Last Stop New Vegas

[CortezHorse]

Ben smirked as Darling reasoned why what she did was justifiable. Honestly, in Ben’s mind it was already justified; the raiders tried to kill them so fighting back was necessary. It wasn’t enough for Darling though; she had to reason that they saved others, not just themselves. It was entirely unselfish and the longer they were together the clearer it was becoming that this young woman was truly one of the rare, good people you stumble upon maybe once or twice in your lifetime. He could certainly respect that.


You’re a good friend.


His eyes flashed with surprise before he quickly turned his head to look at the expansive wasteland in front of them. Ben never considered himself someone worthy of the title, a good friend. Honestly he could be a really shitty person and to have someone so, so, well, so sweet think he was good in any way, shape or form was astonishing.


“Yea, no problem.”


It was the only thing he could think to say in return. It was bordering on insane how much such a simple phrase struck him. Jesus, what is this girl doin’ to me? Managed to embarrass him by calling him handsome and now this? He cleared his throat, needing to say more, to move past this surprisingly startling subject.


“There’s a settlement not far from here. If we keep on at a good pace then we should reach it just after the sun goes down. We can get some rest, supplies, whatever ya might need.”

 

[Interstellar Bun]

His reaction was almost cause of concern. Then again, Darling hadn't actually expected him to return the sentiment, why would he? He had struck her as the quiet sort, not the type of person to outwardly care as much as she did. It was a personality type she was becoming accustomed to, as she was learning to look more to his eyes and body language rather than his words. Perhaps that was something she liked about him, the fact that he wasn't quite like those she'd usually befriend. He was harsh, and for a moment, she wondered if he had always been that way, or if it was the Mojave that had changed him.


The talk of a settlement, though, seemed to catch her interest. That was what she needed. After all of this, what she needed was a bed, a shower, and a chance to not fear being attacked in the dead of night.


"Supplies might be good, I figure if we keep the same luck all the way to the Strip that we've had so far we might need a bandage or two to keep us in one piece. Then again, at this point, I might be willing to trade my supplies for a good shower."


Reaching back, she found her small radio out of habit and twisted the knob. There was a hiss, before quiet music started trailing behind them. She kept it softer than she had the evening before as to keep it from drawing too much unwanted attention to them. Now, she was finally being cautious, now, she finally knew the dangers first hand.


"How often do you come this way? You sound pretty familiar with the area."

 

[CortezHorse]

How often do you come this way? You sound pretty familiar with the area.


Her voice drifted above the soft notes of music that trailed behind them. The music was nice, almost relaxing, a lot more tolerable than how it’d sounded when she was blasting it during their first meeting.


“There’s a lot of work around here. Since the Strip isn’t too far away there’s some better of folks around here that can afford to pay for services. Good money for doing stupid shit like cleanin’ out someone’s basement of a rat infestation.”


He knew this area like the back of his hand, he’d been travelling it for years now. The closer they got to the Strip though, the more unfamiliar it would become. It was kind of funny, for all the pining he did for the Strip, wanting to travel there to make money, he never actually just did it. That goldmine of a shithole was always just within his grasp but he was always nervous to leave his comfort zone. He knew this wasteland, knew it well and how the people in it worked. The Strip however was full of well to do’s, full of things he wasn’t accustomed to. Ben would never admit the reason he waited so long was due to fear of the unknown but that’s exactly what it was. There was also the biting thought that maybe someone would want to enslave him again. What if some rich bastard wanted himself a new ghoul, caught sight of him and had his goons slap a collar on his neck.


Ben’s hand went to his neck, rubbing the back of it with a sort of nervous tic. The memory of those heavy, explosive collars would always stay with him. A constant threat, a constant weight, always there to remind you exactly what you were. The collar made you property, no longer human, a symbol of enslavement. He could remember when his last master left him in the desert to die after his grievous injury to his leg. Despite the fact that he just knew he was going to die alone, bleeding out in the middle of the desert; he couldn’t help but feel relief when the collar was snapped off of his neck. He was finally free.


He grunted, giving his head a small shake and the memories were chased away again. His fears had kept him from moving on and finally he was going to make it to the Strip, to make a better life for himself and no one would stop him.


The day wore on and eventually turned to dusk, the oppressively hot air was cooled and the settlement could be seen as a small dot in the distance. They were almost there; they’d made it through the first portion of their journey. It would have been much more exciting were he not exhausted straight to his bones and his hip throbbing to the beat of Darling’s music.


“Well, day one almost done and only had two life or death instances. Pretty good I’d say.”


His voice was flat, almost as if he was serious but a smirk soon broke his decrepit features. Ben had actually made a joke, or at least an attempt at one. It seemed change was already on its way.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

It was nice to see the settlement in the distance, hazy with the dust in the air. Beyond that she could see clouds starting to bubble, boiling in the sky with the faint promise of rain, the scent being carried towards them in the breeze. Maybe they'd finally catch a break, get a few rooms to stay in, eat a nice dinner, and wait out the rain and get a nice early start. They could put the day behind him and she could wash the blood from her hands, her hair. She could forget, for a few sweet hours, all that they had been through in such a short amount of time.


The walk wasn't so bad, and the silence that had temporarily fallen between them was comfortable, the harshness cut by a list of songs that left her humming. Something Sinatra was on and she had almost missed his final comment, had almost missed the fact that Ben, of all people, had made a joke.


She blinked, her expression incredulous before her grin widened to match his own, teeth worrying her lip as she tried to keep her smile tapered down.


"Well, you know, I figure if nothing else will make us bond, facing life or death together will. I prefer being taken out for dinner, but I suppose digging bullets out and surviving shootouts will have to do." She winked.


The settlement looked small enough not to draw too much attention but large enough to promise a decent life to anyone who lived there. If Darling had to put a word to it, she might very well call it cozy. It'd be a nice place to set up shop for the night and she'd be lying if she said her legs weren't starting to ache.

 

[CortezHorse]

I prefer being taken out for dinner, but I suppose digging bullets out and surviving shootouts will have to do.


She then winked and Ben ducked his head away from her, as he'd done earlier in the day when she'd called him handsome. If it were still possible then his cheeks would be bright red with a blush. He kept quiet for the remainder of the walk, preferring to avoid looking at Darling and instead focus on the incoming rain clouds. It'd been months since he'd seen rain and god did he miss it.


The settlement was quiet when the reached it but Ben remembered it being the same way the last time he was here. The sky rumbled with thunder as they were checked at the gates of the community by some volunteer guards then ushered inside. It felt like a weight was lifted once they'd set foot on the ground within the walls, finally they could rest and not be alert for all hours of the day.


Ben remembered where the inn was and lead the way, paying for a room for the two of them. The owner showed them upstairs and unlocked the door, the sight inside nearly made his heart stop. There was only one bed, one goddamn bed.


"Uh, I, I thought I paid for two singles?"


The gray haired man nodded.


"You did but this is all we've got right now. I figured the extra money you paid could be used for a bath for you two."


Although it was frustrating the owner had promised him one thing and delivered another, a bath did sound nice. Darling had mentioned she wanted a bath as well so he supposed it'd be fine. He could just sleep on the floor or something, it wasn't like he hadn't slept on worse.


"Yea, fine."


The man smiled and handed their room key to Ben.


"Good, with this rain coming in the water barrels will fill up again so you two can have a nice full bath. Just let me know when you want one and I'll heat some water up on the fire for ya."


He toddled off, closing the door behind him and Ben sighed, pocketing the key as he turned to Darling.


"Sorry bout the bed. I'll just sleep on the floor. It'll be fine."


He dropped his pack to the floor and sat on the foot of the bed with a wince.


"Why don't you go on and get a bath in. I'll go into town and buy us some dinner."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

Her hand had instinctively gone to a side pocket of her rucksack when it came time to pay for the room, stopping only when she saw that Ben had grabbed the tab and left no room for argument. The town wasn't that bad and there was a sense of safety that came with being in it, one that only grew when they were lead into the room they'd be occupying for the evening.


She listened to the two talk as she looked around, tossing her pack so it landed in a decently plush chair in the corner of the room. Her sunglasses and hat followed suit.


Having been running her fingers through her hairs, the loose curls wild and tangled from the day, she stopped as Ben mentioned sleeping on the floor.


"Now don't be ridiculous. I doubt the floor would be good for you, so you can have the bed or we can share it. It seems big enough and I don't move much in my sleep." That came from having to share a bed with her younger brother for a spell. Either way, she wasn't about to repay Ben for all he had done by making him sleep on a cold, dirty floor. That just wasn't nice.


There was another roll of thunder, a low, calming sound that drew Darling's attention away from Ben and to the window. The drought in California had gotten bad in recent years and she couldn't imagine it was any better here in the Mojave. Rain was a treat, a rare blessing she was eager to hear again.


With a bit of digging in her pack, she removed a wad of clothes, valut-tec shampoo hidden within the folds. Weariness was starting to catch up to her, slowing her movements as she reached for the door once more. She paused.


"I'll be back in a bit, then. If you need any extra caps, or if they take NCR bills, I have some in my bag."


She didn't mind sharing, not when they were on the same side, and she figured that was clear. Maybe she didn't have a lot to spare, not a lot to go around, but it was just the two of them and there was no harm done in offering to pay for her own meal. Besides, Ben had earned her trust by now.


With a final nod in his direction, Darling slipped out and headed towards the man that had showed them the room to try and get a bath in. maybe after she got clean, she'd feel normal again.

 

[CortezHorse]

The inn owner happily heated water for Darling, dumping the steaming liquid into an old basin in a separate room downstairs. After filling her bath up he gave her a smile and told her to yell if she needed anything.


-------------------------------------------------------------


Share the bed? Ben did his best to swallow the lump in his throat. Surely she didn’t want to share a bed with him, no matter what the circumstances. He stared at the door where she’d just left, wondering if he’d ever figure out the confusing creature that was Darling.


A shake of his head cleared his thoughts and he gathered his few caps to go in search of food for them. Ben didn’t want her paying for anything tonight, she’d said she was going to re-stock her supplies tomorrow and if she was going to keep them stocked then he’d keep them housed and fed tonight.


He stepped out into the cool evening air, a few sprinkles of rain were just beginning to fall and Ben turned his face up towards the sky. The trickles felt wonderful against his beaten and weathered skin. If he didn’t have food to seek out and people watching him then he could have stood there forever letting the rain beat against him.


The rain was just really beginning to fall when he clunked into a bar, already soaking wet. None of the patrons seemed to mind his arrival, he’d worked in this settlement before and most of the smooth skins here were pretty tolerant of ghouls. The bartender looked up at him as he sat down at the bar.


“What can I get you?”


Ben twisted his face in thought.


“You don’t have any food here, do you?”


“Just so happens we do. Special tonight is Brahmin stew.”


The thought of hot food after a hot day wasn’t very appealing but if it was filling then so be it. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. He bought the two dishes of stew, thoughtfully covered with paper by the bartender to help reduce the amount of rain that would drop in. Ben hurried across the now muddied ground back to the inn and up to his and Darling’s room. Once there he sat their bowls on the rickety night stand beside the bed then stripped out of his soggy clothes.


Ben didn't really carry much in the way of clothes, never seeing the need for more than that. His spare change of clothing was only an extra pair of pants that was practically identical to his other dark, beaten pair. So he slipped on the dry pair then flopped down onto the mattress, not too worried about his shirtless state at the moment. His t-shirt was thin, it wouldn't take long to dry and he'd have it on long before Darling would be back. With a sigh, Ben closed his eyes and listened to the rain beat against the building and before he knew it he was fast asleep.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

The water was hot and Darling was nothing short of thankful to be able to submerge herself inside the tub. In the silence, broken only by her own breathing and the slosh of the water as it moved about as she washed her hair, Darling was left with nothing but her thoughts. She thought of her family, of the friends she had left behind, and wondered what they were doing. She wondered if they too were winding their days down, eating dinner at the large table her father had restored for them, and it was then that she was hit with the lonely feeling of homesickness.


Suds washed out of her hair, carrying dirt and grime out of the tangled mess and, in an attempt to keep her thoughts clear, she turned her attention to the arm that had been injured. Most of the blood had flaked off through the day, but she could still feel it. So she scrubbed. She scrubbed as she thought of the faces that had rushed them, the ones that yelled, the ones that killed and hurt others for enjoyment.


She scrubbed until her flesh was raw and the air made it sting. It was then she had realized she was crying again. Shoulders slumping, Darling stared into the water and waited.


The tears stopped, the water turned cold, and she finally got out. Drying off, she tugged on the clothes she brought, an old shirt featuring a brand she didn't know about and some cotton shorts that worked well on warm nights. They still smelled clean and, admittedly, she did feel better once all the grime had been removed.


Slipping her boots on her bare feet for the short walk back to the room, darling gathered up her old clothes and headed back out. The rain greeted her, tapping her on the nose and catching on her lashes. For a moment, she lingered, feeling the water fresh on her skin, the way it made her shiver, before she was off again, hustling to their room.


The door shut behind her with a click.


"You know, I suppose it's a real good thing I didn't bother drying my hair with how it's-." She stopped rather abruptly when she saw that Ben wasn't exactly awake.


Opting to deal with her clothes later, she dumped them on her bag, kicked her shoes off, and slowly crept forward.


"Ben?" She almost felt bad trying to wake him, her voice softening. "I'm sure the bed's real soft but if you don't get up I'll eat your soup for you."


At least, she had assumed what was in the bowls was soup.

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben bolted awake when Darling crept forward, speaking softly. He’d never been a heavy sleeper but even so he was a bit disoriented for a few seconds before realizing that one, it was Darling who had woken him and two, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. She didn’t seem to mind, of course, but Ben immediately leapt from the bed and pulled on his now dry shirt all while muttering curses.


Once he was no longer exposed he almost shyly turned back to face Darling on the bed. Who’s idea was it for him to travel with a woman?! Oh, yea, his.


“Sorry, I uh, fell asleep.”


Obviously. He winced at what he’d said, realizing how silly it was to state that. Come on, come on a distraction from your horrible social skills! Food! Yes!


“So, stew, they had it special.”


He walked back to the bed and sat down on the very edge, as far away from her as he could manage. Carefully he picked up the cracked and worn bowls, handing one to Darling. As she took it he paused and stared at her for a moment. Her wet hair had caught his attention. Falling in wavy, golden tresses; how long had it been since he’d even touched a proper head of hair? Let alone a woman’s hair. In a flash he realized what he was thinking and that he was blatantly staring so quickly snapped his head away to stare into his bowl of stew.


“It’s Brahmin, hope that’s ok.”


How awkward can you be?! He mentally chastised himself while shoveling the very interesting stew into his mouth.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

rDarling chalked his odd actions up to the fact that he had been jolted awake. No one made much sense when they first woke up, after all. The only thing that really seemed odd to her was just how far he positioned himself away from her, making her step closer and lean forward to take the bowl of stew that had been offered to her. Looking down to the substance inside, she couldn't quite tell if it looked appealing, or like something she'd find inside of an old car. It smelled decent, at least.


Her gaze returned to him just in time to catch his eye, the fact that he had been looking at her a bit too long. It was only then the rather confident young woman became hyper aware of her less than prim appearance, the fact that she probably looked like a wet dog. That couldn't be too appealing. Stepping back, she perched herself on the other side of the bed, the mattress shifting as she crossed her legs and got comfortable.


Haphazardly, she shoved her hair out of her face and to the side so it wouldn't get in the way as she looked down to eat.


"You know, this isn't half bad. Takes a bit of skill to make brahmin taste decent if you ask me."


Maybe it was a little cold by now, but that was her own fault. At this point, she was just glad to have something in her stomach, something that had actual flavor to it.


"We should probably took a look at your wound again before you crash for the night. How's it feeling anyway, any better?"


The question came with a tilt of her head.

 

[CortezHorse]

We should probably take a look at your wound again before you crash for the night. How’s it feeling anyway, any better?


Ben swallowed his mouthful of stew and placed the bowl back on the nightstand before turning to look at Darling, forcing himself to make eye contact and pretend he hadn’t been acting odd a moment ago.


“It’s fine, just sore. That’s expected I suppose from walkin’ all day with a bullet wound.”


His eyes caught sight of redness on her arm and he reached forward without a word, pulling her sleeve up to look at her own injury. It seemed fine but the entire area looked swollen and irritated like she’d scrubbed her arm with a piece of burlap. He creased his forehead, released her arm, his eyes going back up to hers.


“How you feelin’?”


The question was short and not specific but considering the circumstances it was obvious what he meant. She’d broken down after she shot the raiders earlier that day and now it looked like she rubbed her own arm raw. It wasn’t as if Ben would have some sage advice to give her if she did open up, he knew he wouldn’t, but he couldn’t have the person he was traveling with slowly collapse from the inside.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

Darling waited until he had released her arm to pull back, drawing in on herself. Looking down at her stew, she realized her stomach had soured and eating didn't really appeal to her any longer. Placing her bowl on the nearest table, she adjusted the sleeve of her shirt so she didn't have to look at it. She knew what he was asking, the double meaning of such a simple question.


"Better."


The answer came after a moment of contemplation, accompanied with a soft smile. It was true, she was doing better. Not good, not fine, but better. That was all she could ask for. Things weren't perfect, and her heart wasn't callow enough to murder without suffering in return, but she had a friend, a place to stay the night, and she was alive. So, maybe better would just have to be good enough for now.


"Have you decided on sleeping arrangements by the way? You seem to be pretty fond of that bed there, I'd hate to come between you two."


She moved to get her bandages once more, this time aiming to wrap her own arm so the wound could start to properly close. Her chuckle was muffled as she held part of the bandage between her teeth to keep it secure until it was properly wrapped and tied off. She could feel the thrum of her own heart in her arm.

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben raised a non-existent brow at her flat answer. It didn't seem honest but there wasn't much he could do for her, at least not emotional wise. Knowing how inept he was at such things he'd probably just make it worse. So he accepted her answer with a resigned nod.


"Good."


Darling brought up their, ahem, less than comfortable sleeping arrangements and Ben found himself feeling their all too familiar sense of embarrassment welling up once more. He grumbled in his throat, trying to think of what to say. She didn't seem repulsed by sharing a bed with him and it would obviously be more comfortable to lay on the mattress than the hardwood floor.


"Sharing the bed will be fine I s'pose."


He had to force himself to loosen up in order to lay back on the mattress, the nerves of sharing a bed with someone making his body rigid. It was bad enough that he was sharing a bed with another, worse was she was a woman and an attractive one at that. Ben practically balanced himself on the far edge of the mattress, as far away from her as he could manage. Sure she didn't mind sleeping here with him but there was no way she would want him touching any part of her.


"G'night."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

He was tense, anyone with a set of eyes could see that. Once her arm was doctored up, Darling closed the distance between them once more and slid in to the other side of the bed. In an attempt to make him feel better, she took up as little space as she could, curling up on the edge of the mattress with her back facing him. With a few swats at the pillow to soften it up, she settled down and tugged the blankets over her. With a mumble of 'goodnight' to Ben, darling fell asleep to the sound of thunder and the soft patter of rain.


However, the soft sound was gone by the time she woke up. Rolling to lay on her back, she stretched languidly and allowed herself a moment of peace before she got up. She wasn't sure if Ben was asleep, but he looked pretty out of it. So, as silently as she possibly could, she slipped her boots on, grabbed her wallet, and crept out of the room.


Pushing the fluffy mess of hair out of her face, she looked around before finding the place Ben had grabbed them food from the night before. It was quiet but peeking her head in showed the place was still open.


"Good morning." She greeted the proprietor with a smile.


The man looked up. "Morning. What can I get for you?"


"Two cups of coffee and whatever you have for breakfast."


He thought for a moment before mumbling something to himself. In no time at all, Darling counted out her cabs and exchanged them for two things of coffee and two plates of what seemed to be eggs and hashed potato. With every bit of balance she had, she ever so carefully made her way back to the inn room. It was an act of God that let her open the door without dropping everything and she shut it with a bump of her hip.


"Sleeping Beauty," she sat the plates and mugs down, "are you up yet?"

 

[CortezHorse]

For the first time in a long time, Ben actually slept well. It was restful, free of nightmares and outside dangers. With Darling sleeping under the same sheets it provided a comfortable warmth in the cool room. He didn’t stir until he heard the sound of the door click open and shut. Plates clattered onto the hard surface of the table and Ben rolled over with a sigh, the smell of food greeting him.


He stretched his body as he sat up, giving a slight smirk at being called sleeping beauty. Ben leaned over and grabbed a plate, then a mug. He took a few bites and a gulp of murky coffee before finally speaking, his voice more rough than normal due to sleep.


“Thanks.”


His milky eyes focused on her hair and he snorted at the sight of bed head. Ah, yes, he remembered one of the downsides to having a lot of hair.


“Nice style ya got yerself there.”


He stuck another bite of egg into his mouth, a smirk solidly plastered onto his face.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

Nice style ya got yerself there.





The comment caught her off guard and sh snorted, smiling as she gave a toss of her hair.


"Oh thanks, I worked pretty hard on it. I hear it's real popular in the Strip these days."


Perching herself on the bed once more, one leg dangling off the side, Darling dug into her meal. The potatoes were a bit questionable, but the rest was decent enough. At least they had some real food in them, something that would stick to their bones while they were out burning under the harsh glare of the sun.


After all this, she was starting to feel pretty good, actually.


"How'd you sleep, by the way?"

 

[CortezHorse]

How'd you sleep, by the way?


Ben put his plate aside, already finished with his food. Scarfing down meals was a hard habit to break from years of just having food thrown at him like an animal. You had to eat your share before someone else had the chance to take it from you. He stood and stretched once more before answering Darling.


"Pretty good. Whatta bout you?"


He began packing, his back turned to her after he asked the question. They needed to get started as early as possibly, the longer they walked without the heat of the sun on them the better. Ben swung his duster jacket on and stuffed his now dry pair of pants into his pack, along with other supplies that had been dragged out. He never got a chance to take a bath, a bit disappointing, especially since the thought of soaking his hip in hot water sounded like the closest thing to heaven ever but, he'd survive.


"Get yer stuff together. We're gonna leave."


His statement was punctuated by his pack being flung onto the bed beside her, followed by him flopping down near it so he could pull on his boot. Bad thing about having a peg leg is trying to stand on it to put your shoe on was like, well, trying to balance your entire body weight on a stick.


"I reckon we're about half a week away from the Strip if we don't run into no more trouble."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

"I slept like a rock."


Between the rain and the comfort of the blankets and pillows, she had been all but dead to the world. Polishing off her own food and mug of coffee, she watched as he moved around, wasting no time as he got ready. He was practical, and that was something she admired. The bed shifted as he flopped down on the bed to pull his boot on and Darling stretched her neck out as she stood.


She retrieved her mostly empty first-aid kit and tossed it towards him, watching it bounce on the bed near his pack.


"Well," she began, "since I don't suppose you want to hang around and watch me strip down, would you kindly go get this restocked so we can get out of here faster? We need more bandages, gauze, something to use as a disinfectant, and stimpaks."


If they were half a week away from the Strip, then they should be fine with one more restock. The idea left her fingers tingling in excitement, a half a week and she'd be there, she'd finally be in the New Vegas Strip of all places. Half a week of walking wasn't that bad anyway, even someone like her could manage it. They just had to keep their heads down and not get slowed down by any more bullets.


If anything, that last part would be the hardest.

 

[CortezHorse]

Once again, Ben's face went through an interesting serious of emotions when she mentioned stripping down. He mumbled something incoherent as he snatched the first aid kit, dutifully avoiding her gaze. It wasn't hard to embarrass Ben, especially when it came to the fairer sex. With all of his gear strapped to him, he marched out of the room and on to the general store to re-stock while trying to keep pesky images of a nude Darling from floating into his head. The thought of her even in a simple tank top made his face heat up.


As he walked he grumbled and groused to himself about the trouble of having a woman with him, without truly meaning a word of it. Once at the general store he bought all the supplies needed and was about to leave when a half-pack of cigarettes and matches caught his eye. He really didn't have the caps to spend on such a frivolous thing, but, oh to hell with it.


Inhaling the delicious tobacco put him in an even better mood than he woke up in; Ben exhaled a long, wispy trail of smoke and watched as the warm breeze carried it away. It wasn't smart to smoke something with such a strong smell out on the trail but he'd enjoy himself for now. He picked a spot and seated himself on a crate, waiting for Darling to make her appearance so they could leave. Right now they were looking pretty good, his hip didn't ache as badly, they had enough supplies to get them to the Strip and if nothing got in their way then he'd be at the Strip, working a new job and making money. Things were finally looking good for him, for once in his life.

 

[Interstellar Bun]

Some part of her almost felt bad for embarrassing Ben again, but she really couldn't help herself. It was fun to mess with him, it wasn't as though he could have taken her seriously. Grinning, quite amused with herself, she waited until he was out to shuck her shirt and shorts off. Rolling the garments up so they took up as little space as possible, Darling shoved them back into her bag and removed her clothes from yesterday. All things considered, they didn't look half bad once she knocked the dust and dirt off.


She took her time dressing, humming to herself as she buttoned her shirt and tucked it in to her high-wasted jeans. The brush she had was a small one, made for travel rather than finesse. Hair freshly combed and quite smooth she put her hat back on and, oddly enough, paused A heavy sigh left her, eyes shutting as she prepared herself to face the day.


Shoes on, she slipped her arms through the loops of her gun holster and tugged her pack on. She stepped out of the hotel room as she flicked her sunglasses open and slid them on to dull the bright light of the Mojave morning. Her signature smile returned when she found Ben coping a squat on some crate.


"I'd make a joke about you being smokin', but I think it's a bit too obvious. Are you ready to hit the road?"

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben's scarred forehead crinkled as he raised a brow at her attempt at a bad joke. Even he was better at jokes than that. To answer Darling, he took a long drag of his cigarette; quietly enjoying the buzz the tobacco sent through his body before exhaling a trail of smoke towards his companion.


"Yep."


If he had to guess, he'd say his sheltered, smiling companion wasn't a smoker. Did she even drink alcohol? He'd have to find out at some point. The thought of her drunk made a smirk play across his cracked lips as they headed out of the walled community. The thought wouldn't leave him alone as they trudged along back in the familiar, dusty heat of the Mojave. He had to ask.


"You ever drank before?"


The question was sudden and came out of a thick, but companionable, silence between them. It certainly wasn't normal of him to be so random but he looked at her, waiting for an answer as if his question was quite reasonable.


"Dunno why I got to thinkin' bout it. You just strike me as someone who, ya know, doesn't do nothin bad. Goody two shoes."

 

[Interstellar Bun]

The comfortable silence was something Darling rather enjoyed. It was nice to just walk, to let her mind fall silent for just a few moments. With every step they were getting closer to Vegas, closer to a place where they could be safe, where he could find work and Darling could laze about until she headed back for California. They were getting closer to parting ways.


It took her by surprise when he spoke as she was usually the one to ask pointless questions to strike up conversations.


"A goody two shoes?" A laugh escaped her. "Oh goodness no, I have a lot of stories that would prove you are very wrong in that front. But, as for alcohol, I've had a drink or two before, though I can't say I do it often. Beer is the absolute worst thing I have ever had the displeasure of tasting and everything else is just generally unpleasant unless it's mixed with some kinda soda."


The memory of it made her nose wrinkle slightly. That hadn't been a good experience.


"But what about you? Most people out here drink regularly, right?"

 

[CortezHorse]

"Yea, most folks either drink because there's nothin else to do or to numb somethin painful. I like to have somethin' stiff every now and then."


So, she had stories did she? Well that was something he couldn't just let pass by. Ben couldn't imagine her stories being anything more illicit than getting home past curfew.


"So, we got time to kill obviously. Why not tell me one of them plentiful stories you got that prove how rough and tumble you are?"


He grinned at her, the expression showing off his ruined teeth for a moment before he continued.


"Tell ya what, we can do like a trade off of sorts. You tell me a story then I'll tell you one. Deal?"

 

[Interstellar Bun]

A trade off. She could agree to that.


"Alright, but I hope you know I'm expecting you to have really good stories."


She rolled her lips in thought, trying to come up with a decent tale to tell.


"So, you have to understand that I am the second child of five kids and out of all of them, I've always been really close with my younger brother, Daniel. Now, I was fifteen when I talked Daniel into going down in to this fenced off area not too far from home with the intention of scaring the life out of him once he got down in there. This fenced off area was kind of like a really small dead town, it was broken and hadn't been inhabited in decades, but it was perfectly creepy and I had deemed that sneaking in there was a rite of passage and if he did it, I'd give him all the money I had in my name. Nightfall came and we both made our way down to the dead town and I told him I'd stay on the other side of the barbed-wire fence and wait for him to come back. Of course, I didn't do that."


"My plan was to wait until he was out of sight, head in, come up behind him, and just grab him. Simple, right? What I hadn't counted on was the fact that he has a mean right hook." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Clocked me right across the cheek and sent me down. Poor guy freaked out and was apologizing like no one's business trying to help me up and it was around then that we realized the place was infested with rad scorpions and of course the hell we were raising drew them to us. Daniel dropped me and took of running leaving me to scramble after him with the scorpions right on my heel. He reached the barbed-wire first and I followed pretty close behind and I have no idea how we managed to get out as fast as we did but it wasn't until we were out of breath and half way home that we realized not only were we both covered in cuts and bruises, but Daniel had managed to lose his pants during it all."


By then, she was outright laughing, a hand pressed to the side of her face. "God, we tried to sneak back in but that didn't go well for us either. Needless to say, I got in a hell of a lot of trouble for that stunt and I still have a few scars from it all. Getting ripped up by barbed-wire isn't something I'd recommend, by the way."

 

[CortezHorse]

Ben grinned and chuckled when appropriate as she told her story. It certainly was more amusing than he thought it would be. Abandoned towns, right hooks, rad- scorpions and missing clothes? She seemed quite the mischievous type as a child.


“Well, well, did that teach ya not to go ‘round scarin’ folks?”


He smiled, knowing all too well the need of siblings to torcher one another.


“Alright, so, I suppose since you told a story from when you was little I’ll do the same. I use to have a baby sister, was ten years older than her, at the time I was twenty and she was ten. She was a cute little thing but you couldn’t let that fool ya, she was dastardly.”


Ben’s tone was fond as he told the story, re-kindling his fuzzy memories.


“There was a time, about a month long, where we kept pullin’ pranks on each other. I’d do something and then she’d retaliate and so on. It started when one night I put a lizard in her bed and to get back at me she mixed molasses into my soap. I swear none of the cows would leave me alone after that bath, they followed me around just lickin’ me constantly.”


He chuckled, his milky eyes bright with the past.


“It came to an end when I pushed her into the pig’s wallowin’ pit and she dragged me in. We were fightin each other for a good while until my dad came and saw, made us spend the night in the barn because we smelled so bad. After that, no more pranks.”