For the two word prompts: 'let me' (character(s) of your choice!)
An ending after this and this
Institute Ending
Pairing: M!SSxMacCready
Five months post Railroad and Brotherhood Destruction
It didn’t get easier.
Not for Nate, not for MacCready.
They parted ways with a punch to the gut. Yeah Nate deservedit, he knew it and MacCready disappeared to the Capital to be with his son, andNate thought he’d never see him again.
But here he was, standing before him. Same dirty rat face,same half snarl across his features. His mouth a streak across his face, mean,but Nate’s heart still skipped a beat as he recalled his mouth skirting Mac’sthroat, sinking into him like a comforting cushion, crying into his shoulder.This time though, Duncan, his son, stood next to him. Small and wiry like hisfather. He had big brown eyes under a mop of dark unruly hair and lower on theboy’s grubby face he wore a crooked turtle mouth grin.
“I wouldn’t have come here. But I think you owe me,”MacCready said matter of fact.
“Yeah I guess I do,” Nate replied. He’d breached the man’s trust;Nate was good at that, good at setting people aside for his own selfish needs. He’dangered lovers in the past, but this was something else, a betrayal of trust,the one thing he’d fought to give Mac.
“I hear you’re in with the Brotherhood now.”
“Does it look like it?” Nate pointed to the white underneathhis coat. “You heard wrong.” Mac meant his dalliance with a Brotherhoodsoldier, one he too had betrayed, different though -- Vince had moved on afterthe fall of the Prydwen, he had nothing to say, nothing to do -- and on the proviso,Nate would take his sister to the Institute and give her a synth body, a chanceat a new life. But he couldn’t do that, he provided her with comforts of lifein the Institute, but he wouldn’t make her a synth. Another broken promise,like the wings he once wore.
“You wear the Institute get up. What does that mean?”
“It means I can give you a life beyond this Wasteland,beyond starvation and harm. I can give this world something more than fightingand rebellion and I can give hope a voice. Not that of my son, whom I think wasmisguided. This is my voice and I am going to set things right.”
MacCready gave him a sceptical look and ran a hand of hisson’s head. “I want to believe you,” he replied, shook his head and took abreath. “You broke my trust now you expect me to give it again?”
“No. But then why are you here? Caps? It’s not just that isit?”
MacCready looked down and away. “No.” He looked back up intoNate’s eyes.
Nate stared into the pools of Mac’s blue eyes. His pupils were dilated, his neck exposed but his mouth still held tight. Nate hadmissed him more than he realised.
“I don’t want Duncan to ever get sick again. And you’re partof the reason he’s still here. You made this happen, you helped me.” He closedhis eyes. “You don’t owe me,” he conceded. “I came here for money, but-- da--darn it. Why are you so-- reasonable, so fu-- calm?”
Nate shrugged and knelt. He came face to face with Duncan. “Hiya.I’m Nate. I have something for you.” He pulled out the wooden soldier that Machad given him and held it out to him. “You know your Mom made this?”
Duncan looked up to his father then reluctantly back at Nate.
Nate wanted to see Mac’s reaction but he held off, keepinghis gaze focussed on the boy.
“Go on, take it, I know she would have wanted you to have it.And your Pa too.” When Nate finally glanced up at MacCready, he could see hiseyes glistening
A large smile broke across Duncan’s face.
MacCready clicked his tongue over his teeth. “You son of abi--” he said and snorted back an incredulous laugh.
Nate stood and gave Mac a sorrowful look. “Let me show you. Letme earn your trust. And I promise I won’t break it again. I give you my word.”
It felt like an age before he replied, and when he did, hefolded his arms across his chest. “We can stay here? In Sanctuary? Or--”
He gave MacCready and Duncan a weak smile and nodded. “It’s ‘bringa merc and son to work’ day tomorrow. Come and I’ll show you what I haveplanned.”
MacCready put his hand on Duncan’s shoulder and squeezed. “Whatdo you say, buddy? Do we go with this guy?”
Duncan sniffed and gave a slow definite nod. “I think we do,and if he doesn’t keep his word, we take him for caps and blow this joint.” HIs voice was high-pitched and mischievous.
Nate gave an unwitting laugh at how much he sounded likeMacCready and how comforting he found the sound.
The three walked side by side up the road and into Sanctuary’sheart.
