Vulpes pulled off his shirt and pants, and folded them neatly on a chair. From the edge of his vision he saw the Courier do the same. Her frame was thin and sinewy— her sickly pale skin littered with scars both fresh and old. She was no stranger to pain, it seemed. He turned away and pulled back the ragged covers from the bed. “Get in.”
The Courier gave a harsh, shrill laugh. “Well now, Mr. Fox, I didn't know you thought of me that way.”
“Don't flatter yourself, this is only a precautionary measure. If you think I'd take my eyes off of you for even a minute, you're severely mistaken. And if you have any objections, I have no qualms with roping you to the couch for the night.”
The Courier scoffed as she slid into bed. “Stabbing you in your sleep isn't in my best interest, you know.”
“Until I have overwhelming evidence of that, I will regard that as yet another one of your lies.” Vulpes flicked the lightswitch and got in beside the Courier.
He fell into a shallow, restless sleep, and it wasn't long before he was awakened by the Courier's jerking movements and hoarse whispers. He looked over to find her face stained with tears, but her eyes still shut. Vulpes would have never taken her as one to have nightmares.
“Courier.” He grabbed her by the shoulder— cold and clammy with sweat. She jolted upright, and clutched at the scar on her forehead, stifling a scream trapped in her throat. The racing of her heart was nearly audible. As she became aware of her surroundings she allowed her body to fall back down onto the mattress, still trembling and clutching at her old headwound.
Vulpes shifted to prop himself up by his arm. “You were dreaming of that night, weren't you? When the Chairman shot you.”
The Courier's head slowly nodded. “It's all I remember before waking up in Goodsprings.”
He had seen the brief moments of fear expressed by the Courier each time he confronted her about her suspected treachery, but he had never seen her like this. She looked so frail, so terrified— her every guard lowered, offering him a view into her true self. It brought Vulpes a surprising amount of satisfaction seeing the Courier in this state.
When Day is Done 5/?
The Courier gave a harsh, shrill laugh. “Well now, Mr. Fox, I didn't know you thought of me that way.”
“Don't flatter yourself, this is only a precautionary measure. If you think I'd take my eyes off of you for even a minute, you're severely mistaken. And if you have any objections, I have no qualms with roping you to the couch for the night.”
The Courier scoffed as she slid into bed. “Stabbing you in your sleep isn't in my best interest, you know.”
“Until I have overwhelming evidence of that, I will regard that as yet another one of your lies.” Vulpes flicked the lightswitch and got in beside the Courier.
He fell into a shallow, restless sleep, and it wasn't long before he was awakened by the Courier's jerking movements and hoarse whispers. He looked over to find her face stained with tears, but her eyes still shut. Vulpes would have never taken her as one to have nightmares.
“Courier.” He grabbed her by the shoulder— cold and clammy with sweat.
She jolted upright, and clutched at the scar on her forehead, stifling a scream trapped in her throat. The racing of her heart was nearly audible. As she became aware of her surroundings she allowed her body to fall back down onto the mattress, still trembling and clutching at her old headwound.
Vulpes shifted to prop himself up by his arm. “You were dreaming of that night, weren't you? When the Chairman shot you.”
The Courier's head slowly nodded. “It's all I remember before waking up in Goodsprings.”
He had seen the brief moments of fear expressed by the Courier each time he confronted her about her suspected treachery, but he had never seen her like this. She looked so frail, so terrified— her every guard lowered, offering him a view into her true self. It brought Vulpes a surprising amount of satisfaction seeing the Courier in this state.