointed towards him. âGuess soâ he replied, enjoying your excitement only to see you turn and look his way, which was his signal to stop staring holes into you before he gets caught. âI dunno about you baby doll, but I ainât about to spend tonight sober with this stache sittinâ here ân front of usâ he said, making you laugh as he routed through all the different drugs and chems til he found what he was looking for.
In the process of searching through it all, a small metal box fell to the floor at your feet. It looked like a box of mentats only the design was different, instead of the characteristic green and white box was a red one covered with hearts labeled DN-Chem. You supposed the worst that could happen was turn into the man sitting next to you, which you figured wasnât the worst fate to succumb to all things considered, so you went against all better judgement and said fuck it, popping two of the mentat like chems and chasing it with the vodka heâd found to wait for it to take effect. âThe hell is DN?â He asked, looking at the box, wondering what it was you took. âDonât know, guess weâll find out here soon because I took twoâ you said, taking another sip from the bottle of vodka he passed your way, and he gave a chuckle as you handed it back to him. âYou come a mighty long way, little ladyâ he commented before setting the metal pill box down. He took the bottle from you, taking a swig, then placing one of the small viles into his inhaler before taking a hit of it then lying back, breathing a sigh of relief as it and the alcohol entered his system like the perfect remedy to any ailment. As about a half an hour rolled by, you waited for the high to set in but it never came, instead you were just getting hot, like really hot. There werenât any windows open, and it was night time so you shouldnât be this uncomfortably hot for how it was but you felt like you were on fire. âShit, itâs hot as hell in hereâŠâ you complained, shaking off your jacket that youâd picked off of some raider a few weeks back, making him look to you curiously. âLightweightâ he quipped, making you chuckle. âAccept I donât feel anything, I just feel hotâ you said, making him hum with intrigue before turning back to the TV. âGive it some time, youâre new to all this. âm sure your body is wonderinâ what the hell you just put in itâ he said, and he had a good point, maybe it was just a side effect of not doing them so often compared to his every day use.
As time went on, you began to notice the way your eyes couldnât help but be glued to him, more specifically glued to the way his legs were now spread as he sat back. You wondered to yourself what he looked like beneath all that cowboy get up, what his reaction would be like to see you getting on your knees for him and slotting yourself between his spread legs. You shook your head to try and rid yourself of such inappropriate thoughts, but what you couldnât stop no matter how hard you tried was the feeling of arousal beginning to pool in your panties. Sure he flirted with you every now and again, but you doubt he felt towards you the same way you did for him. To him you were sure you were likely more akin to a pet than a friend, useful and nice to have around, but not anything further. At least so you thought. Youâd rather hoped you were wrong in assuming so, that maybe he saw you the same way you saw him. You bit your lip as you tried bouncing your leg to relieve the ache between your thighs, a light pink dusting your face and neck even up to the tips of your ears, but nothing worked. Even as you closed your eyes, all you could picture was you laid out on the couch beneath him, or bent over it with him behind you, or you riding him on it. âBeen awful quiet. You doinâ alright over there, sweetheart?â Cooper asked you, and the audible whimper you let out from the nickname left you completely embarrassed. You clasped a hand over your mouth, god you were horrified but he gave a grin and a chuckle in response. âIâm so sorry, I donât know whatâs gotten into me all the sudden. I feel soâŠweird?â you said, unsure if that was really the proper word to explain it but it was the only way you could really word it off the top of your head with how much your brain felt as if it was turning to mush. âYa took some chems, itâs gonna feel a bit fuzzyâ he said, trying to assure you that feeling a little funny was normal, but this? This didnât feel normal, not even for a chem high. You tried your best to swallow harshly, doing everything you could to try and relieve the dry ache you felt in your throat at the moment upon looking at him. You grabbed the bottle of vodka, taking a few sips but even that couldnât grant you bliss from it. The throbbing in your core was driving you absolutely insane. You swore up and down that it was like you could feel your heartbeat in your chest, stomach, and in your cunt all at the same time. âNo, this is differentâŠI donât think what I took was a normal chem, CoopâŠâ you said, trying not to panic at the effects that were setting in but god you felt like you were absolutely feral. He turned to look at you, watching as you clamped your thighs together and the red that fell over your face. âI feel like an animal in heatâ you said bluntly, making him go into a near coughing fit as you took him off guard. However that piqued his interest enough to pick up the little metal box again to see what it was you took. âI ainât ever heard of a chem that does that, was that DN shit the only stuff you took?â He asked, growing slightly concerned for you and whether he had a possible horde of laced chems, or just an extremely horny woman on his hands. Speaking of hands, you were lost in thought staring at them, at the way they gripped the couch like you wanted him to grip your thighs, at the way they looked in those leather gloves he always wore. You wondered how it would feel wrapped around your throat, or how it would feel if his fingers were buried deep inside of you. Shit. This was getting out of control.
âHey, ya with me still?â He asked, snapping to try and get your attention back on the matter at hand, making you shake your head yes as you broke from your perverted thoughts. âIs that DN shit the only thing you took?â He asked again, making you shake your head yes once more, because you knew damn well your voice was going to betray you the moment you tried to speak. That had to be it, it was the only thing that was different out of it all and the only thing heâd never heard of before. He knew it wasnât the vodka either because he was drinking it with you, so if it was affecting you, it would have affected him and it hadnât.
It took him a minute to put two and two together before he finally realized the abbreviations stood for Date Night, reading the instructions and effects on the inside of the tinâs lid. âShit..â he said as he read it, realizing this was a hand made thing thrown into the bunch by whoever was running this place. âDid you read the lid before you popped them pills?â He asked, making you go wide eyed. As if this couldnât get any fucking worse, this shit show could have been avoided had you just read the inside of the lid. âThere was instructions?? Oh my godâŠwhat the fuck did I take?â You asked, concerned for yourself and the tone he had while reading it. âSomethinâ that the creator of it called Date Night. Looks like itâs aâŠwell looks like itâs a handmade sex chemâ he said, making you cover your face with your hands out of sheer embarrassment, youâd never wanted to die out in a radstorm more than you did right now. âPlease tell me youâre fucking joking, cooperâŠâ you whined, watching him read it more. âHow much of it did you take?â He asked, almost scared to know and you were scared to know why. âTwo?â You replied, making him whistle at that as he read it. âFuckinâ hell sugar..â he said through a chuckle, and that nickname made a shiver run through you, sending electric bolts straight to your throbbing cunt. You did your best to bite back the whimper. âYouâre only sâpossed take one, and with you beinâ new tâ all this, I wouldnât have taken more than halfâ he said, making you just wish you could just dig a hole and die in it already. âFuck meâŠwait, shit! N-Not literally fuck me I- well I mean Iâd like if you did butâŠFUCK! Forgive me Cooper, Iâm so sorry, I can hardly think straightâ you said, making him chuckle. âWell sweetheart, I think you and I both know thereâs only one good fix for this situationâ he said, making you whimper pathetically at the thought, your thighs squeezing together even more as you tried to fight to stay sane. Your eyes cast downwards to his lap once more, seeing the tent forming in his pants, clearly you werenât the only one all worked up here. âI donât want to make you feel like you have to, Coop. I can run off and take care of myself if it makes you uncomfort-â you rambled but before you could finish, his hand cupped the side of your face, pulling you in for a long awaited kiss. You moaned into it without meaning to, feeling the way your body immediately relaxed upon wrapping your arms around him with no hesitation as the sweet innocent kiss turned passionate and dirty rather quickly.
âI wonât lie tâ you, doinâ this with you has passed my mind more times than Iâd care to admit, but I donât wanna cross that line unless you really want thisâ he said, looking into your eyes and making sure that this was truly what you wanted, that you felt the same way he did. âCoop, I know Iâm under the influence of whatever the fuck this drug is, but trust me when I say, Iâd be just as good with it sober. Been thinking about it for probably just as long as you have, if Iâm honest with you. I want this, I want you and right now I want you so fucking bad that I might lose my mind if you donât fuck meâ you answered bluntly, taking him by surprise at just the sheer amount of absolute filth that left your otherwise innocent mouth, making him chuckle at your use of curse words and how desperate you were for him. âThat so sugar?â He asked with a grin, enjoying teasing you at your neediest moments, including now. âGod yes, Cooper please..â you begged, nearly moaning in reply and heâd spent time mulling over it before, denying himself the chance but just as the chem stache was a pot of gold, he took this as one of the best opportunities being placed in his lap by whatever higher power existed out there, making him waste no time in kissing you once more. âGood, because I donât think Iâd be able to hold myself back once weâve startedâ he said, and the idea made you moan. âDonât want you to hold back, want all of youâ you said, and your wish was his command.
By the time your brain could finally catch up with you again, your clothes were strewn out all around you, your tank top hanging over the back of the couch, your jeans thrown haphazardly on the arm rest behind you, his pants on the floor, his hat on the table and shirt and duster having fallen somewhere behind the couch. By now, youâd already cum on his fingers twice, and on his cock once, this was your fourth round and this shit still had you on fire. âYes!! Oh fuck, Cooper!â you moaned as your legs wrapped around his hips, keeping him as close to you as you could get, your fingers digging crescent shapes and puffy red lines into his back that unfortunately he knew wouldnât stay long thanks to his ability to heal stupidly fast. âDoinâ so good for me, baby doll. Look so pretty like this for me, all splayed out like a needy little whoreâ he praised and degraded through his groans, making you moan and roll your eyes into the back of your head at the praise mixed with degradation as his cock was drilling deep inside you like tonight was all you guys had. âYeah, you like that, huh sweet thing? Like it when I tell you how good it feels and call you names?â He asked, making you nod your head yes because there wasnât a single thought in that brain of yours other than his name, which you spoke like a mantra. âNever knew such a sweet lilâ thing like you would be such a dirty little minx. FuckâŠenough to make a man like me go feral, ya know that?â he said, making you giggle as you moved his free hand up to your throat, urging him to choke you, and he groaned at the sight. Your kiss swollen lips all puffy and shining with spit, your cheeks dusted a constant pink that grew darker anytime his cock brushed that spot deep inside that made you cling to him, your eyes half lidded, looking up at him like he was your savior. It made him absolutely rock hard knowing youâd pick him over anyone else in this god forsaken wasteland. âMy, you are just a little freak, ainât you? Oh we are gonna have fun together, you and me honeyâ he promised, squeezing your throat tight enough to restrict your airflow but not enough to hurt or cause any damage. Just enough to get that puddle of a brain of yours all fuzzy as you got closer to your fourth orgasm of the night. âCooperâŠâm so close, so close please!!â You begged, feeling the heavy drag of his cock as he pounded into you, leaving you damn near screaming as it nudged your cervix and that spongy little bundle of nerves deep inside. âGo on honey, I gotchya. Let go for me, wanna see those pretty faces and hear those pretty noises you makeâ he said, angling his hips just right to hit that spot over and over again. âOh fuck, oh fuck Iâm gonna cum again, I-â you warned before your moans rose in pitch as your walls clamped around him, gushing on his cock as your orgasm hit you like a freight train. Your body arched off the couch, stars filling your vision for a moment as you felt your release gush out and coat your inner thighs, screaming his name like it was your only chance at salvation. âWell ainât I just the damn luckiest man in the wastelands right now, got me a pretty little vaultie and sheâs a gusherâ he said, making you whimper at his teasing but judging by the way he emptied himself inside you for the second time, you took it as a sign that he liked that about you. âHoly shit, I-I didnât know I could do thatâ you said, thoroughly shocked with what your brain and body were doing as they almost seemed to almost be working against each other. âDo it again for meâ he said, grabbing you and moving you both to where you were straddling him this time. His hands rested on your hips, helping guide you as you speared yourself on his dick with ease from how absolutely soaked you were, making you both throw your head back and moan. âNow thatâs a damn good sightâ he said, making you lean in to kiss him once more as his hands helped you start and keep a steady rhythm with your hips. It was definitely going to be a long night, but one you two have been needing for months, maybe even longer.
Itâs a good thing ghouls have remarkable recovery time, because in order to finally get you sated and back to normal, you both had to spend all night going at it. Granted, it was aided by the mix of pent up sexual tension and pent up sexual frustration, but it was dawn before you both had gotten to a point where you could even *try* and fall sleep. First few times was on the couch between missionary, doggy and you riding him, next was you bent over it, with your pretty legs spread and ass in the air for him. Then, you used the arm rest of the couch as a pillow beneath your hips as he stood up while you laid out on the couch. He liked that one a lot for the way your tits would bounce with each and every forceful thrust into you, jolting your body. After that, it was done standing up with your back pressed against a wall, your legs and arms wrapped around him to keep him deep inside of you and fill you til he had nothing left to give you. From that point on, the rest of the night was all a hormone-hazed blur, but you knew well that he took care of you. You woke up unbelievably sore, your joints aching in places that you had no idea could even ache, a swollen, angry throb between your legs for the harsh, almost punishing treatment to your pussy followed by bruises, bite marks, scratch marks, hand prints etc. littered your skin as you woke up curled into Cooperâs side. You gave a gravelly groan as the sun shone in your eyes through the windows, making him chuckle at the way you were such a ray of sunshine except in the morning. Coming to learn that you absolutely *hated* mornings. Though you suppose you started to enjoy them more since traveling with him. âMorninâ sunshineâ he said coyly, making you groan disapprovingly at the way the sun was in your eyes, making you hold your hand up to cast a shadow on your face and grant you some relief. âMorningâ you answered, your voice hoarse and half gone from sleep and all your activities that transpired the previous night. âAinât that a pretty sightâ he said, turning and seeing you curled up to him, naked, your hair all messy from sleep and the hickeys and bite marks littering your skin, making you chuckle. âLast night was definitely something, canât believe youâve been holding all *that* out on meâ you joked, making him give a dry laugh. âCould say the same thing about you, sugar. Had no idea that mind a yours could be so filthy. Youâre a wild thing to party with, lilâ ladyâ he teased, sliding his arm around you to keep you close, making you hum as you lay soft, appreciative kisses to his collarbone and chest. âYouâre fun too, and thank you for taking care of me last night. Iâm sorry that it ended up happening the way that it did, I wanted to work up the courage and tell you some other way, I really did, but I guess life had other plansâ you said making him chuckle as he saw you blush when he kissed your head. âDrunk words are sober thoughts they say, so Iâd say I made out pretty good. But donât sweat it, not sure how I deserved someone as good as you, but itâs good to know I ainât as hard to stomach as most people sayâ he said, pulling you in for a soft, heartfelt kiss. âI think you are just perfect, Cooperâ you said, your hand resting on his scarred chest as you looked at him with that gaze he swore heâd do anything to see pointed his way.
âYou really wanna be my girl?â He asked softly, sounding shocked and with some self doubt still lacing his tone, but he had to be sure this was what you wanted outside of the drugâs effects. He cared for you deeply, in a way that he hasnât felt in a very long time, but maybe you were just the right person for him to finally open his heart up to. His question made you giggle as your heart fluttered in your chest with excitement. âI absolutely do, I meant it when I said it last night, I mean it just as much now. I think weâve danced around it for long enough, donât you?â you replied, making him smile the most genuinely happy smile youâve seen him wear since youâd met. âJust checkinââ he said, before laying a sweet kiss to your lips, wishing every morning could be like this one. Maybe it could, now that you were here with him.
When you gonna stop breaking my heart
Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x reader
Angst(with a happy ending?)
Summary: He holds her like sheâs his. He loves her like heâs afraid to admit it. But love canât survive on almost, and sheâs tired of waiting.
Note: I came up with this idea when listening to Stereo Love. And the sentence âwhen you gonna stop breaking my heartâ gave me inspiration!!
You fall asleep against him the first time by accident.
It isnât romantic. It isnât deliberate. Itâs just late, and the fire has burned low, and the day has been long in the way only wasteland days can be, loud and dusty and endless.
Youâre sitting close because itâs cold. Thatâs all. Your shoulder brushes his. Your knee nudges his thigh. He doesnât move away.
You tell yourself youâre just resting your eyes. You wake to weight. Leather. Worn and warm and familiar.
His coat is draped over your shoulders, heavy enough to ground you. Your cheek is pressed against something solid, his chest, you realize slowly. His arm is wrapped around your waist, not tight, just steady. Like he put it there without thinking.
You donât move right away. His hand shifts slightly when you breathe in.
âDonât get used to it,â he mutters, voice rough with sleep.
You smile against him. âI wonât.â But you do.
It starts like that. Not with a confession. Not with a decision. Just proximity. Just his hand finding your back in crowded settlements.
Just the way he steps slightly in front of you when someone gets too close.
Just the way he says your name, not sweetheart, not darlinâ, but your actual name, when a gunshot rings out.
You start noticing patterns. He always looks for you first. After every fight. After every explosion. After every moment the world threatens to swallow something whole.
His eyes find you.
And when they do, something in his shoulders relaxes. You tell yourself that means something. You donât ask him what.
The first time he kisses you, itâs quiet. No build up. No teasing.
Youâre standing too close. Youâre arguing about something small, directions, maybe, and your voices drop instead of rise.
He looks at you differently. Not amused. Not detached. Just focused.
His hand comes up slowly, fingers brushing the side of your neck like heâs testing whether youâll pull away. But you donât.
His mouth is warm. Slow and careful, but not hungry. Not careless. Like heâs memorizing something. Your heart stutters against your ribs.
When he pulls back, his forehead rests briefly against yours.
âDonât get attached,â he says softly. You laugh. Like itâs a joke. Like it doesnât land somewhere deep and sharp.
âI wonât,â you say again.
He kisses you once more before stepping back. Thatâs when you should have asked what he meant. But you donât.
ââââ
Weeks pass. Then months. He kisses you when the nights are too long. When the wind howls too loud against abandoned walls. When you almost leave to take a separate contract and he says, âstay.â
But he never says why. He calls you darlinâ in front of strangers. Lets people assume. Lets their eyes linger on the way you stand too close.
He doesnât correct them. But he doesnât confirm it either. Some nights he sleeps with his arm heavy across your waist like it belongs there.
Other nights he sits just far enough away that you feel the space. You never know which version of him youâre getting. Thatâs the part that starts to hurt. Not the distance. The inconsistency.
Because when heâs close, heâs close. When he looks at you like youâre the only thing still alive in the world, it feels real.
And when he pulls away, it feels like you imagined it.
You donât realize youâre falling in love. It doesnât hit all at once. It happens in fragments. In the way you wait for him to sit beside you instead of anywhere else.
In the way you memorize the weight of his hand on your hip.
In the way your chest tightens when he disappears for two days without a word. You tell yourself he always comes back. He does. That has to mean something. Right?
The first time he leaves without touching you goodbye, you feel it. You donât say anything. You donât ask.
You just watch him walk away with that lazy, confident stride. He doesnât look back.
And for the first time, you wonder if youâve been the only one counting the moments.
âââââ
It happens in a town that smells like old wood and stale whiskey.
Youâre leaning against the bar while he negotiates a payout, hat tipped low, voice smooth and careless in that way that always seems calculated. The bartender glances between the two of you more than once.
Itâs the kind of look youâve grown used to. Curiosity. People assume things. You donât correct them. He doesnât either.
The job closes clean. Caps exchanged. No blood spilled this time. As you turn to leave, a man near the door nods toward you both.
âYou two travel together?â
Itâs a harmless question. You donât think much of it.
âYeah,â you say easily.
At the same time, Cooper answers, âSometimes.â The word lands wrong. You glance at him. He doesnât look at you.
The man chuckles. âMust be easier out there, havinâ someone watch your back.â
Cooper shrugs.
âDepends.â
âOn what?â
He slides his revolver back into its holster, expression unreadable.
âOn how long they stick around.â
The man laughs again, but you donât. You wait for him to say something else. To clarify. To reach for your hand. To smirk and correct it. To throw an arm over your shoulder and say, âsheâs with me.â
He doesnât. Instead, he pushes open the saloon door and steps out into the dust without looking back. You follow.
You donât bring it up right away. You tell yourself you misheard. You tell yourself it didnât mean anything.
He walks beside you like always. Close enough that your shoulders brush every few steps. Close enough that his hand hovers at your waist when a group of settlers pass too near.
Like heâs used to protecting whatâs his. The thought makes your chest ache. That night, the fire burns low and quiet. He sits across from you, cleaning his gun in slow, steady motions.
You watch the way the light flickers across his face. You try to swallow it. But you donât.
âSometimes?â you ask finally.
He doesnât look up.
âSometimes what, darlinâ?â
âYou said we travel together sometimes.â
He slides the cloth through the barrel.
âWe do.â
âThatâs not what you meant.â
Now he looks at you. Not defensive, just calmly.
âYou readinâ into things?â
You shake your head.
âI just didnât realize I was temporary.â
The word sits heavy between you. Temporary. His jaw shifts slightly.
âThat ainât what I said.â
âItâs what you implied.â
He sets the revolver down slowly.
âOut here,â he says evenly, âeveryoneâs temporary.â
The answer feels rehearsed. You nod once.
âRight.â
Silence stretches. You wait for him to soften it. To reach for you. To say youâre different. He doesnât. Instead, he leans back, hat shadowing his eyes.
âDonât start buildinâ something that ainât there, sweetheart.â
That one hits. Not loudly, just careful. Like heâs trying to save you from something. You swallow.
âAnd what is there, then?â
He doesnât answer immediately. The fire pops between you.
Finally, âWe travel good together.â
Thatâs it. Thatâs all he offers. You nod again. You donât cry. You donât yell. You just feel something inside you shift quietly. Not breaking. Not yet. Just bending.
Later, when he lies down beside you, his arm still finds your waist. He still pulls you closer in his sleep. Still presses his mouth against your hair like he always does. Like it means something. And you let him. Because it feels real when he does it.
Even if he refuses to say it is.
ââââ
You donât decide to pull away. Not consciously. You just stop reaching first. Itâs small. So small he might not notice.
When you sit by the fire that night, you choose the other side. Not far. Just not within armâs reach. He doesnât say anything. But his eyes flick up once, measuring the space.
You pretend not to see it.
The next morning, when you saddle your horse, you donât wait for him. Usually you linger.
Usually you ask which direction he wants to take. Today, you mount first.
He comes out of the abandoned house a few minutes later, hat low, scanning the horizon like he always does. He pauses when he sees you already mounted.
âYou in a rush, darlinâ?â
âNo.â
You click your tongue at the horse.
âJust figured you knew the way.â
He studies you for a second too long. Then swings into his saddle. You ride side by side. But you donât brush knees this time.
At the next settlement, someone asks about a contract. You step forward before he does. You negotiate the pay. You set the conditions. You donât look at him for confirmation. He lets you speak. But you feel his gaze the entire time.
Later, when you collect your half of the caps, you donât hand them to him automatically. You tuck them into your own pocket. His brow lifts slightly.
âYou goinâ independent on me?â
âThought everyone was temporary.â
The words slip out before you can stop them. He goes still. Just for a second. Then that lazy half smile returns.
âYou keep that up, sweetheart, I might start thinkinâ youâre mad.â
âIâm not.â
You arenât. Thatâs the problem. Youâre just tired.
That night, the fire feels different. Colder. You lie down without waiting for him. You face away. You donât mean to make a statement. You just donât want to anticipate his arm around you. You donât want to hope.
A few minutes pass.
Then the ground shifts behind you. He lies down. Closer than you expect. His hand rests at your waist. You donât lean back into it. You stay still. He notices. His thumb presses lightly against your side. Like hems testing you. You donât respond.
The silence stretches.
Finally, âYou planninâ to ignore me all night?â
âIâm sleeping.â
âMm.â
His hand doesnât move. But it doesnât tighten either.
âDidnât mean it like that,â he mutters quietly.
You donât turn around.
âMean what?â
He exhales softly through his nose.
âYou know.â
You do.
But you make him say it.
âThat Iâm temporary?â
He doesnât answer immediately. The fire outside crackles faintly.
âYou ainât,â he says finally.
Not convincing. Not solid. Just⊠there. You close your eyes.
âThatâs not what you said.â
His fingers flex once at your waist.
âI donât do labels.â
âI wasnât asking for one.â
The words come out softer than you intend. Thereâs a difference between asking to be owned and asking to be chosen. He doesnât understand that. Or maybe he does. Thatâs worse.
You feel his forehead brush lightly against the back of your shoulder. A quiet, almost unconscious touch.
âDonât start makinâ this complicated,â he murmurs.
You almost laugh. Like it isnât already.
âââ-
The next few days follow the same pattern. You donât sit as close. You donât laugh as loud. You donât respond every time he calls you sweetheart. The first time you ignore it, he notices. The second time, he stops mid sentence.
The third time, âDidnât hear me, darlinâ?â
You look at him.
âYou call everyone that.â
Something flickers across his face. You hold his gaze.
âAnd I donât share.â
The words hang between you. He doesnât tease. Doesnât smirk. Just studies you. Long and careful. And for the first time, he looks unsettled.
âââââ-
It happens three towns later. You donât plan it. Youâre just⊠lighter. Or maybe youâre pretending to be.
The contract was easy. Too easy. The kind that leaves your adrenaline high and nowhere to put it. Thereâs music in the square. Cheap liquor. A fire bigger than necessary. Someone hands you a drink. You take it. You donât look at him first. Thatâs new.
A man from another caravan starts talking to you, tall, sunburned and harmless. He tells a bad joke. The man steps closer. Not too close. Just enough. You donât move away.
Across the square, Cooper leans against a wooden beam, arms crossed, hat low. He looks like heâs not paying attention. But you know he is.
The man says something else. You touch his arm briefly when you laugh. You donât realize youâve done it. But Cooper does. His jaw tightens. Only slightly.
Lucy notices immediately. She glances at him. Then at you. Then wisely decides to stare into her cup instead. The man leans in.
âDidnât peg you for the quiet type,â he says.
âIâm not.â
âOh yeah?â
You shrug. âJust selective.â
The man grins. Behind you, boots shift in the dirt. You feel him before you see him. That warmth at your back again. That presence that fills space without asking.
âYou keepinâ her entertained?â Cooper asks lazily . His tone is light. Almost amused. The man straightens slightly.
âJust talkinâ.â
Cooper hums.
âMm.â
He doesnât look at you. He looks at the man. Then his hand settles at your waist. Not gripping. Just resting. Like muscle memory.
âShe gets bored easy,â he says casually.
The manâs smile falters just slightly. You glance up at Cooper. His face is unreadable.
âYou donât get to decide that,â you say calmly.
His eyes flick down to you. A spark shimmering in them.
The man clears his throat. âDidnât realize you two wereââ
âWe ainât,â Cooper says quickly. Too quickly. The word lands heavier than it should. You step out from under his hand. The air shifts instantly. The man takes the opportunity and excuses himself. Coward.
You donât look at Cooper right away. You feel the space he left.
âYou didnât have to do that,â you say evenly.
âDo what?â
âClaim me.â
His mouth tilts.
âDidnât.â
You finally meet his eyes.
âYou tried.â
He steps closer.
Close enough that the firelight catches in the lines of his face.
âYou were lettinâ him get real comfortable, sweetheart.â
âAnd?â
His jaw tightens.
âAnd you donât know him.â
âYou donât own me.â
The words are soft. But sharp. He exhales slowly.
âI ainât sayinâ I do.â
âBut you donât like it.â
Silence stretches between you. He doesnât answer. Doesnât deny it. Just looks at you like heâs trying to figure something out.
âYou donât get jealous,â he says finally.
âYou do.â
That lands. His hand flexes slightly at his side.
âYou testinâ me?â he asks.
You tilt your head.
âMaybe.â
The corner of his mouth twitches.
âCareful.â
âWhy?â
His gaze darkens just slightly.
âWouldnât want you thinkinâ I care more than I do.â
That one hurts. Because you donât know if itâs a warning, or a lie. You step back first.
âI wouldnât.â
You leave him standing there. He doesnât follow immediately. But you feel his eyes on you the entire time.
âââ-
Later, when you lie down, he hesitates before joining you. Thatâs new. When he finally settles behind you, his arm wraps around your waist again. Tighter than usual.
You donât lean back. He notices. His voice is low when he speaks.
âYou enjoy that?â
âThe conversation?â
He exhales softly against your shoulder.
âYou know what I mean.â
You donât answer.
After a long moment, his grip tightens just slightly.
âDonât make me compete for somethinâ that ainât even mine,â he mutters.
There is something. Thatâs a slip. Itâs not loud or dramatic, but itâs there. You close your eyes.
âThen maybe decide what it is.â
He doesnât reply. But he doesnât let go either.
ââââ-
The job is supposed to be simple. In and out. Two men holed up in an abandoned rail station. Nothing complicated. It goes wrong immediately. The first shot isnât aimed at you. The second one is.
You barely register the crack of the rifle before something slams into your shoulder and knocks you sideways.
You hit the ground hard. The world tilts. Dust fills your mouth. For half a second, you donât hear anything.
Then, You hear him.
âGet down!â
Thereâs something in his voice youâve never heard before.
Raw.
The gunfire is loud, messy. You push yourself up, disoriented, reaching for your weapon, a hand grabs you hard around the arm and drags you behind the crumbling wall.
Itâs him.
He shoves you down behind cover and turns immediately, firing twice without hesitation. One of the men drops. The other runs.
Cooper doesnât chase. He doesnât even look. Heâs already turning back to you.
âAre you hit?â he demands.
You blink at him.
âIâm fine.â
He grabs your face with both hands. Firm. Grounded. His thumbs press into your cheeks like heâs making sure youâre solid.
âAre. You. Hit.â
The words are tight. You shake your head.
âNo.â
He exhales sharply, like something just released from his chest. His forehead presses against yours. Youâve never felt him breathe like that before. Fast and unsteady.
âDonât do that,â he mutters.
âDo what?â
âScare me.â
The words hit harder than the bullet ever could have. You go still. He doesnât seem to realize what he said. His grip softens slightly, but he doesnât pull away.
âYou moved without cover,â he continues, voice rough now. âCanât have you makinâ mistakes like that.â
You search his face.
âThatâs not what you meant.â
He goes quiet. The world around you fades. Lucyâs voice in the distance. The wind. The dust. Itâs just him. And the way his hands are still holding you like you might disappear.
âYou thought I was hit,â you say softly.
He doesnât deny it. His jaw tightens.
âDonât make me think like that again.â
Your chest tightens.
âWhy?â
The question is barely above a whisper. He hesitates. And for one fragile second, y think heâs going to say it. You think heâs going to look at you and finally choose something.
Instead, he pulls back slightly.
âBecause I canât afford it,â he says.
The words fall flat. You nod slowly.
âRight.â
He lets his hands drop. But he doesnât step away. He lingers. Eyes scanning your face like heâs memorizing it. That night, he doesnât sit across from you. He sits beside you. Closer than usual. His thigh pressed to yours.
When you lie down, he pulls you into him without hesitation. No teasing. No nickname. Just his arm wrapped tight around your waist. His chin resting on the top of your head. You donât say anything. You donât ask.
You just let yourself believe this is different. He was scared. He said so. That has to mean something. Right?
As you drift toward sleep, his voice brushes your ear. Low. Almost unwilling.
âDonât make me lose you.â
Itâs so quiet you almost think you imagined it. You turn slightly toward him.
âI wonât.â
He doesnât respond. But his grip tightens.
âââ-
For a while, it changes. Not loudly.Not in a way you can point at.Just⊠subtly.
He sits beside you without hesitation now. Not across the fire. Not leaning against some distant wall. Beside you.
Close enough that your thighs touch. Close enough that when he shifts, you feel it. He doesnât pull away. He doesnât make a joke about it. He just stays.
He reaches for you first. Thatâs new. When you step into a crowded trading post, his hand settles at the small of your back without thinking.
When a stranger brushes too close, he angles his body in front of yours. When a gunshot cracks in the distance, his fingers catch your wrist before you even react. Instinct. Like youâre his to protect.
He doesnât comment on it. You donât either. But you feel it.
The first time he introduces you differently, it almost knocks the breath out of you.
A caravan guard looks between you both and asks, âShe with you?â
He doesnât laugh. Doesnât deflect. Doesnât say sometimes. He just answers âYeah.â Simple and easy.
Like itâs obvious. Your heart trips over itself. You donât look at him right away. You donât want him to see it on your face. But later, when you do glance at him, heâs watching you.
And he doesnât look amused. He looks⊠steady.
That night, he kisses you first. No teasing. No warning. Just his hand sliding into your hair and pulling you into him like heâs been thinking about it all day.
Itâs slower than usual. Less playful. When he rests his forehead against yours afterward, he doesnât pull away immediately.
âStill here,â he murmurs.
It sounds almost like reassurance. You smile.
âI am.â
âââ
You start leaning in again. You let yourself laugh louder. You sit closer. You stop measuring the distance between you at night. When he calls you sweetheart, it feels different now. Not careless. Intentional.
Lucy notices. Of course she does. âHeâs different,â she mutters one night when he steps away to check the perimeter.
You pretend not to react.
âDifferent how?â
âLike he finally realized what heâs got.â
Your chest warms at that. You donât say anything. But you believe her. Because it feels true. He looks at you like something he doesnât want to lose. He touches you like youâre staying. He sleeps with his arm tight around you every night. No space. No hesitation.
You start thinking, this is it. This is the shift. He just needed time. He just needed to realize it. You stop bracing yourself for the pull away. You stop guarding your heart so carefully. You let it settle. You let it root.
You let yourself imagine what staying might look like.
One evening, when the fire is low and the world is quiet, he traces his thumb lazily along your hip.
âYou still planninâ on takinâ that solo contract next month?â he asks.
You shake your head.
âNo.â
âWhy not?â
You hesitate.
âDonât feel like leavinâ.â
He goes still. Just slightly. His thumb stops moving.
âGood,â he says after a moment.
The word is soft. And it feels like a promise. You close your eyes. And for the first time, you stop wondering if youâre temporary.
ââââ-
It happens when youâre not expecting it. Which makes it worse.
The job is done. The caps are split. The road is quiet for once, dust settling in gold streaks under the setting sun.
Youâre sitting beside him, shoulder to shoulder, sharing a bottle you donât really need.Itâs peaceful. Comfortable.
His thigh is pressed to yours. His hand rests loosely on your knee.Youâve stopped questioning it. Youâve stopped bracing. You let yourself feel steady.
He tips the bottle back, then hands it to you.
âMight head west after this,â he says casually.
You blink. The words donât register at first.
âWest?â
âYeah.â
He shrugs lightly, eyes still on the horizon. âGot a lead out that way. Bigger contracts. Better pay.â
You wait. You wait for the second part. For the âwe.â It doesnât come. The wind moves through the dry grass around you. You swallow.
âWhen?â
âCouple weeks.â
Still no we. You stare at the bottle in your hands.
âAnd Lucy?â
âSheâll decide.â
He says it like itâs simple.
Like youâre all separate pieces moving independently.
You look at him slowly.
âAnd me?â
Now he looks at you. Thereâs a flicker there. Small. He didnât think that far ahead.
âYou got options,â he says evenly.
The words feel like a bruise.
âI thought we were good,â you say before you can stop yourself.
âWe are.â
âThen why does it sound like youâre leaving?â
He exhales softly.
âItâs just a contract, darlinâ.â
You donât flinch at the nickname this time. Thatâs what scares him.
âYou didnât say we,â you say quietly.
Silence. He looks back at the horizon.
âDonât start readinâ into things.â
There it is again. The wall deflecting you. After weeks of closeness. After the arm around your waist. After âdonât make me lose you.â After âgood.â Your chest tightens.
âIâm not reading into anything,â you say calmly.
âIâm listening.â
His jaw shifts.
âYou knew what this was.â
The sentence lands heavier than he intends. Or maybe exactly as heavy as he intends. You nod slowly.
âYeah.â
You hand the bottle back. Your fingers brush his. He doesnât pull away. But he doesnât hold on either.You stand.
âIâm gonna check the horses.â
You donât look back.
âââ-
That night feels different. He lies beside you like always. Arm around your waist. Chin near your shoulder. But something has shifted. You donât lean back into him. You donât press your hand over his. You lie still. His thumb traces a lazy line against your hip.
âYouâre quiet,â he murmurs.
âI know.â
âYou mad?â
âNo.â
Youâre just⊠tired.
âWest ainât tomorrow,â he says after a moment.
âI know.â
âYou could come.â
Finally. You close your eyes.
âYou didnât say that earlier.â
He doesnât respond immediately. His grip tightens slightly.
âI didnât think I had to.â
You let out a slow breath.
âThatâs the problem.â
Silence. The fire outside crackles faintly.
âDonât make this somethinâ it ainât,â he says softly.
Your throat tightens.
âAnd what is it, then?â
He doesnât answer. Because he doesnât know how. Or he wonât. You swallow the ache.
âGet some sleep,â you whisper.
He doesnât argue. But he doesnât let go either.
âââ-
He notices it before you say anything. The distance.
You still walk beside him. Still take contracts. Still lie down near him at night. But you donât lean into his touch anymore. You donât respond when he calls you sweetheart. You donât reach for his hand, donât wait for his arm to circle your waist. Youâve stopped expecting it.
And thatâs what unsettles him.
Three nights after he mentioned heading west, the fire burns low between you. You sit on the opposite side, not far, just far enough. The silence stretches longer than usual, thick and watchful. He studies you for a long moment before speaking.
âYou planninâ on sayinâ somethinâ?â he asks quietly.
You look up at him. âI have been.â
âThat so?â
âYou just donât hear it.â
The wind shifts, carrying sparks upward. He rises slowly and steps around the fire, boots soft against the dirt until heâs standing a few feet away.
âYouâre pullinâ away,â he says.
âYes.â
âWhy.â
It isnât really a question. Itâs frustration wrapped in restraint.
You take a breath, steadying yourself. âYou only hold me when you think Iâm leaving.â
His jaw tightens.
âYou only choose me when itâs convenient,â you continue, voice calm but fragile around the edges. âWhen I get hurt. When someone else gets close. When youâre scared I wonât stay.â
âThat ainât fair,â he mutters.
A tired laugh slips from you. âIt is.â
He steps closer. Not aggressively, just enough that the firelight catches in his eyes. âDonât do that.â
âDo what?â
âAct like I donâtââ He stops himself.
You hold his gaze. âLike you donât what?â
Silence answers first.
âYou knew what this was,â he says finally, falling back on the same shield heâs always used.
âI did,â you admit. âBut it changed. You changed.â
He looks at you then, really looks at you, like heâs trying to see the moment it shifted.
âYou panic when I get hurt. You get jealous. You say stay. You say good,â you whisper. âYou hold me like Iâm yours.â
Your voice trembles now, but you donât stop.
âBut you wonât say I am. You wonât say youâre staying. You wonât say you love me.â
The word hangs there between you, heavier than anything else youâve thrown at him.
âWhen are you gonna stop breaking my heart, Cooper?â
It isnât loud. It isnât angry. Itâs exhausted.
He freezes like youâve struck something he didnât know was exposed.
âI ainât breakinâ it,â he says softly.
âYou are.â
âI never promised you nothinâ.â
âThatâs the problem.â
The fire pops between you. He runs a hand over his face like the world just became too complicated.
âI donât know how to do that,â he admits at last. âI donât know how to stay without ruinâ it.â
âThatâs not your choice to make.â
âI ruin things,â he says roughly. âI ruin people.â
âYou already risked me,â you answer. âThe moment you let me fall.â
The truth settles heavy in the air.
âI love you,â you say, because youâre done pretending otherwise. âIâve loved you for a long time.â
His breathing changes. The confession lands harder on him than the accusation ever did.
âAnd you donât get to keep me halfway,â you continue, quieter now. âYou either choose me⊠or you let me go.â
He steps closer until thereâs barely space between you. His hand lifts, hesitates, hovers inches from your face. He looks afraid, not of you, but of the weight of the decision.
âI donât know how to stay,â he says, voice stripped raw. âBut I donât want you gone.â
Tears blur your vision. âYou donât get both.â
He closes his eyes briefly, as if steadying himself against something far bigger than gunfire or contracts or the road west.
When he opens them, something is different. Not softer, just resolved.
âIâm stayinâ,â he says.
Your breath catches. âNo west?â
âNo west.â
âAnd you donât get to take it back when it scares you.â
His jaw tightens. âThen donât let me.â
This time, when he reaches for you, it isnât out of fear of losing you. It isnât because youâre halfway gone.
Itâs because heâs choosing to.
His hands settle on your face, careful and certain. His forehead presses to yours, steady.
âI love you,â he says, like the words are unfamiliar but solid. âIâm stayinâ.â
For the first time, thereâs no almost in it.
You lean into him, not because youâre afraid heâll disappear, but because he didnât.
The fire burns low. The road can wait. And this time, he does.
Guys im kinda tired of the older man x younger girlfriend trope đ not every fanfic with a gruff older guy has to have a young or naive coquette girlfriend đđđđđ
I say this because I want some variety with my favorite characters đâïž

